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Enjoy Labor Day. A salute to the workers that keep America going. Please be safe and vigilant. Remember, our country needs, appreciates and is counting on you.
Sports Quote of the Day:
"Football is a game of mistakes. Whoever makes the fewest mistakes wins." ~ Johan Cruyff, Former Dutch Professional Footballer and Manager
"Football is a game of mistakes. Whoever makes the fewest mistakes wins." ~ Johan Cruyff, Former Dutch Professional Footballer and Manager
Trending: It was a good weekend for Chicago baseball, the Cubs swept the Diamondbacks and the White Sox swept the Kansas City Royals. It doesn't get any better than that!!! (See baseball section for details).
Trending: Saturday was a great day for Illinois NCAA football. (See the college football section for details).
B ear Down Chicago Bears!!!!! Bears cutdown to 53-man roster reveals Fox, Pace 'traits'. There are still more changes to come!!!
By John Mullin
Ryan Pace and John Fox (Photo/chicagobears.com)
Bears GM Ryan Pace and coach John Fox are still in the shakedown period of their Chicago tenures, the time when tendencies, preferences and other operating philosophies become apparent. With the first edition of “final” roster reductions (waivers, contracts terminated, suspension), from 75 to 53 players, one or two Fox/Pace traits suggested themselves.
For one, they are not ego-wedded to “their guys,” players with connections to them or their staffs from the past. Among the roster trims made official before Saturday’s mandated 3 p.m. deadline were a player signed by Pace this offseason projected to be a starting inside linebacker – Mason Foster – and a quarterback prospect – Zac Dysert – who played for Fox and coordinator Adam Gase in Denver.
And the Bears will not hesitate to roll dice on unproven undrafted rookies – linebacker John Timu – over presumably safer veterans (Foster).
The exact level of draft quality remains to play out when games start to count, but for just the second time in the past 10 years – but the second in the last three years – the entire Bears class was incorporated into the 53-man roster.
Expect the 2015 Bears roster to remain fluid through Opening Day, the trading deadline and possibly beyond. Teams routinely are in constant search of upgrades and Pace has made it abundantly clear that the Bears would be aggressive once roster cutdowns made possible upgrades available from other teams’ castoffs.
In addition to defensive lineman Jeremiah Ratliff being placed on the reserve/suspended list, the following players were removed from the Bears’ final roster as of late Saturday:
LB Jonathan Anderson: Great showing vs. Cleveland should land him on practice squad, or with Browns.
LB David Bass: One of the many 4-3 speed rushers trying to make the switch to an edge player in the 3-4. Not enough impact moments at a position with better options (Sam Acho, Jared Allen, Lamarr Houston, Pernell McPhee, Willie Young).
QB Zac Dysert: The play of David Fales in the win over Cleveland made Fales arguably too valuable to cut with the hope of slipping him onto the practice squad. What Dysert’s brief stop in Chicago did, though, was give Bears a close-up look at a potential emergency quarterback.
LB Mason Foster: Signed by Pace and the Bears in March, Foster had moments as a backup inside ‘backer but did not flash enough for a fifth-year player. The impact plays of Timu in particular, with his value on special teams, made Foster expendable.
OL Michael Ola: Ola started 12 games at four different positions in 2014, a versatility standard few players can match and teams covet. But Ola struggled throughout camp and was never even in the discussion for solving the problems at right tackle.
TE Dante Rosario: The late-preseason trade for Khari Lee, with Fox’s description of Lee as a good in-line blocker, portended Rosario’s exit, particularly after Rosario had a dropped pass and penalties on consecutive plays in the loss at Cincinnati.
NT Terry Williams: Swamp Monster had a creditable game in the shutout of the Cleveland Browns, and it would surprise no one if another 3-4 team (like the Browns) found space for him. The move by the Bears stands as a statement that they expect Eddie Goldman to be back from his concussion sooner rather than later. It also signals what coaches thought of how Will Sutton has performed at the spot, which also has Ego Ferguson available, and Jeremiah Ratliff should be back from his foot injury by the time his three-game suspension is served.
Other cuts:
S Qumain Black
G Conor Boffeli
DE David Carter
WR A.J. Cruz
DL Brandon Dunn
CB Jacoby Glenn
S Anthony Jefferson
WR Rashad Lawrence
G Tyler Moore
TE Bear Pascoe
TE Gannon Sinclair
WR Ify Umodu
LB Matthew Wells
LB Kyle Woestmann
Here's the Bears' 53-man roster, by position (rookies have asterisk*) (See Updates On Roster Changes In The Following Article.)
By Rich Campbell, Chicago Tribune Sports
RUNNING BACKS (4): Matt Forte, Jacquizz Rodgers, Jeremy Langford*, Ka’Deem Carey
Comment: Carey might have been saved by Senorise Perry's season-ending foot injury. He'll have to contribute on special teams to be active on game days.
WIDE RECEIVERS (6): Alshon Jeffery, Eddie Royal, Marquess Wilson, Josh Bellamy, Marc Mariani, Cameron Meredith*
Comment: Injury questions about Jeffery (calf), Royal (hip) and Wilson (hamstring) encouraged the Bears to keep an extra receiver. Meredith, who was undrafted, has good length and is a capable blocker.
TIGHT ENDS (3): Martellus Bennett, Zach Miller, Khari Lee*
Comment: Carey might have been saved by Senorise Perry's season-ending foot injury. He'll have to contribute on special teams to be active on game days.
WIDE RECEIVERS (6): Alshon Jeffery, Eddie Royal, Marquess Wilson, Josh Bellamy, Marc Mariani, Cameron Meredith*
Comment: Injury questions about Jeffery (calf), Royal (hip) and Wilson (hamstring) encouraged the Bears to keep an extra receiver. Meredith, who was undrafted, has good length and is a capable blocker.
TIGHT ENDS (3): Martellus Bennett, Zach Miller, Khari Lee*
Comment: The Bears kept only two of the seven tight ends they took to training camp.
OFFENSIVE LINE (9): Jermon Bushrod, Matt Slauson, Will Montgomery, Kyle Long, Jordan Mills, Vlad Ducasse, Charles Leno, Jr., Hroniss Grasu*, Tayo Fabuluje*
Comment: Bears would benefit from adding experienced depth in the coming days. Fabuluje, a sixth-round pick, made the team despite inconsistent technique. He's raw and will have to solve balance and agility issues.
DEFENSIVE LINE (5): Ego Ferguson, Jarvis Jenkins, Eddie Goldman*, Will Sutton, Cornelius Washington
Comment: With Jeremiah Ratliff suspended for three games and only five linemen on the roster, the Bears could fall back on the versatility of McPhee or Young in a pinch.
OUTSIDE LINEBACKERS (5): Pernell McPhee, Jared Allen, Sam Acho, Lamarr Houston, Willie Young
Comment: Young made the roster despite being less than nine months removed from left Achilles surgery. With a $2.45 million base salary, he'll continue working back to full health.
INSIDE LINEBACKERS (4): Shea McClellin, Christian Jones, Jon Bostic, John Timu*
Comment: Timu, an undrafted rookie, beat out veteran Mason Foster with his speed and aggressiveness on special teams.
CORNERBACKS (7): Kyle Fuller, Alan Ball, Sherrick McManis, Demontre Hurst, Terrance Mitchell, Tracy Porter, Bryce Callahan*
Comment: Seven is a lot, which makes this position stand out as a one that could be tinkered with. Porter is often injured, but the Bears like his experience and man-coverage skills.
SAFETIES (4): Antrel Rolle, Adrian Amos*, Brock Vereen, Sherrod Martin
Comment: Martin is the fourth safety for now following Ryan Mundy's season-ending hip injury. Hurst practiced at safety during the preseason.
SPECIALISTS (3): Robbie Gould, Pat O’Donnell, Thomas Gafford
Comment: Gafford must be consistent to keep the long-snapping job.
Bass is eligible for the practice squad despite playing 20 games in his first two NFL seasons. Although he participated on special teams this preseason for the first time in his career, the Bears had a numbers crunch at outside linebacker.
