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Sports Quote of the Day:

"I think whether you're having setbacks or not, the role of a leader is to always display a winning attitude." ~ Pat Riley, NBA Executive and Former Player and Coach

Trending: Eagles plan to sign Tim Tebow as team's fourth QB on Monday.

By Geoff Mosher

Tebowmania is about to sweep the Delaware Valley.

At least for the spring and summer.

The Eagles on Monday are expected to sign former Jets and Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow, according to an NFL source Sunday night. The former national champion Florida quarterback and Heisman winner has been out of football since the end of the 2012 season.

Jay Glazer of FOX Sports was first to report Sunday evening that Tebow is expected to sign a contract on Monday at the NovaCare Complex as the Eagles prepare to start their offseason program. Adam Schefter of ESPN reported that Tebow arrived in Philadelphia on Sunday and will sign a one-year deal.

Tebow, 27, worked out for the Eagles on March 16 but left without signing a contract. When he signs, Tebow will become the team’s fifth quarterback, joining Sam Bradford, Mark Sanchez, Matt Barkley and G.J. Kinne.

Tebow and Sanchez were teammates with the Jets in 2012, which made for a circus-like atmosphere around the franchise. Tebow has a passionate and outspoken legion of fans, many of which rally behind the quarterback because of his religious beliefs and travel to see him play.

Chip Kelly traded for Bradford this offseason and made Sanchez among the league’s highest-paid backups, so Tebow will have to battle with Barkley, Kinne and most likely a rookie draft pick to make the roster as the No. 3 quarterback.

Tebow, who hasn’t started a game since the 2011 postseason, owns a career 8-6 record with 17 touchdown passes and nine interceptions. He has a career 47.9 completion percentage and 75.3 passer rating. The dual-threat quarterback also has 989 rushing yards and 12 rushing touchdowns.

Tebow spent his first two seasons with Denver, which selected him in the first round of the 2010 draft, and led the Broncos to a first-round playoff win over the Steelers in 2011, but he and the Broncos were clobbered in the second round by the Patriots, 45-10.

Tebow completed just 9 of 26 passes against New England for 136 yards and didn’t throw or rush for a touchdown. In the offseason, the Broncos traded him to the Jets after signing Peyton Manning. Tebow hasn’t started since and thrown just eight passes.

Tebow went to training camp with the Patriots in 2013 but didn’t make the team. Last year, while still out of football, he did college football analyst work for ESPN and the SEC Network.

Glazer reported that the Eagles spent time with Tebow’s personal quarterback coach, Tom House, and came away convinced that Tebow had improved.

How 'bout them Chicago Blackhawks? Top line shines as Blackhawks down Preds, take 2-1 series lead. 

By Tracey Myers

Scott Darling takes the same approach, has the same mindset entering every game: he’s just thrilled to be here, thrilled to be getting the opportunities he’s earning.

He may have just earned himself another one.

Darling stopped 35 of 37 shots for his second victory of the postseason and Jonathan Toews had a goal and an assist as the Blackhawks beat the Nashville Predators, 4-2, in Game 3 of their first-round series on Sunday. The Blackhawks take a 2-1 lead in the series, with Game 4 scheduled for 8:30 p.m. Tuesday.

Andrew Desjardins, playing his first postseason game with the Blackhawks, scored his first postseason goal since April 12, 2012 (vs. St. Louis), when he was with the San Jose Sharks. Brandon Saad and Brent Seabrook also scored for the Blackhawks.

Darling, who relieved Corey Crawford in Game 1, got his first NHL postseason start on Sunday. He didn’t disappoint, coming up big when the Blackhawks needed him to do so.

So, does Darling earn the start in Game 4, too?

“We’ll talk about it but certainly he did everything he could to get himself back in the net,” coach Joel Quenneville said. “He was rock solid today. He did everything he could to get us a win and he was square, big and controlled a lot of pucks around the net as well.”
Darling got word from goaltending coach Jimmy Waite on Saturday that he was starting this afternoon. He said he got nothing but support from Crawford.

“He was great,” Darling said. “We’re a good goalie tandem with our relationship. He was happy for me, very positive. It was good.”

Darling didn’t have much time to think or worry when he came into Game 1 in the second period. This time he had more than a day to think about it. But if he was nervous, it didn’t show in his play.

“It was a little bit nerve-wracking but exciting all at the same time,” said Darling. “It couldn’t have been a better game for the team to help me in my first playoff start.”

Still, there were some moments through the first period plus that made you wonder if the Blackhawks were going down a bad road again. Just 31 seconds after Desjardins scored to give the Blackhawks a 1-0 lead, Mike Ribeiro scored to tie it for the Predators. And just 22 seconds after Toews scored, Mattias Ekholm evened it at 2-2 for Nashville.

“Disappointing,” Quenneville said of those two quick Nashville goals. “One was off a faceoff, one was not the way we play. We make a turnover in the slot right after a play and that’s not what we’re looking to do. Coverage off the rush was positionally poor, the other off a faceoff and sometimes they go in. But that’s the way it is when we talk about key shifts, being first shifts after goals, last or first shifts off periods, a lot of important shifts. That can’t happen on those two.”

The Blackhawks settled down after Saad’s goal, however, with Darling making a big not long after that to keep the lead. The Blackhawks padded their edge later in the second period when, after a long sequence in the Predators’ zone, Seabrook’s shot trickled through Pekka Rinne.

Darling has shown poise, be it the regular- or postseason. It’s hard to imagine the Blackhawks won’t go with him again in Game 4. He’s happy to be here, and playing like he definitely belongs here.

Predators staying confident after Game 3 loss to Blackhawks.

By Nina Falcone

Despite coming out of Game 3 down by one in the series, the Nashville Predators felt they did a pretty good job keeping things even with the Blackhawks a majority of Sunday's game.

 

Leading into the second period, the Blackhawks and Predators exchanged both quality scoring chances and goals, so much so that the Blackhawks held two separate leads for only a combined 53 seconds before Nashville answered back.

 

But two more goals from Chicago in the second proved to be the difference-maker; goals the Predators said resulted from puck-management issues on their end.

 

"Tip the cap to them," defenseman Cody Franson said following Nashville's 4-2 loss.

"They played well, they played a fast game all night. A lot of what they got came from us trying to do something a little extra. Not keeping it simple. Puck management's big against these guys. With that amount of skill they have up front, it's paramount to manage the puck well."

 

The Predators arrived in Chicago with a tall task at hand considering their captain and all-star defenseman Shea Weber didn't make the trip after suffering an injury in Game 2.

 

Prior to Sunday's contest, the Predators went 1-4-2 in the absence of Weber over the last two seasons, allowing 29 goals over the span of seven games.

 

And in a game where the Blackhawks' top guys were putting on such strong performances — after Andrew Desjardins' opening goal, Jonathan Toews, Brandon Saad and Brent Seabrook each found the back of the net — Weber's absence could be especially felt.

 

"Any time you lose a guy like [Weber], that's a big loss for us," Franson said. "But we have a good group of guys in here. We've got guys that are very capable and guys that are very bought in to try to pick up that slack and extend our run here as long as possible. I thought we did a lot of good things tonight, but a couple small pockets where we didn't manage the puck well and they were able to create some offensive zone time and capitalize on a couple of chances."

 

Nashville's new makeshift top defensive pairing of Roman Josi and Seth Jones had been on the ice for three of the Blackhawks' four goals, but the Predators said they're still confident they have enough depth to thrive even while Weber is out.

 

"I thought [the defense] was pretty good," head coach Peter Laviolette said. "I thought we had a pretty good game defensively, there were times I thought they controlled their offensive zone — our defensive zone — that's gonna happen at times. I think you have to hang in there and play defense. I thought our guys did that. Certainly would rather have Shea, but that's not an option."

 

The Predators were still able to take a lot of positives out of Sunday's game despite the final outcome. They're confident in each others' ability to step up in the absence of Weber and will look to improve their puck management by keeping their game simple moving forward.

 

Now their focus is on tying the series back up in Game 4.

 

"We don't want to go home down two and have ourselves in that situation if we can help it," Franson said. "The next game's a big game. There's no right or wrong way to win a playoff series as long as you win it at the end."

