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Sports Quote of the Day:
"If a team intimidate you physically and you let them, they've won." ~ Mia Hamm, Retired Professional Soccer Player
The excitement is building, the euphoria is overwhelming, I know you're ready for some football. On the fence??? Take the plunge, you can't win if you aren't in!!!! Sign up today, no need to wait... Go for it!!!
The 2014 NFL season starts September 4, 2014. It's going to be a fun year. Create some excitement for yourself and test your skills against other NFL fans. What have you got to lose? Enjoy one of Chicago's finest confidence pools. Remember, you can't win if you aren't in!!! Read the invitation below and take the plunge. We're looking for 35 players with 36 opportunities to win, what have you got to lose? Sign up now, Good luck and good picking!!!
Who will win the Super Bowl and be this year's NFL Champion???
The wait is over, the time is now, football is here.
Attention: Diehard NFL Fans: It's going to be a great year!!! Good luck to your favorite team, however, let it be known that the Bears are on a mission. Enhance your season and support your team with the challenge below. Try it, you'll love it. Good Luck.
By ANDREW SELIGMAN (AP Sports Writer)
Chad Henne did all he could to keep the starting quarterback job with the Jacksonville Jaguars. First-round pick Blake Bortles was about as good.
Henne passed for 130 yards and a touchdown, and Bortles threw for 160 in relief before backup quarterback Jordan Palmer rallied the Chicago Bears to a 20-19 preseason victory over the Jaguars on Thursday night.
Palmer, trying to beat out Jimmy Clausen for the No. 2 job, led Chicago to two fourth-quarter touchdowns. Senorise Perry scored on a 5-yard run with 50 seconds left, and C.J. Wilson intercepted a pass to seal the win after Henne and Bortles picked the Bears apart.
Jared Allen made his first appearance for Chicago after signing in the offseason and finished with one tackle for a loss on an otherwise quiet night. The five-time Pro Bowl defensive end sat out last week's opening win over Philadelphia after he missed practices because his wife had a baby.
Henne showed mobility in the pocket and completed 12 of 17 passes before leaving with a 13-7 lead in the second quarter.
''We feel very strongly about Chad,'' coach Gus Bradley said.
But he also plans to give Bortles some snaps with the first team, possibly in the coming week.
The rookie looked sharp again after an impressive showing last week in a victory over Tampa Bay.
The No. 3 pick in the draft, Bortles went 11 for 17, but the Jaguars came away with the loss.
Chicago's Jay Cutler completed 7 of 9 passes for 79 yards and called it a night after throwing a 4-yard touchdown pass to Brandon Marshall early in the second quarter.
Clausen got the first call after Cutler left the game, with Palmer serving as the second man in relief in a flip from the preseason opener. But Clausen struggled through some headset problems after a strong performance last week.
The former Notre Dame star and Carolina Panther went 11 of 15 for 94 yards. He also had a pass intercepted by Josh Evans early in the third quarter off linebacker Telvin Smith's deflection after the headset went out on him.
''There were three to five plays where it just became confusion and he really didn't get us into the best plays,'' coach Marc Trestman said. ''He was trying to make something good out of a bad situation, and there wasn't any way I could help him. That group of I would say up to a half a dozen plays when Jimmy was in there, it was very difficult to evaluate.''
Palmer started the fourth quarter and threw for 73 yards, completing 6 of 9 passes.
''This is a competition and coaches have done a phenomenal job of making it very fair, evaluating us every day and so when you get to the preseason, you wait until your turn and then you go in there and try to make the most of it,'' Palmer said.
Martellus Bennett had a 25-yard catch after being suspended by the team last week for an altercation in practice with cornerback Kyle Fuller, who left this game after injuring his ankle on the opening possession.
Jacksonville's Toby Gerhart ran for 19 yards in his first appearance with the Jaguars. The former Minnesota Vikings backup had missed nearly two weeks because of a hip flexor injury.
Marqise Lee caught four passes for 27 yards and a touchdown after struggling against Tampa Bay. Mercedes Lewis had 46 yards on three receptions.
The Jaguars scored on all three first-quarter possessions while grabbing a 13-0 lead, with Josh Scobee kicking a pair of field goals and Henne hitting Lee with a 6-yard touchdown pass. The TD came after Chicago's Eric Weems fumbled away a kickoff.
The Bears cut it to 13-7 early in the second quarter, when Cutler hit Marshall with a 4-yarder to cap a 10-play drive. But a 43-yard field goal by Scobee late in the half made it 16-7.
''Definitely the first couple of drives we wanted to get the tempo going,'' Henne said. ''The way we did that was first and second down. We moved the chains and got some explosive plays out of it as well.''
Notes: Trestman said he has no issue with Marshall serving as an analyst for Showtime's ''Inside the NFL'' show. ''I trust Brandon,'' he said. ''He asked me about it. I trust him to make a decision that was in the best interest of the team first, and I know Brandon. I know he'll do that.'' ... Trestman had few details on CB Kyle Fuller (ankle) and backup TE Zach Miller (foot) after they left the game with injuries. He did say the bruised knee that kept DE Willie Young out of the game is not serious. ... Jaguars RT Austin Pasztor (broken hand) and backup C Luke Bowanko (sprained ankle) left the game.
Chicago Sports & Travel, Inc./AllsportsAmerica Take: Chicago, we have a problem!!! Last night I watched the Bears play the Jacksonville Jaguars. I can assure you that I was totally disappointed. Granted, it was only a preseason game but I couldn't believe how bad the Bears performed. There are three phases to any game, offense, defense and special teams. Two out of the three were horrible, (defense and special teams). The defense couldn't stop Jacksonville in the first quarter when they had their starters in. The special teams punt and kick-off coverage was horrendous and the punt and kick-off returns were not any better. I keep hearing how good the Bears look on paper, however, a game has never been won on paper. It's won on the field. Please don't think Detroit, Green Bay and Minnesota weren't looking at the game because I can assure they were. They're probably licking their chops right now. The only good thing I can say is that the start of the season is three weeks away and we still have two preseason games left to improve tremendously. Some of you might think that I'm panicking, I'm not. It's evident that if our defense and special teams do not improve and improve quickly, we're doomed. The next two games will tell the tale of the tape and I'm sure Phil Emery (GM) and Marc Trestman (Head Coach) will get their point across to the coaching staff and players before the next game. Let's go Bears!!! Opportunity is knocking at the door, answer it and don't blow a chance to do something special this season.
Now you know what we think and how we feel, we'd love to know, what’s your take? Marion P. Jelks, Chicago Sports & Travel, Inc./AllsportsAmerica Blog Editor. Please use the comment section below and have at it. Let us know your thoughts.
FCC's Pai supports repeal of NFL TV blackout rules.
By JOHN WAWROW (AP Sports Writer)
Ajit Pai called the NFL's television blackout rules ''outdated,'' and urged his fellow Federal Communications Commission representatives to vote in favor of having them repealed to address fan concerns.
''Right now, the FCC is officially on the side of blackouts. We should be on the side of sports fans,'' Pai said during a news conference in Buffalo on Tuesday. ''The FCC shouldn't get involved in handing out special favors or picking winners and losers. And in my view, there is no reason for the FCC to be involved in the sports blackout business.''
Pai, one of five FCC commissioners, became the first to speak out in favor of eliminating the NFL policy the FCC instituted in 1975. The regulation prevents games that are not sold out 72 hours in advance of kickoff from being broadcast in the home team's market by cable and satellite providers.
The FCC first weighed in on sports blackout policies in December, when commissioners voted unanimously to seek public input on the issue.
Pai is now calling for FCC chairman Tom Wheeler to put the issue to a vote. A simple majority from the five commissioners, which include Wheeler, is required.
Wheeler has not indicated whether he intends to bring the issue to a vote.
Pai was joined by U.S. Rep. Brian Higgins, who has argued against the NFL's blackout policy and how it has specifically affected Buffalo Bills fans over the past few years.
The Bills had one home game blacked out last season, two in 2012 and three more in 2011.
