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"The truth is the Super Bowl long ago became more than just a football game. It's part of our culture like turkey at Thanksgiving and lights at Christmas, and like those holidays beyond their meaning, a factor in our economy." ~ Bob Schieffer, Retired CBS Television News Journalist
Trending: Denver's defense brings home the Lombardi. (See Super Bowl article in first section for details).
Trending: Blackhawks could play Blues in 2017 Winter Classic. (See the hockey section for Blackhawks updates).
Trending: Saturday's upsets reinforce the lack of a true No. 1 this season. (True parity in college basketball this year!!! Yeah baby.....) (See the college basketball section for NCAA updates).
Trending: Is silent treatment an indication of Bears' decision on Matt Forte? (See the football section for Bears updates).
SUPER BOWL 50..... Broncos ride suffocating defense to Super Bowl victory over Panthers.
Associated Press
Peyton Manning gave himself a chance to have a Super ending to his career. Von Miller and the Denver defense made the plays to secure the title for the Broncos.
Manning and Panthers quarterback Cam Newton were harassed all game Sunday, and the Broncos made enough big plays for the 24-10 victory, Manning's 200th and perhaps his last before retirement.
He wasn't the star — game MVP Miller seemingly was everywhere on every Carolina play — but Manning really hasn't been the headliner in this injury-shortened season.
"This game was much like this season has been, testing our toughness, our resiliency, our unselfishness," he said. "It's only fitting that it turned out that way."
Emulating his Broncos boss, John Elway, the 39-year-old Manning can ride off with the Lombardi Trophy after leading Denver to its third NFL title, first since 1999 — when Elway was the quarterback.
"I'll take some time to reflect," Manning said when asked if Super Bowl 50 is the end. "I got a couple priorities first. I'm going to go kiss my wife and my kids. ... I'm going to drink a lot of Budweiser tonight. Take care of those things first."
Denver's suffocating defense kept Newton jittery all day. Despite wearing gold shoes before the golden Super Bowl, Newton couldn't finish off a dynamic season in which he was the league's MVP. Miller twice stripped him, once for a touchdown, the second time setting up a clinching TD. Denver's top-ranked defense, the one that ran roughshod over Tom Brady in the AFC championship, simply wouldn't let Newton get comfortable.
"It's every one of these guys who got me to this," Miller said.
Newton was sacked six times — receiver Ted Ginn Jr., went down once on an aborted trick play — and if Miller wasn't torturing him, DeMarcus Ware was. Ware had two of the seven sacks, equaling the most ever by one team in the Super Bowl.
"He was stressed," cornerback Bradley Roby said of Newton.
Carolina's potent offense that led the league with 500 points was held to its fewest points of the year, and Denver set an ignominious mark with 194 yards gained, the fewest for a Super Bowl winner.
So what: The Broncos (15-4) are champions and Manning is the first quarterback to win Super Bowls with two franchises, Indianapolis in 2007 was the other. Gary Kubiak is the first to win a Super Bowl as player and coach for the same team.
Manning finished 13 for 23 for 141 yards against a strong Carolina (17-2) defense that just couldn't match Miller and company.
"I feel very, very grateful," Manning said. ... "Obviously, it's very special to cap it off with a Super Bowl championship."
Denver's defense stole Carolina's act. The Panthers led the league with 39 takeaways and were a plus-20 in turnovers. On the Super Bowl stage, though, Assistant Coach of the Year Wade Phillips got his first ring because his unit was impenetrable.
It was a far cry from two years ago, when the Broncos were routed by Seattle 43-8.
"It feels great," said Miller, who had six tackles, 2 1-2 sacks, two hurries, the two forced fumbles and a pass defensed. "Peyton and DeMarcus and coach Phillips and all the guys that have been deserving their whole, whole career. I did this for them. I put my neck on the line for those guys."
Carolina has made a habit of sprinting out of the gate in the playoffs. This time, it was Denver that got the quick start.
Manning opened the game with an 18-yard completion to Owen Daniels, later hit Andre Caldwell for 22, and C.J. Anderson had a 13-yard run. When the Panthers held, Brandon McManus kicked a 34-yard field goal.
The Panthers went nowhere on their first series, then their defense forced a three-and-out. It was the first of seven such aborted drives for both sides in the first half. Carolina's Ron Rivera, the Coach of the Year, lost a challenge on a pass to Jerricho Cotchery , and it was a key decision because two plays later, Miller burst through and didn't even go for the sack. He reached directly for the ball, stripping it from Newton. It rolled to the goal line, where Malik Jackson pounced on it for a 10-0 lead.
Miller dabbed in the end zone in front of legions of orange-clad Broncos fans after Denver's first defensive touchdown in a Super Bowl.
Miller spied on Newton at times, and Newton noticed. But Newton escaped him for runs of 11 and 12 yards — Miller's hard tackle out of bounds bothered several Panthers — and a 19-yard pass to Greg Olsen on a misdirection play kept alive Carolina's first scoring drive.
Jonathan Stewart, back from hurting his right foot earlier, dived in from the 1 to make it 10-7.
But sloppiness — and strong defense — marked the rest of the game.
The first half ended 13-7 after McManus made a 33-yarder that followed the longest punt return in Super Bowl history. It was a strange runback, too.
Brad Nortman's kick from his 12 was barely deflected, and the ball fluttered to Jordan Norwood. One Panther bumped Norwood, but he didn't call for a fair catch, then took off to his right. Escorted by a bevy of blockers, he appeared headed for a touchdown until DE Mario Addison chased him down at the Carolina 14, a 61-yard jaunt.
Denver also forced the first fumble of the season by All-Pro fullback Mike Tolbert.
But the Broncos also had a giveaway when Manning was picked by DE Kony Ealy on a zone blitz deep in Panthers territory. And the lead was only six at halftime.
The margin stayed there when Graham Gano hit the right upright on a 44-yard field goal attempt to open the second half. Then his counterpart, McManus, made his 10th in as many postseason tries for a 16-7 margin. The kicker was rescuing Denver's inept short-yardage offense, just as he did in a playoff win over Pittsburgh when he made five field goals.
Gano made up for his miss with a 39-yarder to make it a one-score game with 10:21 remaining. The 50th Super Bowl came down to the last quarter — and as it had all day, Denver's defense dominated.
The finishing touch came when Miller again stripped Newton and T.J. Ward recovered at the Carolina 4. Anderson scored from the 2 following a third-down holding call on All-Pro CB Josh Norman. A 2-point conversion was simply window dressing.
"Anybody who has watched us knows this was not our style of play," Olsen said. "Some of that you have to give credit to Denver's defense forcing people into bad games."
Trending: Is silent treatment an indication of Bears' decision on Matt Forte? (See the football section for Bears updates).
SUPER BOWL 50..... Broncos ride suffocating defense to Super Bowl victory over Panthers.
Associated Press
(Photo/USA Today)
Manning and Panthers quarterback Cam Newton were harassed all game Sunday, and the Broncos made enough big plays for the 24-10 victory, Manning's 200th and perhaps his last before retirement.
He wasn't the star — game MVP Miller seemingly was everywhere on every Carolina play — but Manning really hasn't been the headliner in this injury-shortened season.
"This game was much like this season has been, testing our toughness, our resiliency, our unselfishness," he said. "It's only fitting that it turned out that way."
Emulating his Broncos boss, John Elway, the 39-year-old Manning can ride off with the Lombardi Trophy after leading Denver to its third NFL title, first since 1999 — when Elway was the quarterback.
"I'll take some time to reflect," Manning said when asked if Super Bowl 50 is the end. "I got a couple priorities first. I'm going to go kiss my wife and my kids. ... I'm going to drink a lot of Budweiser tonight. Take care of those things first."
Denver's suffocating defense kept Newton jittery all day. Despite wearing gold shoes before the golden Super Bowl, Newton couldn't finish off a dynamic season in which he was the league's MVP. Miller twice stripped him, once for a touchdown, the second time setting up a clinching TD. Denver's top-ranked defense, the one that ran roughshod over Tom Brady in the AFC championship, simply wouldn't let Newton get comfortable.
"It's every one of these guys who got me to this," Miller said.
Newton was sacked six times — receiver Ted Ginn Jr., went down once on an aborted trick play — and if Miller wasn't torturing him, DeMarcus Ware was. Ware had two of the seven sacks, equaling the most ever by one team in the Super Bowl.
"He was stressed," cornerback Bradley Roby said of Newton.
Carolina's potent offense that led the league with 500 points was held to its fewest points of the year, and Denver set an ignominious mark with 194 yards gained, the fewest for a Super Bowl winner.
So what: The Broncos (15-4) are champions and Manning is the first quarterback to win Super Bowls with two franchises, Indianapolis in 2007 was the other. Gary Kubiak is the first to win a Super Bowl as player and coach for the same team.
Manning finished 13 for 23 for 141 yards against a strong Carolina (17-2) defense that just couldn't match Miller and company.
"I feel very, very grateful," Manning said. ... "Obviously, it's very special to cap it off with a Super Bowl championship."
Denver's defense stole Carolina's act. The Panthers led the league with 39 takeaways and were a plus-20 in turnovers. On the Super Bowl stage, though, Assistant Coach of the Year Wade Phillips got his first ring because his unit was impenetrable.
It was a far cry from two years ago, when the Broncos were routed by Seattle 43-8.
"It feels great," said Miller, who had six tackles, 2 1-2 sacks, two hurries, the two forced fumbles and a pass defensed. "Peyton and DeMarcus and coach Phillips and all the guys that have been deserving their whole, whole career. I did this for them. I put my neck on the line for those guys."
Carolina has made a habit of sprinting out of the gate in the playoffs. This time, it was Denver that got the quick start.
Manning opened the game with an 18-yard completion to Owen Daniels, later hit Andre Caldwell for 22, and C.J. Anderson had a 13-yard run. When the Panthers held, Brandon McManus kicked a 34-yard field goal.
The Panthers went nowhere on their first series, then their defense forced a three-and-out. It was the first of seven such aborted drives for both sides in the first half. Carolina's Ron Rivera, the Coach of the Year, lost a challenge on a pass to Jerricho Cotchery , and it was a key decision because two plays later, Miller burst through and didn't even go for the sack. He reached directly for the ball, stripping it from Newton. It rolled to the goal line, where Malik Jackson pounced on it for a 10-0 lead.
Miller dabbed in the end zone in front of legions of orange-clad Broncos fans after Denver's first defensive touchdown in a Super Bowl.
Miller spied on Newton at times, and Newton noticed. But Newton escaped him for runs of 11 and 12 yards — Miller's hard tackle out of bounds bothered several Panthers — and a 19-yard pass to Greg Olsen on a misdirection play kept alive Carolina's first scoring drive.
Jonathan Stewart, back from hurting his right foot earlier, dived in from the 1 to make it 10-7.
But sloppiness — and strong defense — marked the rest of the game.
The first half ended 13-7 after McManus made a 33-yarder that followed the longest punt return in Super Bowl history. It was a strange runback, too.
Brad Nortman's kick from his 12 was barely deflected, and the ball fluttered to Jordan Norwood. One Panther bumped Norwood, but he didn't call for a fair catch, then took off to his right. Escorted by a bevy of blockers, he appeared headed for a touchdown until DE Mario Addison chased him down at the Carolina 14, a 61-yard jaunt.
Denver also forced the first fumble of the season by All-Pro fullback Mike Tolbert.
But the Broncos also had a giveaway when Manning was picked by DE Kony Ealy on a zone blitz deep in Panthers territory. And the lead was only six at halftime.
