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"Sports Quote of the Day"
"That's the only reason I'm here. I don't need to play the game for any other reason than to win a championship." ~ Drew Bledsoe, Former NFL Quarterback
The Blackhawks celebrate their 3-2 win. (Photo/Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune)
Trending: Lack of seeming elite QBs in NFL draft could bode well for Bears. (See the football section for Bears updates).
Trending: Jimmie Johnson wins at Atlanta, ties Dale Earnhardt for 7th on all-time wins list. (See the motorsports section for NASCAR updates).
How 'bout them Chicago Blackhawks? Blackhawks reclaim Central Division with win over Capitals.
Tracey Myers
Patrick Kane celebrates his goal against the Capitals in the first period. (Photo/Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune)
When the Blackhawks acquired three forwards in two days, they were looking for a boost in several positions.
They wanted a stronger top-line option. They wanted help on the third and fourth lines. And while they’re still missing some personnel, including one of the players they traded for, they liked their first look with those changes.
Patrick Kane scored his 36th goal of the season and Dennis Rasmussen scored the game winner as the Blackhawks held off the Washington Capitals 3-2 on Sunday afternoon. The victory gives the Blackhawks 83 points and puts them back into first in the Central Division. Dallas, which is idle today, is second with 82 points.
Corey Crawford stopped 28 of 30 for the victory. Jonathan Toews scored a power-play goal and Andrew Ladd, in his first game back with the Blackhawks, added the secondary assist on Toews’ goal.
The Blackhawks wanted to bolster their lineup with recent acquisitions Ladd, Tomas Fleischmann and Dale Weise, who has not arrived intown yet (visa issues). Ladd was on the top line with Toews and Andrew Shaw while Fleischmann settled in with Teuvo Teravainen and Andrew Desjardins. The changes did the Blackhawks good: they had as strong a four-line rotation as they have had all season against the league’s best team.
“You could see a couple of lines had a different look. That line with Flash or Fleisch, or whatever you want to call him — I think they call him Flash — and Desi and Teuvo was very effective in a lot of ways," said coach Joel Quenneville. "Laddy gives you some energy and they’ll get better. The second and third periods you could see him getting a little more comfortable and was effective as well. We still have a couple of guys who are missing who can help us, too.”
Those guys would be Weise, Marian Hossa (lower body) and Marcus Kruger (wrist). But let’s focus on today, which was a good day for the Blackhawks — well, once the first period was over, anyway. The Capitals were stellar in the first period, looking faster and stronger than the Blackhawks, who barely had any time in the Capitals’ zone. Marcus Johnansson gave the Capitals a 1-0 lead on a power-play goal 6:13 into the game. For all the Capitals’ first-period dominance, however, it wouldn’t show on the scoreboard. Just 31 seconds after Johansson’s goal, Kane scored to tie it 1-1.
From the second period on the Blackhawks looked more like themselves. Toews scored his power-play goal to give the Blackhawks a 2-1 lead with 1:45 remaining in the second period. Then Richard Panik’s kick pass, which Quenneville called, “one of the best passes we’ve seen all year,” went in the slot to a wide-open Rasmussen, who scored to make it 3-1. It was Rasmussen’s first goal since Dec. 19.
“Yeah, it’s been a while. I try to work hard and create chances but it was really nice to get that goal,” said Rasmussen. “It was a really nice pass. I saw [Panik] had the puck under his skate and I kind of realized he was going to make that play. I’ve seen it done before in practice.”
The Blackhawks were looking for more balance and more of a scoring threat among all four of their lines. Some of their recent acquisitions have already helped in that department. Sure, it was just one game. But it was one game against the league’s best team.
“It felt like a playoff game right from the start,” Crawford said. “I thought we got better as the game went on. They were pretty quick. They got some momentum early but I think with the new guys in the lineup, it seemed like the chemistry kept building throughout the game on the lines they were on.”
They wanted a stronger top-line option. They wanted help on the third and fourth lines. And while they’re still missing some personnel, including one of the players they traded for, they liked their first look with those changes.
Patrick Kane scored his 36th goal of the season and Dennis Rasmussen scored the game winner as the Blackhawks held off the Washington Capitals 3-2 on Sunday afternoon. The victory gives the Blackhawks 83 points and puts them back into first in the Central Division. Dallas, which is idle today, is second with 82 points.
