CS&T/AllsportsAmerica Friday Sports News Update and What's Your Take? 06/12/2015.

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Sports Quote of the Day:

"What does it take to be a champion? Desire, dedication, determination, concentration and the will to win." ~ Patty Berg, Founding member and leading LPGA player in the '40's. 50's and 60's.

Trending: Chicago Blackhawks fans want the Cup!!!! One Goal...............

Trending: Warriors rout Cavs, 103-82, to even NBA Finals at 2-2. (See details in the basketball section below).

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

By GREG BEACHAM

Four games deep in the Stanley Cup Final, all that's clear is just how little separates the Chicago Blackhawks and the Tampa Bay Lightning.

These two conference champions have two victories, nine goals and 24 penalty minutes apiece, while Chicago has outshot Tampa Bay 107-104.

Neither team has led by more than one goal at any point in the Final's first four games, which have all been decided by one goal apiece for the first time since 1968 and just the third time in NHL history.

The Lightning stayed overnight in Chicago after Wednesday's 2-1 loss before heading home to prepare for Game 5 on Saturday night at Amalie Arena.

They traveled with the knowledge they missed early opportunities to get Chicago in serious trouble in this series - and they know the fate of other opponents who failed to put the Blackhawks away.

''I think you're looking at two very equal teams, for starters. Both teams have elite skill, elite speed. What we lack in their Stanley Cup experience and gold medals at the Olympics, we make up for in our youthful enthusiasm and speed,'' Lightning associate coach Rick Bowness said Thursday after the team returned to Florida.

''For either one of us to think we're going to go out there and control 60 minutes of the game ... I just don't see it happening. There are moments in each of the four games that we were in control of it, and there are moments, like the second period last night, that they were in control of it,'' Bowness added. ''You have to give credit to both teams. We're good hockey clubs. We're not going to let them play their game for 60 minutes. They're not going to let us play our game for 60 minutes. I'm not surprised.''

Tampa Bay defenseman Anton Stralman noted the Lightning very well could have won all four games.

The Blackhawks could accurately say the same thing, but Game 4 still stings for the Lightning, and they have an extra day off to ponder it before their 25th game of a grinding postseason.

Tampa Bay held the Blackhawks to just two shots in the first period of Game 4 and didn't let up significantly in the final two periods, dominating the puck and forcing Chicago into one of its worst performances in recent weeks. Yet the Blackhawks got goals of pure persistence from Jonathan Toews and Brandon Saad, while the Lightning lamented numerous missed chances to beat Corey Crawford.

That frustration has been epitomized by Steven Stamkos, who twice came ever so close to tying Game 4 in the final 90 seconds. The Lightning captain still doesn't have a goal in the series - matching the total of Chicago star Patrick Kane.

''When you have teams of this caliber, it's bound to be a tight series,'' Stamkos said. ''We're disappointed about the squandered chance, (but) if you'd have given us a best 2 out of 3 at home at the beginning of the year to win the Stanley Cup, I think any team in their right mind would take that opportunity.''

The series is so even because these teams' similarities have largely canceled each other out, from the flying forwards up front to the uncertain goalie situations in back.

'' It's a game of bounces. You just try to work hard and try to get those bounces and keep the momentum,'' Saad said. ''But luck's definitely a part of it. It's a tough trophy to win and a tough series to be a part of.''

The Lightning still have the impressive team speed that seemed to be a key factor before this series began, but Tampa Bay has recommitted to the improved defensive game that allowed it to get out of the Eastern Conference bracket in 20 grueling games. Neither of these speedy teams is flying down the ice, instead focusing on responsible hockey.

''I think we got caught up thinking it would be run-and-gun,'' Blackhawks forward Brad Richards said. ''And if we do that, we just feed them. We've got to be more patient than them.''

Goaltending also hasn't been a deciding factor in this series, even with ample reason to think it might be.

The Lightning don't know yet whether Andrei Vasilevskiy will get another start in net after the 20-year-old Russian rookie played Game 4 in place of Ben Bishop, who has an undisclosed injury. Vasilevskiy won Game 2 in relief, and he played well Wednesday in his first playoff start, giving Tampa Bay little reason to worry about the potentially precarious position.

Chicago also got a strong Game 4 from Crawford, the veteran that many Blackhawks fans love to hate until he comes up big in another postseason series. Crawford was benched in favor of Scott Darling in the first round, but has bounced back to win 11 playoff games while chasing his second Stanley Cup ring.

Crawford covered for several lapses by his teammates, who have only held the lead for roughly 10 percent of clock time in this series - nearly all of it in Game 4 despite their relatively mediocre performance.

''That was probably our worst game in a while, for whatever reason,'' Richards said. ''We really wanted it, but we just kept getting in each other's way. These guys are way better than anybody imagined at checking and trying to frustrate you, so we're learning that mentality that it might be 2-1 games the rest of the way.''

Although fatigue hardly seems relevant in a series with such high stakes, the Lightning are near the tail end of an historic playoff grind.

In Game 6 back in Chicago on Monday, Tampa Bay will play its 26th postseason game to tie the NHL record held by the 2014 Los Angeles Kings and two other teams. If the series goes seven games - and you'd have trouble finding many people who think it won't - the Lightning will set a record with 27 playoff games in one postseason.

And the Lightning won't be surprised if the final three are all as close as the first four.

''Two good teams playing some good hockey and creating chances,'' Stralman said. ''I have nothing that I didn't really like about our game. I'm sure they feel the same way.''

Chicago Blackhawks look to take over pace of Stanley Cup Final. 

By Josh Cooper

Chicago Blackhawks' Jonathan Toews, top right, celebrates with teammates after the Blackhawks' 2-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 4 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Final Wednesday, June 10, 2015, in Chicago. The series is tied 2-2. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

The Tampa Bay Lightning’s ability to control the pace and tempo of the Stanley Cup Final has been somewhat of a shock through four games. 

The Chicago Blackhawks were the team with the star power. It was the team with a lineup that included multiple-Cup winning champions. And Tampa has been the aggressor in the series that's tied 2-2 heading to Amalie Arena for Saturday's Game 5. 

“We've seen it in spurts in some games where we let them get into their rush game, their wide-open puck-moving game,” Hawks captain Jonathan Toews said. “That's when we start to get ourselves into trouble. It's focusing on little details like that, again raising our speed, our play, tenacity, working for the bounces we've been getting.”

Said goaltender Corey Crawford: “They're a good team. They're fast. They're skilled. Sometimes they're going to get momentum and make plays. But for us, you know, we have to keep our confidence which we have done, know that we got to stick to our game.   

This is vintage Blackhawks in the Toews era. When they’re not at their best, they just find ways to win. It’s how they beat the Ducks in the Western Conference Final, staying in the series until they took their game to a new level in Game 6, and annihilated Anaheim in the final two contests.

Tampa out-shot the Blackhawks 25-19 in Game 4. Per War-on-Ice, Corsi-wise it was a 61-45 romp by the Lightning. And again, Chicago won.

“You look at the first four games, it's been that close. Maybe the other team is supposed to win that game. But the fact that nobody's had a two-goal lead after four games speaks volumes about what we're talking about here,” Chicago coach Joel Quenneville said.  “Hey, it's fast, it's quick, it can be unpredictable. It's two good hockey teams going at it.” 

