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"Sports Quote of the Day"
"Nothing good comes in life or athletics unless a lot of hard work has preceded the effort. Only temporary success is achieved by taking short cuts." ~ Roger Staubach, NFL Quarterback (Dallas Cowboys)
"Nothing good comes in life or athletics unless a lot of hard work has preceded the effort. Only temporary success is achieved by taking short cuts." ~ Roger Staubach, NFL Quarterback (Dallas Cowboys)
Trending: Blackhawks tie franchise record with 11th straight win over Canadiens. (See the hockey section for Blackhawks updates).
Trending: NBA Martin Luther King Day Basketball Game, 01/18/2015. Chicago Bulls vs. Detroit Pistons. Game time: 3:30PM (ET). Check your local listing for time and availability. The game may also be viewed live on NBA League Pass (cable) or on the Internet with NBA League Pass on your smartphone, tablet or PC.
Trending: Cubs still in position to make the big trade when they need it. (See the baseball section for Cubs updates).
NFL Playoff Scores
Kansas City Chiefs 20
New England Patriots 27
Green Bay Packers 20
Arizona Cardinals 26
Seattle Seahawks 24
Carolina Panthers 31
Pittsburgh Steelers 16
Denver Broncos 23
Red denotes winning team
How 'bout them Chicago Blackhawks? Blackhawks tie franchise record with 11th straight win over Canadiens.
By Tracey Myers
Winning games in bunches: you need a lot to go right to go on a substantial winning streak.
For the Blackhawks right now, just about everything is going right.
Jonathan Toews had two goals and an assist and Marian Hossa had a goal and two assists as the Blackhawks beat the Montreal Canadiens 5-2 on Sunday night. The Blackhawks have now won 11 consecutive games to tie the franchise-best streak they set Feb. 17-March 6, 2013.
The Blackhawks now lead the Central Division with 66 points, three ahead of second-place Dallas and seven ahead of third-place St. Louis.
Corey Crawford stopped 27 of 29 shots for his eighth consecutive victory. That ties his career best, previously set from Feb. 20-March 5, 2011. Richard Panik scored his first goal for the Blackhawks and Patrick Kane scored his 29th of the season. Kane is just one shy of tying his career high in goals, set during the 2009-10 season.
The Blackhawks started this winning streak with two high-scoring victories. They’re now settling into a pattern of scoring plenty – and it’s coming from everyone and not just the second line – but allowing very little defensively. The Blackhawks have given up four goals in their last three games.
“I think the balance is the one thing that sticks out, consistency and getting contributions across the board. We’re solid in net, solid on the blue line and much more predictable up front,” coach Joel Quenneville said. “Every night, someone else could score. Richard’s score tonight started it. The power play comes up with the big goal. Every night’s a little different but we’re playing responsible, playing the score, playing the time and we’ve got some momentum.”
The Blackhawks have also scored first in a lot of these games. That was true again on Sunday when Panik gave the Blackhawks a 1-0 lead just 2:40 into the game. Erik Gustafsson, who missed the last two games with a right-knee injury, had the great pass to Panik for his eighth assist of the season. Lars Eller tied it for Montreal but Toews’ two goals in the second period gave the Blackhawks a 3-1 lead after 40 minutes.
“We’ve improved how we play defensively; everybody’s committed,” Hossa said. “Everyone from the core knows how to win the defensive game from the championships and we have a lot of offense. The second line carried us offensively most of the year but it’s nice that other lines are scoring too, now, and that definitely helps.”
That offense continued in the third period. Montreal’s Max Pacioretty scored a power-play goal to get the Canadiens within one but Kane scored just 71 seconds later to restore the Blackhawks’ two-goal lead. Hossa, who got a stick on Duncan Keith’s long pass with 24 seconds remaining in regulation, got the empty-net goal.
Some of the Blackhawks felt it was just a matter of time before things started clicking with lines and with their game overall. A lot has to go right to go on a lengthy winning streak. Right now, a lot is.
“It’s nice; I mean, it's fun. We need to recognize that when things are clicking, you need to keep pushing and keep building your game and not get too comfortable, and I think we're doing a good job of that right now,” Toews said. “You look back to the last half dozen games, there hasn't been a whole lot of signs of satisfaction with our effort. So we're having fun and we're riding it out right now. I don't think we're playing out of our minds and getting too overconfident. We're just working hard and things are going our way.”
Hat-trick Kane leads Blackhawks past Leafs for 10th straight win. (Friday night's game, 01/15/2016).
By Jessica Patton
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
Patrick Kane could do no wrong.
The All Star led the Blackhawks to a 4-1 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Friday night at the Air Canada Centre, their 10th straight victory and handing the home team their fourth straight loss.
Kane, who netted the first regular-season hat trick of his career and added an assist, eclipsed his total point production from last season of 64 and now sits atop the scoring table with 67. He came into Friday's game 10 points ahead of second-place Jamie Benn of the Dallas Stars.
“I think I’ve had a few two-goal games, but I guess it just never really happened. But it’s nice to get the first one.
"I think I have to give a lot of credit to my line-mates, sometimes you can say you're looking to shoot more but sometimes they create more opportunities for yourself to get in positions to shoot.”
Scott Darling, who gave Corey Crawford a rest for the night, had a 28-save game including a sprawling glove stop on Leafs forward Brad Boyes to keep the game 3-1 late in the third period. His shutout was foiled by Morgan Rielly, who rifled in his fifth goal of the season 3:47 into the third.
Kane’s game-winning second goal came on the power play after the 27-year-old took a Matt Hunwick stick to the face. He repaid the hit by taking a cross-ice feed from Artemi Panarin and burying it from a sharp angle past Leafs netminder James Reimer, who made 25 saves.
“It was nice to come back out and capitalize and more importantly give us the two-goal lead heading into the break.”
The Blackhawks came into the game as the NHL's best road team on the power play, with a 27.1-percent success rate and continued the hot streak, netting two more on the man advantage.
Kane, the Buffalo native, opened the scoring at 13:07 of the second when he buried the second rebound off a Panarin shot from the circle. Reimer made the original save and another one off of Duncan Keith but couldn’t control the rebound that landed right on Kane’s stick.
Andrew Shaw thought he had the first goal of the night and his ninth of the season at 12:07 of the first when he scored off his own rebound only to have it called back on a challenge by Leafs coach Mike Babcock.
According to a statement released by the NHL, it was determined by the linesman after reviewing all replays and consulting with NHL Hockey Operations that Marian Hossa was offside prior to the goal leading to the call getting overturned.
The Blackhawks put the nail in the coffin early in the third when Leafs forward Roman Polak took the team’s sixth straight penalty and joined Nazim Kadri, who was already in the box. The goal was an exact replica of the Blackhawks’ second goal, only this time Kane fed Panarin for his 16th.
Leafs forward Morgan Rielly ruined the shutout for Darling, streaking in on the right side and rifling a shot through the netminder for his fifth to make it 3-1.
Kane secured the win and his hat-trick goal, an empty-net score that sent most of the crowd packing.
“I had no clue it was his first (regular-season) hat trick, I would have bet he had more than a handful.”
Next up for the Blackhawks is a rematch back at home against the Montreal Canadiens on Sunday.
Bear Down Chicago Bears!!!!! Will Bears make free-agent splash?
Larry Mayer answers a variety of email questions from fans on ChicagoBears.com.
I enjoy your work from its insightful news to your sense of humor. I am wondering what your gut is telling you when it comes to whether or not the Bears will be making a big free agent signing this year. I liked the Pernell McPhee signing last year and in my opinion it panned out. Anything of that caliber or higher on the horizon?
AndyRochester, New York
Thanks, Andy, I appreciate it. Based on what general manager Ryan Pace said during his post-season press conference Jan. 4, it seems that the Bears will pursue several different players on the free-agent market like they did last year and not make just that one marquee signing. Pace believes in that strategy because it limits risk and will enable him to fill multiple needs on a team that needs to add playmakers, especially on defense. Here’s what Pace told reporters: “I don’t like to put all our eggs in one basket in free agency. I don’t think you’re going to see us make one splash free-agent signing. I think it’s going to be kind of spread-out-your-resources a little bit.”
Would I be going out on a limb thinking the Bears need a good backup or quarterback of the future?Jay Cutler has been better, but if he gets hurt even for a game, we all saw what happened in Seattle. Will the Bears use a second- or third-round pick on a quarterback or trade for a quality backup?
Eric S.
Jay Cutler will be 33 in April and obviously won’t play forever, so I do think that the Bears will consider selecting a quarterback to groom as his eventual replacement in this year’s draft. But it has to be a prospect they like who has value at that point in the draft. The other side of the equation is that taking a so-called “quarterback of the future” with a high draft pick means that you’re passing up a quality player that could provide more of an immediate impact. So that’s always a difficult decision to make. In terms of a backup, I don’t think the Bears necessarily look atDavid Fales as their quarterback of the future. But they are high on him and believe that he could adequately fill in for Cutler if necessary. If they didn’t feel that way, they wouldn’t have promoted him from the practice squad last year and cut Jimmy Clausen after Fales attracted some interest from other NFL teams.
Will the Bears get any draft picks or other compensation from the Dolphins for Miami hiring Adam Gase as head coach?
Don A.Hickory, North Carolina
When an assistant on one NFL team becomes the head coach of another team, no compensation is required, even if the coach is under contract. The only time a team would have to trade a draft pick for a coach is for a head coach who’s under contract. I know there was talk about that possibly happening with Sean Payton this year and it did occur in 2002 when Jon Gruden was traded from the Raiders to the Buccaneers.
What to do about the on-field misconduct in NFL.
By Barry Wilner
Memories etched in the minds of NFL fans should be of spectacular catches, clean open-field tackles, perfect throws and precise kicks.
Instead, the prevailing images over the last month, if not for the entire season, have been of the fiascos involving Odell Beckham Jr., and Josh Norman, then of Antonio Brown being laid out by Vontaze Burfict, and Adam ''Pacman'' Jones' subsequent meltdown.
Among the many things the NFL should be discussing in the offseason after a distasteful and disappointing 2015 season is how to ramp up the discipline for on-field misbehavior.
Just Another Chicago Bulls Session... Chicago Bulls-Detroit Pistons Preview.
AndyRochester, New York
Thanks, Andy, I appreciate it. Based on what general manager Ryan Pace said during his post-season press conference Jan. 4, it seems that the Bears will pursue several different players on the free-agent market like they did last year and not make just that one marquee signing. Pace believes in that strategy because it limits risk and will enable him to fill multiple needs on a team that needs to add playmakers, especially on defense. Here’s what Pace told reporters: “I don’t like to put all our eggs in one basket in free agency. I don’t think you’re going to see us make one splash free-agent signing. I think it’s going to be kind of spread-out-your-resources a little bit.”