Predators thump Blackhawks in Game 2, even up series 6-2. (Friday night's game, 04/17/2015).

By Tracey Myers

Corey Crawford’s answers were succinct, as to be expected after a dismal outing.

“Game’s over. Got to move on to the next game,” he said. “The wheels just fell off. Nothing else to say about that.”

It was supposed to be Crawford’s rebound game after getting pulled after the first period of Game 1 on Wednesday night. It was anything but that.

Crawford gave up six goals on 35 shots as the Predators exposed the Blackhawks’ goaltending and defense in a 6-2 victory in Game 2 of their first-round series. The series is tied 1-1 heading back to Chicago, where the Blackhawks will host Game 3 at 2 p.m. on Sunday afternoon.

And now, the question coach Joel Quenneville faced heading into Game 2 resurfaces heading into Game 3: who will be your starting goaltender?

“We’ll talk about it as we go along here tonight and tomorrow,” Quenneville said. “We’ll do what gives us our best chance.”

Patrick Sharp also scored for the Blackhawks. Filip Forsberg, Smith and Mike Santorelli scored for the Predators in the third period. Colin Wilson scored his third goal of the last two games and Roman Josi also scored for Nashville.

The Blackhawks, who were tied 2-2 with the Predators midway through the second period, thanks to Patrick Kane’s first goal of the postseason. The Blackhawks got a break on it, as they had six men on the ice when he scored. It didn’t matter, because the tie wouldn’t last long. Nashville scored with about five minutes in the second period — Craig Smith — and scored three more times in the third to take this one handily.

“It was one of those nights, pucks were going in on him,” Quenneville said. “It was later in the game. We probably could’ve pulled him earlier but that deep in the game, we left him in there.”

Yes, it wouldn’t have mattered by the time the Predators went on their barrage; they scored those final three goals in a span of 2:19. The Blackhawks were down 3-2 before that scoring spurt began, and a combination of the Predators push and Blackhawks mistakes led to it.

“For the most part we were pushing in the third, creating more. We just had some breakdowns, got odd-man rushes and gave up grade-A scoring chances trying to get back into the game. We do that often enough eventually they’re going to capitalize,” Jonathan Toews said. “Not a great finish for us but the first 10 minutes of that third we were doing what we needed to do to get back in that game. A couple of mistakes ended up hurting us.”

And on this night, there was no last line of defense.

“I started feeling good for a little bit and then just fell apart,” Crawford said. “Right now, it’s pretty frustrating. You can ask any goalie in the world and they’d answer the same thing. This game’s over though. It doesn’t mean anything anymore. Got to get ready [for the next one.]”

Will Crawford be in net for the next one? Quenneville said he will start the goaltender who gives the Blackhawks the best chance. For so many games this regular season, that was Crawford. Is he now?

Just Another Chicago Bulls Session… Bucks-Bulls Preview.

STATS LLC
                          

Much of the focus of the Chicago Bulls' Game 1 win over the Milwaukee Bucks was on the postseason return of Derrick Rose, the exceedingly key component to the franchise's last deep postseason run.

Now that that's out of the way, the Bulls seem set on showing how much more well-rounded this group is and how that trait might define its next run.

Game 2 of the first-round Eastern Conference series comes Monday night in Chicago with the third-seeded Bulls seeking a commanding lead before heading to Milwaukee.

Rose, the 2011 MVP who led the Bulls to the conference finals that season, had 23 points and seven assists in the 103-91 victory Saturday in his first postseason game in nearly three years. The Bulls went 7-15 in the playoffs with Rose out over the past three seasons because of various knee injuries. With him, they're 15-15, and dating to 2009-10, he's averaging 26.7 points and 7.6 assists in 23 games.

"I think we have a great opportunity," Joakim Noah told the team's official website. "We just have to stay humble and hungry. Derrick played really well. It was so good to see him competing the way he competed."

Jimmy Butler led all scorers with a postseason career-high 25 points. Along with the addition of Pau Gasol, Butler is one of the pieces that gives Rose substantially more to work with on the offensive end than four years ago. That said, the Bulls could probably use a little more out of Gasol, who had 10 points and 13 rebounds but was 5 of 17 from the floor and is shooting 41.9 percent in his last seven playoff games.

"As long as we stay healthy and everyone keeps his confidence high I think it's going to be tough for teams to key in on any one guy because we have so many guys who do so many things well," Butler said. "So if we just keep playing team basketball and give our all for the team, we will continue to win."

Including four wins to end the regular season, Chicago is rolling, and plenty of it has been because of strong defensive efforts. Over that five-game span, it's held opponents to 89.4 points and 39.1 percent shooting, though in the last two that defensive performance has been necessary to overcome 20.5 turnovers.

The Bulls have also won seven of eight against Milwaukee while limiting the Bucks to 85.3 points per game. That includes four straight wins in Chicago by an average of 12.0 points.

While Rose's playoff return was a long time coming, it's been even longer since Milwaukee had any postseason success. The Bucks have dropped seven straight playoff games with their last series being a four-game sweep at the hands of Miami in 2013.

The Bucks had won three straight to end the regular season, though the playoffs were a new experience for three of their five starters. Only Zaza Pachulia and Ersan Ilyasova had been to the postseason, while it was a first for Michael Carter-Williams, Khris Middleton and Giannis Antetokounmpo. The trio combined for a 15-of-43 (34.9 percent) shooting mark.

"It's the first playoff game for a lot of people on this team," said Jerryd Bayless, who had played in 23 previous playoff games for Portland and Memphis. "There were a lot of nerves and whatnot, but we got rid of it today and have a great opportunity on Monday."

Bulls forward Taj Gibson suffered a minor strain to his right knee in the fourth quarter after dealing with a strained left shoulder the past few weeks but is expected to play.

Guard Kirk Hinrich has missed three games with a left knee injury.

Bucks may try to get more physical in Game 2 vs. Bulls.

By Vincent Goodwill

Milwaukee Bucks center John Henson (31) fouls Chicago Bulls guard Aaron Brooks (0) during the second half at the United Center. (Photo/Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports)

If Game 1 is the courting phase of a typical playoff series, the second game is usually the adjustment game, especially for a young team like the Milwaukee Bucks.

And considering Jason Kidd made a couple poignant comments after the game, one can surmise at the very least, more attention paid to and physical treatment to one Derrick Rose.

Rose got to the basket whenever he chose to in the Bulls’ 103-91 win Saturday, leading to the Bucks coach bemoaning how easy it was, believing it set up Rose to hit those three triples in the third that put some distance between the two teams.

“He showcased he can do layups very well,” Kidd said. “He got to the rim without resistance and whenever you do that, the jump shots, the basket is big and he knocked those down in the second half.”

You don’t have to read between the lines to see what Kidd meant there, and it wouldn’t be stretch to see more aggressive play with Rose. The final score says one thing but the game was well within reach with eight minutes left in the third quarter before it was blown open. So Kidd likely believes Rose’s explosion merits more treatment.

“We were in a good seat,” Kidd said. “We had some layups that we couldn’t convert when we had the numbers. Now we gotta go back and look and figure out how to get one on Monday.”

The Bucks are already one of the league’s most versatile defensive teams, the single most impressive aspect that brought them from a 15-win team last season to a six-seed in the East.

“They’re a very good defensive team. They’ve been that all year,” Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau said. “People have been physical with Derrick before. Derrick has a very unique skill set because he combines the power and strength with the speed and quickness. That type of stuff he handles very well.”

Thibodeau and Bulls reserve Taj Gibson agreed the series will only get more physical as it progresses. And it’s not like the Bucks gave the Bulls the kid gloves treatment in Game 1, as Pau Gasol and the rest of the bigs were knocking each other around like pinballs for most of the night.

“They’re doubling Pau more,” Thibodeau said. “They have a very aggressive defense, trapping dribble handoffs, pick-and-rolls, the low post. You gotta be ready to handle that.”

Gasol became a main point of attention due to his career-high 46-point game in an earlier meeting. It resulted in the Bucks meeting Gasol past half court, knocking him off his spots and forcing him to take more jump shots. That approach worked in Game 1, as he shot just five for 17.