Dysert’s time as a Bear was short lived. General manager Ryan Pace claimed the third-year quarterback off waivers Tuesday, a day after Dysert was let go by the Denver Broncos. But Dysert saw only limited action late in Thursday’s 24-0 preseason win over the Cleveland Browns, completing one of his four pass attempts for 9 yards.
David Fales, who played deep into the third quarter against the Browns, completed 14 of 18 passes in that game for 131 yards with two touchdown passes. With that effort, Fales may have shown enough for the Bears to keep him around as their No. 3 quarterback heading into Week 1.
Ola started 12 games last season as an injury replacement, playing every position but center.
UPDATE ON ROSTER CHANGES ONE DAY AFTER FINAL CUTS. Bears claim Omameh, Jones-Quartey.
By Larry Mayer
Patrick Omameh (Photo/chicagobears.com)
One day after final cuts, the Bears on Sunday claimed offensive lineman Patrick Omameh and safety
Omameh started all 16 games at right guard for Tampa Bay last season. The 6-4, 306-pounder entered the NFL in 2013 with the 49ers as an undrafted free agent out of Michigan. Omameh spent parts of his rookie season in 2013 on he practice squad with the 49ers and Buccaneers.
Jones-Quartey signed with the Cardinals this year as an undrafted free agent from Findlay, a Division II college in Ohio. The 5-11, 215-pounder appeared in 43 games in four seasons, recording 241 tackles, nine tackles-for-loss, four interceptions, 21 passes defenses and three forced fumbles.
To make room on their roster, the Bears waived tackle Jordan Mills and terminated safety Sherrod Martin’s contract. Mills started all 29 games he played at right tackle the past two seasons after being selected by the Bears in the fifth round of the 2013 draft out of Louisiana Tech.
Martin signed with the Bears in June after spending his first five NFL seasons with the Panthers (2009-12) and Jaguars (2015), playing his first two years in Carolina under coach John Fox.
The only player the Bears waived Saturday who was claimed by another team Sunday was outside linebacker David Bass, who went to the Titans.
The following is an updated version of the Bears’ 53-man roster (in alphabetical order):
Quarterbacks (3):
Running backs (4):
Receivers (6):
Tight ends (3):
Offensive linemen (9):
Defensive linemen (5):
Outside linebackers (5):
Inside linebackers (4):
Cornerbacks (6):
Safeties (5):
Specialists (3):
Decision Time: Less Than One Week Until The Start Of The 2015 NFL Season. You Can't Win If You Aren't In!!!!!
Many are called but few are chosen. Are you chosen? Are you confident in your knowledge about the NFL? Are you confident in you ability to pick winners for the upcoming 2015 season? Are you excited and chomping at the bit for the season to start? If you are, then the CS&T/AllsportsAmerica 2015 NFL Confidence Office Pool is for you!!!
We have a little over a week to go before the NFL season gets underway. It's decision time and we want you in. $35.00 for 17 weeks of pure, unadulterated football drama, anxiety, exaltation, frustration, happiness, sadness, celebration and the full gamut of emotions on the 2015 NFL rollercoaster. Enter and try it, we guarantee you a season of fun. Surprise yourself and see how good you really are. It cost less than a Starbucks, McDonald's, Burger King or Wendy's hamburger, a glass of beer, a gallon of gas, etc., once a week. Our entry fee is reasonable and the rewards are fabulous. Think about it and make your move. You can't win if you aren't in and if you're not in, you're out. You don't want to be out!!! Trust us.
Below is a sample of the first week's CS&T/AA 2015 NFL Office Pick 'em Pool) Pick sheet. You must also pick a tiebreaker score, (The combined total score for both teams). Our pool is a marathon not a sprint..... 17 weeks of concentration, dedication and extreme confidence. Let the games begin. They do, September 10, 2015.
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Below is a sample of the first week's CS&T/AA 2015 NFL Office Pick 'em Pool) Pick sheet. You must also pick a tiebreaker score, (The combined total score for both teams). Our pool is a marathon not a sprint..... 17 weeks of concentration, dedication and extreme confidence. Let the games begin. They do, September 10, 2015.
| Game ** = Pick cannot be edited, picks deadline has past. | Away Team | Home Team | Ranking [?] (Your goal is to get the most points.) | Game Date / Time | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 9/10/2015 7:30 PM* | |||||
| 2 | 9/13/2015 12:00 PM* | |||||
| 3 | 9/13/2015 12:00 PM* | |||||
| 4 | 9/13/2015 12:00 PM* | |||||
| 5 | 9/13/2015 12:00 PM* | |||||
| 6 | 9/13/2015 12:00 PM* | |||||
| 7 | 9/13/2015 12:00 PM* | |||||
| 8 | 9/13/2015 12:00 PM* | |||||
| 9 | 9/13/2015 3:05 PM* | |||||
| 10 | 9/13/2015 3:05 PM* | |||||
| 11 | 9/13/2015 3:25 PM* | |||||
| 12 | 9/13/2015 3:25 PM* | |||||
| 13 | 9/13/2015 3:25 PM* | |||||
| 14 | 9/13/2015 7:30 PM* | |||||
| 15 | 9/14/2015 6:10 PM* | |||||
| 16 | 9/14/2015 9:20 PM* | |||||
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How 'bout them Chicago Blackhawks? Blackhawks mum on whether Kane will be at preseason camp.
Patrick Kane celebrates with teammates after scoring a second period goal against the Ducks in Game 6. (Jonathan Daniel, Getty Images)
The Blackhawks return to the ice in two weeks, but the team still won't say whether Patrick Kane will lace up his skates alongside his teammates.
"I don't have an answer to that question," Blackhawks spokesman Brandon Faber said.
Faber would confirm all the other players — about 30 of them — are expected to attend preseason camp at the University of Notre Dame on Sept. 18. And that's because, as Faber pointed out, none of them are involved in a criminal investigation like Kane.
The team's reticence reflects the difficult situation facing the image-conscious Blackhawks, who sources say have grown tired of Kane's off-ice behavior, while being equally reluctant to burn the superstar who has helped win three championships and has an $84 million contract. Sources say the team has mulled a number of options, including permitting Kane to take a personal leave of absence until the matter is settled.
A source also has told the Tribune that several teams have contacted the Blackhawks to inquire about a possible trade. However, it's unlikely such a deal would happen before the criminal investigation is completed.
Practices at the preseason training camp — three days in South Bend, Ind. — are open to the public, meaning Kane would inevitably face questions from a horde of news reporters. Kane, 26, has not been charged with any wrongdoing, and he has not spoken publicly about the allegations.
Still, he appears to be preparing for the coming season, as neighbors frequently have spotted him working out in the yard of his lakefront mansion in Hamburg, N.Y., which includes a basketball court outfitted with hockey goals.
Kane's attorney Paul Cambria and agent, Pat Brisson, did not respond to repeated requests for comment.
But the winger's presence — or absence — at preseason camp would serve as the Blackhawks' loudest statement on Kane since police began investigating the sexual assault allegation against him. The team and NHL have issued only terse statements acknowledging the investigation. Blackhawks Chairman Rocky Wirtz has said he's "disappointed but hopeful" about the situation.
On Friday, a source close to Wirtz said the chairman is "watching and waiting until all of the facts bear out."
Commissioner Gary Bettman has the right to suspend a player under criminal investigation if allowing the player to take the ice would "create a substantial risk of material harm to the legitimate interests and/or reputation of the League," according to the collective bargaining agreement between the NHL and its players. A league spokesman declined comment on Kane's status Friday, saying there are still two weeks before camp starts.
Bettman has never exercised that option on a player without criminal charges being filed first.
However, the sports landscape has changed in the past year, particularly since former NFL star running back Ray Rice's domestic violence scandal. That episode — in which NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell increased his punishment after video footage surfaced of Rice knocking out his now-wife — sparked sharp criticism of how the NFL and other professional sports leagues handle violence against women.
After the video became public, Bettman said the NHL had no room for error when dealing with such issues.
"Our code of conduct is we expect you to do the right things and if you don't we hold you accountable," Bettman said in September 2014. "More important than that is I believe you need to be proactive."
