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"The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather a lack in will." ~ Vince Lombardi, Legendary NFL Football Coach
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Bear Down Chicago Bears!!! Few surprises as Bears list first, second, third strings.
By John Mullin
Fittingly perhaps, the Bears dubbed it the 2014 unofficial depth chart in their first pregame release of the 2014 preseason. Still, it is worth noting:
D.J. Williams and Jonathan Bostic are both listed as starters at middle linebacker with the No. 1 defense. Williams has been with the base 4-3 personnel package while Bostic has been with Lance Briggs as the two linebackers on the No. 1 nickel defense.
Ryan Mundy and rookie Brock Vereen are slotted as the safeties with the No. 1 unit. M.D. Jennings and Danny McCray are with the 2's. The 3’s? Chris Conte, who is still on PUP, and Adrian Wilson, whose last time on a third-string anything may have been the first day of Pee Wee football somewhere. The listings point less to any specific ranking than to how tightly bunched the safety competition is.
Eric Weems is listed as No. 1 for both kickoff and punt return. Michael Ford is No. 2 for kickoff returns and Chris Williams for punt returns.
And punters Patrick O’Donnell and Tress Way are both listed as the starter. O’Donnell has had the edge in raw power-kicking through camp, but the rookie will need to prove consistency in game situations. So will Way, for that matter.
Nowhere else RB Jordan Lynch would rather be than with Bears.
By Scott Krinch
The second runner-up in the Heisman voting?
He's a longshot to make an NFL roster.
Chicago native and Northern Illinois standout Jordan Lynch had offers from both the Bears and the Green Bay Packers after going undrafted last may. Lynch chose the team he grew up rooting for even though the Packers offered him a shot to come into training camp at his natural position of quarterback.
Immediately after Lynch picked the Bears, general manager Phil Emery made it known that the Ex-NIU signal-caller would be brought in as a running back, and his best shot to make the 53-man roster would be on special teams.
Lynch accepted the challenge. A word he knows all too well since his high school days.
Growing up in the Mt. Greenwood area of Chicago, Lynch starred at Mount Carmel, leading the Caravan to two Class 8A semifinal appearances and earned All-State honors after his senior season. Despite the accolades, Lynch's only college offer came from Northern Illinois.
Lynch not only proved the doubters wrong, but helped put DeKalb on the map. He led the Huskies to a 24-4 record, a BCS appearance, broke 16 single season and six career records and set five NCAA FBS quarterback rushing records.
However, when 256 other college football players' names were called during draft weekend, Lynch knew that he would have to prove himself all over again.
“I know Chicago has my back, and Chicago is rooting for me,” Lynch said during Saturday's Bears Family Fest practice at Soldier Field. “I have to put in the work and do my part.”
Lynch has spent the bulk of camp learning the nuances of playing running back at the NFL level. He's been asked to catch the ball out of the backfield. He's shown ability in both areas throughout his time in Bourbonnais, but the next step is being able to protect Jay Cutler. The Bears coaching staff utilizes their running backs as an extra protector and puts an emphasis on blocking.
“A running back is really part of the offensive line, part of the protection package, so it’s critically important to the success of an offense, that a quarterback has got to feel comfortable with the guy standing next to him and behind him,” Bears coach Marc Trestman said during rookie minicamp. “If he doesn’t feel good about that guy being able to pass-protect, there’s a ripple effect throughout our offensive football team.”
The reps for Lynch have been minimal, and it's hard to get a good feel for his progress during a training camp practice. The real test will come next week when the Bears welcome the Philadelphia Eagles to Soldier Field on Friday night for their preseason opener.
"Football is football, but it's special now," Lynch told CSNChicago.com. "Professional level, playing in front of your hometown fans and family members, it's tremendous. It's going to be an all-time high."
With a crowded backfield, Lynch knows he will need to make the most of his limited reps against the Eagles. On Sunday, the coaching staff released their first preseason depth chart and the former quarterback sits last behind Matt Forte, veteran Shaun Draughn, second-year back Michael Ford and rookies Ka'Deem Carey and Senorise Perry.
But as Lynch faces an uphill battle — something he is all too familiar with — of cracking the Bears roster, there's no doubt in his mind he made the right decision in joining the Bears.
"Where else would you rather be," he said.
Giants 17, Bills 13.
The Sports Xchange
Wide receiver Corey Washington caught a 74-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Ryan Nassib early in the fourth quarter, lifting the New York Giants to a 17-13 win over the Buffalo Bills in the Hall of Fame Game at Canton, Ohio.
The contest at Fawcett Stadium marked the beginning of the NFL's preseason schedule.
New York trailed 13-10 when Buffalo punted in the first minute of the final period. After a run lost 4 yards, Nassib and Washington connected on the next play to put the Giants in front for good.
Washington was claimed off waivers by the Giants from the Cardinals in May. He signed with Arizona as an undrafted rookie from Newberry College.
Nassib threw the most passes of the three Giants quarterbacks who saw action. He finished 7-for-12 for 139 yards and the one touchdown. Nassib was selected by New York in the fourth round of the 2013 draft, and he saw no action last season.
The Giants' No. 1 quarterback, Eli Manning, played the first quarter and led New York on one touchdown drive. Overall, he completed six of seven passes for 43 yards.
Running back Andre Williams gained 21 yards around left end to set up the Giants at Buffalo's 3-yard line. On the next play, Williams went over right guard to give New York a 7-3 in the final minute of the first quarter.
Williams gained 48 yards on seven carries, all before halftime.
Buffalo quarterback EJ Manuel lasted just two unsuccessful drives in the opening quarter. He threw for 19 yards on 2-of-7 passing.
Quarterback Jeff Tuel guided the Bills on a 15-play, 80-yard drive that spanned the first two quarters and culminated in a 2-yard scoring pass to wide receiver Robert Woods (four catches, 49 yards).
The touchdown gave Buffalo a 10-7 lead. Giants kicker Brandon McManus booted a 47-yard field goal with 4:58 to go in the second quarter, tying the game heading into halftime.
Tuel wound up completing 12 of 17 passes for 74 yards with one touchdown pass and one interception.
Bills quarterback Thaddeus Lewis went 9-for-14 for 81 yards and an interception.
Buffalo running back Bryce Brown gained 40 yards on seven carries.
Follow-up to Friday (08/01/2014) What's Your Take? US Senators call on Goodell to give Rice harsher punishment.
By Ryan Wilson
Now that everybody on Capitol Hill has weighed in on the Redskins name controversy, the men and women elected to represent the people have moved on to a new sports-related target: the NFL and Ravens running back Ray Rice.
U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) and Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) sent letters to commissioner Roger Goodell calling for Rice to face a harsher punishment beyond the two-game suspension handed down by the league and considered too lenient by many critics.
“The decision to suspend Mr. Rice for a mere two games sends the inescapable message that the NFL does not take domestic or intimate-partner violence with the seriousness they deserve,” the letter read.
“Mr. Rice's suspension reflects a disturbingly lenient, even cavalier attitude towards violence against women. We therefore urge you to take two steps immediately. First, reconsider and revise Mr. Rice's suspension to more adequately reflect the seriousness of his offense. We are also writing to the Baltimore Ravens to request that they impose additional discipline under their own authority, but it is imperative that the NFL itself makes clear that this conduct is truly unacceptable.”
Earlier this week, NFL vice president Adolpho Birch called Rice's punishment "appropriate," and Ravens coach John Harbaugh said “I love the way (Rice has) handled it" but "I hate what happened."
On Thursday, Rice spoke to the media for the first time since training camp opened and called the altercation with his wife "my lowest low," adding that "I made a huge mistake."
And on Friday, commissioner Roger Goodell said of Rice's two-game suspension, "We have to remain consistent. We can't just make up the discipline. It has to be consistent with other cases and it was."
