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Sports Quote of the Day:
"Just remember, you can do anything you set your mind to, but it takes action, perseverance, and facing your fears." ~ Gillian Anderson, Film, Television and Theatre Actress
Trending: Schwarber finds his groove again as Cubs pull out much-needed win. (See baseball section for details).
"Just remember, you can do anything you set your mind to, but it takes action, perseverance, and facing your fears." ~ Gillian Anderson, Film, Television and Theatre Actress
Trending: Schwarber finds his groove again as Cubs pull out much-needed win. (See baseball section for details).
Trending: 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!!! (See the football section for details).
B ear Down Chicago Bears!!!!! Bears cranky in final 'camp' practice.
By John Mullin
The Bears’ last true preseason practice wrapped up on Tuesday but not without a handful of punch-filled skirmishes, the best indicator of some mounting tension over either jobs, the Cleveland Browns or maybe even the Green Bay Packers looming in Week 1.
One swinging match broke out among Ego Ferguson, Charles Leno, Lucas Nix and Willie Young. In another, Martellus Bennett and David Bass went at each other in an extension of a dust-up among other players.
"I got about 15 extra seconds of rest time, so from a personal standpoint, it was a nice little break,” Kyle Long deadpanned, then stated the harsh reality. “Guys are out there competing, like [coach John Fox] said. Cuts are going to be made by 3 p.m. today, down to 75, I believe. There are guys out here fighting for their lives, their wives, their children. These peoples' lives are on the line right now, so it happens."
Coaches do not want teammates knocking each other around as they were on Tuesday but “you’ve got guys competing to try to get spots,” Fox said. “It is hot. It is coming down to that point where you pick 53, so it’s kind of par for the course.”
Also par for the course was uncertainty over players health, which is one thing early in training camp but becomes increasingly more concerning as the final sands of the offseason run out.
Wide receiver Alshon Jeffery has not practiced since Aug. 11, injuring a calf muscle just before the Miami game, and is not only not practicing yet, but not even attending practice, which injured receivers Eddie Royal (hip) and Marquess Wilson are.
“I can’t predict what’s going to happen going forward other than day-to-day,” Fox said. “So we’ll assess it and the plan is hopefully we get everybody ready for Green Bay. It’s not like [Jeffery is] sitting there eating Bonbons. So he’s conditioning.”
Bears add ex-Broncos QB Zac Dysert to mix behind Jay Cutler.
By John Mullin
With presumptive No. 2 quarterback Jimmy Clausen sidelined for the second time with a concussion, out of Thursday’s game against the Cleveland Browns and unknown beyond that, the Bears claimed former Denver Broncos quarterback Zac Dysert off waivers. The Bears also claimed tight end Gannon Sinclair, waived by the Arizona Cardinals.
The roster was then trimmed to the required 75 after quarterback Shane Carden and guard Lucas Nix were waived. Running back Senorise Perry was placed on injured reserve.
Dysert was a seventh-round pick by Denver in the 2013 draft and was on the Broncos’ active roster in 2013 and practice squad last season. He comes in already familiar with the offense of coordinator Adam Gase and gives the Bears both competition for Clausen and an improved option for a third quarterback either on the active roster or for future availability. Sinclair entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent this season with the Cardinals out of Missouri State.
Perry led the team with 17 special teams tackles last season and becomes the second straight special-teams tackle leader (Blake Costanzo, 2013) not to be back with the Bears the following season.
NFC ceiling/floor scenarios: NFC North.
By Elliott Harrison
CHICAGO BEARS
Ceiling: 10-6. For Chicago to win 10 games, Jay Cutler has to really rally the troops, because the rest of the division is too strong and the Bears' defense is too weak. If Alshon Jeffery has a big season as the WR1, Eddie Royal catches 70 balls and the new 3-4 defense doesn't break (even if it significantly bends), why not? (Don't answer that.)
Floor: 5-11. No team in the NFC North is going 4-12, not even Chicago. Even if the defense is awful, the offense should compensate. But if Cutler continues to throw picks at a high rate, Kevin White is out and Matt Forte regresses, Bears fans are going to chuck up their bratwursts as the new-look defense gets flattened.
DETROIT LIONS
Ceiling: 11-5. Matthew Stafford plays lights-out, the defense doesn't miss Ndamukong Suh and Ameer Abdullah rushes for over 1,000 yards at 4.5 a pop -- yeah, all of that will net the Lions about 11 wins. Golden Tate could be due for a bit of a statistical regression, through no fault of his own, after a monster 99-catch, 1,331-yard debut season in Detroit. That's OK. Complement a healthy Calvin Johnson by logging 80 grabs and eight scores; that's what Detroit needs. And please play in those basic Thanksgiving throwbacks, Lions.
Floor: 7-9. Detroit is one team I don't see getting too far up or too far down this season. Management has put together too strong a core for Jim Caldwell's group to completely flounder. However, in a falling-to-the-floor scenario, Haloti Ngata (31 years old) would prove to be over the hill, while DeAndre Levy and Ziggy Ansah would miss playing with the destructive force of nature that is Suh.
GREEN BAY PACKERS
Ceiling: 13-3. The Packers nabbed the top spot in my Preseason Power Rankings a few weeks back, but I don't see them going better than 13-3. In order for Green Bay to win 13 games, Aaron Rodgers has to put up around 4,600 yards and 41 TDs, with about 12 to 15 of them going to Davante Adams. (Remember: No Jordy Nelson in 2015, sadly.) Also, Eddie Lacy needs to provide true balance for the full schedule, while the kids in the secondary have to contribute immediately.
Floor: 9-7. Can't see this team going .500 or worse, barring an injury to Rodgers (which, as we laid out in the intro, is not in play in this exercise). However, if Julius Peppers (35) hits the career wall, Clay Matthews can't compensate and the front three struggles mightily, the Packers could be in trouble. Especially if Rodgers is less than 112.2 passer rating amazing.
MINNESOTA VIKINGS
Ceiling: 11-5. Admittedly, so much has to go right for the Vikings to go 11-5, like: Adrian Peterson flirting with 2,000 yards, Teddy Bridgewater posting a 98.7 passer rating with only 10 picks and Matt Blair finally making the Hall of Fame. Oh, and Cordarrelle Patterson not driving Vikings fans nuts. Well, he still could, but Mike Wallace and Charles Johnson can't disappoint.
Floor: 5-11. Feel like this team has a much larger swing radius than the Lions. What if the wideouts stink? What if Kyle Rudolph disappears (like he has at times) at tight end? What if Peterson isn't the same player at 30? What if the Vikes' solution at middle linebacker isn't a solution? What if Bridgewater doesn't make the jump most expect in Year 2?
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.
| 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? Hawks' biggest question: What happens with Patrick Kane?
By Mike Halford
Patrick Kane (Photo/Getty Images)
There’s a tremendous amount of uncertainty regarding the future of Patrick Kane.
As it stands today, Kane remains under police investigation for an alleged incident in early August, in which he’s accused of raping a woman at his Buffalo-area home. He hasn’t been charged but, per the Buffalo News, has met with both the Hamburg Police Department and Erie County District Attorney.
Kane also hasn’t spoken publicly or issued a statement since the alleged incident.
That silence, though, hasn’t stopped various entities from cutting ties with the Chicago star. EA Sports dropped him from the cover of the NHL ’16 video game and Kane’s former OHL team, the London Knights, removed his eponymous moniker from its annual training camp routine.
Needless to say, the optics surrounding Kane aren’t good right now.
Which is why the ‘Hawks are facing a difficult set of circumstances less than three weeks out of their own training camp. Publicly, the club has said little about the investigation — “We’re disappointed but hopeful,” club owner Rocky Wirtz said in mid-August, per the Tribune — while the NHL said it was monitoring the situation.
“You can assume we are doing everything we need to be doing from the league’s perspective,” deputy commissioner Bill Daly told the Sun-Times in an email earlier this month.
The situation is filled with unknowns.
It’s unknown if Kane will ever be charged by the Erie County DA and, if he is, when it will happen. It’s unknown if the league will intervene — like it did with the LA Kings during Slava Voynov‘s domestic assault incident, suspending the Russian defenseman indefinitely — and it’s unknown if, should Kane be charged, he’d be allowed to continue playing, like Avalanche goalie Semyon Varlamov was after being charged with assault in 2013.
It’s also unknown if Chicago could — or, would — discipline Kane internally, or what role the NHLPA would play in all of this.
Right now, it’s all speculation until the Blackhawks descend on the University of Notre Dame on Sept. 18 for training camp. By then, the picture should be clearer.
Unless, of course, it isn’t.
Under Pressure: Stan Bowman
By Mike Halford
Stan Bowman (Photo/AP)
Stan Bowman knew there’d be much change to his hockey club this summer and, as a result, much work to be done.
Wonder if he thought there’d be this much, though.
To recap…
Out: Brandon Saad, Patrick Sharp, Johnny Oduya, Brad Richards, Antoine Vermette, Antti Raanta, Kimmo Timonen.
In: Artem Anisimov, Marko Dano, Trevor Daley, Ryan Garbutt, Corey Tropp, Jeremy Morin, Artemi Panarin, Viktor Tikhonov.
And Bowman isn’t even done yet.
According to war-on-ice.com, the ‘Hawks are nearly $400K over the $71.4 million salary cap, with the likes of ace penalty killer Marcus Kruger and fellow depth checker Joakim Nordstrom still requiring new deals. Kruger’s said he’s willing to sit and wait for an extension and Bowman suggested he’d like to get it signed before training camp, which means the ‘Hawks will have to shed some bucks within the next three weeks or so.
So, how will they do it?
Bryan Bickell, he of the $4 million average annual cap hit — and multiple healthy scratches during the playoffs — has been bandied about as potential trade bait. The club could also try and do something with Kris Versteeg ($2.2M cap hit).
Or maybe Bowman makes a move he doesn’t want to make.
That was the situation earlier this summer with Saad, when the ‘Hawks were forced to move their promising young power forward to Columbus because the dollars didn’t make sense. Remember, Bowman was at one point very adamant he’d get a deal done with Saad — vowing to keep him in Chicago “for years to come” — only to later realize it wasn’t going to work within the budget.
