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" Self-confidence is the first requisite to great undertakings." ~ Samuel Johnson, Essayist, Poet and Biographer
Bear Down Chicago Bears!!! Brett Favre: Cutler 'has all the tools'.
By Michael E. Rice
Favre Cutler
Asked on ESPN 1000’s “Carmen and Jurko” show on Monday whether Chicago could advance to the Super Bowl with Cutler under center, Favre said “I think they can,” adding that it appears the Bears are finally starting to put enough talent around the quarterback after focusing for so many years on the defense.
“It goes without saying that Jay has all the tools it takes to be a great quarterback,” Favre said. “And I think the pieces are beginning to be in place. For years their defense had just been so dominating, and it’s time for their offense to really prove their worth. I think Jay can be that guy.”
Chicago’s brass does, too, considering the organization rewarded Cutler back in January with a contract extension worth $126 million. Cutler celebrated his 31st birthday back in April, and although players’ physical skills often start to diminish after the age of 30, Favre pointed to a pair of former MVPs in making a case for the Chicago quarterback.
Asked if Cutler could become a great quarterback after the age of 30, Favre didn’t hesitate.
“Rich Gannon did it. Steve Young did it. Sure,” Favre said. “I think you become a lot wiser as you kind of lose some of your physical abilities. I think at 30 for a quarterback, really, you’re just kind of hitting your prime.”
Perhaps one component of the growing wisdom Favre anticipates from Cutler will manifest itself in decision making. In part, because of supreme confidence in his arm strength, Cutler has gained a reputation for forcing throws into tight windows, which often leads to interceptions.
Favre had the same reputation during his 20-year NFL career, and called his arm strength “a blessing and a curse.” Favre holds the NFL record for career interceptions (336).
“What I mean by that, I had an arm that I felt was as good if not better than anyone,” Favre said. “I wasn’t as fast. I wasn’t as tall. I wasn’t as smart. But I knew I could make the throws no one else could make. I would attempt throws I knew I could get away with. Would it come back to haunt me sometimes? Sure it would. But I played 20 years and sometimes it bit me in the butt. Most of the time, I got away with it. I think had my arm not been as strong, I wouldn’t have attempted those. You get away with it more times than not, but occasionally it gets you. I think that’s just the way really any player plays throughout the league; knowing your limitations, and sometimes, it gets the better of you.”
NFC North Training Camp Preview: 3 things to watch.
By Dan Hanzus
Chicago Bears
1. When the Bears gave Jay Cutler that fat extension in January, it wasn't because of his Favre-like durability. To that point, the Bears have left themselves vulnerable at the game's most important position. Jimmy Clausen and Jordan Palmer will compete for understudy duties behind Cutler, who has missed 13 starts since the onset of the 2010 season. Josh McCown, you will be missed.
2. The Bears had an egregiously poor rush defense last season, surrendering a league-worst 161.4 yards per game. The team looked to the draft to address the problem, using their second-round pick on defensive tackle Ego Ferguson. You can safely assume Ferguson will be given every opportunity to lock down a starting job this summer. The Bears need a lane-clogger to emerge.
3. Bears fans still have nightmares of Randall Cobb loping through the secondary for a back-breaking touchdown in Week 17. This is a team that needs to find answers at safety. Two starting jobs are available for a group that includes M.D. Jennings, Danny McCray, Adrian Wilson and Ryan Mundy. Fourth-round pick Brock Vereen is a favorite to start at free safety.
Green Bay Packers
1. The Packers teamed Julius Peppers and Clay Matthews with dreams of 30 combined sacks floating in their heads. Let's see how this plays out. Peppers is entering his age-34 season and looked a step slow in his final go-around with the Chicago Bears last season. As for Matthews, he sat out the Packers' offseason program to help ensure he doesn't have any more problems with his twice-surgically repaired thumb. If healthy, he's a Defensive Player of the Year candidate.
2. The Packers used their first-round pick on Alabama safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix. Secondary is an area of concern for Green Bay, but Clinton-Dix is no guarantee to be a rookie starter. He worked with the second team during the bulk of the team's offseason program. Clinton-Dix is going to have to earn it, but consider it an upset -- and a disappointment -- if the rookie doesn't break camp with a starting gig.
3. Jermichael Finley clearly has designs on rejoining the Packers, but it remains to be seen if he can get the proper clearance after neck fusion surgery. That leaves a wide-open battle for the starting tight end job in Green Bay. Third-round pick Richard Rodgers turned heads in OTAs and may be the favorite. Andrew Quarless is Rodgers' primary competition. There is approximately a 400 percent chance someone takes Rodgers too high in your fantasy league.
Detroit Lions
1. This is a big, big season for Matthew Stafford. The quarterback underwhelmed last season and now must find a comfort level in a new offense. New offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi could be a difference-maker, and his plan to give Stafford more autonomy at the line of scrimmage could be the kick in the pants the quarterback needs right now.
2. The Lions have three tight ends that neatly complement one another. Creating a Frankenstein monster is (sadly) impossible, which means Jim Caldwell and company must figure out a plan of attack for Brandon Pettigrew, Joseph Fauria and Eric Ebron. The Lions used the 10th overall pick to land Ebron, so consider it a big disappointment if he doesn't contribute as a rookie. Pettigrew's blocking abilities will keep him in the gameplan. Fauria is a wild card who showed legitimate red-zone chops last season.
3. Kicker battle! Jason Hanson isn't walking through that door, and David Akers didn't take last season. The Lions will use training camp and the preseason to find their guy. Seventh-round pick Nate Freese and Giorgio Tavecchio are the candidates for the job. We haven't heard anything about Kickalicious, which is both a shame and a damn travesty.
Minnesota Vikings
1. Here's the only quarterback competition you'll find in the division, and it's legit. Teddy Bridgewater is the exciting first-round pick. Matt Cassel is the steady veteran who was re-signed specifically so Minnesota wouldn't be rushed into anything at the position. Christian Ponder lingers on the periphery, a man without a country. Cassel is the slight favorite here, but he'll have to earn the gig.
2. One of the good things about training camp and the preseason is that it gives us an idea which offseason storylines were legitimate and which were just fluff. Case in point: We heard all about Norv Turner's plans to utilize Adrian Peterson as a receiver out of the backfield this season. The Vikings have gotten away from that in recent seasons, which seems counter-intuitive considering the talent involved. Let's see if All Day is used any differently.
3. Cordarrelle Patterson landed atop our "Making The Leap" list for a reason. The second-year pro can be one of the NFL's most explosive playmakers if the Vikings can get the ball in his hands on a regular basis. Minnesota schemed throughout the offseason toward that goal; general manager Rick Spielman said at the combine in February that the Vikings had already designed 10 plays specifically for the electric wideout. It will be fun to see the fruits of that labor.
How 'bout them Chicago Blackhawks? Hawks still need to get under salary cap.
By Scott Powers
Someone who was a Chicago Blackhawk on Friday won’t be when the NHL season begins.
That’s the reality of the Blackhawks' salary-cap situation. The Blackhawks are around $1.3 million above the $69 million cap for next season and must get under it before they set their roster. To do so, they will have to trade at least one player.