The NFL is against having the policy repealed by arguing it would undercut blackout agreements the league has with its network broadcasters.
Two weeks ago, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell questioned whether a lifting of the policy on cable and satellite providers would potentially lead to fewer games broadcast for free on over-the-air networks.
''We are 99 percent sold out, so it has very little impact on our business,'' Goodell said. ''But it could have an impact on the overall business model for free television. We think that's devastating to our consumers and consumers in general.''
The NFL and its network broadcasters have established a ''Protect Football on Free TV'' campaign, and appointed Hall of Fame receiver Lynn Swann as its spokesman.
''Repealing the rule may lead to unintended consequences and deny viewers of valuable sports programming on broadcast television,'' Swann said. He then noted more than 10,000 community leaders across the country have sent letters urging the FCC to keep the blackout policy in place.
Pai has met with NFL officials and said he's not swayed by their arguments.
''They've obviously urged us to retain the rule. But in my own view, their arguments don't persuade me,'' he said. ''I certainly hope the business model doesn't change. And I'm confident it would actually thrive and bring more fans and broaden the base in terms of television viewing audience.''
Pai noted that repealing the FCC's blackout policy wouldn't prevent the NFL or its teams from privately negotiating its own rules with cable and satellite companies.
Higgins has gone further by introducing a bill that would eliminate the antitrust exemption that allows the NFL to black out sporting events.
How 'bout them Chicago Blackhawks? Will Corey Crawford Improve Under New Goaltending Coach Jimmy Waite?By Steve Silverman
The Chicago Blackhawks did not exactly keep the move a secret, but when they hired Jimmy Waite in early July to serve as their goalie coach, it wasn't front-page news.
That's because the Blackhawks were just days away from inking superstars Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane to long-term contracts that are expected to keep them with the team through the 2022-23 season.
However, signing Waite could have a huge impact on the team's fortunes in 2014-15. Waite's brother, Stephane, had been the Blackhawks' goalie coach for 10 seasons, but he left shortly after the team won the 2013 Stanley Cup to take a similar position with the Montreal Canadiens.
The Blackhawks brought in Steve Weeks to fill Stephane Waite's position, but his style did not mesh well with the team's. Head coach Joel Quenneville fired him shortly after the team was eliminated from the playoffs by the Los Angeles Kings.
Jimmy Waite played in 58 games for the Blackhawks and was primarily a career backup. He also played for the San Jose Sharks and Phoenix Coyotes.
Waite had been the goalie coach for Chicoutimi of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League in the past three seasons.
Starting goalie Corey Crawford did not have a bad year in 2013-14, but he appeared to develop some sloppy habits. Crawford had a 2.26 goals-against average and .917 save percentage last year, which are clearly respectable numbers.
With that said, Crawford seemed to give up at least one stoppable goal in nearly every game.
That was a source of frustration for Crawford and the coaching staff. It also was a point of anger for many Blackhawks fans, who let the goalie know their feelings on sports talk radio shows and in social media.
Crawford, of course, played a key role in the Blackhawks' 2013 Stanley Cup victory. He gave up some questionable goals in that postseason run but always rebounded with strong performances in his most important games.
For example, the Boston Bruins appeared to exploit a weakness in Crawford's glove hand when they scored five goals in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final. However, Crawford slammed the door on Boston as he allowed three goals in Games 5 and 6 as the Blackhawks clinched the Stanley Cup.
Waite wants to ensure that Crawford is in the right position on the ice and gives opposing shooters little room to look at when they are attacking.
"To me, goaltending is all about positioning," Waite told Blake Schuster of the Chicago Tribune (subscription required). "The guys are bigger now. If you're in the right place at the right time that's all it is. That's the big part of my coaching."
Crawford is anticipating a strong working relationship with Waite, something he also had with his brother.
"I've heard that they sort of teach the same way, sort of the same philosophy," Crawford told Schuster. "I think it will be an easy transition again and he'll be someone who is going to be very easy to communicate with and we can exchange ideas."
The Blackhawks would like to see Crawford play a bit more consistently in 2014-15. During their championship season, he had a 1.94 GAA and a .926 save percentage. During the postseason, he had a 1.84 GAA and .932 save percentage.
Crawford did not perform as well in the 2014 playoffs. He had a 2.53 GAA and a .912 save percentage.
The Blackhawks rarely ask their goaltender to carry them in the regular season. They are a skilled offensive team that dominates puck possession, and they regularly capitalize on their scoring chances.
That means they don't often need their goalie to stand on his head to give the Blackhawks a chance to win.
However, they need Crawford to be at his best in the postseason. Waite is being asked to guide and groom their goalie so he is in championship form when the 2015 playoffs roll around.
Puck Daddy Power Rankings: Desperate critics, suing Islanders and Kings favoritism.
By Ryan Lambert
9. Finally, the Kings get an outdoor game
It's hard to be sure at what point one just has to resign oneself to the idea that the NHL is going to keep pumping these outdoor games until every market has gotten a crack at it two or three times, but I have to feel like I'm coming up on it soon.
I really do get it: These things make ludicrous sums of money for the league, and that's good for owners and players alike. That obviously makes sense. But here's my thing with this continued insistence on playing multiple outdoor games a year: There's no effort to mix things up.
The Los Angeles Kings are obviously one of the great teams in the league and the only real choice for the Sharks to play in an outdoor game, particularly because of how things went in the playoffs last season. This is a rivalry game that builds on top of the previously existing dislike between the teams. Add in a brand new stadium and it's all well and good.
But do I really need to see the Kings play outdoors twice in less than 13 months? Especially with all the pomp and circumstance and “this is such a unique experience” that comes with it? And really, the Kings aren't an especially engaging team to watch.
They're excellent, obviously, but for entertainment value wouldn't you rather see just about any team in the league? The aesthetic value of any outdoor game is necessarily diminished by the conditions under which the game is played, and adding in a team that's already not particularly pleasing to the eye makes it worse.
Plus, you know, there's all these other good hockey markets out there that should maybe get a crack at it. Minnesota still hasn't played one, which is ridiculous. The Jets could sell out any stadium in Manitoba. Finding the right venue could make the Stars or Predators more popular in their markets.
That's the thing, I guess. These games are almost guaranteed to sell out. Even if it's an oddity — and let's be honest in calling a game in an otherwise largely disinterested market at Dodger Stadium just that — it draws interest from the average sports fan. These markets don't have the glamor of Los Angeles and New York, and obviously I'm not advocating for an outdoor game in Miami or Phoenix, but for a league that's always accused of playing favorites, the NHL sure does play favorites a lot.
Sports is a business, sure, but there's something to be said for being equitable here.
8. Stopping cap circumvention
Marc Savard is taking a job with the Ottawa 67s of the OHL, working as a scout this coming season. It is truly great to see him be able to get out and do things again after what seems like such a long, dark period in his life brought on simply because he played a game.
With that having been said, it is ludicrous that the Bruins keep getting the cap benefit of simply leaving him on the long-term injured reserve and don't take the heat from his cap-circumventing contract. If he's not actively trying to make it back to the NHL so that he can still be written off — and he 100 percent should not actively try that — the least he can do is keep up appearances and not actually take another hockey job. Again, I'm all for him getting out of the house and actually doing something, but the Bruins shouldn't continue to benefit.
If he was retiring at this age having played hockey the last few years, there'd be no concerns about the cap recapture penalty. It would be accepted as a fact of life. This is the reason why Chris Pronger isn't officially working in the Flyers' front office at this very moment: It's a little too dubious to say he's both trying to be in the NHL and also definitely taking an office job somewhere.
Now granted, the recapture penalty for Savard, at this point, wouldn't be too bad, but the Bruins are: a) in a bit of a cap crunch to begin with, and b) clearly skirting the rules here. So why don't they have to pay the price for it?
7. Shady Russian offers
Speaking of the Bruins, turns out their prized young “defense” man Torey Krug apparently got a big-money KHL offer, corroborated by just one ultra pro-Bruins media member (who recently compared Krug, laughably, to Jake Gardiner). And wouldn't you know it, that offer came right when the team's contract talks would probably have been heating up.
