CS&T/AllsportsAmerica Friday Sports News Update and What's Your Take? 11/07/2014.

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“Make a pact with yourself today to not be defined by your past. Sometimes the greatest thing to come out of all your hard work isn't what you get for it, but what you become for it. Shake things up today! Be You... Be Free... Share.” ~ Steve Maraboli, Speaker, Author, Behavioral Science Academic and Philanthropist 

Bear Down Chicago Bears!!! Bears-Packers Preview.

By ALAN FERGUSON (STATS Writer)

Green Bay got a chance to refocus after ending a four-game win streak and Aaron Rodgers had an opportunity to heal an ailing hamstring, but the Packers might be missing a pair of offensive lineman in their return from the bye week.

The rival Chicago Bears also got a week off but it remains to be seen if that was enough time to solve their woes.

While hoping to have guards Josh Sitton and T.J. Lang available, the Packers try to extend their dominance over the Bears while sending them to a fifth loss in six games Sunday night.

Rodgers threw for a season-high 418 yards while playing with his injury in a 44-23 loss in New Orleans on Oct. 26 but had two interceptions. He hadn't been picked off since a season-opening loss in Seattle.

Sitton said he might have torn a ligament in his left big toe in the second half but played through it. Lang was taken off the field with a left ankle injury, and his status is also unclear for Sunday.

"The best offensive lines in my opinion are the ones that play week in and week out. The timing, the communication, particularly the non-verbal communication, happens so fast at the line of scrimmage, so it's definitely a big part of the flow of your offense,'' said coach Mike McCarthy, who recently signed a multiyear contract extension.

Helping keep McCarthy with Green Bay (5-3) is an 8-1 record in the last nine meetings with Chicago, which includes the NFC championship game following the 2010 season. The Packers scored 24 unanswered points for a 38-17 road win over the Bears on Sept. 28, with Rodgers throwing three of his season-high four touchdowns passes during that spurt. Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb each had 100-yard receiving days with two touchdowns apiece.

Rodgers has 18 TDs and four interceptions in his last seven matchups but only got to throw two passes in the most recent visit from Chicago, a 27-20 loss Nov. 4, 2013. He broke his left collarbone on a sack from Shea McClellin and didn't return until leading the Packers to a 33-28 victory at Chicago on Dec. 29 that gave them the NFC North title over the Bears.

He'll face a Bears team that so far looks like it won't even challenge for a playoff berth this year.

Chicago (3-5) was blasted 51-23 in New England before the bye week to continue a slump that began with the loss to Green Bay. Jay Cutler connected on three touchdowns against the Patriots - two after the Bears trailed 45-7 - but committed another two turnovers. He has 12 of the Bears' 15 turnovers, including nine of their 11 during the 1-4 stretch.

Cutler had two interceptions in the loss to Green Bay, both of which led to second-half touchdowns. Cutler is 1-9 all-time against the Packers in the regular season with 19 interceptions and 13 TDs.

His 11 interceptions against Minnesota are his second-most versus any opponent.

Cutler's turnovers are just one of the issues for Chicago second-year coach Marc Trestman. The Bears have given up a league-worst 32.0 points per game in their last five contests and are tied with Atlanta for the highest passing yards allowed per attempt at 8.71.

"We will not quit on the season. We will not quit on ourselves. We're not going to quit on each other," general manager Phil Emery said. "We feel, without question, we built a work ethic, a system of doing things in this building is in place to have the consistency we need to win. We're disappointed because we haven't done that."

Chicago could get some help with veteran linebacker Lance Briggs expected to end a three-game absence because of a rib injury. Cornerback and first-round draft pick Kyle Fuller, who is dealing with three injuries including a broken hand, practiced this week, and Chris Conte could be available after dealing with a concussion and shoulder sprains.

The Bears won't have defensive end Lamarr Houston for the rest of the season after he ruptured a knee ligament while celebrating a sack of Patriots backup quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo. However, Jared Allen is expected to play after missing the prior one with an illness. Starting guard Matt Slauson is also done for 2014 with a torn pectoral muscle.

Facing a Green Bay defense that is allowing a league-worst 153.5 rushing yards a game, the Bears will try establish a running attack.

Matt Forte, who has 562 rushing yards and is second in the league with 58 receptions for 490 yards, had a season-high 122 yards on 23 carries and five catches for 49 against Green Bay in September.

Forte has averaged 119.0 rushing yards in his last three matchups with the Packers and 169.0 total yards.

Bears may 'move' Cutler but unclear whether it matters.

By John Mullin

Coach Marc Trestman acknowledged that after intense self-scouting during the week off following the loss to the New England Patriots that the Bears will consider moving Jay Cutler around as part of an effort to improve quarterback performance.

The bigger issue to reasonably address, if it is addressable, is whether it will matter. The problem is not the points from which footballs leave Cutler’s hand, but where they end up.

“I think [rolling Cutler out and using his mobility by design] has a residual effect on a lot of different things – on the pass rush, on the passing spot, on how it applies to your run game,” Trestman said. “Because a lot of times when you’re moving the pocket, it’s relative to a play-action fake or movement of some kind where you’re faking a run and you’re moving outside the pocket. So there’s a residual effect on pass rush and in the run game when you can do those kinds of things.”

But Cutler has turned the ball over 12 times (eight interceptions, four fumbles) through eight games. He is having the best statistical year of his career (95.8 passer rating) and even one of his better ball-security years (2.7-percent interception rate) but the measure of Cutler is not vs. himself, but rather is it good enough to win.

Of the top 20 passers in the NFL, only three – Cutler, Eli Manning (New York Giants), Matt Ryan (Atlanta Falcons) – have losing records. Cutler is tied with San Diego Chargers' Philip Rivers with the highest interception percentage among the 20.

Indianapolis Colts' Andrew Luck has thrown one more interception (nine) than Cutler but has thrown 100 more passes.

The needed change for a reversal of the Bears’ season fortunes depends on improving the landing point of Cutler footballs, not their launching point.

League unveils full slate of London games. (Look out London, Here the NFL comes again in 2015).

By Mike Florio
                                                         

(AP Image)

For the second straight year, the NFL will send three of 256 regular-season games to London.  It’s not yet known whether one of those three games will start at 9:30 a.m. ET.

The Dolphins host the Jets on October 4, the Jaguars host the Bills on October 25, and the Chiefs host the Lions on November 1.  Per the league’s press release, times will be announced at a later date.

“We are very appreciative of the outstanding support from our fans in the UK, not only for the games at Wembley, but for all of the related NFL events we have hosted throughout the city,” NFL Executive Vice President of International Mark Waller said.  “We believe we have a great 2015 schedule that will continue to attract new fans to our sport and strengthen the bonds with our existing fans. To provide UK fans the opportunity to see games on consecutive weekends, to see new teams, and to attend a division game, which feature some of the most passionate rivalries in our sport, are signs of the growth and depth of our UK fan base.”

The release from the Chiefs hints that their game could be dubbed for the early Sunday morning time slot, since the Chiefs say that the contest will be televised “locally and nationally on FOX.”  If the game starts at 1:00 p.m. ET, it wouldn’t be broadcast nationally.

Briggs says he's likely in final season with Bears.

By ANDREW SELIGMAN

Chicago Bears' Lance Briggs warms-up before a preseason NFL football game against the Seattle Seahawks in Seattle. Lance Briggs figures his time with the Chicago Bears is coming to an end. He's not sure if his career is, too. A week shy of 34 and with his contract set to expire, Briggs acknowledges his 12-year run with the Bears will likely end this season, Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2014. (AP Photo/Stephen Brashear, File)

Lance Briggs figures his time with the Chicago Bears is coming to an end. He's not sure if his career is, too.

A week shy of 34 and with his contract set to expire, Briggs acknowledged his 12-year run with the Bears will likely end this season.