The margin stayed there when Graham Gano hit the right upright on a 44-yard field goal attempt to open the second half. Then his counterpart, McManus, made his 10th in as many postseason tries for a 16-7 margin. The kicker was rescuing Denver's inept short-yardage offense, just as he did in a playoff win over Pittsburgh when he made five field goals.
Gano made up for his miss with a 39-yarder to make it a one-score game with 10:21 remaining. The 50th Super Bowl came down to the last quarter — and as it had all day, Denver's defense dominated.
The finishing touch came when Miller again stripped Newton and T.J. Ward recovered at the Carolina 4. Anderson scored from the 2 following a third-down holding call on All-Pro CB Josh Norman. A 2-point conversion was simply window dressing.
"Anybody who has watched us knows this was not our style of play," Olsen said. "Some of that you have to give credit to Denver's defense forcing people into bad games."
Von Miller earns Super Bowl MVP with dominant pass-rush clinic.
By Eric Edholm
Von Miller, you just won the Super Bowl! Where are you going now?
Straight to the bank.
The free agent-to-be cashed in big time with one of the more dominant pass-rush performance in Super Bowl history, leading his Denver Broncos to a 24-10 win in Super Bowl 50 over the Carolina Panthers.
Miller won game MVP honors with 2.5 sacks and two forced fumbles, both of which led to Broncos touchdowns, harassing regular-season MVP Cam Newton and the Panthers all game. The linebacker almost added another one just before the two-minute warning, and it would have been for a safety.
Decent timing, with Miller's contract set to run out. Even before this game, the Broncos were preparing to pay him as one of the game's elites — and perhaps as the top defensive player in the NFL.
Newton finished the game 18-of-41 passing for 265 yards with an interception, and he was sacked seven times. Miller also added six tackles, spied on Newton a few plays and also had beautiful one-on-one coverage on Panthers receiver Jerricho Cotchery on a wheel route in the second half.
Miller's first sack was a big one, stripping Newton and having the ball recovered by Broncos teammate Malik Jackson in the end zone. That gave the Broncos a 7-0 lead, and they never trailed in the game.
His second full sack came at an equally crucial time. The Broncos' offense was flagging, and the Panthers had just under five minutes to drive for a potential winning score. But Miller beat tackle Mike Remmers around the edge to strip the ball, and Miller also fell on it for the recovery. Three plays later, the Broncos jammed it in for a touchdown, and the game was academic at that point.
Why the Panthers let Remmers try to handle Miller is anyone's guess.
Miller's 2.5 sacks are the third-most in Super Bowl history. Green Bay Packers defensive end Reggie White (XXXI vs. New England Patriots) and Arizona Cardinals defensive tackle Darnett Dockett (XLIII, vs. Pittsburgh Steelers) each had three in a game.
Oh, and if you had money on Miller as MVP of the game, you did well for yourself. On a night the Broncos' offense struggled roundly — their first offensive TD came with three minutes left — the D stole the show.
How 'bout them Chicago Blackhawks? Anisimov has four-point night as Blackhawks roll past Stars. (Saturday night's game, 02/06/2016).
By Tracey Myers
The last time the Blackhawks came to Dallas, they were fine through 40 minutes before the Stars overwhelmed them in the third.
On Saturday, it was all Blackhawks from the start.
Artem Anisimov had his first four-point night in five seasons and Corey Crawford stopped 36 of 37 shots as the Blackhawks beat the Stars 5-1 at American Airlines Center. The Blackhawks now have a five-point lead over the Stars in the Central Division.
Jonathan Toews recorded the 300th assist of his career. Anisimov’s last four-point night came when he was with the New York Rangers on Jan. 19, 2011 (four assists vs. the Toronto Maple Leafs). Patrick Kane scored his 32nd goal, a new career high for a season. Niklas Hjalmarsson recorded two assists. Marian Hossa scored his 10th goal of the season and 496th of his career.
The Blackhawks put forth one of their more dominating outings of the season, and against a team that manhandled them at the end of their last contest.
“This was a big game,” Crawford said. “I mean, the last time they took it to us and it was a closer game than the score actually said. It was definitely one of the bigger ones this year.”
Anisimov has been a good player throughout this season. But as coach Joel Quenneville said, “tonight he gets the production to show for it.” Anisimov had three assists and a shorthanded goal.
“He quietly goes about his business without the puck and is pretty handy with it,” Quenneville said. “It’s been a good season for him to date, and he’s been a big part of our team.”
Playing a Jason Spezza-less Stars – Spezza, who has 40 points on the season, is out week to week with an upper-body injury – the Blackhawks were strong and energetic from the start. They scored in various ways, be it two shorthanded goals (Hossa and Anisimov), a power-play goal (Brent Seabrook’s 34 seconds into the game) and a 4-on-4 goal (Trevor van Riemsdyk).
They also chased former Blackhawks goaltender Antti Niemi. Kari Lehtonen started the second period after Niemi allowed three goals on 11 first-period shots.
When the Blackhawks were here on Dec. 22 the Stars dominated them in the third period en route to a 4-0 victory. But this was a different night and the Blackhawks, who have looked good out of the All-Star break, wasted no time taking it to the Stars with Seabrook’s power-play goal.
Tyler Seguin got the lone goal past Crawford, a rebound off Jamie Benn’s shot that cut the Blackhawks’ lead to 2-1 late in the first period. But Crawford was otherwise strong, especially in the second period when the Blackhawks were on the defensive and badly outshot by the Stars.
“Yeah, seeing the puck well,” Crawford said. “A couple of rebounds there our guys were able to jump on, battle and get it out there. I thought our special teams were the difference; those two short-handed goals were pretty important tonight. Definitely thought that was one of the key factors in the win.”
The Blackhawks wanted to come out of the All-Star break refreshed and ready to go. They wanted to string together some victories on this latest road trip. They did that, ending with an exclamation point against their division rival.
“Yeah, that was a big win for us. Corey was unbelievable as usual; he came up with key saves in key moments. Special teams were good today, too. So yeah, great trip and we’re excited to go back home for a while now,” Hjalmarsson said. “We feel like we’ve been on the road for a month, almost, with the All-Star break, too. It’ll be fun to play at home again.”
Five Things: Blackhawks' Hossa gets closer to 500 goals.
By Tracey Myers
Some may want to wince when you say a hockey team is tired.
The Blackhawks needed rest heading into the All-Star break. They were clearly gassed, as evidenced by how they lost some of those pre-break games (please see the 4-0 and 5-0 losses to Florida and Carolina, respectively). The question was: how would they come out of that respite?
So far, they’ve come out of it very well.
That was evident again on Saturday night when the Blackhawks steamrolled the Dallas Stars 5-1. They widened their Central Division lead – five points over the Stars now – and showed that those couple days off were very valuable.
So before we head home, let’s look at the Five Things to take from the Blackhawks’ victory over Dallas.
1. Artem Anisimov has a stellar night. Folks may still lament the loss of Brandon Saad but there’s no arguing the Blackhawks solved their immediate need for a second-line center in that deal. Anisimov has been great throughout this season, including Saturday night when he had a four-point night (goal, three assists). That included his third shorthanded goal of the season. Be it the second line or special teams, Anisimov has been a great addition.
2. Corey Crawford is pretty good again, too. Crawford’s game was fine in the first period but it was better in the second, when the Blackhawks needed him to be. The Stars were surging and had five shots on goal on a power play early in that period. Crawford stopped those, as well as the other 18 shots the Stars had during the second. The Blackhawks thanked him with two late second-period goals for a 5-1 lead after 40 minutes.
3. Active defensemen. They’ve certainly been on the score sheet a bunch lately. Trevor van Riemsdyk had a 4-on-4 goal – the second defenseman to have a 4-on-4 goal in as many games (Michal Rozsival vs. Arizona) – and Brent Seabrook had a power-play goal, Niklas Hjalmarsson had two assists and Duncan Keith had one. It’s never bad when the guys on the blue line are more involved in the offense.
4. Marian Hossa gets closer to 500 goals. Jonathan Toews had the fancy work on the Blackhawks’ penalty kill, passing the puck to himself through Alex Goligoski’s legs. But when Antti Niemi stopped Toews, Hossa was there to finish the short-handed goal for the 496th goal of his career. It was Hossa’s second goal in as many games. Could he be heading on a streak? If so, No. 500 will be coming very soon.
5. Speaking of Toews… He recorded his 300th career assist on Hossa’s goal. As far as All-Star break rests go, nobody needed it more than Toews, who was fighting an illness going into last weekend. It cost him the game against Colorado – he was suspended that game for missing All-Star festivities – but who cares? The captain is healthy again, and it shows.
Report: Blackhawks could play Blues in 2017 Winter Classic.
By C. Roumeliotis
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
The Blackhawks may be headlining one of the NHL's marquee events once again.
Jeremy Rutherford of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported Saturday evening that the NHL is "finalizing discussions to bring an outdoor hockey game to Busch Stadium in 2017," which is expected to be the Winter Classic on Jan. 2 between the Blackhawks and Blues.
As Rutherford points out, the traditional date for the Winter Classic is Jan. 1, but to avoid interfering with the final week of the NFL's regular season, the event will likely take place on Jan. 2.
The Blackhawks have participated in four outdoor games, including the 2009 Winter Classic against the Detroit Red Wings, a Stadium Series matchup against the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2014, last year's Winter Classic against the Washington Capitals, and a Stadium Series contest against the Minnesota Wild on Feb. 21.
While plans have yet to be finalized, Rutherford estimates that the announcement could come within the next week.
Blackhawks: Artemi Panarin not worried about lengthy NHL season.
By Tracey Myers
Artemi Panarin (Photo/Bill Smith/Getty Images)
Artemi Panarin took Patrick Kane’s pass and quickly got to the slot, where he slipped a backhand shot past Calvin Pickard for his 18th goal of the season.
It’s been a bountiful season for the 24-year-old Russian, who gives an impish grin when he’s reminded that, despite his age and pro career back home, in the NHL he’s nevertheless a rookie. But there is plenty that’s new for Panarin this season: a new country, a new hockey league and a new version of a regular season, one much longer than the ones he’s used to from the Kontinental Hockey League.
On Tuesday night Panarin played in his 54th NHL game, equaling the longest full regular season he’s played in his career (with SKA St. Petersburg last season). The Blackhawks have 28 games remaining in the regular season; factor that in with what the Blackhawks do in the playoffs – which have been lengthy lately – and Panarin will be playing the most hockey of his career this season.
But Panarin isn’t worried about the grind.
“I’m in good shape and [have had] many breaks,” Panarin said through Stan Stiopkin. “I’ve had time to rest. I’ve had time to relax and to get in shape.”
It’s been a bountiful season for the 24-year-old Russian, who gives an impish grin when he’s reminded that, despite his age and pro career back home, in the NHL he’s nevertheless a rookie. But there is plenty that’s new for Panarin this season: a new country, a new hockey league and a new version of a regular season, one much longer than the ones he’s used to from the Kontinental Hockey League.
On Tuesday night Panarin played in his 54th NHL game, equaling the longest full regular season he’s played in his career (with SKA St. Petersburg last season). The Blackhawks have 28 games remaining in the regular season; factor that in with what the Blackhawks do in the playoffs – which have been lengthy lately – and Panarin will be playing the most hockey of his career this season.
But Panarin isn’t worried about the grind.
“I’m in good shape and [have had] many breaks,” Panarin said through Stan Stiopkin. “I’ve had time to rest. I’ve had time to relax and to get in shape.”