Would I be going out on a limb thinking the Bears need a good backup or quarterback of the future?
Eric S.
Jay Cutler will be 33 in April and obviously won’t play forever, so I do think that the Bears will consider selecting a quarterback to groom as his eventual replacement in this year’s draft. But it has to be a prospect they like who has value at that point in the draft. The other side of the equation is that taking a so-called “quarterback of the future” with a high draft pick means that you’re passing up a quality player that could provide more of an immediate impact. So that’s always a difficult decision to make. In terms of a backup, I don’t think the Bears necessarily look at
Will the Bears get any draft picks or other compensation from the Dolphins for Miami hiring Adam Gase as head coach?
Don A.Hickory, North Carolina
When an assistant on one NFL team becomes the head coach of another team, no compensation is required, even if the coach is under contract. The only time a team would have to trade a draft pick for a coach is for a head coach who’s under contract. I know there was talk about that possibly happening with Sean Payton this year and it did occur in 2002 when Jon Gruden was traded from the Raiders to the Buccaneers.
What to do about the on-field misconduct in NFL.
By Barry Wilner
Memories etched in the minds of NFL fans should be of spectacular catches, clean open-field tackles, perfect throws and precise kicks.
Instead, the prevailing images over the last month, if not for the entire season, have been of the fiascos involving Odell Beckham Jr., and Josh Norman, then of Antonio Brown being laid out by Vontaze Burfict, and Adam ''Pacman'' Jones' subsequent meltdown.
Among the many things the NFL should be discussing in the offseason after a distasteful and disappointing 2015 season is how to ramp up the discipline for on-field misbehavior.
Don't mistake these actions by the very few as being emblematic of the many, of course. But when such stars as Giants receiver Beckham, and Panthers All-Pro cornerback Norman start going MMA, and in very visible situations, it can be damning. And when the stage is a prime-time playoff game between archrivals and division foes Pittsburgh and Cincinnati, the Vontaze Burfict/Pacman Jones mayhem erases the story lines from the other 59 minutes.
Pro Football Hall of Fame member Bill Polian has seen enough shenanigans, and he said so on his SiriusXM NFL Radio show this week.
''I broadcast a game very week for ESPN radio,'' Polian says, ''and I am seeing more and more of this chippy stuff, especially between people who have no business being chippy: wide receivers and defensive backs, wide receivers and cornerbacks. I mean come on, they are not exactly heavyweight fighters, and they don't get contacted every play the way linemen and linebackers and running backs do.
''So they have no business, in my opinion, getting involved in these barking matches and these shoving matches, and in the case of Beckham and Norman, throwing punches at each other.''
How to deal with such insanity is a difficult chore for pro football. Hockey has cleaned up much of its act with strong penalties for fighting - although the fact it still allows such altercations is disturbing. Ejections for going over the top are in place.
How to deal with such insanity is a difficult chore for pro football. Hockey has cleaned up much of its act with strong penalties for fighting - although the fact it still allows such altercations is disturbing. Ejections for going over the top are in place.
Same for soccer, the sport featuring the most expulsions, although excessive rough play isn't necessarily the cause for accumulations of yellow cards or straight reds.
As Polian notes, the NFL has a built-in problem when it comes to throwing a player out of a game.
''In football you have 16 games, therefore from a rules standpoint and even from a coaching standpoint, ejection from a game or removal from a game is a very high price to pay,'' he says. ''It disrupts the level playing field: the Giants have Eli and Beckham and that's about it. If you take Beckham out because you feel he is out of control or he is not functioning well, and you keep him out permanently, you are disadvantaging everyone else on the team - to say nothing of the fans who pay good money to come and see him play.
As Polian notes, the NFL has a built-in problem when it comes to throwing a player out of a game.
''In football you have 16 games, therefore from a rules standpoint and even from a coaching standpoint, ejection from a game or removal from a game is a very high price to pay,'' he says. ''It disrupts the level playing field: the Giants have Eli and Beckham and that's about it. If you take Beckham out because you feel he is out of control or he is not functioning well, and you keep him out permanently, you are disadvantaging everyone else on the team - to say nothing of the fans who pay good money to come and see him play.
''And that's why ejection has always been very much the court of last resort with officials in the NFL, under instructions from the league office.''
Perhaps that could change this spring, and Polian ''wouldn't be surprised'' if it is looked at seriously.
''If I were a general manager and a member of the competition committee, as I was for a very long time,'' Polian says, ''I would submit a proposal to the committee that we ought to talk about this as a league. And if we want to do away with this stuff and crack down on it, as we often do with things like chop blocks and other things that are dangerous to the players or dangerous to the game, let's agree that we are going to instruct the officials to be a little more aggressive in their enforcement with these kinds of activities.''
Such as something similar to soccer. When the personal fouls add up, the hefty fines increase, but a suspension also is warranted. In essence, that's what happened with Burfict, who is barred from the first three games of next season.
Such as something similar to soccer. When the personal fouls add up, the hefty fines increase, but a suspension also is warranted. In essence, that's what happened with Burfict, who is barred from the first three games of next season.
''Now, that may be too extreme and maybe you couldn't get 32 owners and coaches and general managers to agree to that,'' Polian says, ''but you certainly can instruct the officials, as I think the league office did ... prior to the Pittsburgh-Cincinnati game, 'Hey, don't be afraid to throw the flag.' The phrase that is used is 'take control of the game.'
''And then if a guy is out of hand - first of all, anytime you lay a hand on an official, that should be an automatic ejection; it has been in the past - if a guy is out of control, don't hesitate to eject him, which is what Dean Blandino told the crew in the Giants game.''
Polian urged Blandino and other competition committee members to be pre-emptive, but not to overreact.
''Be proactive about it in terms of knocking this stuff between plays off,'' he says.
''When the whistle blows, go back to the huddle and let's play football. Let's stop the mouthing off and the cheap shots and the posturing that adds nothing to the game.''''And then if a guy is out of hand - first of all, anytime you lay a hand on an official, that should be an automatic ejection; it has been in the past - if a guy is out of control, don't hesitate to eject him, which is what Dean Blandino told the crew in the Giants game.''
Polian urged Blandino and other competition committee members to be pre-emptive, but not to overreact.
''Be proactive about it in terms of knocking this stuff between plays off,'' he says.
Just Another Chicago Bulls Session... Chicago Bulls-Detroit Pistons Preview.
By KEVIN MASSOTH
The Detroit Pistons have shown they can beat anybody, and this season they've made an example of Central Division rival Chicago - though the most recent matchup took a historically long time to reach that conclusion.
One month after playing the longest NBA game in nearly four years, the Bulls visit The Palace on Monday for a rematch with the Pistons.
The first meeting Oct. 30 went to overtime and Detroit (22-18) pulled out a 98-94 home victory that was its fourth in the last five against Chicago (23-16). When the Pistons added another series win Dec. 18, it took the word overtime to another level.
After 3 hours and 24 minutes, Detroit won 147-144 in four extra periods at United Center. It was the 13th NBA game to last at least four overtimes and first since Atlanta beat Utah on March 25, 2012. Eight players logged at least 48 minutes, and each side has seen ups and downs since - Detroit at 6-6 and Chicago at 8-7.
The Pistons, however, just became the league's fourth team to beat Golden State with Saturday's 113-95 win. Reggie Jackson and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope each scored 20 points, and Andre Drummond finished with 14 and 21 rebounds. They held the league's top-scoring team to a season-low 36.2 percent shooting while improving to 14-6 at home.
"I think we know that we're capable of beating anybody," said coach Stan Van Gundy. "The difference between the Golden States, San Antonios, Clevelands of the world and where we are right now, is you've got to do it night after night after night after night after night, and that's our challenge."
Detroit seems to have Chicago figured out after losing 22 of 24 in the series, including 18 in a row from Feb. 2, 2009-March 31, 2013.
Jackson has averaged 24.3 points and 10.0 assists in the last four meetings, while Drummond has dominated a strong Bulls frontcourt with three consecutive 20-rebound games. The league's leading rebounder is averaging 19.8 points and 18.4 boards in the last five of this series.
The Bulls just learned they will likely be without their best inside defender for the rest of the season. Joakim Noah will have surgery to stabilize his separated left shoulder and miss four to six months.
The 2014 NBA Defensive Player of the Year has struggled to a career-low 4.3 points and 8.8 rebounds per game in the final year of his contract, and he may have played his final game with Chicago when he was hurt in Friday's 83-77 loss to Dallas.
Along with losing Noah, the Bulls lost for the fourth time in five games to follow a season-best six-game win streak. Jimmy Butler made just 2 of 11 shots for four points one night after scoring a career-high 53 in a 115-111 overtime victory at Philadelphia.
Butler's 53 matched Golden State's Stephen Curry for the most in the NBA this season. His four, however, matched Tony Parker of San Antonio in 2008 and Vernon Maxwell of Houston in 1991 for the least scored following a 50-point performance since 1963-64.
"He played a ton of minutes (Friday) night in a superhero performance, and yeah, he was tired, no doubt about it," coach Fred Hoiberg said. "But he's out there gutting it out and trying to battle through it."
Butler, leading the league with 38.2 minutes per game, scored what at the time was a career-high 43 last month against the Pistons.
The Bulls are opening a stretch with 10 of 12 coming on the road, where they've dropped six of their last nine.
Fatigued Bulls fall to Mavericks, lose Joakim Noah. (Friday night's game, 01/15/2016).
By Vincent Goodwill
By Vincent Goodwill
Beautiful basketball it was not, but a punchless slugfest was expected when the NBA schedule revealed the Bulls would play four games in five nights, with the Dallas Mavericks being the final opponent during the grueling stretch.
Factor in the previous night’s overtime win against Philadelphia and you had a tired Bulls team. Add in Joakim Noah’s deflating shoulder dislocation in the second quarter and you had an emotionally flat squad.
Veteran Dirk Nowitzki made some key plays down the stretch as the Bulls were teetering to put them away, 83-77, at the United Center.
Noah got tangled up with JaVale McGee underneath the basket early in the second quarter and his audible shriek of pain let everyone in the building know it was more than just a tweak, that he re-injured the shoulder that caused him to miss nine games last month.
The Bulls held it together long enough despite shooting just 37 percent for most of the night, taking a 10-point halftime lead until Nowitzki ended the little thread of rope the Bulls’ hope was hanging by, in hall of fame fashion.
First he blocked a Derrick Rose floater when Rose was trying to tie the game with a little under two minutes remaining. After subsequently setting up Deron Williams for a triple, he hit one of his own in front of Taj Gibson with 2:15 remaining to give the Mavericks a 79-72 lead.