The key for Chicago is the ability to adjust and use its superior skill depth. So far against the Lightning, it appears the Blackhawks have ben trying to figure out Tampa’s speed game in order to stabilize their changes for later in the series. 

“I think a lot of it has to do with the way these two teams play,” Chicago captain Jonathan Toews said. “I think you see, especially their team, even the way we've kind of changed our lines up front the last few games, all four lines are contributing offensively and defensively.”

Also, if you’re the Blackhawks, you’re tied 2-2 with the Lightning, and Patrick Kane has yet to score a goal this series. If Kane can finally shake loose and provide his offensive dynamic, it could be a game changer for the Blackhawks.

Fortunately for Chicago, they're already in good position to pounce. 

Five Things from Game 4: Blackhawks all evened up.

By Tracey Myers

The Blackhawks won’t list Game 4 among their best performances, because it wasn’t.

The start was slow. The end was furious. The middle was all right. But once again the Blackhawks, pretty outing or ugly one, found a way to win. Thanks to Brandon Saad’s early third-period goal and Corey Crawford’s overall performance, the Blackhawks head back to Tampa tied 2-2 in the Stanley Cup Final. Hey, however you get there, right?

So before we pack up for the night, let’s look at the Five Things to take from the Blackhawks’ 2-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning.

1. Saad strikes again. We keep talking about how much money Saad is earning this postseason. Well, he’s adding to it. His backhander at 6:22 of the third period gave the Blackhawks the lead and this time they didn’t lose it. Saad continues to impress, be it the teammates he’s had for a few seasons now or the ones who just joined the team this offseason. “It looks like he’s just out for a Sunday stroll sometimes,” Brad Richards said. “He’s three strides and he’s beating people down the ice."

2. Hello, Andrei Vasilevskiy. You could imagine everyone’s surprise when the Lightning’s young backup goaltender led his team onto the ice for warm-ups. Of course you can – you were surprised, too. The Blackhawks were apparently so surprised they couldn’t get a shot on the Russian until more than eight minutes elapsed in the first period. Coach Jon Cooper said Ben Bishop, who’s dealing with an undisclosed injury, will play again in this series. He’s just not sure when. But Vasilevskiy played well. Regardless of goalie, however, the Blackhawks need to bring more against him.

3. Line-changing fun. Coach Joel Quenneville’s line combinations were different, that’s for sure. He was looking for balance, he was looking for more offensive production and he was looking for better team defense. Well, he got the last one, for sure. We’re not sure these line changes were the best we’ve ever seen but, welcome to the postseason, where everyone’s trying to outwit or surprise the opposition. As Quenneville said about postseason surprises, “we were expecting their other goalie in the net tonight, too, so I guess it’s 50-50.”

4. Johnny Oduya hangs in there. Speaking of guys struggling with an injury, there’s no doubt Oduya’s doing that. He was favoring his left arm/wrist/hand late in Game 3 and that was apparent again tonight. But that didn’t stop him from having a great game. Oduya played nearly 26 minutes and, along with Duncan Keith led the Blackhawks in blocked shots with five.

5. Gas left in the tank? The Blackhawks pulled this one out but you have to wonder how much they left in the tank. Is all the hockey and the physical series against Anaheim catching up to them? Hey, they found a way to tie this series, and we’ve seen this movie before: doubting the Blackhawks isn’t a wise move. Still, you wonder if the energy is dwindling.

Blackhawks earn 2-1 Game 4 win, even series with Lightning.

By Tracey Myers

Corey Crawford #50 of the Chicago Blackhawks makes a save in the first period against Nikita Kucherov #86 of the Tampa Bay Lightning during Game Four of the 2015 NHL Stanley Cup Final at the United Center on June 10, 2015 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images)

Corey Crawford wasn’t thrilled with his last two games.

The Blackhawks goaltender wanted to be better, needed to be better, especially with each of these games against the Tampa Bay Lightning coming down to one goal. So with the Blackhawks getting off to an incredibly slow start and then fighting off a furious Tampa Bay finish, Crawford was steady from puck drop to final horn.

Crawford stopped 24 of 25 shots and Brandon Saad scored the game-winning goal as the Blackhawks held off the Lightning 2-1 in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final on Wednesday night. The Blackhawks tie the series 2-2 heading back to Tampa, where Game 5 will be on Saturday night.

Saad’s goal, a backhander 6:22 into the third period, was his eighth goal of this postseason. Jonathan Toews scored his first goal of this series, and 10th of the playoffs, about seven minutes into the second period.

It was a night full of surprises at the United Center, starting with the Lightning’s starter. Ben Bishop, who’s nursing some injury, was out. Andrei Vasilevskiy, who came in for Bishop late in Game 2, was in. On the Blackhawks’ side it was line-shuffle time. Among the changes, Patrick Sharp was put on the top line with Jonathan Toews and Marian Hossa and Saad, Andrew Shaw and Patrick Kane – a combination that proved point happy in the 2014 Western Conference Final – were put together.

Whether it was lack of energy or those line combinations, which didn’t click early, the Blackhawks didn’t have the appropriate reaction to the young backup Vasilevskiy taking the net. It took them just over eight minutes to record their first shot on Vasilevskiy – from Sharp – and the Blackhawks had just two shots for the first period.

As Brad Richards observed, “that was probably our worst game in a while for whatever reason.” Good thing it didn’t extend to their goaltender.

“He was the player of the game tonight, obviously. Not just in the first period but that last two minutes we kind of hung on for dear life there. He just stood tall and made big saves and really made everything look pretty simple tonight,” Richards said. “I don’t know what happened in the first. Maybe [the lineup adjustment] was it. I don’t know. For whatever reason we were just stuck in mud again. But Crow came up with an unbelievable game and gave us a chance to win.”

Crawford was at his best in the waning minutes, when the Lightning pulled Vasilevskiy and vied for the tying goal. Steven Stamkos missed two great opportunities wide and Crawford stopped everything else.

“I was just trying to take the bottom front of the net away,” Crawford said on Stamkos’ late bids. “He was a little too close to get [the shot] up; he was really in tight. Just make sure there are no holes underneath.”

Toews said, “We're impressed but we're definitely not surprised that Crow shows up and plays the way he did. We obviously need him that way this time of year, with the guns, the ability, the offensive talent that they have, to make the stops that he made tonight. Obviously we need him to win games like this.”

Crawford was looking for more from himself in Game 4. On a night where the Blackhawks didn’t get the necessary start and didn’t get a lot of offense, Crawford found more.

“That was probably one of my best games of the last few,” he said. “Then again, you can’t think about what happened before. You’ve got to worry about what’s next.”

Just Another Chicago Bulls Session… NBA Playoff update: Warriors regain swagger vs. Cavaliers in NBA Finals Game 4.

By Adi Joseph

Andre Iguodala. (Getty Images)

This is the team that won 67 games in the regular season. This is the team that entered the NBA Finals as heavy favorites. This is the 2014-15 Golden State Warriors.

A lineup change, a faster pace and a renewed sense of confidence led the Warriors to a 103-82 victory Thursday vs. the Cavaliers in Game 4 of the NBA Finals. The series now is 2-2 as it heads back to Oakland for Sunday's Game 5 (8 p.m. ET, ABC).

 The Warriors played — and coached — with desperation. Steve Kerr inserted sixth man Andre Iguodala into the starting lineup (replacing center Andrew Bogut) for the first time all season, and the result was continued excellent play from the veteran. He had a season-high 22 points and eight rebounds while leading the emotional charge.

