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"Sports Quote of the Day"
"They talk about those All-Star Games being exhibition affairs, and maybe they are, but I've seen very few players in my life who didn't want to win, no matter whom they were playing or what for." ~ Carl Hubbell, MLB Player 1928-1943
Trending: What Mike Ditka advice is former Bears LB Ron Rivera taking into Super Bowl 50? (See the football section for Bears and NFL updates).
Trending: White Sox eye AL Central, not Cubs, as their competition. (See the baseball section for Cubs and White Sox updates).
Trending: TSN poll: Coaches vote Patrick Kane as NHL's best player. (See the hockey section for NHL updates)."They talk about those All-Star Games being exhibition affairs, and maybe they are, but I've seen very few players in my life who didn't want to win, no matter whom they were playing or what for." ~ Carl Hubbell, MLB Player 1928-1943
Trending: What Mike Ditka advice is former Bears LB Ron Rivera taking into Super Bowl 50? (See the football section for Bears and NFL updates).
Trending: White Sox eye AL Central, not Cubs, as their competition. (See the baseball section for Cubs and White Sox updates).
NFL Pro-Bowl Game: Team Irvin wins tackling-free Pro Bowl, 49-27.
By Zac Johnson
The Pro Bowl was everything it was advertised to be. Or something like that.
It was not competitive. By the third quarter it wasn’t close, either. Team Irvin pulled away from Team Rice and won the game, 49-27.
No one will remember. There were really good players who made some really good plays, but Team Irvin was clearly superior and both teams were trying to avoid injury. Smartly. Most plays didn’t even end in a real tackle.
Team Irvin’s Russell Wilson threw for 164 yards and three touchdowns, all in the first half. Team Rice scored first, then Team Irvin took over from there. Six different Team Irvin players had receiving touchdowns; Allen Robinson led everyone with 105 receiving yards. Travis Kelce of Team Rice had 91 receiving yards and two touchdowns.
If you didn’t see it, you didn’t miss much. Richard Sherman and Charles Woodson lined up on offense. Cedric Peerman, a Pro Bowl special teams player, was catching passes. Odell Beckham and Devonta Freeman lined up on defense. Team Rice converted two fake punts.
Two fake punts. And lost by a bunch.
Winston Moss of the Packers was the winning coach. Moss coached because Mike McCarthy was ill and unable to make the trip. We’ll all miss Woodson, but it’s hard to say the Pro Bowl was his last football game because it wasn’t much of a football game.
How 'bout them Chicago Blackhawks? John Scott, fan vote as captain, gets MVP at All-Star Game.
By TERESA M. WALKER
Enforcer John Scott scored twice during the NHL's new All-Star Game 3-on-3 tournament and was named MVP by fans after captaining the Pacific Division to a 1-0 win in the championship Sunday night.
Fans voted Scott into this event, and he scored twice during the Pacific's first mini-game, bringing cheers from fans and smiles from teammates.
Scott was not listed among the three MVP candidates for a Twitter vote late in the final game, but fans took it upon themselves to select him once again, casting their vote for the 6-foot-8 forward with five goals in 285 career NHL games.
Fans at Bridgestone Arena booed the options and yelled for Scott. Teammates lifted him on their shoulders while fans chanted ''MVP!'' and then Scott was announced as the MVP and presented with a Honda Pilot Touring SUV.
Scott then posed with his teammates behind their $1 million check.
TSN poll: Coaches vote Patrick Kane as NHL's best player.
By C. Roumeliotis
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
The 27-year-old Blackhawks star is looking to become the first American-born player to win the Hart Trophy for league MVP, the Art Ross Trophy for most points during the regular season and Rocket Richard Trophy for most goals. He currently leads the NHL at the All-Star break with 30 goals and 73 points, which is 15 more than Stars captain Jamie Benn (58) for second.
In his annual midseason poll, TSN's Bob McKenzie asked 27 of the 30 NHL coaches — who were not allowed to vote for their own players or team — to vote on multiple categories, including the league's top player. To no one's surprise, Kane was the runaway winner with 22 votes. Benn received three votes, Washington's Alex Ovechkin tallied one, and so did Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews.
Artemi Panarin was also voted the league's top rookie, racking up 12 votes. Detroit's Dylan Larkin was right behind him with 10.
Duncan Keith (three votes) and Joel Quenneville (four votes) each came in at No. 3 in their respective categories of best defenseman and top coach.
As for which teams coaches believe will reach the Stanley Cup Final, the Capitals are the clear-cut front-runner to win the Eastern Conference with 22 votes while the Blackhawks emerged as the favorite to represent the Western Conference again, accumulating 15 votes compared to Los Angeles' 11. But most coaches believe Washington will come out on top, taking 16 votes compared to Chicago's nine.
Check out the full results here.
Just Another Chicago Bulls Session... Bulls burned from deep in blowout loss to Clippers.
By Vincent Goodwill
In the NBA, a few things are undefeated: Father Time, a spurned player and the streets of Los Angeles.
With two days in between games on a California weekend, the rain arrived Sunday morning and that’s precisely when the fun ended for the Bulls.
Only they didn’t know it until Jamal Crawford emphatically slammed the door down on their chances as the Los Angeles Clippers shot and dribbled the Bulls into oblivion with a 120-93 win at the Staples Center, completing the L.A. two-step with a 1-1 record but leaving with a terrible taste.
The Bulls’ defensive intensity went on vacation after having two days in Los Angeles, particularly on the perimeter as the Clippers torched the Bulls for 17 triples, most of them from JJ Redick, Wes Johnson and Jamal Crawford.
Crawford, who wanted to be a Bull a few seasons ago after having a stint in Chicago as a youth, danced around with the ball at every occasion and scoring on consecutive three-point plays to break the game open in the fourth quarter as the Bulls were hanging by a thread.
They were only close early because Derrick Rose was attacking Chris Paul and getting to the lane at will, scoring 20 on 10 of 17 shooting. Although Jimmy Butler led the Bulls in scoring with 23 points, he was 8 of 22 from the field and couldn’t get it going until late, almost when the game was out of reach.
The Clippers’ bench had its way against the depleted Bulls’ reserves, with Johnson, Crawford and Austin Rivers combining for 53 points. Crawford scored a game-high 26.
Nobody on the Bulls’ bench scored in double figures, but more than that they were undependable on both sides of the ball, unable to hit open shots and blowing assignments on defense.
It led to the Clippers shooting 54 percent and 53 from deep, as they amassed a 27-point lead late in the fourth just to make the score look lopsided.
DeAndre Jordan played over the top of the Bulls defense and grabbed 20 rebounds to go with 17 points, and despite that, the Bulls were within striking distance at halftime and after the third.
Butler’s triple pulled the Bulls to within six with a minute left but the Bulls gave it right back, falling behind by 11 at quarter’s end.
Before the Bulls even touched the ball in the fourth the lead ballooned to 14 on a 3-point play from Crawford and he had more coming, earning another 3-point play with a jumper and foul from E’Twaun Moore.
But it became a laugher from there, leaving the Bulls to regroup with a little over a day before playing in Salt Lake City.
But get them away from L.A., A.S.A.P.
Bear Down Chicago Bears!!!!! What Mike Ditka advice is former Bears LB Ron Rivera taking into Super Bowl 50?
CSN Staff
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
Unfortunately for Bears fans, this time Rivera isn't taking the rest of the Monsters of the Midway with him. But after winning Super Bowl XX with the Bears as a player and reaching Super Bowl XLI with the Bears as a defensive coordinator, he's now the head coach of a Super Bowl team, leading the Panthers to Super Bowl 50 after winning this weekend's NFC Championship Game.
Like his former head coach, Mike Ditka, did in 1986, Rivera is looking to become a Super Bowl-winning head coach for the first time. Monday, he was asked about what he could take from his days playing for Ditka into this year's Super Bowl.
"One of the things that coach Ditka emphasized to us was that we had to enjoy the moment," Rivera said. "The moment doesn't come very often. It's hard, it's hard to get to where we are right now. And so he wanted us to enjoy the moment.
"I think the biggest thing, too, is do what you've done, don't change. Some of my experiences in coaching, you get to certain situations like the playoffs, sometimes there's a little bit of — I won't say panic, but a little self doubt. 'Did I do enough? Should I do more? Should I change this?' I told our coordinators this morning: We're going to do what we do, we're going to stick to what got us to where we are today. We'll emphasize that with the players in making sure that we keep our personality."
Just like in 2007 with the Bears, Rivera is tasked with stopping Peyton Manning. Manning led the Colts past the Bears in Super Bowl XLI. Now it'll be Rivera's Panthers against Manning's Colts in Super Bowl 50.
NFL VP of Officiating says catch rule 'is in a good place right now'. Ya think?????
By Will Brinson
Blandino thinks the NFL is in a 'good place' with the catch rule. (Photo/USATSI)
You don't. I don't. The average fan sure doesn't. And yet NFL VP of Officiating Dean Blandino said on Sunday night before the Pro Bowl he thinks the catch rule is "in a good place right now."
"We think that the rule is in a good place right now. I really think it's just communicating the rule and educating," Blandino said. "There's a subjective element to the rule so there are always going to be those plays where we debate [what happened]."
Blandino did admit there could be a "tweak" to the rule but not to expect the league to overhaul the process for determining what is and what is not a catch.
"Maybe there's another tweak," Blandino said. "But I don't anticipate any major changes."
During the interview with Blandino, NFL Network's Steve Wyche pointed out a) he's confused by the catch rule (like everyone) and b) it would be interesting to go back to five years ago with the way we determined what's a catch and what isn't a catch.
It's a shame because, week to week, there is literally no telling which way the NFL and its officials will rule with respect to catches that happen on the field of play.
Education isn't going to magically solve the void between the league and fans on this subject.
The league is looking for consistency and more than ever it feels like that's precisely what is lacking.
By TIM DAHLBERG
A certain Hall of Fame quarterback in what will likely be his final game. A superstar in waiting on the big stage for the first time.
Even the possibility of El Nino interfering with the festivities seems like a minor annoyance unless, of course, the fat cats have to sit in the rain to watch the game.
Too bad it took so much ugly football along the way to get this far.
