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Trending: Dolphins vs. Bears preseason game Thursday, 09/13/2015. Check your local TV listings for time and channel. (See football section for Bears updates).
Trending: Cubs keep wearing down opposing pitching in fifth straight win.
Bear Down Chicago Bears!!!!! Bears showing very little even before preseason opener vs. Dolphins.
By John Mullin
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The veil over the 2015 Chicago Bears will be pulled back a little – a VERY little – when they face the Miami Dolphins on Thursday in the first preseason game. And it isn’t being pulled back just yet, either.
John Fox’s coach’s penchant for secrecy through the offseason remained in force Tuesday when the Bears put out their pre-game release of information without even an unofficial depth chart. That’ll be coming on Wednesday and will likely have a number of co-starters at positions still in at issue.
Not that it would be in any way binding anyway; games are “tests” more weighted in personnel evaluation, so whomever goes into the game as the starter at a particular position may not be the starter after coaches grade performances.
Far more important than who lines up with the first or second units on offense or defense will be what individual players do in de facto one-on-one matchups against the Dolphins.
“I don’t really like evaluating the team in the media but I think this will be… . It carries a little more weight, kind of like a mid-term or final,” Fox said. “Maybe more weight than maybe some of the pop quizzes, which will be practice, so I’m really excited to see them play, anxious to see how they do it under pressure.”
The Bears have another new offensive coordinator and system besides a handful of players who’ve never taken the field in a helmet with the trademark “C” on the side. The plan is to put the No. 1 unit on a play count, along the lines of the dozen or so run at Saturday’s practice in Soldier Field.
Tempo and precision are the objectives.
“We want to get in and out of the huddle,” said quarterback Jay Cutler. “We want to limit our mistakes, our mental errors. We want to get some first downs and move the ball and just kind of attack just like we have been trying to do throughout camp.”
Fox likes the 3-4 defensive scheme because of its flexibility and options. Don’t expect to see too many of those on Thursday.
“Obviously you’re trying to put your guys in position to have some success,” Fox said. “But we’re not in full-blown game mode right now. We’re still in training camp, still installing, be it a new staff, putting in new offense, new defense, as well as special teams.
“We just want to be able to let them line up with things that they can execute and we can evaluate and pick our best 53.”
Bears commit to running the football, but who is after Matt Forte?
By John Mullin
Defensive linemen usually complain about running backs because of cut blocks and such. Bears D-linemen are irritated with Jacquizz Rodgers for a different, “smaller” but no less annoying reason.
They can’t find Rodgers. Literally.
The 5-foot-6 running back has emerged to this point of the off-season as Forte’s understudy. The defensive linemen wish he would “emerge” a lot more.
“Oh yeah, they complain about him all the time, not being able to find him,” said running backs coach Stan Drayton, smiling. “And then when they do find him, he’s low to the ground and he’s got some power behind him.”
That last point is the punch line, literally, because the Bears have committed to running the football and backed it up, so far, with things like a 50-50 run-pass balance in Saturday’s 36-play scrimmage. And Rodgers is a major part of the plan, ideally giving the Bears more than they got from the run of Michael Bush, Marion Barber, Chester Taylor, Kahlil Bell and Kevin Jones, the one-year non-wonders who fell short of giving the Bears firepower after their lead back.
And if the Bears intend to play more than 16 games in 2015, it matters.
Thomas Jones and Cedric Benson didn’t like each other. But when the Bears have had two running backs (three in 2005, with Adrian Peterson) averaging 4 yards per carry, they have gone to the playoffs (2005) and to the Super Bowl (2006). As good as Forte was in 2010, Chester Taylor’s paltry 2.4 yards per carry was not enough of a supplement.
Perhaps in something of a foreshadowing, the Bears sat Forte Saturday while Rodgers, rookie Jeremy Langford and second-year man Ka’Deem Carey handled the primary rushing load.
Unofficial rostering at this point, the Bears project to keep three running backs, which would be Rodgers and either Langford or Carey, Bears fourth-round picks this year and last, respectively. Rodgers averaged 39 pass receptions in his four seasons with the Atlanta Falcons; Langford has been a special-teams contributor at Michigan State; and Carey has shown significant improvement from a wasted 2014.
“I need them to do what they do best,” Drayton said. “Not everybody is going to be Matt Forte.”
Bears in no hurry to play Kevin White in preseason.By John Mullin
Rookie wide receiver Kevin White, coming back from a shin injury that has landed him on the physically unable to perform list from the outset of training camp, got in his first outdoor running in nearly two weeks on Monday. But the Bears continue to tap the brakes with the young wideout and may hold him out of preseason games entirely.
If White is on the PUP list as of final cuts, he would be unavailable to practice or play for the first six weeks of the season. There was little indication of that prognosis on Monday.
“Sure, we’d love to have him play in a preseason game,” said receivers coach Mike Groh. “Obviously, the more he can get out here with Jay [Cutler] and the rest of the offense, the better. But that’s probably not going to be the case.”
A reasonable assumption is that White, the No. 7 pick of the draft in April, will not be a starter by the time the Bears face the Green Bay Packers on Sept. 13. But the Bears are looking beyond one game.
“We’ve got a plan for him,” said coach John Fox. “And he’s making progress. He’s been running but it’s been in water and some various types of exercises where you don’t take pounding on the legs. From what I’ve gathered so far, he had a good day today.”
Word is that White has consistently been active in meetings and sought out coaches for advice already. He has worked on techniques with the likes of veteran Eddie Royal and caught passes from just about anyone who would throw with him.
“He’s done everything that we’ve asked him to do and more,” Groh said. “He’s certainly made sacrifices in his personal time to get out in front of the playbook and understand everything that we’re trying to do and everything that we’re installing. So I’m very proud of him for what he’s done off the field. And then when we get him on the field, we’ll see what he can do physically.”
NFL Draft will return to Chicago in 2016.
CSN Staff
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and Chicago mayor Rahm Emanuel had a joint press conference Tuesday in Schaumburg to announce the news.
The event will take place from April 28-30.
The NFL Draft moved from Radio City Music Hall in New York City to Chicago, where more than 225,000 fans visited Draft Town in Grant Park over a three-day period from April 30 to May 2.
2016 will mark the 10th different year Chicago has hosted the draft, as the Windy City hosted the NFL's top offseason event in 1938, 1942-1944, 1951, 1962-1964 and 2015.
Are you a Diehard NFL fan? Do you know the teams, the players and their skills? Do you have confidence in your ability to pick winners? If you can answer yes to these questions then what are you waiting for to sign up for the 2015 CS&T/AA NFL office football pool?
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It's four weeks until the start of the 2015 NFL season. Time to consider participating in the2015 CS&T/AllsportsAmerica NFL Office Pick 'em Pool. Some of you have played before and know how much fun it is. The season last for 17 weeks. The entry fee is the same as it's always has been, $35.00. We usually have 35 players but this year we are looking for 50 players. Again, the entry fee is the same but we're looking forward to doubling the payouts. We need your help, if you've played before, we're asking you to bring in one additional player. It can be a fellow employee, friend from the sports bar, relative, neighbor or general acquaintance. If you haven't played before, now is the time to take the plunge and join in the fun. The pool is conducted over the internet and you have 24/7 access to the website, statistics, scores, weekly winners, etc. This is strictly an office pick 'em pool for entertainment purposes only and rewards are paid out weekly every Tuesday morning.
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How 'bout them Chicago Blackhawks? Minnesota hosts Chicago in 2016 Coors Light NHL Stadium Series on Feb. 21 at TCF Stadium.
By NHL Press Release
Representatives from the National Hockey League, Minnesota Wild, Chicago Blackhawks, National Hockey League Players' Association and University of Minnesota gathered at TCF Bank Stadium today to unveil plans for the 2016 Coors Light NHL Stadium Series™.
In January, the NHL® announced the 2016 Coors Light NHL Stadium Series™ will be comprised of two games: the Wild vs. Blackhawks at TCF Bank Stadium Sunday, Feb. 21, at 3:30 p.m. ET and the Colorado Avalanche vs. Detroit Red Wings at Coors Field on Saturday, Feb. 27, at 8 p.m. ET.