Bowman’s financial pressure isn’t solely about getting under the cap to start the year, either. The ‘Hawks are built to contend, which means there should be some room for potential acquisitions during the season, most notably at the deadline.
Then, there’s the biggest wildcard of all — the Patrick Kane situation.
Unlike the other dilemmas he’s faced, Bowman has virtually zero control over how this one plays out; there’s no timeline for the ongoing police investigation and no clear picture on what would happen should Kane be charged.
All of which makes for a stressful lead-up to the season. Bowman’s got his hands full.
Just Another Chicago Bulls Session... The Bulls Have Been Great in the Clutch, Can That Continue Under Fred Hoiberg?
Pau Gasol (Photo/Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
The Bulls have been great in close games for the past five years. What is behind their success, and can they maintain it under new coach Fred Hoiberg?
It takes a lot of little things to win close games in the NBA. Part of the formula is smart coaching decisions, another part is players who can perform in the clutch, and it doesn't hurt to have random chance on your side as well. For the past 5 years, the Chicago Bulls have been lucky to possess all of the above. The team has been great in close games, and here's why:
The Right Coaching
Tom Thibodeau's regular season record in games decided by 3 points or less was an impressive 38-21, including 7-2 last year.
Tom Thibodeau's regular season record in games decided by 3 points or less was an impressive 38-21, including 7-2 last year.
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His success in close games changed in the playoffs though. In those contests, he was a far more disappointing 3-7.
*2011 and 2012 playoff records were both 0-1
Despite the lack of success in the playoffs, the Bulls' consistency in winning close games over the years is very impressive.
Thibodeau did a lot of smart things at the end of games. He would save timeouts judiciously, substitute offense for defense, and get the Bulls good scoring opportunities at the end of games.
NBA Writer Kelly Scaletta tracked various teams' offenses in situations where a shot would tie or take the lead in the last 24 seconds of a game. According to his statistics, the Bulls were faced with this situation 18 times and produced 17 points with an effective field goal percentage of 47.22%. Only the Grizzlies, Rockets, Hawks, and Spurs shot better.
On the defensive end, opponents had 26 opportunities to tie or take the lead against the Bulls and produced only 11 points in those situations. The Bulls held opponents to a paltry 21.2% effective field goal percentage on those shots.
The Bulls used this combination of one of the best defenses in close-game situations along with a surprisingly great late game offense to pull out a bunch of close victories last year.
Thibodeau's success in late game situations was often taken for granted. His predecessor, Vinny Del Negro, was a far worse 11-13 in regular season games decided by 3 points or less. That record improved to 3-3 in the playoffs, mostly due to the incredible first round playoff series that the 2009 Bulls played against the Celtics which included 7 overtimes.
Del Negro had the terrible habit of wasting all of his timeouts early on in games, making it difficult to substitute in players, draw plays, or advance the ball.
One of the most noteworthy examples game after Game 2 in the 2009 playoffs against the Celtics. KC Johnson wrote in the Chicago Tribune article the following day:
After Ray Allen's three-pointer with 2 seconds left Monday night, Tyrus Thomas attempted a desperation 60-footer because Del Negro had burned the Bulls' final timeout with 20.1 seconds left and the Bulls trailing 115-113.
"People are going to second-guess and first-guess," Del Negro said. "So what? I don't care. I'm the coach. I will make the decisions. That's the way it is.
Despite scoring 42 points, Ben Gordon sat on the bench for defensive purposes. If the Bulls had had a timeout, Gordon could have re-entered and the Bulls would have inbounded the ball at half-court.
"Yeah, it was tough to watch," Gordon said. "We definitely wish we would have reserved one of those timeouts."
Allocating timeouts is a skill - Cavs coach David Blatt almost cost the Cavs game 4 of the playoffs last year by forgetting how many he had left. It was rumored throughout the year that assistant coach Tyronn Lue was in charge of timeouts because Blatt was having a hard time understanding TV timeout rules. Del Negro's poor timeout usage continued to haunt him in his next stint with the Clippers.
Thibodeau was an often-overlooked master at using his timeouts, and it helped him win the close ones more often than not.
The Right Players
In addition to good coaching, the Bulls have had the luxury of some really great clutch performers on their team.
Here's how the individuals did in regular season clutch situations (less than 2 min left, game within 3 points)
"People are going to second-guess and first-guess," Del Negro said. "So what? I don't care. I'm the coach. I will make the decisions. That's the way it is.
Despite scoring 42 points, Ben Gordon sat on the bench for defensive purposes. If the Bulls had had a timeout, Gordon could have re-entered and the Bulls would have inbounded the ball at half-court.
"Yeah, it was tough to watch," Gordon said. "We definitely wish we would have reserved one of those timeouts."
Allocating timeouts is a skill - Cavs coach David Blatt almost cost the Cavs game 4 of the playoffs last year by forgetting how many he had left. It was rumored throughout the year that assistant coach Tyronn Lue was in charge of timeouts because Blatt was having a hard time understanding TV timeout rules. Del Negro's poor timeout usage continued to haunt him in his next stint with the Clippers.
Thibodeau was an often-overlooked master at using his timeouts, and it helped him win the close ones more often than not.
The Right Players
In addition to good coaching, the Bulls have had the luxury of some really great clutch performers on their team.
Here's how the individuals did in regular season clutch situations (less than 2 min left, game within 3 points)
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The first thing that stands out is Pau Gasol was really good for late game offense. He shot a very high percentage from the field, (59%) hit his free throws at a good clip (18/23), and got some huge offensive rebounds. He was the Bulls' most reliable option on offense down the stretch, leading the team in points. He also had two notable game winning dunks last year.
Derrick Rose got the brunt of the opportunities down the stretch. He didn't shoot a very good percentage (30% FG), but he did set his teammates up frequently and hit a couple of exciting game winners throughout the year.
Jimmy Butler was the team's number 3 option in terms of opportunity. He shot a poor percentage (22%), but he made up for it by getting to the line a lot and hitting nearly all of his free throws in the clutch (14/15).
Other notes - Hinrich was surprisingly good and Brooks was a total dumpster fire, turning the ball over a ton and shooting a horrible percentage. The key to the team's success though might be how outstanding it was at playing the free throw game. The Bulls shot an incredible 86% (55/64) on clutch regular season free throws.
How Will Hoiberg Fare?
Hoiberg's record in 5 years at Iowa State was similar to Thibodeau's. He was a very impressive 16-9 in regular season games decided by 3 points or less but suffered some crushing close losses in the NCAA tournament.
In 2015, his #3 seeded Cyclones were eliminated in a first round upset. They lost by a single point to #14 seed Alabama-Birmingham. Hoiberg lost another close one in the 2013 tournament, losing by 3 points to #2 seed Ohio State in the third round. Overall in the NCAA tournament, he was 0-2 in close games.
Hoiberg inherits a team of seasoned veterans that are used to high-pressure situations. He has all the tools to continue the team's success of being very good in close games. The NBA has strange TV timeout rules, intentional fouling rules, and other late-game adjustments that coaches need to get a handle on quickly.
As a former NBA player, Hoiberg should have a leg up on other new coaches in adjusting to late game NBA strategy, but only time will tell if he can continue the tradition of leading a team that can find a way to win the close ones.
Schwarber finds his groove again as Cubs pull out much-needed win.
By Tony Andracki
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
Forget pitching. The Cubs offense can take it from here (for one game, at least).
The Cubs (75-56) climbed back from deficit after deficit Tuesday, finally breaking through for a 5-4 win over the Reds (54-77) in front of 33,756 fans at Wrigley Field.
Kyle Schwarber delivered the big blow - a two-out, go-ahead homer into the left-center field bleachers in the bottom of the seventh.
Schwarber had been mired in a 1-for-14 slump before Tuesday and carried just a .122 average and .493 OPS over his last 11 games.
But it looks like he may have found his rhythm again as he singled, walked and scored three runs on top of his 13th big-league homer.
After allowing 13 runs (six unearned) Monday night, Cubs pitchers again struggled to keep Reds hitters off balance, allowing solo runs in the first, fifth, sixth and seventh innings.
Joe Maddon spoke pregame about how he wants to see starting pitchers go deeper in games, but Dan Haren only managed to make it through five innings before giving way to the bullpen.
Lefty Clayton Richard came in and faced only two left-handed batters, allowing doubles to both before Justin Grimm pitched out of a jam.
Then Fernando Rodney served up a leadoff homer in top of the seventh, an emotional letdown after the Cubs had just rallied to tie the game the inning before.
But none of it mattered as the Cubs' slumping offense came through to pick up the pitching staff. All five of the runs came with two outs.
Kris Bryant was 3-for-4, driving in the Cubs' first two runs of the game. Miguel Montero singled home another in the sixth inning and then Schwarber's blast put the Cubs ahead for good.
Pedro Strop pitched a perfect eighth inning and Hector Rondon closed out the ninth as the Cubs won for just the second time in their last seven games.
White Sox fall apart late in loss to Twins.
By Dan Hayes
This isn’t where the White Sox envisioned themselves come Sept. 1.
Instead of competing for a postseason spot, the White Sox continue to harm themselves with poor play.
Instead of beating up on the Minnesota Twins, the Twins have beat up on them.
The White Sox dropped another critical game on Tuesday night and instead kept Minnesota firmly in the mix for the second wild-card spot as several late errors doomed them in an 8-6 loss to the Twins at Target Field.
Zach Duke and Tyler Saladino each had errors in the eighth inning as Minnesota scored four times against the White Sox bullpen.
The Twins — who began the day one out of the second wild-card spot while the Sox were 6 1/2 games back — have won 10 of 14 meetings between the clubs in 2015.
The White Sox had managed to work around a rough start by Chris Sale and found themselves ahead headed to the bottom of the seventh, 5-4. Sale retired Joe Mauer to start the inning but exited with 113 pitches.
Minnesota rookie Miguel Sano quickly tied the score with a 401-foot solo homer to left off Nate Jones.
