CS&T/AllsportsAmerica Friday Sports News Update and What's Your Take? 11/14/2014.

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Sports Quote of the Day:

“Always do your best. Your best is going to change from moment to moment; it will be different when you are healthy as opposed to sick. Under any circumstance, simply do your best, and you will avoid self-judgment, self-abuse and regret.” ~ Miguel Angel Ruiz, Author, Teacher and Shaman

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

By Taylor Bechtold (STATS Writer)

Amid growing unrest from fans, the Chicago Bears chose not to make any changes to the coaching staff or starting lineup ahead of another NFC North matchup.

The suddenly dangerous Minnesota Vikings hope that means Chicago's defense will continue to be historically bad.

Coming off one of the worst two-game efforts in NFL history, coach Marc Trestman will look to get his Bears turned around Sunday when they try to extend their home success against the Vikings.

Trestman said he can understand the building frustration from the fan base while postseason hopes have faded with Chicago (3-6) looking to avoid losing four straight for the first time since a five-game skid in 2011.

''This has been a very disturbing stretch of three weeks," Trestman said. "There's no doubt about it. But we're focused in and the only way we can work our way out of this is to go get ready for Minnesota.''

Although they had a bye week to fix their woes following a 51-23 loss at New England on Oct. 26, the Bears' problems only seemed to be accentuated in a 55-14 rout at Green Bay last Sunday night.

They've allowed 50 or more points in three of their past 11, something they had only done six times before. They also joined the 1923 Rochester Jeffersons as the only teams in NFL history to give up 50 in back-to-back games.

''(Defensive coordinator Mel Tucker is) doing everything he can under the circumstances to coach, to teach and to lead that side of the ball, and he's got a very good staff with him,'' Trestman said.

Tucker's unit, however, is allowing a league-high 30.8 points per game and ranks 28th against the pass (268.6 yards per game) after Aaron Rodgers carved it up for 315 yards and six touchdowns in the first half.

Chicago isn't generating much pressure up front with one sack in its last two games. Former Minnesota Pro Bowler Jared Allen has 1 1/2 sacks after signing a four-year deal that guaranteed him $15.5 million.

The Bears hope to recover with their 13th win in 14 home meetings with the Vikings. They've won the past six matchups at Soldier Field since Adrian Peterson rushed for a franchise-record 224 yards and three scores in a 34-31 loss in 2007.

With Peterson's status yet to be determined after pleading no contest last week to a lesser charge of misdemeanor reckless assault following his indictment on felony child abuse, the Vikings (4-5) like what they're seeing from running back Jerick McKinnon and quarterback Teddy Bridgewater.

McKinnon has rushed for 240 yards and 4.9 per carry in his last three games, while Bridgewater hasn't committed a turnover since tossing five interceptions in consecutive losses to Detroit and Buffalo.

Tight end Kyle Rudolph could provide Bridgewater with a key target in the passing game if he's able to return after missing six games following sports hernia surgery.

Bridgewater led two fourth-quarter comebacks to help the Vikings win back-to-back games before last week's bye. They haven't won three in a row since a four-game run to end the 2012 season.

"I think we showed some resiliency there," first-year coach Mike Zimmer said. "I think our team grew up a little bit."

Minnesota also has shown improvement defensively, allowing an average of 18.3 points in its last four after giving up 30.0 over the previous four. The Vikings rank fourth against the pass at 213.6 yards per game and have 20 sacks in their last four.

Now they'll try to rattle Jay Cutler, who is tied for the NFL lead with 15 giveaways - including a pair of INTs and a lost fumble in Green Bay - and has been sacked 23 times. He completed a season-low 59.5 percent of his passes while throwing a TD for the 13th straight game.

''I think the biggest thing is that Jay has got to play better,'' Trestman said. ''He didn't play well enough, and we didn't play well enough and I'm certain that he'd take accountability for that.''

Cutler has won all five home meetings against the Vikings since joining the Bears, throwing 13 TDs and six picks. He hit Martellus Bennett on a 16-yard scoring pass with 10 seconds left for a 31-30 victory in last year's matchup at Soldier Field.

Chicago wide receiver Brandon Marshall is expected to play despite spraining his left ankle last week, while Alshon Jeffery hopes for another big performance after he had 12 catches for 249 yards and two scores in a 23-20 overtime loss at Minnesota on Dec. 1.

Bears running back Matt Forte averaged 156.0 yards from scrimmage in the two meetings last season.

Durkin: ‘It Starts With Me,’ Cutler Says.

By Dan Durkin

Bears quarterback Jay Cutler. (Elsa/Getty Images)

While he didn’t spell out R-E-L-A-X to the Bears’ shaken fan base, quarterback Jay Cutler did show some contrition while addressing the media during Thursday’s press conference.

“I’m sure Krome (offensive coordinator Aaron Kromer) touched on it, I’m sure Trest (head coach Marc Trestman) touched on it, we’ve been over it all in meetings, we just have to get better, and it starts with me,” Cutler said.

That’s an accurate understatement from Cutler, considering the offense hasn’t scored a single first-quarter point in four straight games or run a play in their opponent’s territory until the second quarter in three straight games.

“We have to get better, I have to get better,” Cutler said. “That’s just kind of the focus right now, finding every little thing that I can get better at to try to win a ballgame.”

Specifically, Cutler needs to be smarter with the football, as his 15 turnovers lead the league and have directly led to 65 points for Bears’ opponents. Given the fact that the defense is giving up nearly 31 points a game, giving extra possessions to opposing offenses is a losing proposition.

Given their struggles to move the ball — particularly early in games – the Bears are dealing with a crisis of confidence in what they do and the plays that are called. Do they resort back to their default setting to get back on track, or is it time to open up pages of the playbook they’ve yet to show in games?

That’s the dilemma Cutler and Co. are discussing in meeting rooms.

“Trest said, ‘We’re not going to change just for change,’” Cutler said. “There are times where you say, ‘Hey, we need some new plays, we’ve got to find some new stuff, let’s get try to get some guys open different ways.’ There’s some stuff we would watch on film and even when we’re struggling, we’re still getting guys open, we’re still doing good things. I think it’s a little bit of both. You try to sprinkle some new things in there to freshen it up. Some of the stuff we’ve been running since Trest got here, it still works, we’ve just got to run it better.”

What keeps Cutler going through the tough times is the bond he shares with the teammates he goes to battle with every week, he said.

“I love playing with the guys in my huddle, so that’s what gets me through it,” Cutler said. “Not letting those guys down and each day coming to work and knowing that they’re doing everything possible for us trying to win a ballgame, so I need to do the same.”

NFL union wants change on personal conduct policy.

By BARRY WILNER

The NFL players' union wants to negotiate with the league in changing the personal conduct policy.

In a memo sent to each NFLPA player representative and executive board member, and obtained by The Associated Press on Thursday, the union cites the NFL's "mismanagement" of several incidents, including the Ray Rice and Adrian Peterson cases.
 

The memo contends the league has "inconsistencies that have led to the lack of credibility and damage to our brand."
 

The union says the league has not complied with the labor agreement reached in 2011 in regard to personal conduct discipline. The memo mentions "imposed superficial changes to the adjudication process," apparently referring to Commissioner Roger Goodell installing stronger punishment for first-time offenders of the policy.
 

The NFL did not immediately respond to the union's memo.
 

Goodell announced in August a stiffer penalty for players involved with domestic violence after originally suspending Rice for two games for punching his then-fiancee in a casino elevator. Goodell acknowledged the punishment was too lenient. The guideline now calls for a six-game suspension for a first offense.
 

"We remain committed to discussing these issues with the league and the NFL owners," the union memo said, "and will continue to call on them to recognize collective bargaining as the best and only solution to the issues of prevention, education, due process and discipline."
 

The union believes the league has ignored "due diligence and due process" in its handling of cases under the personal conduct policy. The memo accuses the NFL of refusing to honor an agreement in Peterson's case, and it calls for "a full and fair hearing before a neutral arbitrator" for all players in all disciplinary cases.

How 'bout them Chicago Blackhawks? Blackhawks-Red Wings Preview.

By JACK CASSIDY (STATS Writer)

The Chicago Blackhawks seem to be on track following a rocky start. They hope for another quality performance Friday night when they visit the Detroit Red Wings.

Meetings between these teams have become more sparse since Detroit's departure from the Western Conference following the 2012-13 season. The animosity, however, has stayed constant.