No, it's not reflected in the TV ratings, which for the most part were stronger than ever. Fans still packed stadiums, and cities continued to battle over the right to give taxpayer money to billionaire owners.
But the football we watched this season - despite many exciting finishes - seemed at times almost unwatchable. That was true even deep into the playoffs, where bad fundamentals, poor officiating and scratch-your-head coaching decisions made you wonder at times just why professional football is the nation's favorite sport.
No one seems to know how to tackle anymore, as evidenced by the missed tackles that helped Carolina blow open its game against Arizona to get to the Super Bowl. The worry when the NFL cracked down on blows to the head and neck was that the game would become less violent, but what it's really become is less skilled.
Meanwhile, headhunters still roam from sideline to sideline, undeterred by the NFL's half-hearted efforts to clean up the game.
Sure, Cincinnati's Vontaze Burfict will be suspended for three games next season for a series of questionable hits culminating in one final blow to the head of Pittsburgh's Antonio Brown. But that's little consolation to Steeler fans, who saw their team barely miss getting by Denver while missing their star receiver because of the concussion Burfict gave him.
If anyone needs a reminder about what can happen to players getting hit repeatedly in the head, we got one last week with the grim story of former Giants safety Tyler Sash. An examination of his head after his death last September from an accidental overdose of pain killers showed the 27-year-old had chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE, a degenerative brain disease most likely caused by hits to the head.
Those hits remain the most pressing issue facing the league, which had at least 12 players put on the season ending injured reserve list this season because of concussions. Yes, football is a brutal sport, but the price some players are paying goes far beyond what they signed up for.
But the product the league puts on the field has other issues, too. Offensive line play is sloppy, receivers who can sometimes make spectacular one-handed catches all too often drop easy two-handed ones, and going deep means a 20-yard pass at most.
Meanwhile, all the decision to move back the extra point attempt did was introduce another element of false randomness into the game. The idea that New England may have lost out on a chance at the Super Bowl because of it will haunt Patriot fans far longer than Deflategate.
The games themselves meander in fits and stops that make it difficult to achieve any real flow. Many times games are stopped for timeouts after touchdowns, resume for a kickoff, then go immediately back to commercials before play begins again.
And then there are officials who can't keep up with the speed of the game and way too often have to caucus and then turn to replays to try and get it straight.
In some cases, including the NFL's convoluted definition of a catch, they defy common sense. In others, they resemble the funny TV commercial where the referees gather together and acknowledge they didn't see what happened.
Some of the stuff you can't even make up, like the overtime coin flip that wasn't in Green Bay's playoff loss to Arizona. With the seasons of both teams on the line, that was the best they could do?
Parity, meanwhile, continues to take a toll. Everyone has become so equal that many games are decided by a lucky bounce or a short missed kick. It's gotten so bad that even the bookies in Vegas find it hard to figure out who might win.
This Super Bowl may rise above that. It has the right recipe to be memorable.
But for the NFL to continue to flourish it has to pay as much attention to what it puts on the field as it does to how much money owners can put in their pockets.
Cubs invite Albert Almora and Duane Underwood to big-league camp.
By Patrick Mooney
During a spring training that will attract national media attention and generate even more World Series hype, Cubs prospects Albert Almora and Duane Underwood will get a chance to showcase their skills in Arizona.
On Friday, the Cubs revealed the 18 non-roster players who have been invited to big-league camp, a group headlined by Almora, the first player drafted here by the Theo Epstein administration, and Underwood, perhaps the organization’s best pitching prospect.
Pitchers and catchers officially report to Mesa on Feb. 19, with the first full-squad workout scheduled for Feb. 24, and sky-high expectations surrounding this team after winning 97 games, two playoff rounds and the offseason ($272 million committed to Gold Glove outfielder Jason Heyward, super-utility guy Ben Zobrist and veteran pitcher John Lackey).
The Cubs already have a full 40-man roster – which would be another consideration if they wanted to make another move this winter – and an established clubhouse that doesn’t figure to create many heated job battles in March.
But in terms of depth, the Cubs invited nine more pitchers: right-handers Stephen Fife; Brandon Gomes; Jean Machi; Felix Pena; Jonathan Pettibone; Armando Rivero; and Drew Rucinski; and lefties Luis Cruz and Jack Leathersich.
The Cubs will also get looks at: catchers Taylor Davis and Tim Federowicz; infielders Jesus Guzman, Munenori Kawasaki and Kristopher Negron; and outfielders John Andreoli and Juan Perez.
Underwood – a second-round pick out of Pope High School in Marietta, Georgia, in 2012 – dealt with right elbow inflammation last season but still went 6-3 with a 2.58 ERA in 14 starts for advanced Class-A Myrtle Beach.
The Cubs drafted Almora with the sixth overall pick that year and even team officials have to remind themselves about a normal development path after watching first-round picks Kris Bryant and Kyle Schwarber rocket through the farm system and become foundation pieces for a playoff contender.
Unlike those college hitters, Almora came out of Mater Academy in South Florida and will turn 22 in April. He hit .272 with six homers, 46 RBI and a .727 OPS in 106 games with Double-A Tennessee last season and is viewed as a superb defender in center field.
Complete spring roster:
White Sox eye AL Central, not Cubs, as their competition.
By MATT CARLSON
To Chicago White Sox general manager Rick Hahn, his team's main competition comes from all across the AL Central, not across town from the Cubs.
Hahn and manager Robin Ventura kept touting the club's offseason moves, especially the acquisition of slugging third baseman Todd Frazier and second baseman Brett Lawrie, on Saturday at the White Sox fan convention.
The White Sox peddled optimism heading into the 2015 season, but the team started off poorly and limped into fourth place in the division at 76-86 before dwindling crowds. Chicago finished near the bottom of the majors in hits, batting average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage, and committed 101 errors.
Meanwhile, nearly everything went right for the headline-grabbing Cubs until the New York Mets swept them in the NL Championship Series.
The North Side team soared in the second half to finish at 97-65. The Cubs defeated Pittsburgh behind Cy Young winner Jake Arrieta in the wild-card game, then knocked off St. Louis in four games in the NL Division Series before the Mets ended their magical run.
The young, talented Cubs are expected to only be better in 2016.
So when White Sox fans got a chance to query Hahn and Ventura directly on Saturday, the first question: ''Does that put some pressure on you to make some moves to compete with (the Cubs) a little bit?''
''No, it doesn't, simply because it's kind of impossible to feel more pressure to win than we put on ourselves as it is,'' Hahn said. ''It doesn't matter what another team in another league is doing. Kansas City, Detroit, Minnesota and Cleveland, that's who we have to keep up with.
''The only thing that makes its harder on me is when I'm sitting home in October and they're (the Cubs are) celebrating,'' he said.
But when a 6-year-old boy asked outfielder Adam Eaton about his favorite color in a later session, the player forced himself to pause in mid-sentence.
''Blue . dark blue, not that Cubs stuff,'' Eaton said.
The Cubs and White Sox meet only four times in interleague play in 2016, on four consecutive days in late July.
By about that time last season, the White Sox climbed back to within one game of .500, but then slumped again.
The damaged had already been done, Hahn and Ventura said.
This season they're depending on a stronger start.
''Obviously things didn't play out the way we expected,'' Hahn said. ''Some of the players we were relying upon either got off to slow starts or performed in sort of the lower realm of their possibilities.''
''We dug ourselves a pretty big hole that kind of affected you the rest of the way,'' Hahn said. ''So it's got to start in the spring.''
Coming off the disappointing season, Hahn and the White Sox decided to fill gaps and make upgrades rather than rebuild. Besides trading for Frazier and Lawrie, they think they improved their offense at catcher by signing Alex Avila and Dioner Navarro.
''We have the ingredients to win this thing,'' Hahn said. ''We're going to have to tighten up . the base running, the defense, some of the decision-making by the players on the field on the field.''
''And that starts in spring training. We saw what can happen to a team that had talent and got off to a poor start,'' he said.
Rick Hahn leaves door open for more White Sox moves.
By Dan Hayes
After a flurry of moves was made in December, the White Sox offseason has hit a lengthy lull that has caused some frustration among fans.
Whether it’s missing on Yoenis Cespedes and Alex Gordon or no significant position player acquisitions since mid-December, White Sox fans have grumbled about the team’s inactivity, with some of that irritation surfacing in the club’s town hall event Friday at SoxFest.
General manager Rick Hahn made it seem as if those fans aren’t alone. Disappointed by empty pursuits of several free agents he said decided to stay home, a clear reference to Cespedes and Gordon, Hahn said the White Sox roster isn’t complete.
He wouldn’t make any promises. But ideally, Hahn said, he’d like to continue adding to a roster that already upgraded at three positions with the acquisitions of Todd Frazier, Brett Lawrie and catchers Alex Avila and Dioner Navarro -- moves that were completed by Dec. 16.
“It’s frustrating from the standpoint in that we haven’t been able to convert on any targets,” Hahn said. “But it’s been atypically busy for January, I suspect probably into February even. We talk about at the winter meetings, there’s no urgency that says we have to do the deal at the winter meetings and we were able to get Todd Frazier a week later. When we acquire them makes zero impact on how many games we are going to win with Todd Frazier.
“Traditionally we do have everything we want to do done by SoxFest. For whatever reason … it has been a little slower evolving in segments. So there still is the possibility we are going to have changes before camp or Opening Day.”
For now, Hahn is happy with how the team is constructed. Frazier and Lawrie are projected to produce 5.5 Wins Above Replacement at spots where the White Sox combined for minus-2.5 WAR, the worst in baseball. The team’s catchers also are expected to out-produce last year’s grouping.
Still, Hahn wouldn’t say a club that is projected to win 84-85 games is without its flaws. Depth is an issue and questions surround whether or not outfielder Avisail Garcia -- who may have heard a few boos during the event’s opening ceremony on Friday -- can contribute enough.
In order for the White Sox to take advantage of an outstanding starting rotation, Hahn needs Garcia to live up to his potential -- “there are specific things he needs to work on and he knows that,” Hahn said -- and for a rebound from Adam LaRoche, whom one fan asked why he hadn’t been cut. While Hahn responded that he told manager Robin Ventura there are no scholarships, he also said he wouldn’t simply cut a player in the offseason before they had a chance to show what ability they might still possess.