An inning later, Eduardo Escobar doubled off Duke, who made an ill-advised throw to first on Kurt Suzuki’s bunt that got away, allowing Escobar to score the go-ahead run. Saladino then couldn’t handle Byron Buxton’s hot shot, which set up two more runs.
Sale looked as if he was on his way to another rough start against the Twins, who had produced 17 of the 61 earned runs he has allowed this season in four starts before Tuesday. Whereas Sale has a 2.68 ERA against everyone else this season, he was 1-3 with a 6.46 ERA in four starts against Minnesota.
The bottom of the second inning looked like another bad round for Sale as the Twins had four singles in five hitters to take a 2-0 lead and Brian Dozier doubled in two runs to make it a four-run game.
But Sale kept the situation from getting any worse, which allowed the White Sox to rally.
He struck out two in the third inning, worked around a leadoff double and two-out walk in the fourth and struck out the side in the fifth. Then in the sixth, he retired Dozier on a grounder to second with two aboard and the White Sox leading 5-4.
Sale struck out 10 — his 13th start this season with at least 10 — and allowed four earned runs and nine hits in 6 1/3 innings. He walked one.
The White Sox rallied back from the 4-0 deficit starting in the fifth. Adam LaRoche singled and Twins starter Tyler Duffey walked the next three batters, including Tyler Flowers with the bases loaded. Adam Eaton singled in two more to cut the lead to 4-3.
An inning later, Avisail Garcia’s two-run homer off Casey Fien gave the White Sox a one-run lead.
The White Sox got the tying runs on in the ninth against Glen Perkins, but Jose Abreu flew out. Saladino had singled in a run with two outs.
Golf: I got a club for that..... Golf-World Rankings.
Reuters; (Infostrada Sports)
2. (1) Jordan Spieth (U.S.) 12.22
3. (3) Jason Day (Australia) 10.99
4. (4) Bubba Watson (U.S.) 8.84
5. (5) Justin Rose (Britain) 7.22
6. (6) Jim Furyk (U.S.) 7.06
7. (7) Dustin Johnson (U.S.) 6.85
8. (9) Henrik Stenson (Sweden) 6.73
9. (8) Rickie Fowler (U.S.) 6.57
10. (10) Sergio Garcia (Spain) 5.48
11. (11) Zach Johnson (U.S.) 5.12
12. (13) Louis Oosthuizen (South Africa) 4.70
13. (12) Adam Scott (Australia) 4.67
14. (14) Jimmy Walker (U.S.) 4.45
15. (15) Matt Kuchar (U.S.) 4.33
16. (16) Brooks Koepka (U.S.) 4.26
17. (17) Hideki Matsuyama (Japan) 4.26
18. (18) Patrick Reed (U.S.) 3.95
19. (19) J.B. Holmes (U.S.) 3.88
20. (21) Branden Grace (South Africa) 3.86
22. (22) Shane Lowry (Ireland) 3.77
23. (23) Phil Mickelson (U.S.) 3.71
24. (24) Billy Horschel (U.S.) 3.62
25. (25) Chris Kirk (U.S.) 3.57
26. (26) Danny Willett (Britain) 3.54
27. (27) Paul Casey (Britain) 3.49
28. (29) Bill Haas (U.S.) 3.23
29. (28) Brandt Snedeker (U.S.) 3.22
30. (30) Bernd Wiesberger (Austria) 3.20
Rory McIlroy Ready to Return.
By Len Hochberg
Not so long ago, before there was a Jordan Spieth, before there was a Jason Day, there was a fellow named Rory McIlroy.
Good golfer. Won a bunch of tournaments. Even some majors. Former No. 1 in the world.
Also, currently No. 1 in the world.
But after the spring surge of Spieth and the late-summer run of Day, McIlroy, incredibly, has become something of an afterthought. Or at least a third wheel.
It wasn't too long ago that there were some amazing things being said about McIlroy, now 26.
"I think he has probably the most talent I've ever seen from a golfer," said Luke Donald, who, at the time of the comment, right after McIlroy won the 2011 U.S. Open for his first major title, was still No. 1 in the world.
"He's the best player I've ever seen," said Graeme McDowell, a fellow Northern Irishman and 2010 U.S. Open champ.
"The way he plays golf, it's a different golf. It's close to perfect," said Germany's Martin Kaymer, another former No. 1 and a two-time major champion.
McIlroy, No. 2-ranked Spieth and No. 3 Day will all be at TPC Boston for the Deutsche Bank Championship beginning Friday, the second leg of the PGA TOUR's four-event FedExCup Playoffs.
Now, to be sure, no one is writing off McIlroy, who conveniently arrived on the radar of U.S. golf fans not long after Tiger Woods' 2009 Thanksgiving Day career-changer. Almost immediately, he was deemed destined to take the worldwide golf mantle from Woods and challenge not only Tiger's 14 majors, but Jack Nicklaus' 18.
Kris Tamulis wins Yokohama Tire LPGA Classic for breakthrough after 186 starts.
By Len Hochberg
Not so long ago, before there was a Jordan Spieth, before there was a Jason Day, there was a fellow named Rory McIlroy.
Good golfer. Won a bunch of tournaments. Even some majors. Former No. 1 in the world.
Also, currently No. 1 in the world.
But after the spring surge of Spieth and the late-summer run of Day, McIlroy, incredibly, has become something of an afterthought. Or at least a third wheel.
It wasn't too long ago that there were some amazing things being said about McIlroy, now 26.
"I think he has probably the most talent I've ever seen from a golfer," said Luke Donald, who, at the time of the comment, right after McIlroy won the 2011 U.S. Open for his first major title, was still No. 1 in the world.
"He's the best player I've ever seen," said Graeme McDowell, a fellow Northern Irishman and 2010 U.S. Open champ.
"The way he plays golf, it's a different golf. It's close to perfect," said Germany's Martin Kaymer, another former No. 1 and a two-time major champion.
McIlroy, No. 2-ranked Spieth and No. 3 Day will all be at TPC Boston for the Deutsche Bank Championship beginning Friday, the second leg of the PGA TOUR's four-event FedExCup Playoffs.
Now, to be sure, no one is writing off McIlroy, who conveniently arrived on the radar of U.S. golf fans not long after Tiger Woods' 2009 Thanksgiving Day career-changer. Almost immediately, he was deemed destined to take the worldwide golf mantle from Woods and challenge not only Tiger's 14 majors, but Jack Nicklaus' 18.
And he still may. Right now, he has four. But after Spieth won the Masters and the U.S. Open earlier this year, and now that Day has won the PGA Championship and the first playoff event, The Barclays, it's getting crowded at the top. So much so that any of the three could be ranked No. 1 after the Deutsche Bank concludes with a Labor Day finish on Monday (Day would need a win and the other two to finish third or worse).
It's not as if McIlroy is playing shabbily this year. He's won twice, at the WGC-Match Play Championship and the Wells Fargo Championship two weeks apart in May. In the big tournaments, he was fourth at the Masters, tied for eighth at The PLAYERS Championship, tied for ninth at the U.S. Open and finished 17th at the PGA Championship. That last tournament, despite the worst result, was as impressive as any of the others. It was McIlroy's first start in six weeks after tearing ligaments in his left ankle playing his beloved soccer, an injury that prevented him from defending his Open Championship title. (The Open was won by Zach Johnson, the only "outlier" in the majors this year.)
It's a heated competition between these three on the golf course -- only four golfers have won at least four times in a year this decade: McIlroy, Spieth, Day and Woods -- and it's only getting hotter. But it's also cordial, as McIlroy showed after Spieth wrested his top ranking at the PGA.
McIlroy skipped The Barclays last week, in part to let his ankle continue to heal, in part because he knows he can still win the FedExCup Playoffs by competing in only three events. McIlroy begins the week at 15th in the points race, with Day first and Spieth second. Last year in the playoffs, McIlroy tied for fifth at the Deutsche Bank, tied for eighth at the BMW Championship and tied for second at the TOUR Championship. In 2012, when he was the FedExCup runner-up, McIlroy won the Deutsche Bank and BMW.
So it wouldn't be a surprise to see him do well, even win. Interestingly, though, the fine folks over at DraftKings peg McIlroy as the No. 3 betting choice. They value Day at $11,800, Spieth at $11,300 and McIlroy at $11,200. (Dustin Johnson is fourth at $10,800.)
McIlroy skipped The Barclays last week, in part to let his ankle continue to heal, in part because he knows he can still win the FedExCup Playoffs by competing in only three events. McIlroy begins the week at 15th in the points race, with Day first and Spieth second. Last year in the playoffs, McIlroy tied for fifth at the Deutsche Bank, tied for eighth at the BMW Championship and tied for second at the TOUR Championship. In 2012, when he was the FedExCup runner-up, McIlroy won the Deutsche Bank and BMW.
So it wouldn't be a surprise to see him do well, even win. Interestingly, though, the fine folks over at DraftKings peg McIlroy as the No. 3 betting choice. They value Day at $11,800, Spieth at $11,300 and McIlroy at $11,200. (Dustin Johnson is fourth at $10,800.)
It pretty much mirrors the debate over who's No. 1 in the world -- but we'll know more after Boston.
That's where Spieth will be looking to bounce back from a missed cut at The Barclays and resume his place atop the rankings and points race. That's where Day will be looking to continue his surge, become No. 1 and challenge Spieth for Player of the Year honors.
And that's where Rory McIlroy will be looking to become Rory McIlroy again.
Kris Tamulis wins Yokohama Tire LPGA Classic for breakthrough after 186 starts.
Kris Tamulis had been waiting a long time for this – 185 starts to be exact. But on Sunday, she finally earned a breakthrough win on the LPGA Tour, taking the Yokohama Tire LPGA Classic in Alabama.
She had to play 29 holes on Sunday to do it, finishing out a weather-delayed third round at The Senator Course in Prattville with a 5-under 67, then did two better in the final round with a 65 that held off former No. 1 Yani Tseng and Austin Ernst by a shot at 17-under 271.
The 34-year-old may well have been helped by the marathon nature of the finish, leaving little time to think about what could happen.