Corey Crawford stopped 28 of 30 for the victory. Jonathan Toews scored a power-play goal and Andrew Ladd, in his first game back with the Blackhawks, added the secondary assist on Toews’ goal.
The Blackhawks wanted to bolster their lineup with recent acquisitions Ladd, Tomas Fleischmann and Dale Weise, who has not arrived intown yet (visa issues). Ladd was on the top line with Toews and Andrew Shaw while Fleischmann settled in with Teuvo Teravainen and Andrew Desjardins. The changes did the Blackhawks good: they had as strong a four-line rotation as they have had all season against the league’s best team.
“You could see a couple of lines had a different look. That line with Flash or Fleisch, or whatever you want to call him — I think they call him Flash — and Desi and Teuvo was very effective in a lot of ways," said coach Joel Quenneville. "Laddy gives you some energy and they’ll get better. The second and third periods you could see him getting a little more comfortable and was effective as well. We still have a couple of guys who are missing who can help us, too.”
Those guys would be Weise, Marian Hossa (lower body) and Marcus Kruger (wrist). But let’s focus on today, which was a good day for the Blackhawks — well, once the first period was over, anyway. The Capitals were stellar in the first period, looking faster and stronger than the Blackhawks, who barely had any time in the Capitals’ zone. Marcus Johnansson gave the Capitals a 1-0 lead on a power-play goal 6:13 into the game. For all the Capitals’ first-period dominance, however, it wouldn’t show on the scoreboard. Just 31 seconds after Johansson’s goal, Kane scored to tie it 1-1.
From the second period on the Blackhawks looked more like themselves. Toews scored his power-play goal to give the Blackhawks a 2-1 lead with 1:45 remaining in the second period. Then Richard Panik’s kick pass, which Quenneville called, “one of the best passes we’ve seen all year,” went in the slot to a wide-open Rasmussen, who scored to make it 3-1. It was Rasmussen’s first goal since Dec. 19.
“Yeah, it’s been a while. I try to work hard and create chances but it was really nice to get that goal,” said Rasmussen. “It was a really nice pass. I saw [Panik] had the puck under his skate and I kind of realized he was going to make that play. I’ve seen it done before in practice.”
The Blackhawks were looking for more balance and more of a scoring threat among all four of their lines. Some of their recent acquisitions have already helped in that department. Sure, it was just one game. But it was one game against the league’s best team.
“It felt like a playoff game right from the start,” Crawford said. “I thought we got better as the game went on. They were pretty quick. They got some momentum early but I think with the new guys in the lineup, it seemed like the chemistry kept building throughout the game on the lines they were on.”
Chicago Blackhawks Go All in for Another Cup.
By Kristi Loucks
Once again, the Chicago Blackhawks have taken the biggest name off the market ahead of Monday’s trade deadline as they sent Marko Dano, a first round pick (plus a conditional pick in 2018 if they win the Cup) to the Winnipeg Jets for Andrew Ladd, Matt Fraser, and Jay Harrison. Though Ladd was the target of this trade, the other players will likely report to Rockford.
It was a high price to pay, but one that Stan Bowman felt was a step towards defending their Stanley Cup. Few will find fault with this deal.
On Friday afternoon, Bowman also made a smaller trade that sent Rob Scuderi back to the Los Angeles Kings for Christian Ehrhoff. Another journeyman blue liner, but one that perhaps could fit into the Blackhawks system a little better. This deal was not as significant, but could prove useful as the playoffs near.
Fun fact, Ehrhoff will be the first German player to suit up for the Blackhawks.
Bowman wasn’t finished yet. Before any other team has had a chance to make a bigger splash, Bowman went ahead and pulled the trigger on another big deal. He sent Phillip Danault to the Montreal Canadiens for Dale Weise and Tomas Fleischmann. He found the gritty winger on his wishlist to slot in beside Teuvo Teravainen in Weise but gave up the promising Danault in return.
Time will tell if that one might come back to haunt the Blackhawks later. Danault was certainly a player that fit into the system and stepped up to fill the void left when Marcus Kruger went down with an injury.
G-Ladd To Be Back
Ladd was a part of the Blackhawks 2010 Stanley Cup championship team and has stayed close to several of the players who have remained in Chicago. He is a big, solid two-way left winger who can step into the void left by Brandon Saad. He is not a major scoring threat, but he has the ability to get to the right areas of the ice to create scoring opportunities, and he knows both Marian Hossa and Jonathan Toews’ tendencies very well. All three players should benefit from this move. He is also a much needed physical presence and a top notch leader in the locker room.