Even so, Hahn wants to add more pieces to give Ventura better options -- if they can make it work.
“I’m not sure which of the 30 clubs is going to tell you they have enough depth,” Hahn said. “We want to get to the point where it’s self-sustained, where your young players on the upper levels can jump in where there is an injury or underperformance. And we are getting to the spot with some of these guys that in a pinch they can come up and help us. But like everyone else we need to target depth at the upper levels as insurance policies. Sometimes those happen in March when players don’t make clubs. There’s some shuffling. That process never ends.”
“The more options, the easier it is for Robin to go with the best lineup. So if there is -- whether it’s the group that we have today or another addition -- it will create a situation where the best guys are going to play.”
As for some of those better players the White Sox pursued, Hahn -- who makes a practice of not commenting on rumors -- seemed bothered by reports the White Sox wouldn’t offer deals longer than three years to free agents. Though he never specifically said Gordon’s name, Hahn said the team pursued free agents who returned to their old clubs until they signed. Gordon returned to Kansas City earlier this month and Cespedes rejoined the New York Mets last week.
“Let me make something real clear: there is absolutely no hard line, dogma limit on contract terms with free agents,” Hahn said. “The reason we didn’t sign any of the players that thus far have signed elsewhere, at the end of the day was not about any contract term limitations. We had numerous conversations with various parameters, various structures, right up until the day or day before these players wound up choosing their ultimate destination.
“Every free agent negotiation is different, every player evaluation is different in how they fit for us, what they could bring going forward and what the market for their services is. And that’s what dictates what limits we put on where we’re willing to go.”
Golf: I got a club for that..... Snedeker closes with 69, then waits to see if it's enough.
By DOUG FERGUSON
Brandt Snedeker called it one of the best rounds he ever played, one he doubts he could repeat if he had to start over. Still to be determined was whether his 3-under 69 in a raging wind and occasional rain Sunday at Torrey Pines would be good enough to win the Farmers Insurance Open.
He has to wait until Monday to find out.
Not long after Snedeker finished, the final round was suspended for the third and final time because of unplayable conditions. The wind was so fierce that the South Course was evacuated as the gusts started to push out windows in tents.
Stewart Williams, a meteorologist for the PGA Tour, said the peak gust was between 50 mph and 55 mph. Monday will be closed to the public, and the only volunteers on duty will be drivers of the evacuation vans for the players.
''It's like playing a British Open on a U.S. Open setup,'' Snedeker said.
''It's like playing a British Open on a U.S. Open setup,'' Snedeker said.
In gusts that frequently topped 40 mph, he delivered a major performance. Snedeker played the final 17 holes without a bogey. Of the 23 players who finished the round, 11 of them shot in the 80s and their average score was 78.9.
Snedeker's one regret was not getting up-and-down for birdie on the par-5 18th hole, fearing that might leave him short of another unlikely victory at Torrey Pines.
Snedeker's one regret was not getting up-and-down for birdie on the par-5 18th hole, fearing that might leave him short of another unlikely victory at Torrey Pines.
He posted at 6-under 282.
As he stood on the 18th tee with the wind at his back, the final group of Jimmy Walker, K.J. Choi and Scott Brown were above him on the ninth tee headed in the other direction. When play was halted, Walker was at 7 under, one shot ahead of Snedeker and Choi. The final group was through 10 holes.
''This course is so tough,'' Snedeker said. ''It's blowing 25 mph, gusting out there and windy and rainy conditions. It's really tough. I wish I could say why I shot what I shot today. It was one of those days where you throw everything out of your mind and go play golf land grind as best as you possibly could.''
The next best score to Snedeker was a 73 by Shane Lowry of Ireland.
''This course is so tough,'' Snedeker said. ''It's blowing 25 mph, gusting out there and windy and rainy conditions. It's really tough. I wish I could say why I shot what I shot today. It was one of those days where you throw everything out of your mind and go play golf land grind as best as you possibly could.''
The next best score to Snedeker was a 73 by Shane Lowry of Ireland.
There already were 11 rounds in the 80s, and there was certain to be many more. The South Course is a beast in reasonable weather. Throw in the wind and rain, especially on the holes exposed by the bluffs along the Pacific, and this was as tough as it gets.
Billy Horschel hit a 5-iron on the par-3 third hole, which played 147 yards straight downhill. He came up well short of the green. In the same group, Colt Knost hit a long putt that actually blew slightly backward into the hole.
''The first six holes were the hardest I've ever played in,'' said Chad Campbell, who grew up in West Texas and made no apologies for his 79 while playing alongside Snedeker. ''Brandt played one of the best rounds I've ever seen. I don't think he missed a shot.''
Snedeker started the final round six shots out of the lead. He won at Torrey Pines in 2012 by rallying from seven shots in the final round, needing help from a triple bogey by Kyle Stanley on the final hole to beat him in a playoff.
This time, he got some help from the elements.
''To shoot 69 on a day like today, I knew I had to have a forecast like this to have a chance,'' Snedeker said.
He also needed a few good putts. After missing a 15-foot par putt on the opening hole, Snedeker bore down and kept his round from getting away by knocking in a 35-foot par putt on the fourth hole that runs along the ocean, and then a 15-foot par putt on the next hole. When he made the turn, he was off to the races.
The tee on the par-4 12th, the toughest at Torrey, was moved up 56 yards to play at 448 yards. Snedeker hit his approach to a foot, and then rolled in a 40-foot birdie putt on the par-5 13th. He made his fourth birdie in five holes with an approach to 12 feet on No. 14 and then hung on.
''But that chip shot will probably be weighing on my mind,'' Snedeker said.
His approach to the par-5 18th with the wind at his back bounced hard and over the green. The wind was in his face. The thick grass was into him, and Snedeker was worried about coming up short and leaving a long birdie putt down the hill. He was a little aggressive, and the chip rolled just off the green.
Still, it was hard to complain about a 69 in weather typically only found on links courses at The Open Championship.
''I couldn't do it again,'' Snedeker said. ''I don't know how I did it.''
It will be the second Monday finish in four years at the Farmers Insurance Open. Fog was the culprit in 2013 when Tiger Woods won by four shots.
Song hangs on to beat Spieth by a stroke at Singapore Open.
AP
Jordan Spieth finished runner-up at the Singapore Open on Monday after South Korea's Song Young-han held his nerve to beat the fast-finishing world number one by a single stroke.
Among 13 players back at Sentosa Golf Club at the break of dawn after Sunday's final round was suspended because of a thunderstorm, Spieth sank a five-foot birdie putt on the last hole, where he had marked his ball overnight, completing a final round of 5-under 66 to finish at 11-under 273.
Song, resuming on 12 under and playing two groups behind Spieth, drained a tricky 12-foot par putt on the 16th then made par at the last two holes to win the co-sanctioned Asian and Japan Tour event.
China's Liang Wen-chong, who completed his final round on Sunday, finished outright third at 10-under.
''I had my first perfect round today,'' Spieth joked about his one-shot day. ''Everything was absolutely perfect. I didn't miss one shot and I made everything I looked at.
''It was tough to sleep on that putt. Even though it wasn't the most challenging putt, it was still a very nerve wracking one to hit knowing that you have to make it for what you think will be a playoff.''
Ranked 204th in the world, Song had led the tournament from the second round and was five in front of Spieth heading into the final round but had to retain his composure in the closing stages as the American narrowed the gap.
The 24-year-old said he had a restless night thinking about the putt on 16 and spent hours practicing the shot in his hotel room.
''I felt like I was going crazy,'' he said, speaking through a translator. ''The putting line wasn't that bad but the situation made me nervous.''
Normally one of the best putters in the game, Spieth had struggled on the greens all week in the stifling humidity of Southeast Asia. But the 22-year-old got his game together in the final round to mount a late challenge, reeling in six birdies to put pressure on Song, who was chasing his first win as a professional after two second-place finishes on the Japan Tour.
Song managed just two birdies in his final round of 70 and dropped a shot at the seventh after an erratic drive but made a string of clutch saves to par the last seven holes, finishing with a simple tap-in at the 18th to secure the title and deny Spieth a chance of a playoff.
''I fought hard in the final round but I was just a little bit too far back,'' Spieth said. ''I missed a few putts (earlier in the tournament) that I normally make.''
''I had a lot of tough breaks. You have them both ways but this was one week where we definitely got the bad end of some bounces.
''My game's pretty close. Ii held it together pretty solid but I didn't have as many looks as I normally have on a weekly basis and that led to a little bit of a lack of trust in the reads.''
By Nate Ryan
A source who was present for a meeting Friday told NASCAR Talk that no deal had been signed, but that the sides were “close.” The source spoke on the condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to speak publicly about the talks.
Adam Stern of the Sports Business Journal tweeted that the system was likely to be unveiled in two weeks, which would point to an announcement during Speedweeks. NASCAR teams will arrive Feb. 11 at the Daytona International Speedway garage in preparation for the Feb. 21 season-opening Daytona 500. Stern also tweeted the charter system deal would be for five years with a four-year option.
Asked for comment, NASCAR spokesman David Higdon said in a release: “NASCAR and NASCAR Sprint Cup team owners have continued to make progress in our discussions. There still is work to be done, but we remain very optimistic that we’ll have agreements completed prior to the start of the 2016 season.”
Rob Kauffman, chairman of the Race Team Alliance consortium that has been brokering the deal on behalf of the owners, also tweeted he felt positive about negotiations.
Speaking Jan. 19 during the preseason Media Tour in Charlotte, NASCAR Chairman Brian France said he was “very optimistic that we’re going to get that new ownership structure completed.
“We wouldn’t do anything that we didn’t think in the long run would make racing better, would field more opportunities, create an environment for more owners, more capital in this very expensive sport, to have a better experience in fielding the race teams week in and week out,” France said. “And I’m very optimistic that shortly we’ll be able to share those details of what that looks like.”
France declined to put a timeframe on the deal or offer any further details.
“I’m not going to get into specifics of the plan because we don’t have it finished yet, and it’s still moving around a little bit,” France said. “The timeline is sooner rather than later. … This is a very complicated plan and structure that will require some time to phase in many aspects of it.”
A look at this season’s primary sponsors for Sprint Cup teams.