Panarin’s play has been rather consistent throughout this season. Maybe he’s had a goal slump or two here and there but the work he’s done with Kane and Artem Anisimov, even if it’s assists or just the threat of scoring, has been great. Anisimov said earlier this season that Panarin hadn’t reached his highest level of play yet. Asked that same question again on Thursday, Anisimov said Panarin is getting there – sort of.
“He started showing but not so much. He’s very good with the puck and he can do circles and dangle, but he’s not doing that much here,” Anisimov said with a smile. “I don’t know why.”
As for maintaining the high level and not wearing out, Panarin should be fine. With the Blackhawks, considering their schedule and level of success, they don’t practice as much as other teams. Coach Joel Quenneville makes sure players get plenty of rest.
“I know he’s been pretty good so far, and very consistent,” Quenneville said. “As a team, we’re pretty conscientious of rest and implementing it at the needed time for certain guys, as well. Whether it’s days off or ice time, his play will dictate that area.”
Anisimov went through the Russia-to-U.S.-hockey transition a few years ago – he played two seasons of 74 and 80 games, respectively, in the minors before joining the New York Rangers in the 2009-10 season. While the regular-schedule is longer here, Anisimov said it’s less taxing.
“In Russia we have breaks for the international tournaments. Here, with the pace of things, you just play games,” he said. “It makes things easier.”
Travel over here is much easier, too. The Blackhawks’ longest trip may be about four hours or so (Vancouver and California). Traveling across Russia? Well, that takes a little more time. St. Petersburg to Khabarovsk, for example, is nearly 10 hours.
There’s also another factor. Everything here, on and off the ice, is new and exciting for Panarin. And he’s enjoying every minute of it.
“I was more tired in the KHL because I think, maybe, this is my first season and there are a lot of emotions,” Panarin said. “I feel better here.”
Even if Panarin doesn’t really feel like a rookie, he is one on this side of the pond. And entering Friday night’s games Panarin is leading all rookies in goals (18), assists (32) and points (50). Will Panarin win the Calder Trophy this season? As he said through Stiopkin, “whatever happens happens.” Regardless, Panarin is having a tremendous season as part of a stellar second line.
And nobody sees him losing steam anytime soon.
“I think he’ll be fine,” Kane said. “He’s pretty focused on keeping his body feeling good and staying in shape for when these games do come along. I think he’ll be OK. He’s still a young kid, even last year, after his season, you saw him in the world championships there, he was pretty dynamic there, too. So I think he’ll be fine going into the latter half of the season.”
Just Another Chicago Bulls Session... Chicago Bulls-Charlotte Hornets Preview.
“He started showing but not so much. He’s very good with the puck and he can do circles and dangle, but he’s not doing that much here,” Anisimov said with a smile. “I don’t know why.”
As for maintaining the high level and not wearing out, Panarin should be fine. With the Blackhawks, considering their schedule and level of success, they don’t practice as much as other teams. Coach Joel Quenneville makes sure players get plenty of rest.
“I know he’s been pretty good so far, and very consistent,” Quenneville said. “As a team, we’re pretty conscientious of rest and implementing it at the needed time for certain guys, as well. Whether it’s days off or ice time, his play will dictate that area.”
Anisimov went through the Russia-to-U.S.-hockey transition a few years ago – he played two seasons of 74 and 80 games, respectively, in the minors before joining the New York Rangers in the 2009-10 season. While the regular-schedule is longer here, Anisimov said it’s less taxing.
“In Russia we have breaks for the international tournaments. Here, with the pace of things, you just play games,” he said. “It makes things easier.”
Travel over here is much easier, too. The Blackhawks’ longest trip may be about four hours or so (Vancouver and California). Traveling across Russia? Well, that takes a little more time. St. Petersburg to Khabarovsk, for example, is nearly 10 hours.
There’s also another factor. Everything here, on and off the ice, is new and exciting for Panarin. And he’s enjoying every minute of it.
“I was more tired in the KHL because I think, maybe, this is my first season and there are a lot of emotions,” Panarin said. “I feel better here.”
Even if Panarin doesn’t really feel like a rookie, he is one on this side of the pond. And entering Friday night’s games Panarin is leading all rookies in goals (18), assists (32) and points (50). Will Panarin win the Calder Trophy this season? As he said through Stiopkin, “whatever happens happens.” Regardless, Panarin is having a tremendous season as part of a stellar second line.
And nobody sees him losing steam anytime soon.
“I think he’ll be fine,” Kane said. “He’s pretty focused on keeping his body feeling good and staying in shape for when these games do come along. I think he’ll be OK. He’s still a young kid, even last year, after his season, you saw him in the world championships there, he was pretty dynamic there, too. So I think he’ll be fine going into the latter half of the season.”
Just Another Chicago Bulls Session... Chicago Bulls-Charlotte Hornets Preview.
By CHRIS ALTRUDA
Nicolas Batum is finally healthy, and that can spell bad news for a Chicago Bulls team missing its most important player.
Bulls once again can't finish, fall to young Timberwolves. (Saturday night's game, 02/07/2016).
By Vincent Goodwill
Pau Gasol of the Bulls fights for the rebound during the game against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Feb. 6, 2016 at Target Center in Minneapolis. (Photo/Jordan Johnson/NBAE/Getty Images)
The Bulls have found themselves in this position many times this season, and if their memory was working, going back 24 hours was enough to jog it.
In other words, grab the Mylanta.
It's a full-blown trend, as this Bulls team doesn't appear to have whatever "it" is in terms of closing games.
Whether it's mental fortitude, bad luck, bad execution or any form of adjectives you choose to select, the Bulls can't get it done, and Saturday was another painful example, as they fell to the young Minnesota Timberwolves, 112-105.
They now seem to cower in the big moments when they used to rise up in adverse circumstances. The old Bulls used to bathe in it, now they’re drowning in the dirty bath water, evidenced by allowing a 12-0 run after leading 105-100.
“The theme of this trip is finding ways to close out games,” Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg said. “We had a five-point lead. You’ve got to find a way to do everything you can, get stops and get the ball back.”
But even Hoiberg has to wonder where his team’s psyche is through this 2-4 road trip, as the All-Star break is looming and Hoiberg has to keep a firm handle on ensuring the Bulls don’t mentally check out with adversity.
“You can’t think about what happened the last game. You put it behind you, you learn from it,” he said. “ We talked about it tonight, we’ll talk about it tomorrow. It’s a tough stretch. It’s gonna take a lot of mental toughness to get some momentum going before the break.”
The relative good news surrounding Jimmy Butler only lasted but for so long, as he went back to Chicago for further evaluation on his left knee. Ditto for Mike Dunleavy, who made his season debut after back surgery and played 14 minutes.
Those tend to be forgotten when you lose 11 of 16.
Derrick Rose’s two free throws marked the final time the Bulls saw the ball go through the hoop, only there was nearly three full minutes left to play.
“Yeah, this is the first time, yeah," said Rose, referring to the Bulls’ lack of rising above circumstances, considering they’d done it to varying degrees in the past few years.
Rose scored 18 with 10 assists and five rebounds but missed 14 of his 20 shots, including a few inside shots late as the Bulls came up empty on their last seven possessions offensively.
“I like the way we were playing defense earlier in the year when we were closing games because of our defense and the offense was behind. It kind of switched up where it’s the defense that we lack right now towards the end.”
But in this new day, Andrew Wiggins took over late as the athletic bigs handled things early, scoring six straight after the game was tied with two minutes remaining.
Wiggins finished with 21, while Karl-Anthony Towns scored 26 with 17 rebounds and Gorgui Dieng scored 24 with 13 rebounds and seven assists, the common denominator being athleticism and fresh legs, which the Wolves have in spades.
Bobby Portis scored 15 off 7-for-9 shooting but only grabbed three rebounds in 28 minutes.
“They controlled the glass tonight,” Hoiberg said. “Our shots weren’t (bad). Give them credit, they made tough shots.”
“You gotta keep working at it. You put the ball in your playmakers' hands, and you try to get good looks and good shots where we wanted.”
The two young bigs nearly out-rebounded the entire Bulls team, combining for 30 rebounds to the Bulls’ 31. The Timberwolves shot 52 percent from the field and only turned it over nine times.
“Rebounds and once again miscommunication on the defensive end,” Rose said. "When we were up seven or five points, they got fast-break points from our misses. And we weren’t able to do the same because we were taking the ball out of the net."
The Bulls were supposed to have some guile and experience against the youngest team in the league, and neither team led by more than six for most of the night as the lead changed hands more times than you can count.
When Rose found E'Twaun Moore for a corner triple midway through the fourth, giving the Bulls a 99-96 lead, one would’ve thought the tide turned.
Pau Gasol could've tied the game late with a triple from the top of the key but missed, finishing with 25 and eight rebounds.
The All-Star break can't get here quick enough, but the reality check has just arrived at the table.
Who's paying?
Bulls lose Jimmy Butler, 18-point lead, game vs. Nuggets. (Friday night's game, 02/05/2016).
By Vincent Goodwill
They never make it easy for themselves, through their own actions or unfortunate circumstances, but the Bulls continue to be utterly confounding.
This time, they were joined by the scoring crew, which might have changed the entire complexion of the game with some questionable scorekeeping in the fourth quarter.
Every emotion was felt, as the Nuggets came back from an 18-point deficit to outscore the Bulls, 42-21, in the fourth, winning, 115-110, at the Pepsi Center.
That is, if the scorekeepers are to be believed, as they missed a Derrick Rose basket and later might have missed a Doug McDermott layup in the fourth when the Nuggets were charging.
“Not until the coaches got into it,” said Rose when asked if he knew about the discrepancy. “But this always happens to me or something, man. Always something. But it is what it is, and they fixed it.”
On the official score sheet, it looks as if the score wasn’t fixed for Rose, but the league claims it went to the replay center in New York to correct the issue.
Rose scored 30 with nine rebounds and eight assists and McDermott scored 15 off the bench, but offense wasn’t the problem, no matter the score.
It doesn’t take second place to Jimmy Butler injuring his left knee late in the second quarter on a drive to the basket, but it added a layer of bizarre to a wild night. Butler scored 19 in 18 minutes before going down, adding to the lot of Bulls out with injury as Pau Gasol sat out with a sprained left hand and Cameron Bairstow started in his place.
Whether it was the lack of healthy bodies, or the Bulls’ continued inability to handle runs or small bursts of prosperity, the Nuggets took the game from the Bulls in the last 12 minutes — after a third quarter that saw the home team look dead to rights when the Bulls took an 18-point lead.
Nuggets forward Danilo Gallinari scored 33, including an easy jumper over Tony Snell with 52 seconds left to give the Nuggets their first lead of the second half. The 16-point lead at the start of the fourth was down to four with 7:03 left, with the Nuggets hitting a barrage of triples — not unlike the Bulls’ performance from deep against the Kings two nights ago.
“They came out and got the momentum right away in the fourth, we let them back in with some confidence, a couple turnovers led to runouts, then they got some 3s,” Hoiberg said. “Then they got confident.”
And the Bulls, while not completely wilting with the pressure, made crucial mistakes when they could’ve turned the tide, capped off by Kenneth Faried outworking Taj Gibson for an offensive rebound and score after Emmanuel Mudiay missed the second of two free throws, with the Bulls trailing by two.
“They got the momentum, got the crowd into it and finished it,” Hoiberg said. “Then defensively we missed some assignments late that allowed them to seal it.”
It was a role reversal from the third when the Bulls took control of the game and looked to be on their way to their second straight win, before old demons emerged from the closet.
“We did some really good things to get that lead,” Hoiberg said. “Guys went out in the third quarter and nobody really knowing what the prognosis was with Jimmy, and those guys went out and battled, got us the lead. We were in complete attack mode and completely took over the momentum of the game. I did see heads hanging, walking down the floor, lost the attack, lost what got us the lead.”