For Ladd, coming back to Chicago should be an easy transition. Even though it has been six years, the core group remains nearly untouched apart from Patrick Sharp. His familiarity with the system and coach Quenneville’s game plan should eliminate that transitional play that plagued Antoine Vermette last season.
During his first three-year stint in Chicago, Ladd played most of his minutes with Patrick Sharp and Marian Hossa among others. He also played limited minutes with Toews.
Back then, he was not relied upon for the power play or the penalty kill units, but in his time with the Winnipeg Jets (previously the Atlanta Thrashers before the move to Canada) he has honed those skills as well. Ladd is a better all around player today than he was in 2010.
While he has had a down year production-wise, some of that is likely a product of the overall play in Winnipeg. The team as a whole took a significant step back from where they were last season, and they are currently well outside the playoff picture. It is reasonable to think that Ladd’s numbers could swing in a more positive direction with Toews and Hossa (when he returns from injury). The hope is that Ladd’s presence will also have a positive effect on Hossa and Toews’ production as well.
Ladd will get his old number 16 back as Kruger has agreed to switch to 22.
Bowman Shakes Things Up Again
As the other teams appear to be sitting back waiting for the deadline to get closer, Bowman’s bat phone stayed active. He made yet another trade that sent Danault to the Habs for Weise and Fleischmann. Weise is 27 years old and will be an unrestricted free agent this summer, but he is an affordable piece at $1.025 million of which the Habs have reportedly retained 30 percent.
He plays on the right side and will likely find a spot on the third line with Teravainen as his center, and possibly Andrew Shaw once Hossa returns to action. Weise is a gritty forward who could bring some physicality to Teravainen’s finesse game. Should Shaw find his way onto the third line, this could be an interesting line to watch both offensively and defensively.
He plays on the right side and will likely find a spot on the third line with Teravainen as his center, and possibly Andrew Shaw once Hossa returns to action. Weise is a gritty forward who could bring some physicality to Teravainen’s finesse game. Should Shaw find his way onto the third line, this could be an interesting line to watch both offensively and defensively.
Weise currently has 14 goals (career-high) and 12 assists, numbers that could improve if the pair can find some chemistry. It is possible that he could also slot in on the right side of Toews and Ladd until Hossa returns (possibly next week). However, it would seem that Shaw is more likely to stay there for the time being so that Weise can start to develop a rapport with the young Finnish centerman.
Fleischmann is a wild card. He plays the left side, but it is a bit uncertain where he fits into the lineup. He is 31 years old, and currently has 10 goals and 10 assists. He would appear to be the odd man out (along with Jiri Sekac) once the kinks get ironed out with all the changes. Currently, the Blackhawks have several players that can play wing on the bottom six in Richard Panik, Dennis Rasmussen, Shaw, Andrew Desjardins, and Weise.
Fleischmann would have to be borderline extraordinary to even crack the lineup on a nightly basis. However, it never hurts to have a little depth going into what the Blackhawks are certainly hoping will be another deep run in the playoffs.
In fact, based on the moves that Bowman has made, it is certain that they are all in with the Stanley Cup or bust mentality.
If it works in their favor, everything will have been worth it. If it doesn’t, people will come out of the wood work to question every transaction. The role of an NHL GM has never been for the faint of heart.
The Chips Are All On The Table
It is unclear whether Bowman is done before the deadline though it would seem likely that his hand will remain on the trigger as he works every possible angle to deliver Bryan Bickell to another team. The question is, can it be done without costing the Blackhawks in the long run. There is not exactly a line forming in the Bickell lottery at the moment.
It is certainly not out of the question for the Blackhawks to seek out another defenseman to add to their depth on the backend as they are unlikely to be able to pull off the four man defense for a second playoff campaign (this year it would be without Johnny Oduya). Erik Gustafsson and Trevor van Riemsdyk have done an admirable job all season, however, they are both still relatively green and could use a bit more mileage before they carry the heavy workload as a 4th D-man.
It is certainly not out of the question for the Blackhawks to seek out another defenseman to add to their depth on the backend as they are unlikely to be able to pull off the four man defense for a second playoff campaign (this year it would be without Johnny Oduya). Erik Gustafsson and Trevor van Riemsdyk have done an admirable job all season, however, they are both still relatively green and could use a bit more mileage before they carry the heavy workload as a 4th D-man.