''It's the last year of my deal,'' he said. ''It's not like I'm going to magically show up after this year and they're going to open the gates up for you. I've talked to my buddy (former Bear) Alex Brown - those gates are closing - you're a free agent. I know the reality of it and I'm proud of all the years I've had here. It's been great. I couldn't have asked for a better situation.''
 

If he's not back with the Bears, will he play for another team?
 

''I don't know,'' he said - four times.
 

Briggs realizes it might not be his choice.
 

 ''Somebody's got to want you first and then you go from there,'' he said.

The seven-time Pro Bowl linebacker expects to return against Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers this week after missing the past three games with a rib injury. The Bears are 3-5 and trying to remain in playoff contention after dropping four of five before their bye.

No matter what happens the rest of the way, changes could be in store.

An offense that ranked among the best in club history in its first season under coach Marc Trestman last year is underachieving, even though all its starters returned. A rebuilt defense isn't performing, and a season that began with high hopes appears to be slipping away.

The past two games have been particularly ugly, with receiver Brandon Marshall overheard yelling in the locker room after a loss at home to Miami, and Tom Brady then shredding Chicago in a rout at New England.

But it's not like the defense was performing the way the Bears envisioned before the Patriots game. Whether it's poor execution or poor strategy, it's been a struggle all season for Chicago. Poor health hasn't helped, either.

The Bears lost defensive end Lamarr Houston to a season-ending knee injury sustained while celebrating a late sack against a backup quarterback in the closing minutes against New England. That was just the latest blow for a team that lost cornerback Charles Tillman to a torn right triceps in September and has been forced to get by at times without other key players.

Rib and shoulder injuries have kept Briggs out of 10 games the past two seasons after he missed only four in his first 10 years. The time off hasn't been easy for him.
 

''Shoot, I don't know what to do with myself sometimes,'' he said. ''Sometimes, I sit in meetings while coaches are talking and sometimes the words kind of just faze out and I'm staring at the screen. The only thing I can tell is the time, and I'll look up at the screen and be like, 'Dang, still got 55 minutes left.' It's just been different man, just different. More coaching.''

But he intends to be in the lineup this week, trying to contain Rodgers.

That's something the Bears were unable to do in late September at Soldier Field.

Green Bay scored on its first six possessions and intercepted Jay Cutler twice in the third quarter to pull away for a 38-17 victory.

This time, Briggs could be making his final trip to Lambeau Field.

''I understand this is probably my last year as a Chicago Bear, and this could be the last time I play the Packers,'' Briggs said. ''But for me ... I really do enjoy my teammates, and it's been unfortunate to watch from the sidelines because I want to see them find success, you know, and any Bear making a play is always a good thing.''

NOTE: WR Marquess Wilson practiced Wednesday for the first time since he broke his collarbone on Aug. 24, starting the clock on a 21-day window to add him to the active roster. Trestman would not say if Wilson will play this week. ''We're just going to go one day at a time on this and make sure that he's in the physical kind of condition he needs to be in,'' Trestman said.

How 'bout them Chicago Blackhawks? Capitals-Blackhawks Preview.

By JEFF BARTL (STATS Senior Writer)

A much-needed offensive outburst provided a sense of relief for the Chicago Blackhawks - right up until they received news that one of their top contributors will miss an extended period.

Chicago begins a long stretch without Patrick Sharp on Friday night as it looks to deal the visiting Washington Capitals a sixth straight defeat.

The Blackhawks (7-5-1) lead the NHL in shots on goal by a wide margin, but their 6.49 shooting percentage ranks among the worst in the league. They were held to fewer than three goals six times during a 2-5-0 stretch before busting out of their slump with a 5-0 victory at Montreal on Tuesday.

Jonathan Toews scored the 200th goal of his career and added an assist. Kris Versteeg, Brad Richards, Marcus Kruger and Patrick Kane also scored.

''There's nothing that's been ailing us,'' said Corey Crawford, who made 28 saves for his 11th career shutout. ''We've been playing good hockey and creating chances. We just weren't getting the bounces."

Putting a damper on the victory, though, was Sharp being helped off the ice in the third period after taking a legal hit into the boards. Coach Joel Quenneville told the team's official Twitter account that Sharp, tied for second on the club with nine points, will be out three to four weeks.

"It's never easy, but we've been through it before," Toews said. "It's unfortunate. He's always a big part of our offense and he's been really great in getting shots off and creating on the power play.

"In a way (it's) an opportunity for some other guys to get more ice time, and I think guys will try and step in and make up for that as much as they can. But as a team we have to be prepared to fill that void."

Peter Regin has been recalled from the AHL to replace Sharp, forcing Quenneville to again tinker with his line combinations. Toews fed Kane on his highlight-reel goal against Montreal in a rare opportunity to play together at even strength.

They skated together again, along with Ben Smith, on the top line during Thursday's practice.

"They make some nice plays together, and I think they were probably excited once they got back together and it worked out," defenseman Duncan Keith said of Toews and Kane.

While the Blackhawks have had trouble putting pucks in the net, the Capitals (4-5-3) have had issues keeping them out of their own. They've allowed at least four goals each time during an 0-4-1 stretch, falling 4-3 in overtime to Calgary on Tuesday.

"We're in the process of building a team, and we're going to go through some rough patches," coach Barry Trotz said. "How we react during those rough patches will say a lot about us. (If) we stay with it we'll get stronger and on the other end we'll be a lot better for it."

Alex Ovechkin had two assists to give him 827 career points, breaking Peter Bondra's team record. His turnover in overtime led the Flames' winning goal, though.

Braden Holtby suffered his third straight loss against Calgary, and it's unclear if he or Justin Peters will be in goal with the Capitals hosting Carolina on Saturday.
 

Crawford, whose 1.53 goals-against average is among the best in the league, was pulled after two periods of a 4-0 loss to Washington on April 11 as the clubs split last season's series.
 

Trotz said center Brooks Laich could play after missing the last seven with a shoulder injury.

Crawford's shutout latest display of Blackhawks' goalie depth.

By Tracey Myers

Chicago Blackhawks Goalies

    

Corey Crawford #50, (Jonathan Daniel/Getty)

        

 

Antti Ranta # 31, (USA Today Sports/Jerome Miron)

Scott Darling #33, (Getty Images)

Corey Crawford’s smile showed through his mask on Tuesday night.

The Blackhawks goaltender, on the losing end of some tough games in Montreal previously, got the 11th shutout of his career in his hometown. He’s picked up right where he left off before he suffered the upper-body injury that sidelined him nearly two weeks.

But whether it’s been Crawford or Antti Raanta or Scott Darling, the Blackhawks have been confident in their goaltending throughout this early season. It’s for good reason; thanks to that goaltending, the Blackhawks have been in every game this season.

The Blackhawks are enjoying a bounty at goaltending right now. Leading the way is Crawford; entering Wednesday night’s games, his 1.53 goals-against average is second best in the NHL (his .938 save percentage is sixth best). Backup Antti Raanta sports a 2.03 GAA and .933 save percentage, and Scott Darling, who came up when Crawford was out with an upper-body injury, has a 1.98 GAA and .933 save percentage.

“Our goaltending through 13 games has been great,” coach Joel Quenneville said following the Blackhawks’ 5-0 victory against the Canadiens. “We’re very happy with it.”

Crawford was strong against Montreal, especially early. The Canadiens, who allowed the first goal in 10 of their 12 games entering Tuesday’s contest, were determined to avoid that in game No. 13. They peppered Crawford with 11 of their 28 total shots in that first period, including some high-quality opportunities.

“The first period wasn’t a great start. We weren’t awful, but we take a penalty and Crow had to make some big saves to keep the game level. We got our feet under us, handled the speed, got that first goal,” Brad Richards said. “He made those big saves to keep us at 0-0 where, if they get momentum in this building, it could be a whole different story.”