Blackhawks players acknowledged the team’s salary-cap issue prior to their fan convention on Friday.
"Yeah, I know," Blackhawks winger Bryan Bickell said about someone having to go before the season. "I haven't really looked too much into it. There's a couple adjustments that need to take part to get through this cap thing, but I’m not hearing anything, which is good. It's going to work out the way it is, and, hopefully, it will work for the best."
A number of Blackhawks have been associated with trade rumors throughout the offseason. Defenseman Johnny Oduya has been one of those players. Oduya said Friday he expected to return for another season, but he also has been around long enough to realize anything can happen. He has one season remaining on his contract and has a cap hit of $3.375 million for next season.
"I wouldn’t say nervous, but you know the reality of the business," Oduya said. "And I’ve been around it for a couple of these situations where you might be a little bit over. Or, on the other hand, you’re the cheaper player and you can fit in in a different way. It’s not really much you can do but realize the situation and you prepare for the season the same way.
"I think they’re happy with my play from last year. Like I said, it’s a new situation for next year. We’ll see what happens. I’m very, very happy to be here. This is the place where I really enjoy playing hockey, and I’ve loved it here so far. And I think I’ll like it in the future, too. If that’s not the case, I'll go somewhere else."
Forward Patrick Sharp also was rumored to be on the trading block this summer. His agent, Rick Curran, said recently the Blackhawks would not be trading Sharp.
Sharp addressed those rumors himself on Friday.
"There’s going to be talk, discussion, rumors," Sharp said. "It’s part of the business. But I think what my agent said was pretty self-explanatory. I’ve been able to get away from hockey and kind of relax a little bit. Just got back from Connecticut with my family yesterday. Looking forward to training and playing a great next year."
So, who’s going to be traded?
Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman wouldn’t reveal that, but he said he wasn’t concerned about it.
"We certainly have to be ready to go by October," Bowman said. "That’s the goal. A lot of things change between now and then. You have to display some patience.
"Like I said all along, we have some ideas of what we’re going to do. A lot of things happen once camps open both for us and for other teams, in terms of players maybe you expect to meet expectations don’t quite do it and certain teams are looking around trying to find players. I always think you're always in a good position when you have a lot of established players. I think that’s better than the other way around."
Blackhawks to appear in 20 nationally televised games.
By Nina Falcone
The Chicago Blackhawks have played plenty of exciting hockey throughout their last few seasons, and that success has earned them a whopping 20 nationally television games during the upcoming 2014-15 regular season.
Of those 20 national appearances, 11 will be aired exclusively on NBC. It all kicks off on Oct. 21 in their matchup against the Philadelphia Flyers.
Local television and preseason schedules will be released at a later date.
| Day | Date | Opponent | Time (CT) | Network |
| Tuesday | Oct. 21 | Philadelphia Flyers | 7:30 PM | NBCSN |
| Wednesday | Dec 3 | St. Louis Blues | 7:00 PM | NBCSN* |
| Thursday | Jan. 1 | Washington Capitals | 12:00 PM | NBC* |
| Sunday | Jan. 4 | Dallas Stars | 7:00 PM | NBCSN |
| Sunday | Jan. 11 | Minnesota Wild | 7:00 PM | NBCSN |
| Wednesday | Jan. 21 | Pittsburgh Penguins | 7:00 PM | NBCSN* |
| Wednesday | Jan. 28 | Los Angeles Kings | 9:30 PM | NBCSN |
| Tuesday | Feb. 3 | Minnesota Wild | 7:00 PM | NBCSN |
| Sunday | Feb. 8 | St. Louis Blues | 11:30 AM | NBC* |
| Monday | Feb. 9 | Arizona Coyotes | 7:30 PM | NBCSN |
| Sunday | Feb. 15 | Pittsburgh Penguins | 11:30 AM | NBC* |
| Wednesday | Feb. 18 | Detroit Red Wings | 6:30 PM | NBCSN* |
| Sunday | Feb. 22 | Boston Bruins | 11:30 AM/2:00 PM | NBC* |
| Sunday | March 8 | New York Rangers | 11:30 AM/6:30 PM | NBC/NBCSN* |
| Wednesday | March 18 | New York Rangers | 7:00 PM | NBCSN* |
| Wednesday | March 25 | Philadelphia Flyers | 7:00 PM | NBCSN* |
| Monday | March 30 | Los Angeles Kings | 7:30 PM | NBCSN |
| Sunday | April 5 | St. Louis Blues | 11:30 AM/6:30 PM | NBC/NBCSN* |
| Tuesday | April 7 | Minnesota Wild | 7:30 PM | NBCSN |
| Thursday | April 9 | St. Louis Blues | 7:00 PM | NBCSN |
*NBC/NBCSN exclusive window
Just another Chicago Bulls Session… Bulls' new depth, firepower gives Thibodeau plenty to work with.
By Aggrey Sam
It’s a brand-new day in Chicago, one that features a Bulls team with a plethora of outside shooting, all kinds of lineup versatility, tremendous size and most importantly, depth.
The newest round of Kevin Love trade rumors notwithstanding—seemingly improbable after adding veteran big man Pau Gasol, the Bulls are reportedly back in the hunt for the disgruntled All-Star power forward, though word Cleveland being willing to give up No. 1 overall draft pick Andrew Wiggins is increasingly circulating—the Bulls’ current roster, after the signings of holdover guard Kirk Hinrich, instant-offense scorer Aaron Brooks and the rookie duo Doug McDermott and Cameron Bairstow, if not as impressive to the faction still pining for the services of Carmelo Anthony, inarguably is very intriguing, at the least.
Former league MVP Derrick Rose’s return to the court, reigning Defensive Player of the Year Joakim Noah’s ascendance to superstardom, Sixth Man of the Year runner-up Taj Gibson’s offensive emergence and swingman Jimmy Butler’s defensive prowess, marked by his second team All-Defensive Team selection, on their own, are enough for the Bulls to be optimistic. But add in Gasol’s polished skill set and championship experience, the as-advertised perimeter marksmanship recently displayed by McDermott in Las Vegas, second-year wing Tony Snell’s new-found aggressiveness that earned him first team all-summer league honors with his rookie teammate and the diminutive Brooks’ offensive firepower, and it’s clear why many observers believe the Bulls to be the early front-runner in the Eastern Conference this upcoming campaign.
Assuming Gibson and Butler—who, along with McDermott, will participate in USA Basketball’s mini-camp next week as members of the Select Team—aren’t wearing Minnesota uniforms this fall, the squad’s trademark defensive identity remains, especially with the aforementioned Noah and Hinrich also making their respective presences felt on that end of the floor. In a departure from the last two seasons of gutsy, if not aesthetically-pleasing basketball, the Bulls could be almost as formidable on offense, with proven scorers (veteran Mike Dunleavy Jr., who isn’t exactly chopped liver offensively, and talented rookie forward Nikola Mirotic, haven’t even been mentioned at this point), facilitators, slashers and a variety of specialists giving the club endless possibilities as to style of play, personnel and in general, being a much less predictable matchup for opponents.
Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau has found a way to turn lemons into lemonade with Rose only playing in 10 regular-season games in two seasons, various injuries taking multiple players out of the lineup and a roster further limited by circumstances such as midseason trades and simply not having high-level backups at every position, but has somehow managed to keep the team competitive. Now, for the first time since his first two years at the helm in Chicago, the Bulls are deep, experienced and perhaps even more talented that any other point in his tenure.
“We’re excited about that. Getting Derrick back, adding a couple of good young players, the addition of Pau, Nikola, I think that’s important. You have to have depth and so, we had it my first two years here, then we didn’t have it the last two and hopefully we’ll regain it,” the coach explained recently.
“My first two years, we were very deep and when Derrick went down the second year, that was a big hit for us. But it wasn’t only Derrick. We lost Joakim in that playoff series, as well. So we’ll see. But not this past season, the year prior, I thought that team, at probably the end of the season, they were playing great basketball, as well. So it’s how you grow throughout the season. We’ll take our shot at the end,” Thibodeau went on to say. “The challenge is how quickly we can all get on to the same page. Anytime you add as many new players as we have, that’s the challenge that you face. But the fact that we do have a good core coming back that has been around for a while, they’ll help move the new guys along. Then, hopefully we can get them up to speed very quickly.”
Thibodeau, as is his nature, was only cautiously optimistic, but the NBA lifer understands the weapons he has at his disposal, which is why he isn’t bemoaning the fact that the aforementioned Anthony opted to remain in New York.
“To me, when you study free agency, it’s not uncommon when players go back to their own team. So that’s all part of it. You make your presentation and then in the end, the player has to do what he feels is right and what’s best for him, and it’s geared to the player to stay with the team he was with. So when you go in, you understand that and you try to make your case. So we’re pleased with how everything turned out. We love our team and we’re going to take our best shot with the players we do have,” he said. “I always think we have a good chance at everybody because I think we have a great situation here. So that’s how I look at it, but if we don’t get somebody, that’s just the way it is. I’m not disappointed. I just move on. I love the guys that we do have. You have a guy like Derrick Rose, you’re fortunate. You have a guy like Noah, you’re very fortunate. So how they all work together and how they play for the team, it’s probably a little unusual in this league.”
Indeed, the Bulls’ chemistry is another asset that, while not easily quantifiable by statistics, is readily apparent on the court, particularly between the likes of Rose, Noah, Gibson, Butler and Hinrich, who are now all very familiar with each other’s games. Furthermore, Dunleavy and Snell have each had a year to get accustomed to the system, while Gasol’s unselfishness, Brooks jumping into a tailor-made role and the high basketball I.Q. shared by McDermott and Mirotic—the former a highly-accomplished four-year college player, the latter an experienced professional who’s excelled at the highest levels in Europe—should make for relatively seamless adjustments.
Thibodeau, on the other hand, has some work to do. McDermott, for instance, already seems to be a fan favorite and while Thibodeau was privately very supportive of Bulls drafting the Creighton product, getting his defense up to an acceptable standard on the NBA level will take time and the coach’s loyalty to his veterans—in this case, Dunleavy, who was an underrated team defender during his debut campaign in Chicago—means the rookie won’t just be handed immediate playing time, despite what appears to be elite shooting ability.
“He scores a lot of different ways. It’s summer league, so I don’t want to overstate it. But it’s the next step for him and the game he had 31 points in, he did it on 12 shots and he’s showing that he can play off other people, which is very, very important. It’s how you work with the unit and I think because of the way that he shoots, it’s similar to [Kyle] Korver,” Thibodeau said, referencing the ex-Bull, now with Atlanta and arguably the league’s best pure shooter. “Whenever he comes off the pin-down, it’s two people jumping out and you can get offense off of that. It’ll automatically create space for Derrick. He never stops moving. I think when you add players like that, it adds a lot of value to our team. What probably has gotten overlooked is his playmaking ability. When the second defender jumps out, he knows how to make a play.”
There are also high expectations for Mirotic, regarded by some as the top young European prospects and one of the best players on the continent in general while playing for Spanish powerhouse Real Madrid, but minutes could be even scarcer for the 23-year-old, stuck behind Noah, Gibson and Gasol in a potential juggernaut of a big-man rotation. What Mirotic does having work for him is, despite being an NBA newcomer, needing to add strength and improve defensively, is he has the ability to spread the defense from deep, finally giving the Bulls a coveted stretch power forward.
“It’ll sort itself out once we get to camp and we get a look at the different combinations in the preseason, and we get set on a rotation and then we’ll go from there. Then, there’s always injuries as you go along, so I expect Nikola to be a lot better at the end of the season than at the beginning of the season, as I do with all young players. But just go step by step, put everything you have into each and every day. You get better, little by little. But then you look back and it’ll be a quantum leap,” the coach explained. “Well, what I do like about him is he can shoot. The shooting is something that we wanted to address. So I think we’ve added shooting and of course, getting Derrick back is a huge piece and how it all fits together, we won’t know until we get out there.”
Additionally, simply making sure the much-improved Gibson comes to terms with potentially not starting after biding his time behind the amnestied Carlos Boozer and deciding upon who finishes games—let alone finding an inside-outside offensive balance with Rose back, so Noah still gets to play to his playmaking strengths and both Gibson and Gasol, one of the most highly-skilled post players in the league, get low-post touches—won’t be an easy feat.
“I’ve spoken with all three. They’re all going to have significant roles. How it plays out, we’ll figure that out. We won’t know that until they’re on the floor and we look at how they work together, and what’s best for our team. We’re always going to do what’s best for our team. But they’re all going to have a significant role,” Thibodeau said of his big-man rotation, adding that he isn’t ruling out Gibson starting at power forward over Gasol. “I want to see how it works together, what’s best for our second unit, what gives us our best chance, how are we going to finish, how are we going to start, how are all the minutes going to work out. But they’re all good problems to have.”
The last part is a true statement, even without delving into how much the Bulls rely upon Rose’s high pick-and-roll game, ways to incorporate the developing Snell and figuring out the right method to implement the reserve backcourt tandem of Hinrich and Brooks most effectively. As much as Thibodeau has earned a well-deserved reputation for being one of basketball’s top defensive minds, there are elements of his offensive strategy that have been underrated over the years and though the Bulls have had an air of predictability to their approach on that side of the ball, some of it can be attributed to the coach being handcuffed by injuries.
But now he has plenty of shiny new toys to play with, including the shooting the Bulls have lacked for some time, and while Thibodeau will have challenges when it comes to managing playing time and roles, barring injury, he’ll have the chance to demonstrate the breadth of his coaching acumen.
USA Select team includes five first-year players.
By The Sports Xchange
USA Basketball selected 13 players for the 2014 USA Men's Select Team that will train July 28-31 with the 2014 USA Basketball Men's National Team during training camp in Las Vegas.
The team includes five players who were rookies last season and two players who will debut in 2014-15: Harrison Barnes (Golden State Warriors); Trey Burke (Utah Jazz); Jimmy Butler (Chicago Bulls); Draymond Green (Golden State Warriors), Tim Hardaway Jr. (New York Knicks); Tobias Harris (Orlando Magic); Doug McDermott (Chicago Bulls); Victor Oladipo (Orlando Magic); Mason Plumlee (Brooklyn Nets); Miles Plumlee (Phoenix Suns); Marcus Smart (Boston Celtics); Dion Waiters (Cleveland Cavaliers); and Cody Zeller (Charlotte Hornets).