NBA MVP Stephen Curry also found his rhythm and finished with 22 points and six assists, as the Warriors played like themselves for the first time in the series.

LeBron James had his worst game of the NBA Finals, highlighted by a bloodied head after he fell into a baseline camera. James had 20 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists, but he needs to be closer to 40 in this series, without Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love to help. Surprise breakout star Matthew Dellavedova had 10 points on 3-for-14 shooting for Cleveland, while also struggling to defend Curry as effectively in the Warriors' faster offense.

The biggest factor for the Cavaliers instead was center Timofey Mozgov, who posted a career-high 28 points along with 10 rebounds. But Kerr was willing to give up some ground to the Russian big man. Bogut, who matches up best with Mozgov size-wise but had been outplayed in the first three games, only was in for three minutes.

Instead, Kerr relied on his small-ball lineup with 6-7 Draymond Green starting at center, along with reserve David Lee, who played a big role in a fourth-quarter comeback attempt in Game 3 and totaled nine points, five rebounds and three assists in Game 4. Green had 17 points, seven rebounds and six assists in 32 minutes.

Bear Down Chicago Bears!!!! Forte ranked NFL's 48th best player. 

By Larry Mayer

Matt Forte

After a record-breaking 2014 season, Bears running back Matt Forte has been voted the 48th best player in the NFL in a poll of league players conducted by NFL Network. The eight-year veteran was featured on Wednesday night's episode of “The Top 100 Players of 2015,” which unveiled players ranked Nos. 41-50.

Forte jumped 43 spots, from 91st in last year's NFL Network poll.

“He’s a complete back,” said Buccaneers safety Major Wright, who was Forte’s teammate with the Bears from 2010-13. “Catch the ball. Run the ball. Shake and run past you. Run through you.”

Last year Forte set the NFL single-season record for receptions by a running back with 102 and became just the second player in league history to catch 100 passes and rush for 1,000 yards in the same season, joining LaDainian Tomlinson.

Forte was selected by the Bears in the second round of the 2008 draft out of Tulane. After seven seasons, he ranks second in team history behind Hall of Famer Walter Payton in seven categories: yards rushing (7,704), 100-yard rushing games (23), receptions (443), receiving yards by a running back (3,727), yards from scrimmage (11,431), average scrimmage yards per game (106.8) and games with 150 yards from scrimmage (23).

Bears to practice with Colts in Indy.

By Larry Mayer

Jared Allen and the Bears will practice and play against the Colts in August.

Prior to the Bears-Colts preseason game Aug. 22 at Lucas Oil Stadium, the two teams will conduct two joint practices Aug. 19 and 20 in Indianapolis.

The workouts on Wednesday and Thursday in advance of the Saturday game will be held at the Colts’ training facility and will not be open to the public.

“We felt this was a good opportunity to work against an excellent team that has been to the playoffs the past three years,” said Bears coach John Fox.

“The timing worked well in terms of where it fit into our schedule. The guys like it as a change-up to what they have been doing the prior three weeks and the competition increases at practice as a result. It will help us with our preparation and evaluation of the team.”

The last time the Bears practiced against another team was in 2004 in Lovie Smith’s first season as coach when they worked out with the St. Louis Rams at Western Illinois University in Macomb.

The Bears’ practices in Indianapolis come after they break training camp in Bourbonnais. The team will hold camp from July 29 through Aug. 16 at Olivet Nazarene University, where fans will be able to watch practice and park free of charge.

After reporting July 29, the Bears will practice for the first time at 9:35 a.m. Thursday, July 30. They will practice in pads for the first time at 9:35 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 1. Their final workout open to the public in Bourbonnais is scheduled for 9:35 a.m. Sunday, Aug. 16.

Of the 13 training camp practices, six will begin at 9:35 a.m. and six will start at 11:15 a.m. The Bears will conduct their Family Fest practice at 11:35 a.m. at Soldier Field on Saturday, Aug. 8. Family Fest tickets cost $8-12 and will be available via Ticketmaster beginning Friday

Pace uses Cancun trip to bring Bears coaching family together.

By John Mullin

The last time Ryan Pace took a trip that involved coach John Fox, the Bears GM came back with the single most important part of his program secured.

This time, last weekend, Pace traveled a little farther than Denver and this time it was WITH Fox, and the objective of this trip also was to build something within his coaching staff.

Pace arranged a long-weekend getaway to Cancun with Bears coaching staff members and their spouses. The trip served the dual purposes of bringing the coaching family together away from the “office” and also to reward the new staff for the work that has gone into fashioning a program this offseason.

The trip also was a last real chance for this sort of get-together before the de facto start of the real season. After next week’s mandatory minicamp, players and coaches will be largely off until the preparation days leading toward the July 29 start of training camp.
 
Cubs slam Reds in return to Wrigley Field.

By JJ Stankevitz

The Cubs probably won’t lose many games when the first four batters in their lineup combine to reach base 11 times in 23 plate appearances and hit two home runs.

That’s how things played out Thursday night, with Dexter Fowler, Anthony Rizzo, Kris Bryant and Miguel Montero pacing the Cubs to a 6-3 win over Cincinnati at Wrigley Field.

Montero launched a three-run homer in the third, while Fowler christened the renovated right field bleachers — which opened Thursday — with a solo home run in the third. Bryant added an RBI double in the fourth, and Rizzo scored the sixth run when Reds catcher Brayan Pena couldn’t barehand Chris Coghlan’s spinning chopper in front of the plate in the fifth.

Fowler went 2-4 with that home run and a walk. Rizzo was 1-3 with a double, walk and hit by pitch. Bryant was 1-3 with a double and a walk. And Montero went 2-3 with his home run, a single and an intentional walk.

The run support looked necessary as starter Tsuyoshi Wada labored through three innings, his shortest outing in five starts this season. Wada served up a two-run triple to Reds starter Michael Lorenzen in the second inning, and Chris Dominguez’s solo home run in the fourth knocked the left-hander out of the game.

Travis Wood followed with 2 1/3 strong innings to bridge the gap between Wada and the meat of the Cubs’ bullpen. Justin Grimm, James Russell and Pedro Strop combined for 2 2/3 perfect innings to set up Hector Rondon for the save. 

Cubs get back to normal with re-opening of RF bleachers.

By JJ Stankevitz

Finally, right field will have an opportunity for a rebuttal against the argument that it sucks.

The Cubs re-opened the renovated right field bleachers for Thursday night’s game against Cincinnati, meaning blue-clad fans will spread across the outfield at Wrigley Field for the first time in 2015.

“It’s nice. I guess we’re back to capacity, and it’ll be fun,” manager Joe Maddon said. “Coming off a nice road trip, I know the fans are definitely into it, even walking around downtown I’m getting a lot of feedback from the folks. It’s fun. I’m having a good time.”

The Cubs returned to Wrigley Field Thursday night off a 5-4 road trip with stops in Miami, Washington D.C. and Detroit. The right field bleachers were closed for the season’s first two months due to delays in their renovations, while the left and center field bleachers opened in May.

First baseman Anthony Rizzo said he’s looking forward to a more complete atmosphere at Wrigley Field with fans in all three bleacher sections.