The 34-year-old may well have been helped by the marathon nature of the finish, leaving little time to think about what could happen.
"It was amazing," Tamulis said after the win. "I was definitely not expecting this today."
Tamulis made a birdie on the 71st hole of the tournament and came up just short of another on the 18th, left to wonder if someone would catch her from well behind. After waiting almost an hour, the 34-year-old had her win when neither Ernst nor Tseng, playing together, could convert their birdie putts.
"When they both missed I was just shocked," said Tamulis, who didn't even bother hopping to the range to prepare for a potential playoff. She didn't follow what was happening on the course on her phone, either. A friend did that, according to the Associated Press.
"When they both missed I was just shocked," said Tamulis, who didn't even bother hopping to the range to prepare for a potential playoff. She didn't follow what was happening on the course on her phone, either. A friend did that, according to the Associated Press.
After the win, Tamulis said she was inspired by her caddie, Thomas “Motion” Frank, who lost his Houston home, which he purchased from his mother, in April in a fire caused by a lightning strike.
“Mo believes in me more than I believe in me,” said Tamulis, according to Golf Channel. “He’s just such an inspiration.”
“Mo believes in me more than I believe in me,” said Tamulis, according to Golf Channel. “He’s just such an inspiration.”
Tamulis and her fellow LPGA players raised $14,000 to help Frank rebuild the home.
“Having what happened to him really puts everything in perspective,” Tamulis said. "He's been dealing with the city and trying to figure out his house situation since then. That was in April. He shows up. He's great, and I am so thankful. He really puts everything in perspective for me, and I'm just really lucky to have him.”
“Having what happened to him really puts everything in perspective,” Tamulis said. "He's been dealing with the city and trying to figure out his house situation since then. That was in April. He shows up. He's great, and I am so thankful. He really puts everything in perspective for me, and I'm just really lucky to have him.”
NASCAR; Power Rankings: 10 to go in the Xfinity Series
By Nick Bromberg
1. Chris Buescher: This man was atop the Power Rankings when we last ranked the Xfinity Series in June and he's still here. He hasn't had the best summer stretch – he finished outside the top 10 in five straight races, but he's still got a 16-point lead over Chase Elliott. And he still has the two wins in his pocket. Which is more than he can say than ...
2. Chase Elliott: This driver, who surprisingly still hasn't gotten a win in 2015. And while he's winless, throwing around the "sophomore slump" phrase isn't really fair. Is Elliott as fast as he was in 2014? No. But it's safe to say that about the entirety of JR Motorsports. And he's still racking up the top 10s. In 2015 he had 26 top-10 finishes in 33 races. This year he has 19 through 23. The culprit of his points deficit is really crappy restrictor plate luck. He's finished 28th and 37th in two of the three plate races this year.
3. Ty Dillon: This guy is winless too and just three points behind Elliott despite two fewer top-five and top-10 finishes. How so? He's avoided the bad finish. This really sounds familiar to what we wrote in June. Dillon's worst result this season is a 26th at Daytona in July. He's been no lower than 15th anywhere else. If Buescher and Elliott have a poor outing, he could pounce.
4. Regan Smith: Despite a 20th at Watkins Glen, where he was a veritable pinball and took his frustrations out on the man a spot above him, Smith is having the best stretch of his season. It includes his win at Mid-Ohio, one which seems like a split decision. If you asked 10 people about his move on Alex Tagliani five would say "dirty" and five would say "that's racing." At 50 points behind Buescher, however, the good stretch may be too little too late.
5. Elliott Sadler: If Sadler moves to JR Motorsports in 2016 as has been reported, it will be his fifth different Xfinity Series team in six seasons. Sadler is clearly chasing a championship, and can you blame him? He turned 40 this year. He won't be driving for too much longer and he's got a sponsor that's willing to stick with him. He's not going to win a title this year though. Because the Roush cars (outside of Buescher) haven't had much speed, Sadler has been the master of salvage.
6. Darrell Wallace Jr.: A promising year hasn't been bad by any means. It just hasn't been great either. Wallace has two top-five finishes and nine top-10s and his year has been more known for the run-ins with Buescher than anything else. The question then becomes, is a full-time season like this better than a part-time risk with Joe Gibbs Racing? Very likely, unless that Gibbs season meant a bunch of wins.
7. Daniel Suarez: We're putting Suarez ahead of Brian Scott despite being six points behind Scott because of the experience factor. Yeah, Suarez is driving the best equipment in the series, but did anyone expect him to be solidly inside the top 10 with five top-five finishes in 2015? If you did, you are likely a Joe Gibbs Racing fan or really, really like Arris modems.
8. Brian Scott: Is Brian Scott going to win an Xfinity Series race? This will be the fifth-straight season he's been in the top 10 in Xfinity Series points and he is still winless. Richmond will be his 200th race. And it could also be his best chance for a win too. Two years ago he led 239 of the race's 250 laps and finished second.
9. Brendan Gaughan: Two of Gaughan's three top-five finishes have come at races that weren't companion races to Sprint Cup Series events. A coincidence? We think not. With fewer Cup drivers in the field there are more opportunities for drivers like Gaughan to get a good finish. After all, his two wins last year came at races that weren't companion events.
10. Ryan Reed: Perhaps nothing shows the lack of depth in the Xfinity Series (among regulars ... and remember, we said this in June too) than Reed's position in the standing does. His win at Daytona - something that looks more and more like a fluke - remains his only top-10 finish of the year. Yes. He has one top 10 and is 10th in the Xfinity points standings. So it goes.
SOCCER; Grades: How did each Premier League team fare in the Summer Transfer Window?
By Joe Prince-Wright
After the 2015 Summer Transfer Window slammed shut at 1 p.m. ET on Tuesday, September 1, we can now start to analyze the moves each team made over the last two months.
Premier League teams have spent a whopping $1.3 billion during this transfer period, which is a record for any window involving England’s top-flight, but have they spent that cash wisely?
Let’s break down the business they managed to do. Here is a grade for all 20 PL teams after their deals.
| GRADE | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 | A | Manchester City: After buying Raheem Sterling, Fabian Delph and Nicolas Otamendi, then adding Kevin de Bruyne, City have become title favorites. The have spent over $220 million on transfer fees and Pellegrini’s boys are set up to challenge for the PL title and the Champions League. | |
 | B+ | West Ham: The Hammers had a great Deadline Day, and they added 13 players in total. Top business from new manager Bilic as Moses, Song, Ogbonna, Lanzini, Jelavic and Antonio will make a big difference. | |
 | B + | Swansea City: Garry Monk continues to excel in the market as he brought in Andre Ayew in attack on big wages but for no transfer fee, plus Eder and a bunch of players to augment his strong squad. Top window for Swans. | |
 | B + | Crystal Palace: The Eagles have added Cabaye, Bamford, Wickham, McCarthy and Sako to strengthen throughout their spine. Pardew didn’t lose any important players. Great business. | |
 | B | Chelsea: Many complained that Chelsea didn’t get the big-name signings but they did land Pedro, and grabbed Falcao and Begovic early on. Mourinho didn’t sign Stones but added two CBs in Hector and Djilobodji. | |
 | B | Stoke City: A busy, busy window for the Potters. They lost Nzonzi and Begovic but brought in Afellay and Shaqiri in shock moves. All in all, Potters look like a top 10 team once again. | |
 | B | Manchester United: Scratching your head, yeah, me too. David de Gea’s move collapsed at the last minute, then United seemed to panic buy teenager Martial late on for $55 million. That said, Darmian, Depay, Romero, Schweinsteiger and Schneiderlin have all settled in well. Decent business, but plenty of lost opportunities. | |
 | B | Newcastle United: Four key players arrived in the window for the Magpies as Thauvin, Wijnaldum, Mitrovic and Mbemba arrived for $80 million in total. Steve McClaren has strengthened the side. | |
 | C+ | Watford: The Hornets have spent lots of money and bought more players than any other PL team. That will give them a chance of staying up, but most are unproven in England and that will be a big challenge. | |
 | C+ | Southampton: After losing Schneiderlin, Clyne and Alderweireld, Koeman has pounced to bring in plenty of new faces. Jordy Clasie, Oriol Romeu, Martina, Cedric, Caulker and Virgil van Dijk arriving from Celtic was a big signing at CB. Keeping hold of Mane was huge for Saints. | |
 | C+ | Liverpool: Brendan Rodgers took a different route this season and signed players early and bought from within the PL. Ings, Milner, Clyne and Benteke arrived, while Gomez and Firmino may take longer to settle in. They lost Sterling (a big blow) but overall, a decent window. | |
 | C+ | Bournemouth: The Cherries weren’t scared to splash some cash and the arrival of Max Gradel and Glenn Murray in attack will boost their chances of survival. Sensible business from the new boys. | |
 | C | Aston Villa: Sherwood has gambled on the French market and so far the jury is out. Gueye has been superb but Ayew, Amavi and Veretout have struggled to settle. Let’s see if Richards, Gestede and others settle quicker. | |
 | C | Leicester City: Some shrewd buys from the Foxes as Ranieri brought in Okazaki, Inler, Kante and Huth. Solid buys throughout their spine should improve their chances of staying up after a spectacular start to the season. | |
 | D | Everton: The big thing about this window was keeping John Stones around, and the Toffees have done that despite Chelsea offering $60 million. Martinez has added Cleverley, Lennon and Mori, but apart from that it was pretty uneventful. | |
 | D- | Tottenham: Harry Kane needs help and although Son and Clinton have arrived in attack, Spurs’ new boys are unproven in the PL. Bringing in Wimmer, Trippier and Alderweireld bolsters their defense and Pochettino has trimmed his squad but not grabbing Berahino or a top striker to help Kane will hurt Spurs. | |
 | D- | West Brom: Berahino did not leave on Deadline Day but he is now refusing to play for the Baggies. Huge blow. They have signed Rickie Lambert and Salomon Rondon in attack, plus Jonny Evans in defense, but overall Berahino’s situation could be very harmful. | |
 | F | Arsenal: Yeah, that striker never arrived did he? The Gunners are the only team in the top five leagues in Europe to not add a new outfield player this summer. They signed Petr Cech, which was great, but how did Wenger not grab a striker and a DM to strengthen this summer? | |
 | F | Norwich City: The Canaries failed to sign a striker and with Alex Neil serious about keeping Norwich up, they have to buy a predatory forward. Norwich failed in late bids for several strikers and right now, their chances of staying up look bleak. | |
 | F | Sunderland: Speaking of bleak survival chances, Sunderland signed plenty of players in the window but you have to argue if they were any better than those Dick Advocaat had before. Lens, Toivonen, Yedlin and Kaboul aren’t really upgrades. Another season of struggle ahead. |
EXCLUSIVE: Jermaine Jenas - Why should players show loyalty when they don't receive it from their clubs?