"USA Basketball's Select Teams are critical for getting some of the game's brightest and most promising young players experience at the USA National Team level, and getting them into our pipeline," said Jerry Colangelo, USA Basketball National Team managing director. "Again this summer, as was done in 2007, 2008, 2010 and 2012, the members of the USA Select Team will play an important role in helping prepare the USA National Team for the 2014 FIBA World Cup.
"Being chosen for the Select Team is an honor and an important step in becoming involved in USA Basketball's National Team program in the future. In the past, current national team players like Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, Kevin Love, Derrick Rose, Russell Westbrook, as well as many other outstanding players got their USA National Team start through the Select Team."
Members of the USA Select Team was first chosen in 2007. It will assemble in Las Vegas and train with the USA National Team July 28-31 at UNLV's Mendenhall Center.
The USA National Team opens its 2014 training with the Las Vegas training that concludes with the Aug. 1 (6:00 p.m. local time) 2014 USA Basketball Showcase that features a Blue-White intrasquad game at UNLV's Thomas & Mack Center.
Burke, Hardaway, Oladipo and Mason Plumlee were named to the 2013-14 NBA All-Rookie first team, while Zeller earned All-Rookie second team honors. Butler was named 2013-14 NBA All-Defensive second team, while Barnes and Waiters earned All-Rookie first team honors in 2012-13.
Barnes, McDermott, Smart and Waiters participated in the 2013 USA National Team mini-camp, McDermott and Smart were the only two collegians involved in the camp.
MLB: Changes to official scorers rulings have tripled in recent years.
By Craig Calcaterra
Some weeks back David Ortiz loudly complained about an official scorer’s call that he felt (correctly) cost him a hit, made a point to publicly call out the scorer for not giving him a hometown call and then successfully appealed the call. He received a lot of criticism for that. But based on this story from Murray Chass, Ortiz’s offense against propriety was the public part of it, not the appeal, because he is not at all alone in asking for scoring decisions to be changed. Indeed, those numbers are on the way up since Joe Torre took over that particular bailiwick:
Torre said he didn’t know how many calls he had changed this season.
“Last year I overturned about one-fourth to one-third of the requests,” he said. What about specific numbers? “There were a lot. I’d rather not tell you that. The first year” – 2011 – “it was a workable number. It’s probably tripled.”
Chass spoke to other sources which confirm that one-third-to-one-fourth figure and which say there are probably fifty overturned calls each season, or perhaps as many as three or four a week.
If you can navigate around the introductory and, for him, obligatory old fogeyism, Chass has some interesting nuggets in there, both regarding the number of scoring changes which are made and Major League Baseball’s curiously cagey approach to questions about them. And, most importantly, one suggestion about the reason for the increase in the scoring changes: the MLBPA being pressured by agents to be more proactive in making such appeals.
I tend to agree with Chass here about the early months of the Tony Clark Administration not being all that impressive. I would hope this sort of thing isn’t a big priority for them and that agents’ desires and the interests of some players as opposed to all aren’t what’s running the show.
By Brian Hedger, The Sports Xchange
Jose Abreu continues to swing a hot bat for the Chicago White Sox, but he's rapidly approaching his career high for games played in one season.
The Cuban-born rookie first baseman had only played in Cuba's top professional league prior to this season, which features a 96-game season. After missing 14 games with an ankle injury, Abreu played his 85th game for the White Sox on Sunday in an 11-7 loss to the Houston Astros at U.S. Cellular Field.
As the games pile up, there is some uncertainty how the grind of baseball's 162-game season will affect the 27-year-old slugger -- who leads the majors with 29 homers. Abreu isn't among those with concerns.
"I don't really think it's going to affect (me)," he said through an interpreter. "So far, we've played half of the season and here we play 162 games, but I just feel like we've just got to continue to work hard and stay mentally tough and continue to be a good person, so you can get the results that you want at the end of the season. But I don't think the length is going to affect my performance or anything like that."
It certainly hasn't thus far.
Abreu went 2-for-5 with an RBI single and extended his hitting streak to 11 games Sunday. He's isn't showing any signs of slowing up because of fatigue.
"I don't know about 100 (games), but you get up to about 125-130, there might be some validity to that, playing that many games," Ventura said. "But I think right now he's so excited with the way things are going, that can carry guys through that period. You don't know until he gets there and you see it, but he's made a lot of adjustments along the way already."
The only adjustment Ventura foresees in managing Abreu's playing time the rest of the season might be to play him as the Sox's designated hitter a little more often.
Otherwise, he's content to keep running the big guy out there as his first baseman every day.
"You take care of him and give him a day (off) maybe here or there, but you're watching everybody for that same (fatigue), whether they've been here a few years or this is (their) first time doing it," Ventura said. "Everybody has their limit and you hope it's kind of at that point where you can get them some rest to be fresh for the rest of it."
The Cubs farm system is making history.
By Tony Andracki
As the Cubs streak toward another last-place finish and possible 90-loss season, the saving grace has been the organization's farm system.
So this should come as good news to Cubs fans: the farm system is making history, according to Baseball America.
BA, one of the most prestigious outlets analyzing prospects, released their midseason Top 50 rankings earlier this month and had three Cubs in the Top 10 - Kris Bryant (2nd), Addison Russell (5) and Javier Baez (7).
Midseason prospect rankings are different than preseason lists, but if the rankings were to hold up heading into 2015, they would be the highest-ranked trio from one team in BA history (the lists started in 1990).
Only one other team has ever earned three guys in the Top 10 - the Kansas City Royals in 2011 with Eric Hosmer (8), Mike Moustakas (9) and Wil Myers (10).
Since its inception in 1990, only five teams have ever earned two Top 5 prospects, the most recent coming in 2008 when the Braves had Tommy Hanson (3) and Jason Heyward (4).
What are the chances the Cubs' trio remains in the Top 10?
What is remarkable is that the Cubs could do better when the offseason rankings roll out. No draft pick from the 2014 draft is likely to crack the top five. It’s hard to see Bryant moving up much—there’s nowhere to go when you are already ranked No. 2, but Russell and Baez are both coming off of frustrating first halves of the minor league season. Russell missed most of the first half with a hamstring injury and Baez struggled with strikeouts. Russell’s injury didn’t really affect his ranking, but Baez’s contact problems did ding him a little. If he shows an ability to recognize pitches better and a better approach in the second half, he could climb a little in the Top 100 rankings.
The Cubs' young prospects have been making headlines over the last week, with a banner day Thursday and another big day Sunday as Baez collected three hits - and extended his hitting streak to 14 games - while Russell hit two homers and drove in six runs.
"It seems two or three of these guys are having a huge game every night," Cubs GM Jed Hoyer said on the "Kap and Haugh" show on CSN Monday. "It's gotten to be a lot of fun to check the box scores."