And when the Nuggets smelled blood, they kept attacking, with Gallinari and Will Barton providing the necessary energy.
“No defense and no communication,” Rose said. “They were pushing the ball and just playing the up-tempo pace of basketball, just trying to get back into the game, and we didn’t communicate the way we're supposed to.’’
Regardless of how long this will hurt on a weird road trip that just got weirder, the prevailing thought from all sides is, “What happened?”
Batum looks to exploit the absence of Jimmy Butler and continue giving Chicago fits as the Charlotte Hornets host the Bulls on Monday night.
Batum, who is second on the team in scoring at 14.9 points per game, has missed eight of Charlotte's last 19 games with a sprained right toe, and the Hornets (25-26) have split those contests. The 6-foot-8 guard, however, has found a comfort level of sorts the last two games and finished one assist shy of a triple-double versus Washington on Saturday, totaling 26 points and 11 rebounds in a 108-104 victory.
"I wasn't myself for the last four weeks, so I've been trying to get back to where I was before the toe injury,'' Batum said. "I want to get back to the way I played the first 30 games. The past two or three games, I've been feeling much better."
Batum averaged 16.3 points in the first 30 games he played, hitting 36.2 percent of his 3-point shots. He's been a handful for the Bulls, averaging 23.3 points and 9.0 rebounds while making 10 of 14 shots from beyond the arc and connecting at a 50.0 percent clip overall in helping Charlotte win two of three.
He had 24 points and hit two key 3-pointers down the stretch in the most recent meeting, a 102-96 victory at Chicago on Dec. 5. While Batum has done substantial damage from outside offensively, he has also utilized his height defensively in this series, pulling down 24 of his 27 rebounds at that end. That's not surprising considering he has a success rate of 64.6 percent on rebounding opportunities and a 76.4 percent adjusted rate on caroms within 3 1/2 feet of him.
Batum might have free reign Monday since the Bulls (27-23) will again be without Butler - the All-Star guard who is averaging a team-high 22.4 points to go with 5.2 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game - as he nurses a strained left knee. He was sorely missed down the stretch Saturday at Minnesota, where the Timberwolves closed the game on a 12-0 run in the final 2:55 to deal the Bulls a 112-105 defeat.
Butler's absence loomed large as Andrew Wiggins had six of those points in the final 1:24. The 6-8 Wiggins backed down the 6-3 Derrick Rose for a turnaround jumper in the post, spun free from Rose in the paint for layup and lost him on a screen before hitting a mid-range jumper.
"They went to Wiggins. We had a smaller guy on him,'' Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg said. "Obviously Jimmy is missed in those types of situations, guarding a bigger wing like that.''
It's easy to envision either Rose or the 6-4 E'Twaun Moore having the same type of struggles with Batum, who scores 9.2 of his points per game in either catch-and-shoot situations or on pull-ups. While Moore did have 17 points and seven assists, the Bulls were also outscored by 11 points when he was on the floor.
Hornets swingman Michael Kidd-Gilchrist has averaged 12.2 points on 53.5 percent shooting in five games since missing the first 46 due to shoulder surgery.
Rose has picked up the scoring slack with Butler sidelined, averaging 19.5 points and 9.5 assists in the two games his backcourt partner has missed.
Bulls once again can't finish, fall to young Timberwolves. (Saturday night's game, 02/07/2016).
By Vincent Goodwill
The Bulls have found themselves in this position many times this season, and if their memory was working, going back 24 hours was enough to jog it.
In other words, grab the Mylanta.
It's a full-blown trend, as this Bulls team doesn't appear to have whatever "it" is in terms of closing games.
Whether it's mental fortitude, bad luck, bad execution or any form of adjectives you choose to select, the Bulls can't get it done, and Saturday was another painful example, as they fell to the young Minnesota Timberwolves, 112-105.
They now seem to cower in the big moments when they used to rise up in adverse circumstances. The old Bulls used to bathe in it, now they’re drowning in the dirty bath water, evidenced by allowing a 12-0 run after leading 105-100.
“The theme of this trip is finding ways to close out games,” Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg said. “We had a five-point lead. You’ve got to find a way to do everything you can, get stops and get the ball back.”
But even Hoiberg has to wonder where his team’s psyche is through this 2-4 road trip, as the All-Star break is looming and Hoiberg has to keep a firm handle on ensuring the Bulls don’t mentally check out with adversity.
“You can’t think about what happened the last game. You put it behind you, you learn from it,” he said. “ We talked about it tonight, we’ll talk about it tomorrow. It’s a tough stretch. It’s gonna take a lot of mental toughness to get some momentum going before the break.”
The relative good news surrounding Jimmy Butler only lasted but for so long, as he went back to Chicago for further evaluation on his left knee. Ditto for Mike Dunleavy, who made his season debut after back surgery and played 14 minutes.
Those tend to be forgotten when you lose 11 of 16.
Derrick Rose’s two free throws marked the final time the Bulls saw the ball go through the hoop, only there was nearly three full minutes left to play.
“Yeah, this is the first time, yeah," said Rose, referring to the Bulls’ lack of rising above circumstances, considering they’d done it to varying degrees in the past few years.
Rose scored 18 with 10 assists and five rebounds but missed 14 of his 20 shots, including a few inside shots late as the Bulls came up empty on their last seven possessions offensively.
“I like the way we were playing defense earlier in the year when we were closing games because of our defense and the offense was behind. It kind of switched up where it’s the defense that we lack right now towards the end.”
But in this new day, Andrew Wiggins took over late as the athletic bigs handled things early, scoring six straight after the game was tied with two minutes remaining.
Wiggins finished with 21, while Karl-Anthony Towns scored 26 with 17 rebounds and Gorgui Dieng scored 24 with 13 rebounds and seven assists, the common denominator being athleticism and fresh legs, which the Wolves have in spades.
Bobby Portis scored 15 off 7-for-9 shooting but only grabbed three rebounds in 28 minutes.
“They controlled the glass tonight,” Hoiberg said. “Our shots weren’t (bad). Give them credit, they made tough shots.”
“You gotta keep working at it. You put the ball in your playmakers' hands, and you try to get good looks and good shots where we wanted.”
The two young bigs nearly out-rebounded the entire Bulls team, combining for 30 rebounds to the Bulls’ 31. The Timberwolves shot 52 percent from the field and only turned it over nine times.
“Rebounds and once again miscommunication on the defensive end,” Rose said. "When we were up seven or five points, they got fast-break points from our misses. And we weren’t able to do the same because we were taking the ball out of the net."
The Bulls were supposed to have some guile and experience against the youngest team in the league, and neither team led by more than six for most of the night as the lead changed hands more times than you can count.
When Rose found E'Twaun Moore for a corner triple midway through the fourth, giving the Bulls a 99-96 lead, one would’ve thought the tide turned.
Pau Gasol could've tied the game late with a triple from the top of the key but missed, finishing with 25 and eight rebounds.
The All-Star break can't get here quick enough, but the reality check has just arrived at the table.
Who's paying?
Bulls lose Jimmy Butler, 18-point lead, game vs. Nuggets. (Friday night's game, 02/05/2016).
By Vincent Goodwill
They never make it easy for themselves, through their own actions or unfortunate circumstances, but the Bulls continue to be utterly confounding.
This time, they were joined by the scoring crew, which might have changed the entire complexion of the game with some questionable scorekeeping in the fourth quarter.
Every emotion was felt, as the Nuggets came back from an 18-point deficit to outscore the Bulls, 42-21, in the fourth, winning, 115-110, at the Pepsi Center.
That is, if the scorekeepers are to be believed, as they missed a Derrick Rose basket and later might have missed a Doug McDermott layup in the fourth when the Nuggets were charging.
“Not until the coaches got into it,” said Rose when asked if he knew about the discrepancy. “But this always happens to me or something, man. Always something. But it is what it is, and they fixed it.”
On the official score sheet, it looks as if the score wasn’t fixed for Rose, but the league claims it went to the replay center in New York to correct the issue.
Rose scored 30 with nine rebounds and eight assists and McDermott scored 15 off the bench, but offense wasn’t the problem, no matter the score.
It doesn’t take second place to Jimmy Butler injuring his left knee late in the second quarter on a drive to the basket, but it added a layer of bizarre to a wild night. Butler scored 19 in 18 minutes before going down, adding to the lot of Bulls out with injury as Pau Gasol sat out with a sprained left hand and Cameron Bairstow started in his place.
Whether it was the lack of healthy bodies, or the Bulls’ continued inability to handle runs or small bursts of prosperity, the Nuggets took the game from the Bulls in the last 12 minutes — after a third quarter that saw the home team look dead to rights when the Bulls took an 18-point lead.
Nuggets forward Danilo Gallinari scored 33, including an easy jumper over Tony Snell with 52 seconds left to give the Nuggets their first lead of the second half. The 16-point lead at the start of the fourth was down to four with 7:03 left, with the Nuggets hitting a barrage of triples — not unlike the Bulls’ performance from deep against the Kings two nights ago.
“They came out and got the momentum right away in the fourth, we let them back in with some confidence, a couple turnovers led to runouts, then they got some 3s,” Hoiberg said. “Then they got confident.”
And the Bulls, while not completely wilting with the pressure, made crucial mistakes when they could’ve turned the tide, capped off by Kenneth Faried outworking Taj Gibson for an offensive rebound and score after Emmanuel Mudiay missed the second of two free throws, with the Bulls trailing by two.
“They got the momentum, got the crowd into it and finished it,” Hoiberg said. “Then defensively we missed some assignments late that allowed them to seal it.”
It was a role reversal from the third when the Bulls took control of the game and looked to be on their way to their second straight win, before old demons emerged from the closet.
“We did some really good things to get that lead,” Hoiberg said. “Guys went out in the third quarter and nobody really knowing what the prognosis was with Jimmy, and those guys went out and battled, got us the lead. We were in complete attack mode and completely took over the momentum of the game. I did see heads hanging, walking down the floor, lost the attack, lost what got us the lead.”
And when the Nuggets smelled blood, they kept attacking, with Gallinari and Will Barton providing the necessary energy.
“No defense and no communication,” Rose said. “They were pushing the ball and just playing the up-tempo pace of basketball, just trying to get back into the game, and we didn’t communicate the way we're supposed to.’’
Regardless of how long this will hurt on a weird road trip that just got weirder, the prevailing thought from all sides is, “What happened?”
Bear Down Chicago Bears!!!!! Pro Football Hall of Fame 2016 class: Brett Favre, Marvin Harrison lead class.
By Andy Hutchins
The Pro Football Hall of Fame class of 2016 is going to be one of the most star-studded in NFL history. Brett Favre and Marvin Harrison lead it on the players' side, while venerated coach Tony Dungy and notorious former San Francisco 49ers owner Eddie DeBartolo Jr. will also be inducted in Canton in August.
Favre retired — for the second time — after the 2011 NFL season as the NFL's record-holder in a variety of passing categories and as the league's all-time leader in wins. He holds virtually every passing record in Packers history, and he became the first starting quarterback to win a playoff game after the age of 40 in his final run with the Vikings. His election was as much of a given as one can be, and he will be enshrined in his first year of Hall of Fame eligibility.
Harrison retired after the 2008 season as a model of consistent greatness at the wide receiver position. He started 15 or more games in 11 of his 13 NFL seasons and is second all-time to Sterling Sharpe in catches per season — a record he would likely have broken by a wide margin upon his retirement had injuries not limited him to five games in 2007. Harrison also holds the NFL's record for catches in a single season, having hauled in 142 in 2002 and was previously a Hall of Fame finalist in 2014 and 2015.