“I guess that made them react,” Gasol said. “Just like they’ll probably react to something we did yesterday differently. So we just got be ready for the adjustments that they’re going to make against us, read the game, and make it easy for each other.’’

But the Bucks have to pick and choose who they swarm, and the Bulls have three guys who can easily score 20 points in Gasol, Rose and Jimmy Butler. But Rose being the point guard means he has more control than the others.

“It opens up the offense for a lot of other guys,” Gibson said. “It makes it much more easier, takes a load off Jimmy and Pau, guys that are struggling at first but get in a rhythm late. That’s real big for us late in the game, especially those big time 3-pointers when we need them.”

Gibson, who said he’s okay after straining his right knee in the second half, expects the intensity and physical play to ramp up from the Bucks.

“I feel better today,” Gibson said. “I’m starting to give a lot of respect to football players. When you go 100 miles per hour every play in the playoffs, things are gonna happen. But I feel fine.

“Yeah it’s gonna be more physical. I know that for a fact. After the first game every one is a lot more intense.”

Bucks owner tells Bulls fans planning to come to Milwaukee: 'Stay Home'.

By Brett Pollakoff

The Bulls will take on the Bucks in the first round of the playoffs, and the majority owner in Milwaukee is trying to make sure that his team’s home games don’t feel like they’re being played in Chicago.

It’s an hour-and-a-half drive up the I-94 from Chicago to Milwaukee, and plenty of Bulls fans are expected to make the reasonable journey to cheer their team on.

But Bucks ownership has a message for anyone who is contemplating making that trip: Stay home.

From Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun Times (via HoopsHype):

Milwaukee Bucks primary owner Jamie Dinan is well aware of the hostile takeover headed for his arena next week when Bulls fans make their usual migration north and treat the Bradley Center as if it were located in a Chicago suburb. 

So his message to Milwaukee reporters was this: 

“I would say it’s going to be a very long, long, lonely drive home to west Chicago after the games here,’’ Dinan said about Bulls fans planning to make the drive up Interstate 94. “That’s my advice. Stay home because you’re going to be really lonely and sad on that long ride home.’’

Shots, officially, have been fired.

There’s nothing wrong with having a bit of confidence in your team, and the small-market Bucks could use a little added attention by having a member of their ownership group saying silly things.

Milwaukee boasts the league’s second-ranked defense, and should stay competitive against a very good Bulls team. But Chicago has too much depth and overall firepower for the Bucks to win more than a game or two in this series, and no amount of blustery rhetoric — or rabid fans in the arena — is likely to change that.

Rose, Butler lead Bulls to first blood over game Bucks 103-91. (Saturday night's game, 04/18/2015).

By Vincent Goodwill

Bulls Derrick Rose (1) and Pau Gasol (16) try to block the shot of Milwaukee Bucks guard Michael Carter-Williams (5) in the first half. (Photo/Chris Sweda, Chicago Tribune)

If the Bulls expected to win their playoff opener by way of mere presence against the green Milwaukee Bucks, they were dead wrong.

Good thing they shot well enough to overcome what appeared to be their own opening night jitters, methodically pulling away from the young team in the second half to take a 1-0 lead with a 103-91 win at the United Center Saturday night.

The shots made came from the guards, as playoff games are usually won by the creators, and Derrick Rose, Jimmy Butler and Aaron Brooks did the heavy lifting.

Butler scored 25 with six assists in 35 minutes while Rose, who left to a standing ovation with 23 points and seven assists in 27 efficient, electric and exciting minutes—and unlike his last playoff game, he walked off under his own power as opposed to being helped off by the training staff, the biggest win of all.

“He and Jimmy got off to a great start,” Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau said. “It was good to have Derrick out there. It’s been a long process for him and obviously he makes our team a lot different.”

Rose hit Mike Dunleavy and Butler for pull-away baskets after the fourth started off with a bit of a lull, opening a door for the Bucks to possibly steal Game 1. But with his playmaking and savvy, he shut it down after doing what he does best right after halftime.

He scored 11 in the third quarter, including 3-straight three-pointers, to give the Bulls some breathing room after the Bucks kept it close for the first 30 minutes or so.

“Attack and see what they’re giving me,” Rose said. “There’s a lot of space out there and I’m just running around freely.”

And he’ll need Butler to alleviate some of the attention on the perimeter, as he keeps noting he doesn’t see double teams as much—a direct correlation to Butler being a threat—but with the Bucks having so many young, athletic wings, Butler had to score in different ways.

“Get out on transition to where they can’t use their length to block shots,” Butler said. “They don’t know what (we)’re going to do, and (we’re) just running. When we’re moving like that, everyone is going to get open shots.”

The Bucks trailed by three in the first few minutes of the third, in nearly prime position to steal one on the road before it was snatched away.

“We were in a good seat. We had some great opportunities to start the fourth, too,” Bucks coach Jason Kidd said. “There were some stretches where we thought we could get the lead down to steal one.”

The Bucks didn’t buckle or run away and hide under the specter of the postseason, playing loose and free, making up for their mistakes with exuberance and excitement, forcing 10 first half turnovers to keep themselves within striking distance.

Michael Carter-Williams went head up with Rose for parts of the night, and Khris Middleton, the Bucks’ sweet-shooting two-guard, scored 18 in 35 minutes. But the Bucks couldn’t continue hitting shots after the first half, going just 15 for 43 (35 percent), unable to keep up with the surging Bulls.

Kidd, a young coach but wise in the way of reading the game’s rhythms, knew the Bucks’ energy and execution wasn’t going to last long, repeatedly calling the Bucks’ 51 first-half points, kick-started by a first quarter where his team shot 13 for 22 from the field, “fool’s gold”.

“We’re not an offensive team,” Kidd said. “That set the tone in a bad way for us, giving up 60 points. We rely on our defense and we fell in a trap of scoring in the first quarter. We thought we could outscore Chicago with our offense and not play defense.”

Thibodeau’s Rubik’s cube was in full effect, as two of his prime performers who weren’t at his disposal last playoff but had become a downright necessity for the season to date didn’t have banner nights, in Pau Gasol and Nikola Mirotic. Gasol struggled to find his rhythm in the set offense and shot just five for 17 on the evening but still grabbed 13 rebounds to go with his 10 points and added four assists.

As for Mirotic, Thibodeau didn’t go to the rookie much, probably because Taj Gibson was better suited for matching up against the Bucks’ bigs, having his moments before exiting late in the second half with a right knee strain.

Brooks helped keep the Bulls afloat with 10 points in his first eight minutes after Rose had a slow start, and his leaning, bank-stealing 3-pointer at the end of the first quarter gave the Bulls a 30-29 lead.

Thibodeau will find plenty of correctable errors in the film, play and box score, like the Bulls’ 19 turnovers that gave the Bucks 25 points. But getting one up on the left side of the ledger was all that mattered.

First blood.

Report: Teams told salary cap could rise above $100 million in 2017.

By James Herbert | NBA writer

 

You're soon going to have to completely recalibrate how you think about NBA salaries. As you're no doubt aware, a massive salary-cap spike is coming, and at this week's Board of Governors meetings the league informed teams just how drastic the change could be, via ESPN's Marc Stein:

Sources told ESPN.com that, based on current projections, league officials expect the salary cap to increase from its current $63.1 million figure to $67.1 million next season, $89 million in 2016-17, and $108 million in 2017-18. The jumps represent massive increases largely triggered by the influx of television money that will begin pouring in after the 2015-16 season when the NBA's new nine-year, $24 billion TV deal kicks in.

‎Sources say that the league, though, has been careful to stress to its teams that these are not only mere projections but also contingent on the NBA and its players avoiding a work stoppage after the 2016-17 season. Both sides have the right to opt out of the current labor agreement by Dec. 15, 2016. 

NBA teams, sources said, were informed Thursday of the latest salary-cap forecasts as well as ‎projected jumps in the luxury tax threshold from its current figure of $76.8 million to $81.6 million next season, $108 million in 2016-17 and $127 million in 2017-18. 

In subsequent years, sources said, league officials are projecting a slight decrease in the cap, down to $100 million in 2018-19 (with ‎a $121 million tax line), $102 million in 2019-20 (with a $124 million tax line) and $107 million in 2020-21 with a $130 million tax line. 