The Blackhawks have had good depth at forward and defense the past few seasons. Goaltending was another story, until this season. Their goaltending has kept them in striking distance, saved them or helped them hold leads. It’s been a good thing.

Patrick Sharp to miss 3-4 weeks with lower-body injury.

By Sean Leahy

Chicago Blackhawks Patrick Sharp #10 (Photo by Bill Smith/NHLI via Getty Images)

As soon as Patrick Sharp took a hit in the corner from Alexei Emelin he knew something was wrong. The Chicago Blackhawks forward fell to the ice, favoring his right leg while attempting to get up on his skates.

Joel Quenneville's prognosis after Chicago's 5-0 shutout of Montreal Tuesday night was that Sharp would be "out for a bit."  After Thursday's morning skate, he announced that the definition of "out for a bit" will be 3-4 weeks.

Peter Regin has been recalled, and the second line now features Brandon Saad, Andrew Shaw and Marian Hossa, according to Mark Lazerus. Brad Richards will slot into Sharp's spot on the top power play unit.

Just Another Chicago Bulls Session… Bulls-76ers Preview. 

By TAYLOR BECHTOLD (STATS Writer)

The Chicago Bulls are off to their best road start since their championship years, but there continues to be doubt surrounding their star point guard's availability on a nightly basis.

Derrick Rose's status is uncertain again, though the Bulls could have Joakim Noah back Friday night as they seek their ninth win in 10 meetings with the woeful Philadelphia 76ers.

Rose sat out the previous two games with two sprained ankles before finishing with 13 points and seven assists in Wednesday's 95-86 win at Milwaukee.

However, he reportedly aggravated the injuries in the second quarter. He's hoping to be play against the 76ers (0-5), but the Bulls are being cautious.

''I was trying to play,'' Rose said Wednesday. ''Of course I wasn't 100 percent. But I felt like we needed this win, and just tried to come out here and do anything it takes to get this win with my teammates.''

Chicago (4-1) has won both games without Rose this season and 10 of the last 12 such contests.

Even if Rose plays, the Bulls may be best served getting the ball to Pau Gasol and Taj Gibson as they look to start 4-0 on the road for the first time since winning their first six in 1996-97.

Gasol had season highs of 22 points and 14 boards Wednesday and has averaged 21.0 points and 59.5 percent shooting in three road contests. Gibson scored 23 with 10 boards against the Bucks and has totaled 45 and 18 in two road games.

Noah has missed the past two contests with flu-like symptoms, and he's expected to be a game-time decision against a Philadelphia team that has a minus-9.6 rebounding margin - worst in the league.

The center has averaged 18.2 points and 11.8 rebounds in his last six meetings.

Philadelphia came up just short of its first victory Wednesday when Tobias Harris hit a jumper at the buzzer to give previously winless Orlando a 91-89 road victory.

The 76ers haven't opened with six straight defeats since 1972-73, when they lost their first 15 en route to the worst mark in league history for an 82-game season at 9-73.

''It highlights to our young guys there is no margin for error,'' said coach Brett Brown, whose club takes on Toronto, Dallas, Houston and San Antonio after playing the Bulls.

Tony Wroten finished with 27 points and Brandon Davies had 20 Wednesday, giving the 76ers two 20-point scorers for the first time. Wroten is averaging a career-high 20.8 points and 7.0 assists, while Davies has scored 17.0 per game in his last three.

Philadelphia, however, has gotten little production from anyone else, averaging 90.0 points after finishing last in scoring (93.2) for the first time in franchise history in 2013-14. That doesn't bode well heading into a matchup with the Bulls, who have held opponents to a league-low 40.1 field-goal percentage.

Rookie Nerlens Noel isn't expected to play after leaving Wednesday's game with a sprained left ankle.

The 76ers dropped three of four in last season's series.

Bulls earn gutsy 95-86 win over Bucks, improve to 4-1. (Wednesday night's game, 11/05/2014).

By Mike Singer

Gasol #16, finished with 22 points and 14 rebounds, while Gibson scored 23 to go with 10 boards. (Gary Dineen/NBAE/Getty Images)   

Even though Derrick Rose returned, the Bulls were far from healthy in Wednesday’s gutsy 95-86 win over Milwaukee.

Without Joakim Noah for the second consecutive night due to illness, it was the Bulls’ frontcourt depth that, again, shined in his absence to improve to 4-1 overall and drop the Bucks to 2-3. Rose had 13 points and seven assists in his return from dual ankle sprains, but Taj Gibson had 23 points and 10 rebounds, while Pau Gasol added 22 and 12 of his own to carry the offense.

Jabari Parker, making his professional debut against Rose, a fellow Simeon High alum, finished with a quiet eight points and six rebounds on an off shooting night. Prior to the game, Parker said he always admired Rose’s game and still considered him one of his idols.

Jimmy Butler had just 12 points, but he contributed in nearly every other way with seven assists, six rebounds and four steals. It was the forced turnovers in particular that kick-started the Bulls in the third quarter as the offense slogged through the second-night of a back-to-back.

The Bulls should be getting Noah back ahead of their game on Friday in Philadelphia, but they survived without him on Wednesday after doing the same Tuesday night against Orlando. The Bulls missed Rose on Tuesday as well, but after questions about his status, he finally returned on Wednesday.

Rose opened the game with Butler, Gibson, Gasol and Mike Dunleavy, and it marked Bulls’ fourth different starting lineup in their five regular season games.

The Bulls flipped a four-point halftime deficit into a 72-70 lead on the strength of its defense. It was quintessential good-defense-to-good-offense as the Bucks shot just 7 for 22 in the quarter. The Bulls had four steals, which directly led to eight fastbreak points — their only transition buckets to that point.

Butler, almost like an NFL cornerback, has developed a penchant for sitting on outlet passes only to jump them and convert on easy lay-ins. He had three steals in the quarter, but none prettier than when he finished off a give-and-go from Rose to give the Bulls a 58-55 lead.

The Bulls entered halftime down 53-49, but it would’ve been much worse had Rose not taken over late in the second. Instead of lingering around the perimeter, Rose finally showed aggressiveness over the final few minutes of the first half, either finishing with a floater or finding an open man as a result of his penetration.

With the Bucks up 46-39, Rose hit his first shot inside the paint, then went back to the well two possessions later and found a cutting Gasol for an easy inside dunk. Rose assisted on the next bucket — a 3-pointer from Mike Dunleavy — and finished inside again to close the half with some positive momentum.

The Bulls needed it after a 9-0, mid-second quarter run stretched Milwaukee’s lead to 46-37. Larry Sanders had a huge block on Gibson, which spurred a transition run-out ending in an emphatic Giannis Antetokounmpo alley-oop dunk.

Returning from the ankle sprains, Rose’s lateral quickness wasn’t there throughout most of the first half and Bucks guard Brandon Knight continued to attack the weakness. Rose labored getting back on defense on several occasions, but that could be a result of his fitness or side effects from his injury. He hasn’t played since last Friday after warming up against both Minnesota on Saturday and Orlando on Tuesday night.

Aside from Rose, Gibson carried the Bulls offensively in the first half with 15 points on 6 for 10 shooting.

It was a strange first quarter in that the Bulls leaned heavily on their jump shooting from Gibson, Gasol and Butler. The Bulls attempted just four shots inside the paint compared to 19 from Milwaukee. Parker had six first quarter points on the strength of three offensive boards.

All five of the Bulls' starters scored in the first quarter as Milwaukee maintained a slight 23-21 lead after one.

MLB: Babe Ruth's 1922 contract included a home run bonus.