Golf: “I got a club for that…” Rory McIlroy is poised to be golf's next big thing.
By DOUG FERGUSON
Golf has been looking for the next big star the last five years, and Rory McIlroy is the most obvious candidate.
With his name on the claret jug and his Irish eyes now focused on a green jacket, McIlroy took a big step toward the career Grand Slam with four dominant days at Royal Liverpool. He looks unbeatable at times like this. Boy Wonder has it all — skill, strength, shot-making. Throw in a great week with the putter and it's not a fair fight.
Or even another Jack Nicklaus.
Nicklaus and Woods are defined by the majors, so it's natural for the 25-year-old McIlroy to be linked with them after his two-shot victory in the British Open. Nicklaus and Woods were the only players younger than McIlroy to win three legs of the Grand Slam.
Nicklaus had the U.S. Open, Masters and PGA Championship when he was 23. He had been a pro for two years. Woods had the Masters, PGA Championship and U.S. Open when he was 24 and in his fourth full year as a pro. Woods added the career slam a month later.
McIlroy had a head start. He turned pro when he was 18. This is his seventh year playing the majors.
More than the majors, however, is a body of work that keeps Woods in a different league. At least for now.
"We used to say there will never be another Nicklaus, and then along came Tiger," Phil Mickelson said. "You never want to discount the possibility of someone coming along and dominating. But nobody has really asserted themselves week in and week out the way Tiger did for such a long period of time. We'll have great performances, like Rory this week, like (Martin) Kaymer at the U.S. Open and so forth.
"But it's very hard to do that week in and week out the way Tiger did," he said. "That's why it was so impressive what he did."
Woods had a dip in his game when he overhauled his swing toward the end of his first full season on tour. Once he sorted that out, he won seven out of 11 majors. More than just majors, however, he won 28 tournaments worldwide in a three-year span.
McIlroy, who now has 13 wins worldwide, has been prone to inconsistent play. He missed four cuts in a five-tournament stretch in the summer of 2012 before going on a tear by winning the PGA Championship, consecutive FedEx Cup playoff events and the money title on both sides of the Atlantic.
He went to No. 1 in the world and looked as if he would stay there for a generation.
But he didn't win last year until late November in Australia. Blame that on a combination of signing a new equipment deal, getting into bad habits with his swing and changing management for the second time, this one leading to a legal dispute that still has to be worked out in court.
Off the course, he got engaged to tennis star Caroline Wozniacki, and then surprised everyone five months later by breaking the engagement over the phone.
Never a dull moment with McIlroy.
As great as he looked at Hoylake, even more intriguing is where McIlroy goes from here. With so much emphasis on the Masters and a shot at the Grand Slam, McIlroy had to remind himself there is one major still to play before then. The PGA Championship at Valhalla is three weeks away.
He is still No. 2 in the world behind Adam Scott, who has the consistency McIlroy needs, but not a reliable putter. It seems to be only a matter of time before McIlroy gets to the top and tries to stay there a little longer.
Even if he's not the next Tiger, he can be the next dominant player.
"Some of the guys will have heard me say that golf is looking to someone to put their hand up and try, and I said at that time I want to be that person," McIlroy said. "I want to be the guy that goes on and wins majors, and wins majors regularly, wins tournaments. I'd love to be in that position. And I've had chances before to kick on from there. I did after my second major at Kiawah. I kicked on for another six months and played really well.
"I just want to think ahead and go forward ... because I feel like there's a lot more left in me."
The closer McIlroy gets to being that top player, the more appreciation there is for the dominance Woods enjoyed for so many years. Graeme McDowell is among those who don't expect to see anything like that in his career, if ever.
And this is a guy who has been raving about McIlroy since Boy Wonder was still a boy.
"Someone like Rory or Adam maybe could do it. They're that good," McDowell said. "But so is everyone else, unfortunately. So that type of dominance, I don't think we're going to see that again for a while unless somebody comes out who has perfected the imperfectable."
Is Rory golf's next big star? Possibly.
Another dominant player like Woods?
"I don't see it happening," McDowell said. "Could prove me wrong."
The Tiger Woods Era Is Over. (You think?!?!?!?!?!)
By Jay Yarow
Getty Images/Andrew Redington
Tiger Woods finished his 2014 Open Championship an hour and a half before eventual winner Rory McIlroy teed off. In that moment, the Tiger Woods Era of golf officially ended.
Of the players who made the cut, only three finished with worse scores than Woods. This was not a surprise. Woods is just three months removed from back surgery. Nobody expected anything from him coming into the Open.
But when Woods shot a three-under 69 to start the event, people suddenly started thinking that maybe Woods had a shot at contending. That quickly changed on the first hole of his second round. He pulled his drive left, chunked his second shot across the first fairway into more rough, hit his third shot over the green, then left his fourth short, and two-putted for a double-bogey six. It didn't get much better from there. Woods struggled with driver all day and barely made the cut.
While Woods tried to figure out his driver, McIlroy ran away from the field.
"I’d say this was a coup d’etat by self-immolation," said Chamblee on TV. "We’re talking about a guy who has willfully dismantled a golf swing that made him the best player in the world. Saying ‘I want to get better’ is one thing. But most people say that because, well, they’re not good enough, and they’re not the best. Well, he was the best, and he willfully dismantled the golf swing that made him the best player in the world."
Chamblee isn't the only talking head in golf who thinks the Tiger Era died this weekend.
At Golf.com, a roundtable of writers all agreed. Eamon Lynch a Golf.com put it best, saying, "This point isn't even worthy of debating. It's demonstrably true that Tiger's days as a dominant force are over, and not based solely on this week's rusty performance. Dominance is measured in majors, and he hasn't won one in six years."
In golf, most people focus on the putting "yips." That's when a golfer gets nervous with short putts and either pushes or pulls their putts and can't make anything. On the putting green, where it's a touchy stroke, it makes sense to be nervous and have mental issues.
But there are driver yips, too. And Tiger has the yips with the driver. He doesn't look comfortable with the club in his hand. He's either pushing the ball way right or getting crossed up and pulling it left. Meanwhile, Bubba Watson, Rory McIlroy, Jason Dufner, and Adam Scott, are winning majors by confidently bombing the driver and then hitting easier clubs into the green.
Until Woods can fix that problem, he's unlikely to win another major. And even when he does win another major, it will just be another major. It won't be a part of the Tiger Era. That era is now over.
Tiger, even if he's great again, is just another guy, according to golf's smartest analysts.
Tony Stewart riding high from sprint car victory.By JENNA FRYER (AP Auto Racing Writer)
Tony Stewart heads into the busiest week of his year riding high from a win in his return to sprint car racing.
Stewart raced in a sprint car last weekend for the first time since he broke his leg in an extracurricular race last August. He missed the final 15 weeks of the NASCAR season with the injury.
He vowed he would continue to live his life, and made good on that promise in Michigan, where on Friday night he climbed into a car at Tri-City Motor Speedway and won. He also raced Saturday night at Crystal Motor Speedway, where he finished third.
''It felt great,'' said Stewart, who picked a pair of low-profile races to make his return instead of joining the World of Outlaws, home to the top sprint car drivers.