"I still remember playing in (the 2013 West quarterfinals), when we went to Game 7 and lost in overtime, that's still tough on us," defenseman Brendan Smith told the Red Wings' official website. "We want to beat them every time we play them so that gives us a little extra drive.

"There's a rivalry from that, but there's always been one from the Original Six that's always brewed. I feel it's gotten stronger in the last few years."

Chicago (9-6-1) has beaten Detroit in eight of the last nine regular-season matchups and earned at least one point in 12 straight (9-0-3). The Blackhawks won the most recent meeting 4-1 behind goals from Marian Hossa and Jonathan Toews on March 16.

"There's a lot of passion. There's a lot of, if you want to call it, hatred," Chicago coach Joel Quenneville said. "The rivalry is definitely in tact. You can feel it when you're in the building. You can see it in warm-ups."

The Red Wings catch Chicago at an inopportune time, as the Blackhawks are coming off their first back-to-back wins since Oct. 18-21. Chicago downed San Jose 5-2 on Sunday before beating Tampa Bay 3-2 in a shootout Tuesday.

Corey Crawford, who starts in net Friday, stopped 57 shots in the victories. His 1.76 goals-against average ranks near the top of the NHL.

In front of Crawford, the Blackhawks have utilized an array of contributions. Seven players scored Chicago's seven goals in the last two games.

Detroit (7-3-5) enters with points in each of its last three games and, more notably, has the hottest power-play unit in the league.

The Red Wings have scored two power-play goals in each of the past three games, their longest streak for multiple power-play goals since Feb. 15-20, 2009.

"We're getting the puck back, moving the puck quicker and really attacking when we get it," said forward Gustav Nyquist, who leads the team with four goals on the man advantage and eight overall. "... The biggest thing is we're attacking more and getting the puck back and getting those second and third opportunities."

That success will be challenged by the Blackhawks, who own the league's top penalty-kill percentage at 91.7.

Pavel Datsyuk hopes to play after missing Detroit's last two games with a sore groin. Historically, however, Datsyuk has provided little help against Chicago.

He owns a minus-4 rating in 61 regular-season matchups - his second-worst against any team - and including the postseason, he has scored once in his past 11 meetings.

Jimmy Howard is expected to start for Detroit. Howard is 6-2-4 with a 2.03 GAA, but he's 0-3-4 with a 2.57 GAA in his last eight regular-season starts against the Blackhawks.

His 2.86 GAA against Chicago is his worst against any team he has faced more than six times.

NHL selects Las Vegas owners for team that doesn’t exist (yet).

By Greg Wynshynski

If you were to wager on the owners of an NHL team in Las Vegas, the Maloof family would have been around even money.

They owned the Sacramento Kings in the NBA. They have a relationship with Gary Bettman that goes back to 2008, when the league made the infinitely wise decision to move its awards show from Vanilla, Canada, to Sin City’s Palms Casino Resort. 

Lo and behold, the Maloofs and billionaire William P. Foley have been selected by the league as the ownership group that will move forward, if expansion to Las Vegas is in the cards over the next few seasons. The Hockey News had the news first, and it’s since been confirmed by the New York Post and the Las Vegas Journal-Review.

Foley is chairman of mortgage giant Fidelity National Financial and owns over a dozen wineries. His involvement with the Vegas bid has been known since last month.

The Hockey News went one step further and said the NHL Board of Governors had quietly approved the group as owners of a Las Vegas team, although NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly denied that to THN:

“There was virtually no discussion about Las Vegas (or expansion for that matter) at the last Board meeting,” Daly wrote in his email. “Far from a ‘done deal.’ Still have to deal with the foundational question of whether we want to expand at all and if so how do we want to do it. And that hasn’t really been broached with the BoG yet. After that, we will have to tackle whether Las Vegas is the right market, and specifically, whether we think it can support an NHL franchise long term. I think more work needs to be done on that issue as well.”

 

That said, it sounds like the NHL has at least settled on a group to work with should expansion to Las Vegas happen. Which means, one assumes, a fee has been discussed and everyone’s happy with it.

But ultimately, expansion to Vegas will require Board of Governor approval and another team entering the league in the West. Bettman has enough lapdogs, er, allies on the BoG to rubber-stamp Vegas if he wants Vegas.

As for the other factor, you still get the sense the league wants Seattle in a bad way, but that NBA-first arena deal remains a huge stumbling block. (Oh, the irony then of the Maloof family being in on the Vegas bid.)
 

Dave Pagnotta of The Fourth Period looked at the other options, including Quebec City and … Kansas City?

Just Another Chicago Bulls Session… Derrick Rose exits late as Bulls hang on to beat Raptors, 100-93.

By Holly Mackenzie

Derrick Rose described his hamstring injury as "cramps" and said he thought it was minor. (Ron Turenne/NBAE/Getty Images)

Pau Gasol spent his flight to Toronto studying up on the Raptors and their tendencies. It paid off, as Gasol scored a season-high 27 points for the Chicago Bulls in their 100-93 victory against the Raptors on Thursday night.

Derrick Rose played 30 minutes and scored 20 points on 5-for-14 shooting (including 9-for-10 from the free throw line), but left the game with 1:53 remaining after taking a fall and did not return. The team said Rose suffered a left hamstring injury.

Gasol’s study guide was game tape of Toronto’s recent blowout victory against the hapless Philadelphia 76ers and teammate Joakim Noah was impressed with the dedication shown by the 13-year NBA vet.

 “I thought that showed some pretty good commitment right there,” Noah said. “He said, ‘Just trying to learn the tendencies.’ So…It just showed a great commitment on his part. I mean, I wouldn’t watch that s—.”

While Gasol was was ready to go for the 8 p.m. tip and scored 19 of his 27 points in the first half, the rest of his teammates waited until the second half to get things rolling. The Raptors held a 52-45 advantage at the break, thanks to a strong first half from reserve — and former Bull —  James Johnson’s 14-point half.

The Bulls came out focused for the second half and outscored Toronto 35-14 in the quarter, to take an 80-66 advantage into the fourth. Toronto gave the Bulls a scare late, but were unable to complete the comeback.

Pau Gasol spent his flight to Toronto studying up on the Raptors and their tendencies. It paid off, as Gasol scored a season-high 27 points for the Chicago Bulls in their 100-93 victory against the Raptors on Thursday night.

Derrick Rose played 30 minutes and scored 20 points on 5-for-14 shooting (including 9-for-10 from the free throw line), but left the game with 1:53 remaining after taking a fall and did not return. The team said Rose suffered a left hamstring injury.

Gasol’s study guide was game tape of Toronto’s recent blowout victory against the hapless Philadelphia 76ers and teammate Joakim Noah was impressed with the dedication shown by the 13-year NBA vet.

“I thought that showed some pretty good commitment right there,” Noah said. “He said, ‘Just trying to learn the tendencies.’ So…It just showed a great commitment on his part. I mean, I wouldn’t watch that s—.”

While Gasol was was ready to go for the 8 p.m. tip and scored 19 of his 27 points in the first half, the rest of his teammates waited until the second half to get things rolling. The Raptors held a 52-45 advantage at the break, thanks to a strong first half from reserve — and former Bull —  James Johnson’s 14-point half.

The Bulls came out focused for the second half and outscored Toronto 35-14 in the quarter, to take an 80-66 advantage into the fourth. Toronto gave the Bulls a scare late, but were unable to complete the comeback.

Bulls say 'nobody should question' Rose's commitment.

By Mike Singer

Chicago Bulls Point Guard Derrick Rose

Derrick Rose’s comments about his long-term approach to his health set off a mini firestorm as many questioned his commitment and loyalty to the team — a controversy that several of his teammates quickly extinguished. 

Rose said on Tuesday that when he chooses to sit out, it’s with his post-NBA career in mind and not the day-to-day grind of this NBA season that so many of his teammates are currently enduring, even with nagging injuries.

That being said, two long-time league veterans each defended Rose unequivocally at Wednesday’s practice from the Advocate Center.

Mike Dunleavy, Rose’s teammate for the past year-and-a-half, hasn’t spent a lot of on-court time with him, but he does see the day-to-day activity of the former MVP in the weight room and on the practice court.

“Derrick’s fully committed. I can speak on his behalf. He’s fully committed. The way I see him working, the way I see him out there. Nobody should question that,” Dunleavy said.

Perhaps acknowledging Rose’s stance – a product of his lengthy injury history – Dunleavy considered his perspective.