By Yahoo Sports Staff

Athletes and coaches in professional sports are paid handsomely. So are many college coaches. And many are paid even more money than their mega-contracts provide them thanks to various incentives. For instance, that 10-year, $292 million deal Miguel Cabrera signed prior to the 2014 season with the Detroit Tigers included a $2 million bonus for winning American League Most Valuable Player (among several other perks). University of Kentucky men's basketball coach John Calipari already earns over $7.5 million annually — but gets extra cash for each year he remains in Lexington.

They can all thank one person: Babe Ruth.

--------------------

darren rovell        ✔ 
@darrenrovell  
  

In 1922, Babe Ruth's deal included $500 for each HR he hit

 

1:00 PM - 5 Nov 2014

                     

55 Retweets 60 favorites 
    

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That's a newspaper clipping from nearly a century ago tweeted by ESPN sports business reporter Darren Rovell that shows The Sultan of Swat earned an extra $500 for each home run he hit in 1922. That means that The Bambino could very well have been the first sports figure to have an incentive-laden deal. And the circumstances surrounding that season are even more intriguing: Ruth was suspended for the first six weeks by then-MLB commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis for off-season barnstorming. Perhaps the New York Yankees wanted to sweeten his reported $75,000 annual salary after the harsh penalty. Ruth went on to hit 35 homers in 110 games — good for $17,500 extra. That amount was more than Chief Justice Taft was paid. The former President was paid $15,000 that year.

Trout, McCutchen win Silver Slugger Awards.

AP Sports

The Los Angeles Angels' Mike Trout, Pittsburgh's Andrew McCutchen and Washington's Ian Desmond have won their third straight Silver Slugger Awards.

Chicago White Sox rookie first baseman Jose Abreu and Houston second baseman Jose Altuve were among eight first-time winners announced Thursday by Louisville Slugger, which presents the annual honors following voting by major league managers and coaches for the top hitter in each league at every position.

Texas third baseman Adrian Beltre won for the fourth time and was joined on the AL team by White Sox shortstop Alexei Ramirez, Cleveland catcher Yan Gomes and Detroit designated hitter Victor Martinez. Trout joined Mike Piazza (1993-95) as the only players to win in each of their first three full big league seasons and was joined in the outfield by Toronto's Jose Bautista and Cleveland's Michael Brantley.

The NL team included Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Adrian Gonzalez, Pittsburgh second baseman Neil Walker and Washington's left side of the infield, with Desmond at shortstop and Anthony Rendon at third. McCutchen was picked in the outfield along with Miami's Giancarlo Stanton and Atlanta's Justin Upton. World Series champion San Francisco earned battery honors, with Madison Bumgarner winning at pitcher and Buster Posey at catcher.

Brantley, Bumgarner, Gomes, Rendon, Stanton and Walker also were first-time winners.

Beltre, Gonzalez and Martinez each earned $100,000 bonuses; Trout $75,000; Brantley, Bumgarner and Posey $50,000 apiece; Altuve $25,000; and Abreu and Ramirez $15,000 each.

Golf: I got a club for that; McDowell off to flying start at WGC-HSBC Champions.

AFP

- Former US Open champion Graeme McDowell gave himself a two-shot cushion ahead of the field after the first round of the WGC-HSBC Champions Thursday.

Starting on the 10th, the Northern Irishman scorched through his first 12 holes in seven-under par.

Despite two bogeys coming in "G-Mac" was pleased with his opening five-under par 67 at Sheshan which put him two shots clear of six players tied for second on three-under.

"A big key to this golf course is driving the ball well," McDowell told reporters afterwards. "I drove it very well today. I think I missed only one fairway, which is very important. Set up a few opportunities. The greens are in fantastic shape and I putted very well.

So seven-under par through 12 holes was a beautiful start. Dropped a couple coming in, but all in all, very pleased with five-under par on what I thought was a reasonably tricky day."

McDowell, the 2010 US Open champion, lies 16th on the European Tour's Race to Dubai and needs a high finish in the $8.5 million event here to achieve his goal of getting a shot at a $5 million bonus pool for the top 15 players after the season-ending DP World Tour Championship in a fortnight's time.

The wind switched Thursday and blew harder than on the practice days. With narrow fairways and lush, punishing rough after nearly a week of rain in the city, it all meant that only seven players broke 70 on the par-72, 7,261-yard Sheshan International Golf Club layout.

"This is as tough off the tee as I think I've ever seen this golf course," McDowell added. "If we get three more days of this, I don't think sort of 10-under, 12-under par is going to get beat out there."

One of the sextet in second on three-under par 69 is this year's US Open champion Martin Kaymer.

"I think it's a very good score," said the German world number 13. "So even when I was at one point level par today, but just kept telling myself you will have plenty of birdie chances, so you just need to be patient."

Joining Kaymer on three-under are Americans Rickie Fowler, Brandt Snedeker and Chris Kirk, plus England's Tommy Fleetwood and South Africa's Tim Clark.

"The rough is very rough," said Fowler, who finished in the top five of every major championship in 2014. "I drove the ball well today and hit a lot of fairways. I think I only missed two. That made things a lot easier for me out there. I was able to stay in the short grass today."

Eleven players are a shot further adrift after carding two-under par rounds of 70.

They include world number two Adam Scott of Australia, and the England pair of former world number one Lee Westwood and Ian Poulter, who won this tournament two years ago when it played at Mission Hills in Shenzhen.

Birthday boy Bubba wants to shed bad boy image.

AFP; By Daniel Hicks

Bubba Watson tees off during the Pro-Am event for the WGC-HSBC Champions golf tournament in Shanghai, on November 5, 2014 (AFP Photo/Johannes Eisele)

Double US Masters champion Bubba Watson turned 36 on Wednesday and said he needs to turn over a new leaf after admitting his mother scolds him over his behaviour on and off the course.

Watson, who won his second green jacket at Augusta in April to add to his 2012 triumph, told reporters at the WGC-HSBC Champions at Sheshan that he still has his "bad moments" and that his mother was among his fiercest critics.

"Obviously I believe in myself. I believe I can perform at a better level," he told a press conference ahead of this week's $8.5 million event known as "Asia's Major".

"I think I scratched the surface a little bit last year, still had my hiccups, still had my bad moments, still had my bad press," he said of a season in which he won the Masters, the Northern Trust Open and had eight top-10 finishes.

As with most bad boys, he takes more notice when it is his mother, Molly Marie Watson, who is wagging the finger.

"She tells me that I'm not being good. She tells me I should smile more and not be so angry. Pretty much what the media says. I guess she could write for the media, too," he said.

Watson famously upset the European Tour at the 2011 Open de France, one of the tour's most prestigious events, by blaming everyone from officials and marshals to fans for him missing the cut.

He also angered the French nation by complaining of being homesick after his first round and referring to the Arc de Triumph in Paris as "an arch, whatever, I rode around in a circle".

- Poor reputation -

Watson is fully aware that he is a divisive character and said Wednesday that where his behavior was concerned he needed to improve "all of it".

"Any time that somebody writes bad press, the only way I'm going to improve as a human being, improve as a husband, improve as a dad, is when you get people that call you out," he said.

Among other misdemeanors that have turned fans against him were launching into a tirade against his caddie that was caught on TV microphones after a triple bogey at the US PGA Tour's Travelers Championship in June 2012.

He also has a reputation for snapping ungraciously at fans and infamously once walked away from the Arnold Palmer invitational after a round in which he scored 11 at one hole citing allergy problems.

"When I make mistakes, when your friends call you out, when the media calls you out, when my wife calls me out, when my mom calls me out, when these people call you out and tell you you're doing something wrong, it's not to punish you," he said. "It's about to help you improve later in life.

"If everybody said I was great all the time, then I would never improve as a human being. The Bible teaches us right from wrong, so I know I'm a sinner. I mess up a lot."

 

Over 100 caddies have inquired about carrying Adam Scott's bag.