By Jermaine Jenas
After Aaron Lennon's number 7 shirt was given to new signing Son Heung-min, Jermaine Jenas looks at into why demanding loyalty from players is a two-way street.
Tottenham's £21.9m signing of South Korean forward Son Heung-min could be an exciting piece of business for Spurs, but there's one man who wouldn't have shared in the enthusiasm when he saw the club parading their new No.7.
Aaron Lennon, who has been at White Hart Lane for a decade, would have just thought, 'That's my shirt'.
In a week where Saido Berahino and John Stones have been accused of lacking "loyalty" for trying to force a transfer from their clubs, it's a little reminder that loyalty works two ways - and that players rarely receive it from their employers.
After Lennon's 10 years of service to Tottenham, to give away his number while he's still at the club epitomizes the lack of loyalty shown by clubs to players. It's unacceptable, but it's not surprising or rare.
When I first went to Newcastle, I did exactly the same thing without even knowing it. I was in the boardroom at St James's Park and they asked me what number I wanted and told me which ones were available. I think it was 18, 25 and 7. Bobby Robson said, "I want you to wear No.7" and I said OK, but it turned out it was Rob Lee's number, and he was still at the club. Rob was fine with me - he was the ultimate pro - but he wasn't happy about the situation. It wasn't until later in my career that I realized what had happened.
Aaron Lennon, who has been at White Hart Lane for a decade, would have just thought, 'That's my shirt'.
In a week where Saido Berahino and John Stones have been accused of lacking "loyalty" for trying to force a transfer from their clubs, it's a little reminder that loyalty works two ways - and that players rarely receive it from their employers.
After Lennon's 10 years of service to Tottenham, to give away his number while he's still at the club epitomizes the lack of loyalty shown by clubs to players. It's unacceptable, but it's not surprising or rare.
When I first went to Newcastle, I did exactly the same thing without even knowing it. I was in the boardroom at St James's Park and they asked me what number I wanted and told me which ones were available. I think it was 18, 25 and 7. Bobby Robson said, "I want you to wear No.7" and I said OK, but it turned out it was Rob Lee's number, and he was still at the club. Rob was fine with me - he was the ultimate pro - but he wasn't happy about the situation. It wasn't until later in my career that I realized what had happened.
Of course, things went full circle a decade later when the same fate befell me at Tottenham. I was on loan at Aston Villa, but still a Spurs player, and they gave my number 8 shirt to Scott Parker. I was watching Spurs on TV when I saw him wearing it. I called Tottenham straight away and spoke to the one of the club officials. Without going into detail, it wasn't a polite conversation. I told them I thought it was disrespectful, especially when I'd been team captain just 18 months earlier.
Not only was I angry, it's embarrassing. My family and friends were ringing me and asking, 'Why is he wearing your number?'
People might think, 'It's only a number', but it's more than that. It's your identity. Your number represents you, and when it's taken off you and given away while you're still at the club, it's the ultimate kick in the teeth.
Players see this stuff happening all the time, so is it any wonder that Stones and Berahino are putting their own interests first?
Not only was I angry, it's embarrassing. My family and friends were ringing me and asking, 'Why is he wearing your number?'
People might think, 'It's only a number', but it's more than that. It's your identity. Your number represents you, and when it's taken off you and given away while you're still at the club, it's the ultimate kick in the teeth.
Players see this stuff happening all the time, so is it any wonder that Stones and Berahino are putting their own interests first?
I returned to Tottenham and was given a different number, but the club's treatment of me didn't improve. Around the time Andre Villas-Boas became manager I went to a summer training camp in America. But when I got back, to my horror, I found that all my kit had been moved into the reserve team changing room. I was told I wasn't allowed in the first team dressing room anymore. The thing that hurt most was the sneaky way it was done. I didn't have much contact with AVB afterwards, aside from the odd chat in the canteen where he'd show a brief bit of concern for how I was getting on. He was OK, but it just illustrates that clubs aren't setting a good example when it comes to loyalty.
I wasn't the kind of player to make a fuss. That's probably why some of the senior players at Spurs spoke to the chairman and AVB to say they weren't happy about it, but of course it made no difference. Aaron Lennon was one of those players that supported me at the time; now the same thing is happening to him.
I wasn't the kind of player to make a fuss. That's probably why some of the senior players at Spurs spoke to the chairman and AVB to say they weren't happy about it, but of course it made no difference. Aaron Lennon was one of those players that supported me at the time; now the same thing is happening to him.
No one is asking for a box of tissues and to sit there crying about what's happened, but it explains why players don't show loyalty to clubs. It's based on exactly these kinds of experiences. They see other players being treated like crap and think, "I'll look after myself". That's why Stones and Berahino are well within their rights to hand in transfer requests.
Many fans still remember the era where loyalty was prominent, which explains why Stones has got some stick from Everton fans, but that era is long gone. Steven Gerrard is probably the last player to show that old-style loyalty to a club and an area. It's not that players feel no emotional bond to a team. When you've given so much of your career to a club, you can't help but feel affection towards them. That's why I still look at Tottenham's results, and Newcastle's, and Forest's because that's my team. But nowadays the only loyalty a player might show is to a specific manager, not to a club. The only truly loyal ones are the fans themselves.
No player has a right to be in the team, but the minimum you expect is basic respect. There's a very good chance Lennon will leave Tottenham this week, but do they really need to give his number away before he's even out the door? It's just another demonstration to players that they won't be looked after by their club. It's a case of once we don't need you anymore, you can get lost. So when a player gets a better offer, they have exactly the same mentality.
Arsenal don't need a world class striker this window when they've got Giroud
Many fans still remember the era where loyalty was prominent, which explains why Stones has got some stick from Everton fans, but that era is long gone. Steven Gerrard is probably the last player to show that old-style loyalty to a club and an area. It's not that players feel no emotional bond to a team. When you've given so much of your career to a club, you can't help but feel affection towards them. That's why I still look at Tottenham's results, and Newcastle's, and Forest's because that's my team. But nowadays the only loyalty a player might show is to a specific manager, not to a club. The only truly loyal ones are the fans themselves.
No player has a right to be in the team, but the minimum you expect is basic respect. There's a very good chance Lennon will leave Tottenham this week, but do they really need to give his number away before he's even out the door? It's just another demonstration to players that they won't be looked after by their club. It's a case of once we don't need you anymore, you can get lost. So when a player gets a better offer, they have exactly the same mentality.
Arsenal don't need a world class striker this window when they've got Giroud
Olivier Giroud can't help but hear all the talk about Arsenal needing a world class striker, but it's time for Arsenal fans to get fully behind him as their number one front man because all the speculation does is put more pressure on him. It's wrong to say that Arsenal can't win the league with Giroud in the team; Arsenal's title-winning players are the three playing behind him.
Giroud is the perfect foil for Alexis Sanchez, Mesut Ozil and Aaron Ramsey. Arsenal's bigger issue is that Ozil needs to deliver more, and Ramsey needs to get back among the goals. Arsene Wenger knows Giroud will get him double figures and he's the guy who can get the best out of his other attacking players.
I'm sure Wenger would love to get Benzema or Suarez - and he's tried - but those players aren't moving anywhere and there aren't many others available that could do Giroud's job as well as he does it. Wenger could spend £50m on someone like Edinson Cavani, but the team may score fewer goals as a whole without Giroud's influence
Arsenal's budget would be better spent on a solid central midfielder to play alongside Francis Coquelin, which would free up Santi Cazorla to move further forward. They should have broken the bank to get Morgan Schneiderlin this summer, rather than trying to replace Giroud.
Giroud is the perfect foil for Alexis Sanchez, Mesut Ozil and Aaron Ramsey. Arsenal's bigger issue is that Ozil needs to deliver more, and Ramsey needs to get back among the goals. Arsene Wenger knows Giroud will get him double figures and he's the guy who can get the best out of his other attacking players.
I'm sure Wenger would love to get Benzema or Suarez - and he's tried - but those players aren't moving anywhere and there aren't many others available that could do Giroud's job as well as he does it. Wenger could spend £50m on someone like Edinson Cavani, but the team may score fewer goals as a whole without Giroud's influence
Arsenal's budget would be better spent on a solid central midfielder to play alongside Francis Coquelin, which would free up Santi Cazorla to move further forward. They should have broken the bank to get Morgan Schneiderlin this summer, rather than trying to replace Giroud.
NCAAFB; Reminder: Do not overreact to the first month of college football.
By Jon Solomon
You, me and every Joe Fan/Joe Pundit are dying to make sweeping conclusions after this week. There are, after all, television viewers to entertain, radio talk show slots to fill, online page views to capture, and arguments with buddies to win.
Guessing and debating is half the fun of college football -- as long as you understand no real conclusions can be drawn until October, at the earliest. If we learned anything from the College Football Playoff's inaugural year, it's that all the yakking doesn't mean a thing until the final week. The playoff debate early last season felt like an unnecessary distraction.
We didn't enjoy the actual games -- remember them? -- as much as we should.
Maybe that was a function of the playoff being new. Now that we know the selection committee can drop a team from No. 3 to No. 6 in the final week after a 52-point victory, I propose the following stipulations while enjoying college football this month.