“It’s a little bit different viewpoint but as far as his commitment to us, to this city, to the team, that should never be put in question,” he said.

Fourteen-year veteran Pau Gasol stood up for his new teammate as well and said that Rose’s confidence in himself was one of the driving factors in luring Gasol to Chicago.

“When I spoke to him on the phone, it was something that I wanted to do, a critical part of my decision,” Gasol said of gauging Rose’s status. “He felt confident, he felt good about his health going forward, about how bad he wanted to win, so that’s what I needed to hear. I heard it from people in the organization, but I needed to hear it from him before I made my decision.”

Gasol, Joakim Noah and when healthy, Rose, have built a 6-2 record on the strength of phenomenal offense, which has at times looked devastating. A healthy Rose adjusted to the Bulls’ potent rotation absolutely makes Chicago an Eastern Conference contender, and Gasol said he’s been pleased with his decision thus far.

Tom Thibodeau, who said that he believed Rose’s top priority was still to win a championship in Chicago and not some post-career business endeavor, defended Rose but did admit he could’ve offered his remarks differently. He also championed his entire team, saying he didn’t want the season to devolve into a “soap opera” around one guy.

“I don’t know the context in which he answered it. Sometimes we all say things that we probably could say different,” Thibodeau said. “The bottom line is this. He was injured. He had two sprained ankles. He did the right thing and when he’s better, he played. … I just want him to keep building, put a string of games together, that’s all I want him thinking about. Thinking about the team, how we’re gonna win. And that’s it.”

Durability questions (is it ever anything else?) emerged after Rose sprained both of his ankles on Halloween, returned five days later in Milwaukee, and then missed the next two games after re-tweaking his ankles. In 31 minutes against the Bucks, Rose had 13 points and seven assists but clearly labored on defense. He admitted he wasn’t close to 100 percent after the game.

“With Derrick the last couple of days, when he had the ankles [concern], you could tell moving around in practice he wasn’t ready to go,” Dunleavy said. “There’s no question he should not have been playing those games.”

The controversy stems, in part, because of Rose’s two season-ending knee injuries coupled with never-ending questions of whether Rose will ever reach the levels of his former self.

With all due respect to the Bulls’ reserves, a comment from a backup guard wouldn’t have caused this sort of outcry. Every thing Derrick Rose says or does on the court is hyper-scrutinized because of his $95 million contract and the caliber player that he once was, and could perhaps become again. The tantalizing potential was evident on Monday night, when he scorched Detroit for a season-high 24 points and seven assists and took over in the fourth quarter.

“Sometimes words can be misinterpreted and things can get out of hand, especially if you’re a certain player with a certain status,” Gasol said. “You gotta understand that’s part of it and you have to deal with it at times. … When you’re at a certain position, you’re under some pressure, all eyes on you, and people have to talk about it. It’s a good thing because it means you’re at a high position, but there’s downsides to it as well. You just gotta be yourself, be comfortable with who you are, do your job and let other people do theirs.”

Adam Silver supports legalized sports gambling in New York Times op-ed. What's Your Take?

By Eric Freeman

National Basketball Association commissioner Adam Silver greets San Antonio Spurs owner Peter Holt as they watch ;the Spurs play the Los Angeles Clippers during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Monday, Nov. 10, 2014, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Professional sports leagues typically do their best to stay out of controversy, only weighing in on divisive topics when they directly involve the league or public opinion shifts to the point where they're no longer so contentious. It's often just not worth the risk of alienating a substantial portion of the fan base, especially when the organization has the option of waiting to see how the issue plays out.

It has therefore come as something of a surprise to see NBA commissioner Adam Silver look positively (or at least not negatively) on the idea of legalized sports gambling. Silver was quoted as considering it "inevitable" in early September, in a notable break from the approach of his predecessor David Stern.
 

Silver has now gone a few steps beyond that initial claim. The commissioner came out in support of legalizing sports gambling throughout the United States in a new op-ed for The New York Times published Thursday night. Here is a brief glance at his argument:

For more than two decades, the National Basketball Association has opposed the expansion of legal sports betting, as have the other major professional sports leagues in the United States. In 1992, the leagues supported the passage by Congress of the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act, or Paspa, which generally prohibits states from authorizing sports betting.

But despite legal restrictions, sports betting is widespread. It is a thriving underground business that operates free from regulation or oversight. Because there are few legal options available, those who wish to bet resort to illicit bookmaking operations and shady offshore websites. There is no solid data on the volume of illegal sports betting activity in the United States, but some estimate that nearly $400 billion is illegally wagered on sports each year. [...]

Outside of the United States, sports betting and other forms of gambling are popular, widely legal and subject to regulation. In England, for example, a sports bet can be placed on a smartphone, at a stadium kiosk or even using a television remote control.

In light of these domestic and global trends, the laws on sports betting should be changed. Congress should adopt a federal framework that allows states to authorize betting on professional sports, subject to strict regulatory requirements and technological safeguards.

These requirements would include: mandatory monitoring and reporting of unusual betting-line movements; a licensing protocol to ensure betting operators are legitimate; minimum-age verification measures; geo-blocking technology to ensure betting is available only where it is legal; mechanisms to identify and exclude people with gambling problems; and education about responsible gaming.

Silver's argument should be familiar to anyone who has encountered centrist cases for the legalization of marijuana — if it's already happening and authorities can't stop it, then why shouldn't we make it legal. While Silver does not put forward every piece of the argument, it boils down to a few key points, including (1) the idea of taxing and regulating commerce so the state and businesses can create revenue and (2) instituting enough safeguards so that a potentially harmful behavior won't become abusive. There are legitimate criticisms of this point of view, like that legalization disproportionately helps already privileged groups and doesn't always benefit society (especially in the case of gambling), but Silver is not blazing trails so much as joining a cause that already exists.

The op-ed is notable almost entirely because of the power Silver wields as commissioner of the NBA. He does not entirely contradict the views of David Stern, but this is a substantial break with past policy. When the NBA opposed New Jersey's legalization bill in 2012 (along with every other major league/organization), it did so with the belief that gambling would be bad for the league. In the op-ed, though, Silver attempts to paint that opposition as based on a technicality related to federal compliance with Paspa.

It's not hard to see why Silver would support legalized gambling. It drives interest in the results of games, whether through more typical wagers or fantasy leagues, and the NBA would stand to benefit from seeing more people with a stake in results. It's also possible that the league would gain power and/or financial benefits by working with gambling regulators.

Yet it's not entirely obvious why Silver has chosen to express his support for legalized sports gambling at this time, when the issue is far from resolved and not so overwhelmingly popular that his stance will be met with widespread support. It remains to be seen what effect his argument will have on the controversy, but it's already very important. Legalized sports gambling has never had a supporter at Silver's level of power within a major American league.

Chicago Sports & Travel, Inc./AllsportsAmerica Take: There are pros and cons on this issue. (1) There are financial benefits, (taxes), for local. state and federal municipalities, (2) It is done in other countries outside of the U.S., (3) It will reduce illegal gambling activities, however, it will not totally wipe it out. Lotteries are legal in many states today but the numbers rackets are still active and profitable right now. These are some arguments for legalized gambling but one of my biggest concerns is, what happens when the front office employees, coaches, players and other associated personnel participate in this tempting activity? What happens when points are shaved and games are lost because the player(s) had a bad night or it appears they had a bad night? What prevents a player from getting in cahoots with unsavory cohorts? I'm not saying that this will happen because most players have high moral standards and truly value their reputations but there are always that few that are weak and cannot help themselves and end up yielding to temptation.

This activity should be thoroughly studied, investigated and regulated with irrevocable penalties for participants, (Front office employees, coaches, players and associated personnel), that violate the validity of a game's outcome. Pete Rose, Paul Hornung, Alex Karras, Art Schlichter, the 1919 White Sox (Black Sox scandal), etc. are a few big names that come to mind when sports gambling is brought up. Hornung and Karras were allowed to return to the NFL after sitting out a full season before being reinstated. Pet Rose is still barred from MLB, Art Schlichter, college and professional football player and a compulsive gambler is in prison. There are other similar situations but these few come to mind.

This is a very slippery slope that can ruin the integrity of professional sports and should be studied very carefully before any decision is made. Again, violations must include irrevocable suspensions that cannot be overturned. Once you violate, you are forever out, period, paragraph, end of the story.

Now you know how we feel, we'd love to know what you think? Have at it, post your thoughts/opinions in the comment section at the bottom of the blog. We can't wait to see what you have to say. Marion P. Jelks, Chicago Sports & Travel, Inc./AllsportsAmerica blog editor.