He hit another patented high-arching baseline jumper over Gibson two possessions later to give himself 21 and put some distance between his team and the reeling Bulls.
“No excuses,” Rose said. “We can’t blame that, we have to learn from it. It felt like we had a chance to win.”
The Bulls didn’t help themselves much, shooting two for 19 from 3-point range. Even the good looks came up short. Jimmy Butler missed all four of his attempts while Rose missed his two shots from there.
“I thought we had great looks, especially early,” Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg said. “We gave ourselves opportunities but there seemed to be a lid on the basket for us tonight.”
Rose and Pau Gasol had a little more juice than the rest of their teammates considering they didn’t participate against the 76ers, emphasis on “little more”, as they at times, lacked considerable spunk.
With Jimmy Butler coming off a 53-point performance, it was almost expected his legs would give out and it played true to form. When he got a steal for his first basket, Butler didn’t even rise up for an uncontested dunk—he softly laid it in, conserving the little energy he had.
“You think I was tired? I don’t know,” said Butler with a wry smile for a half-second. “It don’t matter. I didn’t do my job. I was a big part of the “L” tonight.”
Butler finished with just four points on 2 of 11 shooting, as everything came up front rim, a show of fatigue, and he was effectively harassed by Wesley Matthews. Rose scored 18 with four rebounds and two assists while Gasol scored 17 with eight rebounds and four assists in 34 minutes.
“He was tired,” Hoiberg said. “He played a ton of minutes with a superhero performance game, there’s no doubt about it. He was out there trying to battle through it, but it was tough after the overtime game last night.
They were the only two in double figures while Williams scored 18 with six assists for the Mavericks, including four triples. Both teams shot under 40 percent, as Nikola Mirotic and Doug McDermott contributed nothing offensively when called upon.
Mirotic was moved back to the bench in favor of Tony Snell considering his struggles but it didn’t benefit either, likely because of the fatigue but they couldn’t take advantage of the opportunity.
And with Noah’s injury, it’s likely they’ll have more chances to shine, as Fred Hoiberg will have to work magic with the personnel he’s been given—and the start of his task wasn’t pretty.
Bulls: Joakim Noah prognosis 'tough on everybody right now'.
By Mark Strotman
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
The Bulls announced late Saturday that Noah, who separated his left shoulder Friday night against the Dallas Mavericks, will require surgery that will keep him sidelined four to six months. And while the Bulls are familiar with not having Noah in the lineup - he missed nine games with a strained left shoulder - the reality that the emotional leader's season is likely over has been difficult for the Bulls.
"It’s tough. He’s such a passionate kid. He’s a big-time leader of this team. He gives so much energy," Fred Hoiberg said Sunday at the Advocate Center. "Even when he wasn’t playing he was always keeping guys’ spirits up being around here. And I know he’ll continue to do that. I feel bad, the fact that he’s going to have to have a surgical procedure to fix this. But at the end of the day Jo’s going to be fine.
"But it's tough on everybody right now."
Noah wasn't in attendance at practice Sunday and is still seeking opinions on who will perform the surgery, so no timetable has been set for his rehabilitation. Hoiberg said Noah is expected to make a full recovery once the surgery is performed. Both Hoiberg and center Pau Gasol said the team has been messaging Noah, and the hope is his injury won't result in an emotional hangover like the one the team suffered Friday night, scoring 77 points in a home loss to the Mavericks.
"We had some of that," Hoiberg said. "You could see it in the second half, just seeing Jo at halftime. He was obviously very down and our guys, each one of them went in and talked to him. Hopefully you get that out of the way and now you can focus at the task at hand."
They won't have any time to let up with a difficult stretch in front of them that includes 10 of their next 12 on the road, and six of the next seven against teams with winning records.
"We have a tough stretch coming up, we understand that," Gasol said. "A lot of difficult games, but we have played better when the challenge has been bigger. So let’s see if we can dig in and all work as a unit and really take this challenge as an opportunity to prove what we’re made of and how far we can get."
Hoiberg acknowledged that rookie Bobby Portis will have an increased role in Noah's absence. When Noah missed nine games between December and January, the Bulls' first round pick showed promise, averaging 7.7 points and 7.0 rebounds in 20.5 minutes per game. Portis has averaged just 7.4 minutes in the last four games since Noah's return but again will see a considerable jump and be asked to anchor the Bulls' second unit frontcourt. Hoiberg also mentioned that Cam Bairstow and undrafted rookie Cristiano Felicio may also be called upon to eat up minutes. Bairstow has appeared in just eight games, while the 6-foot-10 Felicio has played four minutes in two games while shuffling to and from the D-League.
"I think knowing you’re going to be out there for an extended period probably will help with (consistency). Bobby, again, his minutes have been up and down.
Obviously not being in the rotation early and then going out and taking advantage of minutes when a couple guys were out, and now being back in that role," Hoiberg said. "There’s some guys that haven’t really played at all that will need to be ready, and I’m confident those guys will do that.
"Everybody’s got to be ready to fill in for what Jo gave us, which was a lot. Our best low post defender, one of our best playmakers on our team, a guy that always generates ball movement when he’s out on the floor and just passion and energy. And that’s going to have to be picked up by the group collectively, that’s not just one guy."
Mike Dunleavy gets in non-contact work
Mike Dunleavy was seen running at practice Sunday at the Advocate Center. He was also working with assistant coach Jim Boylen on defensive drills for the portion of practice open to the media. And while Hoiberg said Dunleavy still isn't ready for contact, he's pleased with the sharpshooter's progress.
"Mike did some non-contact stuff today. He was out there, did some of our 5-on-0 stuff, some of the defensive shell work, he was out there participating in that," Hoiberg said. "Still no contact for Mike. Hope to get him on the floor doing some contact work in the next couple weeks."
Trade doesn't appear likely for Bulls
Hoiberg said a trade doesn't appear likely for the Bulls in the wake of Noah's injury.
The Bulls were rumored to have been shopping Noah, an unrestricted free agent at season's end, as well as Taj Gibson. And while the team has a need for a wing, losing Noah suddenly thins the frontcourt.
"You’re always listening and making calls," he said, "but I don’t think there’s anything serious out there."
Cubs still in position to make the big trade when they need it.
By Patrick Mooney
Plan A would be the best way to describe this offseason, the Cubs getting exactly what they felt they needed to augment a 97-win team in John Lackey, Ben Zobrist and Jason Heyward.
That $272 million spending spree only cost money and two draft picks, meaning the Cubs will plan for worst-case scenarios and can still make the big trade when they absolutely need it.
That day is coming. But the star-studded cast that needed security to move around the Sheraton Grand Chicago over the weekend will largely be the same group that reports to Arizona in February.
This is Year 5 for the Theo Epstein administration and the Cubs still haven’t really sacrificed an elite prospect in assembling a team that advanced to the National League Championship Series last season.
“We were trying to acquire as much young talent as we could,” said Jason McLeod, the senior vice president of scouting and player development, as Cubs Convention shut down on Sunday. “But I think we’re in that area now where we do have volume.
“We have some prospects and we have guys that are blocked, so to speak, when you look at the corners with Kris (Bryant) and ‘Rizz’ (Anthony Rizzo). We’ve got a really good everyday lineup up there. (So) I think we certainly would be more open to it now.”
Epstein called the odds of pulling off a major trade this month “pretty slim” and said: “It’s more likely than not that we’re done with any significant moves.”
At least until the Cubs get past Opening Day and see how Jake Arrieta responds after throwing almost 250 innings during his Cy Young Award year, whether or not outfielder Jorge Soler can stay healthy and if Joe Maddon’s bullpen needs another power arm.
“There’s no doubt we’ve transitioned,” Epstein said, “(from) that phase where we’ve been building through the minor leagues almost exclusively to get them to Wrigley and form a core that we can build around.
“There are more players coming who are going to make an impact in Wrigley. But I do think we have surplus in certain areas. And as we get into the 2016 season, we know things are going to go wrong. We know guys are going to get hurt. We know needs are going to arise.
“We like to have the ability to adjust midstream, because we’re not smart enough to know exactly how we’re going to have to fix the team. But we probably know we are going to have to fix certain areas.
“We’re going to probably dip into our minor-league system, at times, and make trades and try to make the 2016 team better midstream, so we can win eight more games than we did last year.”
The Cubs didn’t have the financial flexibility or the frontline pitching prospects or the stomach to make a huge trade before the July 31 deadline last summer.
The Cubs were a third-place team at that point and the reasonable position figured to be: Why go all-in for a coin-flip wild-card game? That group caught fire in August, September and early October and there are only World Series expectations now.
So the Cubs continue to be linked in trade rumors, but as Epstein said: “That’s not our fault.”
If the Tampa Bay Rays were that serious about making a deal, president of baseball operations Matt Silverman probably wouldn’t be talking about the Cubs on MLB Network Radio.
It’s also fair to wonder how much the Rays would actually want to help the Cubs after pushing so hard for MLB to investigate the Maddon hire, turning the manager’s contractual opt-out right into a tampering case.
“We’re very happy with our roster right now,” general manager Jed Hoyer said. “It fits our manager really well. We have tons of guys he can move all over the field. We have a lot of versatile pitchers.
“If we had to go to Mesa tomorrow, we’d be OK with that. If something makes sense over the next month and makes us better, obviously, we’ll do it. But we’re not looking for big changes.”
Lackey is the 200-innings workhorse with two World Series rings, a take-charge attitude and a sense of urgency at the age of 37.
Zobrist is Maddon’s super-utility guy and the clutch hitter who helped turn the Kansas City Royals into champions after a midseason trade from the Oakland A’s.
Heyward is a three-time Gold Glove outfielder whose teams have averaged almost 92 wins during his first six seasons in the big leagues – and he’s still only 26.
But the Cubs can’t count on being as lucky and as healthy as they were last year, and all these young players won’t automatically stay on this upward trajectory.
Willson Contreras – who won a Southern League batting title last year and will begin this season at Triple-A Iowa – is projected as a frontline catcher in the majors and essentially viewed as untouchable. Gleyber Torres – the 19-year-old shortstop who got a $1.7 million bonus out of Venezuela – would also probably be in that off-limits category.
But scan the rest of Baseball America’s top-10 list and you see first-round picks Ian Happ and Albert Almora – plus outfielders Billy McKinney and Eloy Jimenez and third baseman Jeimer Candelario – in what Epstein still believes is at least a top-third farm system.
Even after winning the offseason, the Cubs still understand they will eventually have to give up future assets to get the missing pieces for a World Series contender.
Cubs strengthening security at Wrigley Field after Paris attacks.
