Wednesday, November 12, 2014

CS&T/AllsportsAmerica Wednesday Sports News Update, 11/12/2014.

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Sports Quote of the Day:

"The happiest people in the world are those who feel absolutely terrific about themselves, and this is the natural outgrowth of accepting total responsibility for every part of their life." ~ Brian Tracy, Entrepreneur, Public Speaker and Author

Bear Down Chicago Bears!!! 4 downs with Ditka: ‘I don’t see a lot of pride’.

By Dan Cahill

Mike Ditka, Chicago Bears Super Bowl Winning Coach, Player and Hall of Fame Member
 
1. Have you ever seen Chicago more down about its football team?

The Bears have gone through some tough times. They are not playing well. It’s very simple. The defense is not good. I don’t see a lot of leadership out of certain players. I think they have a problem. Marc [Trestman] knows that as well as anybody. You can blame anyone you want for what’s going on, and usually it’s the coach.

But if you have any talent at all on the defensive side of the ball, you don’t put on an exhibition like you did in the first half against Green Bay. You don’t do that. Now, if you have no pride at all, then maybe that can happen.
 
I don’t see a lot of leadership; I don’t see a lot of pride in what’s going on. I see a lot of guys going through the motions.
 
2. For a team that had such promise, where did the season go off the rails?

The only reality in life is what you do. It’s not what you think you will do or what people expect you to do. It’s really what you do. This is totally in the control of the players on the field. If you want to be great, then you earn that right to be great. You want to be respected, then you earn that right. It just doesn’t come easy. To be good at anything in life, it comes with a price. It’s not cheap. You have to bust your butt. You have to be special. You have to be disciplined. You have to know your defenses. You have to have leadership. All of those things fit in. And if you don’t have them, it’s going to show along the way. Oh, you might be by for a while, but you’re not going to make it in the long run.
 
This thing is not over, but you had better circle the wagons quickly. I’m not sure you can change much, but I know one thing: If I’m the coach and I call a certain defense, I would hope that the players know where the hell to line up. It doesn’t look like they do at times. How hard can it be? If it’s too hard, simplify it.
 
3. How do you even begin to fix the problems and how long will this take?
 
Julius Peppers, Jay Cutler
 
I don’t know, but I would make it very simple right now. Here’s the object: That’s the opponent, and I’m the Bears. I’m going to hit him harder than he hits me. I know where I’m lining up every time, and I’m playing full speed. That’s the way you have to play the game on the defensive side.
 
Offensively, there’s a lot of talent there, but everything has to come together. The fact that they have weapons doesn’t scare anybody. They have to make those weapons work. You have to put points on the board. You have to control the clock at times. You have to keep the other team’s offense off the field. There’s so much that goes into it.
 
4. Social media wasn’t around when you were coaching. Marc Trestman’s daughters were attacked on Twitter. Was anyone in your family ever yelled at and what do you say to the people who do that?

Marc Trestman
 
First of all, the people that do this are gutless.  That’s why they do it in social media, so they can hide. They’re cowards; they hide behind things. They don’t come out in public.  They’re not going to knock on your door and say, ‘Hey, this is what I think.’ They have to do it by innuendo and through [social] media. These people are all cowards. That’s what social media allows you to do. You don’t have to meet the person face to face. All you have to do is say what you want to say. You can hurt a person’s reputation. That’s why I say it’s a cowardly thing.
 
In my time, did I see it? No. Now, we had writers who weren’t favorable toward me or the team at times, but they had a right to say anything they wanted to. But that was different. This is malicious. These people ought to be rounded up and kicked right in their ass.
 
Trestman's reluctance to change Bears resurrects old concerns... 
 
By John Mullin
 
A longtime NFL source told CSNChicago.com some time ago that a nagging knock on Marc Trestman in some corridors of the NFL - and one of the reasons he never was able to land a head-coaching job in the league prior to the Bears - was the perception that he sometimes froze under pressure as an offensive coordinator. He dispelled some of that with his performance with the Montreal Alouettes, but at the NFL level, the recent results are reviving questions as to whether Trestman toughens or tightens under pressure.
 
The measure of that isn’t necessarily whether a turnaround is accomplished; sometimes you simply aren’t good or talented enough no matter what you do.
 
And while believing in oneself or one’s system is always a fundamental to success, rigid adherence to a failing tactic or strategy or individual is nearly always a fundamental to failure.

Trestman on Monday said that no staff changes were occurring despite the deepening degree level of dysfunction within his team. He also said that no change was contemplated at quarterback, the top “staff” position on the field, despite his team being outscored 94-7 in the first halves of the last three games, the most recent (Green Bay) coming in the form of disasters in all three phases of the football team in spite of two weeks of preparation. Trestman even said he never considered making a quarterback change at halftime with a 42-0 deficit.

This is not about Jay Cutler. It is not about Mel Tucker. Be very clear on that.

One of Trestman’s prize students/disciples – Rich Gannon, who was an NFL MVP under Trestman with the Oakland Raiders – had a scathing critique of the quarterback Trestman is not wavering on.

“Jay Cutler was awful,” Gannon said on “NFL Monday QB” on CBS Sports Network after the Green Bay game. “He turned it over three times – two interceptions and a fumble in the pocket. It bothered me that they weren’t ready to play… If I were Marc Trestman, I’d sit Jay Cutler.”

But Trestman clearly is not.


Former NFL quarterback Steve Beuerlein echoed Gannon’s thought: “You have to consider [benching Jay Cutler]. I don’t think it will happen at this point, but the performance speaks. You look at the last two weeks. They’ve been down 45-0 [Sunday] night, 45-7 to the New England Patriots two weeks ago. This is embarrassing. They are a talented football team that should be able to produce and score points. It starts at the top with the quarterback. He has to step up, make some plays and get this team in the right direction.”

Trestman has a level of belief in Cutler. The organization would not have graced him with a contract containing $54 million guaranteed without Trestman’s sign-off and coming to agreement with GM Phil Emery that Cutler is indeed “elite.”

But the only thing worse than making a mistake is sticking doggedly to repeating it, whether out of fear of change, belief that it all will work out in the end, having no alternative, whatever.

And players know. They always know. They know who can play and who can’t. If Trestman and Emery insist on staying a failing course, the perception in the locker room that coaches are giving them the best chance of winning will fade, and that doesn’t usually come back.

The Bears lost their way out of the 2013 playoffs by losing two straight games to end the season. They have virtually lost their way out this year’s postseason with a 3-6 mark that expands to 3-8 going back to 2013.

The Bears’ problems are not about one player or coach. But they are about changing and not being either frozen or so rigid that nothing changes.
 
How 'bout them Chicago Blackhawks? Patrick Kane gives Blackhawks shootout win over Lightning.
 
By Tracey Myers
 
(Photo: The Associated Press)

Corey Crawford made 25 saves and three more stops in the shootout to lead the Chicago Blackhawks to a 3-2 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday night.


Patrick Kane scored the only goal in the tiebreaker as Chicago won for the third time in four games and stopped Tampa Bay's six-game winning streak. The Blackhawks had lost their last five games against the Lightning, with four of the defeats coming in a shootout or overtime.

Crawford stopped Ryan Callahan and Nikita Kucherov before Kane beat Ben Bishop with a backhander high on the glove side. Crawford then denied Steven Stamkos to seal it.  

Brad Richards and Marcus Kruger scored in regulation for the Blackhawks, who have won consecutive home games after dropping three in a row at the United Center.

Bishop had 37 saves for the Lightning, who were coming off a 4-3 shootout victory at Detroit on Sunday. Cedric Paquette scored in the first, and Kucherov had Tampa Bay's other goal in the third.

The tight matchup of contenders got more physical as the game wore on, and it took a toll on the players.

Tampa Bay center Tyler Johnson, who leads the team with 13 assists, departed after he was cross-checked in the back by defenseman Brent Seabrook in the third. Blackhawks defenseman Johnny Oduya also left in the final period with an apparent right leg injury.

Kruger gave the Blackhawks a 2-1 lead when he tipped Niklas Hjalmarsson's long slap shot by Bishop 1:18 into the third. But the Lightning tied it at 2 when Stamkos made a nice pass through the crease to set up Kucherov's sixth goal at 9:53.