Levine: White Sox Focus On Smart Spending.

By Bruce Levine

It comes as no surprise that the White Sox will pursue starting pitching, left-handed hitting and bullpen help this offseason, with the chance to add a veteran closer to the mix a priority.

Although general manager Rick Hahn admitted he would like to address these issues, he’s troubled by reports that the team will spend money at random this offseason.

“We are not focused on the limit of money we spend,” Hahn said from the GM meetings in Phoenix. “It’s more about finding our first few moves that make sense and spending a portion of what we have on those moves. The only thing that troubles me about the perception that we have money to spend is that does not mean we go out and spend on big free agents. Oftentimes, those turn out badly. While we do have some flexible areas (payroll budget), which was one of our goals heading into this offseason, the important part of that plan is to spend it wisely.”

For a big-market team like the White Sox that has resources more akin to a mid-market club, spending money on the wrong player can debilitate the team for years. As an example, the signing of Adam Dunn to a four-year, $56-million contract hamstrung the team’s operations from an economic and player movement aspect for most of that contract life.

“Our goal is not to put us back in a situation where our ability to compete is compromised by an inflexible roster,” Hahn said. “While we do have the ability to explore a lot of different things, that doesn’t then lead to us being big players on every free agent.”

Bullpen help, a right-handed starter and left-handed pop are all high on the wish list of Hahn and Co.

“I don’t think it is smart of me to talk about any specific free agents,” Hahn said. “We have not closed off any avenues of getting better, whether it is free agents, trading prospects or trading an established piece. It is so early in the process that I am not sure which avenue we are likely to go down. We are kicking the tires on all of them.”

What has been the White Sox’s game plan coming into the start of free agency?

‘”It is no secret from anyone who watched our team last year we had some bullpen issues,” Hahn said. “We will not shy away from mentioning that. At the same time, we are taking the same approach that we have in the last 16 months when it comes to an acquisition. We want to find a piece that makes us better and increases our competitiveness to help take that next step in 2015.”

Scott Boras sees big things happening for Cubs now.

By Patrick Mooney

Meet the Parents. All-Day Sucker. Does Scott Boras just sit around his Newport Beach fortress, living the California dream, thinking up one-liners?

About 40 reporters flocked to Boras on Wednesday inside the Arizona Biltmore lobby, curious to hear what he would say next at the general manager meetings. The super-agent didn’t zing the Cubs or the Ricketts family like he used to during his State of Boras Corp. address. That wouldn’t be good for business now.

After hiring a star manager and being linked to almost every major free agent, is president of baseball operations Theo Epstein putting his foot on the accelerator?

“Well, look, Theo’s accelerator took him to an RV park,” Boras said. “I told Joe Maddon I want him to be my financial advisor. He’s the only guy I know that goes on a vacation and while in his RV (he) makes $20 million. Yeah, they are making moves that are designed to help the team be competitive.”

The Cubs are not expected to be involved with Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer, a Boras client who reportedly turned down a six-year, $144 million offer from the Detroit Tigers in spring training.

But the Cubs are in on No. 1 starter Jon Lester and All-Star catcher Russell Martin. And the Pittsburgh Pirates going to the New York Yankees to trade for catcher Francisco Cervelli on Wednesday could be interpreted as another sign that they know they will be losing Martin.

The Cubs also have so many of his clients that Boras Corp. should just open a satellite office on Wacker Drive.

There’s Jake Arrieta, who got Cy Young votes during his breakthrough season. There’s consensus minor league player of the year Kris Bryant. There’s Albert Almora, the first player drafted by the Epstein administration. There’s former National League Rookie of the Year Chris Coghlan.

Even the two first-round picks acquired from the Oakland A’s in the Jeff Samardzija deal – Addison Russell and Billy McKinney – are represented by Boras.

“Look, this is the Chicago Cubs,” Boras said. “This is one of the storied franchises in the game and they have built a tremendous base of talent.

“Their ability to focus on what they need in free agency in a marketplace like Chicago should be an open door where they can fill multiple holes, because they have the capacity and the revenue streams.

“You got to remember, the Cubs were purchased for $700-800 million. I don’t think you could touch them for – it would be a 2 billion in front of it (now).

“That is a reason to invest in your resource, because you’re sitting on something that’s made you 200 times, 300 times your investment.

“We’ve got (to) take them very seriously – just on how much that asset value has increased. They’ve got a wealth of resources to allow them to readily pursue (the playoffs) and championship play.”

The Cubs haven’t spent like a big-market team in years. Epstein’s front office created this payroll flexibility through patience, attrition and the development of young players. It’s not the franchise simply turning on the faucet again.

But Boras didn’t fire any direct shots at the Ricketts family this time. He pointed to the broader economic landscape, changes to the collective bargaining agreement, how the draft is set up and the qualifying-offer system.

“There are incentives – grand incentives – to tank a season,” Boras said.

The Cubs aren’t all-in for 2015, but they are ready to spend and should be done writing off seasons.

As Boras said: “If any fan base in Chicago deserves a ‘now’ and not a ‘tomorrow,’ I’d say it’s the Chicago Cubs.”

Golf: I got a club for that; Golf Leaders Prod Slowpokes: ‘Just Step up and Hit It’.

By Michael Buteau

(Photographer: Simon Bruty /Sports Illustrated via Getty Images)

Golfers finally are getting answers on why it takes so long to play 18 holes.

Among them: A putting green that allows a golf ball to roll 4.5 percent farther can add as much as 18 minutes to a round, according to a study by the U.S. Golf Association.

The findings are among those revealed during the second annual pace-of-play symposium at the USGA’s Far Hills, New Jersey, headquarters, where the sport’s leaders are discussing ways to improve the game and answer one of its most pressing questions: Why does it take so long to play?

The golf industry is seeking a way to curb an exodus from the sport. About 1 million golfers have quit the game since 2009, according to the National Golf Foundation. In 2013 alone, about 600,000 (2.4 percent) of the sport’s 25.3 million golfers left the game, according to the NGF.

“It needs to be changed,” U.S. PGA Tour player Brendon Todd said in an interview. “It needs to be improved so people can get around the golf course in under four hours and get back to their families. There’s too much dilly-dallying. Just step up and hit it. Play likes it’s a game.”

While the speed of putting surfaces can significantly slow play because faster greens mean more time-delaying putts, another issue can be found at the first tee soon after sunrise, according to data from the USGA, which governs golf in the U.S. and Mexico.

A slow-playing first group, followed quickly by a second group sent off the first tee too early, can lead to bottlenecks on the course, forcing players to wait longer between shots. The delays compound with each group, often producing rounds that take longer than five hours.
 
This additional time has a direct impact on players’ enjoyment of the game, according to a USGA survey of 1,000 golfers and 231 golf facilities across the U.S.

Time ‘Critical’

Among those surveyed, 74 percent said the time it takes to play is “critical” to their enjoyment, 6 percentage points more than the cost to play and 21 percentage points above how well they play. The condition of the course remains the top factor when it comes to a golfer’s enjoyment, cited by 82 percent of those surveyed.

“When we’ve gone out and talked to golfers, they said pace of play is a huge issue,” Mike Davis, executive director of the USGA said. “Many of them said it is the single biggest issue. If you improve the experience and enjoyment, it’s going to help the game over time.”

For the second consecutive year, more than 10 percent of golfers said they played fewer rounds in 2014 because the time commitment “has become prohibitive.” The biggest increase is among public course golfers who pay less than $25 a round, with 64 percent citing slow play as the top factor determining overall enjoyment, an 8 percentage point increase from 2013.

Golfer, Operators

While slow play continues to plague the sport, golfers and course operators disagree on the issue, according to USGA survey data. The time it takes to play was cited as a “major problem” by 35 percent of golfers in 2014, up from 30 percent a year earlier, while only 7 percent of course operators shared that feeling, down from 12 percent.

Part of the problem, Davis said, is getting course owners to understand that play can be faster if there is more time allowed between starting times, a change that reduces the wait for players on the course. This past year, the USGA partnered with the LPGA, golf’s top female professional tour, in a project that cut the average playing time by 14 minutes. The reduction was mostly the result of starting groups 11 minutes apart instead of 10 minutes.

“There is actually more that can be done from a facility operations point of view than from the golfer,” Davis said. “They just don’t know because they haven’t seen the data. It’s going to be hard data that will actually convince them.”