That is a whole lot of millions, and this is obviously going to have a huge impact on 2016 free agency and the future plans of every team in the league. The NBA proposed a process of "smoothing," whereby the cap would increase gradually to avoid the craziness coming next summer. The NBPA continues to have zero interest in that. This ought to be fun.

Bear Down Chicago Bears!!!! Bears' lineup of 'bubble' players growing with each signing.

By John Mullin

With every signing directed by general manager Ryan Pace, another Bears player or two moves directly onto a roster trap door. If not their roster spots, then at least their 2014 starting position is at the very least in doubt and likely gone.

Jobs won’t be officially won or lost until coach John Fox gets the team “on the grass” and that doesn’t happen for another week or so, with voluntary veteran minicamp April 28-30. But the list of starters in jeopardy already is getting long, particularly on defense where a coaching change is magnified by a scheme change.

“It’s hard to say,” Fox said during last month’s NFL owners meetings. “We’re piecing it together and still a lot of work to be done in free agency. Ryan and myself have seen a lot of good players, a lot of starters, added even after the league meetings. So there’s a lot of good football players out there who are signable.”

For instance, the Bears have signed two linebackers and are moving a 2014 defensive end back to outside linebacker, where he has played previously. That leaves the three Game 16 starters of last season — Jonathan Bostic, Christian Jones, Shea McClellin — competing for one vacancy. The situation becomes all the more notable because McClellin is a former No. 1 pick and Bostic a 2.

In a roster that is going from four to three defensive linemen, the Bears finished 2014 with 10 on their roster, plus Lamarr Houston and Willie Young on IR. Houston is moving but even with versatilities, the Bears won’t be carrying 10 defensive linemen anymore.

How many of them, and other positions, carry will begin to play out in earnest with the first minicamp. But coach and GM clearly have some notions; otherwise, free-agent signings and draft priorities don’t happen.

“I kind of have [depth charts] in my brain,” Fox said, “and then [the players] compete.”

Bears reveal preseason dates, times.

By Larry Mayer

The Bears on Friday announced the exact dates and times for their four preseason games.

Kicking off John Fox’s first year as coach, the Bears will open the preseason by hosting the Miami Dolphins at Soldier Field on Thursday, Aug. 13 at 7 p.m. (CT).

The Bears will then play back-to-back road games against two 2014 playoff qualifiers, first in Indianapolis against the Colts on Saturday, Aug. 22 at 6:30 p.m. followed by a trip to Cincinnati to face the Bengals on Saturday, Aug. 29 at 6:30 p.m.

The Bears will then close the preseason with their annual match-up against the Browns at Soldier Field on Thursday, Sept. 3 at 7 p.m.

All four games will be produced and broadcast by the Chicago Bears Network in high definition and shown live on Fox32 Chicago and stations throughout the Midwest.

All four contests also will be broadcast on WBBM radio (780 AM and 105.9 FM) featuring Jeff Joniak on play-by-play and Tom Thayer as color analyst.

The NFL regular-season schedule is slated to be announced next week. In addition to home and away games against the Lions, Packers and Vikings, the Bears will host the Cardinals, Broncos, Raiders, 49ers and Redskins while visiting the Chiefs, Chargers, Seahawks, Rams and Buccaneers.

The Bears went 2-2 in the preseason last year, beating the Eagles and Jaguars at Soldier Field before losing to the Seahawks and Browns on the road.

White Sox calling up top pitching prospect Rodon.

By Alec Brzezinski

Two days after the Cubs called up third baseman Kris Bryant from the minors, the White Sox joined their Chicago compatriots by bringing up top prospect Carlos Rodon.

Rodon, 22, will officially join the team Monday, according to FOXsports.com, and will initially start in the bullpen. Rodon was 1-0 with a 3.60 ERA and 13 strikeouts in ten innings with Triple-A Charlotte as a starter. The talented right-hander has been working on building his arsenal of pitches in the minor leagues, but it appears the White Sox are happy with his development.

“Still need that changeup,” he said with a grin a couple of days before he made his 2015 debut in Charlotte. “That’s what everyone talks about.” 

In addition to sharpening up his usage of different pitches, he's also been trying to prepare for the differences between major league and minor league hitters. 

“They’re a lot more patient," Rodon said of big leaguers at the plate. "They’ll set you up. There are different ways you have to attack.”

It appears that the highly-touted righty will get his first chance to test out his plan of attack soon in Chicago.

Joe Maddon, Cubs trust Jon Lester will be in top form soon.
 

By Fred Mitchell

Trust is paramount between a pitcher and his manager, and Joe Maddon continues to stress the significance of that relationship.

His faith in winless free-agent starter Jon Lester remains undeterred after Sunday's 5-2 loss to the Padres. Lester, who signed a six-year, $155 million contract, is 0-2 with a 6.89 earned-run average.

"He's getting better. I think he is getting a little sharper with everything," Maddon said. "He still seemed frustrated on certain pitches today ... (but) I think it was a nice step forward."

Catcher David Ross also said Lester showed improvement Sunday. But he said he is not one to sugarcoat his evaluations.

"Jon knows whether he makes pitches or not, whether I'm seeing the ball good at the plate or not," Ross said. "We're not good at lying to each other. So, yeah, honesty ... sometimes it hurts. But this is a game where you've got to get better. We're constantly trying to get better. We're trying to be as good as one unit as we can be."

Lester endured a "dead arm" period in spring training but said he feels strong and healthy at this point. A three-time All-Star and two-time World Series champion, Lester said he still appreciates the backing of his manager, pitching coach and teammates.

"Well, I would hope so," Lester said. "I mean, that's what we are, we're family in there. I wouldn't go around talking bad about my family. Obviously internally we have talked and there are things that need to get better. That's part of the game. I would do the same for any other of those guys in the clubhouse and have their back until I am done here."

Maddon hopes all of his pitchers are straight shooters when it comes to their ability to perform at their best.

 

"I always talk to my pitchers, especially my relief pitchers," Maddon said."Just be honest with me, please. If you're honest with me we can make a better decision. If you're going to withhold information, man ... you're just hurting the whole team now.

"Don't tell me you are (OK) if you're not."

Lester threw 97 pitches Sunday, 57 for strikes. He gave up six hits, including a two-run homer to Will Middlebrooks in the second inning.

"It's just a matter of executing pitches," Lester said. "And I did that more consistently today. I would have liked to have gone a little deeper in the game. I had some longer counts, had some foul balls. Obviously the results aren't there. ... But it was better.

"I am kind of the loose end of the (starting pitching) chain right now, and that'll change."

 

Golf: I got a club for that: Furyk ends five-year title drought with playoff victory at Heritage.

By STATS Staff | CBSSports.com wire reports

Jim Furyk poses with the trophy after winning a playoff against Kevin Kisner during the RBC Heritage golf tournament in Hilton Head Island, S.C., Sunday, April 19, 2015. (AP Photo/Stephen B. Morton)

Jim Furyk had gone 100 starts without winning, a stretch that gnawed at his psyche and challenged his confidence. 
  
That all disappeared in uncharacteristic fashion Sunday when he won his first PGA Tour title in five years with birdies on both playoff holes to outlast Kevin Kisner at the RBC Heritage. When the winning putt fell on the par-3 17th, the typically reserved Furyk dropped his putter and punched the air.
  
"I think getting excited on 17 there was a lot of pent-up frustrations," he said.

Furyk won for the second time at RBC Heritage, the other coming in 2010 in what turned out to be the best year of his career. He won two other events, including the Tour Championship, and captured the $10 million FedEx Cup. 
  
Furyk won the 2003 US Open and entered this tournament ranked 10th in the world, but he has struggled to close out events. He was 0 for 9 when leading tournaments after three rounds since that Tour Championship victory. He is 44 and always believed he would win again. 
  
"But I was starting to feel like this game is beating me up, and the losing hurts a lot more than winning feels good," he said. "I think I just forget how good" it feels to win.
   
With that came a $1.062 million payday. For Kisner, it was his best finish on the PGA Tour. 
  