The Wild-Blackhawks game will be broadcast live in the U.S. on NBC as part of a Hockey Day in America tripleheader on NBC and NBCSN. In Canada, the event will be televised live on Sportsnet and TVA Sports.
A special game featuring alumni from the Wild®, Blackhawks® and Minnesota North Stars™ will take place at TCF Bank Stadium on Saturday, Feb. 20, a day prior to the 2016 Coors Light NHL Stadium Series™.
"We are pleased to bring the Coors Light NHL Stadium Series™ to 'the State of Hockey' as a highlight of the Hockey Day in America triple-header on NBC and NBCSN and as part of USA Hockey's national celebration of our sport, Hockey Weekend Across America," NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said. "With so much great hockey having been played on the University of Minnesota campus, TCF Bank Stadium will serve as an ideal setting for this outdoor renewal of the Wild-Blackhawks rivalry."
The 2016 Coors Light NHL Stadium Series™ marks the first time the Wild will participate in a regular-season outdoor NHL game.
"The Minnesota Wild is thrilled to have the opportunity to celebrate our favorite game with our fans in the great outdoors on a national stage," said Minnesota Wild Owner Craig Leipold. "TCF Bank Stadium will be a wonderful site for both games and the NHL has provided our fans with a great opponent in the Chicago Blackhawks. We look forward to an incredible weekend of hockey against our division rival."
"We are looking forward to facing the Wild in the State of Hockey™, in front of an extremely passionate fan base," Blackhawks President & CEO John McDonough added. "This game will add another chapter to the well-established rivalry between the Blackhawks and Wild."
Rivals in the Central Division, the Wild and Blackhawks, who have faced each other in the Stanley Cup® Playoffs three consecutive years, boast talented rosters. The Wild features Zach Parise, Mikko Koivu and Thomas Vanek at forward, with All-Star Ryan Suter on defense and Devan Dubnyk, the 2014-15 recipient of the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, in goal. The defending Stanley Cup® champion Blackhawks are led by Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews, Duncan Keith, Marian Hossa, Brent Seabrook and Corey Crawford. This group has made a combined 17 appearances in regular-season outdoor NHL games.
"The players are excited about the opportunity to take this great rivalry outdoors in what will undoubtedly be an incredible atmosphere at TCF Stadium," said NHLPA Divisional Player Rep Joe Reekie. "This game will be something the players on the ice and fans in attendance will remember for a long time."
Former players from the Wild and North Stars will combine forces on behalf of the State of Hockey™ to face off against former Blackhawks greats. Team Minnesota is scheduled to include Brad Bombardir, Neal Broten, Andrew Brunette, Dino Ciccarelli, Darby Hendrickson, Antti Laaksonen, Mike Modano, Bobby Smith, Wes Walz and more. Team Minnesota will be coached by Lou Nanne and Tom Reid.
The Blackhawks roster also spans a number of different eras from the NHL, and is scheduled to include Ed Belfour, Denis Savard, Jeremy Roenick, Eddie Olczyk and more. Tony Esposito and broadcaster Pat Foley will coach the team.
Information on priority access for Wild season-ticket holders to purchase tickets will be sent by the club in the coming days. Blackhawks season-ticket holders and University of Minnesota football season-ticket holders will receive similar information. The opportunity is for a limited number of tickets and will be available on a first-come first-served basis, while supplies last. The special pre-sale package offering is a ticket to the 2016 Coors Light NHL Stadium Series™ and a ticket to the Feb. 20 alumni game. Information regarding any ticket availability for the general public will be released at a later date.
League partner MillerCoors returns as the title sponsor of the NHL Stadium Series™ for its flagship Coors Light brand. As the title partner for the event, Coors Light will be provided with a number of assets in addition to incorporating its logo into the official game and event mark.
"Coors Light is proud to bring these world-class NHL teams to one of the best stadiums in the country," says David Kroll, chief marketing officer, MillerCoors. "Minneapolis will be a great host city and we look forward to being there to refresh NHL fans in the way that only Coors Light can."
Launched in 2014 by the NHL, the Coors Light NHL Stadium Series™ has featured five games to date, all played in sold out stadiums. The series started at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles with the NHL's first outdoor game played in California, showcased the first two hockey games ever played at Yankee Stadium, continued with the first-ever NHL game at Soldier Field and returned to California for another successful event at Levi's® Stadium.
The NHL today also released the official event logo for the 2016 Coors Light Stadium Series™ in Minnesota. Other aspects of the event, including team uniforms, will be unveiled later this season.
NHL Network™ and NHL.com will provide extensive coverage live from the event leading up to and after the game. NHL Social™ will have exclusive coverage on all social platforms, including the use of the hashtag #StadiumSeries.
Additionally, the 2016 Coors Light NHL Stadium Series™ will be available to stream live via NBC Sports Live Extra in the U.S., Rogers NHL GameCentre LIVE in Canada and NHL GameCenter Live in most countries outside North America.
Just Another Chicago Bulls Session... Tom Thibodeau on time with Bulls: 'No regrets'.
By Vincent Goodwill
A smiling, jovial Tom Thibodeau greeted the media contingent that made its way to the former Bulls coach after Team USA went through a light practice in Las Vegas to query his thoughts in the weeks since his dismissal after the playoffs.
And to his credit, Thibodeau took the high road, preferring not to get into a war of words with his former employer, even after the scathing remarks from Bulls chairman Jerry Reinsdorf in the statement announcing his firing.
“I have no reaction to that. My experience was great,” Thibodeau said. “I appreciate all the players did for me. I appreciate the opportunity Jerry gave me. I’m moving on, they’re moving on. I wish them well. If they’re healthy I think they’ll have a great season and I hope they do.”
Thibodeau was replaced by Fred Hoiberg in what seemed to be the worst-kept secret after it became obvious Thibodeau’s relationship with the Bulls front office was beyond repair.
“It was a great run, I had a great staff,” Thibodeau said. “I enjoyed them. The players were terrific. My whole experience there was great. In pro sports it happens. I’d rather reflect on the positives than any negative because the good far outweighed the bad.”
"I have no regrets."
Thibodeau, an assistant on Team USA’s staff coached by Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski, shared light moments on the floor with Jimmy Butler and many of the 30-something players in attendance, in celebration for how far the men’s national team has come and part of an evaluation process which will determine who goes to Rio next summer for the Olympic games.
He chose to take a celebratory tone to describe his five-year tenure as coach of the Bulls after years as an assistant in Boston and Houston.
“Very proud of what we accomplished,” Thibodeau said. “To win the games we did, to deal with the adversity we did, we dealt with Derrick (Rose) and his injuries, and we survived that. We lost players along the way but we always found a way to compete. We had a great group of guys.”
The ugly ending—a Game 6 home debacle against the Cleveland Cavaliers where the Bulls looked disjointed and ready to go home well before meeting their goal of getting to the Finals—obscures Thibodeau’s 255-139 regular-season mark, fourth-best during that time period.
Before the controversy, before the wide divide that existed between Thibodeau and the front office, or Thibodeau and his players, was a 60-win team in 2010-11 that had the best record in the NBA, headlined by the youngest MVP in league history (Rose).
They fell short one round of the Finals, running into a buzzsaw named LeBron James who has proved to be the biggest thorn in the Bulls’ side since the Bad Boy Pistons.
“The first year was the best we had. If you study it statistically, you’d see that it was,” Thibodeau said. “We had a tough series with Miami but we could’ve won all those games. You hope to build continuity off that. The next year we have the best record but Derrick goes down. Sometimes you have no control over that. After that it’s a lot of adjusting on the fly. I thought we never made excuses, we found ways to compete. We lost a lot of guys along the way.”
Almost defiantly but in a very calm manner, Thibodeau describes the first two seasons as the best chance he had at guiding the Bulls to a title, before health got in the way when Rose tore up his knee in Game 1 of the 2012 first-round series against Philadelphia, a series the Bulls lost in a shocker.
“When you look at that team, if you study it statistically, we were top 5 in offense and defense,” Thibodeau said. “And usually when you have that type of efficiency, you have a chance to win it all. We had toughness, guys who could go off the dribble. Luol (Deng) was a far different player. Derrick was MVP of the league at 22. And we had depth.”