“You heard it when left field and center field opened up, and now right field opened up,” Rizzo said. “It’ll just be louder. It’s perfect timing, summer’s hitting and we’re about to get pretty deep into the season in the next few weeks here.”

The Cubs entered Thursday night with a 15-11 record at Wrigley Field, so the empty sections haven’t had a negative impact on their performance.

“It really hasn’t been that weird,” Rizzo said. “It’s nice to have people there, but once the game starts you’re focused on what you have to do. It’s good. I think it looks great.”

Palmer, Koepka, Owen shoot 64s for lead at St. Jude Classic.

By TERESA M. WALKER

Ryan Palmer watches his fairway shot on the fifth hole during the first round of the St. Jude Classic golf tournament Thursday, June 11, 2015, in Memphis, Tenn. Palmer pared the hole and finished his round at 6-under-par 64. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)

Ryan Palmer, Brooks Koepka and Greg Owen each shot 6-under 64 Thursday for a three-way tie atop the leaderboard after the opening round of the St. Jude Classic.

Palmer, a three-time PGA Tour winner, turned in a bogey-free round with six birdies in the afternoon to join Koepka and Owen atop the leaderboard.

Koepka, who won in Phoenix earlier this year, matched his low round of 2015 with eight birdies and two bogeys, while Owen shot his best round this year with a bogey-free round featuring six birdies.

Scott Brown, Steven Alker and Brian Davis each shot 65s. Defending champ Ben Crane tied four others with 66s.

Boo Weekley was tied with six others at 67, and Phil Mickelson was in a group of 10 at 68.

Golf: I got a club for that; US OPEN '15: The field for the 115th US Open at Chambers Bay.

AP - Sports

Players who are exempt or have qualified for the 115th U.S. Open, to be played June 18-21 at Chambers Bay. Players listed only in first category for which they are eligible. The rest of the field will be filled by the top 60 in world on June 15 and from an alternate list from qualifying. (a-amateur).

U.S. OPEN CHAMPIONS (10 years): Martin Kaymer, Justin Rose, Webb Simpson, Rory McIlroy, Graeme McDowell, Lucas Glover, Tiger Woods, Angel Cabrera, Geoff Ogilvy.

U.S. AMATEUR CHAMPION: a-Yang Gunn.

BRITISH AMATEUR CHAMPION: a-Bradley Neil.

2014 MARK H. MCCORMACK MEDAL WINNER: a-Ollie Schneiderjans.

MASTERS CHAMPIONS (5 years): Jordan Spieth, Bubba Watson, Adam Scott, Charl Schwartzel.

BRITISH OPEN CHAMPIONS (5 years): Phil Mickelson, Ernie Els, Darren Clarke, Louis Oosthuizen.

PGA CHAMPIONS (5 years): Jason Dufner, Keegan Bradley.

PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP WINNER (3 years): Rickie Fowler.

BMW PGA CHAMPIONSHIP WINNER: Byeong Hun An.

2014 U.S. SENIOR OPEN CHAMPION: Colin Montgomerie.

TOP 10 AND TIES FROM 2014 U.S. OPEN: Erik Compton, Jason Day, Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka, Henrik Stenson, Brandt Snedeker, Jimmy Walker.

2014 TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP FIELD: Billy Horschel, Jim Furyk, Chris Kirk, Ryan Palmer, Sergio Garcia, Gary Woodland, Russell Henley, Matt Kuchar, Cameron Tringale, Bill Haas, Brendon Todd, Kevin Na, Patrick Reed, Zach Johnson, Hideki Matsuyama, Hunter Mahan, John Senden, Morgan Hoffmann.

TOP 60 FROM WORLD RANKING ON MAY 25: J.B. Holmes, Ian Poulter, Lee Westwood, Jamie Donaldson, Victor Dubuisson, Ryan Moore, Thongchai Jaidee, Paul Casey, Branden Grace, Danny Willett, Anirban Lahiri, Miguel Angel Jimenez, Joost Luiten, Matt Every, Bernd Wiesberger, Ben Martin, Shane Lowry, Stephen Gallacher, Tommy Fleetwood, Charley Hoffman, George Coetzee, Francesco Molinari, Marc Warren, Marc Leishman.

TOP 60 FROM WORLD RANKING ON JUNE 15: TBD.

SECTIONAL QUALIFYING (36 holes): Wenchong Liang, Masahiro Kawamura, Seuk Hyun Baek, Kurt Barnes, Hiroyuki Fujita, Alexander Levy, Shiv Kapur, John Parry, Alex Noren, Lucas Bjerregaard, Jason Palmer, Marcel Siem, Tjaart Van Der Walt, Marcus Fraser, Thomas Aiken, Garth Mulroy, Lee Janzen, Jamie Lovemark, a-Lee McCoy, Roberto Castro, Luke Donald, a-Jack Maguire, a-Sam Horsfield, Tony Finau, a-Denny McCarthy, Billy Hurley III, Cody Gribble, Jason Allred, a-Kyle Jones, Blayne Barber, Brian Harman, Charlie Beljan, Retief Goosen, Andres Romero, a-Davis Riley, Sam Saunders, Michael Putnam, David Hearn, a-Bryson De Chambeau, Daniel Summerhays, Sebastian Cappelen, Ryo Ishikawa, George McNeill, Bo Van Pelt, Camilo Villegas, Brad Fritsch, Cameron Smith, D.A. Points, Robert Streb, Danny Lee, Richard Lee, Troy Kelly, a-Beau Hossler, a-Brian Campbell.

LOCAL (18 holes) AND SECTIONAL QUALIFYING: Rich Berberian Jr., Pat Wilson, a-Matthew NeSmith, Andrew Pope, Michael Davan, a-Nick Hardy, Stephan Jaeger, Tim O'Neal, Mark Silvers, a-Cole Hammer, Matt Mabrey, Tyler Duncan, Brad Elder, Brandon Hagy, Tom Hoge, Cheng-Tsung Pan, Jared Becher, Kevin Lucas, a-Jake Knapp, Alex Kim.

British style U.S. Open may give Mickelson an edge.
 
By Andrew Both, Editing by Mark Lamport-Stokes

Phil Mickelson hits his tee shot on the first hole during the first round of The Players Championship golf tournament at TPC Sawgrass - Stadium Course. (Photo/John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports)

Phil Mickelson is racing against father time as much as his competitors as he tries to complete a career grand slam of the four majors by winning the U.S. Open.

Mickelson, who has been runner-up in his national championship a record six times, will celebrate his 45th birthday on Tuesday, just two days before the opening round of the 115th U.S. Open, being played at Chambers Bay in Washington.

Should he go on to claim the title in the Pacific Northwest, he would become only the sixth player to win all four modern majors.

Mickelson would also become the second oldest U.S. Open champion behind fellow American Hale Irwin, who was also 45 when he beat Mike Donald at the 19th extra hole in a playoff for the 1990 title at Medinah.

Records are there to be broken but there is a reason why Irwin's mark has stood for more than two decades. Experience may offer middle-aged players an edge in course management, but there is generally no substitute for the athleticism of youth.

This year's U.S. Open, however, just might be different, due to the many nuances of a links-style Chambers Bay layout that takes time to learn.

Mickelson has already done his reconnaissance at the venue, which may give him an edge over late arrivals for the tournament -- if widespread reports about the course's many subtleties are to be believed.