1. No playoff projections in September: I respect some of my colleagues' football knowledge, and I hold out no hope of this actually happening. (My editor reminds me that we'll have weekly CFP projections here on CBS Sports.) Every media member and his mother last year immediately introduced some sort of “If The Playoff Was Now” weekly projections. If the playoff was in September, we would have missed out on Oct. 3, 2014, when for the first time, five of the AP Top 25's top eight teams lost in the same week.
At least the selection committee waits until November for rankings. A year ago, Ohio State was ranked No. 20 in the last AP poll of September; one week later, Oregon lost and slid to No. 12. They played for the national title. An amusing offshoot of the playoff was that reporters (myself included) criticized the CFP's weekly and pointless rankings when we did the same thing every week and even earlier.
Projecting the CFP in September is like predicting the Republican nomination based off early Iowa caucus polling. Yeah, it may be fun to project Notre Dame and Donald Trump getting there, but history tells us there's a high probability of looking silly. (Did you see what I did there? I overreacted to the perceived overreaction of Notre Dame's playoff hopes and Trump's presidential chances. Overreacting to overreaction is a valuable skill when debating college football in September.)
2. Do not eliminate entire conferences in Week 2: This was my headline in Week 2 last year after Michigan State lost to Oregon, Michigan got routed by Notre Dame, and Ohio State fell at home to Virginia Tech: “It's Groundhog Day again for Big Ten.” Don't worry, it got worse. I concluded that, “It's Week 2 and the Big Ten's national title hopes already feel dead again. When does Big Ten basketball season start?”
To be fair, the Big Ten's resume had taken major hits again, there were no more high-profile nonconference games for the Big Ten left, and I was really looking forward to Big Ten basketball season. This is what we in the media business call a narrative. Narratives are dangerous, and I fell into one. Narratives are often steeped in facts, and facts are fair to discuss. But it's dangerous to draw conclusions when 50 percent of nonconference games and 100 percent of conference games remain and when a small number of people -- not computers and groupthink polls from the BCS era -- decide who plays for the national championship.
3. Avoid awarding the Heisman Trophy and handing out nicknames after one game: In what other sport do we so incessantly and needlessly discuss the MVP award so early in the season? When Texas A&M routed South Carolina 52-28 without Johnny Manziel to open 2014, quarterback Kenny Hill threw for 511 yards and shot up the Heisman rankings. The narrative -- there's that word again -- was easy to write. My friend and CBS Sports colleague Dennis Dodd wrote that “somewhere down on the sweltering Williams-Brice Stadium, there was closure. A part of Johnny Football's swagger-laced legacy passed into history. Meet, then, Kenny Poise.”
Kenny actually preferred the nickname “Kenny Trill,” so much so that his parents filed for the trademark with the intent of using his nickname on athletic apparel. According to US Patent and Trademark Office records, the attempt for “Kenny Trill” was officially abandoned on June 16. In reality, it ended much earlier. Hill was benched for Kyle Allen, got suspended for two games and transferred to TCU. What about that South Carolina defense Hill lit up in Week 1? The Gamecocks finished 91st nationally in scoring defense.
4. Qualifiers are your best friend -- use them: When Oregon lost at home to Arizona on Oct. 3, a mini-freak out about the Pac-12's playoff chances erupted. Fox Sports' Stewart Mandel, one of the best in the business, wrote about the defeat this way: “Mind you, one loss is no longer a national championship deal-breaker -- especially for a potential Pac-12 champion running that league's nine-game conference gauntlet. But based on what we've seen from the Ducks in their past two games, this most likely won't be Oregon's last defeat. In fact it's got to turn around and visit UCLA next week. Which begs the question: Who is the Pac-12's best playoff hope now?”
Stewart, who certainly wasn't alone asking this question, brilliantly applied qualifiers next to a knee-jerk reaction. As Pac-12 commissioner Larry Scott told me last October after the Oregon loss, “It feels like kind of overcooked theater with all of the preseason and early-season focus.” Yep, but when cooked with the right amount of qualifiers, it avoids a bitter taste later. Now, about Stewart's Nov. 24, column calling the SEC West the most dominant division ever? That's another story.
5. Don't assume playoff rationale is transferable: I suspect this point will require recurring reminders this season. Just because the committee picked four teams last year based on certain articulated reasons does not mean those reasons must apply this year. Each season will bring a new set of teams and data points to evaluate. Ohio State was the last team in the playoff after its third-string quarterback won the Big Ten Championship Game 59-0. That's likely to be the exception, not the rule.
The committee did send three strong messages last year that could hold up as quasi-mandates: (1) It's not tied to traditional top 25 voting behavior (ask Florida State, which dropped without losing); (2) It wants nonconference schedules to matter (hello, Baylor); and (3) It's flexible to include teams that have improved and gotten hot (Ohio State fit this bill).
Otherwise, I have long believed we need several years of committee picks to reach larger conclusions. Does the Big 12 need a championship game? I don't know yet (sorry, that's a non-sexy answer), but the Big 12 almost freaked out and created a championship game over one year of data. If a couple things had broken the right way in 2014, TCU and Baylor both might have been in the playoff.
6. Overreaction in moderation is understandable: It's completely normal to overreact to early-season college football results. We have been starved for so long of any real games and actual information that our brains kick into overdrive when we see something new and shiny. One of the great overreactions in recent college football history was No. 9 Oklahoma State's 24-10 win over No. 13 Georgia to open the 2009 season, earning the Cowboys the cover of Sports Illustrated. “There is even talk of a national championship for an Oklahoma State program that has never made a BCS bowl appearance,” The New York Times wrote in its 2009 game story while noting an important qualifier. The Cowboys lost to Houston the next week, got outscored by a combined 68-14 in losses to Texas and Oklahoma, and finished with a 9-4 record.
Arizona State-Texas A&M, Michigan-Utah and Louisville-Auburn have the greatest Week 1 potential for overreaction. (Unfortunately, Alabama-Wisconsin is the only Week 1 game matching top-25 teams after we got three to open 2014.) Michigan fans have been told virtually nothing about their team all offseason, creating immense potential for overreaction if the Wolverines win at Utah. “People will be ripping their hair out and jockeying to be the first to write ‘UNFLINCHING VICTORY HUNGER: The Story of Jim Harbaugh's First Michigan Season,'” Everyday Should Be Saturday wrote in nicely laying out the Maximum Overreaction Potential for Week 1.
Guessing and debating is half the fun of college football -- as long as you understand no real conclusions can be drawn until October, at the earliest. If we learned anything from the College Football Playoff's inaugural year, it's that all the yakking doesn't mean a thing until the final week. The playoff debate early last season felt like an unnecessary distraction.
We didn't enjoy the actual games -- remember them? -- as much as we should.
Maybe that was a function of the playoff being new. Now that we know the selection committee can drop a team from No. 3 to No. 6 in the final week after a 52-point victory, I propose the following stipulations while enjoying college football this month.
1. No playoff projections in September: I respect some of my colleagues' football knowledge, and I hold out no hope of this actually happening. (My editor reminds me that we'll have weekly CFP projections here on CBS Sports.) Every media member and his mother last year immediately introduced some sort of “If The Playoff Was Now” weekly projections. If the playoff was in September, we would have missed out on Oct. 3, 2014, when for the first time, five of the AP Top 25's top eight teams lost in the same week.
At least the selection committee waits until November for rankings. A year ago, Ohio State was ranked No. 20 in the last AP poll of September; one week later, Oregon lost and slid to No. 12. They played for the national title. An amusing offshoot of the playoff was that reporters (myself included) criticized the CFP's weekly and pointless rankings when we did the same thing every week and even earlier.
Projecting the CFP in September is like predicting the Republican nomination based off early Iowa caucus polling. Yeah, it may be fun to project Notre Dame and Donald Trump getting there, but history tells us there's a high probability of looking silly. (Did you see what I did there? I overreacted to the perceived overreaction of Notre Dame's playoff hopes and Trump's presidential chances. Overreacting to overreaction is a valuable skill when debating college football in September.)
2. Do not eliminate entire conferences in Week 2: This was my headline in Week 2 last year after Michigan State lost to Oregon, Michigan got routed by Notre Dame, and Ohio State fell at home to Virginia Tech: “It's Groundhog Day again for Big Ten.” Don't worry, it got worse. I concluded that, “It's Week 2 and the Big Ten's national title hopes already feel dead again. When does Big Ten basketball season start?”
To be fair, the Big Ten's resume had taken major hits again, there were no more high-profile nonconference games for the Big Ten left, and I was really looking forward to Big Ten basketball season. This is what we in the media business call a narrative. Narratives are dangerous, and I fell into one. Narratives are often steeped in facts, and facts are fair to discuss. But it's dangerous to draw conclusions when 50 percent of nonconference games and 100 percent of conference games remain and when a small number of people -- not computers and groupthink polls from the BCS era -- decide who plays for the national championship.
3. Avoid awarding the Heisman Trophy and handing out nicknames after one game: In what other sport do we so incessantly and needlessly discuss the MVP award so early in the season? When Texas A&M routed South Carolina 52-28 without Johnny Manziel to open 2014, quarterback Kenny Hill threw for 511 yards and shot up the Heisman rankings. The narrative -- there's that word again -- was easy to write. My friend and CBS Sports colleague Dennis Dodd wrote that “somewhere down on the sweltering Williams-Brice Stadium, there was closure. A part of Johnny Football's swagger-laced legacy passed into history. Meet, then, Kenny Poise.”
Kenny actually preferred the nickname “Kenny Trill,” so much so that his parents filed for the trademark with the intent of using his nickname on athletic apparel. According to US Patent and Trademark Office records, the attempt for “Kenny Trill” was officially abandoned on June 16. In reality, it ended much earlier. Hill was benched for Kyle Allen, got suspended for two games and transferred to TCU. What about that South Carolina defense Hill lit up in Week 1? The Gamecocks finished 91st nationally in scoring defense.