''The Outlaw series was in Pennsylvania, so that's probably the toughest place in the country to try to go back. It's probably the toughest race to go to, period,'' Stewart said. ''I didn't feel like that was probably the best place to try to go back for the first time. But it was neat to get back in the car, finally, in a scenario that was low pressure.''
So what's next? More racing, but Stewart said his schedule will be lighter than he hoped.
The three-time NASCAR champion discussed extracurricular racing with his management team and Stewart-Haas Racing competition Greg Zipadelli and mapped out a schedule that Stewart will follow. They decided on tracks with slower speeds out of safety concerns.
''There are some races that I really have my heart set on running,'' he said. ''I'm trying to be smart about where we're going.''
On Monday, Stewart was headed to Eldora Speedway, the dirt track he owns in Rossburg, Ohio. He'll be hands-on the next two days as his staff prepares to host NASCAR's Truck Series race on Wednesday for the second consecutive year.
''It's about as close to being a proud father as I can imagine being,'' he said. ''Anybody that thinks that putting on a single NASCAR event is easy ... People think you start working I think a week ahead of time to get ready for stuff like this, and it's been a very large, eye-opening experience for me. It takes months and months of work, and so many details.''
When the checkered flag falls on the trucks, Stewart will shift to Indianapolis Motor Speedway to prepare for Sunday's Sprint Cup race. The two-time Brickyard winner returns to his home track winless on the season and 19th in the standings, but hopeful he can get a breakthrough victory on the hallowed Indianapolis grounds.
It doesn't hurt, Stewart believes, that he won in his sprint car last weekend.
''Everybody loves good juju,'' he laughed. ''It was more than just a good way to start the week. It was a confidence boost for me. When you haven't won, and you haven't been necessarily a contender to be in the top two or three each week and having those opportunities to win races, you start questioning what is it in the equation that you're missing. To be able to go out and win on Friday night and run third on Saturday night, and to have two good runs like that in a car that I haven't been in for almost a full year now, that was a huge confidence boost and made me feel like, hey, maybe we'll just find something else.''
NASCAR: Brian France: 'All voices need to be heard'.
By David Caraviello
NASCAR Chairman and CEO: 'the more people we've heard from, the better the result'.
NASCAR will continue to solicit and listen to many different opinions in the garage area, NASCAR Chairman and CEO Brian France said, even if some of the sport's top car owners decide to speak with one voice.
"The last thing we would want to do is not talk to everybody so we can understand where the truth lies, or the best that we can tell," France said Monday in an interview with SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. "So that's why one voice -- it's just a bad idea."
The interview was among France's first public comments on the Race Team Alliance, the coalition of nine Sprint Cup Series teams that announced its formation earlier this month. According to the RTA, the organization's purpose is to "create an open forum for teams to explore areas of common interest and to work collaboratively on initiatives to help preserve, promote and grow the sport of stock car racing."
Rob Kauffman, co-owner of Michael Waltrip Racing, is chairman of the RTA. Sprint Cup organizations participating are Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates, Hendrick Motorsports, Joe Gibbs Racing, Michael Waltrip Racing, Richard Childress Racing, Richard Petty Motorsports, Roush Fenway Racing, Stewart-Haas Racing and Team Penske.
As far as France is concerned, the presence of the alliance does not change the way NASCAR does business -- which is to solicit multiple opinions.
"We didn’t think it was necessary, and we thought that the benefits that they would arrive at with this association would be much smaller than they do. But they're smart guys, and so they may figure out some things that we're not aware of. ... The one thing that is central to NASCAR, though, is when you hear one voice -- that would probably the worst thing that we could ever do, is to listen to one voice, even if it were a consensus voice," France said.
"In every decision that we've ever made that's important, the more input, the more people we’ve heard from, the better the result. And so that will never change in the business model of NASCAR, because the ideas come from all over the place, and that's the strength that we have. Our communications have never been better with the (manufacturers), the car companies, the team owners, drivers, and the like. We've just got to keep building on that and getting the best outcome that we can."
France said NASCAR will continue to deal directly with individual owners. Toward that end, he said he spoke with Rick Hendrick last week and even talked recently with Kauffman.
"That's how we've historically done it. Look, they're smart guys, there are some benefits they see in forming the RTA. We respect that. These are some of the brightest guys in business. If they think there are some real benefits, then we may not agree, but we'll certainly respect them," France told Sirius XM.
"They're smart guys, they're entitled to approach their business in certain ways, and we're going to respect that," he added. "But, we're going to go down the road of dealing with all the team owners. Not most of them, not the big ones, all of them. And that's the best outcome that we can get."
France cited as an example the development of the Generation-6 Sprint Cup car, which was the result of an industry-wide effort. Its predecessor, the vehicle introduced in 2007 and formerly known as the Car of Tomorrow, did not succeed in part because not enough people were involved, he added.
"When we don't get the input from every team owner, not a consensus among the big guys ... we always miss something," he said. "We now know that better than ever. Look at the original car that I said was a mistake on my part; not because of any one thing, but because we didn't communicate back in '07. ... And you roll the clock forward, and you look at how we collaborated with the car manufacturers and all the team owners. We got a much better outcome from doing that, and we know that. If we ever drift away from that, we need to get right back to it. So all voices need to be heard, and that's exactly what we need to do."
-- France said the movement toward a new Sprint Cup engine package is being accelerated, "but it's a ways off," he added. "... The cost will be a huge deciding factor on where we end up and how fast we can go. But, we have got to lower the cost to supply engines. It's too high, and it's not where we need to be. So we are hard at work to try and accelerate that for the future."
-- France also added that the 2015 Sprint Cup schedule is on track to be released in September, and again hinted that changes are afoot. "It's not going to be a dramatic change, but there will be some things that are a little different," he said. "But that's not unusual. We do that. You come back to moving dates around, we don't do a lot of it, but we do a little of it from time to time, and this will be one of those moments."
World Cup party over but summer of soccer set to rock U.S.
Reuters: By Dave Steve Keating; Editing by Mark Lamport-Stokes
The World Cup party may be over but the summer of soccer is just heating up in the United States as fans prepare for a European invasion by the sport's glamour clubs looking to expand their brand.
From New York to Los Angeles, some of the game's brightest stars and most valuable teams will spend the next three weeks packing America's biggest stadiums with the highlight coming on Aug. 2 when a record crowd of 110,000 - the largest ever to watch a soccer game in the United States - is expected to fill Michigan Stadium to see Real Madrid take on Manchester United.
European clubs big and small will cross the Atlantic looking for a piece of the American pie with giants like Real Madrid, recently rated the world's most valuable sporting franchise by Forbes at $3.44 billion, Manchester United and Bayern Munich joined by more modest outfits such as Crystal Palace and Fulham.
Teams that once looked upon the U.S. as a soccer wasteland now arrive in waves, keen to broker sponsorship deals and partnerships allowing them to tap into new revenue streams that will provide the financial might to make blockbuster moves like Real's signing on Tuesday of Colombia's World Cup's Golden Boot winner James Rodriguez in a deal worth $107.9 million.