More Groups

Over the coming year, the USGA said it plans to share its findings with influential golf groups, such as the National Golf Course Owners Association, in an attempt to get wider acceptance of methods to combat slow play.

In a separate three-month study, the USGA deployed summer interns to courses across the U.S. to collect playing data on a total of 5,396 golfers in 135 events at courses ranging from those on military bases to other at high-end resorts, such as Pinehurst No. 2 in North Carolina, site of the 2014 U.S. Men’s and Women’s Opens.

Playing 18 holes now takes 25 minutes longer at public courses than at private facilities, a nine-minute increase from 2013.

At one course studied, the time difference between the first group (4:06) and last group (5:37) was 1 hour and 31 minutes.

Green Speeds

The group also tracked green speeds, measuring how fast a ball rolls, and its impact on the pace of play. When green speeds rose to 11.5 from 11, a measurement that is determined using a Stimpmeter, some rounds could take as much as 18 minutes longer to play. Rounds played with green speeds of 8 were the fastest, taking less than four hours on average. The Stimpmeter rolls a ball down a fixed slope onto a flat section of green. The distance the ball rolls in feet on the green determines the putting surface’s speed.

“When you get them too fast, gravity becomes much more of an issue,” Davis said.

Trevino on Tiger: He has to do it 'on his own'.

By Ryan Ballengee

Lee Trevino jokes with the gallery during the 3M Greats of Golf at the Insperity Invitational on the Tournament Course at the Woodlands Country Club on May 3, 2014 in The Woodlands, Texas. (Photo by Scott Halleran/Getty Images)

If Tiger Woods is going to get back on track to catch Jack Nicklaus' record of 18 major titles, he's going to have to do it coaching himself. At least that's the opinion of six-time major champion Lee Trevino, who says Woods is the only person who knows what it will take to rebuild his swing in a way that will cope with his back and knee problems.
 

"I think his future is still bright if he does it on his own because now that he's had the knee done, he's had the back operation twice. Now he's going to have to adapt to that," Trevino said at the Nov. 7 Western Golf Association Green Coat Gala, according to Golfweek.  

"He's got to adapt to which way his body will move. He can't have someone standing on the side saying, 'No, no, you do it this way.' This guy doesn't know how the hell he feels when he's hitting this ball. The doctor doesn't even know how he feels when he hits this ball."

While Trevino, like Gary Player and others, is willing to help Tiger is recruited, he's not convinced Woods needs much fixing. Woods is a man who's lost his swagger.

"He's forgotten who he is. He is the best. He's Tiger Woods," he said. "You understand? I mean, there's no one else like him. He's won 14 majors, he's won (79) golf tournaments. That doesn't go away just because he got hurt."

NASCAR's Final 4 lacks star-power but has intrigue.

By JENNA FRYER (AP Auto Racing Writer)

There's no Jeff, Jimmie or Junior. Bad Brad missed the cut and Smoke never contended.

NASCAR's biggest stars are all absent from this final field of four racing for the Sprint Cup championship at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Sunday.

The new elimination format introduced by NASCAR this season was designed to emphasize wins over points and create a survival-of-the-fastest finale. Jeff Gordon and Brad Keselowski were eliminated last week. Six-time and defending champion Jimmie Johnson and Dale Earnhardt Jr., NASCAR's most popular driver, were knocked out in the second round. Three-time series champion Tony Stewart didn't even make the 16-driver field.

It was a startling development for NASCAR, particularly since Earnhardt, Gordon, Johnson and Keselowski combined to win 18 of 35 races this season. They will be racing only for pride and a trophy on Sunday while Kevin Harvick, Denny Hamlin, Joey Logano and Ryan Newman will be chasing the Sprint Cup championship.

The quartet lacks star power. But it is a formidable field and all four drivers have their share of tangled histories and compelling journeys that have them within reach of what will be the first NASCAR title for one of them.

Kevin Harvick talks to his crew in the garage as he waits for practice to begin for Sunday's Sprint Cup Series auto race at Martinsville Speedway in Martinsville, Va. Harvick finally has a shot to win his first Sprint Cup championship. (AP Photo/Steve Helber, File)

Harvick spent 13 seasons driving for Richard Childress, who hastily called him up to the big leagues to drive Dale Earnhardt's car just five days after the Hall of Famer was killed in the 2001 Daytona 500. He had raw talent to go with his hair-trigger temper.

But Richard Childress Racing could never get him close enough - he finished a career-best third in the standings three times - and he began talking to good friend Stewart about his future in 2012.

Stewart told Harvick if he left RCR to drive for Stewart-Haas Racing, he could get Harvick a title.

Harvick joined SHR at the end of 2013 and this first season has been nothing short of magical.

Harvick has four wins - including last week's version of a walk-off home run to race his way into the finale - and his 2,083 laps led are tops in the series this season.

''These moments are what you live for when you're racing or a professional athlete,'' he said of his first true chance to win a championship. ''You want these moments.''

To make room for Harvick, Stewart had to jettison Newman, the driver he brought with him in 2009 when he became part-owner of Stewart-Haas.

Sprint Cup Series driver Ryan Newman sits in his car in the garage during practice at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, Texas. Newman, Joey Logano, Kevin Harvick and Denny Hamlin will race next Sunday, Nov. 16, 2014, at Homestead-Miami Speedway for the championship. (AP Photo/LM Otero, File)

Newman got his pink slip last July and promptly won the Brickyard 400 the next race out. That victory raised his stock and Childress brought him on board. He drives Jeff Burton's old car, but in many senses it was a bit of a seat swap with Harvick.

Newman, who won a Daytona 500 driving for Roger Penske and at Indianapolis Motor Speedway driving for Stewart, was the final seed in the 16-driver field after a steady if unspectacular run in the playoffs. Last week, he moved Kyle Larson out of his way to snag the last spot in the finale and bumped Gordon.

Despite just 41 laps led all year and no wins, he has a chance to end the 20-year championship drought for Childress.

''We're in this hunt,'' Newman said. ''Just to have this opportunity, this is a chance for a dream to come true.''

Of the foursome, only Hamlin has been in this position before.

Crew members for Denny Hamlin push his FedEx Ground Toyota through inspection before the Quicken Loans Race for Heroes 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series auto race at Phoenix International Raceway, Sunday, Nov. 9, 2014, in Avondale, Ariz. Hamlin was the pole winner for the race. (AP Photo/Ralph Freso)

He was the points leader headed into the finale under a different format in 2010. But his nerves were shaky before he even got in the car and he lost the championship to Johnson. Hamlin hasn't been the same driver since.

Last season, Hamlin feuded for more than a month with Logano, his former Joe Gibbs Racing teammate. Things boiled over at California when they raced each other hard and contact sent Hamlin hard into the wall. He broke his back, missed five races and failed to make the Chase for the first time in his career.

NASCAR driver Joey Logano sits in his car before practicing for the NASCAR Geico 500 Sprint Cup Series auto race at Talladega Superspeedway in Talladega, Ala. Logano, Kevin Harvick, Denny Hamlin and Ryan Newman will race next Sunday, Nov. 16, 2014, at Homestead-Miami Speedway for the championship. (AP Photo/Rainier Ehrhardt, File)

Logano, meanwhile, was on a career resurgence at Team Penske after failing to meet expectations in four seasons with Gibbs. The former 18-year-old phenom dubbed ''Sliced Bread'' was pushed into Stewart's ride before he was ready when Stewart left for SHR.

Cast aside so Gibbs could add Matt Kenseth last year, the fit with Penske has been spectacular as Logano made the Chase for the first time last year, then held his own with five wins against the big dogs this season.

Now 24 and the youngest of the title contenders, Logano is racing for a championship against his old team and two drivers he has clashed with in Hamlin and Harvick, who relentlessly picked on him when he first came into the series.

Logano has never before been in such a high-stakes situation, but he's done it by listening to the advice of crew chief Todd Gordon.

''Todd said to me, 'Don't reinvent the wheel at this point. You just polish the wheel a little bit and just become a little better in every area,''' Logano said. ''That's what we've been able to do. It's been a fun ride so far.''

Chase Elliott cruises to claim Nationwide title.

By JENNA FRYER (AP Auto Racing Writer)

Chase Elliott's first season racing on a national level has gone smoother than anyone expected.

Elliott wrapped up the Nationwide Series title last week but won't officially celebrate his championship until after Saturday's season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway. The trophy presentation will cap a whirlwind year for the 18-year-old rookie, who didn't even have a ride last November.