By Thibodeau’s estimation, the depth had been stripped away after 2012, when dependable reserves like Omer Asik and Kyle Korver departed for other teams and bigger roles, leading to perhaps the biggest knock on Thibodeau—how often he uses his players.
“There’s always things that are gonna be said,” Thibodeau said. “You look at what the players accomplished. The only way that happens is through your effort, concentration, willingness to commit to excellence.”
Butler, whose minutes have become Exhibit A to Thibodeau detractors, was something Thibodeau defended himself on.
“The numbers say exactly what it is. Facts are facts,” Thibodeau said. “If you look at it statistically, Jimmy played the same amount of minutes as LeBron, (Kevin) Durant, Nic Batum, Carmelo Anthony, it’s all I’m saying. Nobody’s gonna be perfect. You’re gonna get some wrong. But I’m proud of what the team did.”
Report: Thunder to host Bulls on Christmas Day.
By Sean Highkin
Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Chicago Bulls (Photo/nbcsports.com)
Slowly but surely, details of the NBA’s 2015-16 regular-season schedule are emerging. The whole thing is expected to be released officially this week, but four of the five Christmas Day match-ups have come out. The Pelicans will play the Heat at noon, and there will be a Finals rematch between the Cavaliers and Warriors as well as a Lakers-Clippers match-up.
Darnell Mayberry of the Oklahoman adds a fourth game to that list: Bulls vs. Thunder, in Oklahoma City.
The Thunder will be home for Christmas.For the sixth consecutive season, Oklahoma City will be featured in the league’s biggest holiday showcase when it hosts Derrick Rose and the Chicago Bulls on Christmas Day, The Oklahoman has learned.It will be the first time the Thunder has hosted a Christmas game since 2011, when it defeated Orlando inside Chesapeake Energy Arena.The Thunder is 4-1 in Christmas games, with wins against Denver in 2010, the Magic in 2011, New York in 2013 and San Antonio in 2014. OKC’s lone Christmas Day loss came at Miami in 2012.The league has not yet determined the time of the Thunder-Bulls game. An afternoon tip is likely.
If everyone involved is healthy, this should be a good one. We haven’t had a Derrick Rose vs. Russell Westbrook point-guard match-up since December 6, 2010. Jimmy Butler, who made a name for himself this postseason defending LeBron James in the playoffs, will likely be matched up with Kevin Durant. The coaching battle between Fred Hoiberg and Billy Donovan, two highly successful college coaches with no NBA experience, will be fun to watch as well.
This leaves one Christmas Day match-up yet to be determined. Spurs-Rockets would make the most sense out of the realistic possibilities: plenty of star power (James Harden, Dwight Howard, LaMarcus Aldridge, Tim Duncan) and two legitimate title contenders. We’ll find out tomorrow.
Cubs keep wearing down opposing pitching in fifth straight win.
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
The Cubs (63-48) ate away at the Milwaukee Brewers (48-66) pitching staff Tuesday, taking down their division rivals, 6-3, in front of 37,109 fans at Wrigley Field for the series opener. It was Chicago's fifth straight win and 11th in the last 12 games.
The Cubs lead Major League Baseball in pitches per plate appearance and continued their assault on opposing starting pitchers, chasing Brewers starter Taylor Jungmann after just 2.2 innings and forcing the rookie to throw 81 pitches.
It was the eighth straight game in which the opposing pitcher has failed to get through six innings against this Cubs lineup.
"I love the tenacity of the at-bat," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. "That's what I've been talking about. It continues to get better.
"I was really pleased with our whole approach to the game after a day off. ... I like those little moments that are occurring right now where guys are showing up and they're ready to play."
The Cubs worked seven walks on the evening as they saw 186 pitches in their eight innings on offense.
"It's just a matter of us grinding at-bats and grinding through the season," Anthony Rizzo said. "Hitting is very contagious, so it's kinda just passing that back to the next guy.
"The beauty of our lineup is we have a pretty lengthy lineup there where any given guy can do it."
This game had all the makings of a blowout early, as the Cubs scored three times in the second inning, once in the fourth and two more times in the fifth, aided by three Brewers errors and seven free passes (six walks, one HBP).
But that was it for the Cubs offense while the Brewers chipped away with a solo run in the fourth and then an Adam Lind two-run homer in the sixth off Cubs starter Dan Haren.
Haren was pulled two batters later, but still got the win - his first as a Cub and 150th of his career - as the Cubs bullpen shut the door the rest of the way.
"I put pretty much all personal things aside," Haren said. "I got a few weeks left here and I really do wanna do the best I can for the team. I've been so impressed in the first 10 days or so with the overall vibe in the clubhouse."
Haren also said he's been shocked by how much the Cubs offense has grown since pitched against them - and beat them - June 3 in Miami.
In that game, Haren threw only 88 pitches in 5.2 innings against a Cubs lineup that had no Jorge Soler (disabled list) or Kyle Schwarber (still in the minors).
"I see a complete difference," Haren said. "Facing them this year, they were a really aggressive team."
Starlin Castro finally got into a game for the Cubs after being benched for the last three contests, appearing at second base for the first time in his big-league career and popping out to first in his only at-bat in the eighth inning. He also made a highlight-reel catch in foul territory down the right field line in the ninth inning.
"I thought [that play] was great," Maddon said. "His attitude has been fabulous. To make that among the bullpen with the crap on the ground and guys flying all over the place and there's no room left and it's at night, it's different.
"That was a spectacular play right there."
Castro's play helped seal the victory for the Cubs, who moved to 15 games over .500, something of a benchmark for any team, let alone a young team featuring four rookies in the everyday lineup.
The Cubs allowed themselves to enjoy the nice checkpoint, but also warned that it's too early to scoreboard-watch.
"Keep it rolling," Maddon said. "The next goal is 20. Really proud of our guys and the way they're going about our business."
"It means a lot," Rizzo said, "but we gotta keep winning. All these wins build up, build our confidence, build the character of this team, helps all of us out."
"It's just a matter of us grinding at-bats and grinding through the season," Anthony Rizzo said. "Hitting is very contagious, so it's kinda just passing that back to the next guy.
"The beauty of our lineup is we have a pretty lengthy lineup there where any given guy can do it."
This game had all the makings of a blowout early, as the Cubs scored three times in the second inning, once in the fourth and two more times in the fifth, aided by three Brewers errors and seven free passes (six walks, one HBP).
But that was it for the Cubs offense while the Brewers chipped away with a solo run in the fourth and then an Adam Lind two-run homer in the sixth off Cubs starter Dan Haren.
Haren was pulled two batters later, but still got the win - his first as a Cub and 150th of his career - as the Cubs bullpen shut the door the rest of the way.
"I put pretty much all personal things aside," Haren said. "I got a few weeks left here and I really do wanna do the best I can for the team. I've been so impressed in the first 10 days or so with the overall vibe in the clubhouse."
Haren also said he's been shocked by how much the Cubs offense has grown since pitched against them - and beat them - June 3 in Miami.
In that game, Haren threw only 88 pitches in 5.2 innings against a Cubs lineup that had no Jorge Soler (disabled list) or Kyle Schwarber (still in the minors).
"I see a complete difference," Haren said. "Facing them this year, they were a really aggressive team."
Starlin Castro finally got into a game for the Cubs after being benched for the last three contests, appearing at second base for the first time in his big-league career and popping out to first in his only at-bat in the eighth inning. He also made a highlight-reel catch in foul territory down the right field line in the ninth inning.
"I thought [that play] was great," Maddon said. "His attitude has been fabulous. To make that among the bullpen with the crap on the ground and guys flying all over the place and there's no room left and it's at night, it's different.
"That was a spectacular play right there."
Castro's play helped seal the victory for the Cubs, who moved to 15 games over .500, something of a benchmark for any team, let alone a young team featuring four rookies in the everyday lineup.
The Cubs allowed themselves to enjoy the nice checkpoint, but also warned that it's too early to scoreboard-watch.
"Keep it rolling," Maddon said. "The next goal is 20. Really proud of our guys and the way they're going about our business."