Obviously this is a bit of grandstanding by the player's representation, because even if Krug did get a big-money offer in the Russian league, the likelihood that he'd take it — for a lot of reasons — seems quite small.
Let's think about who takes KHL offers in this day and age. Russian players of all stripes who want to go home, at least for a little while. Aging Eastern Europeans. Borderline NHLers. Torey Krug is none of those. He's an American-born already-established bottom-pairing offensive defenseman who can be a weapon on the power play. Is he overrated in Boston? Of course. But he's not the kind of player who typically decides to pick up stakes and rough it for Barys Astana, or whichever team is proffering this money. Hey, how's a game in the Ukraine sound? One for which you have to fly on a 60-year-old plane with chickens to get there. Cool.
If this is anything other than an attempt to wring an extra year and $1 million per out of the Bruins, I'd be shocked.
Hate
6. The NHL hate map
It was a little shocking to see more people hate the Bruins than the Penguins, Leafs, or Flyers. Well, not that shocking.
5. Ovechkin's value
Once again we have to have the discussion about how valuable Alex Ovechkin is. And somehow, it's not one of those, “Yeah, but how super-valuable is he because he's obviously super-valuable?” ones. It's an “Is he really all that good?” one.
Craig Custance recently talked to 12 “NHL executives, coaches, and players” to find out who they'd pick as their mythic One Player To Start a Franchise. The answers were largely what you'd expect: Crosby and Toews and Stamkos and Kopitar and Doughty and Getzlaf and Tavares. And so on.
One name notably absent from the top-13 list was Alex Ovechkin. And so now we have to once again examine whether Ovechkin is actually one of the top 13 players in the league based on a number of factors, not the least of which is his current value. This, again, is the reigning back-to-back Rocket Richard winner.
Neil Greenberg did a great job of breaking down why Ovechkin remains one of the more valuable players in the league, even going forward. Hint: It's because he's really good. In terms of “point shares” (that is, the overall number of points Ovechkin's overall game will bring to whichever team he plays for over the remainder of his career) he's about even with Evgeni Malkin, and actually a little bit ahead of Ryan Getzlaf. A bunch of other guys remain ahead of him, but in terms of actual value, there are only seven superstars you can expect to provide more than him by this metric.
I guess point shares don't take into account his terrible plus-minus!!! What a bum!!!!!
4. The Sharks' quote-unquote rebuild
It was pointed out yesterday that the Sharks are once again — for about the third or fourth time this summer, by my count — trying to walk back all that rebuild talk once they realized they couldn't blow it all up. Probably smart that this is how it unfolds, with no rebuilding at all, instead.
The one aspect of the rebuild that isn't being talked about much, though, is Brent Burns apparently moving back to the blue line. This is something that strikes me as a little baffling. Since his move to forward about halfway through the 2013 season, he's been very, very good for San Jose.
We're talking 68 points in 93 games, a pace for 60 points in an 82-game season. We're talking about a plus-4.3 corsi relative (on the Sharks!). We're talking about a very strong top-line winger. In terms of goals for per 20 minutes of even-strength ice time, Burns is ninth in the league over the last two seasons. Ahead of guys like Thomas Vanek, James Neal, Evgeni Malkin, Steven Stamkos, Max Pacioretty, Phil Kessel, Milan Lucic, and so on. This is not some strange coincidence.
And they're giving all that up to move him back to the blue line, where he was certainly good, but by no means earth-shattering. His scoring when he was a defender in 2010-11 and 2011-12 ranked him tied for 77th among NHL defensemen (the same number as Joni Pitkanen, and behind Nikita Nikitin), and his possession numbers simply weren't as good. Was he a quality defenseman? Sure he was, but he wasn't that difference-makingly great of a defender that would make this idea actually palatable.
The argument, I guess, is that the Sharks can put basically anyone with Joe Thornton and watch them put up a 60-point season (or perhaps better) with some amount of ease. That makes sense. After all, we still remember who Jonathan Cheechoo is simply because of Thornton's abilities. Which, by the way, have to be considered somewhat waning at this point in his Hall of Fame-worthy career.
So okay, let's say you can plug anyone in there and expect that performance. And that you now have a top pairing of Burns and Marc-Edouard Vlasic. That makes your power play terrifying, does it not? But it also makes the rest of your defense not as good; the Sharks have just one left-shot defenseman of note (it's Vlasic), meaning that you're just moving guys out of position with this move, even if you're move a trained, younger forward into that wing slot alongside Thornton.
The Sharks have a problem on the blue line, it's true. That's probably the biggest reason they lost to the Kings (and not “chemistry” or “clutch” or whatever other mumbo jumbo). And they got rid of Brad Stuart, which was smart. But they still haven't addressed the big problem with this team. Not with this move, and not at all this summer.
3. Suing Charles Wang
It's all well and good to find it funny that Charles Wang is being sued for not selling the Islanders — and especially for such a dumb alleged reason as “the Clippers' asking price was high” — but the fact of the matter is that this whole time, he's still going to own the Islanders and he's still going to be bad at it.
Tough bounce for Isles fans. But they can take solace in the fact their team will probably be pretty good this year. And make the team more valuable. And Wang probably less likely to sell. And... oh.
2. Paying old guys
Teemu Selanne and Daniel Alfredsson were both in the news this week for reasons that did not include the word “retirement” somehow.
Selanne might sign a $5 million deal to play for a Finnish team in the KHL, which allow him to only play home games because travel sucks, especially in the KHL. This isn't a bad idea in a garbage league with a team looking for some pop both on the ice and at the box office. Not bad at all.
Alfredsson might re-up with Detroit with the Red Wings carrying the understanding that he wouldn't play every night. Two out of every three games or something like that, maybe. Definitely not any back-to-backs. And for that, he'd probably get an incentive-rich deal with a relatively low base salary so as not to upset the cap-ple cart. (They have nearly $5.3 million to spend, says Capgeek, but between Alfredsson and Danny DeKeyser's new deal, they're probably going to come close to that mark.)
It's shrewd, inso far as Alfredsson can still help a team that needs help, even at his age. But here's the problem: The Red Wings already have a billion forwards.
Not counting Alfredsson, the number of right wings on the roster is already fairly high (five if you count Anthony Mantha, who seems likely to make the team), and 13 of their forwards are on one-way deals. Thirteen! That doesn't include Alfredsson, and Tomas Jurco, who's the only one not on a two-way. It's crazy.
Granted, Alfredsson won't play every night — a fun and new way for Ken Holland to keep potential NHLers from being full-time contributors — but nonetheless, they'd carrying 15 NHL forwards and seven D. Plus two goalies is 24 roster players.
So who do you send down? Jurco's your only option, unless you find something to do with Danny Cleary and Drew Miller. Which you should.
1. Desperation
The work has been unimpeachable for so long that someone had to take notice one day. And because the work is unimpeachable, all the crusty media types who just a few years ago were screaming that bloggers were ruining hockey are now screaming that Tyler Dellow is not a nice person.
As though not being a nice person were in some way a means of disqualifying someone from holding a job for which they are eminently and demonstrably qualified. Dellow, it turns out, thinks and sees the game in a different way than just about everyone else, and has repeatedly shown why his video-plus-statistics analysis is important.
Derek van Diest went on Edmonton radio this week and just about cried over the hiring, saying Dellow couldn't understand the Oilers because he doesn't watch it live (an inexplicably silly argument). And also that Dellow is a jerk about things, who attacks those with whom he disagrees.
Which is true.
He moreover said that this is just the Oilers making sure Dallas Eakins had all the tools he wanted to properly run an NHL team, and echoed the other grumblings that if teams were hiring bloggers — BLOGGERS! — to help them get a better look at this new-fangled “fad,” then they must truly be desperate. As if trying to use every tool at one's disposal to find a competitive advantage was somehow all of a sudden unforgivable, and worthy of repeated admonishment.