By Dustin Long
(Photo by Dustin Long)
With the NASCAR Sprint Cup season nearing, some teams have secured primary sponsorship for their cars for the year.
Things will look nearly the same as last year for some cars. For others, there will be a new look such as Nature’s Bakery sponsoring Danica Patrick for 28 races and NAPA joining Chase Elliott at Hendrick Motorsports for 24 races.
Here’s a look at the primary sponsors this season for teams that had at least one car in the top 25 a year ago (some teams provided the number of races for each primary sponsor):
JOE GIBBS RACING
Winning the championship with Kyle Busch, in one way, didn’t impact sponsorship. Dave Alpern, chief marketing officer for Joe Gibbs Racing, said primary sponsorship already was sold for all the races on that car before this season.
A championship has meaning in other ways, though.
“Many of our sponsors like to say, ‘Big brands do big things,’ ’’ he said. “The more championships that you win and the more races you win, you solidify yourself as a premier brand. I think Kyle winning the championship rises the tide for everyone on our team.’’
Alpern said that JGR is sold out with its primary sponsorships for all of its cars. Busch's car will have primary sponsorship from Mars Brands, which includes M&M’s, Skittles and Pedigree Dog Food. Busch also will have primary sponsorship from Interstate Batteries.
Carl Edwards’ car will have primary sponsorship from Arris, Comcast, Stanley Tools and Subway.
Denny Hamlin’s car will have primary sponsorship from FedEx and Sport Clips.
Matt Kenseth’s car will have primary sponsorship from Dollar General and DeWalt.
STEWART-HAAS RACING
Nature’s Bakery will begin its first season as a primary sponsor for Danica Patrick, while Busch Beer will serve as the primary sponsor in place of Budweiser for 12 races for Kevin Harvick.
Tony Stewart has all his primary sponsors back for his final season in the Cup but looking to fill in some gaps left from Bass Pro Shops taking several of its races to Martin Truex Jr.
Kurt Busch will have primary sponsorship from Monster Energy and Haas Automation this season.
Here’s a look at the sponsorship for each team:
Danica Patrick
28 races with Nature’s Bakery
4 races with Aspen Dental
4 races with Tax Act
2 races sold but TBA
Kevin Harvick
21 races with Jimmy John’s (including Daytona qualifying race)
12 races with Busch or Busch Light
2 races with ditech
2 races with Outback
2 races with Mobil 1
Tony Stewart
(Number of races per sponsor unavailable)
Mobil 1
Bass Pro Shops
Rush Truck Centers
Code 3 Associates
Kurt Busch
20 races with Haas Automation (includes Daytona qualifying race)
18 races with Monster Energy (includes Sprint Unlimited & Sprint All-Star race)
1 race with State Water Heaters
HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS
Primary sponsorship for the cars of Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Jimmie Johnson are sold. Primary sponsorship for Kasey Kahne and rookie Chase Elliott nearly are.
Here’s a look at how many races each driver will have with each primary sponsor:
Kasey Kahne
12 races with Farmers Insurance
10 races with Great Clips
3 races with LiftMaster
3 races with Quicken Loans
2 races with Panasonic
1 race with Mountain Dew
Chase Elliott
24 races with NAPA
5 races with 3M
2 races with Kelley Blue Book
2 races with Mountain Dew
Jimmie Johnson
38 races (36 points and 2 non-points races) with Lowe’s and affiliates
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
21 races with Nationwide
13 races with Axalta
3 races with Mountain Dew
1 race with TaxSlayer.com
FURNITURE ROW RACING
The focus is on finding additional sponsorship for Martin Truex Jr.’s team so the organization can expand to a two-car effort next season.
The team announced earlier this month that Bass Pro Shops would serve as a primary sponsor for eight points races and the qualifying race at Daytona International Speedway. Furniture Row, which is owned by team owner Barney Visser, will continue to serve as the primary sponsor on Truex’s car.
TEAM PENSKE
Primary sponsorship for the cars of Brad Keselowski and Joey Logano are both sold, the team reports. Car owner Roger Penske has established long relationships with some of his sponsors, so the lineup on each car does not look different from last year.
Brad Keselowski
24 races with Miller Lite (includes All-Star race)
8 races with Alliance Truck Parts
3 races with Wurth
2 races with AutoTrader
1 race with SKF (Sprint Unlimited)
Joey Logano
33.5 races with Shell Pennzoil
3 races with AAA
1.5 races with AutoTrader (co-primary with Shell Pennzoil for one race)
RICHARD CHILDRESS RACING
The team has some spots available heading into the season but Ben Schlosser, chief marketing officer for Richard Childress Racing, notes that they’re “in really good shape” with their Sprint Cup teams.
Paul Menard has backing from Menards and various companies affiliated with Menards. Schlosser says that primary sponsorship on Austin Dillon’s car is “essentially full’’ with Dow, Cheerios, American Ethanol and Bass Pro Shops back. While Quicken Loans moved from Ryan Newman’s team to Hendrick Motorsports and Kasey Kahne, Schlosser said RCR is looking at other companies to fill in those spots. Newman again will have backing from Caterpillar, WIX and Grainger.
CHIP GANASSI RACING WITH FELIX SABATES
Jamie McMurray’s team will continue to have McDonald’s and Cessna as primary sponsors. Steve Lauletta, president of Chip Ganassi Racing, said that the team is looking to announce a new multirace partner before Daytona and that a couple of late-season races remain available on McMurray’s car.
Target is again back with Ganassi as a full-season sponsor — the company has been with Ganassi’s organization since 1990 — and will be the primary sponsor on Kyle Larson’s car. There will be some races where Target won’t be the primary sponsor, but it will be with a company affiliated with Target.
HSCOTT MOTORSPORTS
The team continues to look for sponsorship on its cars. Clint Bowyer will have 5-hour Energy as his primary sponsor in 24 races. The team also previously announced Peak and Blue DEF will be primary sponsors for two races.
Bowyer’s teammate, Michael Annett, will have Pilot Flying J back as primary sponsor.
RICHARD PETTY MOTORSPORTS
Primary sponsorship is filled on Aric Almirola’s car, while Brian Scott’s car has 12 races to fill, according to Brian Moffitt, chief executive officer at Richard Petty Motorsports.
Smithfield increased the number of races it is on Almirola’s car from 29 to 31 this season. Talks continue with some companies that have been with the organization in moving up to a primary sponsorship role on Scott’s car.
“There are a lot of conversations happening right now with corporations,’’ Moffitt said. “There’s an interest with being in NASCAR.’’
Aric Almirola
31 races with Smithfield
2 races with STP
2 races with U.S. Air Force
1 race with Fresh from Florida
Brian Scott
16 races with Shore Lodge/Albertsons
3 races with Twisted Tea
2 races with Goody’s
TBD races with GoBowling.com
ROUSH FENWAY RACING
Two teams will have a familiar look this season with sponsorship. AdvoCare is back as the primary sponsor for Trevor Bayne. Fastenal again will be the anchor primary sponsor for Ricky Stenhouse Jr. with Fifth Third Bank and Zest on for select races.
The organization announced recently a multirace partnership with KFC for Greg Biffle’s car. His car also will be sponsored by Kleen Performance Parts and Cheez-It. The team is fielding interest from other potential sponsors.
JTG DAUGHERTY RACING
The team is close to selling all its primary sponsorship for the season for A.J. Allmendinger’s car.
JTG Daugherty will have The Kroger Company and its various brands serve as a co-primary sponsor in 23 races.
Longstanding partners Kingsford, Clorox, Bush’s Beans, Scott Products and Hungary Jack are all set to be on the car as a primary sponsor at times.
GERMAIN RACING
Geico is back as sponsor of the No. 13 car for Casey Mears. The company is with the team through 2018.
Things will look nearly the same as last year for some cars. For others, there will be a new look such as Nature’s Bakery sponsoring Danica Patrick for 28 races and NAPA joining Chase Elliott at Hendrick Motorsports for 24 races.
Here’s a look at the primary sponsors this season for teams that had at least one car in the top 25 a year ago (some teams provided the number of races for each primary sponsor):
JOE GIBBS RACING
Winning the championship with Kyle Busch, in one way, didn’t impact sponsorship. Dave Alpern, chief marketing officer for Joe Gibbs Racing, said primary sponsorship already was sold for all the races on that car before this season.
A championship has meaning in other ways, though.
“Many of our sponsors like to say, ‘Big brands do big things,’ ’’ he said. “The more championships that you win and the more races you win, you solidify yourself as a premier brand. I think Kyle winning the championship rises the tide for everyone on our team.’’
Alpern said that JGR is sold out with its primary sponsorships for all of its cars. Busch's car will have primary sponsorship from Mars Brands, which includes M&M’s, Skittles and Pedigree Dog Food. Busch also will have primary sponsorship from Interstate Batteries.
Carl Edwards’ car will have primary sponsorship from Arris, Comcast, Stanley Tools and Subway.
Denny Hamlin’s car will have primary sponsorship from FedEx and Sport Clips.
Matt Kenseth’s car will have primary sponsorship from Dollar General and DeWalt.
STEWART-HAAS RACING
Nature’s Bakery will begin its first season as a primary sponsor for Danica Patrick, while Busch Beer will serve as the primary sponsor in place of Budweiser for 12 races for Kevin Harvick.
Tony Stewart has all his primary sponsors back for his final season in the Cup but looking to fill in some gaps left from Bass Pro Shops taking several of its races to Martin Truex Jr.
Kurt Busch will have primary sponsorship from Monster Energy and Haas Automation this season.
Here’s a look at the sponsorship for each team:
Danica Patrick
28 races with Nature’s Bakery
4 races with Aspen Dental
4 races with Tax Act
2 races sold but TBA
Kevin Harvick
21 races with Jimmy John’s (including Daytona qualifying race)
12 races with Busch or Busch Light
2 races with ditech
2 races with Outback
2 races with Mobil 1
Tony Stewart
(Number of races per sponsor unavailable)
Mobil 1
Bass Pro Shops
Rush Truck Centers
Code 3 Associates
Kurt Busch
20 races with Haas Automation (includes Daytona qualifying race)
18 races with Monster Energy (includes Sprint Unlimited & Sprint All-Star race)
1 race with State Water Heaters
HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS
Primary sponsorship for the cars of Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Jimmie Johnson are sold. Primary sponsorship for Kasey Kahne and rookie Chase Elliott nearly are.