"Some clubs like Manchester United figured this out a long time go," Charlie Stillitano, CEO of Relevent Sports, the company that put together the International Champions Cup that will feature eight of Europe's biggest clubs, told Reuters.
"These teams were very aggressive (about North America) when it was hard to get them to come here, you had to pay them a lot of money and convince them to come here.
"A lot of it was because there wasn't really any commercial element. A lot of these teams felt that travel and pre-season were not conducive to a good season on the field.
"Now it's about how they can activate their sponsors, how they can sell merchandise, the commercial side goes hand-in-hand with the team, the football."
VARIED SUMMER MENU
There will be a game for every soccer taste on this summer's menu in the United States, ranging from Italian rivals AC and Inter Milan to Greek champions Olympiakos.
Premier League fans will not be disappointed either with United, Manchester City, Arsenal, Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur leading the British invasion.
According to the U.S. Soccer Federation, the U.S. is now the largest market in the world for international matches and this summer's lineup is sure to have the turnstiles swirling with soccer A-listers such as Real's Cristiano Ronaldo, AC Milan's Mario Balotelli and United's Wayne Rooney taking center stage.
The American appetite for top international soccer seems almost insatiable with fans and sponsors lining up to get in on the action.
Guinness will be the title sponsor for the International Champions Cup, an eight-team tournament that will kick off in Toronto on Thursday when Olympiakos take on AC Milan and end on Aug. 4 with the winners of the two groups meeting in Miami.
Car maker Audi has signed on as sponsor for Bayern Munich's visit which is being promoted as the Audi Football Summit and will see the Bundesliga champions challenge the Major League Soccer All-Stars on Aug. 6 in Portland, Oregon.
"It is very important, that is why we try travel to the United States," said Bayern head coach Pep Guardiola, during a conference call on Tuesday to promote the mini-tour.
"There are not only American people, also Latin people who love a lot of football. We know how football has increased in the United States."
SOCCER ROYALTY
Only America's massive grid-iron stadiums and baseball shrines were deemed suitable for European soccer royalty, the homes of the National Football League's Denver Broncos, Washington Redskins, Pittsburgh Steelers and Chicago Bears among those being converted into soccer pitches.
Fenway Park and Yankee Stadium, two of America's most storied sporting venues, will also host matches, as will the Rose Bowl and the "Big House" Michigan Stadium.
In just its second year, the heavily promoted Champions Cup expects to see attendance double and television ratings sky rocket with the many of the matches available in 150 countries.
"We had 350,000 last year, same type of tournament, and we will double that this year with at least 700,000 people seeing our games live," said Stillitano.
"We will have 110,000 people in Michigan and that will be the biggest game ever in North America. We sold 95,000 tickets in 24 hours. There is a waiting list and we expect that we can legitimately claim over 110,000."
What was once seen as an unwelcome promotional grind has become, for many clubs, the ideal way to prepare for the upcoming season.
Teams are able to take full advantage of first-class training facilities and venues while playing top-flight competition and generating additional revenue.
"You're talking great facilities for these guys and then on top of that great competition," said Stillitano. "It really prepares these guys for the season.
"The managers have all said to us, 'This is perfect for my preparation for my team'. Before it was, 'We need a training site and 10 showers for 25 people'. These were the serious demands.
"Now the demands have grown into everything, teams bringing 'our sponsors', 'our TV people', 'our merchandising people', 'our licensing people'. It used to be just about the football."
Pyrenees please Nibali, Rogers in Tour Stage 16.
By JAMEY KEATEN (Associated Press)
The Pyrenees on Tuesday lived up to their reputation for causing ups and downs at the Tour de France: A French rider climbed in the standings, an American went down, and an Australian rebounding from an ordeal of doping suspicions won Stage 16 in a downhill breakaway.
Riding in his 10th Tour, three-time world champion Michael Rogers of Australia won his first Tour stage behind savvy racing, well-paced riding and the absence of his Tinkoff-Saxo Bank leader Alberto Contador. The Spaniard crashed out in Stage 10, inadvertently freeing up Rogers to go after the stage win.
Race leader Vincenzo Nibali was still descending from the day's biggest climb, the Porte de Bales, as Rogers crossed and finished 8-1/2 minutes later. But the Italian looks even more likely to win the three-week race on Sunday after keeping pace with possible contenders for the yellow jersey, and gaining time on two others.
One of the laggards was Tejay van Garderen. Unable to keep pace on the Port de Bales, the 25-year-old American was more than 3-1/2 minutes after Nibali. Van Garderen only slipped a spot in the standings, to sixth, but the gap to the rider ahead of him grew. The other laggard was France's Romain Bardet, who finished nearly two minutes back of Nibali.
Thibaut Pinot, however, kept pace with Nibali and replaced Bardet as France's top podium hopeful: He rose to third.
For the second straight year, the race's entree to the Pyrenees has dented Van Garderen's podium ambitions.
''It's definitely disappointing,'' the American said outside his BMC team bus. ''I had high hopes for a podium and now it looks like it's taken a big hit ... I just didn't have the legs, I felt a bit empty.''
''I'm just hoping I can bounce back and have a better day tomorrow.''
A year ago, the Montana native lost more than 10 minutes to the main contenders, including Chris Froome who went on to win that Tour, as they rode up to the Ax 3 Domaines ski station on Stage 8.
The year before, in his Tour debut, he lost seconds in the title quest during two Pyrenean stages, but still finished fifth overall and took home the white jersey given to the race's best young rider.
For Rogers, the 237.5-kilometer (147-mile) leg from Carcassonne to Bagneres-de-Luchon - the longest stage this year - was one of vindication and overdue Tour glory. He took a bow as he crossed the line.
''Every cyclist's dream is to win a stage at the Tour de France,'' said Rogers, who also won two stages on Italy's Giro this year. ''I can't describe the joy I felt in the last 500 meters ... I hope I don't have to wait another 10 years to experience it again.''
Rogers came close not to riding in the Giro or the Tour at all.
In a ruling in April, the International Cycling Union accepted that meat Rogers ate in China last year probably caused his positive doping test at the Japan Cup shortly afterward. He convinced the UCI that he had not intended to cheat, and said the episode was ''a very difficult time'' for his family.
Rogers was suspended after that positive test. Underscoring the pressure, Cycling Australia said at the time that it would seek a maximum two-year ban if he had been found guilty of doping.
He knew the effects of clenbuterol, which helps to build muscle and burn fat, on riders' careers. Contador lost his 2010 Tour title and served a two-year ban after testing positive for it in the final week of that race. The Spaniard also argued that ingested it through food, but lost his case.
After the UCI ruling in his own case, Rogers said Tuesday he returned with ''a different outlook on life ... Sometimes you need a lesson in life to see the silver lining in the cloud.''
Rogers might not have had a chance to win a Tour stage if Contador were still racing this year, because his job would have been more of a support rider. Once the Spaniard crashed out, the team's Plan B was to aim for stage victories.
''I can be grateful, but I'm also very heartbroken that Alberto's not here,'' Rogers said.
As the day began, a breakaway group of 21 riders came together over the first two hours and stuck together for much of the day, chiseling out a lead of more than 12 minutes. Their unity disintegrated on the 12-kilometer Port de Bales, which is considered so hard that it's beyond classification in cycling's ranking system.