Kane has been under investigation for an alleged incident at his gated home in early August. The Buffalo News, citing unnamed sources, reported that police and prosecutors were looking into a woman's allegation that Kane raped her. Tribune sources have confirmed that authorities were investigating a sexual assault complaint.
The Tribune previously has reported that Kane spent the night of Aug. 1 at SkyBar, a popular night club about 15 miles from his Hamburg home, and he stayed past midnight with friends. His attorney publicly confirmed an off-duty Buffalo police officer's revelation that he had driven Kane, a male friend and two women to the player's home after leaving the bar. The officer, Lt. Thomas English, had his department's permission to moonlight as a personal security guard for Kane, according to records obtained by the Tribune.
Hamburg Chief Greg Wickett said Thursday the case is still active.
Police have said they are awaiting the results of forensic testing in the case, though Buffalo-area sources said the bulk of that work has been completed and prosecutors are now contemplating whether the evidence merits charges. The ultimate decision rests with Erie County District Attorney Frank Sedita III, a longtime prosecutor known for being cautious on high-profile cases.
Sedita declined comment on the investigation this week.
His predecessor as district attorney, Frank Clark, said he expected Sedita to present the case to a grand jury to determine whether Kane should be indicted. Sedita almost always sends high-profile investigations to a grand jury, even in cases that he doesn't intend to prosecute. The move — which often prolongs investigations — prevents him from being the sole voice on the case.
"You take too much heat if you do that," Clark said.
Buffalo TV station WGRZ and The Buffalo News reported that an Erie County grand jury will hear evidence and testimony on the sexual assault allegation involving Kane beginning next Tuesday.
Many of Kane's current and former teammates have declined comment on the winger's situation. Still, some told the Tribune they have been in communication with Kane since the investigation became public and have offered him their support.
"I reached out to him and told him I was here for him if he needs anything," said former Blackhawk Daniel Carcillo, Kane's teammate for three seasons. "There's definitely that support that goes out to him, whether it's through texts or calling him. ... It's a tough situation."
In a brief interview, winger Bryan Bickell said that he didn't know enough of the particulars of the investigation to give details.
"Hopefully everything works out," he said.
Captain Jonathan Toews, in his first public comment on the investigation, told a Canadian radio station this week that Kane had his teammates' support.
"It's not the first time we've seen situations like that and eventually you deal with it internally and you stay together as a team," Toews said. "We don't let anything going on the outside affect the way we do our jobs and the way we come to work together as a team."
"I don't have an answer to that question," Blackhawks spokesman Brandon Faber said.
Faber would confirm all the other players — about 30 of them — are expected to attend preseason camp at the University of Notre Dame on Sept. 18. And that's because, as Faber pointed out, none of them are involved in a criminal investigation like Kane.
The team's reticence reflects the difficult situation facing the image-conscious Blackhawks, who sources say have grown tired of Kane's off-ice behavior, while being equally reluctant to burn the superstar who has helped win three championships and has an $84 million contract. Sources say the team has mulled a number of options, including permitting Kane to take a personal leave of absence until the matter is settled.
A source also has told the Tribune that several teams have contacted the Blackhawks to inquire about a possible trade. However, it's unlikely such a deal would happen before the criminal investigation is completed.
Practices at the preseason training camp — three days in South Bend, Ind. — are open to the public, meaning Kane would inevitably face questions from a horde of news reporters. Kane, 26, has not been charged with any wrongdoing, and he has not spoken publicly about the allegations.
Still, he appears to be preparing for the coming season, as neighbors frequently have spotted him working out in the yard of his lakefront mansion in Hamburg, N.Y., which includes a basketball court outfitted with hockey goals.
Kane's attorney Paul Cambria and agent, Pat Brisson, did not respond to repeated requests for comment.
But the winger's presence — or absence — at preseason camp would serve as the Blackhawks' loudest statement on Kane since police began investigating the sexual assault allegation against him. The team and NHL have issued only terse statements acknowledging the investigation. Blackhawks Chairman Rocky Wirtz has said he's "disappointed but hopeful" about the situation.
On Friday, a source close to Wirtz said the chairman is "watching and waiting until all of the facts bear out."
Commissioner Gary Bettman has the right to suspend a player under criminal investigation if allowing the player to take the ice would "create a substantial risk of material harm to the legitimate interests and/or reputation of the League," according to the collective bargaining agreement between the NHL and its players. A league spokesman declined comment on Kane's status Friday, saying there are still two weeks before camp starts.
Bettman has never exercised that option on a player without criminal charges being filed first.
However, the sports landscape has changed in the past year, particularly since former NFL star running back Ray Rice's domestic violence scandal. That episode — in which NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell increased his punishment after video footage surfaced of Rice knocking out his now-wife — sparked sharp criticism of how the NFL and other professional sports leagues handle violence against women.
After the video became public, Bettman said the NHL had no room for error when dealing with such issues.
"Our code of conduct is we expect you to do the right things and if you don't we hold you accountable," Bettman said in September 2014. "More important than that is I believe you need to be proactive."
Kane has been under investigation for an alleged incident at his gated home in early August. The Buffalo News, citing unnamed sources, reported that police and prosecutors were looking into a woman's allegation that Kane raped her. Tribune sources have confirmed that authorities were investigating a sexual assault complaint.
The Tribune previously has reported that Kane spent the night of Aug. 1 at SkyBar, a popular night club about 15 miles from his Hamburg home, and he stayed past midnight with friends. His attorney publicly confirmed an off-duty Buffalo police officer's revelation that he had driven Kane, a male friend and two women to the player's home after leaving the bar. The officer, Lt. Thomas English, had his department's permission to moonlight as a personal security guard for Kane, according to records obtained by the Tribune.
Hamburg Chief Greg Wickett said Thursday the case is still active.
Police have said they are awaiting the results of forensic testing in the case, though Buffalo-area sources said the bulk of that work has been completed and prosecutors are now contemplating whether the evidence merits charges. The ultimate decision rests with Erie County District Attorney Frank Sedita III, a longtime prosecutor known for being cautious on high-profile cases.
Sedita declined comment on the investigation this week.
His predecessor as district attorney, Frank Clark, said he expected Sedita to present the case to a grand jury to determine whether Kane should be indicted. Sedita almost always sends high-profile investigations to a grand jury, even in cases that he doesn't intend to prosecute. The move — which often prolongs investigations — prevents him from being the sole voice on the case.
"You take too much heat if you do that," Clark said.
Buffalo TV station WGRZ and The Buffalo News reported that an Erie County grand jury will hear evidence and testimony on the sexual assault allegation involving Kane beginning next Tuesday.
Many of Kane's current and former teammates have declined comment on the winger's situation. Still, some told the Tribune they have been in communication with Kane since the investigation became public and have offered him their support.
"I reached out to him and told him I was here for him if he needs anything," said former Blackhawk Daniel Carcillo, Kane's teammate for three seasons. "There's definitely that support that goes out to him, whether it's through texts or calling him. ... It's a tough situation."
In a brief interview, winger Bryan Bickell said that he didn't know enough of the particulars of the investigation to give details.
"Hopefully everything works out," he said.
Captain Jonathan Toews, in his first public comment on the investigation, told a Canadian radio station this week that Kane had his teammates' support.
"It's not the first time we've seen situations like that and eventually you deal with it internally and you stay together as a team," Toews said. "We don't let anything going on the outside affect the way we do our jobs and the way we come to work together as a team."
Just Another Chicago Bulls Session... Shaquille O'Neal says he and Kobe Bryant could have won six titles. Could have, should have, would have... And I could have won Mega Millions or Powerball too!!!
By Zach Harper
There has been a lot of talk the past week about what could have been between Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant. The former Los Angeles Lakers' duo won three straight championships from 2000 to 2002, and after losing the 2004 NBA Finals to the Detroit Pistons, were dismantled. Shaq's "workplace beef" with Kobe, coupled with his age and contract demands led to Dr. Jerry Buss deciding to move O'Neal to the Miami Heat.
The duo was broken up far too early and had the chance to easily get back to winning championships if they just found a way to stay together. Shaq would go on to win another title with the Heat and Kobe would bring two more championships to the Lakers, but we were all left wondering if this duo could've been the greatest, or at least most successful, of all time. Shaq was on "The Rich Eisen Show" with Suzy Shuster and said he believes they could have tied Michael Jordan's total of six titles with the Chicago Bulls.