Furyk led by a stroke when Kisner birdied the 72nd hole to force the playoff, the fourth in the past six tournaments at Harbour Town Golf Links. On the first extra hole, Kisner rolled in a second straight birdie putt on the 18th. But Furyk answered with a birdie to keep the playoff going. After Kisner missed his birdie try on No. 17, Furyk sank a 12-foot putt for his 17th career PGA Tour victory. 
  
Furyk shot a 63 and Kisner a 64, leaving them both at 18-under 266. Third-round leader Troy Merritt was at 16 under after a 69. Defending champion Matt Kuchar (68) was at 14 under and Masters winner Jordan Spieth (70) was eight shots back. 
  
It was an odd tournament for Furyk.

He looked as if he would get left behind early, making 18 pars in the first round to fall five shots back. Furyk found his game Friday with eight birdies on the way to a 64. He had a 68 on Saturday, yet knew he needed to fire himself as he did Friday to have a chance.
  
Boy, did he ever.
  
Furyk had six birdies on his first nine holes, including a 48-footer on the par-4 eighth that moved him in front. A bogey on the 11th dropped Furyk into a four-way tie for first, but he responded with birdies on three of the next four holes and seemed set for an easy ride.
  
When his long putt on No. 8 rolled in, Furyk said he began to think "this may be the day." Kisner, though, chased him down on the back nine. He birdied the 14th and 15th to pull within a stroke and stuck his approach on the signature lighthouse hole at No. 18 within 7 feet for a tying birdie.
  
Kisner kissed his wife, Brittany, and 10-month old daughter Kathleen on the way to the scoring trailer to prepare for more golf. 
  
Furyk is used to such grinding at Harbour Town. When he won in 2010, Brian Davis tied him on the final hole to force a playoff -- won by Furyk when Davis struck a loose impediment on his swing and called a penalty on himself.
  
Kisner expected Furyk, who made 11 birdies in 20 holes, to tie him after his putt on the first playoff hole. 
  
"You don't expect a guy of Jim's caliber to miss a 6-footer straight up the hill," Kisner said. 
  
Merritt fell to third after a third 69. His other score was a 61, tying the course record, in the second round Friday. Merritt couldn't keep up with Furyk's charge and lost his chance after hitting out of bounds on No. 12 and taking double bogey. Merritt made up for it a few holes later with an eagle-2 on No. 16.

Spieth closed an amazing five-tournament stretch. He won the Valspar Championship a month ago and followed that with seconds at the Texas and Houston opens before matching Tiger Woods' record of 18 under at Augusta National. For Spieth, 19 of his past 20 rounds have been under par. 
  
Spieth had a whirlwind media tour in New York on Monday and Tuesday before arriving at Hilton Head. Now the 21-year-old Texan wants to get back to Dallas in time to attend the Academy of Country Music Awards. He'll return to golf in two weeks at the World Golf Championship Match Play event.
  
Divots: Tom Watson finally played like his age, the 65-year-old finishing with a 5-over 76 after making the cut at Harbour Town with a birdie on the 18th hole Friday. Watson says playing tour courses is taking a toll on "this old body." ... Golfers went off in groups of three on the first and 10th tees starting at 7:30 a.m. to beat expected stormy weather later in the day.

Olympic course designer hopes golf wins in Rio Games.

Reuters; By Larry Fine, Editing by Patrick Johnston

Gil Hanse designed the course that will stage the return of golf to the Olympics in 2016 for the first time in 112 years and knows the stakes are high for the sport.

"I hate figure skating. I don't ever watch it. But every four years I watch figure skating because it's in the Olympics," Hanse said on Saturday at an Architectural Symposium at the U.S. Golf Association headquarters.

"So people who have never watched golf, because it's an Olympic sport will tune in.

"If in any small way we can present the face of what we believe golf should look like -- not perfect, a little bit rugged, a little bit rustic -- hopefully this will bring a boom in golf development around the world."

After long delays in construction over issues including environmental concerns, Hanse said the struggles are over and only the last touches remain on the as yet unnamed course.

"I think we're clear. We're finished," he said.

The course, which features natural vegetation, heavy bunkering, a lagoon and sandy, rough ground lining wide fairways, will host two 60-player tournaments with the women's event following the men's at the Rio Games.

A second set of bunkers were installed in the women's landing areas with fairway contours and sloping posing other threats by shedding shots off in different directions.

There are no trees in play and the course offers several paths and opportunities for greenside recovery from the side and behind giving it a links feel.

The course, which can play as long as 7,350 yards, has no cart paths.  

"We didn't want to present a golf course from the air with all those ribbons and scars all the way through it," he said, adding that aerial views will be "spectacular."  

"This is an Olympic venue, it's supposed to be for athletes who should be walking this golf course. It's eminently walkable. There's only 20 feet of elevation."
 

The course in the Baja area of Rio is hard by the ocean and built on sand. Beyond the par-71 layout are some high-rise condominium buildings with mountains behind. 

 Hanse said the plan is to hold a test event during the Brazilian summer, which is winter time in the northern hemisphere.

The American golf architect would not predict a winning score.
 

"The best outcome would be that this really helps the game of golf," Hanse said.

NASCAR: Matt Kenseth survives Bristol marathon to break winless streak.

By Nick Bromberg

Driver Matt Kenseth celebrates in victory lane after winning a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series auto race at Bristol Motor Speedway on Sunday, April 19, 2015, in Bristol, Tenn. (AP Photo/Wade Payne)

 

Matt Kenseth is back. In victory lane, that is.

Kenseth won Sunday's Food City 500, a race delayed multiple times by rain and plagued with accidents that took out some of the race's top contenders. The win was Kenseth's first since he won at New Hampshire in September 2013, a span of 51 races.
 

To clinch the victory, Kenseth had to hold off Jimmie Johnson and others in a green-white-checkered restart that came only after NASCAR stopped the race for a third rain delay and extended it nine laps past the scheduled 500 laps to make sure it got completed.

"It means a lot. I got a great race team. Last year was tough and not winning so far this year was tough, Kenseth said while motioning towards his crew. "We've been putting ourselves in position, I really need to thank [crew chief Jason Ratcliff] and these guys, our pit stops have ben great and I haven't been doing as good a job, the cars haven't been as good, but these guys have been really doing it."
 

Kenseth held the lead during the caution flag that ate up laps 496-507. The yellow was for a crash involving Carl Edwards and Kurt Busch after Edwards got loose in the corner and Busch's car slid into him. Not long after Edwards and Busch collided, raindrops started falling once again at Bristol and NASCAR officials extended the yellow flag as long as possible in the hopes the rain would stop. 

 It eventually did, but not before NASCAR red-flagged the race to dry the track for what would be the final two green flag laps.

Kenseth took the lead on lap 437 when leader Kyle Larson was forced to make a green fag pit stop for fuel because of his pit strategy. Kenseth lost the lead to Kurt Busch soon after he got it from Larson but got it back after the caution flag came out for a crash on lap 473 when Busch was the only car in the top six to pit.

The pit stop ended up ruining Busch's chances to get back to Kenseth and fight for the win. While he immediately made up a position after the restart, a caution flag for a crash involving Kasey Kahne and AJ Allmendinger slowed his efforts. And then, not long after the race went green again, Busch had nowhere to go as Edwards crashed ahead of him.

Earlier in the race, Busch's teammate Kevin Harvick was involved in a similar crash. After Johnson, Jeb Burton and David Ragan got together, Harvick's car went into a slide as he braked to avoid Ragan and he ended up crashing into the wounded No. 18.

Yes, Johnson finished second despite being in a crash. And it wasn't his only incident of the night, either. Earlier, he had sustained significant right-side rear fender damage after he made contact with Busch.

Kenseth's lack of trips to victory lane during his winless stretch wasn't an issue limited to his No. 20 either. Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin each won just once in 2014. With the addition of Edwards to the team's stable, JGR swapped crew chiefs on three teams entering 2015. The only pairing that didn't change was Kenseth and Ratcliff.

Why? Well it wasn't like Kenseth had disappeared off the Sprint Cup Series map, though you may not know it from his comment above. In the timeframe since the win in 2013 he had amassed 30 top-10 finishes and was seventh in the points standings a year ago. Now, with the win, he's virtually guaranteed to make the Chase for the sixth straight season.