By Patrick Mooney
The nightmare scenario for the Cubs at Wrigley Field would be the terrorist attacks that besieged Paris two months ago, when explosions went off outside Stade de France during the French national team’s soccer match against Germany.
The agenda for Major League Baseball’s ownership meetings next week in South Florida includes a briefing from the Department of Homeland Security, trying to protect the business and prevent that kind of large-scale attack.
President of business operations Crane Kenney said the Cubs are installing metal detectors for this season at Wrigley Field and working with City Hall to try to shut down Clark and Addison on gamedays and control the streets around the iconic ballpark.
“Certainly, Paris got everyone’s attention,” Kenney said during a Cubs Convention presentation on Saturday at the Sheraton Grand Chicago. “Large venues like Wrigley Field are targets. And we got to do everything we can to protect our fans, our players and our neighborhood.”
In another safety measure, the Cubs will also extend the netting to the inside edge of the home-plate side of the dugouts, trying to shield fans from foul balls. A stadium that had been literally falling apart in certain spots is getting something close to a $600 million facelift with this Wrigleyville project.
The Cubs don’t know where the next threats might come from — Wrigley Field had to be evacuated postgame after a bomb threat last August — but the Paris attacks rattled Kenney.
“The thing that used to keep me awake all night was the concrete and steel in our ballpark, which we’re fixing,” Kenney said. “The thing that keeps me awake all night now is the crazy times we live in.
“The next morning, I rounded my team up and I said: ‘Listen, we got to talk about what we do next.’ We hired a consultant. We went to the league for help. Because we play in such a tight urban environment, we’re not surrounded by a sea of parking lots like a lot of (other) ballparks.
“If you go to Dodger Stadium, they control their perimeter for hundreds and hundreds of yards. And they know who’s there and can really ring fence (to control) who gets close to the ballpark and who doesn’t. We don’t have that advantage.”
Club officials are lobbying the city for control of a 100-foot perimeter in each direction of the ballpark at a time when the Cubs are becoming a version of America’s Team and anticipating regular crowds of 40,000, plus Wrigleyville’s carnival atmosphere.
“We already have Sheffield and Waveland closed,” Kenney said. “We’re now talking about what we do on Clark and Addison and whether those should only be open to city traffic, meaning emergency vehicles, police and buses.
“You’ve all been there on Addison — you’re six feet from the ballpark. That sidewalk’s six-feet wide. We would love to know who’s driving what and what they are doing next to the ballpark while the games are going on.”
That $272 million spending spree only cost money and two draft picks, meaning the Cubs will plan for worst-case scenarios and can still make the big trade when they absolutely need it.
That day is coming. But the star-studded cast that needed security to move around the Sheraton Grand Chicago over the weekend will largely be the same group that reports to Arizona in February.
This is Year 5 for the Theo Epstein administration and the Cubs still haven’t really sacrificed an elite prospect in assembling a team that advanced to the National League Championship Series last season.
“We were trying to acquire as much young talent as we could,” said Jason McLeod, the senior vice president of scouting and player development, as Cubs Convention shut down on Sunday. “But I think we’re in that area now where we do have volume.
“We have some prospects and we have guys that are blocked, so to speak, when you look at the corners with Kris (Bryant) and ‘Rizz’ (Anthony Rizzo). We’ve got a really good everyday lineup up there. (So) I think we certainly would be more open to it now.”
Epstein called the odds of pulling off a major trade this month “pretty slim” and said: “It’s more likely than not that we’re done with any significant moves.”
At least until the Cubs get past Opening Day and see how Jake Arrieta responds after throwing almost 250 innings during his Cy Young Award year, whether or not outfielder Jorge Soler can stay healthy and if Joe Maddon’s bullpen needs another power arm.
“There’s no doubt we’ve transitioned,” Epstein said, “(from) that phase where we’ve been building through the minor leagues almost exclusively to get them to Wrigley and form a core that we can build around.
“There are more players coming who are going to make an impact in Wrigley. But I do think we have surplus in certain areas. And as we get into the 2016 season, we know things are going to go wrong. We know guys are going to get hurt. We know needs are going to arise.
“We like to have the ability to adjust midstream, because we’re not smart enough to know exactly how we’re going to have to fix the team. But we probably know we are going to have to fix certain areas.
“We’re going to probably dip into our minor-league system, at times, and make trades and try to make the 2016 team better midstream, so we can win eight more games than we did last year.”
The Cubs didn’t have the financial flexibility or the frontline pitching prospects or the stomach to make a huge trade before the July 31 deadline last summer.
The Cubs were a third-place team at that point and the reasonable position figured to be: Why go all-in for a coin-flip wild-card game? That group caught fire in August, September and early October and there are only World Series expectations now.
So the Cubs continue to be linked in trade rumors, but as Epstein said: “That’s not our fault.”
If the Tampa Bay Rays were that serious about making a deal, president of baseball operations Matt Silverman probably wouldn’t be talking about the Cubs on MLB Network Radio.
It’s also fair to wonder how much the Rays would actually want to help the Cubs after pushing so hard for MLB to investigate the Maddon hire, turning the manager’s contractual opt-out right into a tampering case.
“We’re very happy with our roster right now,” general manager Jed Hoyer said. “It fits our manager really well. We have tons of guys he can move all over the field. We have a lot of versatile pitchers.
“If we had to go to Mesa tomorrow, we’d be OK with that. If something makes sense over the next month and makes us better, obviously, we’ll do it. But we’re not looking for big changes.”
Lackey is the 200-innings workhorse with two World Series rings, a take-charge attitude and a sense of urgency at the age of 37.
Zobrist is Maddon’s super-utility guy and the clutch hitter who helped turn the Kansas City Royals into champions after a midseason trade from the Oakland A’s.
Heyward is a three-time Gold Glove outfielder whose teams have averaged almost 92 wins during his first six seasons in the big leagues – and he’s still only 26.
But the Cubs can’t count on being as lucky and as healthy as they were last year, and all these young players won’t automatically stay on this upward trajectory.
Willson Contreras – who won a Southern League batting title last year and will begin this season at Triple-A Iowa – is projected as a frontline catcher in the majors and essentially viewed as untouchable. Gleyber Torres – the 19-year-old shortstop who got a $1.7 million bonus out of Venezuela – would also probably be in that off-limits category.
But scan the rest of Baseball America’s top-10 list and you see first-round picks Ian Happ and Albert Almora – plus outfielders Billy McKinney and Eloy Jimenez and third baseman Jeimer Candelario – in what Epstein still believes is at least a top-third farm system.
Even after winning the offseason, the Cubs still understand they will eventually have to give up future assets to get the missing pieces for a World Series contender.
Cubs strengthening security at Wrigley Field after Paris attacks.
By Patrick Mooney
The nightmare scenario for the Cubs at Wrigley Field would be the terrorist attacks that besieged Paris two months ago, when explosions went off outside Stade de France during the French national team’s soccer match against Germany.
The agenda for Major League Baseball’s ownership meetings next week in South Florida includes a briefing from the Department of Homeland Security, trying to protect the business and prevent that kind of large-scale attack.
President of business operations Crane Kenney said the Cubs are installing metal detectors for this season at Wrigley Field and working with City Hall to try to shut down Clark and Addison on gamedays and control the streets around the iconic ballpark.
“Certainly, Paris got everyone’s attention,” Kenney said during a Cubs Convention presentation on Saturday at the Sheraton Grand Chicago. “Large venues like Wrigley Field are targets. And we got to do everything we can to protect our fans, our players and our neighborhood.”
In another safety measure, the Cubs will also extend the netting to the inside edge of the home-plate side of the dugouts, trying to shield fans from foul balls. A stadium that had been literally falling apart in certain spots is getting something close to a $600 million facelift with this Wrigleyville project.
The Cubs don’t know where the next threats might come from — Wrigley Field had to be evacuated postgame after a bomb threat last August — but the Paris attacks rattled Kenney.
“The thing that used to keep me awake all night was the concrete and steel in our ballpark, which we’re fixing,” Kenney said. “The thing that keeps me awake all night now is the crazy times we live in.
“The next morning, I rounded my team up and I said: ‘Listen, we got to talk about what we do next.’ We hired a consultant. We went to the league for help. Because we play in such a tight urban environment, we’re not surrounded by a sea of parking lots like a lot of (other) ballparks.
“If you go to Dodger Stadium, they control their perimeter for hundreds and hundreds of yards. And they know who’s there and can really ring fence (to control) who gets close to the ballpark and who doesn’t. We don’t have that advantage.”
Club officials are lobbying the city for control of a 100-foot perimeter in each direction of the ballpark at a time when the Cubs are becoming a version of America’s Team and anticipating regular crowds of 40,000, plus Wrigleyville’s carnival atmosphere.
“We already have Sheffield and Waveland closed,” Kenney said. “We’re now talking about what we do on Clark and Addison and whether those should only be open to city traffic, meaning emergency vehicles, police and buses.
“You’ve all been there on Addison — you’re six feet from the ballpark. That sidewalk’s six-feet wide. We would love to know who’s driving what and what they are doing next to the ballpark while the games are going on.”
White Sox: Three players with most to prove in 2016.
By John Paschall
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
February 19th (the first Spring Training workout for White Sox pitchers and catchers) can't get here soon enough.
While everyone at U.S. Cellular Field wants to wash out the bad taste from the 2015 season, there are some players that have a lot to prove. We know about the veterans that are in need of bounce back seasons, but there are younger players who need to make a statement to the front office in 2016 about their role with the franchise going forward.
Here are three players that have the most to gain (or lose) in 2016 for the White Sox:
Tyler Saladino: Barring any other dramatic roster changes, Saladino will be the only position player in the White Sox Opening Day lineup that came through the team's farm system. Saladino will be faced with the task of replacing Alexei Ramirez, who was extremely durable for the South Siders at shortstop since he took over in 2008, and buying top prospect Tim Anderson more time to develop. Anderson (.312/.350/.459 in Double-A) seems to still be making progress in the minors but isn't quite ready to take the starting job at the big leagues just yet. Saladino showed he needs to be on the field because of his defense (something the White Sox lacked last year). He came back down to earth at the plate (just five hits in his final 40 plate appearances) after coming up hot from the minors. The 2016 season will allow Saladino to show whether he's capable of holding down a starting spot and whether his bat is more like his first 18 games (.260/.313/.397) or last 18 games (.135/.200/.297).