The left-hander says Chambers Bay, adjacent to Puget Sound, is as close to a British Open links course as you will ever find in North America and he likens it to St. Andrews, a layout that has baffled many a first-timer.

"I think it's wonderful," he said of Chambers Bay. "The first time you play it, it's like St. Andrews. You don't know where to go. You don't know what mounds do what to the ball.

"The first time I played St. Andrews, I'm like, I don't know if I get it. Then the more you play it, the more you like it and you appreciate it, you understand where the balls are going to go and what type of shot is the highest percentage shot and how to get to certain pins and so forth."

After digressing to talk about St. Andrews, Mickelson returned to the topic of Chambers Bay.

"I can see why the first impression isn't as favorable for some," he said. "But I think the more you play it, the more you like it. The first time you play it, though, you don't know where (the ball is) going to go.

"You hit one place and it ends up over here. Then you realize where you're supposed to try to hit it and how to get to certain pins. And then all of a sudden, it makes sense. "It plays exactly like the British Open plays. The ball runs like the British, you're hitting the same shots as the British, and so it's like a British Open in the U.S."

Mickelson's pre-tournament form is probably irrelevant, because he has shown time and again that mediocre performances in the lead-up tournaments have not prevented him from peaking for the majors.

ELUSIVE OPEN TITLE

But while he has won three Masters (2004, 2006, 2010), one British Open (2013) and one PGA Championship (2005), his bid for a first national Open has proved more elusive than a Bigfoot sighting in the woods of Washington State.

Not only has Mickelson finished runner-up a record six times, but in most of those near-misses he had a genuine chance of winning.

Two close calls that stand out are the 2004 U.S. Open at Shinnecock, where South African Retief Goosen putted like a magician in the final round, to edge Mickelson by two strokes.

Even closer was the 1999 Open at Pinehurst where Payne Stewart sank a 15-footer at the final hole to beat Mickelson by one shot.

But the near-miss that most rankles Mickelson is the 2006 U.S. Open at Winged Foot, where he came to the final hole needing only a par to win and a bogey to force a playoff.

After hitting a bad drive, he could have pitched out, which would have given him a straightforward third shot to the green, and probably a bogey at worst.

Instead, Mickelson opted for the miracle shot, struck a tree and made a sickening double bogey to hand Australian Geoff Ogilvy the trophy.

"I am such an idiot," Mickelson said afterwards. "I had it right there in my hands, and I let it go. I just can't believe I did that."

McIlroy's preparations to be tested by Chambers Bay.

By Andrew Both, Editing by Mark Lamport-Stokes

Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy. (Photo/ Reuters / Andrew Boyers Livepic)

One criticism of world number one Rory McIlroy is that he does not always grind out a decent score when the going gets tough, a theory that likely will be put to the test in next week's U.S. Open at Chambers Bay.

With widespread reports indicating that the links-style course next to Puget Sound will penalize everyone with some unlucky breaks from apparently good golf shots, patience will not only be a virtue but an absolute necessity.

McIlroy's best golf is clearly better than his rivals' and he has not been world number one for more than 80 weeks by accident, but he has had a tendency during his career to throw in a few bad rounds and bad tournaments between dominating displays.

When his game starts going south, the Northern Irishman does not always manage to eke out a decent score.

Not only is the 26-year-old coming off missed cuts in his last two tournaments on the European Tour but his normal ball-flight is quite high, something that is not always ideal on exposed courses where the wind often blows.

That is the case the prosecution might offer on why McIlroy will not win at Chambers Bay, but he will likely start as the betting favorite for the second major of the season.

McIlroy drives the ball so well when he is on his game and has the ability to work it both ways off the tee so there is never a hole he cannot handle, whether it is a left-to-right dogleg or vice-versa.

Not only can he hit the knockdown shot when needed, but his normal shot does not launch into the stratosphere as much as some might imagine.

LAUNCH ANGLE

He ranks just 64th on the PGA Tour in launch angle with his driver, his ball leaving the tee, on average, at an angle of 11.62 per cent, more than two percent lower than the real high-ball hitters.

McIlroy already has four majors under his belt, two by wide margins, including his maiden major title by eight strokes at the 2011 U.S. Open at Congressional.

Conditions that week at Congressional, however, were unusually soft due to heavy rain and led to aggressive target golf -- something that probably will not be possible at Chambers Bay.

McIlroy scoffed recently at comments made by U.S. Golf Association executive director Mike Davis that intensive reconnaissance -- more than just two practice rounds -- would be needed by anyone with a genuine desire to win at Chambers Bay, due to the many nuances of the course.

"What's Mike Davis' handicap?" said McIlroy, who does not plan any special preparation. He will, however, arrive at the venue a little earlier than usual, long enough, in his mind at least, to become acquainted with the layout.

"No one is going to go out there and play 10 practice rounds," McIlroy said. "I'm going to go up a little early, play a couple practice rounds the weekend before and then I'll probably play another 18 holes.

"It's a bit of an unknown to most people so you have to prepare but I think you can fall into the trap of trying to over-prepare. If you don't go out there and execute the shots on the week, all that preparation doesn't mean anything.

"So, I'd much rather have my game in good shape going in there and play practice rounds the way I usually would. I think that will do well for me."

That ploy has done well for McIlroy in the past, but whether it will work next week is an open question that will only be answered over four days of competition -- or just two days if things really go awry.

NASCAR; NASCAR Illustrated: Questions and Quotes on being a driver.

NASCAR Illustrated, NASCAR.com

 

Allgaier, Buescher, Crafton and Nemechek on truths about race car drivers.

What are some key traits of a race car driver?

Chris Buescher, NASCAR XFINITY Series driver (@Chris_Buescher)
"One key trait is drive. There's an incredible amount of drive that has to go into becoming a race car driver. You have to have a passion for it and love what you do."

John Hunter Nemechek, NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver (@JHNemechek)
"Some key traits are your behavior, how you present yourself, work ethic and how hard you work in order to get to the top level."

Matt Crafton, NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver (@Matt_Crafton)
"Dedication to the sport, studying the races and studying how to be better are key traits. I don't just go to Atlanta, for example, without watching previous race footage. And if it's a track I never been to, I lean on people."

Justin Allgaier, NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver (@J_Allgaier)
"You can boil it down to attitude, patience and driver feel."

Have you developed any of those traits in an effort to improve, or do you just rely on natural ability?

Buescher: "The whole marketing side of the sport was my weakest part. I've been driving since I was 4 years old, but for a long time, I didn't realize that marketing was something that went along with it. You have to be a marketable person. It's been a very big learning curve for me. I went to Dale Carnegie courses to learn how to speak in front of groups and to learn how to speak in front of potential partners. It's like seat time in the race car: The more you do it, the more comfortable you become."

Nemechek: "Most of those traits came naturally for me."

Crafton: "Those are things I've done since I was a kid, and I was always able to lean on my dad to learn. It also always helps to have good people around you. I've been lucky to have good people around me. You've got to be able to maximize the resources around you."

Allgaier: "I would say that I struggled the most with patience. We go to the limit of what the car will give us. A lot of us feel we could always drive a lot harder than what the car will hold. For me, when I don't feel like I'm where I want to be, I tend to over-drive the car. That, ultimately, slows me down. I have to work on patience and remembering to stay within myself."

What other type of athletes share similar traits to race car drivers?