Sunday's race initially started late because of rain that plagued Bristol Motor Speedway for the early portion of the day. After NASCAR got approximately eight minutes of racing complete (22 laps), the skies opened up and the race was delayed for approximately four more hours before it resumed with just two brief interruptions Sunday evening.

While the two Team Penske cars crashed in the first 22 laps of the race, the opening segment also claimed another driver. Hamlin pulled himself from the car after having a muscle issue in his neck that occurred during the opening laps. JGR flew Xfinity and Camping World Truck Series driver Erik Jones to Bristol during the delay, where he got into a Sprint Cup Series car for the first time ever in relief of Hamlin, who won at Martinsville. Jones ended up 26th for Hamlin, who will receive all of the points for the race because he was in the car at the start.

Scott Dixon breaks through for elusive Long Beach win.

By Tony DiZinno

At a track and a city where he has had nothing but bad luck for the last 15 years, Scott Dixon finally broke through Sunday in the 41st Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach.

In eight prior starts in either CART or IndyCar dating to 2001, Dixon had only one top-10 finish – a fourth in 2010.

So he’d never even podiumed prior to today’s third round of the Verizon IndyCar Series season, but now he’s a winner at the historic street race after starting third and emerging ahead after the first round of pit stops.

After taking the lead on the first pit stop sequence from pole sitter Helio Castroneves and leading at the halfway mark, Dixon controlled the race from there in the No. 9 Target Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet.

“I was lucky enough to win here back in the day … in Indy Lights (in 2000),” Dixon told NBCSN’s Kelli Stavast in victory lane. “I never had the chance since then. Huge credit to the team and I saw what happened to Helio and TK during the crossover in the pit stop exchange there….I still can’t believe we won here at Long Beach.”

Dixon explained the pit stop exchange.

“It’s always hard to know. I tried to go to the left and tried maybe to go to the inside of Helio and Montoya wanted there,” he said. “I think Helio ended up moving over on Montoya and it sort of messed up his momentum and I could get a clear run on the outside. Credit to him for giving me the room, because he didn’t have to. That definitely started off the day well. I think we had the pace, we knew we had the pace. We were obviously really close to the 3 car, but once that pit stop exchange lost them the lead, there was no coming back.

Castroneves was held briefly in the pits while Tony Kanaan entered his own stall, thus avoiding a collision. But the delay was enough for Dixon to take the lead.

He stayed ahead on the final pit stop sequence and took the win by 2.2221 seconds over Castroneves.

“The first pit stop, we unfortunately got traffic there. We would have kept going,” Castroneves told NBCSN’s Kevin Lee. “That whole section, was going to be a great time for pit stops. It threw all that gap away. That was very tough. But it was better to be safe than sorry.”

Meanwhile the best battle on the track all race came between two of Castroneves’ other three Team Penske teammates for third.

Juan Pablo Montoya and Simon Pagenaud were neck-and-neck for third place, with Pagenaud making several attempts but unable to pass his teammate.

Kanaan made it home in fifth to complete a Ganassi-Penske top-five sweep.

Sebastien Bourdais, Josef Newgarden, Marco Andretti, Carlos Munoz and Sebastian Saavedra completed the top-10 in what was a generally uneventful race, with only one caution flag flying on Lap 4 due to debris on track.

Will Power had a tough race, ending 21st after stalling on the first pit stop sequence when trying to avoid another car having issues, Luca Filippi.

“Filippi had a problem. He stopped. I wasn’t sure what he was doing,” Power told NBCSN’s Marty Snider. “I didn’t grab the clutch in time and I stalled. But this whole weekend… if I would have just done my job in qualifying, I wouldn’t be in this mess.”

Power’s struggles drop him, unofficially, to sixth in points. Montoya still leads by three over Castroneves, with Kanaan third and Dixon making a quantum leap from 15th up to fourth. NOLA winner James Hinchcliffe, who finished 12th Sunday, is fifth.

The series heads to Barber Motorsports Park next week for the Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama.

RESULTS

Results Sunday of the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach Verizon IndyCar Series event at the 1.968-mile Streets of Long Beach circuit, with order of finish, starting position in parentheses, driver, chassis-engine, laps completed and reason out (if any):

  1. (3) Scott Dixon, Chevrolet, 80, Running
  2. (1) Helio Castroneves, Chevrolet, 80, Running
  3. (2) Juan Pablo Montoya, Chevrolet, 80, Running
  4. (5) Simon Pagenaud, Chevrolet, 80, Running
  5. (7) Tony Kanaan, Chevrolet, 80, Running
  6. (9) Sebastien Bourdais, Chevrolet, 80, Running
  7. (6) Josef Newgarden, Chevrolet, 80, Running
  8. (10) Marco Andretti, Honda, 80, Running
  9. (12) Carlos Munoz, Honda, 80, Running
10. (11) Sebastian Saavedra, Chevrolet, 80, Running
11. (8) Graham Rahal, Honda, 80, Running
12. (13) James Hinchcliffe, Honda, 80, Running
13. (4) Ryan Hunter-Reay, Honda, 80, Running
14. (16) Jack Hawksworth, Honda, 80, Running
15. (15) Charlie Kimball, Chevrolet, 80, Running
16. (17) Gabby Chaves, Honda, 80, Running
17. (21) Conor Daly, Honda, 80, Running
18. (20) Takuma Sato, Honda, 80, Running
19. (19) James Jakes, Honda, 80, Running
20. (18) Will Power, Chevrolet, 79, Running
21. (22) Francesco Dracone, Honda, 78, Running
22. (14) Luca Filippi, Chevrolet, 77, Running
23. (23) Stefano Coletti, Chevrolet, 69, Running

Race Statistics

Winners average speed:   96.800 mph

Time of Race: 01:37:35.2353

Margin of victory: 2.2221 seconds

Cautions: 1 for 4 laps

Lead changes: 5 among 4 drivers

Lap Leaders:

Castroneves 1 – 29
Hawksworth 30 – 33
Dixon 34 – 53
Castroneves 54 -55
Bourdais 56
Dixon 57 – 80

Point Standings: Montoya 119, Castroneves 116, Kanaan 93, Dixon 87, Hinchcliffe 83, Power 80, Pagenaud 73, Newgarden 66, Bourdais 66, Rahal 62.

Jose Mourinho: Chelsea had Manchester United's stars "in our pockets." Is he right?

By Joe Prince-Wright

Chelsea’s players celebrated their win over United like they had won the PL.

Jose Mourinho is the best in the business at grinding out a win.

On Saturday his Chelsea side increased their lead at the top of the Premier League table to 10 points after they beat Manchester United 1-0 at Stamford Bridge following a resolute, composed and ultra-defensive display.

Yes, Chelsea were out-played for most of the game and sat back to invite pressure from United but Mourinho insisted in his post-game press conference that letting United play the lead role was the plan all along. Then Eden Hazard delivered the moment of magic which sealed the victory.

“I think the team was fantastic and I am the one who knows how fantastic it was,” Mourinho said. “The game was exactly what we want and when you manage to play the game we want to play, it is fantastic. The game was exactly what we were working for the game to be. The players were magnificent and on top of that Eden [Hazard] had that magic that the top ones have, especially in the big matches. Obviously it was fundamental for us.”

Mourinho also added that “we prepared for it to be like this. It was the game we wanted and expected,” and the went on to claim that Chelsea’s game plan had work perfectly and wasn’t as difficult as they’d expected it to be.

“It was difficult, but less than you think,” Mourinho said. “Control their direct football to Marouane Fellaini and control the wingers from making crosses on the inside foot. When we know Wayne Rooney plays in midfield, we control his progression into the box. Control set-pieces and don’t give away direct free-kicks as they have three specialists. Wait for a mistake and score a goal. We were able to make their important players disappear. Nobody saw them. They were in our pockets.”

United had 70 percent of possession, 15 shots to Chelsea’s seven and hit the woodwork through Radamel Falcao. Falcao, Juan Mata and Wayne Rooney all went close after a mixture of slack shooting and brave blocks from Chelsea’s defense. Mourinho set up his side to thwart United’s attacking impetus and the likes of Fellaini and Mata were certainly nowhere near as influential as they’d been in previous games as the Red Devils’ six-game winning streak came to and end.