Chicago Sports & Travel, Inc./AllsportsAmerica position reiterated: Why can't these politicians do what they were elected to do? Here's a sports issue that has been addressed by Ray Rice, his wife, the commissioner, his team and many, many of his fans. This country has serious problems with congressional gridlock, a jobs bill, the economy, the VA problem, the border problem and on and on and they want to chime in on an issue that this player and his wife are trying to put behind them and move forward. Worry about what you were elected to do period, paragraph, end of the story. Again, we're not saying let's hide this incident under the rug but we are saying, let's not beat a dead horse to death. It's time to move forward for all parties concerned. Perhaps at the end of each sports article in a newspaper, on the internet or on a radio or television broadcast, the writer or announcer should nail the congress on the pathetic job that they are doing. Let's see how they like that and watch what happens to their ratings even though they are already bottom feeding. As Howard Cosell so effectively put it, "Sports is the toy department of human life." We do not need you politicians to ruin this as you have with everything you've gotten involved with in the last couple of decades. We promised ourselves when we started this blog that we would not get involved in politics, religion or war. With that being said, let the sports games continue. Marion P. Jelks, Chicago Sports & Travel, Inc./AllsportsAmerica Blog Editor.
2014 Hall of Fame class enshrined.
ESPN.com news services

2014 NFL Hall of Fame Class (L) to (R), Aeneas Williams, Derrick Brooks, Claude Humphrey, Michael Strahan, Walter Jones, Ray Guy and Andre Reed. (NFL Images)
Defensive end Michael Strahan has been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Strahan was one of the game's most dominant pass-rushers during 15 seasons with the New York Giants. He was a seven-time Pro Bowl selection and the league's Defensive Player of the Year in 2001.
Strahan had 22½ sacks in 2001 to set the NFL single-season record. His 141½ career sacks rank fifth on the NFL list.
He retired following the 2007 season, after helping the Giants win the Super Bowl.
Strahan closed the induction ceremony by being introduced by TV broadcaster Jay Glazer.
The seven-member Hall of Fame class is rounded out by receiver Andre Reed, offensive tackle Walter Jones, linebacker Derrick Brooks, defensive back Aeneas Williams, punter Ray Guy and defensive end Claude Humphrey.
Williams had the fans and fellow Hall of Famers chanting in the stands to give it their all.
Brooks delivered what he called a 24-minute "thank you letter."
Defensive end Claude Humphrey called the 28-year wait to hear his name called as being worth it.
And Ray Guy made history, becoming the first full-time punter to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
The induction ceremony kicked off with numerous extremes to reflect the varied background of the seven-member class on Saturday night.
It began with Brooks, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers star, who was selected for induction in his first year of eligibility, and followed by the 70-year-old Humphrey, who retired after the 1981 season.
"Now they tell me I only had 10 minutes up here, but let me start off by telling you that I've waited 30 years to get to this podium, so don't rush me guys," said Humphrey, a six-time Pro Bowl selection who split 13 NFL seasons between the Atlanta Falcons and Philadelphia Eagles.
Guy's wait was nearly as long. The seven-time Pro Bowl selection spent his 14-year career with the Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders. At 64, he was selected for induction in his 23rd year of eligibility.
"It's been long, long overdue, but now the Hall of Fame has a complete team," said Guy, who had as many as 20 former punters in the crowd to help him celebrate. "To know my legacy will be forever part of pro football history and that my bust will be alongside the greatest athletes of all time, it leaves this old punter speechless."
Williams livened up the mood late in his speech during which he had one side of Fawcett Stadium chanting: "Begin with the end in mind," to remind people how important it is to set goals.
And he had the other side chanting: "Die empty," to remind people to give their all.
It was a fitting message from an eight-time Pro Bowl selection. He was an accounting major at Southern University, who walked on to the football team a week before the start of his junior season.
Selected in the third round of the 1991 draft, he proceeded to split 14 seasons between the Phoenix/Arizona Cardinals and St. Louis Rams. Williams retired after the 2004 season and was selected for induction in his fifth year of eligibility.
"If you would have told me, `Aeneas, you have to the potential to be one of the best cornerbacks,' I would have thought you were crazy and hit you with my right hand," Williams said. "I'll just take a moment to soak this all in."
Rounding out the class are defensive end Michael Strahan, receiver Andre Reed, offensive tackle Walter Jones.
Brooks, an 11-time Pro Bowl selection, paid tribute to family members, teammates and coaches, from his Pee-Wee playing days to his 14 NFL seasons in Tampa Bay.
He thanked his late mother Geraldine Brooks-Mitchell for instilling humility in him. He referred to former Buccaneers coach Tony Dungy as his mentor. And Brooks thanked Dungy's successor, Jon Gruden, for helping the Buccaneers believe they could be champions.
It was under Gruden when the Bucs blossomed into Super Bowl winners during the 2002 season in which Brooks earned NFL Defensive Player of the Year honors.
Brooks even thanked Buccaneers kicker Martin Gramatica for his right foot, because of the number of tight games Tampa Bay won by field goals.
A persistent drizzle fell for much of the afternoon before finally letting up at about 4 p.m., about three hours before the start of the induction ceremony.
As expected, there were numerous fans on hand wearing Bills jerseys in support of Reed.
Reed was a seven-time Pro Bowl selection, who spent 15 of his 16 NFL seasons with the Buffalo Bills. Reed was a cornerstone of Bills teams that made four consecutive Super Bowl appearances and lost them all in the early 1990s. He helped revolutionize the slot receiver position by playing in the so-called ``K-Gun'' no-huddle offense. Reed's 13,198 yards receiving ranked fourth when he retired following the 2000 season.
Officials actually moved the ceremony from the front steps of the Hall of Fame building to the stadium in 2002 to make room for the number of Bills fans that traveled to Canton for quarterback Jim Kelly's induction.
The ceremony has been held inside the stadium ever since.
And it was Kelly, who received a lengthy standing ovation when he was introduced among the Hall of Famers attending the ceremony. Kelly was strong enough to attend while he recuperates from chemotherapy and radiation treatments for sinus cancer.
Even Kelly's fellow Hall of Famers stood and clapped on stage.
The applause lasted so long that Kelly attempted to urge fans to sit down. When that didn't work, he then approached ESPN broadcaster and master of ceremonies Chris Berman and gave him a big hug at the podium.
Jones had a large contingent of fans seated to the left of the stage, all of them wearing Seahawks-colored T-shirts with the name "Jones" and the No. 71 on the back.
How 'bout them Chicago Blackhawks? Toews voted NHL's top franchise player by peers.
By Charlie Roumeliotis
In a recent poll conducted by ESPN.com's Craig Custance, a handful of NHL executives, coaches, and players were asked to rank their top-5 franchise players in the league by point value.
No. 1 on that list? Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews.
“He puts my franchise on the map,” one executive told ESPN.com (subscription required). “On a scale of 1 to 10 for his skill, he’s probably a seven. His skating is a six. But his compete is a 10. His hockey sense is a 10. His defensive play is a 10. His character is a 10. His will is a 10. He’ll do things franchise-wise not only to make the guys on the ice better, but to make the team better.”
Toews totaled 43 points and earned six first-place votes in the poll. Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby arrived in a close second with 41 points, collecting four first-place votes.
“Jonathan Toews has ownership of that team. He makes everyone accountable. He makes everyone better,” an Eastern Conference executive said. “There aren’t a lot of guys in the NHL you can say that about. He might be the only one.”
Earlier this week, Toews commented on what it's like to be mentioned in the same conversation as one of the game's best in Crosby. See what Toews had to say here.
Say What?! 30 Bold Predictions for the Upcoming Season. Hockey season is still a couple of months away and the predictions are starting to come in fast and furious, What do you think of these?
By Mark Scheig
If there is one thing that is guaranteed in the game of hockey, it is the unpredictability that the game offers. There is not one person who can predict what is going to happen with 100% accuracy. There are many who try, and some get most of them right. But in the end, we think we know what is coming, and then the next unpredictable thing happens. The Los Angeles Kings were not supposed to come back from a 3-0 deficit to the San Jose Sharks. The New York Rangers were not supposed to come back from a 3-1 deficit to the Pittsburgh Penguins. But guess what? They did the unexpected, and each landed in last season’s Stanley Cup Final as a result. Guess what? The same thing is going to happen in the league this season. There are going to be things that happen that nobody predicted would happen. However, we are going to give you a head start on the 2015 season right here. We will give you one bold prediction for all 30 teams for next season. These predictions will be BOLD. Don’t expect to see things like, “Sidney Crosby will win the scoring title” or “Boston is a favorite to win the Eastern Conference.” No, these predictions will make you think. Hey, some of them might make you laugh hysterically. That’s the whole point of this. These predictions may look crazy to you, but when you dig a little deeper, you’ll see that they are not as crazy as you might first think. We will go team by team, in alphabetical order. Let’s start off big, shall we?