Dungy, who oversaw the reign of Peyton Manning, Edgerrin James and Harrison as "the triplets" in Indianapolis, led the Indianapolis Colts to their first Super Bowl title since the franchise was in Baltimore in 2005, then helped them return to the Super Bowl in 2008. Dungy also built the Tampa Bay Buccaneers into a contender near the turn of the 21st century, before being unceremoniously jettisoned to make room for Jon Gruden. Dungy will be the first African-American coach enshrined in the Hall of Fame.
Offensive lineman Orlando Pace gets inducted in his second year of eligibility. The longtime Rams left tackle is considered one of his generation's best offensive linemen, alongside Walter Jones and Jonathan Odgen. Pace spent 14 of his 15 seasons with the Rams after being made the No. 1 overall pick in the 1997 NFL Draft.
The final modern-day inductee \ Kevin Greene finally makes it to Canton in his fifth year on the final ballot. He was a force of nature on defense during the 1980s and 90s, making the Pro Bowl five times and being named to the All-1990s Team.
DeBartolo Jr. owned the 49ers for 23 years, and the franchise won five Super Bowls in a 14-year span under his ownership, as Bill Walsh built a dynasty with Hall of Famers Joe Montana and Steve Young under center.
The late Dick Stanfel and Ken Stabler were the only Senior Finalists on the ballot, and both men were posthumously voted in this year.
2016's biggest snub seems to be Terrell Owens, who inspired nearly 45 minutes of discussion among Hall of Fame selectors on Saturday.
Hall of Fame Class of 2016
- Brett Favre, quarterback
- Marvin Harrison, wide receiver
- Kevin Greene, defensive end/linebacker
- Orlando Pace, tackle
- Tony Dungy, coach
- Ken Stabler, quarterback
- Dick Stanfel, guard ('85 Bears offensive line coach)
- Eddie DeBartolo Jr., owner
Is silent treatment an indication of Bears' decision on Matt Forte?
CSN Staff
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
The veteran running back becomes more veteran by the day, and last season's backup, Jeremy Langford, showed flashes of promise during a disappointing campaign. Plus, with Forte hitting the free-agent market, the price tag might not be in the Bears' financial plan.
This week, the Sun-Times' Patrick Finley reported that Forte has yet to even hear from the Bears about a potential contract that would keep him in Chicago, where he's spent his entire eight-year NFL career.
From Finley:
Matt Forte last met with Ryan Pace on Jan. 4, as the Bears were cleaning out their lockers. The GM told the Bears running back — and pending free agent — that he would evaluate the roster, make a decision about his future and let him know.
Exactly a month later — crickets.
“I haven’t been called yet,” Forte said Thursday, “so I guess they don’t know what they’re going to do yet.”
There are plenty of reasons the Bears might want to move on from Forte, but without a doubt he's one of the most productive players in franchise history. His 8,602 rushing yards in a Bears uniform are second in club history only to Walter Payton.
There are plenty of reasons the Bears might want to move on from Forte, but without a doubt he's one of the most productive players in franchise history. His 8,602 rushing yards in a Bears uniform are second in club history only to Walter Payton.
ChicagoFootball.com's Hub Arkush joined SportsTalk Live on Friday and spoke on how the team's lack of communication could affect the chances of Forte returning to the Bears next season.
"I don't think they need to talk to him to make a decision as to whether they want him or not to let him know. I think it's probably just bad communication, it's probably bad office policy, if you will," Arkush said. "There's nothing wrong with letting a beloved and cherished member of your organization like Matt Forte know that you want him back, that you want him around. They should be in contact with him to say, 'Hey, we're working on it, be patient.' Just do the right things, act like a class organization.
"I think complete silence is a mistake. It's probably going to make Forte more apt to listen to other offers that may not be that much better than a Bears offer that he might take because he could be unhappy about the way he's being treated. It's not that they're doing anything wrong, necessarily, by not being in touch with him. It just doesn't sound like they're doing it right either if they do have any intention of trying to bring him back and keep him happy."
Cubs, Jake Arrieta agree to $10.7 million deal, avoid arbitration.
By Patrick Mooney
(Photo/chicagonow.com)
Jake Arrieta’s long-term future with the Cubs is still a big-picture question, but he will cash in after a Cy Young Award season.
The Cubs and Arrieta have agreed to a one-year, $10.7 million contract, a source close to the negotiations confirmed, avoiding an arbitration hearing that had been scheduled for Tuesday in Arizona.
Arrieta almost tripled the $3.63 million he earned last season, the Associated Press first reported late Friday night, his reward for finally blossoming into a No. 1 starter, going 22-6 with a 1.77 ERA and emerging as a leader for a 97-win team.
Arrieta also beat the $10.25 million midpoint between where the Cubs ($7.5 million) and super-agent Scott Boras ($13 million) filed. Theo Epstein has never taken an arbitration-eligible player to a hearing, either in his nine years as the Boston Red Sox general manager or through five off-seasons running baseball operations for the Cubs.
Arrieta isn’t positioned to become a free agent until after the 2017 season. For now, it’s hard to see the Cubs buying at an absolute high point or a Boras client taking a hometown discount.
But this arrangement has clearly worked out for both sides since the Cubs made a franchise-altering trade with the Baltimore Orioles in the middle of the 2013 season, getting Arrieta as a foundation piece to a World Series contender.
WHITE SOX: Todd Frazier's arrival has allowed Rick Hahn to breathe a little easier.
#WHITESOXTALK
Rick Hahn finally feels able to laugh about the White Sox recent lack of production at the third base position.
The Sox have struggled to find a long-term, consistent solution at third base, but now that Todd Frazier is in town, Hahn can laugh.
The Sox have struggled to find a long-term, consistent solution at third base, but now that Todd Frazier is in town, Hahn can laugh.
In a 1-on-1 interview with the White Sox GM, CSN's Chuck Garfien asked Hahn how many phone calls he thinks he's made in trying to upgrade the position, a question that prompted a hearty laugh from Hahn.
Frazier headlined an offseason of offensive upgrades by Hahn's front office that also included Brett Lawrie, Dioner Navarro and Alex Avila, injecting some more power into the lineup.
"We feel like we were able to address a number of needs - third base, second base, catcher - from an offensive standpoint, which was a priority for us," Hahn said. "And as we sit here today, we feel like we're better than we were a year ago and certainly better than we were at the end of the season.
"... We don't feel like we're done. We're going to continue to be aggressive on numerous fronts to try to improve ourselves. Don't know if it's gonna happen, but we're gonna try."
Golf: I got a club for that..... Matsuyama rallies to beat Fowler in Phoenix Open playoff
Frazier headlined an offseason of offensive upgrades by Hahn's front office that also included Brett Lawrie, Dioner Navarro and Alex Avila, injecting some more power into the lineup.
"We feel like we were able to address a number of needs - third base, second base, catcher - from an offensive standpoint, which was a priority for us," Hahn said. "And as we sit here today, we feel like we're better than we were a year ago and certainly better than we were at the end of the season.
"... We don't feel like we're done. We're going to continue to be aggressive on numerous fronts to try to improve ourselves. Don't know if it's gonna happen, but we're gonna try."
Golf: I got a club for that..... Matsuyama rallies to beat Fowler in Phoenix Open playoff
Reuters; By Andrew Both, Editing by Frank Pingue
Hideki Matsuyama edged American Rickie Fowler in a playoff at the Phoenix Open on Sunday to become only the second Japanese player with multiple wins on the PGA Tour.
Matsuyama displayed supreme poise in the clutch, overcoming a late two-stroke deficit in regulation as he finished birdie-birdie to catch Fowler at the TPC Scottsdale.
He then edged the American at the fourth extra hole to claim his second PGA Tour victory, following his maiden success at the Memorial tournament in 2014.
"It's been a while since the first one and I'm just really happy today," Matsuyama told Golf Channel via an interpreter.
"At the start of this week I wasn't really playing that well. Winning wasn't one of my thoughts. I'm just glad everything worked out fine."
Shigeki Maruyama, with three wins, is the only Japanese player with more victories on the PGA Tour.
Matsuyama, 23, who has also won six times on the Japan Tour, is projected to rise to 12th in the world rankings.
A Matsuyama victory seemed most unlikely when Fowler stood over an eight-foot birdie chance at the par-three 16th stadium hole with a chance to go three shots ahead.
But Fowler missed the putt, much to the disappointment of the gallery, and then compounded his situation by powering a driver into the water beyond the 17th green en route to a bogey.
In a dramatic finish to regulation, Matsuyama rolled in a 15-foot birdie dead centre at the par-four 18th, before Fowler matched him by sneaking a nine-footer in the right-hand door.
New Zealand's Danny Lee, who started the day with a three-shot lead, stumbled early and shot 73 to finish fourth, three shots off the pace.
Matsuyama and Fowler opened the sudden-death playoff by playing the 18th twice, matching each other first with par and then birdie, before continuing at the par-four 10th, which they both parred.
The playoff finally ended at the par-four 17th, where Fowler drove into the hazard for the second time in barely an hour and could not save par.
Matsuyama had the luxury of two-putting from five feet to win, as world number four Fowler squandered a chance for his second victory in three starts, after winning the European tour's Abu Dhabi Championship two weeks ago.
Willett keeps his nerve to win Dubai Desert Classic.
Reuters; By Matt Smith, Writing by Steve Tongue, Editing by Alan Baldwin
Britain's Danny Willett kept his nerve to win the Dubai Desert Classic by a stroke from compatriot Andy Sullivan and Spain's Rafa Cabrero-Bello on Sunday.
Overnight leader Willett shot a final round 69 at the Emirates Golf Club to finish on 269, 19 under par, after needing to make a 15-foot putt on the last to clinch his fourth European Tour title.
"When you win like that in that fashion, it does feel that little bit extra special when the pressure is on, being able to produce the goods," said the 28-year-old, runner-up in last season's Race to Dubai.
Sullivan made up one shot on him and Cabrera-Bello to finish joint second.
Spain's Alvaro Quiros and South Korea's An Byeong-Hun were joint fourth after carding final round 65s for a 16-under par total.
World number two Rory McIlroy, last year's winner, and Henrik Stenson finished joint sixth a further shot behind.
Willett, 28, is hoping to win a place in Europe's Ryder Cup team later this year and was neck-and-neck with Sullivan throughout the final round.
He fell a shot behind early on as his fellow Englishman birdied the second and fourth holes, but quickly recovered to lead by three.
A bogey on the 14th gave hope to his pursuers and Cabrera-Bello was only one shot behind after a birdie at the 17th.
Sullivan, playing a hole ahead, roared in delight and punched the air after sinking a long putt on the final hole for a share of the lead.
He then watched on from the scorer's area as Willett strode the final fairway before his dramatic birdie putt averted a three-man playoff and secured prize money of more than 402,000 euros ($448,591.80).
"Fair play to Danny, to birdie the last hole was a tough putt," Sullivan told reporters. "He was under a lot of pressure and stepped up well.
"I struggled again with my driving. I’m not really hitting any fairways and that made it difficult to get lots of birdies from there. I put myself in a great position to win and just not got over the line."
NASCAR's Newest Caution Rule Is Mind Bogglingly Ridiculous.
Road & Track; By Marshall Pruett
What's the point? (Photo/Road & Track/Yahoo Sports)
NASCAR's Camping World Truck Series revealed a brand-new feature that has never been seen in motor racing, and based on that fact alone, it's worth asking how the NCWTS found value in an idea Formula 1, IndyCar, and every other major championship left on the cutting room floor.