Elliott has three wins this season, 26 top-10 finishes in 32 races and beat JR Motorsports teammate Regan Smith for the title. It was the first Nationwide title for the team owned by Dale Earnhardt Jr., his sister Kelley, and Rick Hendrick.

Crew chief Greg Ives said the biggest issues the team has faced this year has been Elliott, the youngest champion in NASCAR history, not knowing his way around the race track and adjusting to life on the road.

''He'll often ask where the bathrooms are. Or what's to eat,'' Ives said Thursday. ''He's always eating somewhere. We had to start taking away the junk food out of the cabinets because his metabolism - he's trying to keep that fed. I don't even know what he was eating, but I know he was eating a lot.''

 
Earnhardt has found Elliott, the son of Hall of Fame inductee and 1988 NASCAR champion Bill Elliott, to be extremely mature for his age. Part of it is the focus Elliott has on racing - although he's risen rapidly through the ranks, his father has not funded his career and Elliott has had to earn his rides.

The result is that although Elliott has the same interests as other 18-year-olds, he seems like a seasoned veteran behind the wheel.

''His priorities are definitely different than a lot of people's, but he's still very focused and very driven, determined, just loves to race, enjoys being in the cars,'' Earnhardt said. ''The only time you forget he's 18 is definitely when he's behind the wheel.''

Elliott's ride came together at the start of the year, when sponsor NAPA signed on with JRM to give the company the funding it needed to field a car for Elliott. He was in his final semester of high school and desperately hoping to put a program together that would jumpstart his career.

It ended several tense months for Elliott, who wasn't sure something was going to come together. He wasn't eligible for a Nationwide Series ride until his 18th birthday last November.

''This time a year ago, I didn't have any plans,'' he said. ''As I got closer to the offseason, had a couple of conversations with Mr. Hendrick about running just a few, just a handful of Nationwide races maybe. Still wasn't really even confirmed at that. I'd have been stoked to just run five or two or one.''

Now he's a champion and some wonder whether he should have been moved up to the elite Sprint Cup level. Kyle Larson spent just one season in Nationwide last year before he was promoted to Cup, and Elliott's fans want their driver on the same fast track.

Hendrick has indicated they'll keep him in Nationwide for now. Hendrick Motorsports does not have an open seat next year, and many believe Elliott could be Jeff Gordon's successor whenever he chooses to retire.

Elliott isn't worried about a Cup ride just yet, he's more focused on claiming his championship.

''It's really not official until Saturday night. So we'll kind of let it sink in then, and certainly we'll enjoy it this offseason and just enjoy the weekend,'' Elliott said. ''This weekend, I think, first and foremost, it's going to be a lot of fun, and kind of for everybody to enjoy the last week of the season together and just go out and compete for a victory and not have to worry about the championship.''

FIFA corruption should not stop U.S. from bidding on 2026 World Cup.

By Dan Wetzel

Fans watch the United States vs Belgium match during the World Cup at a viewing party at Soldier Field on July 1, 2014 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Timothy Hiatt/Getty Images)

The United States' bid to host the 2022 World Cup featured 21 modern stadiums of at least 66,000 seats in a wealthy, stable, progressive, media-and-marketing-rich, suddenly soccer-mad country where nearly all conceivable infrastructure was already in place, assuring minimal environmental impact and waste.

It lost, decisively, to a Middle Eastern country where temperatures soar into the 120s, everything needed to be built (with migrant labor where thousands would die) in a nation that, while very rich, has a brutal record of human rights violations.

It was Qatar 14, USA 8 in the fourth and decisive round of voting. America never really stood a chance.

The process was deemed corrupt even before the final vote, with suspicions of bribes and backdoor contracts everywhere. Eventually, even FIFA began to confront the realities of both labor abuse and the fact that extreme heat isn't conducive to high-level play, let alone athlete and fan safety. Eight years out and it is a mess.

Under waves of criticism, FIFA hired an American, Michael Garcia, a former district attorney in New York, to conduct a corruption investigation. He produced a 430-page report only to claim Thursday that FIFA's publicly released 42-page synopsis (the full report isn't being made available) was a rewritten whitewash in an effort to protect high-level executives including FIFA president Sepp Blatter.

"It contains numerous materially incomplete and erroneous representations of the facts and conclusions detailed in the investigatory chamber's report," said Garcia, who is now appealing, whatever that means.
 

Look, FIFA is the worst – a clown show that would be funny if it wasn't for all the cheap coffins holding poor third world laborers being shipped from Doha back to Nepal.
 

The International Olympic Committee is awful, more awful even on certain subjects, but overall FIFA usually finds a way to trump it. Any American equivalent, such as the NCAA, is small potatoes. If you think the U.S. is hopelessly corrupt, just go visit another country – and not Toronto, Central London or the Hilton Cancun. Try the second or third world on for size.
 

The natural reaction for America is to take one look at FIFA and declare we want no part of it, the way the USOC isn't sure about bidding for future Olympic games right now.
 

The smart decision, however, is this: The U.S. should absolutely bid for the 2026 World Cup.

*********

 

The U.S. should conduct itself with the highest of ethical standards, of course. First off, we shouldn't tolerate bribes. Second, screw these FIFA guys. Besides, the U.S. would be the overwhelming favorite without a single hundred-dollar handshake. The bid process is still a few years away (no firm date set) but countries are already jockeying for position.

Sunil Gulati, the president of U.S. Soccer, has long bragged that America could host a World Cup "tomorrow" and he isn't that far off.
 

This isn't the hosting of an Olympics, where the IOC demands what amounts to billions in facility construction that is often unnecessarily lavish and useless once the torch is doused. The World Cup can be staged in existing stadiums, which we have a surplus. The 1994, U.S.-hosted World Cup is still the best attended of all time and that was before the field was expanded to 32 teams in 1998.
 

For the 2018 bid, U.S. Soccer identified a whopping 70 suitable facilities before eventually paring the list down to 21 in or around 18 cities: Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Dallas, Denver, Houston, Indianapolis, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, Nashville, New York, Philadelphia, Phoenix, San Diego, Seattle, Tampa and Washington D.C.
 

Airports are already modern. Highways built. Subways working. Hotels operating.

Security plans are in place and there is lots of experience at hosting massive events.
You aren't just up and dropping the World Cup into some small, poor, rural town where nothing has happened in decades. You're going to the Rose Bowl.

This is easy … or as easy as it gets.
 

Of course, all of this was true last time and the U.S. got wiped out, which is why U.S. Soccer remains cautious and hasn't promised a bid for 2026 yet.
 

"Would we be interested in bidding for 2026?" Gulati asked rhetorically in a speech last year in London. "The procedures would need to be very different to what they are now. If the critical issue is taking it to new lands, then tell us in advance, because we won't bother.
 

"The rules need to be clearer and tighter," he continued. "And the process needs to be better. If you are stepping onto a field of play, you know what the rules are."
 

Gulati, who was elected last year to the FIFA Executive Committee that votes on the World Cup hosts, wants the vote to be public to add transparency (it's currently secret which naturally leads to trouble). He proposes that a grading of the technical report carries some weight to the process, which means things like searing summer heat in the Middle East or lack of facilities in a developing country can't be ignored.
 

He'd like as many criteria written in stone as possible.

The U.S. has a couple of advantages this time, however. FIFA eliminated its continental rotation system in 2007, but it is believed that it will continue at least informally. Also, the only current rule is that the previous two host continents can't bid, so that takes out Europe (Russia) and Asia (Qatar), essentially decimating viable competition. This is the opportunity to pounce before those continents return, thus avoiding England, Netherlands/Belgium or Spain/Portugal in 2030, let alone predicted shoo-in China in 2034.
 

Seeing an opportunity for North America, both Mexico and Canada have said they will bid. The U.S. could offer more fans, more wealth, stronger corporate backing, bigger markets and better facilities than either of those countries, though. One of the U.S.'s few weak points is its vast size, which makes travel taxing for visiting fans. Canada and Mexico are only slightly better.
 

Morocco has made noise about putting forth an African bid (the continent's last host was South Africa in 2010), but even local organizers aren't sure the country is capable of handling such a large event. Colombia, representing South America (last host: Brazil, 2014) has said it will bid, but even if it teams up with Peru and Ecuador, that's minimal competition. More significant would be a possible dual bid involving Uruguay and Argentina, however that is still a rather quick return to South America.
 