Anaheim Ducks
Prediction: John Gibson wins the Conn Smythe Trophy as the playoff MVP.
Told you these predictions would be bold, right? And to take this a step further, the Stanley Cup will stay in California next season when the Ducks win the Final. John Gibson stepped right into the spotlight, and did very well for himself on one of the biggest stages. After his team fell down 2-0 in the Second Round, he helped rally the Ducks to force a Game 7 against the eventual champion Kings. This was no fluke. Gibson is going to make a name for himself this season, and for many more to come.
Arizona Coyotes
Prediction: Antoine Vermette will be traded at next season’s deadline.
Here is one example of many in which being in the Western Conference is going to make some interesting things happen. The Coyotes did improve some during the offseason, highlighted by the acquisition of winger Sam Gagner. But, they live in the Western Conference. The Coyotes as a result will be sellers at the trade deadline. What kinds of players get dealt at the deadline? Players like Vermette do. He becomes an unrestricted free agent after this season, which makes this scenario even more likely. Experienced centers don’t become available that often. He will easily bolster the middle of the ice for a playoff contender.
Boston Bruins
Don’t get me wrong, the Bruins are still a very good team. They must be in the discussion when it comes to teams that can win the Stanley Cup. But as you will see later on, there is a team that is primed and ready to overtake them in the standings. Jarome Iginla is a bigger loss than most are acknowledging. The Bruins will finish 2nd, and start the playoffs with home ice. This statement is more about the team who will finish ahead of them.
Buffalo Sabres
It couldn’t possibly happen again, right? There is always a chance. When there is a chance, you can expect the unexpected. Florida jumped up and won the lottery last season. This year, it’s going to happen again. The good thing for them is that the draft also has Jack Eichel in addition to Connor McDavid. That’s a pretty good 2nd prize for a team that could lose the lottery again. Things are looking up in Buffalo, but it will take some time to get there.
Calgary Flames
Prediction: Mark Giordano will be a Norris Trophy finalist.
Unfortunately lost to many East Coast hockey fans who don’t watch much of the Calgary Flames, Mark Giordano has quietly become one of the better defenseman in the NHL. He scored 47 points in 64 games, and finished with a +12 rating. To be a Norris Finalist on a non-playoff team is saying something. He has the tools to win the Norris. His issue is the team he is on, plus all the other good defenseman in the league. Regardless, he must be talked about as an elite defenseman.
Carolina Hurricanes
With Eric Staal on the Back 9 of his career, and the state of the team around him, it should be no surprise that Jeff Skinner will be the Hurricanes top scorer this season. He finished last season scoring 33 goals and 54 points, finishing 2nd to the aforementioned Staal. This will be Skinner’s breakout season. He will reach 40 goals, and he doesn’t turn 23 until after the regular season ends. This season will start the transition from Eric Staal’s team to Jeff Skinner’s team.
Chicago Blackhawks
Somebody is going to feel the effects of the re-signings of Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane. The Patrick Sharp rumors will surely come back once the season gets underway. Quick, who finished last season as the Blackhawks leading scorer? Yep, it was Sharp. His over $5 million cap hit presents the Blackhawks with an interesting situation. They want to keep Sharp, but doing so will make them lose players elsewhere. Brandon Saad becomes a restricted free agent after the season. His next contract will be a big one. Can’t see the Blackhawks keeping these guys, if they want to keep the rest of the team in tact.
Colorado Avalanche
The forward depth is clearly better. Adding both Jarome Iginla and Daniel Briere will do that. Yet, questions remain. The biggest one for me, Semyon Varlamov. He has proven to be a good regular season goalie. But when the chips are down, in a Game 7 of a playoff series, he has come up short. The Avalanche will have a nice regular season, but you are only as good as your goaltender. Varlamov must prove he can win the big game. Also having to play the Blues or Blackhawks to open the playoffs won’t help his cause out any. He is not the answer, but having a good regular season will delay the inevitable. Never forget this Bob Cole classic clip in which the puck went in off of Semyon Varlamov’s “Fat Face”.
Columbus Blue Jackets
With the Eastern Conference as wide open as it is, one of several teams can make a surprise run. When you consider what pieces the Blue Jackets have in place, it should be no surprise to anyone that this team can make a deep playoff run. Sergei Bobrovsky has won a Vezina Trophy. Their defense has vastly improved over the last few seasons. They have good depth at forward. This will be the year that Columbus finally wins their first ever playoff series. That won’t be all they do this season. They are a lot like the St Louis Blues, but in a much weaker conference. Time to start looking at them as serious Eastern contenders.
Dallas Stars
After a choppy beginning to his career which led to him being dealt from Boston to Dallas, Tyler Seguin is starting to hit his stride. He is clearly one of the rising stars in the game today. His play carried the Stars into the playoffs. The tandem of Seguin and Jamie Benn combined to score 163 points. Add Jason Spezza and Ales Hemsky to this team, and you have the makings of a surprise contender in the loaded Western Conference, and it still may not be good enough to get to the playoffs. For the Stars to make the playoffs and go deep in them, Seguin has to play at an MVP level.
Detroit Red Wings
All good things must come to an end. The Red Wings have had an amazing run of consecutive playoffs appearances. That will end this year. Gone are the glory days of Niklas Lidstrom and Steve Yzerman. Current workhorses Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg are not getting younger. They did little to improve during the off season. They will fight until the very end, but come up just short of yet another playoff birth.
Edmonton Oilers
Like Mark Giordano in Calgary, Taylor Hall is lost to many fans who don’t see too many Oilers games. It’s a shame too. He is one of the elite goal scorers in this league. He finished near the top of the league in scoring last season, with 27 goals and 80 points. He is just scratching the surface of his potential. A Rocket Richard Trophy is not out of the question for Hall. Getting to 40 goals this season is doable. If Edmonton wants to even consider threatening for a playoff spot, Hall must deliver.
Florida Panthers
Don’t let last season sway your thinking here. The team is vastly improved. With that, you will see one of the next great stars take off. Alexander Barkov will get to 30 goals. He will finally have the chance to show everyone the kind of player he is. If there was a category for Most Improved Player, Barkov will be it. He will actually get Florida to the verge of the playoffs. Roberto Luongo will get them over the top.
Los Angeles Kings
The team that the Kings need to worry about is right in their own back yard. The Anaheim Ducks took the Kings to 7 games with a rookie goaltender, who is only gonna get better. Couple that with the tandem of Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry, and you have got one heck of an Interstate 5 series shaping up for this season. Add Ryan Kesler to the Ducks mix, and now you see why the Ducks will not only rule Los Angeles, but the entire league.
Minnesota Wild
Prediction: The Wild will get to the Western Conference Final.
Take a look back at the last two seasons for the Wild. In both seasons, the Blackhawks eliminated them. Two years ago, it was in Round 1. Last year, it was in Round 2, but it was a much different series than the first. Minnesota has a good thing going on. They knocked the favored Avalanche out and gave the Blackhawks all they could handle. They will not be intimidated in the least to play any of the favorites. Do not sleep on the Wild.
Montreal Canadiens
Think about this one for a minute. Carey Price got injured in the Eastern Conference Final. The Canadiens then became an average team. Even with the breakout performance of PK Subban, they couldn’t overcome the loss of Price. It is certainly plausible that Price isn’t quite the same after that injury. After all, that was a serious leg injury that could have lasting effects. Given the way other Eastern teams improved, Montreal can very easily miss the playoffs. Then again, they could make a deep playoff run. The wildcard is Price. Even with Subban’s new 8 year contract, the team’s success is determined by the play of Carey Price. I don’t think he comes back all the way from the injury.