Mourinho — who worked under Louis van Gaal at Barcelona from 1997-2000 and considers the Dutchman a close friend — got one over the master, as the apprentice showed that he can shuffle his team and stifle opponents masterfully whenever he wants to. It might not win many plaudits or get people waxing lyrical about the Chelsea side of 2014-15 — even if in the early parts of the season Cesc Fabregas, Diego Costa and others were ripping it up and playing sensational soccer before the trials and tribulations of fighting for four trophies took its toll on the squad — but these tactics get results. Will any Chelsea fan celebrating their inevitable PL title success on the Kings Road in late May when Mourinho and Co. are waving the trophy off an open top bus really stand there and say “well, this doesn’t feel great. We should have played more attractive soccer.” Of course not.

With Kurt Zouma deployed in the holding role alongside Nemanja Matic, Chelsea completely shut off the area in front of their back four and Fellaini had to drift wider and wider as the game wore on to try and see the ball. Mata was subbed off due to his ineffective display and even though van Gaal believed it was United’s “best match of the season,” they failed to score and Chelsea looked solid and steady to grind out their third one-goal win in a row.

It isn’t pretty, but it is championship form. Wins like Saturday, against a top team who are riding high and will no doubt continue their rebuild over the summer and challenge for the PL title next season, are exactly why the Blues will win the league.

Mourinho isn’t letting an air of complacency settle in at Stamford Bridge. That was evident when he was told that captain John Terry had said the league was all but Chelsea’s in a separate interview.

“No, and I am not happy if John said that,” Mourinho barked. “We need eight points to be champion. Football is not about if, it is not about almost. It is about mathematics and when mathematically it is done we celebrate. Until that moment, we need two victories and two draws to be champions.”

Mourinho insisted that despite a lengthy and incredibly jovial celebration from his players at the end of the game, he has not lost focus and will be “ready to work again next week and make the players feel there is still a long way to go.”

Same old Mourinho. Boring or not, his tactical master classes get results and away at Arsenal next week expect another stifling display from his side. If every manager could pull off his meticulous attention to defensive detail, then they would have no hesitation in doing so. The dark arts of defending first at all costs continue to get Mourinho and Chelsea results.

Manchester City 2-0 West Ham: Two first half goals put down poor Hammers.

By Kyle Bonn

It didn’t look pretty at times, but Manchester City snoozed their way to a solid 2-0 victory to pull back into the race for second place at the top of the table.

A painful own goal by James Collins and a second from Sergio Aguero saw Manchester City through, although it was marred by an injury to David Silva late.

The home side started out clearly the better team, with Silva failing with the game’s first chance just three minutes in. City looked like the more incisive team as well in the first 10 minutes, but they could not find the final ball. It didn’t help the visitors early that they were sloppy in possession, giving the ball away in dangerous areas numerous times.

For all the attacking threat City showed, West Ham conceded the softest of own goals for the opener on 18 minutes. A cross from Jesus Navas came in looking for Sergio Aguero, but with City on the break West Ham had it covered easily. The cross fell to the feet of James Collins who lashed a clearance, but the ball spun off his foot, looping over the head of goalkeeper Adrian, off the crossbar, and into the net.

City would lull West Ham to sleep moving through the first half, and they struck again past the half-hour mark. Yaya Toure won the ball in the Manchester City half, and it sprung a breakaway with all Manchester City attackers getting forward. Sergio Aguero skipped by James Collins as he surged forward with help on either side, and after a quick touch to Navas on the right, Aguero got it back and slotted it home past Adrian for a 2-0 lead.

That lead saw Manchester City into halftime, and they eased through the second half as well, putting forth a number of solid chances in front of goal but crumbling before being able to put the ball in the net for a third. Fortunately for the home side, West Ham was awful and failed to threaten in the slightest as the click ticked towards the final 20 minutes.

City also struggled with a few injury problems through the sleepy second half. Sergio Aguero, who briefly appeared to be limping after just 10 minutes had gone by but came back on, appeared to be dogged by some form of leg injury through the early parts of the second half too, but again stayed on.

The bigger worry came around the 68 minute mark when David Silva crumbled after taking a stray elbow from Cheikhou Kouyate directly to the jaw. The contact seemed unintentional as Kouyate, on the ball, looked to swim his way past Silva, but the City winger was eventually stretchered off in a neck brace after a lengthy delay.

West Ham looked energized a bit by the break, but City returned to the supremacy with 10 minutes to go and they would see the game out. The visitors had one final chance, their best of the game, with a minute to go in regulation as Kevin Nolan intercepted a bad back-pass but Joe Hart saved well one-on-one. There were nine minutes of added time following Silva’s treatment, but West Ham had nothing to offer.

City remain in fourth, but the Citizens pull themselves just one point behind Manchester United for third place, and two back of Arsenal in second. West Ham, meanwhile, remain stuck in 10th and falling with just one point in their last three games.

LINEUPS

Manchester City: Hart; Zabaleta, Demichelis, Mangala, Kolarov; Fernando, Yaya Toure; Navas, Lampard, Silva (Nasri 75′); Aguero.

Goals: Collins (og) 18′, Aguero 36′

West Ham United: Adrian, Reid, Cresswell, Kouyate, Downing, Noble, Jenkinson, Collins, Cole (Nolan 66′), Song (Jarvis 66′), Valencia.

Big Ten's Delany lays out plan for freshman ineligibility.

By RALPH D. RUSSO (AP College Football Writer)

Jim Delany, Commissioner of the Big Ten Conference speaks during a news conference to announce a partnership with Madison Square Garden Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2014, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Big Ten Commissioner Jim Delany says making freshmen ineligible in college football and basketball could help correct the imbalance between athletics and academics.
 

In a 12-page letter titled ''Education First, Athletics Second: The Time for a National Discussion is Upon Us'' and sent to media members Friday, Delany reiterated why he believes a so-called year of readiness would be beneficial at this ''critical moment in the evolution of intercollegiate athletics.''  

The letter is not a proposal, he wrote. He did, however, lay out a plan to raise scholarship limits in FBS football and Division I men's basketball and add scholarships in women's sports to stay compliant with Title IX.  

The increased costs would be covered with money from TV and media rights deals for the College Football Playoff and NCAA men's basketball tournament.  

''If we cannot defend - through an examination of actions and results as opposed to words - that education is the paramount factor in our decision-making process (rivaled only by the health and safety of our student-athletes), then the enterprise stands as a house of cards,'' Delany wrote.

Since February, Delany has been pushing the idea of again making freshmen ineligible to compete in football and basketball. NCAA rules prohibited freshmen from competing in all sports until the early 1970s. 

Delany points out that by NCAA graduation rates and Academic Progress Rates, football and men's basketball were the weakest performing sports from 2009-13. He said there is some evidence showing athletes generally do better academically out of season. Sitting out would especially benefit those who come to college underprepared for the course work, he writes. But it goes beyond academics.

''First and foremost, requiring a year of readiness would make clear to prospects that they have a choice. On one hand, they would be free to pursue their sport as a vocation, where development in the sport is their primary - if not sole - objective. To the extent such avenues are limited in the sports of football and men's basketball, it is the responsibility of the professional leagues in those sports to provide such opportunities. It is not the responsibility of intercollegiate athletics to serve as professional minor leagues in any sport,'' he wrote.

Under Delany's plan, athletes would still be eligible to play for four seasons. Freshmen would be able to practice with their teams, though participation and travel would be limited.

To make up for the roster limitations that would come with freshmen not being allowed to play, FBS football programs would be allowed about seven additional scholarship players. The current limit is 85. Men's basketball teams in Division I would be allowed about three extra scholarship players; the current maximum is 13. Using those ''ball park estimates,'' 5.4 women's scholarships per Division I school would need to be added to equal the $47.25 million spent on new men's scholarships.

Delany also reiterated the Big Ten has no plans to go it alone when it comes to implementing a year of readiness. It is not an idea that many college leaders are embracing.

Big 12 Commissioner Bob Bowlsby and Pac-12 Commissioner Larry Scott have at least expressed interest in exploring the possibility. Southeastern Conference Commissioner Mike Slive has come out strongly against it. Even within the Big Ten, athletic directors such as Michigan State's Mark Hollis have referred to Delany's idea as a starting point for a broader discussion.