"It means a lot," Rizzo said, "but we gotta keep winning. All these wins build up, build our confidence, build the character of this team, helps all of us out."
WHITE SOX: Trayce Thompson revels in first big league homer.
By Vinnie Duber
The White Sox rookie, making just the second start of his career in Tuesday night's game against the Angels, had to resort to air-fiving his unresponsive teammates after banging his first big league home run in the fifth inning.
The standard-issue lack of response from teammates after a first-career homer ended after Thompson made his way to the end of the White Sox dugout, and the celebration begun in earnest.
"These guys like to have fun," Thompson said. "It was great. It was awesome. It was funny."
Thompson took his old minor league teammate, Hector Santiago, deep for his first round tripper as a major leaguer, adding to the fun. And joy was in ample supply after the game, when Thompson reflected on the solo shot that finished off the scoring in Tuesday's 3-0 White Sox win.
"It kind of felt like I’ve been there before. It’s something I’ll remember forever, that’s for sure," Thompson said. "It’s funny that Hector has been my friend, but it just felt like another game, just felt like another home run until I got to the dugout to see all those guys. But yeah it was just nice to help the team and contribute."
Thompson's famous brother, Klay of world-champion Golden State Warriors fame, contributed to the celebration, tweeting out congratulations after his brother hit the homer.
Thompson said after the game that it's been amazing to share his journey with his family, and this is one more of those big moments.
"Yeah, if it wasn’t for them, me growing up I wouldn’t be here that’s for sure," Thompson said. "Two of the best sports moments of my life was watching Klay make his debut and my oldest brother (Mychel) making the Cavaliers. Two of the top most happy, thrilling, nervous, anxiety — it was amazing to see their accomplishments. Their support means the world to me. They’re my two best friends in the world and they always will be, so it’s awesome that they back me up."
Thompson was in Tuesday's lineup as designated hitter Adam LaRoche continues to struggle. Melky Cabrera slid into the DH role for a night, freeing up left field for Thompson. After spending seven seasons in the minors, his success so far — he's 4-for-8 with a double, a homer and a walk in four games — could lead to more opportunity in the final two months of this season.
"It's always special to get your first homer," manager Robin Ventura said. "I think any guy, for him to come up here, he's contributing. That's the biggest thing. We've seen him the last couple years, he's continued to improve and develop and grow. I think that's part of seeing guy the last couple years and making it. He's been that kid that has developed into a nice product. He's getting a chance to play, and he's taking advantage of it."
Golf: I got a club for that..... Power rankings: 2015 PGA Championship.
By Ryan Ballengee
The season's final major is here, and it's hard to imagine it's gone by so quickly.
The PGA Championship returns to Whistling Straits for the third time (2004, 2010) with a huge number of players who have a good chance to win the Wanamaker trophy. Jordan Spieth, who is looking to become the third man in history to win three professional majors in a year, leads the field that also features a returning Rory McIlroy.
And who can forget Dustin Johnson, Martin Kaymer and Bubba Watson, key figures from five years ago?
Since it's a major, we're going to offer our top 10 picks for this week. Enjoy!
1. Jordan Spieth -- It's hard to argue with success. He's never competed in a major on this course, unlike many other in our top 15. However, his season speaks for itself: four wins, two majors and a shot out of a playoff in the other. Spieth is two shots away from going for the single season Grand Slam this week. He'll be overpriced, but if he wins, it'll be almost impossible to argue no pro has ever enjoyed a better majors season.
2. Jason Day -- The Aussie cannot get much closer to winning a major. He's playing great golf on big stages and won at the RBC Canadian Open in a demonstration that major disappointment won't deter him. He finished T-10 here five years ago.
3. Zach Johnson -- The British Open champion just so happened to have played very well at Whistling Straits in 2010, finishing T-3 along with Rory McIlroy. He's been a machine this year and been in the top six in four of his last six PGA Tour starts.
4. Rickie Fowler -- Fowler has been strong in three of his last four worldwide starts, including a win at the Scottish Open, a runner-up effort at the Quicken Loans National and a top-10 finish at Firestone. He has six top-10 finishes in majors. He made he cut here in 2010, but he's a vastly different player than five years ago.
5. Bubba Watson -- Watson was the playoff loser here five years ago, so he had -- at least then -- an affinity for the course. It has to suit his eye given that he can shape the ball pretty much how he wants. However, he's been runner-up in his last two starts, both played on tree-lined courses. He's in good form. We just don't know if he'll psych himself out.
6. Rory McIlroy -- Under normal circumstances, we'd consider putting McIlroy at No. 1. However, McIlroy has been out of official action since a July 4 soccer injury. So, we're accounting for a round or two of ring rust before he could get back in the swing of things. Was T-3 here with Zach Johnson in 2010.
7. Justin Rose -- Rose said Sunday that he's playing the best tee-to-green golf in the world of late, and he's right. He has top-six finishes in four of his last five starts. He's just having trouble getting the flat stick to cooperate as much as he'd like. Rose has already won on a Dye course this year, in New Orleans, which should help this week.
8. Brooks Koepka -- Koepka is back to playing great golf. He's been in the top 18 in five of his last six PGA Tour starts, including a T-18 at the U.S. Open at T-10 at the U.S. Open. He's got the model of Martin Kaymer from five years ago.
9. Dustin Johnson -- We all know what happened to Dustin Johnson in 2010. But did you know that Johnson has shot 150 or worse on the weekend in his last two starts? Even if Johnson gets off to a good start, we're worried he'll melt down on the weekend. Depending on how much you value two or three good rounds, he may be worth a pick.
10. Hideki Matusyama -- The Japanese stud has only missed one cut all season and is brilliant from tee to green. However, his putting is lackluster. Hitting greens with precision is a big deal on Dye courses because it opens up hole locations. Perhaps ball striking can mask Matsuyama's biggest deficiency.
Rory, Jordan share top billing at PGA Championship.
The return from injury by Rory McIlroy to defend his title at this week's PGA Championship at Whistling Straits gives the year's final major extra spice as Jordan Spieth aims to carve out another slice of golf history.
World number one McIlroy and second-ranked Spieth have between them won four of the last five majors played and, aged just 26 and 22 respectively, they are likely to dominate the game at the highest level for some time to come.
Much of the focus at Whistling Straits will be on the remarkable Spieth, who will be seeking to join fellow Americans Ben Hogan and Tiger Woods as the only players in the modern era to have won three majors in a single year.
Hogan was the first to complete the hat-trick, in 1953, and Woods followed suit in 2000.
Having claimed the Masters in April and the U.S. Open in June, Spieth fell agonizingly short in his bid to land the first three majors of the season as he tied for fourth in last month's British Open at St. Andrews one shot short of joining a playoff.
"I recognize there's only been a couple times that people have won three majors in a year, and that would be just such special company," Spieth said while preparing for Thursday's opening round at Whistling Straits in Kohler, Wisconsin.
The Northern Irishman, who tied for ninth in the U.S. Open at Chambers Bay in his most recent start, has been out of action since he ruptured a ligament in his left ankle while playing soccer with friends on July 4.
MCILROY WELCOMED
"I think it's fantastic for golf that he's back, back playing. Obviously, he's in a great pairing next week, him and Jordan and Zach (Johnson)."
Traditionally, the winners of the season's first three majors have always been drawn together and McIlroy, Spieth and British Open champion Johnson are set to start on the first tee at 2:20 p.m. ET (1820 GMT) in Thursday's opening round.
The PGA Championship has often been the most unpredictable of the four majors, in part because it attracts the strongest field, and this week is no different with 97 of the world's top 100 players entered.
Among other early favorites are third-ranked American Bubba Watson, who was beaten by Germany's Martin Kaymer in a playoff for the 2010 PGA Championship at Whistling Straits, fifth-ranked Australian Jason Day and American Rickie Fowler (seventh).
The ability to hit greens in regulation will be a major factor on a par-72 layout measuring 7,514 yards, marking Americans Jim Furyk and Johnson, Swede Henrik Stenson and Australia's Adam Scott among those to watch.
NASCAR: The top 3 finished in the top 3 at the Glen.