Nashville Predators
This season is going to be brand new territory for James Neal. He has had the luxury of playing next to one of the best players in the world in Evgeni Malkin. He was also on a power play unit with Malkin and Sidney Crosby. He can shoot the puck with anyone, but he has never been asked to be the man. There will be extra pressure on Neal to find the back of the net. I’m not entirely convinced that this role will fit his game. He will have some moments, but keep your expectations in check.
New Jersey Devils
Prediction: They will win at least one shootout this year.
Had the Devils won even just 25% of their shootouts, they are a playoff team. Don’t think that isn’t at the top of their minds this off season. There will be a focus on this part of the game. With the way they play games, it has to be a focus. The Devils have talented forwards. They can’t possibly go a 2nd whole season not winning at least one shootout, right? Right?
New York Islanders
Prediction: Jack Capuano will win the Jack Adams award for Coach of the Year.
For all that Garth Snow has had to endure as GM, things are actually looking good for the Islanders. They will be moving to a new building and city. They had a nice offseason by adding Mikhail Grabovski and Nikolai Kulemin. But what is most important here to remember, John Tavares will eventually be back. He is arguably one of the 5 best players in this league. Right now, the expectations for this team are low. Guess what? With a healthy Tavares, and other pieces in place, the Islanders will make the playoffs. (Sorry Sabres fans, your other 1st round pick will be a mid rounder.)
New York Rangers
Prediction: Five players scored more points than Rick Nash last season. That number will increase this season.
Granted, Rick Nash did miss some time last season due to injury. And yes, he did score 26 goals. I’m not sure about you, but didn’t seem like those 26 goals were awfully quiet? Yeah, seemed that way to me too. Five players (Zuccarello, Stepan, Richards, Brassard, and McDonagh) finished with more points than Nash. I don’t see this changing. In fact, I see this number increasing. Nash only scored 39 points in 65 games. He seemed very lost at times. Maybe he turns it around some this season. I don’t see that though.
Ottawa Senators
Prediction: The Ottawa Senators will win the Connor McDavid Sweepstakes.
With everybody else in the conference improving, this to me is an easy call. The bold prediction here is that they will jump Buffalo and land the number one pick in the 2015 draft. What a story that will be, since McDavid is from Newmarket, Ontario. He would land somewhat close to his hometown. More importantly though, McDavid will help turn Ottawa into a consistent contender. He is farther along in his development at the age of 17 than Sidney Crosby was. This player will change the course of a franchise. Ottawa desperately needs something dramatic to happen. This will be their moment.
Philadelphia Flyers
Prediction: The Flyers will have 3 different 30 goal scorers, and still miss the playoffs.
It’s not often a team has this much offense, but will fall short of the goal of reaching the playoffs. The one thing that needed to improve in Philadelphia this offseason, well, didn’t improve one bit. Their defense is just as suspect now as it was at the end of last season. Even though Claude Giroux, Jakub Voracek, and Wayne Simmonds will all get to 30 goals, it will not be good enough. You have to be able to score, and stop the other team from scoring. They don’t play the Penguins all 82 games this season.
Pittsburgh Penguins
When it comes to hockey in Pittsburgh, there is one general rule: Win the Cup, or the season was a failure. When you have the likes of Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin on your team, expectations are sky high. Mike Johnston is entering a pressure cooker. About the only way Johnston saves his job is if the Penguins actually do win the Cup. However, another first round exit is awaiting them. The early exit will give the Penguins the chance to bring in Mike Babcock, which is what they wanted to do all along.
San Jose Sharks
Prediction: Antti Niemi will not finish the season as the Sharks goaltender.
It’s time to put the “but he has won a Cup” argument away. That was 4 years ago now. Niemi is not the same goaltender he once was. He can get on an occasional hot streak here and there. But, all you need to remember, is the Los Angeles Kings series last season. Up 3-0, and then lose 4 straight. That is hard to recover from. The Sharks will get into the playoffs. When they do, it will be Alex Stalock starting Game 1.
St Louis Blues
Prediction: The Blues will make the playoffs as a Wild Card.
The West is a war zone. This is a case in point. It’s not that the Blues are falling off the map. It’s that everyone around them has gotten better. In that division, I have Chicago finishing first, then Colorado, then Minnesota. The Blues are fourth, and the first Wild Card. That would setup a First Round series with who else, but the Chicago Blackhawks. That is the last team the Blues want to see in the playoffs. Plus is Brian Elliott the answer in goal for a team who wants to win a Cup? I didn’t think so.
Tampa Bay Lightning
Prediction: The Lightning will not only win the Atlantic, but they will also win the Eastern Conference.
This is the team that everyone needs to pay attention to. Yes, Montreal swept them out of the First Round last season, but keep in mind that their top goaltender Ben Bishop didn’t play in that series. Let me remind you that Bishop finished 37-14-7. He is a true number one netminder. Stamkos is back. They have new faces in Brian Boyle and Jason Garrison. Young phenom Jonathan Drouin will be up. Steve Yzerman is doing a magnificent job of building this team into a yearly contender.
Toronto Maple Leafs
Prediction: Randy Carlyle will be fired mid-season, and replaced by Dan Bylsma.
This season will be unlike many others for this reason. Dan Bylsma is waiting for his chance to coach again. Coaches will have extra pressure to succeed early, knowing that a team can hire Bylsma if a change is needed. Many Leafs fans would say that Carlyle should have been gone by now. When Toronto starts the season slow again, they will get their wish. They will get a coach who has won a Stanley Cup. Even better, the Leafs will make the playoffs this season, and it will be because of Dan Bylsma.
Vancouver Canucks
Prediction: The Canucks will make the Western Conference playoffs.
Anytime you have a World Class goaltender on your team, you have a chance. Ryan Miller is World Class. I would take Miller over someone like Kari Lehtonen everyday. I have Vancouver as the 2nd wildcard, and Dallas missing the playoffs. The main reason, Ryan Miller. He can single handily carry a team on his back. The Sedins are still here. Nick Bonino and Lucas Sbisa will immediately contribute. GM Jim Benning deserves credit for putting the Canucks in a position for a quick turn around.
Washington Capitals
Prediction: Mike Green will be traded at the deadline.
Like Antoine Vermette earlier, Mike Green is an unrestricted free agent after this season. Unlike Vermette, Green has a modified no trade clause. If the Capitals are out of the race, which is highly likely, they will approach Green about a trade. After the signings of Brooks Orpik and Matt Niskanen, it is highly unlikely that Green would resign, given his over $6 million cap hit. Teams that need defensive help at the deadline will come calling for Mike Green.
Winnipeg Jets
Prediction: Evander Kane will finally be traded.
It’s only a matter of time. In a loaded Western conference, teams like Winnipeg will have a really hard time in keeping up. But if there will be a time to trade Evander Kane for maximum value, this season would be it. He has the talent. The question is, can he put it all together? Many teams believe that he will. If you can get young players and multiple draft picks back for Kane, and get that contract off the books, it should be considered. Hey, they are certainly among the teams that could finish in a position where they could draft either McDavid or Eichel. Watch for a team like the Flyers to make a strong push for Kane as the deadline approaches.
There you go. 30 Teams, 30 Bold Predictions. This much is for certain. There will be big names traded. There will be teams that we think are shoe ins to make the playoffs that miss out. There will be breakout performances, and many disappointing ones too. It all adds up to a very unpredictable, but fun, upcoming hockey season. Is it October yet?
Just another Chicago Bulls Session… Are the Chicago Bulls ready to be an offensive team once again?
By Zach Harper
In Tom Thibodeau's first season as the coach of the Chicago Bulls, we saw the complete transformation of a storied franchise.
Not since Michael Jordan's days could you actually discuss the possibility of the Bulls winning the title, but there seemed to be something magical going for that 2010-11 Chicago team. In the wake of The Decision, the league was looking for a new star to prop up as the humble antithesis and Derrick Rose filled that role quite nicely. He won the MVP award in a highly competitive race with several other stars, and the Bulls looked to be on the rise as title contenders.