Bishop stopped Jonathan Toews on a 4-on-4 breakaway with 8:20 left in regulation, and Crawford made a pair of saves on Callahan in overtime.

The Blackhawks put a ton of pressure on Bishop right from the start, and the 6-foot-7 goalie kept the Lightning in the game with a series of outstanding saves. It was reminiscent of his previous start in Chicago, when he had 37 stops to help Tampa Bay rally for a 3-2 shootout victory last October.

Toews got a great in-close look about 7 1/2 minutes into the game, but Bishop made an impressive right pad save. He also stopped Kris Versteeg and Richards in rapid succession with about 3 minutes left in the period.

Chicago outshot Tampa Bay 19-6 in the first, but the Lightning's second short-handed goal of the season was enough for a 1-0 lead at the first intermission. Paquette finished off a slow-developing 2-on-1 with Ondrej Palat, sliding a shot through Crawford's legs for his fourth goal at 4:35.

Bishop kept up his solid play in the second, and got some help from defenseman Valtteri Filppula when the Blackhawks had a successful odd-man rush. Kane's shot off a pass from Versteeg got behind Bishop and was sitting right on the goal line when Filppula swept it away.

The crowd of 21,345 groaned as replays showed how close Chicago was to the tying score, but Richards put the Blackhawks on the board when he followed his own shot for his third goal at 9:13. Richards has six points in his last seven games after a slow start in his first season with Chicago.

Blackhawks' popularity is on the rise... again.

By Nina Falcone

Chicago Blackhawks
(Rob Grabowski-USA TODAY Sports)

It's no secret that the Blackhawks' fan base has grown tremendously over the last few years not just within Chicago, but around the league as a whole. And according to report, that growing percentage of fans isn't slowing.

Not even close.

Danny Ecker of Crain's Chicago highlighted Monday that the latest Nielsen Scarborough report shows half of Chicagoans either watched, attended or listened to a Blackhawks games over the past year. That marks a 28 percent increase in viewership from a year prior, making the Hawks the fifth American NHL team to ever reach the 50 percent fan following point in their home market.

According to Nielsen Scarborough numbers, (dating back to 2000 when the data became available) only the Pittsburgh Penguins, Detroit Red Wings, Buffalo Sabres and Colorado Avalanche have reached that mark among the 23 non-Canadian franchises. 

With that boost in numbers, the Blackhawks are now the second-most popular team in town, falling just behind the Bears who stand at 60 percent. Ecker also points out that the Blackhawks had the smallest following in the city just two years ago at 36 percent.

Between the popularity of Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane, plus the team's two Stanley Cups in four seasons, the Blackhawks have surged with the help of a complete overhaul of the team's brand.

The Blackhawks pride themselves on their involvement with the city, whether it's with the USO of Illinois, local animal shelters, through their annual golf outings or meeting fans at the team store downtown. All of that has resonated nicely with the fan base, and the fact that other local teams have been struggling as of late has also likely helped boost the Blackhawks to that 50 percent mark.

NHL admits Las Vegas expansion possible, meets with owner group.

By Greg Wynshynski

The NHL has been reluctant to put its cards on the table about potential expansion. But when it comes to Las Vegas, that’s only a matter of time. 

Michael Russo of the Star Tribune finally called NHL deputy commission Bill Daly’s bluff, and Daly said he not only met with a potential ownership group last weekend in Las Vegas but also toured the construction site for the new $350 million arena being built by MGM Resorts.

A few key thoughts from Daly on Las Vegas expansion:

1. He feels Vegas can “support a professional sports franchise” if the locals can create a strong ticket base. Daly said the demographics are good to that end, but the critical thing for the franchise would be not to rely on tourists, snow birds and the casinos to gobble up tickets on a regular basis: “You can’t depend on tourists to fill your building every night — even rich ones. You really need a local fan base.”

Guess the lessons have been learned from South Florida …

2. Daly admits that the start time for games could be an issue. “It’s a nighttime city, so it would have to be uniquely scheduled in terms of focusing maybe on industry nights as opposed to your typical Thursday-Saturday nights where everybody would be working.”

Keep in mind that the Las Vegas Wranglers of the ECHL used to play every Sunday game in the afternoon.

3. If the NHL comes to Vegas, the League might ask that the team not have its games available for wagering in the city’s sports books. The same courtesy was granted to UNLV years ago; there are also smaller “conflict of interest” exceptions, like not being able to wager on the Sacramento Kings at the Palms due to the Maloofs’ ownership of both.

“It’s really more a visceral rationale than anything else,” Daly said told Russo. “You don’t want guys in the stands with bet tickets in their hands and the only reason they’re watching the game is so they can cash in on a bet afterwards. That’s not an environment you want to foster or create as a professional sports league.”

4. Finally, kudos to Daly for finally admitting that the current misalignment - 16 in the East, 14 in the West - will influence expansion. “It would have to take place in the West before it would take place in the East because you can’t get further misaligned.” Gary Bettman had previously danced around the alignment as an influence. 

Just Another Chicago Bulls Session… Derrick Rose on why he sits out of games when he's injured: 'I'm thinking about after I'm done with basketball'

By Kelly Dwyer

DRtop11114.jpg
Derrick Rose looks ahead. (Getty Images)

Derrick Rose didn’t do himself any favors by honestly speaking on the record with ESPN’s Nick Friedell on Tuesday, but it’s exactly that sort of perspective that leads to the comments from Derrick Rose that you’re about to read. He doesn’t care what you think about him, and he’s going to be honest about how he goes about his job, even if it leaves him prone to criticism from the sorts of people that think constantly playing through injuries is the right way to run a season, a career, or a life.

From Friedell’s talk, following a light practice for Rose’s Chicago Bulls on Tuesday:
                                                                                                                                               
********************
 
Nick Friedell                                                                          
@NickFriedell 
   
Rose: "I know a lot of people get mad when they see me sit out or whatever, but I think a lot of people don't understand that ..."
 
Rose: "When I sit out it's not because of this year. I'm thinking about long term. I'm thinking about after I'm done with basketball."
 

Nick Friedell                                                                         
@NickFriedell 
    
Rose: "Having graduations to go to, having meetings to go to, I don't want to be in my meetings all sore."
 
Nick Friedell                                                                           
@NickFriedell 
    
Rose: "Or be at my son's graduation all sore just because of something I did in the past. (I'm) just learning and being smart."
 
Rose, you’ll recall, was shamed into returning way too early from dual ankle sprains earlier in the season, working in a needless November game against Milwaukee at, in his estimation, 50 percent. Rose then sat the next two contests against Philadelphia and Boston – two of the East’s worst teams – before returning for a very Derrick Rose-like performance against the Detroit Pistons on Monday.

It doesn't matter that the games in question involved missed contests against the lowly Orlando Magic, Celtics and 76ers. It doesn't matter that the two games Rose returned for were against rebuilding franchises in Detroit and Milwaukee. Chicago has enjoyed a cupcake schedule of late, but even if the heavy-hitters were in town … this doesn’t matter.

Derrick Rose needs to be at his absolute best in April, May and hopefully June. Ankle sprains can nag for an entire NBA season if not treated and rested properly, and it’s not to Rose’s discredit as an unlucky, technically injury-prone player that he came down on someone’s foot in a game on Halloween night, and then exacerbated the problem by overcompensating and spraining the other ankle. Derrick Rose shouldn’t have returned for that Milwaukee game, and he shouldn’t have been shamed for not playing on two sprained ankles against the Orlando Magic last week.

What he should have done was rested. And what he should continue to do is be open and honest about not wanting to risk further injury (and, likely, hurting his team with subpar play along the way) by suiting up while injured. If you’ll recall, Rose played just about the entirety of the compressed 2011-12 NBA schedule with various injuries, and that run ended with an ACL tear during the first game of that season’s playoffs.

There’s no direct link between working through those injuries, or the fatigue from that lockout-inspired schedule, and the freak move that led to Derrick’s ACL tear. There is no direct correlation between that ACL tear and the freak stop and start that led to Derrick’s meniscus tear from last season. And there is no direct link between those massive injuries and the unfortunate incident that saw Rose come down on an opponent’s foot a week and a half ago.