Delany said that more than pushing a particular proposal, he is trying to start a dialogue about ways to make college sports more about college and less about sports.

He concluded: ''Let the national discussion begin.''

Ohio State sets spring game attendance record at 99,931.

By Bill Bender

(Ohio Stadium Getty Images)

Defending national champion Ohio State enjoyed a monster turnout for Saturday's spring game.

The Buckeyes set a new national record with 99,931 people for Saturday's game at Ohio Stadium. The Buckeyes held the previous record at 95,722 in 2009. 

Alabama led the nation in spring-game attendance in 2014 (73,506) and 2013 (78,315). The Buckeyes last led the nation in spring-game attendance in 2012 (81,112).

Nebraska (76,881) entered the weekend with the lead in spring-game attendance.

Critic to judge: New NCAA head-injury deal as bad as first.

By MICHAEL TARM (Associated Press)

An attorney says a reworked settlement with the NCAA over concussions is just as bad as the original because thousands of brain-damaged former athletes still won't get just compensation.

Jay Edelson made the arguments Friday during a court hearing in Chicago. The hearing was the first since a new settlement was reached in a class-action lawsuit against the NCAA. The judge overseeing the case rejected the first settlement in December.

Edelson, who represents plaintiffs opposed to the new settlement, said after the hearing the revamped agreement doesn't do enough.
 

The has NCAA pledged to set aside $70 million to test current and former athletes for brain trauma.
 

The lead attorney representing plaintiffs, Steve Berman, says the new settlement fixes multiple flaws, including forcing NCAA schools to make major concussion-protocol changes.

Kentucky Derby: Twenty's a crowd.

By Gary West

At least 20 horses have been entered in the Kentucky Derby each of the last 10 years. Four times a late scratch reduced the field for the Derby to 19, but, still, no other race in North America has had nearly as many competitors or, consequently, as much traffic. The modern Derby has become a test of not just speed and stamina, but also traffic negotiation. And in this modern era, no horse has won the Kentucky Derby that didn't already have some experience racing in a large field. American Pharoah would be the first; his victory would be unprecedented.

In winning the recent Arkansas Derby by eight lengths, his fourth consecutive stakes victory in authoritative style, American Pharoah became the unofficial favorite for the Kentucky Derby, and the aftermath of that Oaklawn Park victory already has produced many comparisons to great horses of the past. I'll simply say I can't remember seeing a better mover, except perhaps Michael Jordan. Like Jordan, American Pharoah can seem to hang in the air and merely touch the surface before going airborne again.

But will that win a modern Kentucky Derby?

A search through history can't find a Kentucky Derby winner that entered the race without having some experience in a large field, defined here as 10 or more horses. Even the great filly Regret, who won the derby in her 1915 seasonal debut after a brief juvenile campaign, had been in a field of 10 at Saratoga, where she won the first three races of her career, all stakes, including the Hopeful. 

Large fields weren't uncommon then. Sir Barton finished 16th of 20 in the Hopeful and second of 15 in Belmont's Futurity before becoming in 1919 the first Triple Crown winner. But for some of the long-ago Derby winners the history can be a little fuzzy -- even with the assistance of Darren Rogers at Churchill Downs. It's clear, though, that since at least World War II, or 1945, no horse has won the Derby that didn't have some experience in a large field.

Many Derby winners, in fact, probably had become rather expert, if experience lends expertise, in dealing with the traffic and congestion that can accompany a cohort of racehorses. Assault, for example, ran against 56 rivals in his first three races, all at Belmont Park. In winning the Wood Memorial, then run at the Jamaica Race Course, he defeated 13. He raced in crowded fields in nine of his 12 starts before taking the 1946 Kentucky Derby and then going on to sweep the Triple Crown. And although lightly raced, with only five starts, when he arrived at Churchill Downs in 2006, Barbaro knew how to handle himself in a crowd. He had defeated 10 in his maiden victory, 12 in the Laurel Futurity, 11 in the Tropical Park Derby, 11 in the Holy Bull and then 10 in the Florida Derby.

Most horses, it's true, have had some experience in large fields by the time they've raced in the Derby. But many outstanding horses, and even a great one, didn't in recent years, horses such as Curlin, Danza, Goldencents, Eight Belles, Greeley's Galaxy, Proud Citizen, Millennium Wind, War Chant, Menifee, Prime Timber, Indian Charlie, Halory Hunter, Louis Quatorze, Strodes Creek, Soul of the Matter and Personal Hope. Did the crowded Derby field, the traffic and their own inexperience in dealing with such factors contribute to their loss at Churchill Downs? How necessary for Derby success is experience in a large field?

The answer, no doubt, varies with each horse, some being more poised or athletic or tractable than others. But with foal crops and field sizes generally declining and with the Derby likely to remain overcrowded, given its prominence in the sport and the culture, the question will probably become increasingly relevant. It's especially relevant this year because the likely favorite, American Pharoah, and another leading contender, Materiality, never have raced in a field of 10 or more starters. American Pharoah defeated eight rivals while winning the Del Mar Futurity, seven in the FrontRunner, six in the Rebel and seven most recently in the Arkansas Derby. Materiality defeated eight horses while winning the Florida Derby, but a total of only 12 in his other two starts. How will they respond to finding themselves in a crowd of 20?

This is the sort of variable that can be easily dismissed as trivial, an aphid sitting on a rose petal. After all, would the great Spectacular Bid have been any less likely to win the 1979 Kentucky Derby if he had defeated eight horses in his debut rather than 10? Of course not. His talent revealed, few were willing, and even fewer eager, to take him on. Not counting his debut at Pimlico, Spectacular Bid ran in a large field only once, when he defeated nine while racing for the roses. In the final start of his career, he won the Woodward in a walkover. And for a horse of such enormous and conspicuous talent, experience in a large field indeed might be meaningless.

But for many, maybe even most, such experience can weigh significantly on a horse's chances in the Derby. Practice matters, despite Allen Iverson's protestations to the contrary. And if having raced in a large field can help a horse transform a stressful situation into a manageable one, then such experience might turn out to be even crucial.

Nothing can simulate the unique experience of the modern Kentucky Derby. For a horse so much is new and unorthodox: the intrusion by interlopers and cameras on the tranquility of the stable area; the parade-like procession to the paddock; a saddling area awash in pastels and teeming with people more adorned than clothed; gawkers, gapers and oglers everywhere; a band playing "My Old Kentucky Home" as 150,000 people try to sing along despite not knowing the lyrics; 19 other horses in various stages of apprehension and eagerness, their jockeys looking preternaturally solemn; all that crap in the infield; a high-definition video board that can be seen from outer space; an auxiliary starting gate for the overflow and the surplus dreams; a wild and bumpy run through a long tunnel of noise to the first turn; a strung-out cavalcade on the backstretch; the rush-hour traffic of the second turn, engendered by desperation and earnestness, as the serious running begins; and then the long stretch, the culmination of it all, including the 1-1/4 miles.

The Derby's a whirlwind of surprises. But if a horse has raced in a large field and has had to maneuver in heavy traffic, then he'll have one less surprise. Eliminating just one, or mitigating its impact, can be only beneficial. Or will it matter? Could there be a talent in this Derby that atomizes the question of experience into momentary insignificance? Will American Pharoah show the field his inexperience or his feather duster of a tail?

On This Date in Sports History: Today is Monday, April 20, 2015.

Memoriesofhistory.com

1912 - Fenway Park opened as the home of the Boston Red Sox.

1916 - Chicago's Wrigley Field held its first Cubs game with the first National League game at the ballpark. The Cubs beat the Cincinnati Reds 7-6 in 11 innings.

1953 - The Boston marathon was won by Keizo Yamada with a record time of 2 hours, 18 minutes and 51 seconds.

1998 - Kenyan runner Moses Tanui, 32, won the Boston Marathon for the second time. He also registered the third fastest time with 2 hours 7 minutes and 34 seconds.

2003 - The Tampa Bay Lightning beat the Washington Capitals 2-1 in the third overtime to win the series 4-2. It was the first time in the 11-year history of the Tampa Bay franchise that they advanced in the playoffs.

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