Here’s a look at how many races each driver will have with each primary sponsor:
Kasey Kahne
12 races with Farmers Insurance
10 races with Great Clips
3 races with LiftMaster
3 races with Quicken Loans
2 races with Panasonic
1 race with Mountain Dew
Chase Elliott
24 races with NAPA
5 races with 3M
2 races with Kelley Blue Book
2 races with Mountain Dew
Jimmie Johnson
38 races (36 points and 2 non-points races) with Lowe’s and affiliates
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
21 races with Nationwide
13 races with Axalta
3 races with Mountain Dew
1 race with TaxSlayer.com
FURNITURE ROW RACING
The focus is on finding additional sponsorship for Martin Truex Jr.’s team so the organization can expand to a two-car effort next season.
The team announced earlier this month that Bass Pro Shops would serve as a primary sponsor for eight points races and the qualifying race at Daytona International Speedway. Furniture Row, which is owned by team owner Barney Visser, will continue to serve as the primary sponsor on Truex’s car.
TEAM PENSKE
Primary sponsorship for the cars of Brad Keselowski and Joey Logano are both sold, the team reports. Car owner Roger Penske has established long relationships with some of his sponsors, so the lineup on each car does not look different from last year.
Brad Keselowski
24 races with Miller Lite (includes All-Star race)
8 races with Alliance Truck Parts
3 races with Wurth
2 races with AutoTrader
1 race with SKF (Sprint Unlimited)
Joey Logano
33.5 races with Shell Pennzoil
3 races with AAA
1.5 races with AutoTrader (co-primary with Shell Pennzoil for one race)
RICHARD CHILDRESS RACING
The team has some spots available heading into the season but Ben Schlosser, chief marketing officer for Richard Childress Racing, notes that they’re “in really good shape” with their Sprint Cup teams.
Paul Menard has backing from Menards and various companies affiliated with Menards. Schlosser says that primary sponsorship on Austin Dillon’s car is “essentially full’’ with Dow, Cheerios, American Ethanol and Bass Pro Shops back. While Quicken Loans moved from Ryan Newman’s team to Hendrick Motorsports and Kasey Kahne, Schlosser said RCR is looking at other companies to fill in those spots. Newman again will have backing from Caterpillar, WIX and Grainger.
CHIP GANASSI RACING WITH FELIX SABATES
Jamie McMurray’s team will continue to have McDonald’s and Cessna as primary sponsors. Steve Lauletta, president of Chip Ganassi Racing, said that the team is looking to announce a new multirace partner before Daytona and that a couple of late-season races remain available on McMurray’s car.
Target is again back with Ganassi as a full-season sponsor — the company has been with Ganassi’s organization since 1990 — and will be the primary sponsor on Kyle Larson’s car. There will be some races where Target won’t be the primary sponsor, but it will be with a company affiliated with Target.
HSCOTT MOTORSPORTS
The team continues to look for sponsorship on its cars. Clint Bowyer will have 5-hour Energy as his primary sponsor in 24 races. The team also previously announced Peak and Blue DEF will be primary sponsors for two races.
Bowyer’s teammate, Michael Annett, will have Pilot Flying J back as primary sponsor.
RICHARD PETTY MOTORSPORTS
Primary sponsorship is filled on Aric Almirola’s car, while Brian Scott’s car has 12 races to fill, according to Brian Moffitt, chief executive officer at Richard Petty Motorsports.
Smithfield increased the number of races it is on Almirola’s car from 29 to 31 this season. Talks continue with some companies that have been with the organization in moving up to a primary sponsorship role on Scott’s car.
“There are a lot of conversations happening right now with corporations,’’ Moffitt said. “There’s an interest with being in NASCAR.’’
Aric Almirola
31 races with Smithfield
2 races with STP
2 races with U.S. Air Force
1 race with Fresh from Florida
Brian Scott
16 races with Shore Lodge/Albertsons
3 races with Twisted Tea
2 races with Goody’s
TBD races with GoBowling.com
ROUSH FENWAY RACING
Two teams will have a familiar look this season with sponsorship. AdvoCare is back as the primary sponsor for Trevor Bayne. Fastenal again will be the anchor primary sponsor for Ricky Stenhouse Jr. with Fifth Third Bank and Zest on for select races.
The organization announced recently a multirace partnership with KFC for Greg Biffle’s car. His car also will be sponsored by Kleen Performance Parts and Cheez-It. The team is fielding interest from other potential sponsors.
JTG DAUGHERTY RACING
The team is close to selling all its primary sponsorship for the season for A.J. Allmendinger’s car.
JTG Daugherty will have The Kroger Company and its various brands serve as a co-primary sponsor in 23 races.
Longstanding partners Kingsford, Clorox, Bush’s Beans, Scott Products and Hungary Jack are all set to be on the car as a primary sponsor at times.
GERMAIN RACING
Geico is back as sponsor of the No. 13 car for Casey Mears. The company is with the team through 2018.
Motorsports Hall of Fame of America adds Ganassi, Childress, 5 others.
By Jerry Bonkowski
The Motorsports Hall of Fame of America on Friday announced its 2016 Class of inductees, which will be enshrined on June 29 at Daytona International Speedway.
This year’s class features Chip Ganassi (IndyCar/NASCAR), Richard Childress (NASCAR), Sam Posey (sports cars and writing/broadcasting), Bob Sweikert (historic/sprint car), Dave McClelland (NHRA/announcer), Gary Gabelich (driver of the famous Blue Flame), and Everett Brashear (motorcycle racing).
“It’s obviously the highest honor anyone can ever achieve,” Ganassi said Friday. “I’m actually speechless. First of all, I’m really glad the Hall of Fame has moved to Daytona. Obviously, we’ve had a lot of success here in our team’s career, and to have the Hall of Fame here is a big shot in the arm. It says a lot about the Hall of Fame, says a lot about Daytona, and says a lot about motorsports.
“Everybody that’s ever participated in any win within our organization should be up here with me. They should all be nominated. I don’t change the tires or change the engines or do the hard work.. That’s what this nomination is all about, those people in the trenches. We had people this year working on Christmas Day getting ready for this race (Rolex 24) this weekend. Those people are Hall of Fame nominees as well.
“I’m honored to be here, I look forward to the ceremony in June and I have to say I’m as humbled as I’ve ever been in my entire life.”
Childress echoed Ganassi’s comments in a team media release.
“This is a special honor to be recognized by the Motorsports Hall of Fame,” Childress said. “To be part of the first class inducted at the newly renovated Daytona International Speedway will be unique and the racers enshrined in this hall of fame are from across the entire motorsports world.”
The Motorsports Hall of Fame of America is currently in transition, moving from its longtime base first in Novi, Michigan, and most recently, nearby Detroit, to Daytona International Speedway.
SOCCER: Birnbaum's late header lifts US over Iceland in soccer friendly.
AFP
Steve Birnbaum's 90th-minute header lifted the United States to a dramatic 3-2 victory over Iceland on Sunday in an international football friendly.
The 25-year-old defender for Major League Soccer's DC United leaped high in the heart of the penalty area to receive a free kick from Michael Bradley and nodded the ball into the back of the net for the decider, the Americans' first lead on the day.
Toronto striker Jozy Altidore and Tijuana's Michael Orozco also scored for the United States, which seized a 3-2-2 edge in the all-time rivalry with Iceland.
"We're trying to get our legs under us," Altidore said. "It's nice to play a real opponent. We have to get fitter and just be a little bit sharper. Sometimes that first pass wasn't there but that will come in time."
Iceland's Kristinn Steindorsson opened the scoring in the 13th minute, finding the goal with a deflection off defender Orozco.
The Americans equalized in the 20th minute when Bradley chipped a pass over a defender's leg to Altidore, who flicked a left-footed shot past the sprawling goalkeeper for his 32nd international goal, fourth on the all-time US list.
A quick free kick in the 48th minute by Iceland set up Aron Sigudarson, who blasted a right-footed shot past US goalkeeper Luis Robles and inside the far post for a 2-1 Iceland lead.
The Americans pulled level again in the 59th minute when Birnbaum headed a centering pass to the far side of the goal and saw Orozco nod it home.
Orozco had been a Friday addition to the US squad after recovering from an ankle injury that sidelined him for the start of the Mexican League season.
Iceland was making early preparation for the European Championships while a US squad mixing under-23 and senior players was girding for key March matchups.
The national team will play at Guatemala on March 25 and host the same rivals four days later in qualifying for the 2018 FIFE World Cup while the under-23 lineup meets Colombia in a two-leg playoff to decide the final berth in August's Rio de Janeiro Olympics.
FA Cup: Chelsea, Everton dominate lower league foes to advance.
By Kyle Bonn
(Photo/Getty Images)
All the FA Cup magic today belonged to the big boys.
Chelsea and Everton both advanced with ease past their lower league opponents, as the Toffees skated by Carlisle United 3-0 and the Blues took care of MK Dons 5-1.
Carlisle 0-3 Everton
With Everton in a slump and Carlisle facing stadium adversity, the magical script was written. Except nobody followed it. Arouna Kone scored less than two minutes into the match, and Everton dominated from the word “go” as Aaron Lennon was a positive and Kone filled in for Romelu Lukaku without missing a beat.
Carlisle may be League Two competition, and that showed, but Everton needs every bit of positive energy they can grasp at the moment. The win is the club’s first in any competition since a pair of cup win in early January, having not won in Premier League play since Boxing Day.
Unfortunately, the match was marred by a racist incident that prompted a PA announcement that asked the crowd to stop.
MK Dons 1-5 Chelsea
Oscar picked up a first-half hat-trick and it was smooth sailing from there as Chelsea cruised past Milton Keynes Dons. The Blues were nearly perfect as all their attacking players were on point. Maybe the best part for Chelsea fans is that Eden Hazard scored for the first time in 273 days, a 55th minute penalty that put Chelsea 4-1 up. Guus Hiddink is still perfect in now five FA Cup matches, having won the competition with the Blues after taking over in 2008/09.
Fire head to Tampa after completing first week of training.
By Dan Santaromita
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
Stage one of the Chicago Fire preseason has finished. Now it’s off to Tampa.