I'll tell you exactly what it's like: For the longest time, teams have really gotten by on their talent, not pushing themselves to approach the game more competitively. More recently, a number of teams — and you can tell which ones they are because they're the ones with all the trophies in the last few years — have started going more in that direction as a supplement to their talent at finding and utilizing players in traditional ways. They worked harder to get every ounce of effort out of their talent, rather than just coasting on what they had. In doing so, they became the best.
The Oilers are only now getting back on a rush the other way, instead of going to the bench and saying they'd rather not keep up with the rest of the league. Like that lazy bum Ales Hemsky.
What this widespread media reaction really gets back to is that people aren't happy when you do actual research with which to criticize their work. If you have actual data to poke holes in their logic, and then you aren't super nice about it, they get very upset.
You often hear hockey pundits — those with big important positions at popular periodicals — say that writers shouldn't criticize each other, though they never really say why. The reason is they don't like to be told their analysis, which they support with nothing but opinion rather than hard evidence, needs to be rethought. They'd rather think the game the way they always have. Numbers, who needs 'em? Turns out the answer is, “A growing number of NHL teams,” and that's not a satisfactory solution for the head-in-the-sand crowd.
I'd agree with those who've said this isn't exactly “The Summer of Stats,” but it's definitely “The Summer of Shocking Realization That The Game Is In Fact Changing After All Despite The Protests Of Those Who Have Long Denied Such Changes Would Ever Exist or Need To.” But that's not as catchy.
Just another Chicago Bulls Session… Bulls open season in New York, host LeBron, Cavs on Halloween.
By Mark Strotman
The NBA offseason centered around the free agency decision of Carmelo Anthony and LeBron James, and that's exactly how the Bulls will begin their 2014-15 regular season.
The Bulls' schedule was announced Wednesday evening, and Tom Thibodeau's group will open their campaign in New York against the Knicks. The Bulls made a serious push this summer for Anthony to team up with Derrick Rose in the Windy City, but the seven-time All-Star ultimately opted to remain in New York, leaving the Bulls to go with Plan B, which included signing Pau Gasol and 2011 first-round pick Nikola Mirotic. And Bulls fans will have two chances to let Anthony know they feel when the Knicks come to town on Dec. 18 and March 28.
Two days after they open, on Halloween, they'll welcome James and the Cavaliers to the United Center in their home opener. For a team that won just 33 games a season ago, the Cavaliers were at the forefront of seemingly the entire offseason, beating the odds and winning their third NBA Lottery in the last four years, signing point guard Kyrie Irving to a max extension, drafting Andrew Wiggins, agreeing to a deal to send Wiggins to the Timberwolves in exchange for Kevin Love and, of course, signing James to a two year-deal. All of a sudden Bulls-Cavs becomes one of the most hotly contested division matchups in all the NBA. As division opponents, the Bulls will play the Cavaliers three other times, including a matinee matchup on Martin Luther King Day (Jan. 19). The April 5 matchup in Cleveland in the season's final weeks could be important for playoff seeding.
The Bulls also will see their fair share of talented rookies to open the year. After their showdown with the Cavaliers, Thibodeau's group will head to Minnesota to take on Wiggins and the Timberwolves. That's followed by a home matchup with Orlando and No. 4 pick Aaron Gordon. A quick two-game road trip to Milwaukee and Philadelphia pits the Bulls against No. 2 overall pick and Chicago native Jabari Parker (Bucks) and Nerlens Noel (Philadelphia). Those four could lead the way in Rookie of the Year voting by season's end, and they'll all get stiff tests early against the Chicago defense.
Jabari Parker will make his debut in Chicago on Jan. 10. The last time Parker played in the United Center he scored 27 points and grabbed nine rebounds as a member of the Duke Blue Devils in a loss to Andre Wiggins and the Kansas Jayhawks.
Luol Deng never played against the Bulls at the United Center after being traded to the Cavaliers, but he'll make his first appearance in Chicago not in a Bulls uniform when his new team, the Miami Heat, travel to the Windy City on Jan. 25.
The Bulls finish the first full month of the season with the Circus Road Trip. From Nov. 17 to Nov. 30 they'll head out west beginning with the Los Angles Clippers and end on the East Coast against the Celtics and Nets.
The Bulls will play on Christmas Day for the fifth straight season, hosting Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers at the United Center. The Bulls last faced the Lakers on Christmas Day in 2011 to open the strike-shortened season. It's the first time since 2012 that they'll host a Christmas Day game.
An added wrinkle in this year's schedule is a week-long All-Star Break. The Bulls will be off for eight days in the middle of February, playing Feb. 12 and then not again until Feb. 20.
Tough as the Western Conference road trips will be, the Bulls' toughest stretch (at least for now) appears to be the beginning of March. In a two-week span they'll square off against the Clippers, Wizards, Thunder and Grizzlies at home, and the Pacers, Thunder, Hornets and Spurs on the road. Not including a March 11 game in Philadelphia, that's eight straight playoff opponents in a 15-day span.
2014-15 Chicago Bulls schedule:
| DATE | OPPONENT | TIME |
| Oct. 29 | at New York | 7 p.m. |
| Oct. 31 | Cleveland | 7 p.m. |
| Nov. 1 | at Minnesota | 7 p.m. |
| Nov. 4 | Orlando | 6 p.m. |
| Nov. 5 | at Milwaukee | 7 p.m. |
| Nov. 7 | at Philadelphia | 6 p.m. |
| Nov. 8 | Boston | 7 p.m. |
| Nov. 10 | Detroit | 7 p.m. |
| Nov. 13 | at Toronto | 7 p.m. |
| Nov. 15 | Indiana | 7 p.m. |
| Nov. 17 | at L.A. Clippers | 9:30 p.m. |
| Nov. 20 | at Sacramento | 9:30 p.m. |
| Nov. 21 | at Portland | 9:30 p.m. |
| Nov. 24 | at Utah | 8 p.m. |
| Nov. 25 | at Denver | 8 p.m. |
| Nov. 28 | at Boston | 12 p.m. |
| Nov. 30 | at Brooklyn | 2 p.m. |
| Dec. 2 | Dallas | 7 p.m. |
| Dec. 3 | at Charlotte | 6 p.m. |
| Dec. 6 | Golden State | 7 p.m. |
| Dec. 10 | Brooklyn | 7 p.m. |
| Dec. 12 | Portland | 6 p.m. |
| Dec. 14 | at Miami | 5 p.m. |
| Dec. 15 | at Atlanta | 6:30 p.m. |
| Dec. 18 | New York | 7 p.m. |
| Dec. 19 | at Memphis | 7 p.m. |
| Dec. 22 | Toronto | 7 p.m. |
| Dec. 23 | at Washington | 6 p.m. |
| Dec. 25 | L.A. Lakers | 7 p.m. |
| Dec. 27 | New Orleans | 7 p.m. |
| Dec. 29 | at Indiana | 6 p.m. |
| Dec. 30 | Brooklyn | 7 p.m. |
| Jan. 1 | Denver | 7 p.m. |
| Jan. 3 | Boston | 7 p.m. |
| Jan. 5 | Houston | 7 p.m. |
| Jan. 7 | Utah | 7 p.m. |
| Jan. 9 | at Washington | 7 p.m. |
| Jan. 10 | Milwaukee | 7 p.m. |
| Jan. 12 | Orlando | 7 p.m. |
| Jan. 14 | Washington | 7 p.m. |
| Jan. 16 | at Boston | 6:30 p.m. |
| Jan. 17 | Atlanta | 7 p.m. |
| Jan. 19 | at Cleveland | 7 p.m. |
| Jan. 22 | San Antonio | 7 p.m. |
| Jan. 23 | at Dallas | 7 p.m. |
| Jan. 25 | Miami | 12 p.m. |
| Jan. 27 | at Golden State | 9:30 p.m. |
| Jan. 29 | at L.A. Lakers | 9:30 p.m. |
| Jan. 30 | at Phoenix | 9:30 p.m. |
| Feb. 4 | at Houston | 7 p.m. |
| Feb. 7 | at New Orleans | 6 p.m. |
| Feb. 8 | at Orlando | 5 p.m. |
| Feb. 10 | Sacramento | 7 p.m. |
| Feb. 12 | Cleveland | 7 p.m. |
| Feb. 20 | at Detroit | 6:30 p.m. |
| Feb. 21 | Phoenix | 7 p.m. |
| Feb. 23 | Milwaukee | 7 p.m. |
| Feb. 25 | Charlotte | 7 p.m. |
| Feb. 27 | Minnesota | 7 p.m. |
| March 1 | L.A. Clippers | 12 p.m. |
| March 3 | Washington | 7 p.m. |
| March 5 | Oklahoma City | 7 p.m. |
| March 6 | at Indiana | 6 p.m. |
| March 8 | at San Antonio | 12 p.m. |
| March 9 | Memphis | 7 p.m. |
| March 11 | at Philadelphia | 6 p.m. |
| March 13 | at Charlotte | 6 p.m. |
| March 15 | at Oklahoma City | 12 p.m. |
| March 18 | Indiana | 7 p.m. |
| March 20 | Toronto | 7 p.m. |
| March 21 | at Detroit | 6:30 p.m. |
| March 23 | Charlotte | 7 p.m. |
| March 25 | at Toronto | 6:30 p.m. |
| March 28 | New York | 7 p.m. |
| April 1 | at Milwaukee | 7 p.m. |
| April 3 | Detroit | 7 p.m. |
| April 5 | at Cleveland | 2:30 p.m. |
| April 8 | at Orlando | 6 p.m. |
| April 9 | at Miami | 7 p.m. |
| April 11 | Philadelphia | 7 p.m. |
| April 13 | at Brooklyn | 6:30 p.m. |
| April 15 | Atlanta | 7 p.m. |
Ten games to watch during NBA's 2014-15 season.