"But just like at the (British) Open Championship, when I get there, it's just going to be about that tournament, and that's all that will be on my mind ... not thinking about three in a row (or) grand slam.
"It will take a little bit off my shoulders, and it will be very easy for me to just focus on it as a tournament."
Four-times major champion McIlroy will also draw intense scrutiny at Whistling Straits as he returns to competitive golf after an absence of more than seven weeks.
The Northern Irishman, who tied for ninth in the U.S. Open at Chambers Bay in his most recent start, has been out of action since he ruptured a ligament in his left ankle while playing soccer with friends on July 4.
MCILROY WELCOMED
However, McIlroy has been diligent with his recovery and his arrival at Whistling Straits on Saturday to play 18 holes of practice at the PGA Championship venue, following by another 18 on Sunday, was warmly welcomed by his peers.
"It's huge," said English world number six Justin Rose. "Any time a tournament misses its defending champion, it's a shame.
"He had such an amazing spell this time last year," Rose added, referring to McIlroy's wins in the last two majors of 2014 - the British Open and PGA Championship.
"I think it's fantastic for golf that he's back, back playing. Obviously, he's in a great pairing next week, him and Jordan and Zach (Johnson)."
Traditionally, the winners of the season's first three majors have always been drawn together and McIlroy, Spieth and British Open champion Johnson are set to start on the first tee at 2:20 p.m. ET (1820 GMT) in Thursday's opening round.
The PGA Championship has often been the most unpredictable of the four majors, in part because it attracts the strongest field, and this week is no different with 97 of the world's top 100 players entered.
Among other early favorites are third-ranked American Bubba Watson, who was beaten by Germany's Martin Kaymer in a playoff for the 2010 PGA Championship at Whistling Straits, fifth-ranked Australian Jason Day and American Rickie Fowler (seventh).
The ability to hit greens in regulation will be a major factor on a par-72 layout measuring 7,514 yards, marking Americans Jim Furyk and Johnson, Swede Henrik Stenson and Australia's Adam Scott among those to watch.
Host venue for the PGA Championship in 2004 and 2010, Whistling Straits is modeled on an Irish seaside links and will once again provide a stiff test with its soaring sand dunes, fast-running fescue fairways and deep pot bunkers.
Eight of the holes hug the Lake Michigan shoreline and the heavily bunkered layout, which includes three par-four holes in excess of 500 yards, is among the longest in major championship history.
"It's a ball striker's golf course," said Spieth. "Tee to green, you just have to be very special. Greens in regulation might be the most important stat next week.
"Around the greens, they're not too tricky to putt. They're subtle. There's not crazy ridges.
"It's a phenomenal golf course."
"It's a phenomenal golf course."
By Nick Bromberg
1. Kyle Busch (LW: 1): It's hard to dislodge a driver from the top spot because of a second-place finish. And we're also not going to blame Busch and crew chief Adam Stevens for the fuel strategy they employed at Watkins Glen. Stevens wanted Busch to save gas because he figured there would be a caution for cars who pitted before the No. 18 running out of fuel. There wasn't, and Busch ended up backing off the pace of the leaders. But by playing it conservatively, Busch still got a top-two finish and he's now inside the top 30. Barring a catastrophe, he'll be in the Chase.
2. Joey Logano (LW: 3): Quite a nice weekend for Logano. Not only did he win a fuel-mileage race the week after losing a race because he was short on fuel, he recorded a weekend sweep of the two races at the Glen after he won the Xfinity Series race on Saturday. We're just surprised that Logano didn't force the drivers ahead of him to run out of fuel. While he was pushing as hard as he could, others who had pitted earlier were trying to save all they could. And they still made it, even ...
3. Kevin Harvick (LW: 2): Harvick, and yes, we're counting Harvick as making it to the end. He was still moving when he crossed the finish line, right? It feels cruel to bump Harvick down a spot after the incredible job he did saving gas. He should have been a lot shorter on fuel than he was, but not only did he save nearly enough gas, he ran fast enough laps to keep all of his challengers at bay. Until his car sputtered, anyway. He might have had the drive of the day.
4. Matt Kenseth (LW: 5): Kenseth finished fourth, so he gets moved up a spot. He was a gas-saver too and it worked out. Did you know it was Kenseth's first top-five finish at Watkins Glen too? It was his sixth top-10 at the road course but he had never finished higher than eighth in upstate New York. Not only did Kenseth do a good job of saving gas, he had a fast enough car to get him a damn good finish.
6. Jimmie Johnson (LW: 4): The six-time champ finished 10th and had quite the eventful day too. He missed the bus stop early in the race as Junior went to pass him; a move that dropped him more than 10 spots. It was the smart maneuver though; had Johnson tried to dive into the corner, he could have taken out both cars. He then was in a little kerfuffle with Justin Allgaier and found himself spun in the carousel while Tony Stewart broke. After all that, a top 10 sounds pretty good, doesn't it?
5. Dale Earnhardt Jr. (LW: 7): Here's another guy who hasn't had the best track record at Watkins Glen. Junior just missed out on his fourth top 10 with an 11th-place finish. And the finish doesn't show the speed the No. 88 had all day. He was a consistent fixture in the top 10 and had speed to stay in sight of the leaders. He too was forced to save gas and got pushed out of the top 10 by guys who had pitted later and could run hard.
7. Brad Keselowski (LW: 8): Keselowski finished second on Saturday and seventh on Sunday. He led for a bit after fortuitously pitting before an early-race caution flag flew and inheriting the lead. But then pit strategy didn't work out in his favor late in the race and he restarted outside of the top 20 on the race's final restart. Fresh tires and a full load of fuel helped him make up 15 spots over that run.
8. Kurt Busch (LW: 9): Busch got a pit road penalty early in the race that put him at the back of the field. He pitted right before the first caution of the day but his team had too many crew members over the wall. After he spent a decent portion of the race back in traffic, he too pitted on the final caution and ended up with his second-straight top-five finish at Watkins Glen.
9. Martin Truex Jr. (LW: 6): Truex had one of the day's strongest cars but contact led to a tire rub which led to a late pit stop which led to a 25th-place finish. But hey, let's look on the bright side. Truex is locked into the Chase. Well, we knew he was going to make it anyway, but he can now sit out the rest of the races before the Chase and still make it in. Given that missing races has worked for Kyle Busch, should other teams try this strategy? Please, don't think that's a serious question.
10. Clint Bowyer (LW: 12): Correlation is not causation, so we're not going to say the rumors of a merger/partnership/split/whatever it ends up being between Michael Waltrip Racing and Chip Ganassi Racing have lit a fire under Bowyer and the No. 15 team. But as the news has swirled, Bowyer has shone. He finished sixth at Watkins Glen for his third-straight top-10 finish and sixth in the last eight races.
11. Carl Edwards (LW: 11): Is Edwards an underrated road racer? He finished eighth on Sunday and has finished in the top 10 in five of the last six road course races. The only finish outside the top 40 was the crash he had with David Ragan at Sonoma. And he was running in the top 10 when that happened. Edwards will likely never be considered a big favorite at a road course, but he's in the top tier.
12. There's no one else: Got any suggestions? Jeff Gordon, who was 10th last week, had brake issues. Kasey Kahne's race ended badly. Ryan Newman for finishing 15th? Kyle larson for finishing 12th? Aric Almirola? Greg Biffle? You can see how there's really not a standout option here.
Lucky Dog: Sam Hornish Jr. got a top 10 after finishing ninth. He was a fuel-stretcher.
The DNF: Ouch, Kahne. Sunday marked the first time Kahne has had back-to-back finishes of 40th or worse since 2008.
Dropped Out: Jeff Gordon
Legendary NASCAR driver and broadcaster Buddy Baker dies.
By Nate Ryan
Buddy Baker (Photo/nbcsports.com)
During his final appearance on “The Late Shift,” Baker, 74, had announced July 7 that he had been diagnosed with an inoperable tumor in his lung.
“Do not shed a tear,” he said on “The Late Shift” on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. “Give a smile when you say my name. I’m not saying goodbye. Just talk to you later.”
Before moving into broadcasting, Baker competed in NASCAR’s premier circuit from 1959-92 and scored 19 victories. The biggest was his win in the 1980 Daytona 500, but he also won the 1970 Southern 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 three times — in 1968, ’72 and ’73.