These are frustrating plays, but they are basketball plays. They are par for Derrick Rose (and any other player’s) particular course.

Those players, including Rose, have to sit games out. Rose’s injuries in 2012 and 2013 were unfortunately timed for a number of reasons, knocking Derrick in essence out of games for two full seasons. This adds to the nervy feeling Bulls fans have in regards to their hometown superstar, and it’s understandable.

That doesn’t mean Derrick Rose should have to apologize one bit for sitting out a game against the Philadelphia 76ers in November because of two sprained ankles as he looks to the rest of this season – or the rest of his life.

Frontcourt trio gets Bulls' rebounding back on track in win. (Monday night's game, 11/10/2014.) 

By Mark Strotman

Chicago Bulls forward Taj Gibson, from left, Pau Gasol and Derrick Rose take the court against the Detroit Pistons in the first half of a preseason NBA basketball game in Auburn Hills, Mich., Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2014. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
Chicago Bulls forward Taj Gibson, from left, Pau Gasol and Derrick Rose take the court against the Detroit Pistons.  (AP Photo/Paul Sancya) 

Kirk Hinrich admitted at Monday's shoot-around that in past years the Bulls had taken rebounding as a given, knowing that being one of the hardest-working groups and playing for one of the best defensive minds would yield itself to winning the glass more often than not.

That hadn't been the case through two weeks. It was Monday night.

Led by a (mostly) healthy trio of Joakim Noah, Pau Gasol and Taj Gibson, the Bulls won the rebounding battle Monday night against a lengthy Pistons frontcourt, earning a 102-91 victory and slowly inching closer toward their usual dominance on the glass.

"We have to make a conscious effort every night. Every night is going to be a challenge to dominate the rebounding aspect of the game, and we’re capable of doing it," said Gasol, who led the Bulls with 15 rebounds in addition to 14 points and four assists. "Now we just have to get it done on the floor. Tonight was an opportunity."

Though the Bulls' 5-2 record entering Monday's contest was a clear positive, but in their last six games they had been out-rebounded, something that hadn't ever happened in the Tom Thibodeau era. Granted, the injuries in the frontcourt the Bulls have seen so early into the season also were unprecedented in the Thibodeau era, but Monday gave some clarity to what the frontcourt — and team — can look like when healthy.


Noah, who admitted his knee still isn't 100 percent, had his most impressive outing of the early season, scoring 13 points, grabbing 14 rebounds and handing out six assists, looking more like the player he was a year ago when he won Defensive Player of the Year and was named All-NBA First Team. Taj Gibson had a quiet yet efficient night, scoring eight points and grabbing seven rebounds off the bench in 24 minutes.

Combined with Gasol's outing — his fifth double-double in eight games — the Bulls' three frontcourt members combined for 38 points on 46 percent shooting, 36 rebounds and 11 assists. That topped Detroit's starting frontcourt of Andre Drummond, Josh Smith and Greg Monroe, who combined for 37 points on 41 percent shooting, 33 rebounds and just six assists while playing a combined 20 more minutes.

"I thought it was a more concentrated effort. I thought guys were putting their bodies on people, pursuing the ball, running through the ball, two-hand rebounding, so it was good. And they’re a terrific rebounding team. They have great size, and they’re quick and they go to the ball. If you’re not in there, if you’re not on a body, you’re going to be in trouble."

It was a step in the right direction for a Bulls team that entered the game ranked 26th in defensive rebounding percentage and rebound differential. The Pistons, one of the top offensive rebounding teams in the league, secured just nine offensive rebounds on 46 missed shots and had nine second-chance points, three fewer than the Bulls had on their own nine offensive boards.

"After a while, you kind of just have to wake up. You can’t just keep having the same habits," Gibson said of the team's rebounding effort.

With the Bulls' starting five intact for the first time in the regular season, Monday's game also offered a glimpse into what his late-game frontcourt rotation may look like.

With Gasol having already logged 31 minutes through three quarters, Thibodeau began the fourth quarter (with the Bulls leading 78-70) with Noah and Gibson. Gasol checked in for Noah at the 4:58 mark and proceeded to knock down a clutch baseline jumper that pushed the lead back out to four, 92-88, with 2:26 remaining after the Pistons had closed within two for the first time since the first quarter.

Noah, who was on a minutes restriction, subbed in for Gibson as Thibodeau attempted to get as much size on the court to match Stan Van Gundy's Smith/Monroe/Drummond combination. Noah grabbed two rebounds and Gasol blocked a pair of shots in the final minute to help secure the victory.

Thibodeau, who has said he'd eventually like a set rotation in the fourth quarter, was happy with the way it shook out Monday.

"I like the way it worked in the fourth quarter today in terms of we had size, we had defense, we had scoring, we had the rebounding," he said, "and they all got a good chunk of it. So it worked well."

Noah was the first to admit that the Bulls' rebounding woes aren't fixed because of one solid effort, and Gasol even admitted that the Pistons playing on a back-to-back gave the Bulls fresher legs to go and grab boards with.

But Thibodeau likes that his group — now healthier than it's been all year — is beginning to find again the habits that have made them so successful in those aforementioned years when winning the rebounding battle came naturally.

"Ultimately you’re preparing for the end, to be playing your best at the end, and also to be sound on both sides of the ball," he said. "We know that’s what it takes to be successful in the playoffs, and hopefully we can get there.

White Sox Jose Abreu wins AL Rookie of the Year.  

CSN Staff

Jose Abreu is your AL Rookie of the Year for 2014. (USATSI)

It was the worst kept secret of the 2014 MLB season: White Sox first baseman Jose Abreu was the clear front runner to win American League Rookie of the Year.

On Monday, the league made it official by announcing the 27-year old slugger won the award unanimously after hitting .317 with 36 home runs and 107 RBI. Abreu beat out Angels pitcher Matt Shoemaker and Yankees pitcher Dellin Betances, who finished second and third, respectively.

Abreu is the sixth White Sox player to win the award and the first since Ozzie Guillen in 1985.

White Sox GM Rick Hahn released this statement following the announcement:

“I want to congratulate Jose on this prestigious award and his spectacular rookie season,” Hahn said. “From the day Jose joined the White Sox, we were optimistic that he would develop into an integral part of our success and a centerpiece in our lineup for years to come.  The speed in which he was able to deliver on his promise is truly remarkable, as his performance this season left no doubt he is among the premiere hitters in all of baseball.  I join all White Sox fans in being extremely excited to see what the future holds for Jose as he continues to improve and develop as one of the cornerstones of our team.”

Bring it on: Theo Epstein welcomes tampering investigation.

By Patrick Mooney

joe-maddon-theo-epstein-mlb-joe-maddon-press-conference-850x560.jpg
Chicago Cubs manager Joe Maddon (left) wears his hat and jersey in front of president of baseball operations Theo Epstein (right) as Maddon is introduced during a press conference at the Cubby Bear Lounge near Wrigley Field. Mandatory (Photo/Matt Marton-USA TODAY Sports)

Bring it on. That’s how Cubs president Theo Epstein responded to Major League Baseball’s investigation into the Joe Maddon hire, dismissing the tampering allegations leveled by the Tampa Bay Rays after losing their star manager.

The Rays pushed for the inquiry, growing suspicious of the way Maddon used an opt-out clause that triggered once general manager Andrew Friedman left in mid-October to run baseball operations for the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The investigation hadn’t gone beyond preliminary stages when the GM meetings began on Monday at the Arizona Biltmore. The Cubs hadn’t received specific requests for phone and e-mail records yet. But Epstein is prepared to tell his side of the story.

“We welcome the MLB investigation,” Epstein said. “As we said last week, there was no tampering whatsoever. I’d rather they investigate, so we can clear our names and move on from this quickly. We’re giving our full cooperation and we welcome it.”

Epstein laid out his chronology in a carefully worded Halloween press release that explained the Rick Renteria firing.

Epstein said he received e-mail notification from Alan Nero, Maddon’s Chicago-based agent, announcing the manager’s free agency on Oct. 23. Epstein then contacted Dan Halem, MLB’s executive vice president of labor relations, to confirm that Maddon had opted out of his contract.