We all know the turn this story took though. Day 1 of the 2012 playoffs saw the Bulls lose their star player to a torn ACL. He wouldn't play in the 2012-13 season. He'd return for 10 games in the 2013-14 season, but we didn't really see much of the player that was championed. In the two seasons without Rose, the Bulls stripped down the rosters, looked for bargain pieces to fill in holes, and tossed out some of the worst offensive basketball we've seen. Only the Philadelphia 76ers and Orlando Magic have been worse on offense over these two seasons.
Thibodeau is known as a defensive coach, and for justifiable reasons. No matter who has been in the regular rotation over the last four seasons, the Bulls have been the best defense in the NBA twice, the second best once, and their worst defensive effort landed them fifth in the NBA. But the combination of Thibodeau and next level Rose landed the Bulls as one of the better offensive teams in the league, as well.
The year before Thibodeau took over the Chicago sidelines, the Bulls finished 28th in the NBA in offensive efficiency. In Thib's first season with the Bulls, they jumped up to the 12th best offense in the NBA. In 2011-12, the Bulls wielded the fifth best offense in the NBA while also throwing out the best defense in the league. A bit part of that was having Rose on the floor, and surrounding Rose with valuable offensive weapons helped tremendously. The 2011-12 team that finished fifth in offense was fourth in the NBA in 3-point accuracy and assist ratio (number of assists over 100 possessions). This team could move the ball and give Rose proper support.
Once Rose went down, the front office skimped a bit on role players to round out the rotation and went fairly barebones about the offensive weapons on the team. Kyle Korver was allowed to leave and relying on Carlos Boozer and Luol Deng as the top options on offense led to a disaster. In 2012-13, the Bulls dropped to 24th in offensive efficiency. Last season, the Bulls were a putrid 28th on offense with Joakim Noah's passing the only thing keeping it from looking like a tanking team. The Bulls knew without Rose on the floor, they had to grind out games and win ugly contests.
With Rose's return looking and sounding like we'll be reminded of the MVP-winning wunderkind from four years ago, the Bulls' decision to make offense heavy transactions this summer have them looking ready to charge through the Eastern Conference like it's Pamplona. The additions of Pau Gasol, Nikola Mirotic, and Doug McDermott scream of a rotation desperate for decision-makers on the offensive end.
We know what we get with Gasol. When he's healthy, his passing and scoring out of the post are rarely matched in terms of skill. Throw him out there with a healthy Noah and a healthy Rose, you'll get some spectacular playmaking with the pass and one of those three will be finishing plays as the defense still tries to figure out where they should be positioned next. He takes Carlos Boozer's spot after they amnestied the bearded one, but they haven't lost anything in terms of having an effective decision-maker out of the post.
The additions of Mirotic and McDermott show a craving for scoring from all over the floor with young options. Mirotic has been an effective scorer in Europe for the past couple seasons. He can stretch the floor a bit at 6'10" and he's good at spot-up shooting, posting up, and getting out in transition. He's also a pretty smart player when it comes to moving without the ball and finding ways to slip into the empty zones of the defense. McDermott is one of the more pure shooters we've seen, even when coupled with a high volume of shooting. He's also a lot more athletic than he's given credit for and can move without the ball quite nicely.
You can even add in the likely second year improvements of Tony Snell on the wing (who was sporting an improved jumper in summer league) and a bounce back shooting year from Jimmy Butler. Assuming health, which we still need Rose to prove as the new normal, the Bulls go from having one of the least watchable offenses in the league last season to something that could be potentially devastating for the rest of the league.
With a healthy Rose on the floor, the Bulls sport a minimum of six decision-makers on the offensive end with Noah (passing), Gasol (passing and scoring), McDermott (shooting), Mirotic (shooting and scoring), Dunleavy (shooting), and Rose (scoring and passing). With Thibodeau's defensive coaching along with Noah, Butler, and Taj Gibson, they'll still have the defensive intensity they need to remain of the top teams at stopping opposing offenses.
It has been a rough couple of years for the Bulls due to injuries, but with the moves they've made this offseason and a hopefully fully recovered Derrick Rose, it looks like we'll see another great Thibodeau transformation once again.
Why Paul George's injury could become a 'game-changer' for international basketball.
By Adrian Wojnarowski
Long before the Indiana Pacers' Paul George crumpled to the court, his leg shattered and a career and franchise suddenly imperiled, USA Basketball had been the unintentional target of the NBA's push for control of its superstars' summers.
For all the global marketing the commissioner's office and shoe companies loved the stars bringing the business, NBA owners and executives had grown weary of the toll taken on bodies. George promises to be the center of the debate, but this fight to get players out of international basketball had never been about the catastrophic injury, nor USA Basketball.
Until now, anyway. Until Paul George had been lifted onto a stretcher Friday night in Las Vegas and carted out of the next year of his basketball career.
"This could be a game-changer for international basketball," one prominent general manager told Yahoo Sports.
"This could be a game-changer for international basketball," one prominent general manager told Yahoo Sports.
Before leaving the commissioner's office, David Stern made a case for a 22-and-under tournament in future Olympics and World Cup of Basketball, but it fell flat – partly because of his own declining popularity. Rest assured, the NBA will want to hold those discussions with FIBA again and George's horrific injury promises to give the idea renewed momentum. This time, the players could be far less opposed. This time, they themselves could be considering the risk of international basketball.
USA Basketball has never been the biggest concern for owners and GMs, because the American talent pool is so deep that no one is made to play with injuries. No one is over-taxed on minutes. No one is made to play far-flung tournaments in the corners of the world to qualify for the world championships and Olympics. Those are the burdens for players born outside the U.S., who play for more modestly talented national teams far less invested in protecting players' value for NBA teams.
Nevertheless, a maximum salary star breaking his leg – losing out on a full season for an Eastern Conference contender – promises to reignite a fight for control of FIBA's future that the NBA's determined to reshape to its own interests.
Most agree with Pacers president Larry Bird: The catastrophic injury can happen "anywhere, anytime," but it happened on national television, happened with the NBA's best young players watching mortified mere feet away. It happened in a useless scrimmage, where the basketball stanchion that George crashed his leg had been too close to the court.
"The Olympics every four years is one thing, but the rest of this inconsequential [expletive] is ridiculous," a GM with a player in Friday night's scrimmage told Yahoo Sports. "We're not paying our guys 50 percent of the BRI so our stars can be exposed to injuries just to let the league [convince itself] that they're going to expand into European markets."
USA Basketball had never been the center of the NBA's concern, but George transforms that dynamic now. Mostly, NBA owners and executives had been reluctant to turn stars over to European and South American, African and Asian national teams. Overseas stars are needed to play deep into their 30s for talent-thin national teams, but that's never necessary for Team USA. An influx of elite talent is always coming up behind them.
For Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, it was the wear-and-tear of Dirk Nowitzki playing for Germany. All those qualifying tournaments, all those practices and games, all those times where the biggest burden is thrust upon an NBA All-Star.
For Houston's Daryl Morey and Jeff Van Gundy, they winced watching Yao Ming limping up and down the floor on one leg in the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
For San Antonio's Gregg Popovich and R.C. Buford, they've struggled with watching Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker playing with injuries for Argentina and France – and national teams encouraging them to do so.
The Spurs made it clear they were within legal limits to prohibit Ginobili from the World Cup of Basketball this summer. Ginobili had been diagnosed with a stress fracture in his leg in late June, and turned 37 years old this summer. "Players are not allowed to participate with a national team in training or competition activities when there is a reasonable medical concern that such participation will place the player at substantial risk of injury, illness or other harm," the NBA told teams in a memo the San Antonio Express-News' Mike Monroe obtained this summer.
A lot of teams, including the Spurs, have been long willing to take the hit and spare their players criticism back home. Pressure is immense overseas for NBA players to participate, a process that includes hard-pushing training camps, exhibition tours and the grind of qualifying tournaments.
Ultimately, the league can't push its overseas players to sit out national team competitions, but tell the Americans its fine for them to play for Team USA. It has to be uniform.