Shaq had turned 32 years old the season before he was dealt to Miami, and was coming off a campaign in which the Lakers won 56 games behind his 21.5 points and 11.5 rebounds per game. Kobe led the team in scoring with 24 points per game. It was the second straight season in which Kobe led the team in scoring as he was becoming the best and most important player on the team. They also had Karl Malone chasing a ring at the age of 40 and Gary Payton in his mid-30s. It was supposed to be a foursome that easily led to a title run.The duo was broken up far too early and had the chance to easily get back to winning championships if they just found a way to stay together. Shaq would go on to win another title with the Heat and Kobe would bring two more championships to the Lakers, but we were all left wondering if this duo could've been the greatest, or at least most successful, of all time. Shaq was on "The Rich Eisen Show" with Suzy Shuster and said he believes they could have tied Michael Jordan's total of six titles with the Chicago Bulls.
"I think we could've either tied Michael or surpassed Mike," O'Neal said on the Rich Eisen Show. "Mike has six. You know, everybody talks about Bill Russell's 11. No player will ever come along and get 11 championships unless they reduce the league to 10 teams. So now Mike, when it comes to the pinnacle of championships, you always got to go with Mike. Mike has six. I think we could've either tied that or got that. But if "if" was a fifth, we'd all be drunk, Susan."
Payton would go on to win one in 2006 with O'Neal in Miami while Kobe missed the playoffs as the Lakers were trying to reshuffle their entire organizational dynamic. Bryant was the main guy and Rudy Tomjanovich as the coach. But with Kobe in his mid-20s and entering the prime of his career, there's no reason to think Kobe and Shaq couldn't have at least made another run at a title. The San Antonio Spurs and Phoenix Suns would've been the main competition over the next couple years and the Dallas Mavericks were becoming one of the top teams in the league as well.
However, Shaq and Kobe were a winning combination for a long time, especially with Phil Jackson as their coach. In the five years the Lakers had that trio involved, they won three titles and made it to four NBA Finals.
Could anybody have stopped this duo past 2004? Yes. Whom? Themselves. (Photo/USATI)
By Tony Andracki
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
Kris Bryant hit a 495-foot homer, but it wasn't even the biggest blast of the day for the Cubs.
Miguel Montero hit a grand slam and Jonathan Herrera hit a pinch-hit homer in the sixth as the Cubs (78-57) finished off a sweep of the Diamondbacks (65-72) with a 6-4 victory in front of 41,183 fans at Wrigley Field Saturday.
Montero - whom the Cubs acquired from Arizona over the winter - had a single and a walk against his former team apart from the game-winning grand slam that followed a Bryant walk in the sixth.
"Every win is important," Montero said. "At this point, you can't really think of other things. You just have to think about winning and the rest will take care of itself."
Bryant got things started with his record-setting shot in the fifth inning, crushing an 0-2 pitch from Arizona starter Rubby De La Rosa off the top of the video board in left field.
Kyle Hendricks started for the Cubs and allowed only one run in five innings, but the game was still tied when he exited so Justin Grimm earned the win.
The Diamondbacks mounted a little rally in the bottom of the ninth as former Cub Welington Castillo homered and then Arizona shortstop Nick Ahmed hit a two-run blast three batters later.
The Cubs are 17-4 at home over their last 21 games and have hit homers in 15 straight contests at Wrigley Field.
Bryant and the Cubs also lead the majors with 48 homers over their last 24 games, dating back to Aug. 12.
The Cubs head to St. Louis Monday for an important three-game series against the Cardinals, riding the momentum from this sweep.
"It's big. You want to go in with momentum," Hendricks said. "We've been playing well lately, so just winning ballgames is huge. Keeps the morale up around and just going in there with some momentum is good for us."
Kansas City Special: White Sox complete sweep, beat Royals, 7-5.
By Dan Hayes
(Photo/Fansided, Southside Showdown)
Erik Johnson pitched six strong innings in his return to the majors and the White Sox produced throughout as they completed a series sweep of the Kansas City Royals with a 7-5 victory at Kauffman Stadium. Adam Eaton homered and finished 3-for-5 while Jose Abreu drove in two runs for the White Sox, who have won four straight. The sweep was the first by the White Sox in Kansas City since August 2013 and allows them to still register a pulse in terms of the postseason picture, miniscule as it may be.
“It’s good to take three from a very, very good team,” Eaton said. “It shows kind of our inconsistency this year. We come in and beat the best team, come in and play them tough and win all three. We’ve got to be more consistent. This last month of the season we’ve got to empty whatever is left in the tank.”
The reality is the White Sox are running on fumes and have been for weeks now. Sunday’s win moved them within six games of the Texas Rangers, who are on pace for 85 victories and currently are in possession of the final playoff spot.
At 65-70, the White Sox need a 20-7 run to the finish -- something they’ve proven incapable of time and again -- to have an outside shot at the second wild-card spot.
“We are the streakiest team I’ve ever been on in my life,” closer David Robertson said. “We go from winning five or six to losing five or six. I don’t know why.”
Offense has been a primary force behind the team’s most recent winning ways.
Since they trailed the Minnesota Twins 4-1 midway through Thursday’s victory, the White Sox have outscored their opponents 30-7.
They didn’t wait as long on Sunday against Royals starter Johnny Cueto and kept adding throughout, including a critical run in the ninth.
Eaton singled, Alexei Ramirez doubled and Abreu singled to make it 1-0 in the first inning. After Melky Cabrera walked to load the bases, Avisail Garcia singled in two more to give the White Sox a three-run advantage.
Adam LaRoche singled in a run in the third inning to make it a 4-1 game and Rob Brantly’s sac fly made it 5-1.
Eaton blasted a solo homer in the sixth inning, his 12th, to go up by five runs.
“Any time we jump out there, we seem to swing the bats a little better if we get it in the first inning,” White Sox manager Robin Ventura said. “Today, I thought Eaton did a great job of starting it off with a base hit, and guys kept going. I don’t know if Cueto had his best stuff today, but you have to take advantage of it when you can.”
Johnson made the most of his run support to earn his first win in the majors since April 20, 2014.
He allowed three solo homers in six innings, including two in his final frame, but only allowed five men to reach base. The Royals came back to life against Jake Petricka in the seventh inning and scored twice more until Matt Albers got out of the jam with a 6-5 lead.
“You can kind of feel the momentum change there,” Eaton said.
But the White Sox stole it back.
Zach Duke struck out the middle of Kansas City’s order in a 1-2-3 eighth inning. Eaton doubled to start the ninth and scored on Abreu’s sac fly to extend the lead to two runs.
Now they have to hope the momentum gained this weekend can turn them into the consistent team they’ve failed to be for the first 135 games.
“Hopefully we can continue to win,” Robertson said. “You never know. There’s still a chance for us to sneak in there. As long as we have the opportunity, we have to keep fighting and keep trying.”
Golf: I got a club for that..... Stenson seizes Deutsche Bank lead.
AFP
Henrik Stenson of Sweden stands on the 18th green during round three of the Deutsche Bank Championship at TPC Boston on September 6, 2015 in Norton, Massachusetts (AFP Photo/Ross Kinnaird)
The Swede's 13-under total of 200 was one stroke in front of American Rickie Fowler, with American Sean O'Hair and Aussie Matt Jones a further stroke back on 202 after a day when world number one Rory McIlroy and PGA Champion Jason Day were unable to make a move up the leaderboard.
It was a good day out there," Stenson said. "I was striking it nicely today."
Day, the world number three who came into the tournament with a chance to supplant McIlroy atop the rankings, had a double-bogey, three bogeys and three birdies in a two-over 73 that left him tied for 25th on four-under 209.
"There's no excuse for poor playing," said Day, who saw a run of 22 straight rounds of par or better end. "I just wish I had a little bit more energy."
McIlroy, playing his second tournament since he was sidelined by an ankle injury in July, remained at 2-over after an even-par 71 at TPC Boston that included three birdies and three-bogeys.