The news broke the next day and Maddon-to-Chicago rumors sparked immediately.

Maddon — who had been earning less than $2 million per season with the Rays and made an offer to stay — wound up getting a five-year, $25 million deal from the Cubs.

During Maddon’s shot-and-a-beer press conference at The Cubby Bear last week, Epstein pointed out that any team could access the MLB database that lists a summary of terms for all managers’ contracts.

Nero doesn’t see why the Rays are pursuing tampering charges now. The small-market franchise got nine seasons out of Maddon and had an exclusive negotiating window with the two-time American League Manager of the Year.

“Absolutely ridiculous,” Nero said. “It’s embarrassing.”

White Sox announce 2015 Spring Training schedule. (FYI)

Chicago White Sox Press Release

The Chicago White Sox begin the 2015 Cactus League season on Wednesday, March 4 as the "visiting" team against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Camelback Ranch - Glendale (CR-G), the teams' shared spring ballpark in Glendale, Ariz.

Chicago will play its first official home game the next day, March 5, against the Dodgers. All White Sox home games are scheduled to begin at 1:05 p.m. AZT.

The Sox will play 14 home games at CR-G, including games against the crosstown-rival Cubs (March 20) and 2014 World Series Champion San Francisco Giants (March 12). The Sox also play the Cubs in Mesa on March 27.

The White Sox exhibition schedule closes with a contest vs. Triple-A Charlotte at BB&T Ballpark in downtown Charlotte on Friday, April 3 (5:05 p.m. CT). The Sox open the 2015 regular season at Kauffman Stadium on Monday, April 6 against the defending American League Champion Kansas City Royals.

Season-ticket plans, Groups and Suites for games at CR-G are on sale beginning today at whitesox.com/spring and include the following options:

  • 29 games - All White Sox and Dodgers games played at CR-G;
  • 14 games - All White Sox home games played at CR-G;
  • Mini-plan - Any three or more games of choice; fans who purchase $100 or more in White Sox mini-plan tickets will receive four complimentary vouchers redeemable to any White Sox home game in April 2015 (excludes Opening Day).

Tickets for games at CR-G start at just $9. Fans can visit whitesox.com/spring or contact CR-G at (623) 302-5000 for additional information on ticket plans.

A Spring Training broadcast schedule and report dates will be available at a later date. Tickets to individual Spring Training games at CR-G go on sale January 12. All White Sox Spring Training information is available at whitesox.com/spring. The current schedule is subject to change.

Golf: I got a club for that; Adam Scott wants Rory McIlroy pairing at Australian Open.

By Ryan Ballengee

WGC - HSBC Champions: Day Four
Adam Scott of Australia hits his tee-shot on the fourth hole during the final round of the WGC - HSBC Champions at the Sheshan International Golf Club on November 9, 2014 in Shanghai, China. (Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images)

Adam Scott wants to make good for a lost opportunity to take down Rory McIlroy and win his national title a year ago. At the WGC-HSBC Champions, Scott implored Golf Australia, who organizes the Emirates Australian Open, to put him with defending champion Rory McIlroy for the first two rounds of the one-third of the Aussie Triple Crown later this month.

"I believe the organizers should take advantage and put Rory and myself together because it does happen occasionally at U.S. Opens where they pair the players according to their rankings," said the world No. 2 Scott. McIlroy is No. 1 by a country mile.

"It's not often we have the world’s No. 1 and No. 2 ranked players in the same tournament in Australia and it would be fun to do, and I would certainly enjoy that."

A year ago, McIlroy birdied the 72nd hole at Royal Sydney Golf Club to defeat Scott, who dropped a shot at the last. Scott, who is still searching for a new full-time caddie after the semi-retirement of Steve Williams, will get his chance at revenge starting Nov. 27.

Patrick Reed’s On-Course Outburst Pushing PGA Tour’s “Private Punishment” Policy Towards Change.

By Brandon Raper

Patrick Reed slur WGC-HSBC Champions
Patrick Reed (Photo/Getty Images)

The folks at the PGA Tour‘s public relations department just can’t seem to catch a break. Since the 2013-14 season’s end, they’ve had their players involved in Ryder Cup drama, and one involved in a social media spectacle that led to the ouster of Ted Bishop as the president of the PGA of America. Now, early in the new season, Patrick Reed‘s embarrassing moment at the WGC-HSBC Champions is bringing heat to the entire sport and its inclusiveness. After years of “in-house” punishment, they must face the reality that it’s time to publicly disclose disciplinary actions.

If you weren’t watching the action in China late into Wednesday night and Thursday morning here stateside, you probably didn’t catch Reed three-putting, then cursing himself out and using a gay slur along the way. It was all picked up by Golf Channel’s cameras, leading to a quick apology from commentator Frank Nobilo, but it was too little, too late for Reed.

Cursing on the course is, of course, nothing new – watch and listen to Tiger Woods for a few holes – but Reed’s choice of verbiage has led to widespread criticism from onlookers both inside and out of the sport. At a time when golf is fighting to grow as a sport, and promoting participation from all walks of life, he’s almost certain to draw a heavy fine and perhaps even a suspension. But will we ever actually know? It’s doubtful.

The Tour issued an official response saying that they “will deal with this matter internally in accordance with its regulations.” That’s all well and good, and I get that the Tour wants to protect – and project – its image as a sport for “good guys”, and keeping discipline quiet allows them to do so.

That plan was strained when Dustin Johnson was reportedly suspended for a failed drug test earlier this year. The Tour steadfastly denies that Johnson is under suspension, but considering the policy of secrecy, it’s hard to imagine that the Tour could even break their silence if they wanted to. Granted, it was stronger than a simple “no comment” would have been, but once such strong question enters the equation, there’s little to be done to stop it.

You don’t need me to tell you that Reed did something wrong, even if what he said wasn’t directed at anybody but himself. I’d like to think we all understand that. However, it’s a situation like this that would make a public punishment easier for everybody involved. The Tour won’t have to appear to be hiding behind their shroud of privacy, and Reed himself won’t be hounded by it nearly as much whenever he shows up to play his next event.

The PGA Tour is the only major league in the country that doesn’t disclose its punishments, and disciplinary action, even criminal trials and convictions, don’t seem to hurt the NFL or NBA, even if perhaps they should. There are plenty of good guys in golf, and I don’t know Reed, but he’s probably one of them 99.9% of the time. There’s nothing wrong with owning up to public actions with public contrition. It’s time.


NASCAR: Power Rankings: Kevin Harvick leads us into Homestead.

By Nick Bromberg

1. Kevin Harvick (LW: 5): Is it us, or is Harvick's performance at Phoenix not getting enough clutchiness run as Brad Keselowski's win at Talladega? Our theory is because Talladega can be such a crapshoot while Harvick was expected to run well at Phoenix given the way he's dominated the track recently. And boy, was his run on Sunday a piece of domination. Harvick will likely have one of the two fastest cars among the four title contenders on Sunday, it's now a matter of if something will go wrong given the craziness that's happened to Harvick this year. And if Harvick is fast and does have an issue, Homestead will incredibly overshadow the awesomeness of Phoenix.

2. Joey Logano (LW: 1): Logano, much like Denny Hamlin, had a pit road issue that knocked him back in the pack. And they both were incredibly fluky. In Logano's case, he left his pit stall while the gas can was still engaged and it skidded across the line of his pit stall and into another one. Logano was penalized for equipment leaving his pit stall. He eventually went a lap down but got it back and fought back to finish sixth. No worse than second-favorite at Homestead, right?

3. Denny Hamlin (LW: 3): Hamlin's issue was even higher up the fluky scale from Logano's. After a pit stop early in the race, Hamlin had to come back in after a rear tire was completely flat. He restarted at the end of the field and was stuck in traffic, falling a lap down as well. He spent more time than Logano a lap down, but he ended up finishing a place better on the track in fifth. If you're a Hamlin fan, we don't blame you for having Deja vu thoughts about Phoenix 2010 before Hamlin made his way back to the lead lap.