The Fire completed a week of training at the PrivateBank Fire Pitch in Chicago to begin the preseason. Sunday is the travel day into Tampa for the second phase of the preseason. The Fire will be in Tampa through Feb. 11 and will play two preseason games, against the University of South Florida on Feb. 6 and against the Philadelphia Union on Feb. 11.
The week in Chicago represented the start of coach Veljko Paunovic’s tenure. The typically positive coach says he is encouraged by the team’s start.
“It was a very successful week,” Paunovic said after Friday’s training session. “I’m very happy with the job, with the players, with the energy, attitude. Everything was fantastic and I really enjoyed it. I think the players did, too.
“We finished this week of introduction to our methods and our style of work and obviously style of play that we want to develop in this season. I’m very happy with what we have done.”
Friday’s training was open to fans and the Fire finished the training session with a small field scrimmage. The coaching staff emphasized playing out of the back at all times and due to the small field most of the play was on the ground.
“It demands more from your first touch, it makes everything have to be crisp and have to be tidy when you’re on the ball,” said rookie forward Joey Calistri, who scored a goal in the scrimmage.
Paunovic complimented players on their fitness this early in the preseason and explained the basic plan for the Fire’s time in Tampa.
“We will increase our workout, we will increase our intensity,” Paunovic said. “In the same time we want to work on our style of play, technical concepts and everything we want to develop with the team.”
New signing Joao Meira didn’t train with the team in Chicago, but is expected to join the group in Tampa. The three Fire players with the U.S. Men’s National Team, Sean Johnson, Matt Polster and Brandon Vincent, will also join camp in Tampa sometime after the U.S. plays Canada on Feb. 5.
NCAABKB: No. 1 Oklahoma denies LSU a much-needed signature win.
By Raphielle Johnson
With a front court rotation that consists largely of senior Ryan Spangler and sophomore Khadeem Lattin, No. 1 Oklahoma doesn’t have the elite post players that many recent national champions have called upon. However they’ve got the nation’s best player in Buddy Hield leading a deep perimeter rotation, and that’s what makes Lon Kruger’s team a serious threat to not only reach the Final Four but win two more games once there.
Saturday evening the Sooners shook off some cold (by their standards) shooting to beat LSU 77-75 in Baton Rouge. Not only did the Tigers enter the game with freshman Phenom Ben Simmons and some other talents capable of hurting the opposition, but they were in a position where this was a critical game for their NCAA tournament hopes. LSU didn’t accomplish a whole lot in non-conference play, and Saturday represented the opportunity that could have made up for all of that.
Instead, it was Isaiah Cousins who took advantage, as his shot with 3.8 seconds remaining gave Oklahoma the victory.
Hield, who scored 32 points and grabbed seven rebounds in another outstanding performance, has received most of the attention when it comes to Oklahoma and rightfully so. He’s put in the work throughout his career in Norman, and shooting better than 50 percent both from the field and from three the senior from the Bahamas has turned into a player who’s damn near impossible to limit for a full 40 minutes.
But he doesn’t lack for help offensively either. Cousins added 18 points, shooting 8-for-12 from the field, and Spangler held his own in the post to the tune of 16 points and ten rebounds. The Sooners can attack teams from multiple areas, and in the game’s decisive sequence it was Cousins who was entrusted with making a play. And at different points this season if it wasn’t Cousins or Hield, Jordan Woodard proved himself capable of stepping forward as well.
Oklahoma’s ability to take advantage of LSU mistakes, be it turnovers or second-chance scoring opportunities, helped the visitors get back into the game in the second half. Oklahoma scored 18 of its 41 second-half points off of LSU turnovers or offensive rebounds, and that combined with Hield getting hot set the stage for the climactic finish.
The Tigers have some positives to take from this game, most notably the play of Tim Quarterman as he led four player in double figures with 18 points to go along with six rebounds and four assists (two of which were on key Antonio Blakeney three-pointers). But ultimately this game will be about missed opportunities, be it their inability to get a stop down the stretch or the many questions as to why Ben Simmons (14 points, nine rebounds, five assists and five turnovers) didn’t have the ball in his hands more down the stretch.
LSU has the potential to be a dangerous team should they get into the NCAA tournament. But “potential” isn’t about a finished product. Oklahoma’s farther along in that regard, which enabled them to make the plays that needed to be made regardless of who had the ball in his hands.
SUNDAY’S SNACKS: No. 6 Villanova, No. 8 Maryland earn road wins.
By Raphielle Johnson
IMPORTANT OUTCOMES
No. 8 Maryland 66, Ohio State 61: Melo Trimble scored 20 points and Jake Layman added 16 and ten boards as Maryland completed a season sweep of the Buckeyes. The Terrapins managed to gut out the win in Columbus thanks to some timely shots late from Trimble and Rasheed Sulaimon, and a defense that limited Ohio State to 35.6 percent shooting from the field. With the win Maryland remains a game behind No. 3 Iowa and No. 19 Indiana in the Big Ten standings.
No. 6 Villanova 68, St. John’s 53: This game was noteworthy because the Wildcats played without starting center Daniel Ochefu, who didn’t make the trip due to a concussion suffered in practice. Josh Hart and Kris Jenkins picked up the slack as both posted double-doubles, with Hart finishing with 16 points and 11 rebounds and Jenkins 14 and ten. The Wildcats struggled offensively, shooting less than 37 percent from the field and committing 20 turnovers, but they were still too much for a St. John’s team that has now lost 12 straight.
Colorado 70, California 62: The Golden Bears have won one game away from Berkeley this season: at Wyoming. That remains the case as they lost to the Buffaloes in Boulder. Colorado rebounded from a slow start, as they made just two of their first 20 shots, to move to 6-3 in Pac-12 play. Josh Scott led three Buffs in double figures with 18 points, while Cal’s Jaylen Brown led all scorers with 21 points.
STARRED
Fred VanVleet, Wichita State: VanVleet scored a career-high 32 points in the Shockers’ win at Evansville. He also limited Jaylon Brown, who scored 18 in the first meeting, to seven points and five turnovers.
Dion Wright, St. Bonaventure: 19 points and 14 rebounds in the Bonnies’ 16-point win over Richmond.
STRUGGLED
A.J. Davis, UCF: Davis made just one of his 11 shot attempts, scoring seven points and grabbing seven rebounds in the Knights’ 67-41 loss to UConn.
Leo Vincent, Southern Illinois: Vincent shot 1-for-7 from the field, scoring three points in the Salukis’ 67-58 loss at Northern Iowa.
THE REST OF THE TOP 25
- No. 3 Iowa rebounded from its first conference loss by beating Northwestern, 89-71. Peter Jok scored 26 points and Jarrod Uthoff, who failed to reach double figures for the first time this season in Thursday’s loss at Maryland, added 23 for the Hawkeyes. Tre Demps led all scorers with 30.
- No. 12 Michigan State won its third straight game, this time blowing out Rutgers 96-62. Denzel Valentine scored 20 points and Bryn Forbes 18 for the Spartans, who made 17 three-pointers. Four players scored in double figures for the Spartans and two, Matt Costello (14) and Deyonta Davis (11) reached double digits in rebounds.
- If anyone in the Valley was going to catch No. 22 Wichita State, Evansville needed to beat the Shockers today. They didn’t as Wichita State won 78-65 with Fred VanVleet scoring a career-high 32 points to lead the way. Wichita State’s now 10-0 in league play, three games ahead of the Purple Aces (who they’ve swept the season series from) and Southern Illinois.
- Demetrius Jackson returned to the lineup for No. 25 Notre Dame, which took care of Wake Forest 85-62. Jackson finished with 14 points, seven rebounds, eight assists and six steals, and Zach Auguste scored a team-high 21 points to go along with 12 boards.
OTHER NOTABLE RESULTS
- John Papale’s shot with one tenth of a second remaining gave Boston University a 75-73 win over Lehigh.
- After winning ten of 11 games, Wright State has now lost two straight after falling 75-68 at Detroit Sunday afternoon. The Raiders now trail Valparaiso, who they beat January 22, by two games in the Horizon League standings.
- There’s still a four-way tie atop the Summit League standings, as IUPUI beat North Dakota State 73-72 in Indianapolis. Jordan Pickett scored 20 for the Jaguars, who are 7-2 in league play (as are South Dakota State, Omaha and IPFW).
- George Washington avoided a bad loss, as they got going offensively in the second half of their 76-70 win at George Mason. Having already lost at Saint Louis, the Colonials could not afford to fall in Fairfax as well.
- Also 5-3 in Atlantic 10 play is St. Bonaventure, which took care of Richmond 84-68 in Olean Sunday afternoon. Marcus Posley scored 26 points and Dion Wright added 19 and 14 boards for the Bonnies.
- Amida Brimah made his return from a broken finger in UConn’s 67-41 win over UCF. Brimah scored six points and blocked two shots, and Shonn Miller led the way offensively with 11 points.
Selden leads No. 4 Kansas past No. 20 Kentucky 90-84 in OT.
By DAVE SKRETTA
Wayne Selden Jr. was tired of driving into the teeth of the Kentucky defense and getting his shot swatted away, so the Kansas guard decided in overtime to dunk no matter who got in his way.
His emphatic slam over 6-foot-11 freshman Skal Labissiere proved to be the exclamation point on the finest performance of his career - and an important victory for the Jayhawks.
Selden finished with a career-high 33 points, seven of them in overtime, and fourth-ranked Kansas beat the No. 20 Wildcats 90-84 on Saturday night in the premier showdown of the Big 12/SEC Challenge.
''Just had to get back out there and be aggressive, be a tougher team than we had been the last few games,'' Selden said. ''This was a good step in the right direction.''
The Wildcats built an eight-point lead midway through the second half before Kansas switched to a zone defense and mounted a comeback. Perry Ellis made the second of two free throws to tie the game 76-all with 9 seconds left, and Tyler Ulis coughed up the ball at the other end before Kentucky got off a shot.
In fact, the turnover gave Frank Mason III a chance for a half-court heave that he nearly made.
When the game went to overtime, Selden simply took over.
He opened the extra session with a couple of free throws, and then on the next trip down drove to the rim and dunked over Ulis and Labissiere to bring the crowd to its feet. Selden added two more foul shots later in overtime to help the Jayhawks end the Wildcats' three game winning streak.