Buescher: "Most professional sports -- baseball, basketball, football. You've got to start young, be talented and you have to be willing to put in extra effort to become better than the other guys out there."

Nemechek: "I'd have to go with football. It's a team sport. Individual performance is important, but everyone on the team has to work together to succeed."

Crafton: "I'd say football. The driver might be the quarterback, but he's only as good as the team around him. You have to be able to rely upon other people."

Allgaier: "Every sport shares some similarities, but a sport that I'd say is most similar is shooting. Take biathlon, for example. You need a lot of patience, you need to be fast and you need to really understand what you're doing."

SOCCER: Klinsmann sets U.S. on path to higher goals.

By Erik Kirschbaum 

Coaches Joachim Loew of Germany and Juergen Klinsmann (L) of the U.S. chat before their international friendly soccer match in Cologne, Germany June 10, 2015. (Photo/REUTERS/Ina Fassbender)

After stunning away wins over two European superpowers, U.S. coach Juergen Klinsmann's "get-tough" policy of taking on the world's best appears to be vindicated as his side can look to the next World Cup without an inferiority complex.

The U.S. came from behind twice in the last five days to beat the Netherlands 4-3 on Friday and then World Cup winners Germany 2-1 on Wednesday.

"Now you suddenly face Germany or Holland or Switzerland in the World Cup and there's no fear any more," Klinsmann told Reuters.

The former Germany striker has gone out of his way to schedule friendlies against difficult opponents in order to raise his team's game and hopes the tough competition will help at next month's Gold Cup.

"There's still respect for the big teams. You always have respect. But there's not too much respect anymore," he said.

"I think psychologically it was really important for our players to see that we can play against top teams like Netherlands and Germany. We're not coming to Europe just to defend. We're here to take a game to them and see what happens."

Klinsmann, who coached Germany from 2004 to 2006 before taking over the U.S. job in 2011, knows it is a perilous business to fill the calendar with matches against the very best as poor results could give ammunition to critics.

"The only way to get better is to play against the better teams," he said in an interview in Duesseldorf. "Going against big teams on a regular basis is valuable in helping the players understand what it takes to go eye-to-eye against the best."

Klinsmann, who sang both the U.S. and Germany national anthems before the match in Cologne, faced some criticism after his team suffered 3-2 losses against Denmark and Chile.

The merits of friendlies are relative. To some they matter a lot; to others they are next to meaningless. For Klinsmann the experience is precious while results are secondary.

"The information you get out of these games is so valuable that it's definitely worth taking the risks of not getting results," said Klinsmann, whose team have a 3-1-1 record this year against five teams ranked in FIFA’s top 20.

LOFTY GOAL

Klinsmann has set a lofty goal of reaching the semi-finals of the 2018 World Cup and Americans hope to one day win it. Many might have laughed at that once. But not any more.

The U.S. have now beaten Germany in two of their last three matches over the last three years but lost the one that mattered most in last year's World Cup, 1-0. Both advanced from the "Group of Death" but the U.S. were eliminated by Belgium.

"When I look back at the World Cup, I think we had too much respect for Germany and maybe even for Belgium," he said. 

   

Klinsmann said tough matches gave Americans a chance to feel the pressure, something the North American-based players might not experience as regularly as his European-based players.

He said his players are in good form ahead of the Gold Cup which the U.S. co-host with Canada.

"We feel well-prepared but it's going to be tricky because we'll most likely be playing against very defensive minded teams, especially in the group phase," he said.

3 things we learned from the USMNT's impressive 2-1 win over Germany.

By Kevin McCauley

The United States are starting to look great against top opponents.

For the second straight game, the United States men have defeated a top European foe on their own turf. They followed up their win over the Netherlands on Friday with an even better performance in a 2-1 win over Germany.

The Germans were well on top early, though, with the Americans looking unable to cope. Goalkeeper Brad Guzan bailed out his team with a good save on Andre Schürrle in the fifth minute, but they were behind soon afterwards. Mario Götze was the scorer in the 12th minute, finishing off a spectacular long run and square ball by Patrick Hermann.

 

But the USMNT surprisingly pulled level by halftime. Michael Bradley set up the goal with an excellent diagonal switch into the path of Mix Diskerud, who placed a composed half-volley past Ron-Robert Zieler from 8 yards.

 

Jurgen Klinsmann made three changes at the break, and they paid off instantly. DeAndre Yedlin, Kyle Beckerman and Brad Evans all had a big part in the United States dominating possession for vast swaths of the second half.

 

However, the Americans couldn't capitalize on their chances. Sebastian Rudy barely poked the ball off Gyasi Zardes when he looked sure to score early in the half, and Aron Johannsson whiffed on an equally good chance in the 65th minute.

 

Jordan Morris entered with just over 15 minutes to go, and he made a big impact again, just barely missing on a scorching shot in the 75th minute.

 

Bradley had the winner on his boot in the 84th, when a square from Yedlin set him up with an open shot from 12 yards, but Zieler made an excellent kick save.

 

It looked like everyone was content with coasting to a draw until late sub Bobby Wood shocked everyone, scoring the winning goal for the second consecutive game. He picked up a pass from Evans, turned away from his defender and placed a perfect shot into the bottom corner from 20 yards, giving his team yet another astounding result. Germany nearly equalized in the final minute of extra time, but Sami Khedira's headed shot bounced harmlessly off the crossbar.

 

Germany: Zieler, Hector, Rudy, Mustafi, Rüdiger, Schweinsteiger (Khedira 46'), Gündogan (Kramer 60'), Hermann (Bellarabi 73'), Özil, Schürrle (Podolski 46'), Götze (Kruse 73') 

Goals: Götze (12') 

United States: Guzan, Johnson (Evans 46'), Brooks, Alvarado, Chandler, Williams (Beckerman 46'), Diskerud (Morales 74'), Zardes (Wood 74'), Bradley, Johannsson (Morris 74'), Agudelo (Yedlin 46')

Goals: Diskerud (41'), Wood (89')

3 things

1. Michael Bradley's finally in form again. The United States goes as Bradley goes, which can be a bit concerning. It's never good to depend on the form of one player. But when Bradley is as good as he was against the Netherlands and in this game, the USMNT can hold their own against anyone. For the second straight game, he was his team's best player. 

2. After an awful start, that was a great team performance from the USMNT. Without question, the USMNT started poorly. They were hardly involved in the game in the first 15 minutes. But they slowly started to get more into it, keeping the ball a little bit easier, and it eventually led to the goal. They were even better to start the second half, regularly pinning Germany back for long periods of time.

 

3. DeAndre Yedlin looked at home in an advanced role. Evans got another look at right back in this game, allowing Yedlin to work higher up the pitch. And as a right winger, he looked much more comfortable than he ever does at right back, and looked capable of beating his man whenever he wanted. The combination of a great ball-retaining fullback behind a speedster was also a big positive for the American right flank.

FIFA Women's World Cup Canada. 2015 Score Summary. 6 June - 5 July, 2015.

Thursday 11 June 2015

Group A

China PR 1
Netherlands 0

Canada 0 
New Zealand 0

Group B

Germany 1
Norway 1

Côte d'Ivoire 2
Thailand 3
 

NCAAFB: Congress members reintroduce NCAA bill seeking presidential commission. 

By Jon Solomon

College sports and the federal government blended together again Thursday when four members of Congress reintroduced legislation designed to change the NCAA.