Named one of NASCAR’s 50 greatest drivers in 1998, he became the first driver to exceed 200 mph on a closed course in 1970 at Talladega Superspeedway (where he won four times), and he built a reputation so synonymous with speed (capturing 38 pole positions in 700 starts), he was tagged “Leadfoot.”
The son of NASCAR Hall of Famer Buck Baker (who was inducted in 2013), Buddy Baker had been a NASCAR Hall of Fame nominee the past two years.
Also nicknamed the “Gentle Giant,” the 6-foot-6 Baker became a fan favorite in the TV booth for his homespun style of broadcasting races as an analyst for The Nashville Network and CBS. He joined SiriusXM when the satellite radio company started an exclusive NASCAR channel in 2007 and became one of its most popular hosts, regaling fans as a beloved and an insightful storyteller.
SiriusXM released a statement:
Named one of NASCAR’s 50 greatest drivers in 1998, he became the first driver to exceed 200 mph on a closed course in 1970 at Talladega Superspeedway (where he won four times), and he built a reputation so synonymous with speed (capturing 38 pole positions in 700 starts), he was tagged “Leadfoot.”
The son of NASCAR Hall of Famer Buck Baker (who was inducted in 2013), Buddy Baker had been a NASCAR Hall of Fame nominee the past two years.
Also nicknamed the “Gentle Giant,” the 6-foot-6 Baker became a fan favorite in the TV booth for his homespun style of broadcasting races as an analyst for The Nashville Network and CBS. He joined SiriusXM when the satellite radio company started an exclusive NASCAR channel in 2007 and became one of its most popular hosts, regaling fans as a beloved and an insightful storyteller.
SiriusXM released a statement:
From the time we launched SiriusXM NASCAR Radio in 2007, Buddy was one of the anchors of the channel and we are honored and grateful to have worked with him all these years. He brought a wonderfully engaging personality to the airwaves and his storytelling ability made his show a joy to listen to. As one of NASCAR’s great competitors, he generously shared a wealth of knowledge – developed over many decades in the sport – with our listeners. He is greatly missed, and our thoughts and prayers are with his family.
In his last appearance on SiriusXM, Baker took calls from fans and industry members for 40 minutes.
“I just want to say goodbye to everyone,” Baker said before signing off. “Thanks for being a friend.”
SOCCER: Good or bad idea? Referee starts a Facebook page to explain his decisions.
(Photo/Facebook/fotbollsdomaren)
Fair play to you, Mohammed Al-Hakim.The Swedish referee, who referees regularly in the Swedish top-flight (Allsvenskan) has started up his own Facebook page to discuss his decisions from matches he has officiated in.
This is either a really good or a really bad idea, but either way you have to salute the man for thinking outside the box.
Speaking to Swedish outlet Fotbollskanalen, Al-Hakim has revealed the reason why he is putting this information out there.
“I believe in openness and dialogue,” Al-Hakim said. “The main idea is that I want to create interest [in our occupation] and I think the football family can gain from getting a better insight and understanding of a referee’s situation. I also want the page to inspire more people to become referees, which is an important part of football.”
Al-Hakim is one of the most promising referees in Sweden and at the age of 30 he has taken FIFA courses to referee on the international stage. He says the Swedish federation are on board with his idea and it could be implemented officially in the future if it proves to be useful.
Opening the page by admitting you should have given a penalty in a game between IFK Norrkoping and AIK was a bold move, can you imagine Premier League referees taking to Twitter after a game?
Mark Clattenburg: “Yeah, totally missed that elbow in the box. Should have given Chelsea a penalty in the last minute of that title decider. #NextTime”
One day, it could be a reality. Don’t get me wrong, it’s healthy for the development of refs to voice their opinion and look back on their performances so they can improve. But there could be even more negativity towards refs if Al-Hakim’s idea is implemented in soccer league’s across the world.
What do you guys think: good or bad idea?
Premier League Playback: Reassessing the title contenders, debutants after week 1.
By Joe Prince-Wright
Okay, so we’ve seen 90 minutes of action from each of the Premier League’s 20 teams during the opening weekend of the 2015-16 season and, as is always the case in August each year, plenty of people are jumping to hefty assumptions about each club.
Let’s pump the breaks a little and take a closer look at the five title contenders to see how they fared on the opening weekend and if there’s any correlation between these early displays and their title chances. Remember, it’s a long old season.
Chelsea: A 2-2 draw at home against Swansea City isn’t the perfect way to start a title defense. Throw in a shaky defensive display and your star goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois getting a red card and giving away a penalty kick and Jose Mourinho has certainly had better days at the office. Chelsea led 2-1 at the break against the Swans but Branislav Ivanovic had a nightmare against Jefferson Montero and Blues players lost individual battles across the pitch. Playing with 10-men for over 30 minutes wasn’t ideal, and this start to defending the crown they won in 2014-15 wasn’t ideal either. Mourinho wasn’t happy with his medical staff towards the end of the game as they left his side with nine-men, but the Blues show plenty of grit to grab a draw against an impressive Swansea side. It’s too early to drawn conclusions, but it certainly seems like the Blues will have a tougher time of winning the title this time around and most of that will be down to themselves and the fact that their rivals have spent big this summer.
Manchester City: Manuel Pellegrini‘s men saw their odds to win the PL title slashed following their impressive demolition of West Bromwich Albion away from home on Monday. The Citizens strolled and led 2-0 after 25 minutes with Yaya Toure scoring a beauty and Vincent Kompany powering home a header to round off a 3-0 win. If Toure and Kompany regain their best form and stay fit this season — the regression of those two last season was key to City’s slump in the second half of the campaign — then they will push Chelsea all the way for the title. With Raheem Sterling, David Silva, Sergio Aguero, Wilfried Bony and possibly Kevin De Bruyne in attack, Pellegrini has an embarrassment of riches to choose from. The Chilean boss signed a contract extension on the eve of the season which will add stability, as City aim for success domestically and in Europe. The PL champions in two of the last four seasons looked the best of the bunch on the opening weekend and hungry to not finish in second once again.
Arsenal: As you can see in the video above from our analysts, just when everyone thought they were on the up, Arsenal’s problems persist as they fired a blank on the opening day and suffered a shock defeat to West Ham United. Over the offseason the Gunners won every single game, even beating Chelsea at Wembley in the Community Shield, and Arsene Wenger‘s men looked to have solved their defensive issues with the signing of Petr Cech in goal. Think again. Cech, 33, has been their only signing of the summer and in his home debut against the Hammers he was at fault for both the goals Arsenal conceded. That’s not the way Wenger was expecting to start the season and if Arsenal are going to be genuine title contenders then bolstering their forward line is key.
Karim Benzema has been linked with a move to the Emirates and if Wenger is serious about winning the league for the first time since 2004, he must spend big on a striker in the final days of the window. There was lots of optimism around the Gunners this offseason, but most of that has already dissipated after a poor opening day result.
Manchester United: The Red Devils put in a workmanlike display against Tottenham Hotspur in their 1-0 opening day win, but it certainly wasn’t pretty from Louis Van Gaal‘s side. The new boys all settled in well, with Matteo Darmian looking particularly solid at right back, but you feel like they still need to strengthen at center back if they’re going to challenge for the title this season. And then there’s the issue with David De Gea to sort out. The Spanish international goalkeeper was sat to my left at Old Trafford in the stands on Saturday, as van Gaal said he wasn’t focused enough to play.
Asked afterwards if De Gea will ever play for United again, here is LVG’s response.
“Of course,” van Gaal explained. “Especially with the position of the goalkeeper, it is a position where you need the highest concentration, the highest focus during 90 minutes. When you are in circumstances where David de Gea is, it is difficult to cope with that. We have seen that, we have observed him in the matches against Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain, and that was not the David de Gea — he felt the same — as last year. Of course when the situation has been cleared after the first of September, we look again. But I am very happy Sergio [Romero] did well.”