By Marc J. Spears
10. Lionel Hollins returns to "Stone Age" Memphis (Feb. 10): Hollins was relieved of his duties with the Grizzlies after leading the franchise to the 2013 Western Conference finals. Jason Kidd's surprising departure from Brooklyn opened the door for Hollins' return to coaching. Hollins has since compared Memphis to the "Stone Age," saying people there "move slow, they talk slow, and they drag their words out." His comments could make for an interesting reception from the home fans.
9. Lance Stephenson returns to Indiana (Nov. 19): Stephenson shocked the Pacers by signing a three-year, $27 million deal with the Charlotte Hornets this offseason. The Pacers offered a more lucrative five-year, $44 million deal, despite Stephenson's immature acts in the postseason. Paul George's broken leg and resulting loss for the season made Stephenson's departure even more difficult for Indiana to stomach.
8. LeBron James returns to San Antonio (March 12): Will the Spurs turn off the air conditioning to welcome back James? The AT&T Center's AC malfunction in Game 1 of the 2014 NBA Finals caused the arena's temperature to rise and led to James cramping and missing the final crucial minutes. James' final game with the Heat was also played in S.A. when the Spurs eliminated Miami in Game 6 of the Finals to claim the championship. Had the Heat beat the Spurs for a third straight title, it might have been a lot tougher for James to return to Cleveland.
7. LeBron James vs. Kobe Bryant (Jan. 15, first meeting): James has obviously had the best of this rivalry in recent years, but Kobe still likes the big stage. He also knows he probably won't get too many more opportunities to face James in a matchup of the game's two most captivating stars.
6. The Clippers' first home game under Steve Ballmer (Oct. 30): The Donald Sterling era came to an end when Ballmer closed his purchase of the Clippers for $2 billion. After the Clippers ended their season with so much turmoil from Sterling's racist comments, the franchise will open their new era against the Oklahoma City Thunder – the same team that eliminated them from the playoffs – with a celebration. With a new stable and innovative ownership, a great coach and elite players, the Clippers finally have a completely bright future.
5. Kevin Love returns to Minneapolis (Jan. 31): T'wolves fans have dealt with this before when Kevin Garnett returned for the first time after being traded to Boston. But this situation is different: Unlike Garnett, Love demanded a trade. Love also never played in the postseason in six seasons with Minnesota – something that should change when he plays alongside LeBron James in Cleveland.
4. Derrick Rose's first game in Chicago (Oct. 31): Rose will play in front of his home fans on Saturday in Team USA's exhibition against Brazil, but his first real game back with the Bulls at the United Center will come against LeBron James and the Cavaliers on Oct. 31. His last regular-season NBA game in Chicago was on Nov. 18 against Charlotte. Facing James and the Cavs gives Rose, who missed almost all of last season with another knee injury, a strong early test. With Paul George sidelined for the season, the Bulls and Cavs are expected to be the top two contenders in the East.
3. Jason Kidd returns to Brooklyn (Nov. 19): Kidd returns to Brooklyn for the first time since he left to take the head-coaching job of the struggling Bucks. Brooklyn is known for having one of the testiest and most vocal crowds in the NBA. Expect Kidd, whose jersey is retired with the Nets as a player, to get an earful.
2. Kobe Bryant's first game back (Oct. 28): Bryant last played in a game on Dec. 17 at Memphis when he suffered a left knee fracture after recovering from a torn Achilles tendon. He turns 36 next month and returns with a former teammate as his new coach: Byron Scott. He also won't have Pau Gasol playing with him. Bryant is expected to be on the court when the Lakers open their season against the Houston Rockets on Oct. 28.
1. LeBron James goes back to South Beach (Dec. 25): James returns to play in Miami for the first time since he left the Heat to return to Cleveland. The emotions from Heat fans probably won't match James' first game in Cleveland after he left to go to Miami. But it will be interesting to see how Pat Riley, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and the Heat fans respond to the former star who brought two titles to South Beach.
Rob Manfred elected next MLB commissioner.
By RONALD BLUM (AP Sports Writer)
Rob Manfred was elected baseball's 10th commissioner Thursday, winning a three-man race to succeed Bud Selig and given a mandate by the tradition-bound sport to recapture young fans and speed play in an era that has seen competition increase and attention spans shrink.
The 55-year-old Manfred, who has worked for Major League Baseball in roles with ever-increasing authority since 1998, will take over from the 80-year-old Selig on Jan. 25. It's a generational change much like the NBA undertook when Adam Silver, then 51, replaced 71-year-old David Stern as commissioner in February. And like Silver, Manfred was his boss's pick.
Manfred beat out Boston Red Sox Chairman Tom Werner in the first contested vote for a new commissioner in 46 years. The third candidate, MLB Executive Vice President of Business Tim Brosnan, withdrew just before the start of balloting.
''I am tremendously honored by the confidence that the owners showed in me today,'' Manfred said. ''I have very big shoes to fill.''
Selig has led baseball since September 1992, first as chairman of the sport's executive council following Fay Vincent's forced resignation and as commissioner since July 1998. After announcing his intention to retire many times only to change his mind, he said last September that he really, truly planned to depart in January 2015.
One baseball executive who attended the meeting, speaking on condition of anonymity because details of the 4 1/2-hour session were not to be divulged, said Manfred was elected on approximately the sixth ballot. The initial vote was 20-10 for Manfred, three short of the required three-quarters majority.
His total increased to 21 on the second and 22 on the third. While teams put written ballots into envelopes, keeping their choices secret, from team official speeches it was evident that Tampa Bay's Stuart Sternberg and Milwaukee's Mark Attanasio likely switched, the person said.
Manfred's total dropped to 20, then increased back to 22 before a dinner break. He got the needed 23rd vote on the next, apparently from Washington. Owners then made the final vote unanimous. The person said it appeared Arizona, Boston, the Chicago White Sox, Cincinnati, the Los Angeles Angels, Oakland and Toronto had been the final holdouts.
''What I said to the owners when I came down after the vote is that I didn't really want to even think about who was on what side of what issue at points in the process,'' Manfred said, ''and that my commitment to the owners was that I would work extremely hard day in and day out to convince all 30 of them that they had made a great decision today.''