In its steepest patch, the gradient reached 11 percent. Rogers was in a bunch of five riders that came together in the final descent, and he stepped on the accelerator with less than 5 kilometers (3.2 miles) left.
After Tuesday, Nibali leads second-place Alejandro Valverde of Spain by 4 minutes, 37 seconds, and Pinot is 5:06 back. French veteran Jean-Christophe Peraud is fourth, at 6:08, and Bardet is 6:40 behind. Van Garderen is 9:25 adrift.
It was just an appetizer for the Pyrenees, with uphill finishes to follow on Wednesday and Thursday. Aside from the time trial to come, Stage 17 starting in Saint-Gaudens will be the shortest stage of this year's race, at 124.5 kilometers (77 miles). It features three hard Category 1 climbs, and an ascent to the Saint-Lary Pla d'Adet ski station.
The final big test will come in the 54-kilometer (33.6-mile) time trial on Saturday, which is expected to determine the final result for a largely ceremonial ride for the yellow jersey a day later on the Champs-Elysees in Paris.
Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby says 'cheating pays'.
By Graham Watson
Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby had a hard time painting a rosy picture for the future of college football.
“If you like intercollegiate athletics the way it is, you're going to hate it going forward,” he said during Big 12 media day on Monday. “There's a lot of change coming.”
While many of Bowlsby’s points revolved around the lawsuits the NCAA is currently facing from former athletes, autonomy and changes to scholarships and how that will affect Olympic sports, he also used his opening statement to rail against the NCAA, which he said, has been lax in its enforcement.
“(NCAA) enforcement is broken,” Bowlsby said. “The infractions committee hasn't had a hearing in almost a year, and I think it's not an understatement to say cheating pays presently.
“They're in the battle with a BB gun in their hand. They're fighting howitzers. We have to find a way to make progress on it. It undermines the confidence of the system.”
Bowlsby isn’t the first conference commissioner to express his displeasure with NCAA enforcement. Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany told CBSSports.com that he thought NCAA enforcement was “overmatched.”
Too often, the NCAA seems to wait until they read about a possible violation in the media and then act. However, even when the NCAA does open an investigation, it takes months, sometimes years before anything gets settled and that’s only if the investigation isn’t bungled like it was with the Miami case. More often than not, the punishment hurts players that had nothing to do with the violation.
That’s why the five power conferences — Big 12, Pac-12 Big Ten, ACC and SEC — want enforcement to be under their autonomy umbrella so they can figure out more efficient ways to identify rule-breakers and dole out timely and appropriate punishments.
And Bowlsby took it a step further by saying he wouldn’t object to the federal government getting involved in enforcement in collegiate athletics, which would allow investigators to issue subpoenas, something that’s not currently available.
“I am really not very far of being of the mind that some form of federal statute is not a good idea,” he said. “You could say it's against the law to influence where a student athlete would go to school, influence the outcome of a contest, to provide a benefit that is outside of the rules.”
Such a proposal would change the way collegiate athletics operates and strike fear into those who are cheating the system and getting away with it.
Big 12 assigns 1st female football official.
AP Sports
The Big 12 Conference has assigned a female official to work one of its games for the first time in league history.
Commissioner Bob Bowlsby said Monday that Catherine ''Cat'' Conti will be on the crew for Kansas' season opener at home Sept. 6 against Southeast Missouri State.
While calling this a good opportunity for Conti and the league, Bowlsby says Big 12 officiating supervisor Walt Anderson assigned Conti ''because she is just a darned good official.''
Bowlsby says Conti, a Southland Conference official, has paid her dues.
Kansas coach Charlie Weis jokingly said he'll try not to use as many curse words during the game.
Could Mudiay's move to China start a trend?
By Eric Bossi
A week ago, news broke that Emmanuel Mudiay would skip playing college ball at SMU and pursue professional opportunities. That set into motion plenty of discussion about whether the move would be a good or bad one and if it would be emulated by future high-level talents.
Tuesday, the family of the 6-foot-5 point guard from Dallas (Texas) Prime Prep confirmed to Rivals.com that Mudiay will be leaving for China in late September to play for Guangdong. The move -- first reported by Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports -- comes along with a contract of $1.2 million for the year overseas.
The wheels that set Mudiay's move into motion will forever be debated. Whether he had to do so because of eligibility concerns or whether he made the move strictly to prepare himself for the NBA while taking care of his family financially is immaterial at this point.
Now that the move has been made, there is little doubt that top prospects and the coaches who recruit them will be watching very closely to see how things go even if there is no guarantee that others will line up to follow in his footsteps.
Allonzo Trier a 6-foot-4 shooting guard who is the No. 12 player in the class of 2015 said that he will be watching closely because he wants to see Mudiay do well. But he doesn't think it will change how he views college versus professional opportunities -- if they come -- overseas.
"I think it will for certain kids under certain circumstances at home, it could make a difference," Trier told Rivals.com. "Some kids come from different lifestyles and circumstances for them at their homes where they may need to help their families.
"Speaking for myself personally, I don't have any real desire to do that. For other people, it may entice them to want and try do that."
Trier isn't just a high-level basketball player, he is an intelligent kid who doesn't feel any pressure to take care of his family in the near future. His insight is important, though, because he can see the difference in how a player who feels pressure to help his family will watch Mudiay in comparison to how he will watch him in China.
Having been able to track Mudiay closely throughout his high school career, I have little doubt that the move will go as smoothly as possible for him. The No. 2 player in the class of 2014 isn't just a prodigious talent, he is mature and has a solid support system around him. If any 18-year old is capable of making the leap from high school senior to millionaire, Mudiay appears to be as well-equipped for it as somebody so young can be.
Bottom line, elite talents skipping college to play overseas is still rare. In the class of 2008 Brandon Jennings did it by going to Italy for a year before heading to the NBA rather than attending Arizona. He is now doing very well for himself in the NBA. In 2009, Jeremy Tyler took it a step further by skipping his senior year of high school to head overseas and made stops in both Israel and Japan before making his way to the NBA where he is preparing for his fourth season in the league.
Will Mudiay's success or failure set a new trend? It is too early to tell, but what little data we have suggests that we haven't yet reached a point where heading overseas is something that we should expect to be common.
Should the NBA change the current one-and-done rule to a two-year requirement, then this could become a different discussion. For now, though, Mudiay will likely be an exception to the norm rather than a trailblazer.
On This Date in Sports History: Today is Wednesday, July 23, 2014.
MemoriesofHistory.com
1969 - U.S. Vice President Spiro Agnew threw out the first ball at the major league All-Star Game.
1972 - Eddie Merckx of Belgium won his fourth consecutive Tour de France bicycling competition.
1985 - Oddibe McDowell became the first Texas Ranger player to hit for the cycle.
2000 - Lance Armstrong won his second Tour de France.
2000 - Tiger Woods became the youngest player to complete a career Grand Slam when he won the British Open. He was 24.
2009 - Mark Buehrle (Chicago White Sox) pitched the 18th perfect game in major league history. The Sox beat Tampa bay 5-0.
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