De Gea, 24, still hasn’t committed his future to United and rumors regarding a switch to Real Madrid remain as he has just one-year left on his current deal. New signing Sergio Romero stepped in and made some big saves late on after a shaky start, but de Gea was United’s star man last season. If he leaves and they can’t sign a new center back, United will be unlikely to make the top two.
Liverpool: As other teams stumbled to start the season, Brendan Rodgers‘ boys exorcised a few demons and sealed a solid 1-0 win away at Stoke City. Philippe Coutinho‘s stunning winner five minutes from time (see in the video below) was worthy of winning any game, but Liverpool’s display was still a little disjointed, but that’s to be expected. Going to the stadium where they closed out their 2014-15 season with the heaviest defeat of their PL history, 6-1, Liverpool rolled up at the Britannia on the opening day and looked more business than brilliant. With James Milner and Jordan Henderson in midfield, they have a solid base to build off and new full backs Nathaniel Clyne and Joe Gomez impressed in an improved defensive display. Going forward, Liverpool lacked spark, but that will come as Christian Benteke and Roberto Firmino settle in and Daniel Sturridge returns.
Liverpool may not be many people’s title favorites, but maybe their additions this summer after the departures of Raheem Sterling and Steven Gerrard will give them a better chance of finishing in the top four than many previously thought.
NCAAFB: SEC trying to reclaim football supremacy after title drought.
By John Zenor
The Southeastern Conference is the unquestioned king of college football leagues.
Maybe in some circles.
That mindset has become practically a mantra for SEC coaches, fans and media over the last decade, but other leagues have won the national crown the last two seasons.
As usual, this season the SEC has no shortage of solid candidates to crack the four-team College Football Playoffs, including Alabama despite an unsettled quarterback situation. That's a familiar refrain for other would-be contenders like Georgia, Mississippi, LSU and perhaps even Auburn, which doesn't expect to miss a beat with Jeremy Johnson replacing Nick Marshall.
It's still hard to argue against the top-to-bottom strength of a league where Mississippi State is picked to finish last in the SEC West a year after spending five weeks ranked No. 1 in the land. And the Bulldogs' Dak Prescott is the league's only established star quarterback.
''I feel like we weren't satisfied with the No. 1 ranking because we wanted to be No. 1 at the end of the year,'' Mississippi State defensive back Taveze Calhoun said.
That basically sums up the ambitions of the league's top powers since Ohio State pounded away at Alabama's defense in the Sugar Bowl, a semifinal game.
But the SEC has its work cut out.
The league didn't even lead the way into the NFL draft either with the ACC and Pac-12 having more first-rounders if fewer overall picks.
If the case for No. 1 league isn't quite so open and shut these days, there's little question the SEC West stacks up as the most compelling, cannibalistic division. All seven programs are led by coaches making at least $4 million a year.
The league media picked Auburn to win the SEC but Alabama got more points in the West voting, illustrating the lack of a consensus favorite even within that state.
Some things to watch in the SEC this season:
UNPROVEN QUARTERBACKS: More than half of the teams still had open competition going into training camps, with two more graduate transfers joining the mix. Former Virginia starter Greyson Lambert is competing at Georgia and ex-Clemson quarterback Chad Kelly is battling for the starting job at Mississippi. South Carolina receiver Pharoh Cooper completed more passes (five) last season than any QB on the Gamecocks' roster. Auburn's Jeremy Johnson and Tennessee's Josh Dobbs could be rising stars, while Prescott and Arkansas' Brandon Allen have the most experience.
RUNNERS GALORE: The league's backfields still pack plenty of starpower despite the loss of Georgia's Todd Gurley, Alabama's T.J. Yeldon and Auburn's Cameron Artis-Payne. The Bulldogs return Nick Chubb, who had a huge freshman season. The Tide bring back 240-pound back Derrick Henry. Arkansas has 1,000-yard rushers Jonathan Williams and Alex Collins, and Leonard Fournette returns at LSU after starring as a freshman.
NEW COORDINATORS: There are 14 of them around the league, counting Vanderbilt coach Derrick Mason, who's added running the defense to his duties. Auburn hired Will Muschamp as defensive coordinator and Texas A&M lured John Chavis from LSU trying to get those defenses up to speed with the offenses. Both are raking in at least $5 million over three years.
ROAD TESTS: There are no easy roads to Atlanta or the College Football Playoffs in the SEC, especially in the loaded Western Division. Some paths are harder than others. 'Bama not only opens in a neutral-site game with Wisconsin but visits East Division favorite Georgia, Texas A&M, Mississippi State and Auburn. Maybe Arkansas is poised for a breakthrough season but the Razorbacks have only three SEC home games and face Texas A&M in Arlington, Texas. The Razorbacks also visit Alabama, Ole Miss, LSU and Tennessee.
AGING ICONS: You never know when a coach will decide to call it quits, and that includes South Carolina's 70-year-old Steve Spurrier and Alabama's Nick Saban, who turns 64 on Oct. 31. That time might be years away since both appear to still be going strong. Spurrier draws plenty of attention for his workout regimen and Saban still rounds up his assistants for hoops games. Missouri's Gary Pinkel, who has won two straight SEC East titles, is 63. LSU's Les Miles turns 62 in November.
Predicted order of finish:
EAST - Georgia, Tennessee, Missouri, South Carolina, Florida, Kentucky, Vanderbilt.
WEST - Auburn, Alabama, Mississippi, LSU, Arkansas, Texas A&M, Mississippi State.
NCAABKB: Kansas conquered the world but knows NCAA title is a tougher assignment.
(Photo/Getty Images)
While many in college basketball were practicing a couple hours per week or taking one of those nobody-cares-who-wins exhibition tours, Kansas was conquering the rest of the world with one arm tied behind its back. So, really, how tough could it be for the Jayhawks to add the 2016 NCAA Championship to their plunder?
Uh, kinda tough. The Jayhawks know that as well as anyone, even with their summer success so fresh.
Along with players added from SMU and Florida Gulf Coast to take the place of four KU regulars unable to compete, they represented USA Basketball in the World University Games in Gwangju City, South Korea and went undefeated through eight games in 11 days to claim the gold medal. But KU has the lessons of its two recent NCAA Tournament implosions as a reminder the road it will travel toward a fourth national title might include fewer air miles but definitely will be more treacherous.
“We know where we stand, and we know where we should be at the end of the season,” shooting guard Wayne Selden told Sporting News. “Performing well in the tournament is our main goal this season. We weren’t able to find an identity last year. I feel like that was a tough team over there in Korea, and if that same tough team comes back and plays for Kansas, we’ll be pretty good.”
Selden has played two years at Kansas, so he knows what it’s like to have a gold medal draped around his neck but more so how it feels to lose as a No. 2 seed in the NCAA second round. His Jayhawks have done that in both of his seasons, to Stanford (when center Joel Embiid was lost for the year with injury) and to Wichita State (when power forward Cliff Alexander was ruled ineligible).
This season, Kansas wants less drama, more success – perhaps the kind of success that being Sporting News’ preseason No. 1 team portends. The program’s most recent iteration won an 11th consecutive Big 12 Conference championship and managed a 27-9 record even while searching fruitlessly for an identity, for a reliable scorer, for an inside game. It wasn’t at all surprising to see the Shockers advance to the Sweet 16 and leave their state’s more famous team behind.
There were lots of issues with that KU team, but none more germane to the current edition than this: Selden shot 32.8 percent from 3-point range and 43.7 percent from the field as a freshman, then improved his long-range touch to 36.5 percent. But his overall accuracy dropped to 38.2 percent. So that means … he got worse on close-range shots?
With a year of experience? With a year of college-level strength training? He got worse? Yes, he did. At 6-5, 230 pounds, with a body that looks as though it came off the assembly line at NBA Wings-N-Things, he made 66 2-point shots, converting at a 39.5 percent rate.
“I was soft,” Selden said. “I didn’t finish well. I got to the basket how I wanted to, I just didn’t finish how I wanted to. It wasn’t on me on a scale of me working hard or practicing finishing. It was just doing it.
“There’s no pressing, there’s no me worrying about it. It’s going to happen. We’re really looking forward to the season to come, because we’ve already got off to a pretty good start.”