White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf and Toronto president Paul Beeston spoke out strongly against Manfred, the person said. Angels owner Arte Moreno joined Reinsdorf in leading Werner's support.
''While Rob may not have been my initial choice for commissioner, the conclusion of a very good process was to name Rob as the person best positioned to help baseball endure and grow even stronger for the next generation of fans,'' Reinsdorf said in a statement. ''Today's decision was reached by 30 owners voting separately but speaking, in the end, with one voice.''
Werner, who made his career as a television executive, was preferred by those who wanted an owner to follow Selig, who was the longtime head of the Milwaukee Brewers when he took over MLB.
''I think the last two days have been productive because we've been able to share a number of ideas about the game and how to improve it and modernize it,'' Werner said. ''I think that Rob agrees with many of the ideas that I espoused, and I am very confident that we are going to see some things, such as improved pace of play.''
Brosnan quit the race when it became apparent he likely had one vote: Cincinnati.
''I cared too much about the game and really wanted the process to be as efficient as it could be,'' he said.
Manfred started with baseball in the late 1980s as an outside counsel in labor negotiations and was hired by Selig as executive vice president for labor relations and human resources in 1998. He received an expanded role of executive vice president of economics and league affairs in 2012 and last September was promoted to chief operating officer, becoming the likely heir apparent to Selig.
Manfred helped lead negotiations for baseball's last three labor contracts and the first joint drug agreement that was instituted in 2002, a program that has been strengthened repeatedly.
''There is no doubt in my mind he has the training, the temperament, the experience to be a very successful commissioner,'' Selig said, ''and I have justifiably very high expectations.''
In the last contested election, in 1968-69, owners turned to their outside labor lawyer, Bowie Kuhn.
Manfred, whose term was not specified, grew up in Rome, New York - about an hour's drive from the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown. He must address issues that include decreased interest in baseball among young people and an average game time that has stretched to 3:03 - up 30 minutes from 1981.
And he will be leading an opinionated group of multimillionaires and billionaires.
''I think some of Rob's greatest attributes are his ability to reach consensus,'' said St. Louis owner Bill DeWitt Jr., who chaired the committee that picked the three candidates.
By DOUG FERGUSON (AP Golf Writer)
Tiger Woods removed himself from consideration for the Ryder Cup team Wednesday evening with a clear message that he is not healthy enough to play.
One day after U.S. captain Tom Watson said he trusted Woods to give him the ''straight skinny'' on the condition of his back injury and his game, Woods said he called the 64-year-old captain to say he would not be available.
The decision spares Watson from having to leave Woods off the team, and it eliminates a distraction over the next three weeks before Watson announces his three captain's picks for the Sept. 26-28 matches against Europe at Gleneagles.
''I have already spoken to Tom about the Ryder Cup, and while I greatly appreciate his thinking about me for a possible captain's pick, I took myself out of consideration,'' Woods said in a statement on his website. ''The U.S. team and the Ryder Cup mean too much to me not to be able to give it my best.''
That he was even under consideration was mildly surprising.
Woods' best finish this year was a tie for 25th because of nagging back issues at the start of the year that led him to have surgery on March 31. He missed two majors, including the Masters for the first time, and did not return for three months. In the four events he played upon his return, he missed the cut twice, withdrew during the final round at Firestone and finished 69th in the British Open for his worst 72-hole result in a major.
''My primary wish is for Tiger to be healthy and competitive, and I hope that he'll return to the game very soon,'' Watson said in a statement released by the PGA of America. ''Of course, I'm disappointed that Tiger Woods has asked not to be considered for the U.S. Ryder Cup team, and that his health is not where he would like it to be. However, I think we can all agree that we need Tiger Woods in this great sport, and he has taken the high road by informing me early on in the selection process.
''My focus will remain on identifying three players to join the U.S. team and give us the best chance for success at Gleneagles.''
''My focus will remain on identifying three players to join the U.S. team and give us the best chance for success at Gleneagles.''
Woods said his recent back trouble was not related to the impinged nerve that led to surgery.
He missed the cut by five shots at Valhalla, and he grimaced for the final three hours of the second round at the PGA Championship.
''I've been told by my doctors and trainer that my back muscles need to be rehabilitated and healed,'' Woods said. ''They've advised me not to play or practice now. I was fortunate that my recent back injury was not related to my surgery and was muscular only.''
Woods said he would not return until his World Challenge in Orlando, Florida, the first week of December.
That would mean he doesn't play the Frys.com Open or an exhibition in Argentina with Matt Kuchar scheduled for October. Woods was considering the Frys.com Open, a requirement for eight players who competed in an exhibition in Turkey two years ago.
Watson and Woods have never been close, and they only talked about his Ryder Cup situation for the first time a few weeks ago. Even so, Watson said all summer that he wanted Woods on the team provided he was healthy and playing well.
And while Woods was injured and not playing at all, Watson remained interested.
''I don't make this comment loosely. He is Tiger Woods and he brings a lot to the team - if he has the ability to play and he's healthy, ''Watson said Monday. ''He brings a lot to the team. And I'd be a fool not to consider him.''
Watson already has lost Dustin Johnson, who went 3-0 at Medinah in the last Ryder Cup, because he has taken a ''voluntary leave'' to face ''personal challenges.'' Jason Dufner, who went 3-1 in his Ryder Cup debut two years ago, has a neck injury and is out indefinitely. Dufner fell out of the top nine who automatically qualified.
Watson already has three rookies on his team - Jordan Spieth, Jimmy Walker and Patrick Reed - facing a European team that features Rory McIlroy and three other players from the top five in the world.
American players have three weeks to audition for Watson before he announces his picks Sept. 2 in New York.
This will be only the second Ryder Cup that Woods does not play. He missed the 2008 Ryder Cup at Valhalla while sitting out the second half of the season following reconstructive knee surgery. That was the last time the Americans won the Ryder Cup.
2014 Wyndham Championship: Camilo Villegas leads after opening-round 63.By Eric Stephen
Camilo Villegas shot a 7-under 63 to grab the first-round lead at the Wyndham Championship on Thursday at Sedgefield Country Club in Greensboro, N.C.
Villegas had five birdies in the opening round but the highlight of his day was an eagle on the par-5 fifth hole. Villegas hasn't won a tournament since 2010, and in 2014 hasn't yet finished in the top 10. He has two top-25 finishes this season, and in the last month the only tournament he played in was the Canadian Open, where he withdrew after one round.
He owns a one-shot lead over William McGirt and Webb Simpson, each of whom shot 64 on Thursday but in very different ways.
Simpson got off to a quick start with birdies on each of his first four holes, and would have shared the first-round lead with Villegas if not for missing a three-foot putt on the par-4 17th hole for a bogey. McGirt, however, bogeyed two of the first three holes, then steadily worked his way back, buoyed by five birdies on the back nine.
Here is a look at Thursday's leaderboard after one round.| 2014 Wyndham Championship | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | Player | Round 1 | To Par |
| 1 | Camilo Villegas | 63 | -7 |
| T2 | William McGirt | 64 | -6 |
| T2 | Webb Simpson | 64 | -6 |
| T4 | Scott Langley | 65 | -5 |
| T4 | Martin Laird | 65 | -5 |
| T4 | Paul Casey | 65 | -5 |
| T4 | Heath Slocum | 65 | -5 |
| T4 | Andrew Loupe | 65 | -5 |
| T9 | Ryuji Imada | 66 | -4 |
| T9 | J.J. Henry | 66 | -4 |
| T9 | Johnson Wagner | 66 | -4 |
| T9 | Ricky Barnes | 66 | -4 |
| T9 | Brian Stuard | 66 | -4 |
| T9 | Steve Marino | 66 | -4 |
| T9 | Mike Weir | 66 | -4 |
| T9 | Steven Bowditch | 66 | -4 |
| T9 | Robin Allenby | 66 | -4 |
| T9 | Tommy Gainey | 66 | -4 |
Tiger Woods Just Walked Away From At Least $8 Million.