Announced during NASCAR's pre-season Media Tour on Tuesday, the NCWTS will actually schedule caution periods this season using a countdown clock. For those who are familiar with motor racing, a caution period is traditionally used when a problem arises-a car has crashed and needs to be retrieved, harmful debris is on the racetrack, or some other issue has necessitated a temporary halt to the action. With the new NCWTS caution clock, those halts will happen every 20 minutes, regardless of whether it's needed.
Announced during NASCAR's pre-season Media Tour on Tuesday, the NCWTS will actually schedule caution periods this season using a countdown clock. For those who are familiar with motor racing, a caution period is traditionally used when a problem arises-a car has crashed and needs to be retrieved, harmful debris is on the racetrack, or some other issue has necessitated a temporary halt to the action. With the new NCWTS caution clock, those halts will happen every 20 minutes, regardless of whether it's needed.
And if a genuine caution period happens during that 20-minute countdown, NCWTS officials will tend to the stricken car or debris (or whatever), then restart the 20-minute clock once the race goes back to green. The clock starts when the race starts, starts again on restarts and, as a race-to-the-finish bonus, it will be turned off during the final 20 laps of the race.
Most NCWTS laps take well under one minute, so if we stick to time measurements, all but the last five to 10 minutes of most races will run without the caution clock.
If you're asking the logical follow-up question of "why would they manipulate racing with unnecessary cautions every 20 minutes," my answer is "I don't know," followed by a lot of cursing and screaming into a pillow.
If you're asking the logical follow-up question of "why would they manipulate racing with unnecessary cautions every 20 minutes," my answer is "I don't know," followed by a lot of cursing and screaming into a pillow.
No reasoning for the introduction of caution clock was provided by NASCAR, although we can assume it's for the sake of keeping its races nice and spicy. With teams expecting to race for no longer than 20 minutes before NASCAR dims the lights and throws on a slow jam to pack the cars together, action at NCWTS events would, in theory, never fall prey to runaway victories.
Imagine if the NBA created a similar rule where it called timeouts once a team builds a handy lead. It would disrupt the momentum of the losing team while, possibly, cooling the jets of the streaking team. It would also leave those in attendance, and watching at home, with the feeling the outcome of its games are being manipulated by The Man.
The caution clock is pure sports entertainment. At least NCWTS fans will now have a handy countdown clock to schedule bathroom breaks, make sandwiches, or grab fresh beverages.
Jeff Gordon says he’s not a candidate to replace Tony Stewart.
By Daniel McFadin
(Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
Jeff Gordon told Fox Sports that he’s not coming out of retirement to be a substitute driver for Tony Stewart.
“There’s obviously a lot of things and scenarios that they (Stewart-Haas Racing management) have been running through, but that’s not an option,” Gordon said.
Gordon, now an analyst for Fox, was among the group with Stewart at the Glamis Dunes on Sunday when Stewart suffered a burst fracture in his L1 vertebra from a dune buggy accident. Gordon had invited Stewart to the dunes.
The four-time Sprint Cup champion said that if he wasn’t working in the Fox booth analyzing Sprint Cup races, he would step into Stewart’s seat.
On Thursday, Mark Martin and Jeff Burton let it be known they weren’t coming out of retirement to take over the seat.
No timetable has been set for Stewart’s return. The three-time champion announced his retirement following this season late in the 2015 season.
“I don’t know how long it will take, but there’s no doubt in my mind he’ll be back in a race car,” Gordon said.
Chelsea 1-1 Manchester United: Costa saves Chelsea with late strike.
By Kyle Bonn
With rumors of Jose Mourinho swirling around Manchester, Louis Van Gaal‘s squad had dominated the team that The Special One put together, and he was minutes away from a special win.
Then Diego Costa happened.
The polarizing Chelsea striker scored a minute into injury time to cancel out a stunning goal from Jesse Lingard and save a point for Chelsea at home and hold Manchester United to just a point.
The visitors owned much of the attacking intent in the opening 10 minutes, bursting down both flanks and cutting inside looking for an opening. Chelsea barely saw a sniff of the ball through the opening stages, unable to get out of their own half without giving away possession. Anthony Martial beat Branislav Ivanovic down the left and ripped a shot destined for the top corner, forcing a fantastic save from Thibaut Courtois on 18 minutes.
The Red Devils earned themselves a monstrous nine corners through the first 25 minutes, but couldn’t get on the score sheet. Chelsea began to get themselves into the game past the half-hour mark. Nemanja Matic forced a save from David De Gea on a directed header across net, and Diego Costa had a tight-angled shot skitter wide after having beaten a pair of defenders. Oscar played a nice one-two with Cesar Azpilicueta in the box, but the Brazilian’s shot skied over.
The referee was called into action just moments before halftime as a volleyed effort from John Terry struck the elbow of Daley Blind on its way towards the net. Michael Oliver did not give the penalty, and replays showed his arm was up near his face.
After the break, United returned to the ascendency they enjoyed early in the game. Wayne Rooney ripped a low shot that forced a save from David de Gea just minutes after halftime, and Martial had one from closer on that he dragged just wide.
There was a lengthy delay just before the hour mark as Kurt Zouma landed awkwardly on his right leg. The injury appeared very serious, and he was stretchered off in favor of Gary Cahill. Moments later, with Chelsea possibly unsettled, Manchester United capitalized. Cameron Borthwick-Jackson drove in a low cross to Wayne Rooney, who touched to Lingard. With his back to goal, the 23-year-old turned and cut a shot past Courtois for the lead.
Rooney tried the same effort on 73 minutes but fired just wide. Chelsea really struggled to respond after falling behind, but Cesc Fabregas forced a fine save from De Gea with a close-range shot at the top corner.
Lingard received a yellow card down the stretch, and was subsequently removed in favor of Memphis Depay, who saw the match out up front. Chelsea had little going forward through the finality of regulation, but with a healthy chunk of added time from Zouma’s injury, Diego Costa struck.
A ball through the scrum from Cesc Fabregas found Costa’s feet one-on-one with Borthwick-Jackson. Costa skipped around a weak tackle from the young defender, and with De Gea out of net, Costa easily poked the ball home to pull level. The Brazilian nearly had another to win it with just seconds left, but De Gea saved well again.
SOCCER: Five takeaways from USA's win against Canada. USA 1-0 Canada. (Friday, February 5, 2016).
“There’s obviously a lot of things and scenarios that they (Stewart-Haas Racing management) have been running through, but that’s not an option,” Gordon said.
Gordon, now an analyst for Fox, was among the group with Stewart at the Glamis Dunes on Sunday when Stewart suffered a burst fracture in his L1 vertebra from a dune buggy accident. Gordon had invited Stewart to the dunes.
The four-time Sprint Cup champion said that if he wasn’t working in the Fox booth analyzing Sprint Cup races, he would step into Stewart’s seat.
On Thursday, Mark Martin and Jeff Burton let it be known they weren’t coming out of retirement to take over the seat.
No timetable has been set for Stewart’s return. The three-time champion announced his retirement following this season late in the 2015 season.
“I don’t know how long it will take, but there’s no doubt in my mind he’ll be back in a race car,” Gordon said.
Chelsea 1-1 Manchester United: Costa saves Chelsea with late strike.
By Kyle Bonn
With rumors of Jose Mourinho swirling around Manchester, Louis Van Gaal‘s squad had dominated the team that The Special One put together, and he was minutes away from a special win.
Then Diego Costa happened.
The polarizing Chelsea striker scored a minute into injury time to cancel out a stunning goal from Jesse Lingard and save a point for Chelsea at home and hold Manchester United to just a point.
The visitors owned much of the attacking intent in the opening 10 minutes, bursting down both flanks and cutting inside looking for an opening. Chelsea barely saw a sniff of the ball through the opening stages, unable to get out of their own half without giving away possession. Anthony Martial beat Branislav Ivanovic down the left and ripped a shot destined for the top corner, forcing a fantastic save from Thibaut Courtois on 18 minutes.
The Red Devils earned themselves a monstrous nine corners through the first 25 minutes, but couldn’t get on the score sheet. Chelsea began to get themselves into the game past the half-hour mark. Nemanja Matic forced a save from David De Gea on a directed header across net, and Diego Costa had a tight-angled shot skitter wide after having beaten a pair of defenders. Oscar played a nice one-two with Cesar Azpilicueta in the box, but the Brazilian’s shot skied over.
The referee was called into action just moments before halftime as a volleyed effort from John Terry struck the elbow of Daley Blind on its way towards the net. Michael Oliver did not give the penalty, and replays showed his arm was up near his face.
After the break, United returned to the ascendency they enjoyed early in the game. Wayne Rooney ripped a low shot that forced a save from David de Gea just minutes after halftime, and Martial had one from closer on that he dragged just wide.
There was a lengthy delay just before the hour mark as Kurt Zouma landed awkwardly on his right leg. The injury appeared very serious, and he was stretchered off in favor of Gary Cahill. Moments later, with Chelsea possibly unsettled, Manchester United capitalized. Cameron Borthwick-Jackson drove in a low cross to Wayne Rooney, who touched to Lingard. With his back to goal, the 23-year-old turned and cut a shot past Courtois for the lead.
Rooney tried the same effort on 73 minutes but fired just wide. Chelsea really struggled to respond after falling behind, but Cesc Fabregas forced a fine save from De Gea with a close-range shot at the top corner.
Lingard received a yellow card down the stretch, and was subsequently removed in favor of Memphis Depay, who saw the match out up front. Chelsea had little going forward through the finality of regulation, but with a healthy chunk of added time from Zouma’s injury, Diego Costa struck.
A ball through the scrum from Cesc Fabregas found Costa’s feet one-on-one with Borthwick-Jackson. Costa skipped around a weak tackle from the young defender, and with De Gea out of net, Costa easily poked the ball home to pull level. The Brazilian nearly had another to win it with just seconds left, but De Gea saved well again.
SOCCER: Five takeaways from USA's win against Canada. USA 1-0 Canada. (Friday, February 5, 2016).
The crowd was sparse, and the soccer was ugly for considerable stretches, but the U.S. national team's 1-0 victory against Canada still gave Jurgen Klinsmann plenty to chew on as the team's month-long training camp concluded.
It was clear by the makeshift defense that Klinsmann wasn't worrying too much about learning about his back line options. What the match provided was a good showcase for some attacking options. The offense did move the ball well in midfield and created several chances, but the final play was lacking, and poor touches by several players – most frequently Gyasi Zardes and Jordan Morris – contributed to the lack of goals.
The younger attackers may have struggled, but Jozy Altidore delivered a very professional performance and while he failed to convert several chances, the veteran forward was active throughout and combined well with his teammates.
The win helps Klinsmann start the new year with a pair of victories, and while they may not mean that much in the grand scheme of things considering the opponents and the players in the side, the January camp did help give some players the chance to impress and move up Klinsmann's pecking order.
Here is a look at some of the key takeaways from Friday's U.S. victory:
ALTIDORE REMAINS THE BEST STRIKER THE U.S. HAS
Few American starters draw more criticism than Altidore, particularly when he's running cold on the international level. On Friday, he provided a reminder of why he remains the unquestioned starter at forward. It's not just what he brings to the table, but there simply aren't other players ready to really challenge Altidore for his starting spot.
Klinsmann knows this all too well, and is focusing his energies on finding the best options to play alongside Altidore. Gyasi Zardes had his chance against Iceland, and turned in mixed results. Jordan Morris may not be close to truly challenging for a starting role, but he played well with Altidore and the two combined on some good sequences.