4. Qualifiers are your best friend -- use them: When Oregon lost at home to Arizona on Oct. 3, a mini-freak out about the Pac-12's playoff chances erupted. Fox Sports' Stewart Mandel, one of the best in the business, wrote about the defeat this way: “Mind you, one loss is no longer a national championship deal-breaker -- especially for a potential Pac-12 champion running that league's nine-game conference gauntlet. But based on what we've seen from the Ducks in their past two games, this most likely won't be Oregon's last defeat. In fact it's got to turn around and visit UCLA next week. Which begs the question: Who is the Pac-12's best playoff hope now?”
Stewart, who certainly wasn't alone asking this question, brilliantly applied qualifiers next to a knee-jerk reaction. As Pac-12 commissioner Larry Scott told me last October after the Oregon loss, “It feels like kind of overcooked theater with all of the preseason and early-season focus.” Yep, but when cooked with the right amount of qualifiers, it avoids a bitter taste later. Now, about Stewart's Nov. 24, column calling the SEC West the most dominant division ever? That's another story.
5. Don't assume playoff rationale is transferable: I suspect this point will require recurring reminders this season. Just because the committee picked four teams last year based on certain articulated reasons does not mean those reasons must apply this year. Each season will bring a new set of teams and data points to evaluate. Ohio State was the last team in the playoff after its third-string quarterback won the Big Ten Championship Game 59-0. That's likely to be the exception, not the rule.
The committee did send three strong messages last year that could hold up as quasi-mandates: (1) It's not tied to traditional top 25 voting behavior (ask Florida State, which dropped without losing); (2) It wants nonconference schedules to matter (hello, Baylor); and (3) It's flexible to include teams that have improved and gotten hot (Ohio State fit this bill).
Otherwise, I have long believed we need several years of committee picks to reach larger conclusions. Does the Big 12 need a championship game? I don't know yet (sorry, that's a non-sexy answer), but the Big 12 almost freaked out and created a championship game over one year of data. If a couple things had broken the right way in 2014, TCU and Baylor both might have been in the playoff.
6. Overreaction in moderation is understandable: It's completely normal to overreact to early-season college football results. We have been starved for so long of any real games and actual information that our brains kick into overdrive when we see something new and shiny. One of the great overreactions in recent college football history was No. 9 Oklahoma State's 24-10 win over No. 13 Georgia to open the 2009 season, earning the Cowboys the cover of Sports Illustrated. “There is even talk of a national championship for an Oklahoma State program that has never made a BCS bowl appearance,” The New York Times wrote in its 2009 game story while noting an important qualifier. The Cowboys lost to Houston the next week, got outscored by a combined 68-14 in losses to Texas and Oklahoma, and finished with a 9-4 record.
Arizona State-Texas A&M, Michigan-Utah and Louisville-Auburn have the greatest Week 1 potential for overreaction. (Unfortunately, Alabama-Wisconsin is the only Week 1 game matching top-25 teams after we got three to open 2014.) Michigan fans have been told virtually nothing about their team all offseason, creating immense potential for overreaction if the Wolverines win at Utah. “People will be ripping their hair out and jockeying to be the first to write ‘UNFLINCHING VICTORY HUNGER: The Story of Jim Harbaugh's First Michigan Season,'” Everyday Should Be Saturday wrote in nicely laying out the Maximum Overreaction Potential for Week 1.
By Jason Alsher
(Photo/Christian Peterson/Getty Images)
College football is back!
Well, actually, it’s still a few days away. But you know what we’re getting at. These players aren’t getting paid millions upon millions of dollars (yet) to lace them up on Sundays and go to war on behalf of the superpower that is the National Football League. These games are all about school spirit, pride, and massive bragging rights. In a way, that makes the stakes feel a little bit bigger. That and the supremely awesome College Football Playoff.
With the new season about to get underway, it’s always nice to see who the oddsmakers in Vegas are predicting to make the most moves. That way, should things end up going down a bit differently, we can look back to this moment and laugh at how wrong the good folks in Sin City were. Therefore, with that in mind, let’s take a look at who Vegas is betting on for the 2015-16 College Football Playoff National Championship.
5. Auburn Tigers, Odds: 14-1
The Auburn Tigers would love to forget the 2014 season ever happened. They finished the year with an 8-5 record and a 34-31 loss in the Outback Bowl to Wisconsin. However, the team enters 2015 ranked No. 6 in the AP Poll and poised to put last year behind them. If new starting quarterback Jeremy Johnson is able to live up to the preseason hype, coach Guz Malzahn may find himself with a group good enough to make a run at national championship.
4. Baylor Bears, Odds: 10-1
The Baylor Bears come into the 2015 season as the No. 4-ranked team in the land and with a massive chip on their shoulder. Art Briles and company believed they deserved a spot in last season’s college football playoff. The committee disagreed. We have no doubt these Bears will be able to put points up on the board, however, if they aren’t able to completely overcome the loss of quarterback Bryce Petty — who’s now with the New York Jets — they’ll once again find themselves on the outside looking in.
3. Alabama Crimson Tide, Odds: 15-2
It feels like it’s been forever since Nick Saban led the Alabama Crimson Tide to a national championship. In reality, was only just 2012. Still, when you’re a perennial powerhouse, there are not supposed to be off years. And when the Crimson Tide last took the field, they were taken down in the Sugar Bowl by eventual national champion Ohio State. Alabama will start the 2015 season off as the No. 3-ranked team in the land. However, if all goes as planned, they’ll finish the year a few places higher.
2. TCU Horned Frogs, Odds: 13-2
Coach Gary Patterson should have his TCU Horned Frogs amped up for the start of the new year. With Heisman front-runner Trevone Boykin leading the way, the No. 2-ranked team in the land in primed to secure their place among the college football elite. Anything less than a berth in the College Football Playoff is unacceptable.
1. Ohio State Buckeyes, Odds: 9-4
The Ohio State Buckeyes will start off the 2015 season the same way they ended the previous year: as the best team in the land. After being named the first-ever unanimous preseason No. 1 in the history of the AP poll, expect the Buckeyes to enter each contest with a massive bull's-eye on their back. Given the talent and depth of this group, the only team that should be able to beat Ohio State is themselves. After all, they’re so good, that former quarterback Braxton Miller decided to switch over to wide receiver. Urban Meyer must now choose whether Cardale Jones or J.T. Barrett will be the man under center. If that’s the most difficult decision he has to make all year, we don’t see anyone being able to take down the defending champs.
Odds are courtesy of sportsbook.ag.
NCAABKB: Seton Hall loses assistant because he wants to be a math teacher.
By Matt Norlander
Rarer: Losing said coach because he wants to teach math to middle school students.
Unprecedented, really.
But that's now the situation Seton Hall is in. The school on Monday confirmed reports that leaked out Sunday night, that former assistant coach Dwayne "Tiny" Morton has left his post with the Pirates and will seek to do what he'd done prior: teach in middle school.
Morton came on as an assistant in 2014, essentially as part of a package deal that helped SHU coach Kevin Willard land five-star talent Isaiah Whitehead. Morton is the father of Trevonn Morton, now a sophomore guard. The younger Morton was a redshirt freshman a season ago. He was also a high school teammate of Whitehead's. They were both coached by the elder Morton at Brooklyn's Lincoln High.
Dwayne Morton left Willard in something of a tough spot by bailing just as the fall semester is starting up. Willard said this in SHU's press release on Monday: "I want to thank Dwayne for his contributions to our program over the last year. He is a terrific coach and mentor for student-athletes, and I understand that he feels his calling is back in teaching. I wish him all the best as he pursues his dream job."
The bigger perspective on this lies here:
✔ Follow
Morton was largely responsible for Isaiah Whitehead going to Seton Hall. Will be interesting to see how Whitehead responds to his departure.
Retweets
Whitehead's upcoming season with Seton Hall could wind up being his last. We'll see. He's a potential NBA pick down the road. Whitehead was named to the Big East's All-Rookie team last season, putting up 12.0 points per game.
"I had a great experience at Seton Hall working with coach Willard, my fellow assistant coaches and our student-athletes, but my passion for teaching is strong, and I feel that is where I should be," Morton said in a written statement. "I wish Seton Hall all the best and am excited to watch the program continue its rise."
U.S. Open leading men cheering for a Serena Grand Slam
By Larry Fine, Editing by Andrew Both
Serena Williams of the United States reacts after a shot against Flavia Pennetta of Italy (not pictured) during the Rogers Cup tennis tournament at Avival Centre. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports
Serena Williams is on the brink of the grandest achievement in tennis, the single season Grand Slam, and even the leading men at the U.S. Open championships starting on Monday are cheering her on.
The 33-year-old American, with the 2015 Australian Open, French Open and Wimbledon trophies already on her crowded mantle, will be gunning to complete the first season's sweep of the slams since Steffi Graf in 1988.
The last man to accomplish the feat was Rod Laver in 1969.
"I am sending her good vibes, I hope she does it," says U.S. Open men's top seed Novak Djokovic, winner of nine majors.
"She’s a true champion and she’s impressive what she’s managed to do so far at her age to win three grand slams. It’s quite incredible. I know how tough it is, both men’s and women’s tennis. The competition is really high."
Victory at Flushing Meadows would lift Williams to 22 career grand slam singles crowns, tying her with Graf for second on the all-time list, two behind Margaret Court.
Federer, Wozniacki, Halep secure easy wins.
By Danielle Elliott
Caroline Wozniacki, of Denmark, blows kisses to the crowd after beating Jamie Loeb, of the United States, during the first round of the U.S. Open tennis tournament, Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2015, in New York. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
After a Monday rife with upsets, the second day of the U.S. Open seemed rather tame. There was little energy in the air, and even less on the courts as the top seeds walked right through to the second round.
No. 2 Simona Halep was the first to advance, moving on after Marina Erakovic retired in the second set of their morning match. Halep led 6-2, 3-0. Strangely enough, that means the top two women's seeds advanced without playing a full match.
No. 4 Caroline Wozniacki came next on Arthur Ashe. She defeated American Jamie Loeb, 6-2, 6-0. That cleared the way for Roger Federer and Leonardo Mayer of Argentina.