The Selden we last saw in a Kansas uniform going 0-for-5 from the field against the Shockers — only one of those a 3-point shot – was transformed by the time he got to Korea. He made 6-of-9 2-pointers in the opening victory over Turkey and led KU with 19 points and nine rebounds. And that’s more or less how it played out for the entirety of the tournament. He scored 23 against Brazil, 21 against Serbia, 22 in the semifinals against Russia. He averaged 19.3 points and 6.5 rebounds over the eight games. And, most telling, he converted 59.7 percent inside the arc.
“I would say it’s his confidence,” point guard Frank Mason told SN. “He has a lot more confidence. He has been using his body, as well, just getting in the lane and using his strength. I think that’s been helping him out a lot.
“I knew since last season Wayne didn’t finish the season the way he wanted to. He definitely has been working all summer, and I know he’ll be a huge part to our success this year. We’re looking forward to it.”
Senior forward Perry Ellis was his typically reliable self, grabbing rebounds and making jump shots and playing sound, error-less basketball. The Jayhawks might have discovered a weapon in 6-11 center Hunter Mickelson, who provided inside scoring when more experienced bigs struggled to finish inside.
Although SMU’s Nic Moore and FGCU’s Julian DeBose contributed to the gold, coach Bill Self and Kansas will look forward to the return of 3-point ace Brannen Greene and dynamic guard Devontè Graham, who were injured and missed the World games.
Promising shooter Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk and incoming freshman center Cheick Diallo could be major contributors this season but were not eligible to play for the U.S. because they are not citizens.
Those four could make the Jayhawks significantly better than they were in Korea. And they celebrated a gold medal there.
“I guess you’d call it a doggie pile; we all jumped on each other,” Mason said. “It was an unbelievable experience. It’s amazing that we got the job done. It’s something we’ll always remember.”
If the U.S. had decided to send a select team of collegians, it’s possible Selden and Mason would have been highly regarded enough to make the squad. Mason said it “definitely” meant more to him to win the gold with his everyday teammates.
“We didn’t finish the season the way we wanted to,” Mason said. “We got an opportunity to play a few more games in the off-season, and we wanted to take advantage of it – and also get better moving forward as a team. It gave us an advantage to do that. It gave a lot of the guys more confidence. I think it’s going to help us out in the long run.”
Ronda Rousey thinks she can beat Floyd Mayweather in a no-rules fight.
By Ryan McKinnell
During a recent “Ask Me Anything” session on the Internet forum Reddit, UFC superwoman Ronda Rousey was asked (again) about fighting boxer Floyd Mayweather.
Rousey and Mayweather have been linked together — for better or worse — over the past couple of years as Rousey’s meteoric rise to cultural powerhouse has taken form.
Recently, the chatter turned to real “beef” when Rousey dethroned Mayweather as “Fighter of the Year” at the 2015 ESPY awards. During her acceptance speech, “Rowdy” went, well, rowdy on “Money,” and asked how it felt being “beat by a woman for once.”
Yeah, she went there.
Now, during a recent fan Q&A on Reddit, Rousey poked the proverbial bear once again, saying she could beat Mayweather in a no-rules scrap.
“Do I think I would legit beat Mayweather in a ruleless fight?” Rousey said. “Floyd is one of the best boxers of all time. He would definitely beat me in a boxing match. I unfortunately don’t get into “matches.” I fight for a living. In a no-rules fight, I believe I can beat anyone on this planet. Boxing is a sweet science with strict rules that I respect very much and aspire every day to improve at. But you said ruleless fight, and that’s my honest answer.”
One fighter who seems to have Rousey’s back in this non-stop hypothetical circus is UFC interim featherweight champion Conor McGregor.
“Ronda would dismantle him in seconds—100 percent,” McGregor told The Guardian on Monday. “When you don’t know how to grapple, you don’t stand a chance.”
The Dublin-born fighter isn’t one to let an opportunity for self-promotion fall by the wayside, either, so, obviously, “Notorious” thinks he could cut down the pound-for-pound boxing king.
“Ronda would dismantle him in seconds—100 percent,” McGregor told The Guardian on Monday. “When you don’t know how to grapple, you don’t stand a chance.”
The Dublin-born fighter isn’t one to let an opportunity for self-promotion fall by the wayside, either, so, obviously, “Notorious” thinks he could cut down the pound-for-pound boxing king.
“In a real fight, I would dismantle him in seconds,” McGregor said. “Ronda is a judo Olympian. She would throw Floyd on his head in a second. Me? I would knock him out. Cold.”
Mayweather has not had time to respond to McGregor’s claims, but he did manage a nice little comeback to Rousey’s ESPYs jab early last week when he appeared on ESPN’s “SportsCenter.”
“I’ve yet to see any MMA fighter, or other boxer, make over $300 million in 36 minutes,” Mayweather said. “When she can do that, then call me.”
Money talking money, Rousey talking fighting and McGregor talking — we wouldn’t want it any other way.
Aldo-McGregor set for December 12 at MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo will fight interim champ Conor McGregor on Dec. 12 in Las Vegas, Dana White said Monday. (Photo by Buda Mendes/Getty Images)
UFC president Dana White said MGM Resorts officials "moved Heaven and Earth" to allow the company to put the featherweight title unification bout between champion Jose Aldo and interim champion Conor McGregor at the MGM Grand Garden in Las Vegas on Dec. 12.
White said that the women's bantamweight title bout between Ronda Rousey and Miesha Tate has not been scheduled but will not be on the Aldo-McGregor card.
White had spoken several times about putting the two fights on the same card at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, home of the NFL's Dallas Cowboys.
Originally, Dec. 5 was targeted for that date because the MGM had an Andrea Bocelli concert and wanted to put the UFC show at the much smaller Mandalay Bay across the street.
But White told Yahoo Sports that he wanted a bigger venue than the approximately 11,000-seat Mandalay Bay Events Center. He was in talks with Cowboys' officials about putting the fight at AT&T Stadium and said that on Thursday, "if you would have asked me, I would have told you for sure we were going to Dallas Cowboys Stadium."
White told Yahoo Sports that Scott Sibella, the president and chief operating officer of the MGM Grand, and Richard Sturm, the president of MGM Resorts' entertainment and sports, worked long and hard to make the Grand Garden available for Dec. 12.
White said it is a better day for the UFC anyway.
"There's nothing going [that would impact us] in sports," White said.
He reiterated what he told Yahoo Sports on Saturday, that the company never offered Cristiane "Cyborg" Justino a fight with Rousey at AT&T Stadium, despite what ex-UFC champion Tito Ortiz said during an interivew on AXS TV's "Inside MMA" on Friday.
White said that Justino and those affiliated with her keep talking publicly about fighting Rousey, but he said they've never demanded the fight to him and he said that Justino has yet to make an attempt to make the bantamweight limit of 135 pounds.
"The deal with Cyborg is, we told her to make 135 and then we would talk about a fight with Ronda," White said Monday. "And they haven't done that. They're still talking about fighting at 140 [in her next fight in Invicta]. What is wrong with these people? But we already said that Ronda was fighting Miesha Tate next and that's what we're going to do.
"That fight isn't going to be on the [Aldo-McGregor] card, for sure. If we were going to go to Dallas Cowboys Stadium, that's another story, but the MGM really wanted the fight and they made a huge effort for it and they got it. And it works out better for us to be in Las Vegas."
The upshot is that, for now, the UFC won't be going to AT&T Stadium any time soon and that McGregor and Rousey, the promotion's two biggest stars, will headline separate shows.
Memoriesofhistory.com
1879 - The first National Archery Association tournament took place in Chicago, IL.
1964 - Mickey Mantle set a major league baseball record when he hit home runs from both the left and ride sides of the plate in the same game.
1969 - The Boston Celtics were sold for $6 million. To date it was the highest price paid for a pro basketball team.
1973 - Jack Nicklaus won his 14th major golf title. The win broke the record that had been held by Bobby Jones for 50 years.
1986 - Rod Carew became the first player in the history of the California Angels franchise to have his uniform (#29) retired.
1994 - Major league baseball players went on strike rather than allow team owners to limit their salaries. The strike lasted for 232 days. As a result, the World Series was wiped out for the first time in 90 years.
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