By Cork Gaines
Tiger Woods announced that he has withdrawn his name from consideration for the U.S. Ryder Cup team. In addition to costing Woods a shot to represent the United States he will also be forced to stop playing golf during a very lucrative part of his golf calendar.
Woods announced that he will not return to competitive golf until his World Challenge in Orlando, Florida, early in December.
That means Woods will also miss the America’s Golf Cup in Argentina as well as at least two corporate exhibitions in Asia.
Woods was scheduled to partner with Matt Kuchar for the inaugural team event in Argentina.
A spokesman claimed that Woods would not receive an appearance fee for the event since it is being operated by the PGA Tour Latinoamérica. However, Bob Harig of ESPN.com reported that Woods was expected to receive "a hefty appearance fee," while Ewan Murray of The Guardian suggested Woods would have received $4 million for showing up.
It is unclear how many corporate exhibitions Woods was scheduled to play in. Woods' agent, Mark Steinberg confirmed to ESPN.com that there were multiple events.
Woods' recent history suggests he would have been paid at least $2 million for each corporate event.
Woods received $2 million to take part in a similar exhibition match in China last fall. Woods also received $3 million for participating in the Turkish Airlines Open around the same time.
That means Woods is walking out on at least $8 million with $4 million for playing in Argentina and $4 million for two corporate events. That number goes even higher if there were more than two corporate events.
That's a hefty pricetag for a sore back.
AFP
Tony Stewart will skip Sunday's NASCAR race in Michigan as a probe continues in the incident in which his car struck and killed a fellow driver in a dirt track race.
Stewart-Haas racing announced on Thursday that their star driver would not race in the upcoming event at Michigan International Speedway.
The team said Jeff Burton will drive instead, but the change only pertains to the upcoming race, leaving the door open for Stewart to return to NASCAR's top flight series this season.
Authorities in New York state said this week they expected their investigation into the death of 20-year-old racing driver Kevin Ward Jr to continue for at least two more weeks.
Race Team Alliance expands to 18 teams.
By The Associated Press
Nine more organizations have joined the Race Team Alliance to tackle issues facing NASCAR.
The top nine teams had for the first time formed a single entity to collaborate on initiatives that could help them cut costs and communicate with one voice to NASCAR.
The teams added Wednesday are: BK Racing, Circle Sport, Front Row, Germain Racing, Go Green/FAS Lane, HScott Motorsports, JTG Racing, Phil Parsons Racing and Tommy Baldwin Racing.
The RTA already includes Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates, Hendrick Motorsports, Joe Gibbs Racing, Michael Waltrip Racing, Richard Childress Racing, Richard Petty Motor Sports, Roush Fenway Racing, Stewart-Haas Racing and Team Penske.
The RTA now includes 18 teams and 37 full-time entries.
The Race Team Alliance was announced in July, and Michael Waltrip Racing co-owner Rob Kauffman was elected chairman.
Only 5 Teams Have A Legit Shot To Win The Premier League This Season.By Cork Gaines
The English Premier League returns this week but for 15 of the 20 teams the season may already be over.
Bloomberg Sports has released its 2014-15 projections for all teams in the Premier League. If we consider 5% as the cutoff for clubs to have any realistic shot, only five teams have a shot at finishing on top of the table, with Manchester City (38.7% to finish first) and Chelsea (38.4%) as the overwhelming favorites.
Meanwhile, seven clubs have at least a 10% chance to finish in the top four and qualify for the Champions League, including Everton (13.1%), led by American goalkeeper Tim Howard. The other 13 teams all have at least an 8.6% of finishing in the bottom three and being relegated out of the Premier League.
Businessinsider.com
The projections are "uniquely data-driven and take into account numerous years of performance for each club, supplemented by the additional value that each club gained from the transfer window."
SEC's shootout days could ground to a halt in 2014.
By Pat Forde
The Southeastern Conference's brief identity crisis may be over.
For the past two seasons – and especially in 2013 – a league built on fast and ferocious defense played touch football. Offenses ruled like never before. Scoreboards exploded. Shootouts proliferated.
Fans raised on 17-14 slobberknockers weren't quite sure how to react. Pat Dye surely thought the end of democracy was at hand. Bear Bryant must have gone through three packs of Chesterfields in Gridiron Heaven watching Alabama surrender 42 to Texas A&M and 34 to Auburn.
This is a conference that has produced the national statistical champion in scoring defense 21 times (including five times this century) and in scoring offense only twice (last time in 1996). Yet with a plethora of talented and experienced quarterbacks, a greater embrace of hurry-up offense and a lot of vulnerable defenses, the formerly rock-ribbed SEC closely resembled the Big 12.
Last year SEC teams averaged more points per game (31.7) and more yards per game (432.5) than at any time since at least 1992, when the conference expanded to 12 teams. SEC defenses also allowed the most points (24.8) and yards (379.8) since '92. (Interestingly in a pass-first era, there also were the most rushing yards produced and allowed in 2013, but not the most passing yards produced and allowed. That happened in 2001.)
Texas A&M's defense allowed the most yards in school history. Georgia's surrendered the most points per game in school history. Traditional powers Alabama, LSU and Florida had their weakest defenses in several years.
Now it is time for the SEC to return to its defensive roots. Perhaps less by choice than by necessity.
The offensive turnover is dramatic. The conference lost its top five quarterbacks in pass efficiency, top five receivers in yards per game and top two running backs in yards per game. Among the departed are a Heisman Trophy winner (Johnny Manziel), two Heisman finalists (AJ McCarron and Tre Mason), the SEC's all-time passing leader (Aaron Murray) and four top-12 NFL draft picks from the offensive side (linemen Greg Robinson and Jake Matthews, receivers Mike Evans and Odell Beckham).
Exactly one quarterback who threw for more than 2,000 yards in 2013 (Mississippi's Bo Wallace) returns in '14. There are zero returning 1,000-yard receivers. There are some excellent running backs, but the overall lack of returning skill-position star power is noteworthy.
"Some guys are going to have a chance to make a name for themselves," said Georgia coach Mark Richt.
The opportunities are out there. For Jacob Coker, the untested probable starting quarterback at Alabama (for all of Nick Saban's incredible recruiting, quarterback has been an exception). For Hutson Mason at Georgia, finally getting the QB job full-time as a fifth-year senior. For Dylan Thompson, a backup no longer at South Carolina, and Jeff Driskel, healthy and in a user-friendly offense at Florida. For whoever emerges in the quarterback battles among inexperienced candidates at A&M, LSU, Kentucky and Vanderbilt.
"It's an unknown quantity of guys," Richt said. "You don't know exactly what's going to happen with these guys. I wouldn't say that the quarterback play is going to be down. We'll just have to wait and see."
While we're waiting to see, expect a lot of handoffs. This could be a highly conservative league once again. Six of the seven SEC teams ranked in the USA Today preseason top 25 would seemingly feel better about their running game than their passing game at present, and that's undoubtedly true of several unranked SEC teams as well.
So if you're scouring for Heisman candidates from the SEC, start with the runners: Todd Gurley from Georgia; Mike Davis from South Carolina; T.J. Yeldon and a cast of thousands at Alabama; maybe even hotshot LSU freshman Leonard Fournette, if he can get enough carries while sharing time with two veteran teammates. That extends to running quarterbacks like Nick Marshall at Auburn and Dak Prescott at Mississippi State. There doesn't figure to be a lot of 40-pass-attempt games for SEC QBs this year.
Coaches love playmakers at quarterback, but they love non-mistake-makers even more. This was the stat quoted by Florida coach Will Muschamp earlier this month: "My three years at Florida, we've been 19-3 when we won or tied the turnover margin. We've been 3-13 when we've lost the turnover margin."
In an effort to win turnover margin, expect a very conservative September in a lot of SEC locales. Until coaches know they can trust their young quarterbacks, they're not going to place the weight of the world on their shoulder pads.