Something Buford told me in the 2008 Olympics still stands true: "Even among the national teams, you have a real inconsistency of care with no set of agreed-upon guidelines between FIBA and the NBA. The quality of care is different between an NBA team and national teams, but it's even different among the national teams themselves.
"In the especially poorer countries, they don't always have the national team doctor at the tournament with them, and they're using a freelance doctor who may have or not have experience with sports injuries, nor the understanding of the risk-rewards of clearing a guy to play who has a $100 million contract."
For every player there's a risk of injuries, but fewer fear the bodies on the 22-and-under players breaking down because of overuse. For those players, the international basketball experiences offer terrific opportunity for growth. And in most cases, it is more rare those players have been awarded longer-term, high-priced contracts. NBA executives have long insisted: If the players want to take the risks of playing international basketball, they should assume the risks of their own contracts.
From the next round of talks with FIBA to the next collective bargaining discussions with the players, the NBA will assuredly take a long look at the risks and rewards of turning over its billion-dollar enterprise to someone else's control. This injury could've happened anywhere, anytime, but it happened in red, white and blue, and it happened to a star.
The golden era of USA Basketball could've ended on Friday night in Las Vegas, could've been carted away with the magnificent talent of the Indiana Pacers' Paul George. From Las Vegas to Barcelona, Buenos Aires to Paris, the future of NBA stars' summers could change forever now.
Cubs starting to think big, will make pitching No. 1 priority.
By Patrick Mooney
Now comes the hard part: The Cubs are going to have to spend crazy money on pitching and give up some of their precious prospects to build a rotation for October.
The Los Angeles Dodgers invested more than $420 million in Clayton Kershaw, Zack Greinke and Hyun-Jin Ryu. Josh Beckett — a World Series MVP and three-time All Star who threw a no-hitter in May — has been their fifth starter. They have the National League’s best record and a World Series-or-bust mentality.
The Cubs understand they can’t sign-and-flip their way into the playoffs.
“It would be pretty cocky to feel like we could do it over and over,” general manager Jed Hoyer said. “It has worked for us. It does give us some comfort. We really do believe in our pitching infrastructure, as we’ve talked about. But we don’t feel like: Oh, hey, every year we can go out and get a guy like this for six, seven million bucks and know we can plug him in the rotation. I don’t think that’s something we can take for granted.
“We can’t think that we can go out every year and sign a guy for a one-year deal and he’s going to be successful.”
The Cubs converted 35 starts from Scott Feldman and Paul Maholm into potential Opening Day starter Jake Arrieta, hard-throwing setup guy Pedro Strop and right-hander Arodys Vizcaino, who was supposed to be the next big thing for the Atlanta Braves before Tommy John surgery.
After 17 starts, Jason Hammel became a piece in the Jeff Samardzija deal with the Oakland A’s, which yielded shortstop Addison Russell, Baseball America’s No. 5 overall midseason prospect.
“There’s no denying that they have built an empire down there in the minor leagues,” Cubs swingman Carlos Villanueva said. “It just depends on if they can deliver once they get up here. The talent evaluators here are very good, and most of the guys they’ve brought here haven’t failed.
“A guy like (Anthony) Rizzo may have taken a little bit, but look at what he’s doing now. A little experience goes a long way. We all think it’s going to be good. But you have to wait and see. Minor-league numbers aren’t big-league numbers. You never know.”
The Boston Red Sox connections mean this winter the Cubs will be linked to Jon Lester, now a hired gun in Oakland. Max Scherzer is also going to be a free agent, but the Cubs and the Detroit Tigers ace aren’t viewed as a match now.
Just traded from the Tampa Bay Rays, David Price might not even hit the market after next season if the Tigers build off the Scherzer offer (six years, $144 million) to lock up another Cy Young Award winner.
The Cubs didn’t want to make it personal and tried to leave everything on good terms with Samardzija, who will test the market after next season.
“We know we’re not close on pitching,” Hoyer said. “We know we have to add a lot more depth and we have to add a lot more talent. Really, our next 18-to-24 months is going to be largely spent doing just that.”
The Cubs wanted Russell more than pitching back in the big Samardzija trade, which also netted outfielder Billy McKinney, a first-round pick last year. The Theo Epstein administration has used first-round picks on outfielder Albert Almora, third baseman (for now) Kris Bryant and catcher/outfielder Kyle Schwarber.
“We’re still pretty imbalanced,” Hoyer said. “Certainly in the minor-league system we’re imbalanced. That’s just going to be a huge priority, and we know it. That said, look around baseball right now. What bats changed hands? No one’s trading bats right now. If you needed a bat in a pennant race, you probably were out of luck at this deadline.
“I like the fact that we have a lot of volume of something that people don’t necessarily have right now.”
There are a lot of ifs, and there are times where it feels like the Cubs are all talk. But if Epstein’s front office capitalizes on the financial flexibility and lands a No. 1 starter, and Bryant (No. 2) and Javier Baez (No. 7) start living up to the Baseball America hype, and Rizzo and Starlin Castro keep playing like All Stars, this could get interesting next summer.
“Good things can happen,” Castro said. “There’s a lot of great guys out there. Next year, we can have a really good team, all season, with all the guys here together.”
Golf: I got a club for that… McIlroy wins WGC Bridgestone to regain top ranking.
AFP
British Open champion Rory McIlroy outdueled Sergio Garcia to win the World Golf Championships Bridgestone Invitational and regain the world number one ranking.
In his first start since claiming his third major title at Royal Liverpool, McIlroy erased a three-shot overnight deficit, firing a final round of four-under par 66 for a 15-under total of 265 and a two-shot win over Garcia.
The 25-year-old from Northern Ireland will overtake Australian Adam Scott atop the world rankings, regaining the number one spot he last held in March of 2013.
Garcia closed with a one-over par 71 at Firestone Country Club for a 13-under par total of 267.
"What I'm really proud of this week is just following up the Open with a performance like this," McIlroy said. "I said straight after I didn't want any let down. I wanted to keep going and play well the rest of the season."
Before the drama of the final group played out, defending champion Tiger Woods was the focus of attention as he withdrew after eight holes with back pain that puts his appearance in next week's PGA Championship in doubt.
The 14-time major champion, who had back surgery in March, said he began suffering from back spasms after landing hard in a bunker after a shot at the second hole. He tried to play on before the pain forced him to bring his third start since his surgery to an abrupt end.
"I just jarred it and it has been spasming ever since. It's just the whole lower back," said Woods, who may now miss out next week on the last chance of 2014 to add to his cache of 14 major titles.
With his first WGC title in hand, McIlroy will go into the final major of the year at Valhalla in Kentucky as a firm favorite after backing up his Open triumph in convincing style.
- McIlroy pounces early -
McIlroy seized the initiative from the first tee, pouncing on the rain-softened course to birdie four of the first five holes and take a two-stroke lead.
He pulled his opening drive into the rough, and fired a shot through the trees that left him a three-footer for birdie.
Garcia, meanwhile, two-putted from 78 feet for par.
McIlroy two-putted from 27 feet for birdie at the par-five second, where Garcia missed a six-foot birdie chance.
McIlroy took a one-stroke lead with a birdie at the third coupled with Garcia's bogey.
The Spaniard's tee shot into the gallery at the third knocked the diamond out of a woman spectator's ring.
The gem was later found, but meanwhile Garcia hit his second shot over the green and finally missed a six-foot par-saving attempt to climb to one-over for the day and 13-under for the tournament, as McIlroy moved atop the leaderboard at 14-under.
McIlroy stretched his lead with a seven-foot birdie putt at the par-three fifth, but he gave a shot back with a bogey from a bunker at the eighth.
Garcia drained a 15-foot birdie putt at the ninth, where McIlroy's six-foot birdie attempt curled around the cup but failed to drop and they headed into the back nine tied for the lead.
But Garcia, who birdied eight holes on the back nine in his 61 on Friday, wouldn't find another birdie.
McIlroy took the lead for good with a birdie at 11, and Garcia fell a further stroke back with a bogey at 15.
Australian Marc Leishman finished alone in third after a 67 for 268.