Erik Johnson: There's a spot to be had at the end of the White Sox rotation, and it has Johnson's name all over it. The Most Valuable Pitcher of the International League in 2015 was "Mr. Solo Home Run" when he came up to the majors, giving up eight home runs with six of them being one-run bombs. But outside of that, Johnson pitched well in six starts (3-1, 3.34 ERA 1.40 WHIP). While it's not the end of the world, the Sox would surely love to have at least one right-hander in their rotation (LHPs Chris Sale, Carlos Rodon, Jose Quintana and John Danks likely taking the other spots). Johnson, like Saladino, could ease some of the pressure off another Sox top prospect, Carson Fulmer. If Johnson is pitching well, there's less of a rush to bring Fulmer up like the Sox did with Rodon. The 2015 first-round pick could either spend more time developing in the minors or be used in a bullpen role if he truly proves to be ready. Regardless, Johnson has the opportunity to make a big impression if he can lock down a spot in 2016 and going forward.
Avisail Garcia: Piece to build around? Or fourth outfielder? That's what 2016 should (hopefully) decide for Garcia. His first full (and reasonably healthy) season in the majors saw average results both in the field (even with a few home-run robbing catches) and at the plate (.257/.309/.365 13 HR 59 RBI). With the White Sox reportedly in pursuit of other free agent outfielders, it seems as if he could be a candidate to be the team's starting designated hitter and the Sox need all the pop in the middle of the lineup they can get to surround Jose Abreu. But it's clear Garcia needs to live up to his potential at the plate sooner rather than later.
While everyone at U.S. Cellular Field wants to wash out the bad taste from the 2015 season, there are some players that have a lot to prove. We know about the veterans that are in need of bounce back seasons, but there are younger players who need to make a statement to the front office in 2016 about their role with the franchise going forward.
Here are three players that have the most to gain (or lose) in 2016 for the White Sox:
Tyler Saladino: Barring any other dramatic roster changes, Saladino will be the only position player in the White Sox Opening Day lineup that came through the team's farm system. Saladino will be faced with the task of replacing Alexei Ramirez, who was extremely durable for the South Siders at shortstop since he took over in 2008, and buying top prospect Tim Anderson more time to develop. Anderson (.312/.350/.459 in Double-A) seems to still be making progress in the minors but isn't quite ready to take the starting job at the big leagues just yet. Saladino showed he needs to be on the field because of his defense (something the White Sox lacked last year). He came back down to earth at the plate (just five hits in his final 40 plate appearances) after coming up hot from the minors. The 2016 season will allow Saladino to show whether he's capable of holding down a starting spot and whether his bat is more like his first 18 games (.260/.313/.397) or last 18 games (.135/.200/.297).
Erik Johnson: There's a spot to be had at the end of the White Sox rotation, and it has Johnson's name all over it. The Most Valuable Pitcher of the International League in 2015 was "Mr. Solo Home Run" when he came up to the majors, giving up eight home runs with six of them being one-run bombs. But outside of that, Johnson pitched well in six starts (3-1, 3.34 ERA 1.40 WHIP). While it's not the end of the world, the Sox would surely love to have at least one right-hander in their rotation (LHPs Chris Sale, Carlos Rodon, Jose Quintana and John Danks likely taking the other spots). Johnson, like Saladino, could ease some of the pressure off another Sox top prospect, Carson Fulmer. If Johnson is pitching well, there's less of a rush to bring Fulmer up like the Sox did with Rodon. The 2015 first-round pick could either spend more time developing in the minors or be used in a bullpen role if he truly proves to be ready. Regardless, Johnson has the opportunity to make a big impression if he can lock down a spot in 2016 and going forward.
Avisail Garcia: Piece to build around? Or fourth outfielder? That's what 2016 should (hopefully) decide for Garcia. His first full (and reasonably healthy) season in the majors saw average results both in the field (even with a few home-run robbing catches) and at the plate (.257/.309/.365 13 HR 59 RBI). With the White Sox reportedly in pursuit of other free agent outfielders, it seems as if he could be a candidate to be the team's starting designated hitter and the Sox need all the pop in the middle of the lineup they can get to surround Jose Abreu. But it's clear Garcia needs to live up to his potential at the plate sooner rather than later.
Golf: I got a club for that..... Fabian Gomez wins Sony Open on 2nd playoff hole against Snedeker.
By Ryan Ballengee
(Photo/Golf Channel)
Fabian Gomez is a two-time PGA Tour winner, taking the Sony Open in Hawaii on Sunday on the second hole of a sudden-death playoff against Brandt Snedeker.
Playing the par-5 18th at Waialae Country Club in Honolulu for the third time that day, Gomez scored his second birdie, building on the first that he made on the 72nd hole of regulation that landed him in overtime with a 20-under 260 total. Snedeker, who shot 66 in the final round, had a chance to match Gomez on the second playoff hole with a 10-foot birdie putt of his own, but the putt never scared the hole.
Gomez's birdie on the final hole of regulation capped off a closing 8-under 62, which included a streak of seven consecutive birdies, the second-longest final-round streak ever posted by a PGA Tour winner. However, after putting his seventh-straight circle in a row on the card, Gomez made back-to-back bogeys, turning a possible run at 59 into a shaky chance to win. The 37-year-old came on strong, however, not only making a birdie at the last but also at the par-3 17th.
Now Gomez has wins in consecutive years, building on last year's four-shot win at the FedEx St. Jude Classic.
However, it's unlikely many people saw this follow-up win coming. In the 13 PGA Tour starts since the Argentinian's win last June, he had finished in the top 10 just once -- last week when he was T-6 in the 32-player Hyundai Tournament of Champions.
Zac Blair, who shared the 54-hole lead with Snedeker, came up a shot short of getting into the playoff. His 280-yard second shot to the 18th wound up just 10 feet away for a tying eagle. The putt didn't drop, however, leaving the 25-year-old BYU product at 19 under par.
Augusta National chairman Payne thinks Woods will win again.
By Ryan Ballengee
Do not count Augusta National chairman Billy Payne among the Tiger Woods doubters.
In an interview with Golfweek, Payne, who is celebrating 10 years as chairman of the club, was asked if he thinks Woods will return to the game. Payne took his answer a step further. He thinks the four-time Masters winner will again someday find himself in the winner's circle.
"I’ve answered that question a thousand times the last several years, and I have predicted not only will we see him back, we’ll see him win again," Payne said. "He’s that extraordinary a talent. I know he’s had a lot of medical issues, but he’s just so good. So yes, we’ll see Tiger re-emerge as a great player, certainly."
Woods has not played competitively since finishing tied for 10th, his best finish of the year, at the Wyndham Championship in August in what amounted to a last-ditch effort to make the PGA Tour's FedEx Cup playoffs. That week, Woods experienced pain he attributed to his hip. However, when he went to his Utah surgeon for a routine check-up, the pain was pinpointed to the same area of his back where he had a microdiscectomy performed in March 2014. Woods had a second microdiscectomy done in September and a follow-up surgery in October.
In December at the Hero World Challenge, which benefits his foundation, Woods said there is no timetable for his return and that he hasn't started significant physical rehab. Since then, Woods has offered little indication of his progress.
Mickelson 'nervous,' but optimistic about 2016 season.
By Will Gray
(Photo/golfchannel.com)
Amateurs and hackers alike, take note: even the best in the game get nervous.
Phil Mickelson failed to win last year on Tour, and he did not advance to the Tour Championship for the second straight season. As he looks to make his first start since the Presidents Cup at next week's CareerBuilder Challenge, the 45-year-old admitted that there are still some butterflies to battle heading into his season debut.
"My last two years have been disappointing to me, and I want to make this upcoming year one of the best years possible," Mickelson said Wednesday on "Morning Drive." "I'm optimistic, but I'm also nervous because it's been a little while since I've played to the level I expect to."
There is a lot to focus on this year. In addition to the Masters at it's normal Augusta National grounds, the U.S. Open will take place at Oakmont Country Club, the Open Championship at Royal Troon and the PGA Championship at Baltusrol Golf Club, where Mickelson won in 2005. Also part of a crowded scheduled are the Ryder Cup at Hazeltine National and golf's return to the Olympics in Rio.
Mickelson hasn't won since the 2013 Open Championship, and that drought in part led him to make a coaching change last fall. Lefty split with longtime instructor Butch Harmon, instead tabbing Australian instructor Andrew Getson as the man to help get him back on track. Based on Mickelson's comments, one area of off-season focus is clearly evident.
NASCAR: Tulsa police investigating case of Tony Stewart, heckler.
Phil Mickelson failed to win last year on Tour, and he did not advance to the Tour Championship for the second straight season. As he looks to make his first start since the Presidents Cup at next week's CareerBuilder Challenge, the 45-year-old admitted that there are still some butterflies to battle heading into his season debut.
"My last two years have been disappointing to me, and I want to make this upcoming year one of the best years possible," Mickelson said Wednesday on "Morning Drive." "I'm optimistic, but I'm also nervous because it's been a little while since I've played to the level I expect to."
There is a lot to focus on this year. In addition to the Masters at it's normal Augusta National grounds, the U.S. Open will take place at Oakmont Country Club, the Open Championship at Royal Troon and the PGA Championship at Baltusrol Golf Club, where Mickelson won in 2005. Also part of a crowded scheduled are the Ryder Cup at Hazeltine National and golf's return to the Olympics in Rio.
Mickelson hasn't won since the 2013 Open Championship, and that drought in part led him to make a coaching change last fall. Lefty split with longtime instructor Butch Harmon, instead tabbing Australian instructor Andrew Getson as the man to help get him back on track. Based on Mickelson's comments, one area of off-season focus is clearly evident.
"When I analyze it and look objectively, my swing plane has not been what I need it to be," he said. "I've been having to save so many shots at impact with my hands, and if I can get my swing back on plane, and have very little adjustments at impact, then my feel, and my touch, and my shot-making ability will hopefully come back."
Another area that has received attention from Mickelson in recent months has been the stat sheet, and specifically par-4 scoring. He finished 114th on Tour last season in that category, a significant decline after finishing 24th in par-4 scoring in 2014 and 27th in 2013. He noted that par-4 birdie percentage is a statistic that "means the most" to him when evaluating his overall play.
"It's telling me that I'm getting the ball in play, or close enough to the green to where I can make birdies," he said. "So leading in par-4 birdies is I think one of the most important statistics, because we also have so many of them throughout a round, and that has been not the strength that it usually is in my career."
After his appearance in Palm Springs, Mickelson's West Coast swing is also slated to include stops at the Waste Management Phoenix Open and AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am in upcoming weeks. Despite the early-season jitters, he remains optimistic that a new year and a new instructor will mark a turnaround in his performance.
"I'm hopeful that this off-season, the work I've put in, will get my swing back on the plane that it has been in the past," he said, "and allow me to hit the shots I've been able to hit as I did in the past."