McIlroy, winner of the 2012 Deutsche Bank title, birdied the par-five 18th to avoid a second straight over-par round.
But his inability to mount a challenge means Masters and US Open champion Jordan Spieth could again grab the number-one world ranking, even though the 22-year-old American missed the cut on Saturday and won't be around for the Labor Day holiday finish on Monday.
McIlroy, winner of the 2012 Deutsche Bank title, birdied the par-five 18th to avoid a second straight over-par round.
But his inability to mount a challenge means Masters and US Open champion Jordan Spieth could again grab the number-one world ranking, even though the 22-year-old American missed the cut on Saturday and won't be around for the Labor Day holiday finish on Monday.
If Day doesn't win, and McIlroy finishes outside the top 10, Spieth could still regain the summit he reached with a runner-up finish at the PGA Championship and held for two weeks.
"It's a mathematical system with algorithms and all sorts of different things," McIlroy said of the two-year rolling points formula for determining number one. "It's not something I really worry about."
Stenson, runner-up to Day last week at the Barclays, is gunning for a second Deutsche Bank title. He won the event in 2013 on the way to winning the US PGA Tour's FedEx Cup playoff title and its $10 million bonus.
"It's always good to be back at a course where you've performed well and played well," Stenson said. "I'll just try to keep it going."
He had three birdies on the front nine plus an eagle at the par-four fourth hole.
He had three birdies on the front nine plus an eagle at the par-four fourth hole.
"Set it off straight on line with the pin, which I was trying to do," Stenson said of his three-wood off the tee at the fourth, which left him a tough 20-foot putt. "It actually worked out perfectly."
- Nice birdie -
- Nice birdie -
He parred the first eight holes of the back nine before rolling in a tough birdie putt at 18 that gave him the outright lead.
"I left myself a few good chances on the back nine, I just couldn't convert," said Stenson, who was pleased to keep a bogey off his card with a two-putt par at the par-three 16th. "Then the nice birdie on the last."
Fowler carded a 67, saving birdie at the last to stay within one stroke of Stenson despite finding only four of 14 fairways.
Fowler carded a 67, saving birdie at the last to stay within one stroke of Stenson despite finding only four of 14 fairways.
O'Hair carded a 67 and Jones a 68 for 202. They were one stroke in front of Scotland's Russell Knox, who posted a 68 for 203.
Charley Hoffman, who started the day with a three-shot lead after a second-round 63, fell six adrift after a five-over 76.
Jordan Spieth can still finish No. 1 in the world despite Deutsche Bank missed cut.
By Ryan Ballengee
Prior to the 2015 Deutsche Bank Championship, Jordan Spieth talks about throwing out the first pitch at the Yankees vs. Red Sox game earlier in the week.
Even though Jordan Spieth missed his second consecutive cut at the Deutsche Bank Championship on Saturday, the two-time 2015 major winner could well have his No. 1 ranking back on Tuesday.
According to the folks behind the Official World Golf Ranking, Spieth will regain the top spot in the world -- which he lost to the idle Rory McIlroy last week -- if two things happen:
1. Jason Day doesn't win the Deutsche Bank Championship, and
2. Rory McIlroy finishes worse than solo 10th place.
Right now, it's looking like both of those things have a good possibility of happening. Day is six back of 36-hole leader and 2010 Deutsche Bank winner Charley Hoffman, while McIlroy is tied for 59th place after shooting 3-over 74 in Round 2.
Ultimately, the No. 1 ranking doesn't mean a whole lot until a player can hang onto it for a month or two without facing a near weekly threat of losing it. That's going to take a while to sort out, so expect the possibility of some volatility at No. 1 throughout the remainder of the FedEx Cup playoffs and perhaps into the end of calendar 2015.
NASCAR: Carl Edwards wins Southern 500.
By PETE IACOBELLI
Carl Edwards took the lead on the last pit stop and held off Denny Hamlin on a restart eight laps from the end for his first Southern 500 victory Sunday night.
Edwards was two laps behind early in the long, long, nearly five-hour NASCAR Sprint Cup race, slowed by a record 18 cautions at Darlington Raceway.
Pole-sitter Brad Keselowski was second and Hamlin finished third. Joey Logano was fourth, followed by defending race champion Kevin Harvick and the Busch brothers, Kurt and Kyle.
Edwards won for the second time this season, and gave Joe Gibbs Racing its seventh victory in the last 10 events. JGR swept the weekend, with Hamlin winning the Xfinity race Saturday.
Edwards did his signature victory backflip in the race's return to Labor Day weekend.
''I guess we made it Carlington for a couple of minutes,'' Edwards said after his crew taped over part of the ''D'' on the painted Darlington sign along a retaining wall. ''This is the Southern 500. This is amazing.''
Edwards has won multiple races in season for the seventh time in 11 seasons as a fulltime driver.
Keselowski started on the pole and by far led the most laps with 196. But he was beaten out of the pits by Edwards on Darlington's record-setting 18th caution period with 12 laps left.
Almost as much as drivers enjoyed Darlington's throwback paint schemes and retro-1970s theme, they loved the low downforce package given the cars - the same that was used to rave driver reviews in Kentucky earlier this year.
''Man, I loved it. This is as good as it gets,'' Edwards said about the low-downforce package. ''This is what it's about: sliding cars, the tires falling off. If there's any way we can run this in the Chase, I hope we do it.''
Keselowski agreed. ''It separates the race car drivers from the pretenders and that's the way it should be,'' he said.
Keselowski hoped to use Darlington to springboard into the Sprint Cup playoffs, which start in Chicago in two weeks. He said his team still has work ahead.
''We were definitely right there, just one spot short at the end,'' he said. ''We're right there. We've just got to find one more level to win these races and win this championship.''
NASCAR's regular season ends next week at Richmond, where the field of 16 contenders will be set.
NASCAR returned the Southern 500 to Labor Day weekend for the first time since 2003. The track, the sport's oldest superspeedway, closed NASCAR's summer as one of its crown jewel events for 53 years until losing out in Sprint Cup realignment.
But NASCAR leaders thought the time was right to put the iconic race back in its traditional sport. The race featured a 1970s, throwback theme, with 35 race teams racing in some retro paint scheme.
Kyle Larson, his No. 42 sporting the Mello Yello colors, came out for driver introductions in a curly wig with a mustache grown for the weekend. NBC Sports got into the spirit, too, having Hall of Famers Ken Squire, Ned Jarrett and Dale Jarrett in the TV booth to call some of the race.
While the hype was huge, the true throwback was Darlington, which was the same tire-chewing track that's beffuddled NASCAR's best for generations. Chase Elliott, running his last Sprint Cup race before slipping into retiring Jeff Gordon's seat in the No. 24 car next season, spun out just eight laps in to bring out a caution.
It was far from the last - for Darlington and for Elliott.
Bill Elliott's son, who won the Xfinity race here in 2014, was involved in another spin that took him out of the race for good.
Tony Stewart stayed out during one of the cautions while the field pitted and wound up leading for 10 laps, the first time he's run up front since Talladega last May. But Stewart was quickly run down by the pack of front runners, led by Harvick and Keselowski.
Fire's defensive issues compounded by loss to Impact.
By Danny Michallik
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
After losing three vital starters to international duty, the looming uncertainty surrounding the Chicago Fire ahead of a road trip to Montreal turned the spotlight on the depth at head coach Frank Yallop's disposal.
Offensively, goals weren't in short supply. Defensively, a back four comprised of the previously steady Eric Gehrig-Jeff Larentowicz centerback pairing, flanked by Lovel Palmer and Greg Cochrane on either side, were found wanting, much like nearly one year to the day in 2014.
On Sept. 7 of last year, Jermaine Jones - whose rights the Fire lost out on during last summer's transfer dealings - and the New England Revolution exposed a Palmer-Larentowicz-Bakary Soumaré-Gonzalo Segares back line, and put a massive dent in the Men in Red's playoff aspirations, keeping the Fire - sitting on 29 points in ninth place at the time - seven points adrift of the Philadelphia Union for the fifth and final playoff spot with eight games remaining on their regular season schedule.
Of those eight, one was won, three were lost and four were drawn.