Altidore has lost more than 10 pounds of muscle to slim down and get quicker, and the early results look good. He moved well in both recent friendlies, and could be poised for a big year for club and country.
LEE NGUYEN FINISHES SOLID CAMP WITH ANOTHER GOOD SHOWING
It can be argued that no player boosted their national team stock more in the recent camp and friendlies than Lee Nguyen, who showed up in top shape and determined to earn more playing time. Two very good starts later, and Nguyen has established himself as someone Klinsmann needs to keep in the picture in midfield.
Deployed on the left wing in both matches but given the freedom to roam, Nguyen showed off his deft touch and passing vision against Canada, displaying real confidence, and an ability to unlock defenses with his shifty moves and precise passes. Though not a pure winger, his technical quality could earn him more looks in a wide role, and potentially even some time in central midfield.
MORRIS STILL NEEDS WORK, BUT SHOWS PROMISE IN START
It may only be one match, but we may wind up seeing a lot of the Altidore-Morris tandem at forward. Morris played with confidence in what was only his second national team start. His touch may have failed him a few times, but his speed, tenacity and improving combination play helped create several chances for himself and for Altidore.
It's easy to forget that Morris has just nine U.S. caps and has played zero professional matches. The 21-year-old is sure to improve once he settles into the Seattle Sounders setup, and the experience he will gain as a pro should see his game grow considerably this year.
With the possible exception of Jermaine Jones, there was probably no player more frustrating to watch than Gyasi Zardes, who squandered countless looks and killed multiple attacks with poor touches and bad decision-making.
To be clear, Zardes did have a hand in some good plays, included a perfect pass to set up an Altidore chance, and his own dangerous shot that forced a save. He also showed his trademark tireless defensive work. Unfortunately, his good work didn't cancel out the countless number of awful touches, ill-timed hesitations and general lack of confidence in the final third.
It could be chalked up to rust and being in preseason form, but these issues are nothing new for Zardes. Until he can improve in these key areas, it's tough to see him being a reliable starter on the international level.
DISKERUD REWARDS KLINSMANN'S FATIH WITH STRONG START
When the initial January camp roster was announced, Mix Diskerud's inclusion was met with plenty of consternation. After all, he was coming off what was widely regarded as a mediocre season at New York City FC, and that didn't stop him from being chosen ahead of more productive MLS players like Dax McCarty, Sacha Kljestan and yes, Benny Feilhaber.
Klinsmann didn't hold Diskerud's 2015 struggles against him, choosing instead to focus on the fact Diskerud has done well with the U.S. on several occasions. Diskerud repaid Klinsmann's faith once again on Friday, looking very comfortable in a central midfield partnership with Michael Bradley. His movement was crisp, passes sharp and decisions steady. He did enough to leave you feeling like Klinsmann was right to call him in.
Diskerud surely knows how disappointing 2015 was, and after Friday's match he stressed that it is a new year. How he fares with NYCFC this year will go a long way toward determining just how large a role he will play for the U.S. in 2016, but on Friday he provided Klinsmann, and U.S. fans, a reminder of why he should still be in the midfield conversation.
NCAABKB: Saturday's upsets reinforce the lack of a true No. 1 this season. (True parity in college basketball this year!!! Yeah baby.....)
By Jeff Eisenberg
The next AP Top 25 poll should probably just start at No. 2.
In a chaotic, upset-riddled season with lots of good teams but no great ones, it's abundantly clear nobody is worthy of the No. 1 spot.
Oklahoma became the latest top-ranked team to fall on Saturday night when the Sooners lost 80-69 on the road against a Kansas State that had previously won only two conference games. Second-ranked North Carolina also lost about an hour later, suffering an 80-76 upset at Notre Dame five days after it also lost to Louisville.
The back-to-back losses from the Sooners and Tar Heels marked only the seventh time in NCAA history that No. 1 and No. 2 fell against unranked opponents on the same day. The last time it happened was Jan. 21, 2006 when Duke lost at Georgetown and Florida lost at Tennessee.
It's highly likely a new team will replace Oklahoma atop the polls next week, but good luck predicting who that will be.
One option is third-ranked Villanova, which improved to 18-3 on Saturday by beating No. 11 Providence to avenge its lone Big East loss this season. Another option is fourth-ranked Maryland, which continued its mastery in close games on Saturday by outscoring 18th-ranked Purdue 25-10 during the final six minutes. Big Ten-leading Iowa and Big East contender Xavier also merit consideration.
Whichever one of that quartet inherits the top spot from Oklahoma will become the sixth team to be ranked No. 1 already this season. North Carolina, Kentucky, Michigan State and Kansas have also each been No. 1 at some point since mid-November.
Oklahoma already retained the No. 1 spot despite a previous loss last month, but the Sooners didn't play nearly well enough on Saturday to inspire such generosity from the voters this time around. They allowed Kansas State to shoot 52.9 percent from the field and get to the foul line 30 times.
Oklahoma already retained the No. 1 spot despite a previous loss last month, but the Sooners didn't play nearly well enough on Saturday to inspire such generosity from the voters this time around. They allowed Kansas State to shoot 52.9 percent from the field and get to the foul line 30 times.
Twenty-three points from Buddy Hield kept Oklahoma competitive, but the Sooners trailed for the final 13 minutes. Their final push ended when Kansas State forward Dean Wade sank an open jumper to extend the lead to seven with 1:17 to go and then Oklahoma guard Isaiah Cousins lost control of his emotions.
After Wesley Iwundu stripped Hield on the ensuing possession, Cousins went for a steal and got called for a foul that he didn't think should have been whistled. He drop-kicked the ball, leading to a technical foul that sent Kansas State to the foul line for four free throws and drained any remaining drama from the game.
North Carolina didn't have a memorable late-game meltdown, but the Tar Heels were no better defensively than the Sooners were. Notre Dame rallied from a nine-point halftime deficit by erupting for 50 second-half points, many of which came at the foul line.
Oklahoma's loss drops the Sooners into a second-place tie in the Big 12 with Kansas and Texas, one-half game behind first-place West Virginia. North Carolina's loss leaves the Tar Heels tied for first place in the ACC with Louisville and only a half game in front of surging Virginia.
But in addition to tightening a pair of conference races, the upsets also reinforce the one rule this season that has held true from start to finish.
In a year with no elite teams, chaos is the only certainty.
In a year with no elite teams, chaos is the only certainty.
Notre Dame rallies to beat No. 2 North Carolina 80-76.
By TOM COYNE
Notre Dame did it to North Carolina again.
Demetrius Jackson scored 19 points, Bonzie Colson had 19 points and 10 rebounds, and the Fighting Irish rallied to beat the second-ranked Tar Heels 80-76 on Saturday night.
Notre Dame (16-7, 7-4 Atlantic Coast Conference) trailed by 15 late in the first half. It was the first meeting between the schools since the Irish used a 26-3 run to erase a nine-point deficit during a 90-82 victory over the Tar Heels in the ACC tournament final last March.
''It feels great to beat a great team and it feels even better to do the things we had to do to win that game: Good things on the defensive end, which has been a struggle for us,'' Jackson said.
It was the second straight loss for the Tar Heels (19-4, 8-2), and Fighting Irish fans celebrated on the court.
The Irish used an 11-2 run in the second half to get even, and a layup by Colson and a jumper for Jackson helped them open a 67-64 lead with 5:31 left. Notre Dame eventually extended the lead to 75-70 on a basket inside by Zach Auguste.
The Tar Heels closed to 77-76 on a pair of free throws by Marcus Paige with 32 seconds left. But Jackson made a pair of free throws and Steve Vasturia added another to help the Irish hold on.
''It was a gritty one. They had to fight and do some tough stuff in the paint defensively,'' Notre Dame coach Mike Brey said. ''Bonzie and Zach were men tonight. They were pounding against four big bodies that kept coming at them all the time.''
North Carolina coach Roy Williams, who had urged his team during practice to play with more intensity following a loss at Louisville, was disappointed in the effort by the Tar Heels.
'Their coach did a heck of a lot better job of getting his guys to play with a great deal of intensity than I did,'' he said. ''I look down there at the stat sheet, 19 points off turnovers for them, zero for us. Twenty-three second-chance points for them, 13 for us. Thirty-eight foul shots for them, 21 for us. I have to do a heck of a lot better job of getting my club to play with a lot more intensity than we did.''
North Carolina coach Roy Williams, who had urged his team during practice to play with more intensity following a loss at Louisville, was disappointed in the effort by the Tar Heels.
'Their coach did a heck of a lot better job of getting his guys to play with a great deal of intensity than I did,'' he said. ''I look down there at the stat sheet, 19 points off turnovers for them, zero for us. Twenty-three second-chance points for them, 13 for us. Thirty-eight foul shots for them, 21 for us. I have to do a heck of a lot better job of getting my club to play with a lot more intensity than we did.''
Auguste added 15 points and 10 rebounds for the Irish (16-7, 7-4). Vasturia had 13 points, and V.J. Beachem finished with 10.
'We had to make some stops or we're going to lose,'' Auguste said. ''If we didn't step up, lock in and be aggressive, they're probably going to beat us by 20. That didn't happen. We came down, we had some resiliency and we executed.''
'We had to make some stops or we're going to lose,'' Auguste said. ''If we didn't step up, lock in and be aggressive, they're probably going to beat us by 20. That didn't happen. We came down, we had some resiliency and we executed.''
Paige broke out of a six-game shooting slump, finishing with 21 points. Brice Johnson had 14 points and 14 rebounds for North Carolina.
No. 1 Oklahoma also lost, falling 80-69 to Kansas State. According to STATS, it was the first time the top two teams in the country lost to unranked schools on the same day since Jan. 21, 2006, when No. 1 Duke lost to Georgetown and No. 2 Florida was defeated by Tennessee.
Paige said Notre Dame's smaller lineup caused matchup problems for the Tar Heels.
''We'd like to be able to impose our style on them, but we can't do that if we can't guard,'' he said. ''Then they had 23 points off of offensive rebounds in the second half which is inexplicable and inexcusable for us.''
Paige said Notre Dame's smaller lineup caused matchup problems for the Tar Heels.
''We'd like to be able to impose our style on them, but we can't do that if we can't guard,'' he said. ''Then they had 23 points off of offensive rebounds in the second half which is inexplicable and inexcusable for us.''
CROWD HELP
Brey credited the crowd with helping the Irish pull off the upset.
Brey credited the crowd with helping the Irish pull off the upset.
''Our crowd was fabulous,'' he said. ''That was one of the great nights in our building. You just never were tired and you believed because you had the crowd behind you.''
TIP-INS
North Carolina: It was the fourth straight double-double for Johnson and his 13th overall this season. ... The Tar Heels have lost their first two games of a three-game road swing. ... North Carolina is 3-4 in road games this season. ... UNC entered the game making 30.2 percent of its 3-pointers, on pace to be the worst in school history, but was 6 of 12 against the Irish. The record is 32.8 percent, set in 2010-11.
Notre Dame: The Irish have won three straight over North Carolina. Until winning two straight last season, the Irish had never won consecutive games against the Tar Heels. ... Notre Dame has beaten a top-10 team at home for eight straight seasons. ... Notre Dame entered the game fourth in the nation in turnovers at 9.5 a game. ... Jackson now has 1,006 career points, becoming the 58th Notre Dame player to score at least 1,000. ... A.J. Burgett, who started the previous two games, sat out after injuring his ankle in practice Friday.
UP NEXT
North Carolina visits Boston College on Tuesday.
Notre Dame plays at Clemson on Monday.
NCAAFB: The Big 12 has one true champion and now one voice on expansion.