By Ryan Ballengee

Ask anyone looking for a job, and they'll tell you: It's tough out there. It's very competitive. An employer really can take their pick for any open position. 
 

Perhaps it's no surprise, then, that Adam Scott has been approached by some 100 professional caddies about their services. Scott, whose three-year relationship with veteran caddie Steve Williams ended in September with Williams' decision to go into semi-retirement, will be trying out several new loopers in the coming weeks and months before settling on a permanent caddie.

"It's good to know people would want to work with me," Scott said at the WGC-HSBC Champions in China on Tuesday. "If the phone didn't get a message, I'd be a little worried what they all think of me. Like us golfers, the caddies are very aspirational as well. The way I've talked about what I want to achieve, some of the guys believe they can help me to do that and want to do the same."
 

Scott's bag is one of the most desirable in the game. Not only is Scott, the 2013 Masters champion, regarded as one of the best working personalities in the game, but he also works a fairly light schedule compared to his peers, including top players. In 17 PGA Tour starts last season, Scott earned $4.1 million — a good chunk from which a caddie can earn their commission.

NASCAR: Phoenix picks: Who fights, who advances?

By Jeff Owens

There’s just one race remaining in Round 3 of the Chase, just one more chance for four drivers to advance to the final championship round.

Yet that is not what’s own everyone’s mind heading to Phoenix International Raceway.
It’s this: Will there be another fight?

And if so, who is likely to be involved?

Even oddsmakers are taking bets on who will fight next after last week’s brawl, which started when Jeff Gordon wanted a piece of Brad Keselowski following a wreck on a late restart at Texas.

With the intensity and pressure to win and advance at an all-time high, there is likely to be more drama at Phoenix. More drama and more controversy. And quite possibly another postrace confrontation.

“It’s being played rough,” Kevin Harvick said of the Chase. “It’s one of those deals where everybody is trying to get everything they can.”
 

Gordon and Keselowski weren’t the only Chase drivers to make contact late in the race at Texas. Ryan Newman and Matt Kenseth also got together, resulting in disappointing finishes for both.

“There wasn’t a whole lot of respect out there,” Newman said.  “We saw that before, during, and after the race.”

The Chase standings are as tight as they’ve ever been this late in the season — a creation of the new playoff format. Joey Logano and Denny Hamlin are tied at the top, with Newman just two points back. Each of them can clinch a spot in the championship race by finishing from ninth to 12th, depending on laps led.

Gordon, who finished 29th and lost the points lead after last week’s run-in with Keselowski, is 12 points behind and clinging to fourth place, the final transfer spot. Matt Kenseth and Carl Edwards are right on his heels, just one point back.

Then there’s Keselowski and Harvick, who likely need to win to advance, but could climb into the top four with some help.

Gordon and Keselowski expect the racing to be as intense and physical as it was at Texas. And there could be more fireworks.

“I think most likely we're going to have to win Phoenix, just like I felt we were going to have to win (at Texas),” Keselowski said. “I'm sure there's going to be some contact along the way, across the board.

“Everybody is very desperate. The points are very, very, very close. Anybody can have a bad day and be out of it, and that's just the reality.”

Gordon doesn’t intend for it to be him again.

"We are just going to take this fire that’s inside of us and this momentum, we are going to take it to Phoenix and win that race,” he said.

And if there’s a fight, the safe bet is on Keselowski to be involved again. He’s not exactly looking over his shoulder.

“It's not the biggest concern in the world,” he said. “Can it happen? Yes, absolutely. If it does happen, I'll take it in stride and race 'em back the same way. That will be it.”

Can Formula 1 ever catch on in NASCAR's America? Mercedes says yes.

By Abigail Bassett

Mercedes GP Executive Director Toto Wolff

Formula 1 doesn't garner close to the attention among Americans that NASCAR does — but the chief of this year's champion F1 team thinks that’s all about to change.

Toto Wolff, the head of the Mercedes-AMG Petronas team, says the planned 2016 launch of an American F1 race team from North Carolina could help push the series toward the other steps that would build its American fan base — more races and an American-born driver.

The world's most popular racing series hasn't had an American team running a car since 1986, and no American drivers since 2007. Gene Haas, owner of Haas Automation and the co-owner of NASCAR's Stewart-Haas racing, has already begun building offices and reached an agreement with Ferrari for F1 engines and technical help.

“When you come into this kind of racing, you need to understand what you do. Haas understands because he is in NASCAR and he has faced all the challenges you have when you set up a competitive race series. I think that he probably knows best what is needed at that stage,” Wolff said at Austin's Circuit of the Americas, where his team scored another 1-2 finish on Sunday in the United States Grand Prix.

Part of the popularity of NASCAR also stems from pure drama, something that F1 has played down in the past. The well-known rivalry between winning Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton and his counterpart Nico Rosberg has caused some dramatic instances both on the track and off this season. But F1 has seen nothing like the fistfight between NASCAR drivers Jeff Gordon and Brad Keselowski after Sunday's race that made national headlines.
 

“Competition continues to be intense between our two drivers,” Wolff said. “These boys have been calibrated to win championships and this is the only thing they have ever worked for. Their biggest competitor and enemy is their teammate. There is no tension now, but we had some tensions and an incident in Spa but the situation now is much better than expected."
 

American drivers could also play a crucial role in helping F1 gain a greater foothold here, Wolff said. 
 

“F1 is like running an enterprise — a midsize company — and you need to have a good face on it.”
 

And drama isn't the only ingredient. A typical NASCAR race tends to draw about ten times more TV viewers in the United States than the F1 races that air at odd times over a weekend — but the F1 audiences on the NBC Sports Network have been growing strongly, while the NASCAR one has been flat to declining. And while NASCAR no longer releases live attendance figures, sports reporters in Texas said the 107,000-strong audience in Austin for the USGP on Sunday was greater than the crowd that showed up at the Texas Motor Speedway for NASCAR's AAA Texas 500 Sprint Cup race.
 

“Austin is a great venue for the race. We are able to have big business meetings with U.S. firms and the city has great energy," Wolff said. "If we can get a second race into a fancy location like Las Vegas or New Jersey, it would be great.”
 

Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton, whose win at Austin this weekend is his tenth this season, believes that having a second U.S. location is crucial to getting F1 in front of U.S. fans.
 

“NASCAR is on every week. We won’t make a wave with one race. We need a couple of races here to really see F1 grow in popularity," Hamilton said.

Even without a home-grown team to cheer for, American F1 fans turned out in force Sunday. Kim Reimer, a Tallahassee fan, spends hundreds of hours working to create an exact scale replica of the Ferrari F1 car to wear as a hat to each race he can attend.

“I’ve been a racing fan for years. I brought my mother and my brother to this race and I’ve been coming for the last three years," he said. "It’s great to have an F1 race in the U.S. and I’d love to see another location open up soon.”

Klinsmann calls out American players for poor club play post-World Cup.

By Kyle Bonn

(Photo/AP)

Jurgen Klinsmann has never been shy about what he expects from his national team players, and has consistently placed club performances at the highest of priorities for those who represent the country to earn their place in his squad.

Well, he’s spoken his mind yet again, and this time, he wants his European cake and wants to start it too.

With a number of Americans – mostly abroad – unable to crack a consistent starting eleven, Klinsmann is concerned that they have let their foot off the gas with another World Cup still years away.

“Right now at the end of 2014, looking at the last couple of months is a bit of a concern to us,” Klinsmann said in a video released by US Soccer. “A lot of our players who played very well in the World Cup and were consistent and worked very hard really dropped their performances after the World Cup.”

Often in the past Klinsmann has been upset that players aren’t challenging themselves abroad. But he doesn’t just expect players to sign with teams in Europe and that’s that. If you take the challenge, you also must pass it.