''It's as good a game as he's played since he's been here,'' Kansas coach Bill Self said.
Mason contributed 13 points and eight rebounds, and Devonte Graham added 11 points for the Jayhawks (17-4), who snapped a three-game losing streak to the Wildcats (16-5) by winning their 35th game in a row at Allen Fieldhouse.
Ulis finished with a career-high 26 points and eight assists for Kentucky. Jamal Murray added 15 points, Alex Poythress had 13 and Isaiah Briscoe scored 12.
''We're still learning how to win,'' Wildcats coach John Calipari said. ''In the guts of the game, we're just learning now what it means to win, and the plays you make - and the plays just as importantly you don't make. Not at winning time.''
The prizefight-nature of the game was evident from the opening minutes, when Briscoe was hit with a technical foul for winging an elbow during a scrum beneath the basket.
That jumpstarted a back-and-forth affair between college basketball's winningest programs.
The Jayhawks made the first big charge behind Selden, who had 13 first-half points while helping his team to an early six-point cushion. But Ulis and Poythress were quick to answer, going a combined 10 of 12 from the floor in the opening 20 minutes to help Kentucky to a 46-40 lead at the break.
The Jayhawks were fortunate to be that close.
Ellis, their leading scorer, spent all but 6 minutes on the bench with two fouls, while the Wildcats spent the final 14:09 of the first half in the bonus.
Kentucky pushed its lead to 57-49 early in the second, but that's when Self mothballed his beloved man-to-man defense for a triangle-and-two. The Wildcats appeared confused by the sudden switch to a zone and struggled to get good looks before the shot clock wound down.
''It made it difficult to get into our normal set,'' Poythress said.
Selden's 3-pointer from the corner gave Kansas a 75-74 lead with 49.2 seconds left, but Murray hit a pull-up jumper a few seconds later to give the Wildcats the lead back.
Ellis, their leading scorer, spent all but 6 minutes on the bench with two fouls, while the Wildcats spent the final 14:09 of the first half in the bonus.
Kentucky pushed its lead to 57-49 early in the second, but that's when Self mothballed his beloved man-to-man defense for a triangle-and-two. The Wildcats appeared confused by the sudden switch to a zone and struggled to get good looks before the shot clock wound down.
''It made it difficult to get into our normal set,'' Poythress said.
Selden's 3-pointer from the corner gave Kansas a 75-74 lead with 49.2 seconds left, but Murray hit a pull-up jumper a few seconds later to give the Wildcats the lead back.
Ellis was fouled at the other end and, after struggling at the line all night, made the second of two free throws to tie the game. And when Ulis turned the ball over with 2.2 seconds left, the Jayhawks nearly had an improbable victory in regulation when Mason's half-court heave bounced off the rim.
Turned out the miss merely delayed the celebration for 5 more minutes.
'We've taken some shots. We've taken some hard losses,'' Selden said. ''We've been battle-tested for a couple of years now, this season especially, and I feel like this is going to make us better.''
NO PLACE LIKE HOME
Turned out the miss merely delayed the celebration for 5 more minutes.
'We've taken some shots. We've taken some hard losses,'' Selden said. ''We've been battle-tested for a couple of years now, this season especially, and I feel like this is going to make us better.''
NO PLACE LIKE HOME
During halftime, the original 13 rules of basketball set down by Dr. James Naismith were unveiled in Allen Fieldhouse. The document from 1891 was purchased by Kansas alum David Booth at auction for $3.8 million in 2010, at the time the most paid for a piece of sports memorabilia. The rules will reside in an $18 million building connected to the school's basketball arena.
TIP-INS
Kentucky: Briscoe missed three straight free throws early in overtime. ... The Wildcats shot 53 percent from the field but just 5 of 23 from beyond the arc.
TIP-INS
Kentucky: Briscoe missed three straight free throws early in overtime. ... The Wildcats shot 53 percent from the field but just 5 of 23 from beyond the arc.
Kansas: Ellis finished with 10 points and nine rebounds. ... The Jayhawks had a 42-31 advantage on the glass. ... Kansas still trails the all-time series, 22-7.
UP NEXT
Kentucky travels to Tennessee on Tuesday night.
Kansas welcomes Kansas State to the Phog on Wednesday night.
Tennessee State breaks away from Jacksonville State 78-53.
AP - Sports
Tahjere McCall scored 18 points and collected eight rebounds, Wayne Martin had 13 and 10, and Tennessee State raced to a 78-53 win over Jacksonville State on Saturday.
Martin and McCall combined to shoot 13 of 16 from the field for Tennessee State (15-6, 6-2 Ohio Valley Conference), which shot 54.2 percent from the field and snapped a two-game losing streak.
Jacksonville State (8-17, 4-6) trailed by four with 2:35 left in the first half, but a 3-point play by McCall sparked a 23-4 spurt over the next eight minutes and the Tigers pulled away.
Tennessee State dominated inside with a 42-27 rebounding edge and a 44-10 margin in points in the paint.
Xavier Richards and Marcus Roper each had 12 points and Keron Deshields added 10 for Tennessee State.
DelFincko Bogan led the Gamecocks with 13 points. Jeremy Watson added 11 points with eight boards.
NCAAFB: Newton rewrote rules but here's how cheating is still rampant in college.By Dennis Dodd
When considering Cam Newton's legacy in the run-up to the Super Bowl, don't forget his father.
While son has rewritten the record books, dad has rewritten the NCAA manual. It is because of Cecil Newton that parents aren't allowed to sell the services of their children to schools.
Yes, there is such a rule. There has to be such a rule because of Cam's pop. The NCAA admonished Cecil for his actions in 2010 when he tried to extract a reported $180,000 from Mississippi State for his son to become a Bulldog. What, you forgot?
This is not Cam-hating. This is rule-updating as we chug toward National Signing Day. The sophistication of wrongdoers seems to know no boundaries.
Who knew that a parent could be considered an unscrupulous “agent?" Actually, that's the civil way to put it. In instituting the Cecil Newton rule four years ago this month, the NCAA said “an industry of individuals has been created …”
Cecil supposedly joined the NCAA's list of rogues it termed “runners, financial advisors, marketing representatives … street agents who seek to broker elite athletes for financial gain.”
Ah, football recruiting. The seedy underside of player procurement always seems to find a new way around the rules. There's a reason that manual grew to more than 400 pages. That's also why a committee assigned to trim it down was able to reduce the big book by all of 12 pages.
As we chug toward signing day, it's worth a reminder not all recruits sign with a school because of the staff or school. Cheating still endures. If anything, it has gotten more sophisticated. Until recently, there hadn't been many high-profile cases lately. But just wait … “I think there will be some major programs involved [this year],” Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby said.
After recent interviews with NCAA officials and other sources close to the process, the following is meant as a signing-day primer on modern-day cheating:
The missing assistants: It would be worth your while to check the sidelines next season. Do a simple head count of the coaching staff. An increasing number of assistant coaches have been suspended without public knowledge.
The transgressions aren't necessarily heinous -- Level III, (AKA secondary violations) -- but that's not the main issue. There has been a conscious effort in the new penalty structure not to reveal those who have been suspended. “If the question is, 'Are coaches being suspended from games far more frequently?' Yes,” said Gene Marsh, a veteran attorney who has spent much of his career representing schools and coaches in NCAA cases.
The NCAA says there hasn't been a rising number of suspensions, characterizing it more as a steady flow. Still, are we -- fans, media -- catching it? No. All we'd have to do is keep track of the bodies on the sideline and in the booth -- there nine football assistants on each team -- but we haven't.
The NCAA processes more than 5,000 such secondary violations per year. It would be silly of us not to assume some fairly big names have been involved. In the new penalty matrix, adopted three-and-a-half years ago, it was debated whether to announce the suspensions. The NCAA and membership decided against the public shaming.
If indeed these are minor violations, what is there to hide? These are public figures, (mostly) publicly paid state employees who go through job evaluations just like you and me. By keeping their identities secret, the media's antennae are up. Trust me. Lessons for the future: Go Sesame Street the next time your favorite team takes the field. Count. Make sure the entire staff is present. If not, start asking questions.
Metadata: Athletes should think twice about plagiarizing a paper. When you send it to a professor, the document itself leaves a digital fingerprint. The NCAA has the ability to track what computer it came from and where it was when the piece was written -- among other revelations. That's metadata.
Wrongdoers have been known to travel to another state and logging onto to a different IP address so that it appears a player wrote a paper. The NCAA can track that too. One NCAA official told me all those fingerprints help piece together a story very quickly and very accurately.
Lack of academic integrity remains the NCAA's No. 1 no-no. In their eyes, the primary idea for attending school still is to get an education. (Don't laugh.) That leads us to perhaps biggest moment in enforcement history coming later this year with North Carolina. It also reminds us the NCAA still cares about its core mission.
The greased palm: The time-worn $100 handshake still exists -- for the idiots who aren't savvy enough to pay athletes via more sophisticated and less-traceable methods. “You still have some awkwardly stupid people doing stupid things,” one source close to the investigative process said. “You still have boosters with too much to drink handing out cash.”
And it doesn't end there. “Tractors, farm implements, whatever it is that's of value to that prospect can be currency,” said NCAA enforcement director Jon Duncan. “We are working internally to try to figure out how to get at a paper trail or a good, old-fashioned bag man. It still happens.”
In this age, though, it's more likely you'll see -- or not see -- casino chips as a payoff. Casinos are everywhere. Chips can be handed out like nickels. Hey, if they're worth $500, all the better. Illicit money can be laundered through a donation to a church or a non-profit organization. Once it gets there, the cash descends down a rabbit hole the NCAA has a hard time reaching.
Gift cards have long been around. They can be used for, well, everything -- a night out on the town, gas, books, even tuition for online courses. More experienced cheaters will buy the gift cards (with cash) in an athlete's hometown so it looks like they came from the family.
Bitcoin has become a rising concern. The “cryptocurrency” is still a bit, well, cryptic. But anything that passes money in digital bits means it can be hiding. “The currency is almost unlimited,” Duncan added. “Sometimes it's U.S. dollars, sometimes it's Bitcoin, sometimes it's casino chips. Sometimes it's a house for mom and dad or a sibling.”