4. Ryan Newman (LW: 4): A pass for 11th place has gotten Newman to this point, and it's going to be looked at as a pass that possibly sets the standard for a title. Will one of the four drivers be willing to do that to each other to get the title in the late laps on Sunday? And before you think what Newman did was similar to Carl Edwards on Jimmie Johnson in 2008 at Kansas, remember that Edwards was the one bouncing off the wall. Bouncing yourself off the wall going for a win is different than bouncing another driver off the wall.

But bottom line, and something we'll probably extrapolate on later in the week: If you're going to blame something for what Newman did Sunday in passing Kyle Larson, blame the environment. Don't blame Newman.

5. Jeff Gordon (LW: 4): Had Jeff Gordon led a lap on Sunday he would have avoided his fate. Well, it's not that simple. There's a chance that Newman plays defense a lot more against Marcos Ambrose and Larson knowing he needs to finish 10th. And while it may seem hard to fathom that Gordon finished second twice in three races and missed the final cut, remember, it's simply how the points system is structured.

6. Brad Keselowski (LW: 6): Keselowski finished third and fourth in the third round and suffered the same fate as Gordon. And as Keselowski sits on six wins, the only chance of the winningest driver winning the title is if Logano wins the race on Sunday. It's common knowledge that there have been numerous NASCAR champions who didn't win the most races in a season. It just seems incredibly incongruous that a driver with fewer top fives than Keselowski has wins is racing for the title in a season in which winning was supposed to take on such great importance.

7. Matt Kenseth (LW: 7): Kenseth and Gordon can commiserate about how bad Texas was to their Chase chances. And while Kenseth would have made the final four without a win (unless he won Phoenix), it's our guess he wouldn't be viewed the way Newman's candidacy for the title is being viewed. Kenseth is fourth in the series in top fives and third in top 10s. Newman is tied for 15th and tied for 11th.

8. Dale Earnhardt Jr. (LW: 8): Our eighth-place driver stays in eighth after finishing eighth. In the No. 88 car. WHAT ARE THE CHANCES OF THAT HAPPENING? (They aren't calculable because these rankings are incredibly arbitrary) If we were going to bet on two non-Chase teams going for the strategy play late in the race to grab a win, we'd choose Earnhardt Jr. and Steve Letarte and the No. 14 team and Tony Stewart. If Stewart doesn't win at Homestead, it'll be the first Cup season of his career that he hasn't won in.

9. Carl Edwards (LW: 9): You quickly become an afterthought if you struggle. Edwards was just not fast through the three races of the third round. This comment by Edwards summed up Phoenix nicely:

"Yeah, we tried every trick that we could," Edwards said. "We just didn’t have a lot of speed all weekend. The car actually drove pretty decently at the end, so I thought Jimmy did a great job with it. We just didn’t have enough speed, so that’s how it goes.”

10. Kyle Larson (LW: 12): Want to know what Larson thought about Newman's move? Here's what he said in a statement to MRN:

"Coming to the finish, there were a lot of cars racing really hard. I knew (Newman) was right around me and knew he needed to gain some spots to keep from getting eliminated from the Chase.  

“It's a little upsetting he pushed me up to the wall, but I completely understand the situation he was in and can't fault him for being aggressive there. I think a lot of drivers out here would have done something similar if they were in that position."

11. Kyle Busch (LW: 10): We're dropping Busch a spot after his spin and then shearing by Clint Bowyer's car. Bowyer simply hit him at a perfect angle to rip the front end off Busch's car. Busch finished 34th. And thanks to NASCAR resetting all Chase-eliminated drivers back to the same points system, Busch is ahead of Edwards even despite the bad Phoenix finish.

12. Jimmie Johnson (LW: 9): Phoenix is a yo-yo for Jimmie Johnson. In 2010, he took advantage of Denny Hamlin's fuel strategy, stretched his fuel and won. In 2012, he lost a tire and hit the wall, paving the way for Brad Keselowski to win the title. In 2013, Matt Kenseth struggled, which made Johnson's Homestead race a coronation. In 2014? Well, Johnson was in the wall again, a week after winning at Texas.

Lucky Dog: Was Sunday the final time Marcos Ambrose finishes in the top 10 in the Cup Series?

The DNF: Austin Dillon completed 283 of 312 laps. It's the smallest percentage of laps Dillon has completed in a race all season.

Dropped out: None

NASCAR: Clinch scenarios for Homestead-Miami Speedway.

NASCAR Staff Report

Below are the finishes each driver/owner/manufacturer needs in this weekend's races at Homestead-Miami Speedway to clinch their respective championships.

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (Sunday, Nov. 16 at 3 p.m. ET on ESPN)

Driver

The first to the finish line among the Championship 4 -- Denny Hamlin, Joey Logano, Ryan Newman and Kevin Harvick -- will win the 2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver championship.

Owner

The same rule applies to the owner championship, which now involves the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, the No. 22 Team Penske Ford, the No. 31 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet and the No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet.

Manufacturer

Chevrolet holds a 42-point lead over Ford. Chevrolet will clinch the manufacturer championship if its top-finishing car finishes 38th or better.

NASCAR Nationwide Series (Saturday, Nov. 15 at 4:30 p.m. ET on ESPN2)

Driver

Chase Elliott has officially clinched the 2014 NASCAR Nationwide Series driver championship.

Owner

The No. 22 Team Penske Ford leads the No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota by 29 points. The No. 22 will clinch with a finish of 24th or better; or 25th with at least one lap led; or 26th and the most laps led.

Manufacturer

Chevrolet holds a 30-point lead over Toyota. Chevrolet will clinch the Bill France Performance Award if its top-finishing car finishes 26th or better. NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (Friday, Nov. 14 at 8 p.m. on FOX Sports 1)

Driver

Matt Crafton leads Ryan Blaney by 25 points. He will clinch the 2014 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver championship with a finish of 21st or better; or 22nd with at least one lap led; or 23rd and the most laps led.

Owner

The No. 51 Kyle Busch Motorsports Toyota holds an 18-point lead over the No. 88 ThorSport Racing Toyota. The No. 51 will clinch the owner championship with a finish of 14th or better; 15th with at least one lap led; or 16th and the most laps led.

Manufacturer

Toyota has officially clinched the 2014 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series manufacturer championship.
 
Soccer should expand instant replay to review more crucial calls.

By Shahan Ahmed

Liverpool Chelsea
Gary Cahill of Chelsea scores the equalizer to make it 1-1 during the Barclays Premier League match between Liverpool and Chelsea at Anfield on November 8, 2014 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)

In the year 2014, soccer finally evolved and got with the times.

Without sacrificing the soul of the game, goal line technology was introduced during the 2014 World Cup in order to take the human element out of deciding whether the ball crossed over the goal line. Although this is a remarkably positive step and has since spread to leagues all over Europe and the world, it should not be the end of technological advancements in the beautiful game.

On Saturday in the Premier League, goal-line technology displayed both its limitations and its revelations. Discussing the latter, Chelsea would not have been awarded a crucial goal that changed the completion of the weekend’s premier British fixture.

Against Liverpool at Anfield, Gary Cahill’s effort crossed the line in such a manner that instant replay and the naked eye failed to immediately recognize the goal. However, the Premier League’s goal-line technology provided almost instantaneous confirmation that Cahill had, in fact, scored. The goal was indisputable and no one bothered to argue the decision. The goalkeeper did not throw his arms about, and even Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho had to be told his side had leveled the score by one of his assistants.

This is the greatness of the introduction of goal-line technology. It is pure, it is quick and it does not slow down and detract from the pace of the game. It is, without a doubt, one of the most positive advancements in the modern game.

However, the sport should not stop with the advancement of goal-line technology.

Soccer is different than most sports in that the clock continues to run, and a delay to consider replays would not work. That sort of time delay and an alteration to the clock would ruin the essence and spirit of the game. No added replay technology can feature a component where players and managers are simply standing around and fans are anxiously mulling about in their seats.

With this in mind, soccer should adopt two added features of replay, preferably sooner rather than later.

First, on any red card decision, the fourth official or an official in the booth should immediately review the play to deem whether the red card was blatantly a bad call. With players who have been red-carded typically taking up to 30 seconds, often longer, to argue the call before leaving the pitch, the game has space for an independent official to review the crucial decision.