Reps. Charlie Dent (R-Pa.) and Joyce Beatty (D-Ohio) previously proposed in 2013 the NCAA Accountability Act to address health and safety, scholarship lengths and due process for athletes. They are reintroducing the bill to include the idea of a Presidential Commission of Intercollegiate Athletics while adding Reps. Bobby Rush (D-Ill.) and John Katko (R-N.Y.) as co-sponsors.

The presidential commission, introduced by Rush in a bill last January after efforts by retiring Rep. Jim Moran, would allow Congress to examine college sports issues such as the education of athletes, how the sports are financed, health and safety, and due process in infractions cases. The 17-person commission could make recommendations to the White House and Congress.

Rush said the bill is aimed at the “abysmal cesspool that's called college athletics in America.”

“In my mind, the NCAA is the last plantation in America,” Rush said. “Certainly it takes the layman's capital and talent and the skills of its participants under the guise of being amateurs, promises them education, but then it exploits their labor -- without pay I might add … It should be the National Cabal of Collegiate Athletes.”

Putting the rhetoric aside, it's not clear how much support in Congress there is for Thursday's bill. Similar scrutiny in the past has led to hearings and some changes by the NCAA and Congress, although not actual legislation.

"People will say why is Congress engaged in college sports?" Beatty said. "Talk is not enough."

Dent said the co-sponsors will push for hearings and believes there are more Congressional members who want a presidential commission. "I think there's a lot of momentum out there because I think there's a general sense that the NCAA is incapable of reforming itself," Dent said.

Part of the bill aims to address four-year scholarships. The NCAA passed legislation last January that the association has said would prevent athletes from having their scholarships non-renewed due to athletic reasons.

NCAA spokeswoman Stacey Osburn said the association has no comment on the bill. Last December, NCAA president Mark Emmert told CBSSports.com that if a presidential commission is established, “I hope it's focused and meaningful and that it's not done for political reasons, but because people are generally interested in the issue of college sports.”

In 2014, the NCAA spent $580,000 on Congressional lobbying -- a small amount by D.C. standards, but a total that exceeded what the association spent on lobbying combined from 2011 to 2013. The NCAA has spent $110,000 on lobbying in 2015 as of April 20, according to OpenSecrets.org. Records show that lobbyists for the Big 12, North Carolina State and Kent State have been working on the presidential commission legislation.

“No one is saying the NCAA should be disbanded,” Katko said. “But it certainly wouldn't hurt for the NCAA to have someone take a fresh look at how they're handling things.”

Katko's district is home to Syracuse University, which was recently hit with major NCAA violations in men's basketball. Katko criticized the NCAA for not having a consistent enforcement process.

“It's clear the NCAA went out of its way to humiliate and punish Jim Boeheim,” Katko said.

The reintroduction of the bill comes at a time when college sports is debating congressional intervention. Given the pressure facing the NCAA due to litigation, some people want an antitrust exemption for the NCAA that would provide some control of college sports to the government in exchange for protection from antitrust law.

The NCAA has appealed a decision in the Ed O'Bannon case that would allow football and men's basketball players to be paid for use of their names, images and likenesses at an amount the NCAA could cap at no less than $5,000 per year. In the coming months, a class certification hearing will be held on sports attorney Jeffrey Kessler's Martin Jenkins lawsuit that seeks a free market for players to be paid.

“I think it would be very difficult for the Congress to grant an antitrust exemption,” Dent said. “I think it would be a very high bar.”

Rush's previous bill regarding a presidential commission included examining the possibility of athletes being paid for commercial use of their names, images and likenesses. Rush said he believes the NCAA is “coming very, very close” to violating antitrust laws, if it's not doing so already.

Dent said nothing in the latest legislation prohibits “stipends” for athletes. “We're more or less silent on that,” he said.

Ohioans favor Cardale Jones as OSU's starting QB, laud Urban Meyer.

By Chip Patterson
 

Cardale Jones says he still considers himself third-string but voters want him as the starter. (USATSI)

  

Cardale Jones is the preferred starting quarterback for Ohio State, according to a recent Public Policy Polling survey of Ohioans.

One of the questions asked pollsters who identify as Ohio State to select their choice for the Buckeyes' starting quarterback.

"(Among Ohio State fans) Given the choices of J.T. Barrett, Cardale Jones, and Braxton Miller who would you most like to see as the Buckeyes Quarterback this season?" the question read.

Jones was the leader with 33 percent of the votes. "Not sure" was the second-most popular selection (27 percent), Miller received 23 percent of the vote, Barrett got 14 percent of the vote and four percent of the pollsters selected "Someone else."

While the fans surveyed seem to indicate an order of 1) Jones 2) Miller 3) Barrett, Jones himself still sees "two guys in front" competing for that starting job.

"I'm working harder than ever," Jones told ESPN.com. "I understand that I want to be the starting quarterback of this team, but I know I have two guys in front of me who are working just as hard."

The poll also asked those who identified as Ohio State fans to give their approval of Urban Meyer's job as head coach. Meyer's 85 percent approval rating is impressive, but it's hard to imagine anything lower given the recent national title.

What was more noteworthy was 30 percent of voters naming Meyer the best Ohio State coach since 1950. Only Woody Hayes (35 percent) received more votes.

According to the release, the poll surveyed 859 registered Ohioan voters from June 4-7.

NCAABKB; Q&A: DePaul's Dave Leitao rebuilding in return to Blue Demons.

By Jon Rothstein

After going 58-34 in three seasons at DePaul, Leitao was 63-60 in four seasons at UVA. (Getty Images)

 
Dave Leitao is back at DePaul 10 years after leaving to take the Virginia job. CBS Sports Network and CBSSports.com's Jon Rothstein finds out how Leitao has evolved since his first DePaul run, playing in a new arena closer to campus and what he feels he's inheriting with his current team.

Jon Rothstein, CBSSports.com: What was your initial thoughts what you were first presented with the opportunity to come back and be the coach at DePaul?

Dave Leitao: The ironic thing is I didn't even really go through the process the way people normally go about the process nowadays. I wasn't pursuing this -- it came up during a conversation with a third party just by chance. So when I got the opportunity to talk to the administration about it, we talked about some other things and then the subject of whether or not I was interested in the job came up. That part was obviously great for me because I have a lot of affection for this place and a lot of great memories. I went full steam ahead from that period of time until the press conference.

CBSSports.com: This is your second tour of duty with the Blue Demons and you've had different coaching jobs since you left, including a head coaching position in the NBDL. What's the biggest difference in Dave Leitao as a coach between when he was at DePaul in 2005 and right now?

Leitao: I think everyone of us evolves. I think I've learned a tremendous amount from some of those experiences and even some mistakes I've made along the way. I think the biggest thing for me is that I'm more patient than I was before. I'd like to think I'm smarter too because I've learned from some of the mistakes I've made. I think I'm as competitive as I ever was, I just need to stay in the moment and understand kids evolve and they go through things too just like we do.

CBSSports.com: When you were at DePaul the first time, the school was in Conference USA and now it's in the new version of the Big East. Does the job feel any different in terms of the way it's viewed nationally?