“Even if they are starters with their teams, or in many cases unfortunately are not starters in their teams anymore – and I’m looking more at the European players in that moment – this is something that we have to improve over the next years,” Klinsmann warned. “Our players have to become stronger to deal with the big moments and then going back into their season and making sure that they play in their club teams on the highest level and especially as starters.”

But it’s not just players abroad who have fallen off. He encompassed the entirety of the squad, not singling out any certain players or group when stating everyone needs to improve – and he won’t hesitate to tell them that.

“This is going to be a huge topic when we communicate with the players now going into these two games,” Klinsmann said. “Talking to them and telling them, ‘Listen, it takes more to become consistent. It takes more professionalism and strength to come after World Cup and show those performances again in your club level.'”

There are expectations from Jurgen Klinsmann for the Unites States players, but are they too lofty too soon? It will be interesting to see if this boosts his players to push themselves at their clubs, or if it will have any affect at all.

Premier League Power Rankings: Liverpool spiraling, Newcastle climbing.

By Joe Prince-Wright

Week 11 of the 2014-15 season is here and the rankings of power are up and down like a yo-yo. Liverpool are on a downward spiral after not scoring in two games, while Sunderland is heading in the opposite direction after a big win.

Plus, can Southampton and West Ham really challenge for the top four? Surely not…

Each week we put our neck on the line to analyze the strength of each Premier League team, forget about the official league standings (here they are in case you actually do want them) that doesn’t mean squat.

The Power Rankings take into account the strength of schedule, injuries, suspensions, playing well but still losing and plenty of other variables. The W-D-L bracket shows each PL team’s current record and you can now see how many spots each team has moved, up or down, from week-to-week.

Let’s get to it!

	RANKING	Up/Down
	1	-	Chelsea: Mourinho’s men remain top of our rankings, but only just. An uninspiring 2-1 win over QPR was followed up by a midweek draw in Maribor. Hardly top form ahead of their clash vs. Liverpool. (8-2-0)
	2	-	Southampton: The Super Saints keep on rolling. Six wins from seven now and they dispatched Hull with a professional display. Leicester at home for Koeman’s boys this week.  (7-1-2)
	3	UP 1	Arsenal: Despite a slack defensive display which saw them blow a 3-0 lead vs. Anderlecht in the UCL, Alexis Sanchez stole the show as Arsenal beat Burnley 3-0. Tricky trip to Swansea. (4-5-1)
	4	DOWN 1	West Ham: The Hammers didn’t win a fourth-straight, but they did rally from 2-0 down to draw with Stoke. Massive cojones from Big Sam’s men as Stewart Downing got an England call up for his displays. Villa at home this weekend could be another win.  (5-2-3)
	5	-	Manchester City: No movement for the Citizens despite a Derby Day win over Man United. That was narrow and they lost to CSKA Moscow after a miserable display as their UCL hopes are all but over. (6-2-2)
	6	UP 3	Newcastle United: Toon! Toon! Three wins on the spin for Pardew’s boys who beat Liverpool 1-0 and Man City in the League Cup last week. West Brom away this weekend. (3-4-3)
	7	UP 1	Swansea City: The Swans put in a very mature display away at Everton in the league and held on late in the game after Shelvey saw red. Could be a good time to host Arsenal. (4-3-3)
	8	DOWN 2	Manchester United: Just when you think the Red Devils are turning the corner, they falter. SMH. Louis van Gaal has hardly any CB’s to chose from as Smalling’s moment of madness cost them in the derby and they’ve endured their worst start since 1986. United host Palace this Saturday, has to be three points. (3-4-3)
	9	UP 3	Tottenham Hotspur: Trailing Villa 1-0 with six minutes to go, Spurs looked dead and buried. Then they equalized and Kane scored a last-gasp winner. This could be a huge moment in their season. Stoke at home on Sunday. (4-2-4)
	10	-	Everton: The Toffees are getting there, slowly but surely. They squandered plenty of chances against Swansea last time out but a win against Sunderland this week could push them back into the top six. (3-4-3)
	11	UP 1	QPR: The super hoops are up in the rankings despite losing to Chelsea. Redknapp’s men succumbed to a late Hazard PK at Stamford Bridge but look so much better of late. Can they shock Man City at Loftus Road? (2-1-7)
	12	DOWN 5	Liverpool: After all the furor about Rodgers’ team selection in Madrid, Liverpool are fired up and rested to beat Chelsea on Saturday. They haven’t scored in two games and Sturridge is still out injured. All is not well at Anfield. (4-2-4)
	13	-	Stoke City: The Potters look very dangerous in attack but squandered a 2-0 lead at home to West Ham last week. They must shore things up at the back against Tottenham at White Hart Lane. (3-3-4)
	14	UP 4	Sunderland: Big win for the Black Cats down at Palace and they are big risers in our rankings. Gus Poyet’s men are slowly getting over that 8-0 drubbing to Southampton and Steven Fletcher is back to his best. Everton at home this week. (2-5-3)
	15	DOWN 3	Crystal Palace: The Eagles are looking a little shaky under Neil Warnock and are now without a win in four. They need to get back to basics fast. Palace travel to Old Trafford on Saturday without captain Mile Jedinak. (2-3-5)
	16	-	Hull City: No win in four for the Tigers as they went down at home to Saints last week. They head to Burnley this week and Steve Bruce will be hoping for a big win to climb clear of the bottom three. (2-5-3)
	17	-	West Brom: The Baggies beat Leicester 1-0 thanks to a bizarre own goal, but they weren’t great. Still adapting to life under Alan Irvine. Saido Berahino got his first England call up this week and should be full of confidence vs. Newcastle. (3-4-3)
	18	DOWN 3	Leicester City: Not a great spell for the Foxes as they have now lost three in a row without scoring. Worrying times for Nigel Pearson. He takes his team to his old club Southampton on Saturday. Not an easy game when you’re low on confidence. (2-3-5)
	19	-	Aston Villa: Can you believe it… six defeats on the spin for Villa. They looked to be getting a big win against Spurs but imploded after Benteke was sent off. Disaster. If they lose vs. West Ham, will Paul Lambert get fired? (3-1-6)
	20	-	Burnley: The Clarets came out scrapping at the Emirates and gave a good account of themselves. But that extra bit of quality is eluding them, especially in the final third. Hull at home is a must win game, can they grab a fist victory of the season? (0-4-6)

Why Michigan should call Bob Stoops.

By Dan Wetzel

Bob Stoops celebrates during OU's win over Iowa State last week. (USA TODAY Sports)

Michigan is going to hire a new athletic director sometime this month and the checklist of things to do is pretty brief:

1. Fire the current football coach.
 

2. Hire the new football coach.
 

The odds of San Francisco 49ers coach, and Michigan alum, Jim Harbaugh returning to college look longer each week. The perception around the NFL is that if he's let go by San Francisco, a shot with another franchise (New York Jets? Oakland? Miami? A new L.A. team?), featuring more control and money, seems far more likely.

If so, Michigan should try to convince Bob Stoops not just how he'd be great for Michigan, but how Michigan would be great for him.

Stoops isn't looking for a job, of course. He's in his 16th season at Oklahoma, works for an athletic director and a school president who are trusted confidants and makes $5.25 million a year. He's built a legacy. He's synonymous with the program. He's under no pressure – outside of the depths of message board frustration.

Michigan, which will inevitably can Brady Hoke, should recruit Stoops anyway. It's not that the Wolverines are necessarily a better job or a better fit, it's that they are a different job and a different fit.

Stoops is 54 years old and has spent his entire head coaching career at OU. If he is open to a new challenge and a fresh start then there may never be a better time or place than Ann Arbor right now, an elite program in desperate need of a legitimate winner.