Seven-on-seven influence: It's hard to quantify how the entrance of reputable sports apparel giants in an offseason game of touch is a bad thing. Still, the offseason seven-on-seven influence is of primary concern to the NCAA.
The high school coach is increasingly being walled off from the recruiting process much the way it happened in basketball. Those influencers in seven-on-seven can be the coach or a benefactor or a person who becomes a de facto “guardian."
Strange -- one observer noted -- how those guardians never come to the aid of a 5-foot-8 kid who can't tackle.
Improper influence makes sense in basketball where the odds are better that a street agent can hit on the next Michael Jordan. But what about football and a 100-man roster? Duncan said there are less incidences in basketball but more money. In football, there are more players but less money.
Stay tuned for signing day and beyond. No doubt new ways to cheat are right around the corner. “We're trying to stay current or ahead of where we are,” Duncan said.
Djokovic captures sixth Australian Open title.
Associated Press
(Photo/Getty Images)
Top-ranked Djokovic maintained his perfect streak in six Australian Open finals with a 6-1, 7-5, 7-6 (3) victory on Sunday night, equaling Roy Emerson’s record for Australian titles. Murray continued his unwanted streak, too, slumping to 0-5 in championship deciders Down Under.
“First of all I need to pay the respect to Andy,” Djokovic said. “Tough match, tough luck tonight.
“You’re a great champion, great friend, very committed to this sport. I’m sure in the future you’re going to have many opportunities.”
The 28-year-old Murray had his share of distractions in Australia. His wife, Kim, is due to have their first child in February and stayed in Britain. Kim’s father, Nigel Sears, traveled to Australia as coach for Ana Ivanovic, and had to be rushed to hospital by ambulance while Murray was on court in his third-round match. Nigel Sears spent a night in a nearby hospital last weekend but was well enough to return home, which meant Murray could stay in Australia and try to refocus on winning the title.
“It’s been a tough few weeks for me away from the court,” Murray said in his on-court speech, thanking his support team before turning his attention to his wife.
“You’ve been a legend the last two weeks. Thank you so much for all your support,” he said, choking back tears and waving as he walked away from the microphone. “I’ll be on the next flight home.”
A little more than a half-hour later, Murray was sitting in a mandatory news conference, saying he was proud of his achievements here but was ready to get home. At 11:15 p.m. local time, Murray said he was aiming for a 1 a.m. flight – “I’ve been held on flights for it feels like five days. The first one out of here, I’m leaving.”
Hundreds of Serbian fans, many waving flags, gathered outside and cheered and screamed as Djokovic did an interview with the host TV broadcaster.
“I never experienced this much crowd and this much love,” Djokovic said, before waving to his fans. “It’s an incredible feeling especially because of the fact that I managed to make history tonight, and equal Roy Emerson’s record of six Australian Opens, that’s why this trophy is even more.”
Djokovic increased his career haul to 11 Grand Slam titles, including four of the last five, to join Rod Laver and Bjorn Borg at No. 5 on the all-time list.
Two-time major winner Murray, meanwhile, became only the second man to lose five finals at one major – Ivan Lendl lost five and won three U.S. Open finals in the 1980s.
Djokovic had won 10 of his previous 11 matches against Murray and was 21-9 in their career meetings – including four finals at the Australian Open.
Again, he was just too good.
Djokovic broke to take a 2-0 lead and, after he’d hit a perfectly placed drop shot, a fan yelled: “Give him a chance Novak!”
He didn’t, racing to a 5-0 lead and serving out the first set in 30 minutes.
The second set contained long rallies and plenty of tension. Murray was yelling at himself and swiping his racket in anger, and Djokovic waved his racket in frustration as well.
After an exchange of breaks in the seventh and eighth games, Djokovic broke again in the 11th and closed out the set before taking an early break in the third set with a forehand winner around the post. Murray broke back in the sixth game and the set went to tiebreaker.
Djokovic took a 6-1 lead, setting up five championship points, and finished if off in 2 hours, 53 minutes, with an ace on his third match point.
He dropped to his hands and knees and kissed the court, slapping it with his right hand, and went to the stands to hug Boris Becker, his coach since 2014.
Kerber upsets Serena to win Australian title.
Associated Press
(Photo/Getty Images)
Angelique Kerber upset Serena Williams 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 to win the Australian Open title on Saturday, ending the six-time champion’s unbeaten streak in finals here and winning a major title for the first time.
Williams was an overwhelming favorite at Melbourne Park, where she had won all six previous times she’d reached the final, and was trying to equal Steffi Graf’s Open-era record of 22 Grand Slam singles titles.
For the second time in as many majors, though, she fell short. Williams won the Australian Open, French Open and Wimbledon titles last year before losing to Roberta Vinci in the U.S. Open semifinals. She was so close to a calendar-year Grand Slam in 2015, but now has no chance to push for that honor in 2016 after losing the first major of the year.
The 34-year-old Williams hadn’t lost a set in the first six rounds at Melbourne Park until dropping the first against No. 7-seeded Kerber, who was playing in her first major final.
Kerber had only ever beaten Williams once – in 2012 – in six career meetings, and was coming off a shaky start to the tournament when she had to save a match point in her first-round win over Misaki Doi.
She lost in the first round last year here and said again she was “one leg in the plane for Germany” against Doi. Now she’s the first German woman to win the Australian title since Graf in 1994.
Despite a rash of uncharacteristic unforced errors, Williams made Kerber push all the way.
The 28-year-old Kerber had a chance to serve for the match at 5-3 in the third, but Williams broke back.
Williams couldn’t hold in the next game, though, and hit a forehand volley long on championship point, her 46th unforced error of the match.
Kerber let her racket fly out of her hand and dropped on her back as the ball landed long. She got up to see Williams walking over to her side of the net, and the pair met at mid-court for a hug.
“Let me be the first to congratulate you,” Williams said in her post-match speech. “Enjoy the moment. I’m so happy for you.”
Told later that she appeared to be as happy about the result as Kerber was, Williams said: “Really, I should get into acting!”
But, she added, “I was really happy for her. She’s been around a long time. She had an attitude that I think a lot of people can learn from – to always stay positive and never give up.
“If I couldn’t win, I’m happy she did.”
Kerber had cried as she walked over to her support team, then back to the center of the court with one arm raised.
At the ceremony, she was all smiles again.
“You are really an inspiration for so many people, so many young tennis players,” Kerber said, paying tribute to Williams in her victory speech. “You created history, you are a champion, you are a really an unbelievably great person, so congratulations for everything you did already.”
Kerber’s previous best performances at a major were semifinal exits at the U.S. Open in 2011 and Wimbledon in 2012. She had only reached the quarterfinals once in the 13 majors leading into 2016.
“My whole life I was working really hard and now I’m here and I can say I’m a Grand Slam champion,” she said. “It sounds really crazy and unbelievable.”
Williams was an overwhelming favorite at Melbourne Park, where she had won all six previous times she’d reached the final, and was trying to equal Steffi Graf’s Open-era record of 22 Grand Slam singles titles.
For the second time in as many majors, though, she fell short. Williams won the Australian Open, French Open and Wimbledon titles last year before losing to Roberta Vinci in the U.S. Open semifinals. She was so close to a calendar-year Grand Slam in 2015, but now has no chance to push for that honor in 2016 after losing the first major of the year.
The 34-year-old Williams hadn’t lost a set in the first six rounds at Melbourne Park until dropping the first against No. 7-seeded Kerber, who was playing in her first major final.
Kerber had only ever beaten Williams once – in 2012 – in six career meetings, and was coming off a shaky start to the tournament when she had to save a match point in her first-round win over Misaki Doi.
She lost in the first round last year here and said again she was “one leg in the plane for Germany” against Doi. Now she’s the first German woman to win the Australian title since Graf in 1994.
Despite a rash of uncharacteristic unforced errors, Williams made Kerber push all the way.
The 28-year-old Kerber had a chance to serve for the match at 5-3 in the third, but Williams broke back.
Williams couldn’t hold in the next game, though, and hit a forehand volley long on championship point, her 46th unforced error of the match.
Kerber let her racket fly out of her hand and dropped on her back as the ball landed long. She got up to see Williams walking over to her side of the net, and the pair met at mid-court for a hug.
“Let me be the first to congratulate you,” Williams said in her post-match speech. “Enjoy the moment. I’m so happy for you.”
Told later that she appeared to be as happy about the result as Kerber was, Williams said: “Really, I should get into acting!”
But, she added, “I was really happy for her. She’s been around a long time. She had an attitude that I think a lot of people can learn from – to always stay positive and never give up.
“If I couldn’t win, I’m happy she did.”
Kerber had cried as she walked over to her support team, then back to the center of the court with one arm raised.
At the ceremony, she was all smiles again.
“You are really an inspiration for so many people, so many young tennis players,” Kerber said, paying tribute to Williams in her victory speech. “You created history, you are a champion, you are a really an unbelievably great person, so congratulations for everything you did already.”
Kerber’s previous best performances at a major were semifinal exits at the U.S. Open in 2011 and Wimbledon in 2012. She had only reached the quarterfinals once in the 13 majors leading into 2016.
“My whole life I was working really hard and now I’m here and I can say I’m a Grand Slam champion,” she said. “It sounds really crazy and unbelievable.”
On
emoriesofhistory.com
1913 - Jim Thorpe signed a contract to play baseball with the New York Giants.
1929 - Weightlifter Charles Rigoulet of France achieved the first 400 pound ‘clean and jerk’ as he lifted 402-1/2 pounds.
1962 - The National League released its first 162-game schedule.
1968 - Vince Lombardi resigned as the coach of the Green Bay Packers.
1970 - Terry Sawchuck got the last shutout of his career and set the career record at 103.
1992 - Barry Bonds signed the highest single season contract. It was for $4.7 million.
1992 - Dennis Potvin's #5 became the first number to be retired by the New York Islanders.
1995 - John Stockton (Utah Jazz) became the NBA's career assist leader when he scored his 9,922nd assist to move past Magic Johnson.
2015 - Tom Brady (New England Patriots) set a Super Bowl record with 37 completions. Brady also increased his career Super Bowl touchdown passes to 13 setting a new record.
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