Leitao: Yes, because the Big East for a lot of years has been known and respected. Obviously with all of this realignment people look at it a little differently, but the Big East is still the Big East with a strong tradition of teams that have been in it since 1979 when it started. I think at the time I was here last and I told people this, Conference USA didn't have the same ring to it as other leagues, but you had coaches that were legendary. John Calipari was at Memphis, Bob Huggins was at Cincinnati, Tom Crean was at Marquette -- you can go down the line. That's the guys we were competing with back then and it was anything but easy. It was one of the best basketball conferences in America, but it just didn't get looked at like the power five leagues. It was very, very challenging.

CBSSports.com: You will play your home games 22 miles away from campus, and then in another two years, you'll finally have something close in Lincoln Park. How much will that new area transcend this program?

Leitao: It's beyond tremendous. The history of playing in Rosemont is what it is and I think people have looked at it as a place that's less than ideal. But DePaul is a city school and having a place in the actual city that people can call their own is tremendously important. Obviously logistically -- for people to get there -- is a whole lot easier, so your demographics change and that will allow high school kids and coaches to come more often. It should also help our fan base, people who work downtown, and all the other DePaul alums that will be right around that area. It's beyond just changing venues. It means so much more to this city because people are so passionate about basketball here.

CBSSports.com: The team you inherited from last year was 11-9 overall and 5-2 in the Big East, but then proceeded to lose 11 of its final 12 games. From the inventory you've taken, what happened down the stretch and how do you amend those mistakes moving forward?

Leitao: I don't know all the answers and to be honest, I'm not quite sure I want to know all the answers as to what happened. The general philosophy that I've come away with is that winning begets winning, as does losing. So when you have adversity and you don't climb over it, it's much easier for that to keep happening. I think more or less that's what was going on. After a tough game or a tough loss, it's harder to keep trying to keep things going in a positive direction. I think psychologically when you have a job to do -- there's a lot on the returning guys in that area. Can they get more hardened and more resilient? More battle tested to take those negative times when they come your way? That's the big question with this group.   

Academic scandal leads to probation for UNC by federal accrediting agency.

By Matt Norlander

UNC athletic director Bubba Cunningham is currently preparing a response to the NCAA. (USATSI)

  

Big news hit the University of North Carolina on Thursday: The board of Southern Association of Colleges and Schools' Commission on Colleges (SACS) slammed the school with probation. It's a powerful, rare move from an accrediting organization.

So while the university prepares its response to a potentially landmark investigation and punishment from the NCAA, the entity partly responsible for helping fund the school with federal money just handed down its own harsh punishment. The probation will last for a year, and the reason it's come about is strictly due to the academic fraud ignominy that's remained in the headlines over the past few years.

It's a major sanction for the oldest public university in the United States of America. It's an embarrassing hit, both in terms of public relations and for actual, tangible resources.

According to the News & Observer, seven standards set forth by the SACS were not met by UNC.

"It's the most serious sanction we have," Belle Wheelan, president of SACS, said in the N&O's report.

The scope of the scandal at UNC spans nearly two decades and more than 3,000 former students -- more than half of them former players -- who were enrolled in bogus or effortless classes in the African and Afro-American Studies (AFAM) division at the school.

Last week UNC made public the five major allegations put forth by the NCAA in its Notice of Allegations against the school. The NCAA went with the "impermissible benefits" route when laying out its case against the school but also hit the athletic department with an allegation of lack of institutional control.

As for UNC and SACS, the school had been wobbling on probation and other action in recent years, according to the News & Observer's report. Last year's investigation and subsequent, thorough report by Kenneth Wainstein, combined with the NCAA re-opening its case against UNC, pinned the school in the crosshairs of SACS.

The next step for UNC is compiling a formal reply and/or any retorts to the NCAA's Notice of Allegations. The school has until mid-August to do so.  
 

American Pharoah vs. Secretariat: Who Would Win? What's Your Take?

By Geoff Foster

By now, you may have heard that American Pharoah became the 12th horse to win racing’s Triple Crown. During his wire-to-wire victory on Saturday, he never once seemed to be in serious danger of losing the race—perhaps because only five horses in history have run around the 1 ½-mile track at Belmont Park faster.

Among Triple Crown winners, American Pharoah was faster than legendary horses such as Seattle Slew, War Admiral and Citation. He was even a nose or so quicker than the previous Triple Crown winner, Affirmed in 1978.

But Secretariat? No chance. In 1973, there’s reason to believe Big Red would have beaten American Pharoah by twice the distance that Pharoah beat Saturday’s runner-up, Frosted.

To be sure, the track and weather variations between 1973 to now make this a slightly inaccurate exercise. But Secretariat’s record-breaking 31-length victory is truly in a class by itself—one of the only races you’ll ever see where the cameraman had to keep panning back to keep the second-place horse in the frame. Secretariat was more than 2.6 seconds faster than Pharoah. To put that number in perspective, that’s roughly the difference between Pharoah and the fifth-place finisher on Saturday, Frammento, who finished nearly 14 lengths out, according to Trakus, a system that charts horses’ speed and distance using GPS technology.

Ending an epic Triple Crown drought, American Pharoah ran like a champion the sport has not seen in decades. But as track announcer Chic Anderson aptly put it at the time, Secretariat ran like a tremendous machine.

Chicago Sports & Travel, Inc./AllsportsAmerica Take: The drought was broken after 37 years and we finally got another triple crown winner. I've spoken with many younger racing fans that talk about the virtues of American Pharoah, some think he's the greatest racehorse of all time. I hate to burst their bubble but it's not true. Granted, he may be the best of his generation, but I actually saw a horse run in 1973 named Secretariat. Affectionately called, "Big Red", this horse was phenomenal. He actually ran like a tremendous machine. I know older race fans tell me that some of the older racehorses of other generations were better and I always disagree. If you ever saw Secretariat run, You would not doubt that he was the greatest racehorse of all-time. He set record times in the triple crown races. He didn't just run against the other horses, he ran against the clock just shattering running times in the process. He was outstanding. I think most of you will agree with me but some of you won't. Now that you know how we feel, We'd love to hear your thoughts and know, what's your take? Please go to the comment section at the bottom of this blog and tell us how you really feel. Is Secretariat the greatest racehorse of all-time? We truly value your comments.

The Chicago Sports & Travel, Inc./AllsportsAmerica Editorial Staff.

On This Date in Sports History: Today is Friday, June 12, 2015.

Memoriesofhistory.com

1839 - Abner Doubleday created the game of baseball, according to the legend. However, evidence has surfaced that indicates that the game of baseball was played before 1800.

1939 - The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum was dedicated in Cooperstown, New York.

1948 - Ben Hogan won his first U.S. Open golf classic.

1967 - The Senators beat Chicago, 6-5, in 22 innings. The game lasted six hours, 38 minutes and ended at 2:43 a.m. and caused the league to adopt a curfew stating that no inning may start after 1:00 a.m.

1981 - Major league baseball players began a 49 day strike. The issue was free-agent compensation.

1985 - Wayne "The Great One" Gretzky was named winner of the NHL's Hart Trophy. The award is given to the league Most Valuable Player.

1991 - The Chicago Bulls won their first NBA championship. The Bulls beat the Los Angeles Lakers four games to one.

1994 - Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman were murdered outside her home in Los Angeles. O.J. Simpson was later acquitted of the killings, but he was held liable in a civil suit.

1997 - Interleague play began in baseball, ending a 126-year tradition of separating the major leagues until the World Series.

2000 - Steve Young (San Francisco 49ers) retired from the NFL.
 

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