Stoops' 15th-ranked Sooners host No. 12 Baylor Saturday in what once looked like it would be the de facto Big 12 championship game. Instead, Kansas State-TCU is overshadowing it, two teams OU lost to by one and four points, respectively.

It's sort of the perfect example of where Oklahoma football is – damn good, but maybe not damn good enough for a place (and a coach) that strives for national titles.

Stoops has won more than 80 percent of his games at OU, delivering a steady diet of 11 and 2's, and 10 and 3's, with top-15, even top-five finishes. The problem, if you want to categorize it as that, is he hasn't won a national title since his second season, way back in 2000.

Billy Tubbs, the old Oklahoma basketball coach, used to say a coach should move to a new school every seven or eight years because after that you make no more fans; the ones you had just grow sick of you. Tubbs said he learned that at OU, where he coached 14 seasons, the last few of which were kind of miserable.

Unless you are winning it all, things tend to get stale.

Oklahoma isn't winning it all. Stoops has won at least a share of eight Big 12 titles and could still get to nine this season, yet fans point to his 4-5 record in BCS bowl games. The most germane part of that is that he got to nine BCS bowls in the first place, including four title games, but that's easy to forget.

No reasonable person is calling for Stoops to be fired, because he does his job in a respected and often spectacular way. Considering the cutthroat cesspool of the sport, he carries himself and runs the program with a level of dignity.

Too many Oklahoma fans find 11-2 boring and believe this is as easy as Stoops makes it look, and the Sooners can automatically do better. That's a dangerous place for a coach to be. Those fans should think back to the 1990s, when there was a stretch that Gary Gibbs, Howard Schnellenberger and John Blake made four- and five-win seasons the norm.

Or they could call up Tennessee or USC or Florida and see how those can't-lose programs are doing.

 

Or Michigan, of course.

Outside of the miracle luring of Jim Harbaugh from the NFL, Stoops is the perfect fit at this time for the Wolverines.

Harbaugh would be a force of nature. He'd whip Michigan into title contenders. He'd be ideal. There's no question about any of that. Increasingly, however, this looks like a pipe dream.

Stoops would win anywhere, and at Michigan, with all its built-in advantages, he'd win big – all while delivering a desired level of comity and consistency to the program. He isn't a guy who will be fending off NFL offers each January.

This is an established coach, a man with a modern offense and an old-school demeanor. He has the gravitas to seize command of the various factions surrounding the program. He will not be overwhelmed by the stage, the history or the expectations. He can win at the highest level.

As a bonus, he already took over a listless former power that was besieged by infighting (it's almost impossible to recall how bad the end of the Blake era was in Norman). He turned it into the most consistent winner of the last decade and a half in college football.

A native of Youngstown, Ohio, where he and his family remain heavily connected, Stoops would be an immediate factor in Midwest recruiting while maintaining strong ties to Texas and California to help the Wolverines draw nationally.

If Oklahoma fans have grown unappreciative, well the Wolverines should try to seize on that mistake. After the past seven years, they'd certainly take an 11-2 season capped with a Sugar Bowl victory over Alabama (like last year's Sooners).

Stoops is proven and prepared, a low-risk, high-reward hire. And Michigan is the sleeping giant that might energize one of the game's best coaches so he can remind everyone just how good he is.

Maybe Bob Stoops goes nowhere. Maybe he decides he'll keep pushing at OU until he wins another title. Maybe he's serious about retiring a Sooner. Maybe he's too loyal. Maybe he doesn't even return the call.

It's a call worth making though, because if he can be convinced to try something new, then Michigan is the ideal place, at the perfect time, for him to do it.

NCAA study validates cynicism regarding one-year graduate transfers.

By Jeff Eisenberg

The rampant cynicism regarding the NCAA's one-year graduate transfer rule now has some data to corroborate it.

A study released by the NCAA on Thursday tracked 353 graduate transfers in 2011 and 2012. Only one quarter of the football participants and one third of the men's basketball participants have since gone on to earn their graduate degree and most non-completers simply withdrew when their athletic eligibility had been exhausted.

This data is relevant since the NCAA implemented the graduate transfer rule less to reward athletes who completed their degree with free agent status and more to accommodate those who wanted to pursue a graduate program not available at their current school. That's why athletes who complete their degree are only eligible to transfer without sitting out a year if they enroll in a graduate program not offered by their former school.

Coaches have long mocked this rule and correctly noted that the vast majority of graduate transfers switch schools for athletic reasons. Frankly, if one third of men's basketball graduate transfers actually finish their graduate degrees within two years, I'm mildly surprised the percentage is that high, and I suspect many coaches would be as well.

So what's the solution here? Will coaches and athletic directors respond to this study by pushing to eliminate the graduate transfer rule? I sincerely hope not.  

There are way to many restrictions on transfers in college sports and way too few incentives for athletes to focus on their studies. This rule is the exception to that. If a redshirt junior completes his degree in four years and wants to transfer to a school where he'll receive more playing time or have a better chance to compete for an NCAA tournament bid, what's the harm in that?

The only aspect of this rule that should be changed is the silliness about athletes needing to enroll in a graduate program not offered by their former school. Eliminate that, and call this rule what it really is — a reward for athletes who earn their degree in four or fewer years and want to finish their college careers in a new environment.

That's what Bryce Dejean-Jones did transferring from UNLV to Iowa State. It's what Byron Wesley did leaving USC for Gonzaga. And it's what Anthony Lee did exiting Temple in favor of Ohio State.

There's nothing wrong with any of those decisions, but let's stop pretending basketball wasn't the primary motivation behind them.

Is Golf a Sport? What's your take?

By Marion P. Jelks, CS&T/AA Sports Blog Editor

I recently found myself in a debate with another customer at one of our local sports bars in my hometown. We were watching a football game and talking about organized team sports; I brought up golf and that's when our discussion got very interesting. For those of you that know or are familiar with me, you know I play golf weekly, once for sure and occasionally twice a week. I can assure you it is a bona fide sport. I did some research on the internet and was very surprised to find out that this question is debated all of the time. Some of my findings and my closing opinion are stated below.