Major winners Justin Rose of England, Charl Schwartzel of South Africa and Keegan Bradley of the United States were in a group sharing fourth on 271 that also included American Patrick Reed.
Scott finished in a tie for eighth on 273. Even with McIlroy winning, Scott could have maintained the world number one ranking with a finish inside the top five, but bogeys at 14, 15 and 16 ended his chance of that.
Bubba Watson smashes a drive 424 yards at Bridgestone Invitational.
By PGA.com
Move over, Webb Simpson. Bubba Watson's playing through.
Watson smashed a drive 424 yards Saturday on the par-5 No. 16 at Firestone Country Club, becoming the first player this year to hit one over 400 yards in a PGA Tour event, surpassing Simpson's 397-yard drive in January at the Hyundai Tournament of Champions at the top of the long-drive leaderboard.
And now's there a video of Bubba's drive. Just listen to the sound of it:
PGA CHAMPIONSHIP: Long Drive Championship to return at Valhalla.
Just to prove it wasn't a fluke, it was the fifth drive Watson has hit this weekend that was 375 yards or more, according to Associated Press writer Doug Ferguson.
PGA CHAMPSIONSHIP: Masters champ Watson paired with McIlroy, Kaymer
--- Doug Ferguson (@dougferguson405) August 2, 2014
That's one heck of a way to warm up for Tuesday's PGA Long Drive Championship, to be contested on the 10th hole at Valhalla Golf Club prior to the 2014 PGA Championship. Certainly Watson has to be considered one of the favorites -- if he can keep his ball in the fairway.
But just to prove the old adage "drive for show, putt for dough," Watson bogeyed the hole.
Junior holds off Harvick for Pocono sweep.
By Seth Livingstone, NASCAR Wire Service
Dale Earnhardt Jr. realized that it took a bit of luck for him to win at Pocono Raceway in June. But he knew his team was firing on all cylinders Sunday when he completed the season sweep.
Benefitting from impeccable pit strategy, Earnhardt led the final 14 laps and a car with the performance to hold off Kevin Harvick on a restart with three laps to go to ring up his third victory of the 2014 season in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series GoBowling.com 400.
"It wasn't about luck this time," said Earnhardt, who roared past Brad Keselowski in the June race after Keselowski caught a piece of trash in his grill and began to overheat.
Earnhardt credited crew chief Steve Letarte and his team for not resting on their laurels at Pocono.
"We were determined to go home from the last win and improve the car," Earnhardt said.
"Steve and the guys studied and improved the setup. We had a little luck on the win the last time with Keselowski having the debris and we wanted to be in the driver's seat this go-round with a faster car."
Letarte said the homework paid off in a faster Chevrolet.
"I feel we unloaded a better car for the second Pocono than we did the first Pocono," he said. "You cannot ever assume a winning car is going to be good enough the next week. While we were excited to win (in June) and we'll take it, there was room for improvement, so we worked very hard between that race and this race."
The result was Earnhardt's second season sweep of his career (Talladega 2002). He also became the first driver to sweep at Pocono since Denny Hamlin in 2006.
Almost from the outset, Sunday's 400-miler was a battle of pit strategies regarding fuel strategy and tires. Throw in a 13-car wreck that took much of the field out of contention for the final 34 laps and crew chiefs had their hands full.
Letarte made the ultimate decision to take four fresh tires with 39 laps to go, then bring Earnhardt back for a splash of gas 10 laps later.
"All we needed to get there was a gallon or two while the rest of the guys in front of us needed four tires and a full tank," Earnhardt said "We were on pit road for two seconds in the box and they were in their pit stalls for 12-14 seconds. We were able to leapfrog those guys. We weren't technically leading the race when the (next) caution came out, but we were ahead of those guys on where we needed to be.
"It takes a really, really smart guy to understand what to do and take those gambles. Sometimes they pay off and sometimes they don't. I've got a lot of faith in Steve and the strategy he used today gave us the opportunity to get by some guys that we probably weren't going to pass on the race track."
It was the fifth consecutive Sprint Cup victory at Pocono for Hendrick Motorsports, which also had Jeff Gordon in contention for much of the race.
Gordon, a six-time winner at Pocono, led a race-high 63 laps. He also became the first driver to lead 1,000 laps at Pocono and passed the 24,000 mark in career laps led in Sprint Cup competition.
Joey Logano, who led the first 30 laps, finished third ahead of Clint Bowyer and Greg Biffle.
Saving fuel, Biffle found himself with the lead after AJ Allmendinger's crash brought out a caution with 21 laps left. But Biffle couldn't hold off Earnhardt, who took command with 14 laps to go.
"I was heartbroken when that caution came out," said Biffle, who thought strategy had given him a fighting chance. "That just killed our day. We had a 20th-place car but got track position and drove our butt off. (If the race stayed green) it was going to be 'Mickey Mouse' ?- who would run out of fuel -- unless those guys could catch us."
Earnhardt had opened a 2.7-second lead on Harvick when Kurt Busch hit the wall, bringing out another caution that created the final restart.
"With Kevin, I'm racing one of the best," Earnhardt said. "That guy is going to get everything he can out of his car. I was anticipating him being right there on the inside going into (Turn) 1. I knew I was just going to have to really get brave, drive it down in there and pray for it to stick."
Harvick, who overcame a pit road speed penalty on Lap 96 and found himself 14th after driving over a storm drain in avoiding major damage during the 13-car melee, gave it all he could.
"I timed that last (restart) pretty good," Harvick said.. "But I couldn't turn into the corner like I needed to to stay beside him. I thought if I could get beside him going into (Turn) 1 I'd have a chance, but he was a little better than I was in Turn 3."
On his way to his Victory Lane celebration, Earnhardt took a phone call from team owner Rick Hendrick.
"I just thanked him for how much he changed my life and how he has supported me," Earnhardt said. "I wanted to thank him and make sure he understood how much I appreciated him. I wanted him to know how much it meant to me that I got the chance to drive this car and get a win today."
Man United-Real Madrid friendly at Michigan Stadium sets attendance record for soccer match in the U.S.
By Brooks Peck

The scoreboard announces attendance of 109,318 during a friendly between Real Madrid and Manchester United. (AP Photo)
Despite only being a preseason friendly, Manchester United's match against Real Madrid at Michigan Stadium drew a sell-out crowd of 109,318 — a new record for a soccer match in the United States. The previous record of 101,799 was set by the 1984 Olympic gold-medal match between France and Brazil at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California.
The massive crowd at Michigan Stadium gave the match between two of the world's biggest clubs a much more lively atmosphere than these teams usually find on their preseason tours. And with tickets ranging from $45 to $189, fans paid a hefty price for the privilege to make history and watch the likes of Wayne Rooney and Gareth Bale ease their way into the new season.
The previous record for a club match in the U.S. was set by a 2009 friendly between Barcelona and the L.A. Galaxy at the Rose Bowl, which drew 93,137 to edge out a 2006 MLS match between Chivas USA and the New England Revolution attended by 92,516 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
The Big House also set the attendance record for a hockey match when it hosted 105,491 for the NHL Winter Classic between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Detroit Red Wings on January 1 of this year. The stadium's record for an American football game was set by Michigan's 41-30 win over Notre Dame last year, which had an attendance of 115,109.
Cristiano Ronaldo did not start against his former club as he continues to work his way back from the knee injury that troubled him during the World Cup in Brazil, but he did enter the match midway through the second half after getting big cheers every time he was shown on the stadium's big screen.
Man United's Ashley Young opened the scoring in the 21st minute, but Gareth Bale equalized from the penalty spot just six minutes later. Young then put Man United up 2-1 in the 37th minute and Chicharito made it 3-1 in the 80th minute, which ended up being the final score. But, again, this was only a friendly.
Grant Hill to donate $1.25M to Duke.
AP Sports
Former Duke and NBA star Grant Hill and his wife are giving $1.25 million to the school.
President Richard Brodhead announced the donation Wednesday.
He says $1 million will go to the athletic department with the remainder going to the school's annual fund in support of Trinity College.
Brodhead calls Hill ''a beloved part of Duke's history.''