On Saturday night, the Fire (7-14-6, 27 points) crumbled in a similar, yet perhaps more devastating fashion. Didier Drogba, in his first MLS start, masterly carved open the Fire defense and lit up Stade Saputo with a hat trick on the way to the Impact's (9-11-4, 31 points) 4-3 victory over Yallop's group.
The Ivorian opened his MLS account in the 27th minute, before Larentowicz replied with a penalty kick in the 37th. Montreal defender Wandrille Lefèvre and Fire striker Gilberto added a pair of goals in quick succession in the 42nd and 44th minutes to close out a wild first half. Kennedy Igboananike fired the Men in Red toward a 3-2 lead in the 59th minute before Drogba wrapped up all three points for the hosts with two tallies, four minutes apart just past the hour mark.
With the Union beating the San Jose Earthquakes, a 14th loss on the season leaves the Fire dead last in the Eastern Conference table and four points back of sixth-placed Montreal, which is also two points ahead of Orlando City SC after the Lions slipped to a 3-0 defeat at the hands of the Revolution at Gillette Stadium.
The Men in Red showed three changes from the side that drew Orlando City, 1-1, at the Citrus Bowl last time out. Palmer made his return to right back in place of Matt Polster, while Cochrane replaced Joevin Jones at left back, earning his first start since July 3. Homegrown midfielder Harry Shipp rounded out the alterations, stepping in for David Accam on the left flank.
A cagey opening 26 minutes saw both sides exchange few, but harmless opportunities before the hosts struck first.
Nigel Reo-Coker swung a cross in from his right back position, delivering for Drogba to use his strength to outmuscle Gehrig. The Ivorian brushed off and spun the 27-year-old centerback in the box, and coolly slotted past a helpless Sean Johnson to give the hosts a 1-0 lead.
Nine minutes later, the Fire found their response. Shipp, after appearing to let a long touch get away from him, was clumsily hacked down by Impact left back Maxim Tissot in the penalty area, leaving referee Silviu Petrescu with no doubt but to point to the spot. Larentowicz calmly approached the kick and sent 'keeper Evan Bush the wrong way to level the match at one-all.
The hosts reclaimed their lead not too long after. Johnson misjudged the flight of Marco Donadel's corner kick in the 42nd minute, which fell to an unmarked Lefèvre at the back post to prod it home. Moments later, Igboananike fired a low, driven delivery toward Gilberto, who got on the end of the cross and redirected past Bush for his first goal in a Fire jersey and the visitors' second equalizer on the night.
In the second stanza, it was the Men in Red who charged out to their first lead. Igboananike leaped up and over Tissot to meet a Shipp corner kick, powerfully heading past Bush for his team-leading seventh goal of the campaign.
As was the case with Gilberto's quick response to end the first half, the Fire fell asleep and saw their advantage quickly evaporate. Ignacio Piatti caught Yallop's team napping, capitalizing on a swift restart. The ball was sent straight into the path of Drogba on the edge of the box, who expertly tucked home his effort to help pull Mauro Biello's outfit level in the 61st minute.
The Ivorian was at it again, volleying toward Johnson four minutes later. Johnson, who was forced into seven saves on the night, could only look on as his initial save on Drogba was eventually headed into an unguarded net, enough for the Impact to see out the final 25 minutes.
The Fire will have six days to regroup before a visit to Red Bull Arena to face New York Red Bulls on Sept. 11. As with last year's loss to New England, which saw the Men in Red take seven from 24 points available, Saturday's defeat mounts more and more pressure onto a team desperate to obtain results, and running out of time to do so.
Chicago Fire Starting XI (subs)
(4-4-2) - Sean Johnson; Lovel Palmer, Eric Gehrig, Jeff Larentowicz (C), Greg Cochrane; Patrick Nyarko (Jason Johnson, 83'), Razvan Cocis (Matt Watson, 75'), Michael Stephens, Harry Shipp; Kennedy Igboananike, Gilberto (Mike Magee, 75').
Jurgen Klinsmann adds three players to USMNT roster ahead of Brazil match.
By Kyle Lynch
(Photo/nbcsports.com)
Michael Bradley has been added to the United States’ roster ahead of Tuesday’s clash against Brazil, as Jurgen Klinsmann has made a few moves in the lineup.
Along with Bradley, Chicago Fire goalkeeper Sean Johnson has been called in, as well as Stanford University striker Jordan Morris.
Johnson will serve as the third-string goalkeeper, as William Yarbrough has returned to his club team Leon in Liga MX. The 20-year-old Morris will hope to make his sixth appearance for the national team, as Klinsmann has shown a liking for the college standout.
With Klinsmann looking to finalize his roster for the CONCACAF playoff against Mexico, he could choose to give Morris some minutes against Brazil to see how he performs against one of the best teams in the world. It also doesn’t hurt that Morris’ lone goal for the national team came against Mexico earlier this year.
Predicting the starting lineup under Jurgen Klinsmann has been nearly impossible, but Michael Bradley starting in the center of the midfield is a lock. Bradley has been the most consistent player for the USMNT over the past year, and took over the captain’s armband from Clint Dempsey in the Gold Cup. Bradley was allowed to play for Toronto FC when the United States’ took on Peru last week.
Clint Dempsey was originally supposed to join the team for the Brazil match, but Klinsmann has opted to let him stay with the Seattle Sounders as he continues to come back from a hamstring injury. Dempsey played his first match in over a month for the Sounders this weekend, and grabbed a goal and an assist.
One surprising move Klinsmann has made with the roster is the sending home of Matt Besler. The back-line has been the biggest question leading up to the match against Mexico, and Besler was very impressive off the bench against Peru. It would be nice to see Besler start in the center of the defense, but he has now returned to Sporting KC. Klinsmann was impressed with Besler’s play and said “we definitely saw what we needed to see from him,” adding that Kansas City was eager to get their captain back.
USMNT 2-1 Peru: Altidore double leads USA to come-from-behind win.
By Kyle Lynch
On a hot and humid night in Washington D.C., the USMNT erased a first-half deficit to defeat Peru 2-1 on the heels of two goals from Jozy Altidore.
Despite looking a bit sluggish in the first half, the U.S. looked much better in the second and will surely take some positives heading into Tuesday’s match against Brazil.
The United States had the better possession to start the match, with Gyasi Zardes and DeAndre Yedlin getting involved on the wings. Despite neither of the two being a classic outside-midfielder, both looked comfortable and created some of the USMNT’s best chances.
The United States had the better possession to start the match, with Gyasi Zardes and DeAndre Yedlin getting involved on the wings. Despite neither of the two being a classic outside-midfielder, both looked comfortable and created some of the USMNT’s best chances.
However, after the opening minutes, Peru got settled into the match and began to control more of the play, eventually taking the lead in the 20th minute. After a good spell of possession, Daniel Chavez found the ball outside of the box and hit a shot on goal. The shot that took a big deflection off Omar Gonzalez and dropped over Guzan, who was caught off his line by the redirection.
Peru continued to see more possession throughout the middle of the half, but the U.S. fought back to try and find an equalizer before the break.
Jermaine Jones made a streaking run down the center of the pitch and fired a left-footed shot on goal that was headed for the top corner, but Pedro Gallese was able to parry the ball wide. Off the ensuing corner kick, John Brooks found the ball all alone of the six-yard box, but somehow skied the ball way over the bar.
Jermaine Jones made a streaking run down the center of the pitch and fired a left-footed shot on goal that was headed for the top corner, but Pedro Gallese was able to parry the ball wide. Off the ensuing corner kick, John Brooks found the ball all alone of the six-yard box, but somehow skied the ball way over the bar.
Klinsmann made three substitutions to start the second half, with Geoff Cameron, Ventura Alvarado and Mix Diskerud replacing Michael Orozco, Omar Gonzalez and Alejandro Bedoya.
The U.S. came out of the break continuing their strong play from the end of the first half, and was able to find an equalizer in the 59th minute. Jozy Altidore flicked the ball over his defender and was taken down from behind as he turned, with the referee pointing to the spot. Altidore stepped up for the penalty kick and had his initial shot saved by Pedro Gallese, but followed up on his own rebound to draw the USMNT level.