If a clear replay deems that the red card was a result of a false hand ball or a clear indisputable dive by the attacking player, the official on the field should immediately be notified and the expelled player should be called back from the locker room. Play would, theoretically, be allowed to continue for the minute or two that the red-carded player may require to return to the pitch.

Down a man for a minute or two sounds a whole heck of a lot better than down a man for the remainder of the game. In this manner, the match would not be falsely tilted and ruined due to one bad call. Also, no extra time would have been wasted, as the official on the field would continue to follow procedure, provide the card and ask the player to leave the field before continuing the match.

If a penalty is awarded and scored during this time, it would have to stand. Again, being down a goal is better than being down a goal and a man. Hardly a soul would argue about that. This would at least limit the damage of a wrong decision in these events, even if it did not entirely reverse it. It is better to break one arm than two.

Second, on every goal, the fourth official or a new official in the booth with a replay monitor should immediately begin reviewing every goal. If the scoring player was either offside or committed a clear handball, the goal should be disallowed. By only reviewing the scoring player, the time required to review the replay would be short. Also, the official could not look at a missed offside call that may have occurred 10 passes earlier in the buildup to the goal – or even two passes earlier.

In Manchester City’s trip to Loftus road on Saturday, Charlie Austin was judged to be onside when he scored his goal. He appeared to be offside, and the replay review would have taken about as much time as the player’s celebration.

In the same match, Sergio Aguero scored his first goal with the assistance of his hand. The referee on the field was blocked, and his linesman was unable to see the touch through the bodies. By the time the ball was set to be kicked off following the goal, the review would have notified the match referee, and a free kick would be occurring rather than a kickoff.

Although not wasting time is of great importance, getting the call right is paramount.

Similar to goal-line technology, these types of reviews would be indisputable. Players would not argue against a clear offside line or a camera that shows a clear case of hand ball. For the vast majority of goals, however, the play would stand, and the review would have no impact on the game.

What separates these types of technology additions from reviewing every offside decision, every foul or every yellow card are that these reviews would not take time away from the game or harm the referees’ ability to manage and control a match.
Instead, these reviews would protect referees and linesmen and lineswomen from making catastrophic decisions that wrongly change and ruin matches, along with ruining reputations.

As an added bonus, goal-line technology has proven that players cannot argue against technology, and so, it would provide referees added credibility when they get it right, which is most of the time.

Goal-line technology helped advance the sport without stealing its soul, and without a doubt, soccer’s technological advancements should not stop there.

Germany set for USA, Australia football friendlies.

AFP

World champions Germany are set to face Australia next March and the United States next June in friendly internationals, team manager Oliver Bierhoff revealed on Tuesday.

Germany are set to face the Socceroos in Kaiserslautern, with the date to be confirmed for March. Australia beat the Germans 2-1 when the teams last met in March 2011 in Monchengladbach.

A friendly is also planned for next June as ex-Germany coach Jurgen Klinsmann leads his USA team in a rematch of the group match at the 2014 World Cup when Germany claimed won 1-0. Both the date and location are yet to be finalized.

"We're looking forward to facing Jurgen Klinsmann again," Bierhoff said at a Berlin press conference ahead of Friday's Euro 2016 qualifier against Gibraltar.

Both games will be played in the same international window as Euro 2016 qualifiers away against Georgia (in March) and Gibraltar (next June).

College Football Playoff Rankings: Oregon jumps FSU, TCU is new No. 4.

By Jerry Hinnen

TCU edged Alabama for the all-important No. 4 spot in the third edition of the College Football Playoff Rankings, which were released Tuesday night. The committee sprung another surprise, leapfrogging Oregon over Florida State for the second spot after the Ducks downed new No. 23 Utah on the road.

"They're very, very close -- it's very thin," committee chair Jeff Long said of the Ducks and Seminoles. "We probably spent more time discussing those teams plus TCU and Alabama, but Oregon has three top-25 victories, Florida State only has two. And then, if you look at Oregon, they have two of those top-25 victories on the road along with that Michigan State home win."

Despite the Crimson Tide's victory at LSU, the Frogs' victory against new No. 13 Kansas State was enough to give them the final playoff slot, one vacated by Auburn's stunning loss to Texas A&M.

Behind the Tide in fifth was new No. 6 Arizona State, fresh off its emphatic win over Notre Dame. Baylor came in No. 7 following its road rout of previous No. 15 Oklahoma, though many would argue its head-to-head win over TCU should place them higher -- and ahead of the Horned Frogs.

Long noted such a move for Baylor would be "possible" as we move closer to the end of the regular season, though far from a guarantee. "TCU's loss is to No. 7 Baylor; Baylor's loss is to unranked West Virginia," he said.

Ohio State rose from No. 14 to No. 8 after a statement win over Michigan State in East Lansing. The Buckeyes were followed by Auburn, the rankings' top two-loss team, which slipped from No. 3 to No. 9. The Tigers' head-to-head victim Ole Miss rounded out the top 10.

After the committee omitted teams from the Group of 5 in their second set of rankings, they did in Tuesday's third set as well, passing on teams such as Marshall, Colorado State and Boise State. The highest ranking team from a Group of 5 conference will receive an automatic bid to one of the bowls in the playoff rotation.

The complete College Football Playoff rankings top 25 (as of Nov. 11):

1. Mississippi State (9-0)
2. Oregon (9-1)
3. Florida State (9-0)
4. TCU (8-1)
5. Alabama (8-1)
6. Arizona State (8-1)
7. Baylor (8-1)
8. Ohio State (8-1)
9. Auburn (7-2)
10. Ole Miss (8-2)
11. UCLA (8-2)
12. Michigan State (7-2)
13. Kansas State (7-2)
14. Arizona (7-2)
15. Georgia (7-2)
16. Nebraska (8-1)
17. LSU (7-3)
18. Notre Dame (7-2)
19. Clemson (7-2)
20. Wisconsin (7-2)
21. Duke (8-1)
22. Georgia Tech (8-2)
23. Utah (6-3)
24. Texas A&M (7-3)
25. Minnesota (7-2)

The committee's rankings will be issued weekly on Tuesdays through the end of the season. The four teams ultimately selected by the committee to take part in the inaugural playoff will be seeded 1-4 and play semifinals in the Rose Bowl and Sugar Bowl this coming New Year's Day. The first College Football Playoff Championship Game will be held in Cowboys Stadium on Jan. 12.

The College Football Playoff Selection Committee has gone Big 12 over SEC -- for now.

NCAAFB: Mississippi St.-Alabama Preview

By JOHN ZENOR (AP Sports Writer)

Mississippi St.-Alabama Preview
Mississippi State quarterback Dak Prescott (15) sprints into the end zone for a touchdown ahead of UT-Martin defender Deantae Glover (47) during the first half of an NCAA college football game in Starkville, Miss., Saturday, Nov. 8, 2014. (AP Photo/Jim Lytle)

Mississippi State and Alabama are the only Southeastern Conference teams that still control their fates in the playoff scramble.

Guess what? Now, they play each other.

In a Western Division where teams have been picking each other off one by one, the top-ranked Bulldogs and No. 4 Crimson Tide meet Saturday in the latest potential playoff elimination game.

''It's just the SEC West,'' Tide quarterback Blake Sims said Monday. ''There's a lot of great teams, and Mississippi State is a great team.''

Gone are onetime top 10 teams LSU and Texas A&M from the playoff conversation. No. 9 Auburn and No. 10 Mississippi's hopes are weakened.

The top two remaining teams already have big SEC wins: The Bulldogs over Auburn on Oct. 11 and Alabama in overtime against LSU last weekend.

Mississippi State (9-0, 5-0 SEC) is again ranked atop the College Football Playoff rankings. Alabama (8-1, 5-1) remained fifth, overtaken by TCU for the fourth and final spot in the most recent CFP rankings.

The Bulldogs have been atop the AP poll for the past five weeks, but can embrace the underdog mentality this week. Oddsmakers have installed the Tide as touchdown favorites at Bryant-Denny Stadium, where Alabama has won 13 straight.

''Every article you read, everywhere you look, we're the big underdog in this game,'' Mississippi State coach Dan Mullen said. ''We've done that before and we know that role. We'll be OK with that. Our guys will play with great effort and with a chip on our shoulder that we try to play with every week no matter what the rankings or what everyone else is predicting.''