Even Sepp Blatter sees the writing on the wall. Or at least the dollar signs in the United States.
 

"We have been in South America, I think North America has a better chance than South America," Blatter said earlier this year. "Perhaps there's a big commercial opportunity arising now in the United States because of the tremendous television audiences that are booming and that the World Cup has also encouraged in its domestic game as well.
 

"We did well with football when it first went to the United States but the opportunities are bigger now," he concluded.

**********

 

There is legitimately one choice here. It's all set up. The U.S. should push for as much reform in the bid process as possible but it shouldn't let the opportunity pass.
 

America is strong enough that it doesn't have to play FIFA's games. There is little to no financial risk here. No billions needed to construct facilities. This isn't the Olympics. And it's actually a way to find additional use of NFL stadiums already built with public assistance by welcoming foreign tourists and growing the game.
 

While much distrust remains and FIFA is as ethically bankrupt as ever, the United States shouldn't hesitate to bring the World Cup back in 2026. We might even have a title contender by then.

 

Pele recovering from kidney stone removal: hospital.

Reuters; Reporting by Eduardo Simoes, Editing by Ed Osmond

Brazilian soccer legend Pele laughs during the inauguration of a refurbished soccer field at the Mineira slum in Rio de Janeiro September 10, 2014. (REUTERS/Ricardo Moraes)

Former Brazil striker underwent a procedure on Thursday to remove kidney stones that were obstructing his urinary tract, his doctors at a Sao Paulo hospital said.

The 74-year-old was admitted to the Albert Einstein Hospital on Wednesday with abdominal pains that forced him to cancel a book signing event in Santos, where he lives.

Tests showed he was suffering from kidney and ureteral stones that were removed on Thursday morning, the doctors said in a statement.

"He is clinically stable and in recovery," they added.

Known as "the King of soccer" in Brazil, Pele is widely regarded as the finest player to grace the sport. He played in four World Cups and helped Brazil win the global tournament three times, the last in Mexico in 1970.

Notre Dame prediction: Game 10 vs. Northwestern.

By Matt Fortuna

Will 1995 repeat itself?

How Northwestern can win: The Wildcats' defense snapped out of its two-game rut (86 total points allowed) this past Saturday against Michigan, forcing three turnovers and giving the offense a chance to win late. That offense, though, has yet to really do much of anything, as Northwestern has failed to score more than 20 points in each of its last five games. Matt Alviti saw action Saturday for the first time in his career and could possibly be a curveball against an Irish defense that does not have much tape on the redshirt freshman quarterback, though his potential entrance may speak as much to his leaky offensive line as anything else.

How Notre Dame can win: The Irish simply need to cut down on turnovers. If this sounds like a repeat from previous weeks, that is exactly what it is. Notre Dame's game at ASU last week appeared to be over by halftime because of carelessness with the ball, but the Irish's rally shows just how smooth the offense is when Everett Golson is playing mistake-free (and when his offensive line gives him some time). The backfield needs to gain some traction, too, something that will be much more important next week when Louisville's defense comes to town.

Breakout player: Nyles Morgan. The former four-star linebacker will be in a much more ideal situation Saturday than he was last week, when he was thrust into the fire at ASU while the defense itself was put in vulnerable positions. He'll get a chance against the Wildcats to show what some of the recruiting hype was about.

Prediction: Notre Dame 35, Northwestern 14. The Irish play much smarter offensively, which makes for a crisp outing and, for the first time since September, a relatively stress-free win.

Year of the team in college hoops.

By JOHN MARSHALL (AP Basketball Writer)

The 2013-14 college basketball season was known as the year of the freshman. With the likes of one-and-doners like Andrew Wiggins, Jabari Parker and Aaron Gordon, it lived up to the billing, too.

This season, the stars aren't shining so bright and it is teams that are on the marquee instead: Kentucky's 12-deep roster, Arizona's loaded squad and the experienced Badgers of Wisconsin.

Year of the team doesn't exactly have the same ring to it, but it's more to the essence of what college basketball is about.

Just look at Kansas. The Jayhawks, ranked No. 5 in The Associated Press preseason poll, lost two lottery picks and may be even better this season.

''This is a team like that in that there's not a first, second or third pick right now,'' Kansas coach Bill Self said. ''I mean, I'm not saying somebody couldn't become that eventually, but right now there's not. But we've got a whole bunch of good players and I'm excited about that because we do have good basketball players.''

The team with the highest number of good players, at least on paper, is preseason No. 1 Kentucky.

The Wildcats have another batch of potential first-round NBA picks in John Calipari's latest recruiting class and, in a twist, have many of their star players back from a team that played for a national championship. They are so deep that Calipari is trying a platoon system.

''I told the guys in the locker room (that) they could have beaten some NBA teams tonight, there's no question in my mind,'' Georgetown College coach Scott Briggs said after a 121-52 exhibition loss to the Wildcats.

Calipari quickly shot that notion down, but Kentucky will certainly be good.

So will Arizona. Coach Sean Miller may have his best team yet, which is saying something for a team that's been within seconds of the Final Four twice in three seasons. Wisconsin made it to the Final Four last season and has nearly everyone back, including center Frank Kaminsky. Duke's loaded, too, adding a strong recruiting class headed by preseason All-American Jahlil Okafor.

But it's not just about who has the best talent. Chemistry is a big part of which teams make deep March runs.

Kentucky was the preseason No. 1 last year, too, but fell out of the rankings before pulling it altogether in the NCAA tournament. Connecticut wasn't exactly a favorite last season, yet won the title - just like it did in 2011.

With that in mind, maybe the team under the confetti canons in Indianapolis will be one like Michigan State, Gonzaga, Louisville or, yes, UConn.

''I just keep telling our team no championship teams are here in November,'' Arizona senior point guard T.J. McConnell said. ''We can't predict the future. It only matters in March.''

Predicting this season's star players could be tough, too, though there are some quality choices.

Kaminsky led the Badgers to the Final Four, is a nightmare matchup as a 7-footer who can shoot and is a preseason All-American. North Carolina point guard Marcus Paige was perhaps college basketball's best go-to player last season. Kentucky has returning stars like big-shot Aaron Harrison, his twin Aaron and athletic 7-footer Willie Cauley-Stein.

The freshmen class might not be quite as sparkly as last season's, but there's definitely talent.

Okafor was the third freshman preseason All-American in five years and could make the Blue Devils quickly forget the loss of Parker to the NBA. Athletic Stanley Johnson could do the same at Arizona, which lost one-and-done forward Aaron Gordon.

Big man Cliff Alexander will be a handful at Kansas and Karl-Anthony Towns might be the most talented player on Kentucky's roster this season.

''He's a skilled big player,'' Calipari said of Towns. ''If he gets it around the basket, he just has a knack for getting it in.''

The conference with the best group of teams will likely be the powerful ACC.

Last season, the ACC picked up Syracuse, Pittsburgh and Notre Dame. Louisville will be a part of the conference this season, giving it four Hall of Fame coaches and grinder of a schedule for its teams.

''Based on past successes, this may be the strongest collection of basketball programs in history,'' ACC Commissioner John Swofford said. ''I think historically it certainly falls into that category. Obviously, we need (what happens) on the court to live up to that.''

It all begins on Friday.

Mike Trout, Clayton Kershaw make history as they're crowned MVPs.

By Mike Oz

Mike Trout and Clayton Kershaw each won their first MVP award. (Getty Images)

Los Angeles is the city of stars, but in 2014 it was also the city of baseball's two most valuable players. 

Mike Trout of the Los Angeles Angels and Clayton Kershaw of the Los Angeles Dodgers were named the AL and NL MVPs on Thursday, bringing both pieces of hardware back to Hollywood. Well, Anaheim in Trout's case, but close enough.
 

They're the two best players in baseball — the best hitter and the best pitcher — and while some people in Detroit or St. Louis might claim blasphemy, if you strip away any favoritism, it's true. Trout is the best run producer in the game, and Kershaw is the toughest in the game to score against. And now the Baseball Writers Association of America have cemented their MVP status. For this year, at least. 
 

Trout was a unanimous winner, making him just the 10th MVP to sweep the voting. The NL vote was closer, but Kershaw still received 18 first-place votes, enough to handily beat Giancarlo Stanton of the Miami Marlins.
 