"I think every quarterback has to go through sort of a process of development because three things that are critical factors to me at quarterback," Alabama's Nick Saban said. "Decision making and judgment is a critical factor, accuracy with the ball is a critical factor, and leadership is a critical factor. Two out of three of those things are a little bit innate in terms of a guy understanding a system, feeling confident in application of that system so they can make good choices and decisions, can lead, can be accurate, to enhance the players around him. That's the challenge with a young quarterback.
"How long is it going to take that guy to go through that process? How long is it going to take him to where he can do those things effectively and gain the respect of his teammates and have an effect on them so that you play well together as a unit? I think that's the biggest challenge. …The development of that position, regardless of who the player is, is going to be critical to the success of our team."
Saban speaks for much of the SEC when he says that. This will be a more cautious, defense-first conference in 2014 – which is to say, a return to what made the league great in the first place.
NCAA, major conferences seek delay to scholarship lawsuits.
By Jon Solomon
The NCAA, Pac-12, Big Ten, Big 12, SEC and ACC are asking for an extension to respond to the Shawne Alston and Martin Jenkins antitrust scholarship lawsuits.
In a filing late Wednesday night, the NCAA and the five major conferences cited the recent Ed O'Bannon ruling before the same judge as the reason they need at least 30 days to respond. The NCAA and the conferences “have been reviewing the Court's ruling in that (O'Bannon) action to assess its possible impact on the allegations and claims -- as well as the Defendants' anticipated joint motion to dismiss such claims -- in this action,” according to the filing by a Pac-12 attorney.
The Alston and Jenkins cases allege the NCAA and many of its conferences illegally cap the value of scholarships. The cases are consolidated in pre-trial before U.S. District Judge Claudia Wilken, who ruled in the O'Bannon case last week the NCAA can cap the amount of new compensation FBS football and Division I men's basketball players receive while in school but it cannot be less than their cost of attending college.
The NCAA's current athletic scholarship value is less than the cost-of-attendance amount listed by schools when they add in incidental costs and travel expenses. The NCAA Division I board granted the Power 5 conferences autonomy last week to create some of their own new rules, and cost of attendance is the first agenda item for the conferences.
The damages in the Alston case could be hundreds of millions of dollars if the plaintiffs win. Until the NCAA and conferences change the facts on the ground, the potential damages will continue to increase. The Jenkins lawsuit brought by attorney Jeffrey Kessler is the next major challenge to the NCAA moving forward because it seeks a free market for college athletes beyond cost of attendance or the right to some licensing money, as the O'Bannon plaintiffs won in court last week pending appeal.
The NCAA and the conferences had been scheduled to respond to the Alston and Kessler cases by Aug. 20. Because the O'Bannon ruling is “lengthy and detailed” and was issued less than 10 business days prior to the deadline in the scholarship case, the NCAA and the conferences want until Sept 19 to respond.
The filing shows lawyers for the scholarship plaintiffs oppose an extension of time.
“Speaking for the Jenkins plaintiffs, we do not intend to file an amendment to the complaint in response to the O'Bannon ruling,” Kessler wrote in an email to Pac-12 attorney Scott Cooper. “We also do not believe a continuance is necessary, and given our objective to expedite the proceedings in our case as much as possible, we don't feel it appropriate to agree to an extension.”
Steve Berman, the co-lead counsel for the Alston plaintiffs, wrote in an email that his side doesn't “intend to amend and don't agree to an extension.”
The NCAA and the conferences state in the court filing that they “not only have to assess the O'Bannon decision for themselves, but they also have to cooperate and collaborate with all of the other Defendants in an effort to develop a common understanding of the O'Bannon decision and a common approach if they are to be able to file a joint motion to dismiss and supporting papers” as ordered by Wilken on June 18. The other five FBS conferences and the Atlantic Sun are also defendants in the Alston suit.
Later Wednesday, Berman filed a motion opposing the extension, arguing that the request for a delay is not supported by evidence and would prejudice active players.
"The Plaintiffs and Class Members, many of whom are as young as 17 or 18 years old, stand in stark contrast to the extremely well-heeled Defendants," Berman wrote. "Compensation via this case is expected is expected to be extremely meaningful and impactful to them. In fact, Defendants have repeatedly stressed the urgency of getting financial resources to Class members."
DeMarcus Cousins injures knee in Team USA's first practice after losing Paul George.
By Marc J. Spears
Near the end of their first practice together since Paul George broke his leg, Team USA players nervously watched another player go down.
Cousins injured his right knee after tangling with two other players while trying to get to a loose ball during USA Basketball's practice in preparation for the upcoming World Cup on Thursday. An MRI revealed no structural damage, and USA Basketball officials listed Cousins as day to day. Cousins didn't speak with reporters, but walked out of the Quest Multisport Complex without aid.
"I talked to him on the way out. I think he will be OK," said Kings forward Rudy Gay, who was added to the U.S. pool of players last week. "I hope he is just being a drama queen. …I think he will be fine.
"I've never seen him go down and stay down. I think in the back of his head … everybody is thinking about what happened before [with George]. I think he will be OK."
U.S. coach Mike Krzyzewski did not rule out Cousins playing in Saturday's exhibition game against Brazil, although USA Basketball managing director Colangelo expressed doubts. Colangelo said the doctors and trainers were cautiously optimistic Cousins will be fine, but recommended an MRI to be completely sure.
"He said that he was a little scared after you go down after that prior [George] injury," Colangelo said.
George suffered a broken leg during an intra-squad scrimmage on Aug. 1, raising questions about whether NBA stars should participate in the tournament. Kevin Durant, the 2014 NBA MVP, withdrew from the World Cup team last week, citing fatigue and his offseason demands. Gay, who was motivated to play in part to win the World Cup in George's honor, replaced Durant.
George will have his first news conference since suffering the injury on Friday in Indianapolis.
Colangelo said U.S. players will wear a patch on their shooting shirts in George's honor during their remaining exhibition games, but FIBA will not allow the patch when World Cup play in Spain begins on Aug. 30.
Krzyzewski said the remaining roster players are committed to playing in the tournament. Colangelo added that he talked to the U.S. players about George's injury during a team meeting on Thursday morning.
George "is expected to make 100 percent recovery. Everything is well there," Colangelo said.
Guard Kyrie Irving is a member of a remodeled Cleveland Cavaliers team that now has championship aspirations after the addition of LeBron James and the forthcoming trade for Kevin Love. George's injury didn't cause Irving to think twice about playing for Team USA.
"I feel like the best should represent the country and that is who is picked as well," Irving said. "It's a dream come true for all of us. I can't turn down this opportunity to represent this country and play against the best in the world.
"It's something I've been looking forward to since I was a kid. The P.G. injury was unfortunate. But this is bigger than all of us. We're representing millions of people."
Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban has been the most adamant NBA owner against players taking part in FIBA competitions, saying there isn't financial incentive for the owners to risk the players' health. The U.S. roster currently includes forward Chandler Parsons, who signed a three-year, $45 million contract this offseason with the Mavericks. Parsons said Cuban has not tried to stop him from playing.
"I obviously talked to [Cuban] and I talked to Paul," Parsons said. "At the end of the day, it's up to me. It's my decision. To play for this team is a huge honor for me. To make it would be a huge accomplishment. I think I can help them win the gold medal.
"It's a freak accident that you can't really think about. It can happen on any given play."
On This Date in Sports History: Today is Friday, August 15, 2014.
MemoriesofHistory.com
1970 - Mrs. Pat Palinkas became the first woman to ‘play’ in a pro football game when she held the ball for the Orlando, FL, Panthers.
1984 - Pete Rose returned to become player and manager of the Cincinnati Reds. He had been away from his hometown for six years. Rose had been in Philadelphia and Montreal.
1990 - Mark McGwire hit a grand slam in the 10th inning to become the first major league player to hit 30 or more homers in his first four seasons. The Oakland Athletics beat the Boston Red Sox 6-2.
1993 - Nolan Ryan got his 324th and final victory. The Texas Rangers beat the Indians 4-1.
1997 - Dan Wilson hit the 3,000th Seattle Mariners homerun.
1997 - The Los Angeles Dodgers retired Tommy Lasorda's #2.
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