"It's telling me that I'm getting the ball in play, or close enough to the green to where I can make birdies," he said. "So leading in par-4 birdies is I think one of the most important statistics, because we also have so many of them throughout a round, and that has been not the strength that it usually is in my career."
After his appearance in Palm Springs, Mickelson's West Coast swing is also slated to include stops at the Waste Management Phoenix Open and AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am in upcoming weeks. Despite the early-season jitters, he remains optimistic that a new year and a new instructor will mark a turnaround in his performance.
"I'm hopeful that this off-season, the work I've put in, will get my swing back on the plane that it has been in the past," he said, "and allow me to hit the shots I've been able to hit as I did in the past."
NASCAR: Tulsa police investigating case of Tony Stewart, heckler.
By KURT VOIGT
Police are investigating after an off-duty officer heckled NASCAR star Tony Stewart and was confronted by the driver.
The confrontation happened Friday night at the weeklong Chili Bowl dirt-track racing event at the Tulsa Expo Center.
The heckler was Cpl. Kyle Hess with the sheriff's office, the Tulsa County Sheriff's Office said. Sheriff's Deputy Justin Green said the investigation likely will finish after the weekend and his office is expected to release a statement then.
Cellphone videos from fans posted online shortly afterward show Stewart and the fan locking hands and engaging in heated conversation. The videos show Stewart going into the stands. Hess fell backward after a security guard stepped between the two, though Stewart continued to talk to a seated Hess.
Green said that after looking at the video he doubts charges will be filed against the 44-year-old driver or Hess.
''Of course, there may be other details that are still out there other than that video,'' he said.
Stewart works on track preparation during the weeklong event, which he won as a driver in 2002 and 2007. The three-time NASCAR champion, who will retire from NASCAR following the 2016 season, couldn't be immediately reached for comment.
Stewart was 25th in the standings last season and failed to qualify for the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship for a third consecutive year.
He missed a third of the 2013 season after breaking his leg in a sprint car crash. In 2014, he struck and killed a racer, Kevin Ward Jr., who had left his car during the race in New York. Stewart avoided criminal charges but faces a civil suit from Ward's family.
Introducing NASCAR’s 2016 Drive for Diversity Class members.
By Jerry Bonkowski
As it enters its 13th season, NASCAR’s Drive for Diversity program announced Friday the six drivers that will be a part of the program this year.
The program is a partnership between NASCAR and Rev Racing, which places Drive of Diversity drivers with teams to run a full-time season in either the K&N Pro Series or Whelen All-American Series.
“The goal of our program is to keep building upon our successes with every new class we select,” said Max Siegel, CEO of Rev Racing. “We are excited with the momentum built in 2015 with several D4D drivers reaching career milestones.
“This year’s class has a tough job ahead of them and we look forward to providing them with all the tools necessary to achieve individual and collective success.”
A number of drivers who are making their marks in the Camping World and Xfinity Series have come through the program, including Sprint Cup driver Kyle Larson, Xfinity Series drivers Daniel Suarez and Darrell Wallace Jr. and former IndyCar driver and current team owner Sarah Fisher.
In addition, Drive for Diversity helps minorities and females be a part of racing as crew members for teams. Mike Russell, Jackman for last year’s Xfinity champion Chris Buescher, was the first African-American graduate of the program to win a championship. He’s also one of 25 graduates of the Crew Member Development Program to pit for a national series team in 2015.
This year’s driver class was chosen from October’s combine. They will be formally introduced at the Charlotte Convention Center on January 19, as part of the annual NASCAR Media Tour.
Rev Racing will field four teams in the K&N Pro Series East and two others in the Whelen All-American Series.
This year’s class:
Collin Cabre: After a first year with D4D in which he won the season finale at Dover International Speedway and finished in the top 10, the 22-year-old from Tampa, Florida, will again compete in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East.
Rubén Garcia Jr.: At age 20, the Mexico City native won four races in the NASCAR Mexico Series en route to his first NASCAR championship last season. He brings his talents to the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East for his rookie season with Rev Racing.
Jairo Avila: The 20-year-old Colombian-American from Alhambra, California, made his NASCAR K&N Pro Series West debut in 2014 and achieved four top-10 finishes in five starts with his family-run team. He will compete in the K&N Pro Series East.
Ali Kern: The 22-year-old from Fremont, Ohio, was the 2013 ARCA/CRA Super Series Powered by JEGS Rookie of the Year and championship runner-up. Kern will compete in the K&N Pro Series East in 2016.
Enrique Baca: Baca, 24, resides in Monterrey, Mexico, and posted a second-place finish at Queretaro in the Super Copa Telcel before finishing 12th overall in points in 2015. He will compete in the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series.
Juan Garcia: Originally from Bogota, Colombia, Garcia, 18, earned the 2015 Wendell Scott Trailblazer Award for his competitiveness in the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series. He will continue to race in the series this season with Rev Racing.
Since it began fielding cars for Drive for Diversity in 2010, Rev Racing has amassed 17 wins with six different drivers in the K&N Pro Series East.
SOCCER: Liverpool 0-1 Manchester United: Rooney breaks wasteful Liverpool’s hearts.
The program is a partnership between NASCAR and Rev Racing, which places Drive of Diversity drivers with teams to run a full-time season in either the K&N Pro Series or Whelen All-American Series.
“The goal of our program is to keep building upon our successes with every new class we select,” said Max Siegel, CEO of Rev Racing. “We are excited with the momentum built in 2015 with several D4D drivers reaching career milestones.
“This year’s class has a tough job ahead of them and we look forward to providing them with all the tools necessary to achieve individual and collective success.”
A number of drivers who are making their marks in the Camping World and Xfinity Series have come through the program, including Sprint Cup driver Kyle Larson, Xfinity Series drivers Daniel Suarez and Darrell Wallace Jr. and former IndyCar driver and current team owner Sarah Fisher.
In addition, Drive for Diversity helps minorities and females be a part of racing as crew members for teams. Mike Russell, Jackman for last year’s Xfinity champion Chris Buescher, was the first African-American graduate of the program to win a championship. He’s also one of 25 graduates of the Crew Member Development Program to pit for a national series team in 2015.
This year’s driver class was chosen from October’s combine. They will be formally introduced at the Charlotte Convention Center on January 19, as part of the annual NASCAR Media Tour.
Rev Racing will field four teams in the K&N Pro Series East and two others in the Whelen All-American Series.
This year’s class:
Collin Cabre: After a first year with D4D in which he won the season finale at Dover International Speedway and finished in the top 10, the 22-year-old from Tampa, Florida, will again compete in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East.Rubén Garcia Jr.: At age 20, the Mexico City native won four races in the NASCAR Mexico Series en route to his first NASCAR championship last season. He brings his talents to the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East for his rookie season with Rev Racing.Jairo Avila: The 20-year-old Colombian-American from Alhambra, California, made his NASCAR K&N Pro Series West debut in 2014 and achieved four top-10 finishes in five starts with his family-run team. He will compete in the K&N Pro Series East.Ali Kern: The 22-year-old from Fremont, Ohio, was the 2013 ARCA/CRA Super Series Powered by JEGS Rookie of the Year and championship runner-up. Kern will compete in the K&N Pro Series East in 2016.Enrique Baca: Baca, 24, resides in Monterrey, Mexico, and posted a second-place finish at Queretaro in the Super Copa Telcel before finishing 12th overall in points in 2015. He will compete in the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series. Juan Garcia: Originally from Bogota, Colombia, Garcia, 18, earned the 2015 Wendell Scott Trailblazer Award for his competitiveness in the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series. He will continue to race in the series this season with Rev Racing. Since it began fielding cars for Drive for Diversity in 2010, Rev Racing has amassed 17 wins with six different drivers in the K&N Pro Series East.
SOCCER: Liverpool 0-1 Manchester United: Rooney breaks wasteful Liverpool’s hearts.
By Kyle Bonn
(Photo/zonabola.com)
Liverpool battered Manchester United for over an hour. The visitors weathered the storm and came away with all three points.
Wayne Rooney scored his first goal at Anfield since 2005 in the 78th minute and the Red Devils topped Liverpool 1-0 despite a massive shot disparity thanks to Liverpool’s endless pressing.
Both teams started off with high intensity but low risk in the opening few minutes. The first big chance came in the 10th minute when a long ball over the top fell right to a breaking Adam Lallana who had split the center backs. Lallana tried to touch the ball over a charging David De Gea, and while the initial effort was saved, it came back to Lallana and his touch found Philippe Coutinho whose low shot hit the post and skittered wide.
Liverpool took control of the attacking play, and tempers flared as Marouane Fellaini and Lucas got into it on the touchline, helping to add to the tense nature of the match.
The game progressed as players showcased a number of creative ideas, but few of them also had the needed execution to go with it. Anthony Martial cut the ball through the Liverpool defense to find Ander Herrera on 30 minutes but his shot went well wide. A minute later Liverpool broke out a sexy bit of one-touch passing in the box but Jordan Henderson put it across the face of goal just wide.
The movement of the Liverpool midfield gave United defenders all kinds of troubles, but the Reds couldn’t get a good shot off. Firmino had a brilliant chance to put an effort on net on the break in the 38th minute but failed to pull the trigger and the defense recovered. On the other end, United’s passing was sloppy and they struggled to create anything in front of goal.
Not much changed after halftime, as Liverpool continued to create with few results. Lallana found Emre Can at a tight angle, but his shot was saved by De Gea’s right leg. The Reds press held the United midfield at bay, and the visitors had little going forward. Their first real chance came on 56 minutes as Rooney fumbled a good find from substitute Cameron Borthwick-Jackson but picked out Anthony Martial, but his shot from a tight angle went wide.
The home side thought they were in on 65 minutes as Emre Can burst forward and produced a superb shot that locked onto the far corner, but De Gea matched it with a full-stretch save, and he recovered in time to palm the rebound shot from Firmino as well.
Van Gaal brought on Juan Mata as Manchester United looked for any kind of attacking presence against Liverpool’s tireless press. It would come on 78 minutes. They earned a corner, and it was played short to Mata who sent in a pinpoint cross that met the towering head of Fellaini. The initial effort clattered the crossbar, but the rebound fell to Rooney who athletically twisted his hips around to unleash a powerful volley, roofing the ball into the back of the net for a late 1-0 lead.
Liverpool poured players forward in a desperate attempt to even things up, but it was to no avail. Manchester United pulled out all three points and move up to fifth place with 37 points, opening a six-point gap above Liverpool who remains in ninth with 31 points.
Stoke City 0-0 Arsenal: Cech spectacular to keep out dangerous Potters.
By NBC Sports
It was a goalkeeper show at the Britannia, but Petr Cech starred as Stoke City pummeled the Arsenal goal late but were unable to break through the veteran shot-stopper.