Pro & Con Arguments: "Is Golf a Sport?"
PRO Golf Is a Sport Golf meets the definition of the word "sport" found in many dictionaries. Merriam-Webster defines sport as "physical activity engaged in for pleasure: a particular activity (as an athletic game)." [6] Dictionary.com says a sport is "an athletic activity requiring skill or physical prowess and often of a competitive nature, as racing, baseball, tennis, golf, bowling, wrestling, boxing, hunting, fishing, etc." [7] Like all sports, golf requires physical exertion. Golfers who play a nine-hole course (2-2.5 miles [8]) without a cart while carrying their own clubs burn 721 calories (613 calories if a caddie carries the bag of clubs which weighs 30-50 pounds on average). [9] [10] Professional tournaments have four rounds of 18 holes, which would be 4,904 calories burned over four days. Golfing without a cart burns an average of 360 calories per hour (306 with a caddie), compared to about 364 per hour spent curling, 345 doing gymnastics, and 273 bowling. [11] [29] Sports require coordinated muscle use, and the golf swing uses at least 17 muscle groups in the coordinated movement of the hands, wrists, arms, abdomen, and legs according to a study in the BMJ (British Medical Journal). [13] Playing golf on a professional level requires athletic ability to walk long distances (4-5 miles per 18-hole course [8]) and hit long drives with consistent depth and aim. [14] The Olympics are the ultimate worldwide sporting event, and golf was selected by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for inclusion starting in 2016. It had been included in two prior Olympics, 1900 and 1904. [2] Golf falls under the purview of the athletic departments of colleges and universities, and is subject to the authority of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). [15] Golf athletic scholarships are offered for men at 294 Division I schools and for women at 238 Division I schools. [16] Professional golfers are considered athletes by mainstream media. The Associated Press has named a golfer as its Female Athlete of the Year 24 times since the award began in 1931, meaning golfers account for 30 percent of the honorees. The Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year has been a golfer nine times, or 11 percent of the honorees. [5] Sports agents, sponsors, and sporting goods manufacturers consider golf to be a sport. Nike's website calls golf a "great sport" and makes products to help "athletes to perform at their physical and mental peak." [17] Golfer Tiger Woods is the richest athlete in history and was the first athlete to surpass one billion dollars in career earnings (prize money and endorsements). [3] Woods has many sponsorships in common with athletes from other sports, including Gillette, Rolex, and NetJets. Golfers are often represented by agents from major sports management companies. [18] [19] In golf, like in other sports, there is a correlation between physical training and improved performance. A 2009 peer-reviewed study found that golfers who focus on balance, flexibility, posture, core stability, strength, power, and cardiovascular training have better results. [8] Rory McIlroy, World No.1 as of May 23, 2012, credits his training regimen with helping him reach the top spot. Tiger Woods has reportedly bench pressed as much as 315 pounds. [20] Golf is so physically demanding that up to 62 percent of amateur golfers and approximately 88 percent of professional golfers suffer injuries each year. Playing golf can lead to problems in the lower back, elbow, wrist, hand, shoulder, or head. [21] More than half of professional golfers have had to stop playing because of their injuries. [22] One-third of PGA (Professional Golfers' Association) players have experienced lower back injuries that lasted more than two weeks. [23] Golf has an anti-doping policy and conducts drug tests on the players because performance enhancing drugs could improve a player's results. In 2009, American Doug Barron became the first player to be suspended by the PGA Tour for testing positive for an unnamed performance-enhancing drug. [24] A June 2011 peer-reviewed study categorized 159 sports as one of three types: combat, independent, or object. Golf is one of 74 independent sports, along with others such as gymnastics, track and field, swimming, speed skating, and surfing. Not all sports have to be object (like football and baseball), or combat (like boxing and karate). [25] Golf has many things in common with other sports, including: professional men's and women's tours with rankings, tournaments all over the world, millions of fans, television coverage, scoring, and winners. The TV guide lists golf events under sports programs. [26]			CON Golf Is a Sport Golf better matches the defintion of a game than a sport. Merriam-Webster defines a game as an "activity engaged in for diversion or amusement." [27] Dictionary.com says a game is "an amusement or pastime; a competitive activity involving skill, chance, or endurance on the part of two or more persons who play according to a set of rules, usually for their own amusement or for that of spectators." [28] Unlike a sport, golf is not a rigorous physical activity. Burning 360 calories per hour playing golf without a cart or caddie is far less than the number of calories burned per hour in competitive sports: 900 in soccer, and 727 in football, basketball, and tennis. [9] [29] Golfers are not athletes. Professional golfers are sometimes overweight, old, or out of shape, and their caddies carry the equipment for them. There is no running, jumping, or cardiovascular activity in golf. If an activity does not make you break a sweat, or if it can be done while drinking and smoking, then it is not a sport. The fact that golf can be difficult and requires practice and skill to achieve proficiency does not mean it qualifies as a sport. Brain surgery, chess, and computer programming are difficult tasks that also require practice and mental acuity, but they are clearly not sports. Golf involves competition, keeping score, and declaring a winner, but those qualities alone do not make it a sport. Spelling bees, poker, and darts are competitions with scores and winners, which are sometimes broadcast on the sports network ESPN, but one would not consider those activities to be sports. [30] Athletic experts agree that golf lacks the athletic rigor needed to be a real sport. Golf was ranked 51 out of 60 activities by a panel of sports scientists, athletes, and journalists assembled by ESPN. They ranked the athletic difficulty of 60 activities based on ten categories such as endurance, agility, and strength. The panel determined that the level of athleticism in golf ranked lower than ping pong and just ahead of roller skating. [31] Nearly half of the maximum calories burned while playing golf are from walking the course and carrying the clubs, but the US Supreme Court ruled that walking is not an essential aspect of golf. In PGA Tour v. Martin (2001), the justices ruled 7-2 that the pro tour had to allow a golfer with a disability to use a golf cart because it would not "fundamentally alter the nature" of the activity. [4] Using a cart while playing golf reduces the number of calories burned by 42% percent (from 721 to 411 for nine holes). [9] The fact that golfers are able to be competitive professionally so far past the age of peak athleticism -- age 26 according to a June 2011 peer-reviewed study -- shows that golf is not a sport. For example, Tom Watson nearly won one of the biggest tournaments in professional golf, the British Open, at age 59 in 2009. Jack Nicklaus won 11 of his 18 majors after turning 30. [32] [33] If you can compete in a professional tournament with a broken leg, it is not a sport. Tiger Woods not only played the 2008 US Open with two stress fractures in his left tibia, he actually won the whole event. Woods even played an additional 18 holes to break a tie score following the first four rounds. [34] The possibility of getting injured while playing golf does not make it a sport because many non-sport activities, such as sitting at a desk and typing all day, lifting a heavy box, or sleeping in the wrong position, also commonly lead to injuries. [35] [36] Golf has been excluded from the Olympics for more than a century, as have other non-sports, including croquet (last included in 1900), motorboat racing (last competition in 1908), and tug of war (last done in 1920), After being included in the 1900 and 1904 Olympic games, golf was removed for what will have been a 112-year absence before returning in the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Race walking, pistol shooting, and rhythmic gymnastics have been in the Olympics longer than golf. [2] Some people believe the decision to allow golf in the Olympics was a political move based not on its merit as a sport, but as a game that attracts lucrative financial sponsorships. [37] [38] Some people think that if an activity does not involve defense or an opponent trying to affect your performance, then it is not a sport. In hockey, a player can steal the puck and a goalie can block a shot. In football, a pass can be intercepted and someone can be tackled to prevent him from scoring. There is no defense in golf, and participants are unable to impact the outcome of their opponents' scores.

Chicago Sports & Travel, Inc./AllsportsAmerica Take: I considered writing a large article on the merits of golf and why it was a legitimate sport. Some pros and cons are listed above. All I can say is that this sport does take skill, strategy, physical preparation and mental concentration. Actually, when you're playing golf, you're playing against the course, however, in your mind, you're playing against your golf partner(s). You strive to beat them in scoring. It's just human nature. I could go on about golf forever but I'm going to close by saying that anyone that doesn't believe golf is a sport, I welcome you to play a round with me and then tell me it's not a sport. I guarantee you that within four hours, eighteen holes and walking the course, you'll have a new attitude. 

We'd love to know what you think, Just go to the comment section at the bottom of this blog and express your opinion. What's your take?

On This Date in Sports History: Today is Friday, November 7, 2014.

MemoriesofHistory.com

1936 - The New York Americans beat Toronto in the first coast-to-coast radio broadcast of a hockey game in Canada.

1962 - Glenn Hall set an NHL record when he played in his 503rd consecutive game as a goalie.

1963 - Elston Howard, of the New York Yankees, became the first black player to be named the American League's Most Valuable Player.

1965 - Bart Starr (Green Bay Packers) was sacked 11 times by the Detroit Lions.

1968 - Red Berenson (St. Louis Blues) scored 6 goals in a game against the Philadelphia Flyers. The Blues won the game 8-0.

1973 - New Jersey became the first U.S. state to permit girls to play on Little League baseball teams.

1983 - Ali Haji-Sheikh (New York Giants) kicked his second 56 yard field goal.

1988 - Sugar Ray Leonard knocked out Donnie LaLonde.

1991 - Magic Johnson (NBA) announced that he had tested positive for the virus that causes AIDS, and that he was retiring from basketball.

1992 - The Phoenix Suns played their first game at American West Arena.

1999 - Tiger Woods became the first golfer since Ben Hogan in 1953 to win four straight tournaments.

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