Brad Guzan made sure Peru didn’t regain the lead, making two amazing back-to-back stops off a set piece. Peru swung in a free kick as Guzan made a sprawling save off a header, and then somehow stopped Renato Tapia’s rebound attempt while still down from his initial save.
The U.S. then bombed down the field on the right wing, with DeAndre Yedlin cutting the ball back across the box. Gyasi Zardes found the cross and slotted it to the back post, where Altidore found his second of the game from close range.
Peru put on a bit more pressure in the final minutes, but the U.S. defense stood strong and held on for the win. Despite being just a friendly, this was a massive result for Jurgen Klinsmann’s men.
NCAAFB: Thorson, Jackson lead Northwestern over No. 21 Stanford 16-6.
By ANDREW SELIGMAN
Northwestern wanted to prove a point against No. 21 Stanford and drove it home with a strong running game and solid defense that produced a season-opening surprise.
Or, as defensive end Dean Lowry put it: ''We unleashed a caged bull today.''
Freshman Clayton Thorson ran for a 42-yard touchdown while playing turnover-free ball at quarterback, Justin Jackson added 134 yards rushing, and the Wildcats beat the Cardinal 16-6 on Saturday afternoon.
If Northwestern felt like a caged bull, well, back-to-back 5-7 seasons will do that. The recent losing ended a five-year run of bowl appearances that included a 10-win season in 2012.
Anthony Walker broke up two passes and had a fumble recovery, and Kyle Queiro intercepted Kevin Hogan in the end zone with about a minute left to seal the win.
Anthony Walker broke up two passes and had a fumble recovery, and Kyle Queiro intercepted Kevin Hogan in the end zone with about a minute left to seal the win.
''It was probably one of the best performances I've seen our 'D' play top to bottom against a ranked team maybe in my time,'' coach Pat Fitzgerald said.
Thorson scored the game's only TD in the second quarter. He was steady overall, completing 12 of 24 passes for 105 yards, but fortunate not to have any interceptions considering he threw a few into double and triple coverage.
''I thought our team as a whole played well,'' he said. ''Our O-line did a great job the whole game. Me personally, I think I can always do a lot better. I missed some throws and some decisions I made weren't great.''
''I thought our team as a whole played well,'' he said. ''Our O-line did a great job the whole game. Me personally, I think I can always do a lot better. I missed some throws and some decisions I made weren't great.''
Thorson got high marks from Stanford linebacker Blake Martinez.
''He was commanding the offense well,'' Martinez said. ''Keeping that pace going. They never stopped that quick offense. It was cool to see that he was able to do that his first game.''
Jackson carried 28 times. Jack Mitchell kicked three field goals, including a career-long 49-yarder that made it 16-6 with 3:38 left in the game, and the Wildcats started the season on a winning note.
Stanford, coming off an 8-5 season that snapped a string of four consecutive BCS bowls, clearly has some work to do.
Hogan had a rough afternoon, going 20 of 35 with 155 yards and an interception. He was sacked three times.
Hogan had a rough afternoon, going 20 of 35 with 155 yards and an interception. He was sacked three times.
Christian McCaffery ran for 66. But the Cardinal managed just 85 yards rushing and 240 in total offense.
''The bottom line for us is that we have to be efficient on first down,'' coach David Shaw said. ''We can't have penalties. We can't have dropped passes. We can't have missed blocks.''
The Cardinal showed some of the form that carried them to four straight seasons with at least 11 wins on the game's opening possession.
But Northwestern tightened its defense, forcing Stanford to settle for a 29-yard field goal by Conrad Ukropina to finish a 12-play drive.
The Wildcats tied it on a 31-yard field goal by Mitchell with 52 seconds left in the first quarter. Thorson, who starred at suburban Wheaton North High School about 40 miles from Ryan Field, made it 10-3 midway through the second when he took advantage of a big hole on the left and scored on a 42-yard keeper.
But Northwestern tightened its defense, forcing Stanford to settle for a 29-yard field goal by Conrad Ukropina to finish a 12-play drive.
The Wildcats tied it on a 31-yard field goal by Mitchell with 52 seconds left in the first quarter. Thorson, who starred at suburban Wheaton North High School about 40 miles from Ryan Field, made it 10-3 midway through the second when he took advantage of a big hole on the left and scored on a 42-yard keeper.
Northwestern had a chance to add to the lead after Walker recovered a fumble by McCaffery a few plays later. The Wildcats took over on the Stanford 38, but a 48-yard field-goal attempt by Mitchell sailed wide left with 2:35 remaining in the half.
They hung on in the second half and did their best to drive home a point.
''There's no reason why anybody should have talked about us,'' Fitzgerald said. ''We had no evidence from the way that we finished last year.''
Illini respond to tough week with absolute rout of Kent State.
By Vinnie Duber
It's been a tough week or so for the Illinois football program.
Tim Beckman was fired as head coach a week away from the season-opener, which was then postponed after a multi-hour delay due to severe weather Friday night in Champaign.
But once the Illini, behind interim head coach Bill Cubit, were able to finally take the field Saturday afternoon, they steamrolled Kent State by a score of 52-3.
Everything was going right for Illinois from the get-go, with the Illini scoring four touchdowns in the first quarter. Those four drives took a combined three minutes and 23 seconds as the Illini were rewarded with incredible field position over and over again. V'Angelo Bentley started things with a big punt return. Eaton Spence intercepted a pass on the next defensive possession. The Illini recovered a muffed punt the next time around. And Mason Monheim had an interception after that.
The Illini offense thanked its defense for the incredible field position with three Wes Lunt touchdown passes — to Tyler White, Marchie Murdock and Josh Ferguson — and a touchdown run from Ferguson. The game was effectively over at that point, though the Illini weren't done scoring. Another Lunt touchdown pass to Geronimo Allison and a field goal came in the second quarter. True freshman running back Ke'Shawn Vaughn ran in a score in the third quarter. And backup quarterback Chayce Crouch hooked up with Sam Mays for a touchdown in the fourth quarter.
Only a fourth-quarter field goal kept Kent State from getting shut out.
Lunt finished with just 162 passing yards to go along with his four touchdown passes. Credit the short fields the Illini defense kept providing for that. That's also the reason for the somewhat surprising 342-yard total for the Illini, who had just 134 yards on the ground. The Illinois defense played terrifically, limiting Kent State to 245 yards total, just 59 rushing.
Perhaps more than statistically, though, it was a terrific win for the Illini emotionally. The team lost its head coach to firing just a week ago, and the weather postponement meant very few fans in the stands Saturday afternoon. But the Illini were more than ready to play under Cubit, giving the interim head coach his first win of the season.
NCAABKB: UConn's Kevin Ollie showing he can win recruiting battles.
UConn coach Kevin Ollie led the Huskies to the 2014 NCAA title. (USATSI)
Many people including myself wondered how UConn coach Kevin Ollie would do on the recruiting trail following Jim Calhoun and the plethora of pros that he lured to UConn during his Hall-of-Fame career, but the former NBA point guard has answered the bell with flying colors.
After dominating the Spring transfer market by landing Sterling Gibbs (Seton Hall), Shonn Miller (Cornell), and Terry Larrier (VCU), Ollie has already received commitments from three Top-100 players in the Class of 2016 -- Alterique Gilbert, Juwan Durham, and Mamadou Diarra -- and we're not even through the first week of September yet. Ollie proved he could coach when the led the Huskies to the 2014 national title, but now he's also proving that can regularly secure elite talent on a regular basis. UConn also has two highly touted freshman on its roster this year in Jalen Adams and Steven Enoch who both have a chance to be factors in the Huskies' rotation.
Keep an eye on the 6-foot-2 Adams, a blur in the open court who gets his teammates shots thanks to his ability to breakdown the defense. With Adams, Gibbs, Rodney Purvis, and Daniel Hamilton, UConn should have one of the more explosive perimeters in the sport.