Stoke City prodded the Arsenal back line early too, and Marko Arnautovic had himself a speculative shot early on, but the Potters didn’t produce anything terribly stunning. Arsenal down the other end saw the game’s first real chance in the 21st minute as Joel Campbell found Olivier Giroud who had beaten Philip Wollscheid with a run, but Jack Butland came out of net to smother the Frenchman.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain had a go from the top of the box on 29 minutes that forced Butland into a leaping save, tipping the ball over the bar. On the ensuing corner, Ox had another vicious attempt but it skipped off the foot of Laurent Koscielny wide.
Straight out of the half, Butland was called into action straight away as Arsenal won a corner that met the head of Giroud, but he put it inches wide.
Stoke City had a gaping opportunity in the 57th minute but Arsenal goalkeeper Petr Cech came up massive. Joselu had the ball near the penalty spot and smashed an effort on net which forced Cech into a full-stretch save. The rebound fell to Bojan from a much tighter angle, and he tried to beat Cech at his near post as the goalkeeper was recovering, but again the 33-year-old threw his body at the shot and kept it out.
Cech appeared again as Joselu worked space in front of Koscielny and flashed a shot to the far corner but the Gunners netminder was there again to parry it away.
The one time Cech needed help, it was there as regulation time came to a close. A corner swung in and a header to the far post by Jonathan Walters had beaten Cech but Aaron Ramsey cleared it off the line. The rebound fell to Joselu who efforted another venomous attempt, but it was saved by Cech’s outstretched leg.
Arsenal’s point brings them atop the table, above Leicester by a single point with 44. Stoke City keeps them in seventh, two back of West Ham above them and six back of the top four. Arsenal still has not won at the Britannia in six years.
Chelsea 3-3 Everton: Terry grabs late, late point in thriller.
By NBC Sports
Chelsea and Everton drew 3-3 in a classic encounter at Stamford Bridge on Saturday which saw Ramiro Funes Mori score what looked to be the winner in the first minute of stoppage time in west London, but John Terry equalized in the 98th minute to snag a point for the Blues.
The Toffees had raced into a 2-0 lead early in the second half after a Terry own goal and a Kevin Mirallas finish, but the Blues came storming back with Diego Costa and Cesc Fabregas scoring in quick succession to set up a barnstorming finish.
In the first minute of stoppage time Funes Mori poked home at the back post after Chelsea’s defense fell asleep, but then Terry popped up right at the death to deny Everton a first win at Chelsea since 1994.
With the point Chelsea have 25 for the season and remain in 14th, Everton stay in 11th with 30 points.
In the first half USMNT goalkeeper Tim Howard continued his stunning recent form as he denied Willian with a brilliant reflex stop to tip it over.
At the other end Everton went close twice in quick succession with Mirallas rightly having a goal disallowed for being offside, then Ross Barkley‘s shot was deflected into Bryan Oviedo‘s path but the Costa Rican scuffed his effort wide.
Chelsea’s center back duo of Kurt Zouma and Terry were kept busy by Romelu Lukaku and Mirallas’ smart turn and shot from 25-yards out was tipped around the post by Thibaut Courtois towards the end of an even first half.
Less than five minutes into the second half Everton took the lead with Lukaku holding the ball up brilliantly and slotting the ball wide to Barkley who teed up Baines to smash a cross into the danger box which struck both of Terry’s legs and squirmed past Courtois. 1-0 to the Toffees.
Everton were buoyed by going ahead and moments later they could have been 2-0 up as Mirallas played in Barkley but his shot smashed against the near post and went out of play. Mirallas soon made it 2-0 as he swiveled and smashed home past a diving Courtois to send the away fans wild.
Howard then made another fine stop as Fabregas flicked a looping effort towards goal with his right foot and the New Jersey native clawed it away brilliantly. Incredible stop.
Soon though, Howard was involved in a massive mix-up as a long ball over the top caught out Phil Jagielka and Howard with the latter missing his kick and Costa slotting home into an empty net. 2-1.
Minutes later it was 2-2 with Fabregas clipping the ball into Costa and latching on to a clever flick from the Spanish international before getting a deflection on his shot to beat Howard. 2-2 and Stamford Bridge was rocking with Roman Abramovich smiling and applauding his side.
Late on both teams had chances as Cesar Azpilicueta’s cross was missed by Costa from close range and then Mirallas went clean through but fluffed his chance with Courtois saving with his legs.
However, Everton boss Roberto Martinez was soon punching the air with delight as Gerard Deulofeu‘s corner was first cleared but his follow-up cross found Funes Mori unmarked at the back post and the Argentine defender poked home in the first minute of stoppage time. Everton thought they had won it.
Cometh the hour, cometh the man. There was a remarkable end to a remarkable game as Terry — who looked to be in an offside position — flicked home nonchalantly to grab a point and send the home fans wild.
NCAABKB: No. 16 Iowa beats Michigan 82-71.
By LUKE MEREDITH
A week filled with upsets will likely cause a major shakeup when the Top 25 is released on Monday.
One beneficiary should be Iowa, which is back atop the Big Ten after yet another impressive win.
Jarrod Uthoff scored 23 points and the 16th-ranked Hawkeyes beat Michigan 82-71 on Sunday for its first 5-0 start in the Big Ten in 19 years.
Peter Jok had 14 of his 16 points in the second half for surging Iowa (14-3, 5-0), who could be poised to push for its highest ranking since cracking the Top 10 two years ago.
''The key is to keep coming down and giving your team a chance,'' Iowa coach Fran McCaffery said. ''I thought our shot selection was really good, and we hit some key shots.''
Iowa, which has won seven straight, broke open a tight game with a 16-3 run midway through the second half. Jok then buried a 3-pointer that made it 76-68 with 2:34 left.
Derrick Walton Jr. had 16 points for Michigan (13-5, 3-2). The Wolverines played their fourth straight game without star Caris LeVert, who was out with a left leg injury.
''What is really separating them right now is the bench play,'' Michigan coach John Beilein said of the Hawkeyes, who got 22 points from reserves. ''They were the better team than us without question. We fought hard.''
Iowa's 76-59 blowout win at No. 4 Michigan State earlier in the week further cemented the Hawkeyes status as a legitimate Big Ten contender.
Iowa avoided a letdown against the Wolverines - who were coming off a 70-67 upset of No. 3 Maryland - and joined Indiana atop the league at 5-0.
Perhaps the most encouraging development for the Hawkeyes was that their crucial run came with the likes of Uthoff and point guard Mike Gesell on the bench.
Jok and Anthony Clemmons hit consecutive 3s, and Jok buried another one from the corner to make it 63-52 with 9 minutes left.
''We're taking stuff we've done poorly in the past and improving on it,'' Iowa's Adam Woodbury said.
The Hawkeyes opened with an 11-0 run and looked set for another easy win.
But even without LeVert, Michigan showed that it's still explosive by scoring 13 straight points to take a 21-20 lead. The Wolverines also scored on six straight possessions early in the second half, hopping back on top 49-47.
Aubrey Dawkins had 12 points for Michigan, which lost for just the second time in nine games after forcing only four turnovers.
''I felt like we softened a bit after the 11-0 start. Start of the second half, they were on fire,'' McCaffery said. ''No turnovers in the second half (means) you've got a chance.''
TIP-INS
Michigan: The Wolverines' win over Maryland was their first at home over a top-five team since 1997. ... LeVert is Michigan's leading scorer at 17.6 points per game. ... Duncan Robinson hit a 30-footer at the first-half buzzer, but it was waved off.
Iowa: By beating Michigan State twice in just over two weeks, the Hawkeyes became the first team since Duke and Kentucky in 1965 to beat the same top-five opponent by at least 10 points in a given season. ... Dating to last season, Iowa has won 11 straight regular-season conference games, its longest such streak since 1970.
STAT LINES
Woodbury scored 12 points and Dom Uhl had 10 for Iowa, which has won four of its first five Big Ten games by at least 11 points. ... Zak Irvin had 11 points, eight rebounds and five assists for the Wolverines.
QUOTABLE
''We didn't worry about him as a freshman. Now, all of a sudden, he's (former Michigan star) Tim Hardaway III out there,'' Beilein said of Jok.
UP NEXT
Michigan hosts Minnesota on Wednesday.
Iowa plays at Rutgers on Thursday.
Wisconsin's dramatic victory could give the Badgers new life.
By Jeff Eisenberg
If Wisconsin somehow rallies back into NCAA tournament contention during the second half of the season, the Badgers will probably remember Sunday as the launching point.
They came back to stun fourth-ranked Michigan State 77-76 in a game that looked all but lost only seconds earlier.
Wisconsin trailed by four with less than 30 seconds to go when point guard Bronson Koenig buried a deep, heavily contested right-wing 3-pointer to slash the deficit to one. The Badgers then caught a huge break when they trapped Eron Harris on the ensuing inbound pass and the Michigan State guard turned the ball over by stepping on the sideline.
Given new life, Wisconsin coach Greg Gard put the ball in the hands of Koenig and gave him a chance to create via a pair of high ball screens. Koenig found Ethan Happ rolling to the basket and the Wisconsin big man scored a reverse layup with 10.2 seconds left to give the Badgers the lead.
Michigan State coach Tom Izzo chose not to call timeout so that Wisconsin couldn't set its defense, but the Spartans could not hit either potential game-winning shot on their final possession. Denzel Valentine missed a clean look at a top of the key 3-pointer and Matt Costello's desperation fall-away baseline jumper also rattled out at the buzzer.
Wisconsin desperately needed a win to revitalize its season after opening Big Ten play with four losses in five games all by six or fewer points. The most recent one at Northwestern was especially galling for a program that has been in back-to-back Final Fours, leading junior forward Nigel Hayes to openly challenge his teammates in the media afterward.
While Wisconsin is still only 10-9 overall and 2-4 in the Big Ten, the Badgers at least now have a glimmer of hope. Three of their next five games come against teams .500 or worse in the Big Ten and the other two are home games against Indiana and Ohio State.
Michigan State suffered its second straight loss and its first loss of the season to someone other than Iowa. Valentine (23 points), Matt Costello (18), Harris (14) and Bryn Forbes (12) each scored in double figures, but the Spartans struggled to contain Koenig and Hayes and were also undone by Wisconsin's 36-16 advantage in free throws attempted.
Especially galling for Michigan State was a late foul against freshman Deyonta Davis after he appeared to corral a missed Valentine free throw. It would have been Spartans ball up four had the foul not been called, but instead Vitto Brown went to the foul line and sliced Wisconsin's deficit to two with 2:10 to play.