Each MVP award has even more historical context:

Full NL MVP results, click to enlarge. (BBWAA)

Take Kershaw, he's the first NL pitcher to win the MVP since Bob Gibson in 1968. In the American League, it's happened a couple times since then. The three most recent: Justin Verlander  in 2011, Dennis Eckersley in 1992 and Roger Clemens in 1986. Kershaw is now the fourth NL pitcher to win the MVP and three of them are Dodgers, with Sandy Koufax (1963) and Don Newcombe (1956) being the others.

There's a sentiment in baseball shared by some that pitchers shouldn't win the MVP since they have the Cy Young award. Kershaw won that Wednesday. His 2014 season was so incredible that it overcame the belief that pitchers should exist to reach only the Cy Young. Two position players, each with stellar seasons, just didn't measure up. Stanton finished second after crushing 37 homers and Andrew McCutchen of the Pittsburgh Pirates, the 2013 MVP, finished third after leading the NL in OPS. 
 

And Trout, at age 23, is the fifth-youngest player to win an MVP. He's the youngest MVP in 31 years, since Cal Ripken won it at age 22 in 1983. The list of players to be crowned MVP at a younger age than Trout includes not a single slouch: Vida Blue (he's the youngest in 1971, in his age 21 season), Johnny Bench (1970) and Stan Musial (1943).

Full AL MVP results, click to enlarge. (BBWAA)

Trout earned all 30 first-place votes, finishing ahead of Victor Martinez of the Detroit Tigers (16 second place votes) and Michael Brantley of the Cleveland Indians (eight second-place votes). 

Trout finished second each of the past two seasons, with advanced-stat minded folks arguing that he deserved the award both seasons instead of Miguel Cabrera. Even the year Cabrera won the Triple Crown. This is not to ignite another of those debates, rather to make the point that Trout couldn't be denied a third time. 

His 2014 was maybe his worst season by many metrics, which goes to show how good Trout's first two seasons were rather than shame his 2014 performance. This year, he led MLB in runs scored and RBIs — a spectacular amount of run producing that helped the Angels win an MLB-high 98 games. The knock on Trout in years past was that he wasn't valuable because his team didn't win. But this year it did. 

He also had 36 homers with 173 total hits. He led baseball (again) in Wins Above Replacement, an across-the-board stat that measures his value relative to a replacement-level player. The knock on Trout this year is that he struck out more than anybody in baseball. That's true, his batting average was down, from .323 last season to .287 in 2014, so were his walks. But between his runs and RBIs, he easily accounted for the most scoring in MLB, and that's the point, isn't it? 

Kershaw's job, of course, is the opposite. He's not supposed to allow runs, and for a good stretch, he didn't. He had a 41-inning scoreless streak at one point and had a 0.94 ERA in June and July. 

He finished the season with a 1.77 ERA, the fourth straight season in which Kershaw had the lowest ERA in MLB. No one's ever done that before. Kershaw won 21 games and lost just three, throwing six complete games, two shutouts and one no-hitter. He struck out 239 batters and walked just 31. Kershaw was so good, he didn't allow an RBI to a left-handed batter until September.  

Neither Kershaw nor Trout delivered the ultimate prize to their cities — a World Series trophy. Both the Angels and Dodgers were bounced out of the playoffs earlier than they hoped. Now that they've earned MLB honors, Trout and Kershaw have their next challenge in front of them.

Clayton Kershaw, Corey Kluber win Cy Young Awards.

By BEN WALKER (AP Baseball Writer)

Clayton Kershaw (Ezra Shaw/Getty Images North America)

 

Everyone expected Clayton Kershaw to pitch a shutout, and he did - a unanimous choice for the NL Cy Young Award.

Corey Kluber (Jason Miller/Getty Images North America)

 

Corey Kluber edging out Felix Hernandez for the AL pitching prize, that was no sure thing.

Now, the big question: Is Kershaw the Most Valuable Player, too?

''I can't even really fathom it happening,'' Kershaw said on a conference call Wednesday, shortly after winning his third Cy Young in four seasons.

Kershaw led the majors in victories and ERA and threw a no-hitter, going 21-3 with a 1.77 ERA for the NL West champion Los Angeles Dodgers.

The 26-year-old lefty with a wicked curveball will find out Thursday if he's the first NL pitcher to sweep the MVP and Cy Young honors since Bob Gibson in 1968.

''I think a lot of things probably have to go right,'' Kershaw said, adding, ''there are so many people out there who don't think a pitcher should win.''

Pittsburgh center fielder Andrew McCutchen, who won the NL MVP last year, and Miami slugger Giancarlo Stanton are competing against Kershaw for honor.

''Everybody's going to have an opinion'' on the position player-vs.-pitcher debate, Kershaw said.

His thought? ''I don't really have an opinion either way,'' he said, diplomatically.

''I think most valuable is such a tough thing to assess,'' he said.

Kershaw won the Cy Young for the second year in a row, getting all 30 first-place votes in balloting by members of the Baseball Writers' Association of America.

Johnny Cueto of Cincinnati was second with 112 points, followed by Adam Wainwright of St. Louis (97) and World Series MVP Madison Bumgarner of San Francisco (28).

Voting was completed before the postseason began. Kershaw went 0-2 with a 7.82 ERA in a Division Series loss to St. Louis, leaving him at 1-5 with a 5.12 ERA in his playoff career.

''For me, personally, the season didn't end the way I wanted to,'' Kershaw said.

Kluber's dominant second half helped him draw 17 of 30 first-place votes and 169 points, while Seattle ace King Felix got 13 firsts and 159 points. Chris Sale of the Chicago White Sox was third with 78 points.

''I think I'm definitely surprised,'' said Kluber, who ''just assumed'' Hernandez would win.

Nicknamed ''Klubot'' for his stoic demeanor, his plans after the announcement were far from flashy.

''Probably go home and give my daughters a bath,'' he said.

A 28-year-old righty, Kluber went 18-9 to tie for the AL lead in wins. He had a 2.44 ERA in his first full major league season and 269 strikeouts, two behind league leader David Price.

Kluber had consecutive 14-strikeout games in September, not done since Arizona's Randy Johnson in 2004. He became Cleveland's fourth Cy Young winner, joining Gaylord Perry (1972), CC Sabathia (2007) and Cliff Lee (2008).

''To have your name mentioned along with theirs in certain categories is humbling,'' Kluber said.

Hernandez, who won the AL award in 2010, went 15-6 with a league-leading 2.14 ERA. He struck out 248 in 236 innings.

''I don't know what to say. That was tough,'' Hernandez said. ''A little disappointed.''

Kershaw won the major league season opener in Australia on March 22, then a strained upper back put him on the disabled list for the first time in his seven-year career.

Once he returned, he kept looking more and more like his friend, Dodgers Hall of Fame lefty Sandy Koufax.

Kershaw joined Koufax as one of nine pitchers with at least three Cy Youngs. Roger Clemens leads the list with seven.

The previous pitcher with a unanimous win was Detroit's Justin Verlander, who took the AL Cy Young and MVP in 2011. A year earlier, Philadelphia's Roy Halladay unanimously won the NL Cy Young.

Verlander is among six AL pitchers to take the Cy Young and MVP since Gibson's NL sweep nearly a half-century ago.

Kershaw became the first pitcher to lead the majors in ERA for four straight years. He topped baseball this season in complete games and was best among starters in strikeouts per nine innings and WHIP (walks plus hits per inning).

He struck out 239 in 198 1-3 innings, three behind NL co-leaders Stephen Strasburg and Cueto.

Kershaw's crowning achievement was the first no-hitter of his career, at Dodger Stadium against Colorado on June 18. Soon after, he was picked for his fourth All-Star team.

Kershaw came within one Cy vote of being unanimous last year. Tim Lincecum had been the last NL pitcher to win back-to-back Cys, in 2008-09 for the Giants.

The Cy Young was first awarded in 1956. Up through the 1966 season, there was only one selection from both leagues.

Kershaw earned a $1 million bonus and Kluber got $10,000.

On This Date in Sports History: Today is Friday, November 14, 2014.

MemoriesofHistory.com

1943 - Sid Luckman (Chicago Bears) became the first to throw for more than 400 yards. He threw for 433 yards and seven touchdowns against the New York Giants.

1970 - The plane carrying the Marshall University football team crashed. Thirty-seven were killed.

1993 - Don Shula (Miami Dolphins) set a new NFL record with his 325th victory.

1995 - ESPN Radio acquired the exclusive rights to broadcast NBA games.

1998 - Carmen Electra and Dennis Rodman were married in Las Vegas, NV. 

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