Mississippi State is still relatively new to the lofty perch atop college football, while Alabama probably has as much experience in huge games lately as anybody. The Tide has won three of four matchups with No. 1 teams over the past five seasons and outscored them collectively 101-36.

In fact, the previous time a top-ranked team was an underdog was the BCS championship game in January 2013 according to STATS. In that game, No. 2 Alabama was an 8.5-point favorite over No. 1 Notre Dame, and won. Alabama was a more modest favorite over No. 1 LSU in both meetings in the 2011 season, including the BCS championship game. The teams split the games.

Nick Saban has loaded up the Tide roster with top-rated recruiting classes. Mississippi State is making do with a Heisman Trophy candidate in quarterback Dak Prescott, the SEC's No. 2 rusher Josh Robinson and an assemblage of players who mostly came into the SEC with less hoopla.

''They probably have more 5-star players sitting on the bench who can't get a rep than we have on our entire roster,'' Mullen said.

Prescott and the Bulldogs bring the SEC's top offense against the No. 1 defense. They also were able to play an easy game against Tennessee-Martin while Alabama was engaged in another physical game with LSU, and a dramatic win.

Saban said the challenge is more mental than physical, avoiding the ''relief syndrome, like we just won a big game so we're supposed to get a week off, go to the golf resort.''

''It's the wrong time of the year,'' he said. ''We have another tough game coming up.''

For the Bulldogs, it's a chance to play a high-stakes November game. A win would give them the clear inside track to the SEC West title and move them closer to securing a playoff berth.

''Obviously the opportunity to play big games late in the season is what it's all about,'' Mullen said. ''It's what you work for. When you're in mid-to-late November and you're playing important games, it's going to be fun.

''Hopefully that becomes the norm for our program as we move forward.''

NOTE: The LSU game left tailback T.J. Yeldon nursing a sprained left ankle. Yeldon, who had hurt his right foot against Tennessee two weeks earlier, didn't return after a play when he fumbled deep in Tide territory. He was helped off the field late in the game. ''T.J.'s OK. He's got a little ankle sprain,'' Saban said. ''He'll probably be a little bit slowed the first couple of days this week, but hopefully we'll get him going later in the week and he'll be OK.''

Big Ten preview: Powerful league seeks to end title drought.

Jeff Eisenberg
                                                         
Big Ten preview: Powerful league seeks to end title drought

In the past three seasons, the Big Ten has never finished below first in conference RPI, landed a total of 19 teams in the NCAA tournament and sent a trio of teams to the Final Four.

The only goal the league has yet to fulfill is hoisting a national championship.

The last time the Big Ten celebrated as confetti fell from the ceiling of a domed stadium was way back in 2000 when Mateen Cleaves and the "Flint Stones" led Michigan State to a championship. Since then every other major conference has won a national title with the exception of the Pac-12, which last took home bragging rights when Mike Bibby and Miles Simon helped Arizona topple three No. 1 seeds in 1997.

If this is to be the year a Big Ten team breaks through, by far the most likely candidate would appear to be Wisconsin. Not only do the Badgers return every key player but one from last year's Final Four team, also no other Big Ten team begins the season ranked higher than No. 18 in the AP Top 25.

One reason Wisconsin has title-contending potential this season is because of the flexibility Bo Ryan has depending on what the matchups dictate. To start most games, the Badgers will probably go with a three-forward look featuring All-American candidate Frank Kaminsky and Nigel Hayes in the frontcourt, Sam Dekker at his natural small forward spot and Traevon Hughes and Josh Gasser manning the two guard positions. Don't be surprised to see Ryan sometimes go small at key moments too with Dekker sliding over to power forward and promising sophomore Bronson Koenig entering the game to give Wisconsin a three-guard look.

Regardless of what lineup Ryan uses, Wisconsin should be one of the nation's most efficient offensive teams. The inside-outside prowess of the skilled Kaminsky and the strength and brawn of Hayes complement each-other perfectly, as does the slashing, cutting and off-ball movement that are Dekker's trademarks. Throw in Josh Gasser's outside shooting and the ability of Jackson and Koenig to create off the dribble, and the Badgers truly can beat opponents a myriad of ways.

Though Wisconsin took Bo Ryan to his first Final Four last season, the memory of how that trip to Dallas ended should provide plenty of motivation for this year's Badgers. Wisconsin fell to Kentucky when Aaron Harrison sank a game-winning 3-pointer over Gasser's outstretched arms in the final seconds.

The teams with the best chance to ascend to Wisconsin's level are perennial contenders Michigan, Michigan State and Ohio State and interloper Nebraska.

Michigan can contend if Caris Levert can continue his transformation from overlooked recruit, to impact player, to All-American candidate and other perimeter weapons emerge around him. The Wolverines need sophomore wing Zak Irvin and freshman forward Kameron Chatman to make an impact right away because they can't count on their frontcourt to score. With Mitch McGary in the NBA, Jon Horford at Florida and Jordan Morgan playing overseas, the most experienced big man on the roster is the 6-foot-7 Bielfeldt, who played all of 4.7 minutes per game as a junior.

Michigan State isn't the sure thing it typically is this season as a result of the departure of Gary Harris, Adreian Payne and Keith Appling from last year's Elite Eight team. To overcome that, the Spartans need Branden Dawson to inherit the role of go-to scorer, Denzel Valentine to thrive with increased responsibility and the duo of Travis Trice and LouRawls Nairn to collectively solidify the point guard spot.

For Ohio State, the fate of the season will be determined by whether its talented crop of newcomers can inject some badly needed offensive punch. Freshman wing D'Angelo Russell scored in bunches in high school and at the AAU level, while Temple transfer Anthony Lee should help solidify the frontcourt. Shannon Scott, Sam Thompson and Marc Loving each are also capable of doing more.

The second-tier Big Ten team with the least questions is probably Nebraska, which returns Big Ten player of the year candidate Terran Petteway, slashing wing Shavon Shields and most of the core of last season's breakthrough team. Adding Georgetown transfer Moses Abraham should also help, giving the Huskers a physical defensive presence in the paint to pair with finesse-oriented stretch forward Walter Pitchford.

Beyond that quintet, the Big Ten has several intriguing mid-tier teams capable of making a jump. Iowa has NCAA tournament potential if it can avoid the late-season swoon that derailed its season a year ago. Illinois can be a threat if it shoots better from the perimeter this season and finds some frontcourt options besides Nnanna Egwu. Minnesota returns three senior starters from last year's NIT champions. And Indiana has a wealth of perimeter weapons but no proven post players, limited experience and some disconcerting off-court distractions.

MAKING A LIST


Best shooter: Josh Gasser, Wisconsin. One reason why Wisconsin isn't too concerned about the graduation of sharpshooter Ben Brust is because the Badgers have another perimeter marksman who will stretch opposing defenses. Fifth-year senior shooting guard Josh Gasser sank 43.1 percent of his threes last season and 86.8 percent of his free throws, both best among returning Big Ten players.

Best playmaker: Yogi Ferrell, Indiana. The lone holdover from Indiana's 2013 Big Ten title team is also the league's premier point guard. Ferrell can score off the dribble or from behind the arc and has excellent court vision, a skill he should be able to make better use of this season with sharpshooters James Blackmon Jr. and Nick Zeisloft capable of knocking down catch-and-shoot shots. Ferrell may not average 17.3 points again this season, but his 3.9 assists per game should soar.

Best defender: Shannon Scott, Ohio State. Scott is one of three returning members of last season's Big Ten all-defense team along with shot-blocking Purdue center A.J. Hammons and Wisconsin perimeter stopper Josh Gasser. The Ohio State senior is the Big Ten's returning leader in steals per game and should help ensure the Buckeyes' perimeter defense doesn't slip far even with Aaron Craft having finally graduated.

Top NBA prospect: Caris Levert, Michigan. Having enjoyed a breakout season as a sophomore in a complementary role, Levert returns to Michigan as the team's go-to threat with Nick Stauskas, Mitch McGary and Glenn Robinson III all in the NBA. The 6-foot-7 shooting guard is a projected mid-first-round pick next June thanks to his excellent size, speed and length for his position, his quick first step to the basket and his ability to knock down open shots.