By Nick Bromberg
The Big 12's meetings this week didn't elicit any sweeping changes. A title game isn't likely to happen in 2016 and the conference hasn't unveiled any firm plans for expansion.
The lack of a final decision regarding a title game and any clarity on possible expansion means speculation regarding the two will continue until the league meets again over the summer. And while college football observers will freely discuss expansion publicly, the presidents of Big 12 schools won't be doing so.
The conference decided Friday that school presidents won't talk about expansion singularly. Rather, all comments on the matter will come from one voice.
“If you’re gonna have a family argument, is it better to have it at Applebee’s or at home?” Kansas State president Kirk Schulz said via the Tulsa World. “We decided to do it at home with the doors shut.”
(Applebee's is perhaps the perfect Big 12 restaurant when you think of it.).
That voice will be of Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby. The move means we won't get to hear from people like Oklahoma president David Boren, who has been outspoken in his feelings about expansion for the conference.
The Big 12 now has the right to stage a title game with 10 teams after the 12-team mandate for conference title games was waived by FBS conferences. But Bowlsby is, rightfully, being pragmatic. Oklahoma made the College Football Playoff in 2015 after the conference didn't have a team in the inaugural playoff. With two years of contradicting data, there's no point in the conference acting rashly.
The conference has been pragmatic about expansion too. It hasn't rushed to fill the two spots vacated by the departures of Colorado, Missouri, Nebraska and Texas A&M (and the additions of TCU and West Virginia) when the realignment circus was rolling in 2010 and 2011.
But there are clues that it's seriously considering the matter now. According to Cincinnati.com, the University of Cincinnati is refusing to release things like emails and travel records that could relate to possibly joining the Big 12. The paper asked for the records and after the school's attorneys reviewed the info requested, the board of trustees asked for the information and the paper hasn't gotten them.
Cincinnati would be a logical fit. It's in a major market and in an area of the country where the Big 12 doesn't currently have a foothold. And it makes West Virginia less of a geographical outlier.
Perhaps a Cincinnati possibility is why the Big 12 made the move it did to silence all but one official voice regarding expansion. Or maybe the Bearcats – or any other specific candidates – have nothing to do with it. We can publicly wonder these things even if the conference's school presidents can't.
MVP Newton, Watt, Rivera, Berry big winners of NFL awards.
Cam Newton is now a Super Bowl quarterback with an MVP award.
Offensive Player of the Year, too.
And now, a rewarding night.
Offensive Player of the Year, too.
And his coach, Ron Rivera, owns a second NFL honor as well.
Newton, the Carolina Panthers star, won The Associated Press NFL Most Valuable Player and Offensive Player of the Year awards Saturday night.
'It means so much, but not just for myself,'' Newton said in a video acceptance speech for the MVP award. ''To be the first person in Panthers history to win it - that's what I'm most proud about. I've received a lot of awards, but to be able to get this organization here, I'm really proud. We didn't get in this position by happenstance. It took years of hard work and dedication, and now we are reaping the benefits.''
Newton was not on hand at NFL Honors because he is kind of busy preparing for a little game on Sunday against Denver. But just as he has for much of the week - for most of the season, really - Newton still was a dominant figure.
'It means so much, but not just for myself,'' Newton said in a video acceptance speech for the MVP award. ''To be the first person in Panthers history to win it - that's what I'm most proud about. I've received a lot of awards, but to be able to get this organization here, I'm really proud. We didn't get in this position by happenstance. It took years of hard work and dedication, and now we are reaping the benefits.''
Newton was not on hand at NFL Honors because he is kind of busy preparing for a little game on Sunday against Denver. But just as he has for much of the week - for most of the season, really - Newton still was a dominant figure.
His father, mother and two brothers accepted the Offensive Player award.
''Cam took an unconventional journey to get here and we're just so proud of what has happened, my family and I,'' said Newton's father Cecil. ''So many thanks go out to so many people, from Pop Warner to the Panthers. I don't have time to tell you all, 'Thank you.' You know who you are. We know who you are.''
Newton was a landslide choice for MVP with 48 votes from a nationwide panel of 50 sports writers and broadcasters who regularly cover the NFL. Fellow QBs Tom Brady and Carson Palmer each received one vote.
Newton earned 18 votes for top offensive player. Steelers receiver Antonio Brown was next with 10.
The All-Pro quarterback set an NFL mark for the position with 45 touchdowns this season: 35 passing and 10 rushing. He also ranked sixth in passer rating (99.4), while throwing for 3,837 yards. His 636 yards on the ground easily led all QBs, and the 10 touchdowns rushing were more than All-Pro running back Doug Martin of Tampa Bay scored.
The All-Pro quarterback set an NFL mark for the position with 45 touchdowns this season: 35 passing and 10 rushing. He also ranked sixth in passer rating (99.4), while throwing for 3,837 yards. His 636 yards on the ground easily led all QBs, and the 10 touchdowns rushing were more than All-Pro running back Doug Martin of Tampa Bay scored.
Rivera led the Panthers to an unprecedented third straight NFC South title and two playoff victories. In a season featuring several outstanding coaching jobs, Rivera easily outdistanced the field. He received 36 1/2 votes, far in front of Kansas City's Andy Reid with six votes.
Rivera also won the award two years ago. He dedicated this one to his late brother, Mickey, who died recently.
''It's a tremendous award for the organization,'' Rivera said. ''It validates everything that we've done. And again, our success always starts at the top. I really do appreciate our owner, Mr. (Jerry) Richardson, for believing in me and giving me my opportunity. Dave Gettleman and Marty Hurney - the two general managers I've worked with - I thank them for what they've done. Our coaching staff has been tremendous; our players have been outstanding.''
Another outstanding player, Houston end J.J. Watt won his third Defensive Player of the Award in five pro seasons. He also won it in 2012 and last year, when he was a unanimous choice.
Rivera also won the award two years ago. He dedicated this one to his late brother, Mickey, who died recently.
''It's a tremendous award for the organization,'' Rivera said. ''It validates everything that we've done. And again, our success always starts at the top. I really do appreciate our owner, Mr. (Jerry) Richardson, for believing in me and giving me my opportunity. Dave Gettleman and Marty Hurney - the two general managers I've worked with - I thank them for what they've done. Our coaching staff has been tremendous; our players have been outstanding.''
Another outstanding player, Houston end J.J. Watt won his third Defensive Player of the Award in five pro seasons. He also won it in 2012 and last year, when he was a unanimous choice.
This time, in tying Hall of Famer Lawrence Taylor as the only players to take the award three times, Watt earned 37 votes.
''It's almost difficult to comprehend because I've only been in the league five years,'' Watt said. ''So to think about where I've come from and where I am now and what lies ahead, those type of things it almost doesn't register because of the greatness of the guys that have come before me. So to even be considered amongst those guys is truly incredible. But I mean that's what the goal is. The goal is to come out here and try to be one of the best ever.
Watt spoke about playing football in the yard with his brothers while growing up in Wisconsin, pretending to be Packers stars Reggie White or Brett Favre.
Watt spoke about playing football in the yard with his brothers while growing up in Wisconsin, pretending to be Packers stars Reggie White or Brett Favre.
''There might be kids out there pretending that they're wearing No. 99 is literally one of the coolest things in the entire world,'' Watt said. ''I was a 2-star recruit ... going into college, and now I have three Defensive Player of the Year trophies, so (take that) all you guys who doubted me.''
Kansas City safety Eric Berry gave an emotionally charged speech while accepting Comeback Player of the Year. At one point, his eyes welled with tears and he paused before accepting the award.
Berry missed 10 games the previous season battling lymphoma, then returned to the Chiefs to become an All-Pro. His inspirational story and superb performance on the field earned him 38 votes.
''Everybody, just live out your dreams. Don't let anything come in between,'' Berry said. ''I'm truly honored, truly blessed, truly thankful to be standing here before you all. ... It was some tough times. It was some times where I felt like I couldn't do it anymore. ... There was a lot of rough times, a lot of rough nights, a lot of lonely nights.''
''Everybody, just live out your dreams. Don't let anything come in between,'' Berry said. ''I'm truly honored, truly blessed, truly thankful to be standing here before you all. ... It was some tough times. It was some times where I felt like I couldn't do it anymore. ... There was a lot of rough times, a lot of rough nights, a lot of lonely nights.''
And now, a rewarding night.
His teammate, cornerback Marcus Peters, took Defensive Rookie of the Year. Peters tied for the league lead with eight interceptions in helping the Chiefs make the playoffs. He received 45 votes.
Rams running back Todd Gurley took Offensive Rookie with 27 votes, well ahead of the 17 for Buccaneers QB Jameis Winston, the first overall pick in last year's draft. Gurley missed the first two games of 2015, then went on a tear that included four straight 100-yard rushing performances: 146, 159, 128 and 133 yards. He finished the season third in league rushing and scored 10 touchdowns.
His voice cracked with emotion as he mentioned coming back from his ACL injury. And at the end of his speech, he referenced the Rams' impending move from St. Louis to Los Angeles.
Rams running back Todd Gurley took Offensive Rookie with 27 votes, well ahead of the 17 for Buccaneers QB Jameis Winston, the first overall pick in last year's draft. Gurley missed the first two games of 2015, then went on a tear that included four straight 100-yard rushing performances: 146, 159, 128 and 133 yards. He finished the season third in league rushing and scored 10 touchdowns.
His voice cracked with emotion as he mentioned coming back from his ACL injury. And at the end of his speech, he referenced the Rams' impending move from St. Louis to Los Angeles.
''I just want to say something to the St. Louis fans: I know you all might be disappointed that we might be leaving but, you know, it's out of our control,'' Gurley said.
Wade Phillips' work in turning the Denver defense into the stingiest in the NFL got him the Assistant Coach of the Year award. The Broncos ranked first overall and against the pass, third versus the run.
Phillips, who has been a head coach for three franchises and interim for three more, received 16 votes, twice that of Hue Jackson, the Bengals' offensive coordinator in 2015 and now Cleveland's coach.
Wade Phillips' work in turning the Denver defense into the stingiest in the NFL got him the Assistant Coach of the Year award. The Broncos ranked first overall and against the pass, third versus the run.
Phillips, who has been a head coach for three franchises and interim for three more, received 16 votes, twice that of Hue Jackson, the Bengals' offensive coordinator in 2015 and now Cleveland's coach.
San Francisco receiver Anquan Boldin received the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year award for his off-field work.
On
emoriesofhistory.com
1936 - The first National Football League (NFL) draft was held. Jay Berwanger was the first to be selected. He went to the Philadelphia Eagles.
1950 - The Associated Press named Jim Thorpe and Baby Didrikson Zaharias the greatest male and female athletes of the first half of the 20th century.
1963 - Lamar Hunt, owner of the American Football League franchise in Dallas, TX, moved the operation to Kansas City. The new team was named the Chiefs.
1984 - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar broke Wilt Chamberlains record of 12,681 goals. He scored 15,836 goals before retiring in 1989.
1991 - Roger Clemens signed a contract with the Boston Red Sox that paid $5,380,250 per year.
1996 - Charles Barkley became the 22nd player in NBA history to reach 20,000 points.
1997 - Scotty Bowman won his 1,000th NHL regular season game as a coach.
1997 - Mike Gartner (Phoenix Coyotes) became only the sixth player in NHL history to get 600 career goals and 600 career assists.
1998 - The first female ice hockey game in Olympic history was played. Finland beat Sweden 6-0.
2003 - Mario Lemieux (Pittsburg Penguins) became the second fastest NHL player to reach 1,000 career assists.
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