That helped pave the way for a comeback that could also have long-term ramifications for the Badgers.
Gard is fighting to prove he deserves to be the one to succeed Bo Ryan beyond this season. A big home win like this can only help his cause.
NCAAFB: NCAA autonomy group approves new concussion protections.
By JIM VERTUNO
The NCAA's major conferences approved a rule Friday requiring that school medical professionals have autonomous and final authority in deciding when an athlete returns to play from a concussion or other injury, a move lauded as a significant health and safety protection.
Although schools are already required to have concussion protocols, the move defines who are the primary medical providers in key decision-making roles and sets a strong wall between team doctors, trainers and coaches, officials said.
''I believe it's the most important piece of legislation in the history of the NCAA,'' said Brian Hainline, the NCAA's chief medical officer and a neurologist. ''It really defines who the primary athletics health care providers are.''
The rule requires schools ensure that no coach have hiring, retention or dismissal authority over the team doctors or trainers.
The rule was proposed by the Big 12 and passed at the NCAA annual convention. University of Texas women's athletic director said Texas physicians and trainers already control return-to-play issues, and believes most schools do the same. But she said it was necessary to make it a rule.
''Our students are other people's children,'' Chris Plonsky said. ''If I was a parent, I'd want to know who makes that decision. It should be someone with medical authority.''
The rule also means that even if an athlete seeks an outside second opinion, the school's medical officers still have the final say, Hainline said. And it should remove any potential pressure from coaches or others to get an athlete back on the field.
''I think there has been concern expressed there are sometimes influences on the athletic trainer and physician to get them to return to play sooner than they are ready to,'' Hainline said. ''No one can challenge their authority.''
Southeastern Conference Commissioner Greg Sankey said the conference endorsed medical autonomy in 2014.
''We didn't need a rule to get there, but it's healthy to make that clear,'' Sankey said.
The rule specifically applies to the NCAA's autonomy group, comprised of the five major football conferences, but other NCAA schools are encouraged to adopt similar guidelines.
In other votes Friday, the autonomy group delayed action on several proposals limiting time demands on athletes, including mandated time off after a season and weekly off days. The group voted to bring those issues back at the 2017 NCAA convention.
''I think we all agree there needs to be a retooling of not only how we count the hours, but also what the expectations on a student-athlete are,'' Big 12 Commissioner Bob Bowlsby said. ''The life of a Division One student athlete is not for the faint of heart. They know that when they sign up.''
The group adopted a resolution pledging to come back next year with a proposal that will consider a two-week postseason break, weekly time off, and a mandatory eight-hour overnight break from sports requirements.
The delay upset a few student-athlete members of the autonomy group who lobbied for immediate action.
''If we come back a year from now with a comprehensive action plan, that's ideal. That's what student-athletes need,'' said Ty Darlington, the center on Oklahoma's football team. ''I feel like this should have been done already ... We keep pushing it back. It's very frustrating for us it wasn't ready for this convention.''
The autonomy group passed a rule allowing high school baseball players to hire agents when negotiating with professional teams before they enroll in college.
Texas Tech baseball player Anthony Lyons called it an important step for players and their families when deciding whether to turn pro or go to college when ''life-changing money'' is being offered.
''Right now, there's a lot of things going under the table you might not know about,'' Lyons said.
Lloyd Carr in running for vacant CFB Playoff selection committee seat.
By Kevin McGuire
(Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
The College Football Playoff has wrapped up its second season of operation, and year three figures to bring some changes. There may not be much change by way of the playoff field or scheduling in 2016 (so still four teams playing on New Years Eve, you’ve been warned), but the makeup of the selection committee is undergoing a few changes. Mike Tranghese, Pat Haden, Tom Osborne and Mike Gould are all on their way out, which means some seats are being left to be filled to keep the same number of seats (13) on the committee.
Among the leading candidates for receiving a chair at the table is former Michigan head coach Lloyd Carr. According to Heather Dinich of ESPN.com, Carr is one of the six to eight finalists being considered for inclusion on the selection committee. Lloyd would effectively replace Osborne as a Big Ten-slanted voice on the committee. Carr would be a true football voice in the room as well with a 13-year run as head coach of the Wolverines racking up a national championship, five Big Ten titles and a spot in the College Football Hall of Fame. The College Football Playoff expects to finalize the decisions on the new selection committee members later this month.
If selected to be added to the selection committee, Carr’s inclusion on the committee will also be interesting because of his previous comments on the playoff structure. Carr has previously suggested the College Football Playoff will one day be expanded beyond the current four-team structure.
“We’re down that road now, and I think in the future there’s going to continue to be pressure, just like there was in basketball, to continue to raise the number of teams,” Carr said in a radio interview with SiriusXM Sports as far back as 2012, before the first year of the new postseason structure was in operation.
Carr has also previously confirmed his interest in being a part of the selection committee if he was ever asked to participate.
“Absolutely. I don’t think anybody would turn that down, because it’s certainly a way to give back to the game,” Carr said in an interview with ESPN‘s College Football Live around the same time of that satellite radio interview. “It certainly will be no easy task, but I think on the other hand it will be a lot of fun.”
Well, let the fun begin.
Baffert turns attention toward 2016 and a new Derby run.
By TIM REYNOLDS
When trainer Bob Baffert was preparing his acceptance speech for the Eclipse Awards, he asked his youngest son, Bode, for ideas about what to say.
The 11-year-old came up with just the right words.
"He said that, 'I would just tell them that you're honored to win this award and you never dreamt when you were a little boy you would win this award,'" Baffert said. "'And you still have a little life left in you to maybe win some more.'"
There's nothing left for Baffert to prove: He's a Hall of Famer, one of six trainers with more than $200 million in purses won, a four-time Eclipse winner as the year's top trainer, and, of course, the mastermind behind American Pharoah's run to the Triple Crown and Breeders' Cup Classic victories last year.
Now 4, American Pharoah is retired to stud.
Now 63, Baffert feels rejuvenated like never before.
Baffert was leaving Miami on Sunday for London and one more celebration at the Longines World's Best Racehorse award show, where American Pharoah's historic year will be feted Tuesday night. But his mind was already shifting to 2016 and the inevitable question — after thoroughbred racing waited an excruciating 37 years for a Triple Crown winner, what will Baffert do for an encore in 2016?
"I have motivation," Baffert said. "My motivation is the Kentucky Derby. That's my motivation. It's always been my motivation."
Well, not always. But close enough.
The best advice Baffert got along the way to becoming one of the kings in the sport of kings was to quit. He wanted to be a jockey when he was a kid and ran some quarterhorse races in his native Arizona, but he eventually realized that greatness in the saddle probably was not in his future. A confidante told him that if his heart wasn't into it, he should find something else to do.
The next day, Baffert gave up his fledgling jockey career.
"He's a genius," said Ahmed Zayat, the owner and breeder of American Pharoah.
In 1992, at Gulfstream Park — the same place where he was awarded Eclipse No. 4 on Saturday — Baffert won his first Breeders' Cup race. A horse named Thirty Slews did the honors, and Baffert recalls that as he ran to the winner's circle he was thinking "that it can never get better than this."
Oh, but it did. A lot better. He trained horses to four Kentucky Derby wins, six Preakness Stakes wins, two Belmont Stakes wins, 11 Breeders' Cup wins and two more victories in the Dubai World Cup — the sport's richest race. And the pinnacle of it all for Baffert was American Pharoah, the horse he likened to his Secretariat, his Seattle Slew, his Spectacular Bid.
"Bob gave him the training of a lifetime," said Joanne Zayat, the owner and breeder's wife.
Other clients hope they can say the same thing a few months from now.
The Triple Crown road is a long and unpredictable one, but Baffert's barn right now has some 3-year-olds that could be serious contenders on the trail to the Kentucky Derby and beyond. Mor Spirit won the Los Alamitos Futurity last month, beating another Baffert trainee in Toews On Ice. Another horse named Collected is getting plenty of attention as well, after winning the Sham Stakes earlier this month.
"When you go through something like this," Baffert said, "you get hungry to do it again."
He'll be at Churchill Downs on the first Saturday of May with someone likely worthy of winning the Kentucky Derby. And while Baffert's mind will be on that, there's one more tribute to American Pharoah that he can't wait to see: Triple Crown winners get their names displayed in gold lettering around the paddock at Churchill.
"I've always seen those gold names up there," Baffert said. "I've always wanted one."
He'll start trying now to get another.
On
Memoriesofhistory.com
1886 - The Hockey Association was formed in England. This date is the birthday of modern field hockey.
1951 - The NFL passed a rule that said that a tackle, guard or center was not eligible to catch a forward pass.
1958 - Willie O'Ree made his NHL debut with the Boston Bruins. He was the first black player to enter the league.
1967 - The NHL held the All-Star Game at midseason for the first time.
1969 - Ted Williams was appointed manager of the Washington Senators.
1976 - The Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Dallas Cowboys 21-17 in Super Bowl X. The CBS telecast was viewed by an estimated 80 million people.
1985 - Mary Decker broke a world, indoor record when she ran the women’s, 2,000-meter race in just 5 minutes and 34.2 seconds.
1996 - Baseball owners unanimously approved interleague play for 1997.
1998 - The Boston Celtics retired Robert Parrish's #00.
2002 - Two NHL records held by Bobby Hull were broken in a game between the Detroit Red Wings and the Washington Capitals. Luc Robitaille scored his 611th career goal and Brett Hull scored his 99th game-winning goal. Robitaille's goal gave him the most goals of any left wing in NHL history and 10th place on the career NHL goal list. Brett Hull's goal moved him into third place on the game-winning goal list.
1951 - The NFL passed a rule that said that a tackle, guard or center was not eligible to catch a forward pass.
1958 - Willie O'Ree made his NHL debut with the Boston Bruins. He was the first black player to enter the league.
1967 - The NHL held the All-Star Game at midseason for the first time.
1969 - Ted Williams was appointed manager of the Washington Senators.
1976 - The Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Dallas Cowboys 21-17 in Super Bowl X. The CBS telecast was viewed by an estimated 80 million people.
1985 - Mary Decker broke a world, indoor record when she ran the women’s, 2,000-meter race in just 5 minutes and 34.2 seconds.
1996 - Baseball owners unanimously approved interleague play for 1997.
1998 - The Boston Celtics retired Robert Parrish's #00.
2002 - Two NHL records held by Bobby Hull were broken in a game between the Detroit Red Wings and the Washington Capitals. Luc Robitaille scored his 611th career goal and Brett Hull scored his 99th game-winning goal. Robitaille's goal gave him the most goals of any left wing in NHL history and 10th place on the career NHL goal list. Brett Hull's goal moved him into third place on the game-winning goal list.
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