Best backcourt: Michigan. Levert is the headliner, but Michigan has other perimeter weapons capable of big seasons. Six-foot-6 wing Zak Irvin is a gifted 3-point shooter who should expand his game as Michigan leans on him more heavily this season. Derrick Walton is an excellent distributor, as is Spike Albrecht, who will be counted on to play a leadership role as well. And the wildcard is freshman Kameron Chatman, a 6-foot-7 wing who has the competitive make-up and skills to make an instant impact.

Best frontcourt: Wisconsin. The Badgers not only have excellent individual talent in the frontcourt but the pieces also fit together extremely well. Skilled Big Ten player of the year candidate Frank Kaminsky excels shooting pick-and-pop jump shots or backing his defender down and showing off an array of low post moves. Bruising power forward Nigel Hayes won the league's sixth man of the year award last year because of scoring, rebounding and ability to get to the foul line. Six-foot-7 NBA prospect Sam Dekker will probably start at small forward this year, but he's versatile enough to defend opposing power forwards when necessary. And strongman Vitto Brown and skilled freshman Ethan Happ should also be competent in reserve roles.

Best recruiting class: Ohio State. A Buckeyes team in desperate need of scoring help should get some from its promising freshman class. The headliner is D'Angelo Russell, a smooth 6-foot-5 combo guard who has a knack for racking up points in bunches. Russell, a Louisville native, has the range to shoot over smaller defenders from behind the arc and the quickness to get in the lane, where he often either sets up his teammates or takes a floater himself. Thad Matt and his staff also landed a couple of promising forwards in Keita Bates-Diop and Jae'Sean Tate.

Coach on the rise: Tim Miles, Nebraska. In the past few years, Nebraska has built a sparkling new arena and practice facility and increased its budget for recruiting and assistant coaching hires. Pair that with Miles' career-long knack for rebuilding woebegone basketball programs, and it's no surprise the Huskers are on the cusp of unprecedented success. Terran Petteway, Shavon Shields and most of last year's core returns from a Nebraska team that reached the NCAA tournament for the first time in two decades. If this year's team gets back to March Madness, Miles could become the first Nebraska coach to ever win an NCAA tournament game.

Coach on the hot seat: Mark Turgeon, Maryland. When Turgeon hired a highly respected staff with longstanding ties to the talent-rich region, the consensus was he'd have the Terrapins back among the nation's elite programs before too long. Maryland indeed has recruited better under Turgeon than it did in the latter years under Gary Williams, but so far that hasn't translated into high-level success. In three seasons at Maryland, Turgeon never finished higher than seventh in the ACC and managed only one postseason appearance — a 2013 NIT bid. Throw in five transfers this offseason including heralded point guard Roddy Peters and returning starter Seth Allen, and Turgeon is starting to lose the faith of the Maryland fan base.

FACTS AND FIGURES

New coaches: None.

Regular-season winner last season: Michigan

Tourney winner last season: Michigan State

League RPI rank in each of past 3 seasons: 2013-14: 1st, 2012-13: 1st, 2011-12: 1st

NCAA bids the past three years: 19 (Michigan State 3, Michigan 3, Wisconsin 3, Ohio State 3, Indiana 2, Purdue, Minnesota, Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska)

Showalter, Williams voted MLB Managers of the Year.

By MIKE FITZPATRICK

Buck Showalter and Matt Williams won the Manager of the Year awards Tuesday, turning a Beltway double play.

Showalter took the American League prize for the third time after guiding Baltimore to its first division title in 17 years, and Williams snagged the NL honor following his first season as a big league skipper with Washington.

Showalter received 25 of 30 first-place votes and 132 points in balloting by the Baseball Writers' Association of America. He's established a unique pattern of winning once a decade following victories with the New York Yankees in 1994 and Texas in 2004.

''I won't be doing it 10 years from now,'' Showalter said on the MLB Network telecast.

Williams, who played under Showalter in Arizona from 1998-00, led the Nationals to an NL-best 96 wins. He got 18 first-place votes and 109 points, joining Houston's Hal Lanier (1986), San Francisco's Dusty Baker (1993) and Florida's Joe Girardi (2006) as the only men to win in their first seasons as a major league manager.

''This is an organizational award as far as I'm concerned,'' Williams said on a conference call. ''It's a testament to how the organization has built itself.''

Mike Scioscia of the Los Angeles Angels was second in the AL with four firsts and 61 points, and Kansas City's Ned Yost finished third with 41 points. Seattle's Lloyd McClendon followed with 29 points.

The 58-year-old Showalter piloted the Orioles to a 96-66 record and their first AL East crown since 1997 despite playing large chunks of the season without All-Stars Chris Davis, Manny Machado and Matt Wieters.

Voting took place before the playoffs, when Baltimore swept Detroit in the Division Series and then was swept by Kansas City in the AL Championship Series.

Until the ALCS, the Orioles had not lost four in a row since May and had not dropped consecutive home games since June 28-29.

Showalter became the first manager to win with three teams in one league. He is the third Orioles winner, following Frank Robinson in 1989 and Davey Johnson in 1997.

''I think you've got to keep in mind that (players) allow you to manage them in today's game. It's not like you get to do it because of your job title,'' Showalter said from his Texas home.

''It was a lot of fun to kind of get out of the way,'' Showalter added. ''I had a great seat.''

Pittsburgh's Clint Hurdle, who earned the NL honor last year, finished second to Williams with eight first-place votes and 80 points. Bruce Bochy of the World Series champion San Francisco Giants was third with three firsts and 30 points.

''For me, as a newcomer to the managerial fraternity, it is a privilege just to be considered amongst the best in our game. Clint and Bruce are certainly that,'' Williams said in a Nationals statement.

Miami's Mike Redmond also got a first-place vote and finished fifth, behind St. Louis' Mike Matheny.

A hard-nosed player and five-time All-Star over 17 seasons, Williams was coaching third base for Arizona when he was hired by Washington.

Now he is the franchise's fourth winner, joining Johnson (2012) and Montreal's Buck Rodgers (1987) and Felipe Alou (1994).

Williams credited his players, saying, ''These guys made my transition easy.''

The Nationals had hoped to contend for the Series title in 2013 under Johnson and came into this season with high expectations. Some predicted they would take the crown, which can often hinder a manager's chances of winning this award.

''What we accomplished this season would not have been possible without the right man at the helm,'' Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo said. ''It was a pleasure to watch him grow throughout.''

Williams stressed fundamentals from the start of spring training, and worked on creative defensive alignments. His biggest stamp might've come in late April when he benched young star Bryce Harper in the middle of a game for failing to run out a grounder.

The 48-year-old Williams kept the Nationals on track despite injuries to Harper, Doug Fister, Ryan Zimmerman and Wilson Ramos. Washington still won the NL East by a whopping 17 games, the biggest margin in the majors.

''As a staff, we tried to empower our players and allow them to have a voice and decide how they're going to go about doing it,'' Williams said. ''So, these guys did it. I didn't do anything except try to guide that at certain times.''

The Nationals lost to the Giants in four games in the NL Division Series.

On This Date in Sports History: Today is Wednesday, November 12, 2014.

MemoriesofHistory.com

1892 - William "Pudge" Heffelfinger became the first professional football player when he was paid a $500 bonus for helping the Allegheny Athletic Association beat the Pittsburgh Athletic Club.

1920 - Judge Keneshaw Mountain Landis was elected the first commissioner of the American and National Leagues.

1931 - Maple Leaf Gardens opened in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was to be the new home of the Toronto Maple Leafs in the National Hockey League (NHL).

1933 - In Philadelphia, the first Sunday football game was played.


1953 - The NFL policy of blacking out home games was upheld by Judge Allan K. Grim of the U.S. District Court in Philadelphia.

1967 - The Detroit Lions set a National Football League (NFL) record when they fumbled the ball 11 times. They only lost possession five of the eleven times.

1972 - Don Shula, coach of the Miami Dolphins, became the first NFL head coach to win 100 regular season games in 10 seasons.

1996 - "Dennis Rodman's World Tour '96" debuted on MTV.



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