The 1994 Atlantic Coast Conference player of the year led the Blue Devils to national championships in 1991 and '92, then made five All-Star teams during an 18-year NBA career.
Hill says he and his wife ''are in a fortunate position to be able give back to the university that did so much for me.''
They previously gave $1 million to establish a men's basketball scholarship fund.
2015 NFL Draft: Northwestern Preview
By Dave Brugler
The Northwestern football program has gone back-to-back years without producing a NFL draft pick and will hope to snap that streak in the 2015 class and prevent it from extending to three straight next spring.
After starting 4-0 in 2013, Northwestern dropped seven straight and missed a bowl game last season for the first time since 2007. The Wildcats need a bounce-back season in 2014 and have the roster to be a darkhorse contender in the Big Ten with several pro-worthy prospects sprinkled throughout the depth chart. Northwestern hasn't had a top-100 draft pick since 2005 (Luis Castillo) and might not in the 2015 class either, but there are a handful of players in Evanston with the potential to hear their names called on day three.
Northwestern's NFL Draft-Eligible prospects to watch in 2014:
S Ibraheim Campbell, RS Senior (5-11 | 205 | 4.56 | #24)
One of the most reliable players on the Wildcats' defense the last three seasons, Campbell has started 37 games in Evanston and has recorded 262 total tackles, 29 passes defended and eight interceptions. All four starters in the secondary return for Northwestern in 2014 and Campbell is the unquestioned leader of both the defensive backs and the entire defense. He isn't the biggest or fastest player on the field, but he's one of the smartest and prides himself on playing assignment sound football with as few mistakes as possible. Campbell makes accurate reads and breaks down the action quickly to make plays, although he does have room to improve his functional strength and finishing ability when he's close to the ball. He is very well liked in the locker room and is a three-time All-Academic Big Ten player while majoring in economics. Campbell isn't elite in any one area on the football field, but is very steady and plays with a reliable presence that brings stability to the Northwestern defense.
RB Venric Mark, RS Senior (5-7 | 175 | 4.38 | #5)
An energetic jitterbug on the football field, Mark will return to Evanston for one more season of eligibility after he was granted a medical hardship waiver due to his 2013 injuries. He was limited by a hamstring injury to begin last season and suffered a broken ankle soon after returning to the field, playing in only three games in 2013. Mark started every game at running back in 2012 and led the team in rushing as a junior with 1,366 yards on 226 carries, earning the offensive MVP honors for the Wildcats. Some scouts view him as a receiver while others prefer to keep him at running back, but regardless, Mark is an exciting all-purpose weapon with the ball. He has light, explosive speed to fluidly change directions and make decisive cuts in the open field. Mark has the long-speed to run away from defenders and it won't be a surprise to see him put on a show at the NFL Combine next February. The biggest question mark is durability and at 5-7 and 175 pounds, his lack of size and growth potential makes it tough to project his future role in the NFL. Pro scouts know he is athletic and has speed to burn, but a full, healthy season in 2014 will be the biggest way for Mark to show NFL evaluators that he has legitimate next level potential despite his smallish frame.
WR Kyle Prater, RS Senior (6-4 | 225 | 4.58 | #21)
An Illinois native, Prater was a Parade High School All-American and five-star recruit, commanding attention from all the top programs in college football. He committed to USC and redshirted in 2010 due to hamstring and groin injuries and missed most of 2011 due to a broken bone in his left foot. After two injury plagued season at Southern California, Prater decided to transfer closer to home in the Midwest and was given a resident waiver from the NCAA to play immediately at Northwestern and not sit out a full season. The past two seasons for the Wildcats, Prater has seen limited playing time and registered only 19 catches, struggling to be much of a factor. He enters his senior season with one more chance to make a name for himself and show scouts why he was so highly touted out of high school, but he'll need to fight for playing time with incumbent starters and fellow seniors Tony Jones and Christian Jones. Nonetheless, Prater has the size, athletic ability and perceived upside that NFL evaluators love.
C Brandon Vitable, RS Senior (6-3 | 300 | 5.20 | #66)
What Ibraheim Campbell does for the defensive secondary, Vitable does for the Wildcats' offensive line. A senior and soon-to-be four year starter and two-time team captain, he is quick to engage off the snap and won't quit fighting until the echo of the whistle. Vitable has some hip tightness, but mirrors well in pass protection with patience and disciplined eyes to cut off rush lanes. He uses his eyes well to recognize multiple pressures and shows the football smarts to react accordingly. Vitable needs to improve his punch and has a bad habit of getting too high and allowing rushers to get under his pads, but he holds his ground admirably to prohibit interior pressures. He isn't the most mobile or strongest center prospect that scouts will evaluate this year, but his intelligence, motor and consistent play really stand out and a reason he is viewed as one of the top five senior center prospects for the 2015 draft class.
Other Northwestern prospects worth watching:
RB Treyvon Green, Senior (5-9 | 215 | 4.59 | #22)
With Venric Mark sidelined with injury most of last season, Green was the next man up and responded with a team-best 736 rushing yards and eight scores last season, averaging 5.4 yards per rush. Although not as fast or explosive as Mark, Green offers more pop at the point of attack and has some shiftiness himself to follow his blocks and elude defenders in the open field.
FB Dan Vitale, Junior (6-2 | 225 | 4.64 | #40)
The starting “Superback” for the Wildcats the past two seasons, Vitale is only a true junior but has already started 22 games and is plays a position that is able to show his versatility as a hybrid tight end/fullback. Whether lining up inline or in the backfield, Vitale is a reliable pass catcher with the vision and balance to do something after the catch.
WR Tony Jones, RS Senior (6-0 | 195 | 4.42 | #6)
The team leader in receptions last season with 55, Jones has excellent burst in his cuts and is at his best on crossing routes when he can catch in stride and be dangerous after the reception. He can be slowed down by defenders too easily, but has the short-area foot quickness to create some separation and the balance to shake off would-be tacklers.
WR Christian Jones, Senior (6-2 | 225 | 4.63 | #14)
The “other” Jones at receiver for the Wildcats, Christian fell one catch shy of Tony's team-best 55 grabs, but Christian led the team in receiving yards (668) last year. He doesn't have the same foot quickness or natural burst as Tony, but he has the size advantage and knows how to use his body in contested situations downfield.
DT Chance Carter, RS Senior (6-3 | 295 | 5.12 | #99)
A hometown kid from Evanston, Carter waited his turn and became a starter last season, posting 34 tackles, 5.0 tackles for loss, 2.0 sacks and five passes broken up. He moves well for a player a few burgers shy of 300 pounds and has a workable frame that the NFL looks for, but has room to improve his snap anticipation and rush technique/leverage.
LB Chi Chi Ariguzo, RS Senior (6-3 | 235 | 4.82 | #44)
The top returning tackler for the Wildcats, Ariguzo finished with 106 stops last season and has seen action at both SAM and WILL linebacker spots at Northwestern. His average range leaves him a step short on some plays, but he displays the aggressive, attacking mentality needed for the position and has been a playmaker with 16.5 tackles for loss and six interceptions the past two seasons.
On This Date in Sports History: Today is Monday, August 4, 2014.
MemoriesofHistory.com
1934 - Mel Ott became the first major league baseball player to score six runs in a single game.
1956 - William Herz became the first person to race a motorcycle over 200 miles per hour. He was clocked at 210 mph.
1957 - Juan Fangio won his final auto race and captured the world auto driving championship. It was his the fifth consecutive year to win.
1983 - New York Yankee outfielder Dave Winfield threw a baseball during warm-ups and accidentally killed a seagull. After the game, Toronto police arrested him for "causing unnecessary suffering to an animal."
1984 - Carl Lewis won a gold medal in the Los Angeles Olympics.
1985 - Tom Seaver (Chicago White Sox) achieved his 300th victory.
1985 - Rod Carew (California Angels) got his 3,000th major league hit.
1986 - The United States Football League called off its 1986 season. This was after winning only token damages in its antitrust lawsuit against the National Football League.
1996 - Josia Thugwane won a gold medal after finishing first in the marathon. He became the first black South African to win a gold medal.
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