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 | HARVARD CRIMSON Adversity has again hit Harvard |
| Tommy Amaker has led the Crimson to four consecutive appearances in the NCAA Tournament which included two trips to the Round of 32, but now it appears more than likely that Harvard's streak in the Ivy League is about to end. The school announced this week that Siyani Chambers (9.9 points, 4.3 assists per game in 2014-15) -- the Crimson's starting point guard for the past three years -- will miss the upcoming season due to a torn ACL. Amaker knew that Harvard was going to take a step back this season following the losses of both Wesley Saunders and Steve Moundou-Missi, but he figured that the Crimson would have a dog in the Ivy League fight because of Chambers. Now that optimism is likely gone. This isn't the first time that Harvard has to deal with adversity under Amaker: in Fall 2012, both Brandyn Curry and Kyle Casey -- two starters -- were forced to withdraw from school due to an academic issue. The Crimson were able to reinvent themselves and wound up beating New Mexico in the NCAA Tournament, but the main reason for their success was they had Chambers to step in for Curry at the most important position on the floor. With Chambers sidelined, look for 6-1 freshman Tommy McCarthy to log the bulk of the minutes at point guard for Harvard next season. | |
 | NCAA Midnight Madness has lost its luster |
| Oct. 15 used to be a day on the calendar that college basketball junkies would circle and wait for with baited breath. Now that anticipation has dissipated. Ever since the NCAA altered practice rules a few years ago and allowed coaching staffs to work with their teams for two hours a week during the off season, the entire buzz that was centered around Midnight Madness disappeared. There also used to be only four weeks or so in between when practice started and when teams played their first game, but the NCAA extended the start of practice a few years ago to early October which now makes that gap approximately six weeks. College basketball is now a year-round sport where coaches are on the floor with their team every week with the exception of a few stretches in early June and early August. That type of constant attention makes Midnight Madness and the energy leading up to it obsolete. | |
INDIANA HOOSIERS
Max Biefeldt will play a key role for Indiana
The better teams in the Big Ten are usually filled with veteran post players and right now that's a luxury that the Hoosiers just don't have. Tom Crean has dismissed three front court players -- Hanner Mosquera-Perea, Devin Davis, and Emmitt Holt -- since the end of last season and that means that the only proven post presence on Indiana's roster is Max Biefeldt, a fifth-year transfer from Michigan. The 6-8, 240 pound bruiser averaged a modest 5.1 points and 3.6 rebounds last season for the Wolverines, but he has something that none of the Hoosiers' other post players possess: legitimate Big Ten experience.
Collin Hartman averaged 19.7 minutes last season, but is more of a pick-and-pop threat at 6-6 than a post player while 6-9 sophomore Tim Priller only logged a total of 23 minutes in 2014-15. Indiana's three freshman big men -- Thomas Bryant, OG Anunoby, and Juwan Morgan -- are all expected to be be part of the Hoosiers' rotation next season, but all three have yet to play a single minute in a college game.
That means Biefeldt, who was brought to Bloomington as an insurance policy will have to play a key role early as Indiana's front court attempts to catch up to its highly touted back court. Look for Crean to lean on Biefeldt heavily in November and December while also using Troy Williams for extended stretches at the four as he attempts to get his young front court ready for Big Ten play in January.
This and That
• You've got to love how Tom Izzo schedules. Michigan State lost three games during its foreign tour in Italy, but played a handful of national teams that were stocked with longtime European pros. The Spartans are usually battled tested by loading up their slate in November and December, but this year they'll be more ready for the start of the season because of what they did in August. Michigan State will play Kansas, Louisville, and potentially Arizona (Wooden Legacy) prior to the start of Big Ten play.
• Vanderbilt has a hidden gem in Cornell transfer Nolan Cressler. The 6-4 guard made 68 three-point shots two seasons ago and averaged 16.8 points as a freshman for the Big Red. Cressler joins Riley LaChance, Matthew Fisher-Davis, and Luke Kornet as capable shooters that Kevin Stallings has at his disposal.
• Another reason to like Miami this year? Jim Larranaga has a combined 7-5 record against Duke and North Carolina during his four years as head coach of the Hurricanes. Miami is a legitimate contender at the top of the ACC.
• Oregon's Jordan Bell could quietly emerge into one of the better defensive big men in the country. The 6-9 big man set Oregon's season record for blocks last season as a freshman, swatting away an impressive 94 shots including a combined eight blocks in two NCAA Tournament games. Bell averaged 6.1 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 2.7 blocks per game last year for the Ducks and will likely be their starter in the pivot this season.
• Seton Hall made 213 3-point shots last season and 159 of those shots were made by players who are no longer on the Pirates' roster. Who is going to space the floor for Kevin Willard's team and create room for Isaiah Whitehead, Khadeen Carrington, and Angel Delgado to operate?
Serena finds her rhythm in fourth round win, faces Venus next.
By Danielle Elliott
(Photo/BSO.com)
Madison Keys knew it as soon as she hit it. As the ball hung over the net, seemingly suspended there, Keys started to smile.
The smile only grew wider as Serena Williams all but strolled to ball, cocked her arm backwards, and slammed a forehand that Keys never had a chance of reaching.
It was a frustrated but knowing smile. You can’t make it that easy for Serena. Serena closed out the game on the next point to take a 4-3 advantage.
Keys went into the changeover shaking her head. It looked as thought she'd already accepted her fate. There was just no beating Serena on Sunday.
After a shaky first week, the six-time U.S. Open champion had found her rhythm. Her serves left Keys lunging and twirling. Keys served well, too – she actually served more aces in the match – but the effort wasn’t enough to end Serena’s amazing summer. It came to a sputtering end as Keys double faulted at match point.
Serena moved on with a fairly routine 6-3, 6-3 win.
It was a disappointing end to what’s been Keys’ best year on tour. She advanced to the semifinal in Australia, the quarterfinal at Wimbledon, the third round in Paris and the fourth round here, her best performances at any of those events. She now has a premier match on Ashe under her belt – the next one won’t be nearly as daunting. These small victories will add up.
"Today she really pushed me. I didn't really have the chances that I normally have to kind of dictate the point," Keys said after the match. "I think overall I did everything good. You know, I don't think I did anything really great, which I think to beat Serena when she's playing well you have to do a lot of things great."
The win sets up a quarterfinal meeting with an opponent Serena knows all too well: older sister Venus. Venus advanced with a quick 6-2, 6-1 win over qualifier Anett Kontaveit earlier on Sunday.
"Even though you're playing your sister you have to be prepared and focus," Venus said in her press conference, as Serena played about 500 feet away. As for potentially spoiling Serena's chance at winning the calendar Grand Slam, Venus acknowledged that it's just the luck of the draw.
"I don't think anyone wants to be the spoiler," she said. "I think people love to see history being made. No one is out to be the spoiler, but at the same time, you're focused on winning your match even though the circumstances are really much different than you."
This will be Venus's first quarterfinal appearance here since 2010. The sisters last met at the U.S. Open in 2008, when Serena prevailed in a two-set battle that went to tiebreaks in both sets. They met again this summer at Wimbledon, where Serena defeated Venus 6-4, 6-3 in the fourth round.
"I think it's more fun than it used to be," Serena said. "And it's still super intense. She's doing well and she wants to win this. So do I. It's not easy."
"I've taken a lot of losses off of her - more than anybody," she added. "She's a player that knows how to win, knows how to beat me, and knows my weaknesses better than anyone. So it's not an easy match at all. Hopefully things will go right."
When they meet on Tuesday, Venus will not be thinking about the overall history on the line. "Getting to a Grand Slam semifinal is the next step toward the final," she said. "Pretty clear that's what's up for grabs here."
There is no doubt they will both be going at full speed. "I would rather lose to Venus as opposed to anyone else," Serena said. "[But] I, in general, don't like to lose."
Memoriesofhistory.com
1896 - A.H. Whiting won the first automobile race held on a racetrack. The race was held in Cranston, RI.
1963 - The National Professional Football Hall of Fame was dedicated in Canton, OH.
1979 - ESPN, the Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, made its debut on cable TV.
1986 - Dan Marino of the Miami Dolphins threw his 100th career touchdown pass, in only his 44th NFL game, which set a NFL record.
1998 - Mark McGwire set a new major league baseball record for most homeruns hit in a single season. The previous record was 61 set in 1961.
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