Federer absolutely dominated, earning a 6-1, 6-2, 6-2 win on the strength of 12 aces. He won 84 percent of first-serve points and six of nine break-point opportunities. WIth the win, the five-time champion tied Ivan Lendl for third place on the U.S. Open all-time wins list. Federer is now six behind Andre Agassi's 79. He'll face either Marcos Baghdatis or Steve Darcis in the second round.
Top-ranked American John Isner, seeded 13th, moved on in straight sets, 6-2, 6-3, 6-4. No. 5 Stan Wawrinka, No. 6 Tomas Berdych, No. 12 Richard Gasquet, o. 24 Bernard Tomic, and former world No. 1 Lleyton Hewitt also advanced.
American Donald Young delivered the most exciting match of the day as he outlasted No. 11 Gilles Simon in five, 2-6, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4.
On the women's side, No. 20 Victoria Azarenka and No. 11 Angelique Kerber also advanced in straights sets. American Nicole Gibbs, playing her as a wildcard, defeated Lourdes Dominguez Lino 6-3, 3-6, 6-4. The only true upset came midday, as No. 6 Lucie Safarova fell to Lesia Tsurenko, 6-4, 6-1.
The 33-year-old American, with the 2015 Australian Open, French Open and Wimbledon trophies already on her crowded mantle, will be gunning to complete the first season's sweep of the slams since Steffi Graf in 1988.
The last man to accomplish the feat was Rod Laver in 1969.
"I am sending her good vibes, I hope she does it," says U.S. Open men's top seed Novak Djokovic, winner of nine majors.
"She’s a true champion and she’s impressive what she’s managed to do so far at her age to win three grand slams. It’s quite incredible. I know how tough it is, both men’s and women’s tennis. The competition is really high."
Victory at Flushing Meadows would lift Williams to 22 career grand slam singles crowns, tying her with Graf for second on the all-time list, two behind Margaret Court.
"I hope she does it, number one," said second seed Roger Federer, who stands atop the men's all-time slams list with 17.
"Number two, of course it’s intriguing and interesting to see. You don’t get this kind of an opportunity many times in tennis, so it will be very interesting to follow."
Rafa Nadal, a 14-times grand slam singles winner, was also absorbed by the historical bid by Williams, who has won the last three titles at Flushing Meadows and would register an Open era record seventh U.S. crown with another triumph.
"She won everything that somebody can win. Amazing the career of Serena," said Nadal. "She has a unique opportunity to make the Grand Slam in one year and she's playing at home so it's a big opportunity for her.
"She knows how to manage all of this. She knows how to play in this tournament. She has won here many times."
Williams would become the sixth player to register a Grand Slam following Don Budge (1938) and Laver (1962, 1969) on the men's side and Maureen Connolly (1953), Court (1970) and Graf (1988).
"If she makes that happen it will be something special for the world of sport," Spain's Nadal said.
All three of these leading men have come close to the feat.
Federer won three of the four slams in 2004, 2006 and 2007, falling short all three years in the French Open, losing in the '06 and '07 finals to nine-times Roland Garros winner Nadal.
Nadal won three in 2010, missing only the Australian Open, while Djokovic won a trio in 2011, lacking the French title.
None of them came to Flushing Meadows with a chance to complete the slam.
Djokovic was asked if he thought he might be capable of a Grand Slam.
"I sincerely hope from your mouth to God’s ears," the 28-year-old Serb said. "I’ve been close and that gives me enough reason to believe that I can achieve that."
Federer, Wozniacki, Halep secure easy wins.
By Danielle Elliott
After a Monday rife with upsets, the second day of the U.S. Open seemed rather tame. There was little energy in the air, and even less on the courts as the top seeds walked right through to the second round.
No. 2 Simona Halep was the first to advance, moving on after Marina Erakovic retired in the second set of their morning match. Halep led 6-2, 3-0. Strangely enough, that means the top two women's seeds advanced without playing a full match.
No. 4 Caroline Wozniacki came next on Arthur Ashe. She defeated American Jamie Loeb, 6-2, 6-0. That cleared the way for Roger Federer and Leonardo Mayer of Argentina.
Federer absolutely dominated, earning a 6-1, 6-2, 6-2 win on the strength of 12 aces. He won 84 percent of first-serve points and six of nine break-point opportunities. WIth the win, the five-time champion tied Ivan Lendl for third place on the U.S. Open all-time wins list. Federer is now six behind Andre Agassi's 79. He'll face either Marcos Baghdatis or Steve Darcis in the second round.
Top-ranked American John Isner, seeded 13th, moved on in straight sets, 6-2, 6-3, 6-4. No. 5 Stan Wawrinka, No. 6 Tomas Berdych, No. 12 Richard Gasquet, o. 24 Bernard Tomic, and former world No. 1 Lleyton Hewitt also advanced.
American Donald Young delivered the most exciting match of the day as he outlasted No. 11 Gilles Simon in five, 2-6, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4.
On the women's side, No. 20 Victoria Azarenka and No. 11 Angelique Kerber also advanced in straights sets. American Nicole Gibbs, playing her as a wildcard, defeated Lourdes Dominguez Lino 6-3, 3-6, 6-4. The only true upset came midday, as No. 6 Lucie Safarova fell to Lesia Tsurenko, 6-4, 6-1.
Memoriesofhistory.com
1917 - Grover Cleveland Alexander (Philadelphia Phillies) pitched and won two entire games of a doubleheader versus Brooklyn (5-0 and 9-3).
1924 - Bill Tilden won his fifth straight U.S. Open men's singles title.
1957 - Warren Spahn (Milwaukee Braves) set a record for left-handed pitchers when he recorded his 41st shutout.
1961 - The estate of Ty Cobb was estimated at $11.78 million. Cobb had died two months earlier.
1962 - Ken Hubbs (Chicago Cubs) set a record for a second baseman when he played his 74th game without an error.
1966 - The Miami Dolphins played their first regular-season game. They lost the game to the Oakland Raiders 23-14.
1970 - Billy Williams (Chicago Cubs) set a National League record when he played in his 1,117th consecutive game.
1970 - Jimmy Connors played in his first match at the U.S. Open. He lost to Mark Cox.
1971 - Chris Evert and Jimmy Connors won their first U.S. Open singles matches.
1973 - Billy Martin was fired as manager of the Detroit Tigers. Martin was relieved of his duties three days after ordering his pitchers to throw spitballs against Cleveland Indians batters.
1981 - The Boston Red Sox and Seattle Mariners played to a 7-7 tie after 19 innings. It was the longest game in Fenway Park history. The game was resumed the following day and the Mariners won 8-7 in 20 innings.
1986 - The Houston Astros and the Chicago Cubs played 14 innings and used 53 players in the game. Houston won the game 8-7 when the game resumed the next day.
1990 - Bobby Thigpen (Chicago White Sox) set a major league record with his 47th save.
1996 - Mike Greenwall (Boston Red Sox) set a major league record when he drove in all nine runs in a 9-8 win over the Seattle Mariners.
1996 - David Cone (New York Yankees) pitched in a game for the first time in four months after an aneurysm was removed from his shoulder.
1998 - Mark McGwire (St. Louis) hit his 58th and 59th home runs of the season. The record at the time was 61 held by Roger Maris.
1998 - Sammy Sosa (Chicago Cubs) hit his 56th home run of the season.
1998 - Nomar Garciaparra (Boston Red Sox) hit his 30th home run of the season. He joined Mark McGwire, Rudy York, Ron Kittle and Jose Canseco as a player that hit 30+ home runs in his first two years.
1998 - Jerry Rice (San Francisco 49ers) signed a six-year contract for $36 million. The deal made him the highest paid wide receiver in the league.
1999 - Cal Ripken (Baltimore Orioles) hit his 400th career home run.
2003 - Eric Gagne (Los Angeles) established a major league record with his 55th consecutive save.
1924 - Bill Tilden won his fifth straight U.S. Open men's singles title.
1957 - Warren Spahn (Milwaukee Braves) set a record for left-handed pitchers when he recorded his 41st shutout.
1961 - The estate of Ty Cobb was estimated at $11.78 million. Cobb had died two months earlier.
1962 - Ken Hubbs (Chicago Cubs) set a record for a second baseman when he played his 74th game without an error.
1966 - The Miami Dolphins played their first regular-season game. They lost the game to the Oakland Raiders 23-14.
1970 - Billy Williams (Chicago Cubs) set a National League record when he played in his 1,117th consecutive game.
1970 - Jimmy Connors played in his first match at the U.S. Open. He lost to Mark Cox.
1971 - Chris Evert and Jimmy Connors won their first U.S. Open singles matches.
1973 - Billy Martin was fired as manager of the Detroit Tigers. Martin was relieved of his duties three days after ordering his pitchers to throw spitballs against Cleveland Indians batters.
1981 - The Boston Red Sox and Seattle Mariners played to a 7-7 tie after 19 innings. It was the longest game in Fenway Park history. The game was resumed the following day and the Mariners won 8-7 in 20 innings.
1986 - The Houston Astros and the Chicago Cubs played 14 innings and used 53 players in the game. Houston won the game 8-7 when the game resumed the next day.
1990 - Bobby Thigpen (Chicago White Sox) set a major league record with his 47th save.
1996 - Mike Greenwall (Boston Red Sox) set a major league record when he drove in all nine runs in a 9-8 win over the Seattle Mariners.
1996 - David Cone (New York Yankees) pitched in a game for the first time in four months after an aneurysm was removed from his shoulder.
1998 - Mark McGwire (St. Louis) hit his 58th and 59th home runs of the season. The record at the time was 61 held by Roger Maris.
1998 - Sammy Sosa (Chicago Cubs) hit his 56th home run of the season.
1998 - Nomar Garciaparra (Boston Red Sox) hit his 30th home run of the season. He joined Mark McGwire, Rudy York, Ron Kittle and Jose Canseco as a player that hit 30+ home runs in his first two years.
1998 - Jerry Rice (San Francisco 49ers) signed a six-year contract for $36 million. The deal made him the highest paid wide receiver in the league.
1999 - Cal Ripken (Baltimore Orioles) hit his 400th career home run.
2003 - Eric Gagne (Los Angeles) established a major league record with his 55th consecutive save.
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