Should it become necessary, it is clear that the Blackhawks and Joel Quenneville have enough faith in the duo, but it would be nice to have some depth in the event that anyone was injured as Michal Rozsival was last season.
What The Deal Means For The Future
All of the deals free up space for next season. They will be looking to give Kruger the deal that they could not offer this summer, extend Artemi Panarin and possibly Teravainen. Ladd, Ehrhoff, Weise, and Fleischmann are all heading to free agency in the offseason, so that will give the team some freedom in that respect. As they each head to their next team over the summer the Blackhawks will be left with several holes to fill and not a whole lot of picks to reload the talent pool.
Inevitably they will look to the Rockford IceHogs as they have this season to pick up some young talent, but they will no longer have Dano and Danault who were easily at top end of the talent pool. Tyler Motte and Nick Schmaltz will be another year closer to NHL ready, but as of now they are still playing at the college level. Kyle Baun, Ryan Hartman, Ryan Haggerty and Mark McNeill are all possibilities, but they will likely have to pick up a few veterans as well.
Time will tell how much of the future the Blackhawks have mortgaged for a win this year, but that is what has to be done to succeed in the salary cap era. You don’t win the Stanley Cup by standing pat, and you certainly don’t win four in seven seasons without making some tough choices.
Bowman has certainly had to make his fair share of those.
Other Teams Late To The Trade Parade
It would seem like Bowman, and his team of scouts have gone around the league disconnecting the hotlines for all the other teams as the deadline remains fairly quiet with only two and half days remaining.
Ladd was clearly one of the big tickets, but Loui Eriksson remains available though the word is Boston is still working to re-sign the big winger. Mikkel Boedker is another big name that hasn’t moved, and certainly the Blackhawks are just driving the prices up with each move they make.
With the return on Ladd, Boedker and Eriksson could command a much higher price than their respective teams had originally thought. Though the Bruins have to be considering any possible way they could hang onto Eriksson as they are currently holding the third spot in their division and will look to make an impact in the playoffs. They are certainly better with Eriksson than without. So, the big story there will be whether he is actually available, or not.
Ladd was clearly one of the big tickets, but Loui Eriksson remains available though the word is Boston is still working to re-sign the big winger. Mikkel Boedker is another big name that hasn’t moved, and certainly the Blackhawks are just driving the prices up with each move they make.
With the return on Ladd, Boedker and Eriksson could command a much higher price than their respective teams had originally thought. Though the Bruins have to be considering any possible way they could hang onto Eriksson as they are currently holding the third spot in their division and will look to make an impact in the playoffs. They are certainly better with Eriksson than without. So, the big story there will be whether he is actually available, or not.
Another big piece that is in play is Jonathan Drouin, a player who has drawn a lot of interest, but his asking price is likely to be too rich for a lot of teams. There is also some question about how much of an impact he can make and certainly the manner in which he is leaving Tampa may cause some teams to hesitate. However, he is likely on several teams radar as he is a talented young player with loads of potential.
Anaheim is almost certainly looking for a little help up front while Dallas has recently been exposed on the defensive side. Both teams should be active in the coming days.
St. Louis may also be on the look out for a couple of pieces to ensure they are prepared for the playoffs, and Minnesota will be looking to add a piece or two in the hopes of gaining some ground on the wild card. They are currently four points outside of the playoff picture. Nashville could also look for one more piece.
The weekend should get exciting as the rest of the teams look to find the missing pieces that will put them over the top.
Five Things: New Blackhawks making immediate impact.
By Tracey Myers
When the Blackhawks hosted the Washington Capitals on Sunday it promised to be an entertaining late-morning tilt. It didn’t disappoint.
After a few active trading days, the Blackhawks debuted a somewhat different lineup that also didn’t disappoint in a 3-2 victory over the Capitals, who have the best record in the NHL (45-12-4). It was fun, exhilarating and fast hockey, and it makes you wonder what kind of a series it would be if, by chance, these two would meet in June.
But we’re getting way, way, way ahead of ourselves here. So before we call it an early day, let’s look at Five Things to take from the Blackhawks’ victory over the Capitals.
1. Two of the new guys make immediate impacts. The Blackhawks obviously knew what they were getting with Ladd, and the veteran looked comfortable a few minutes in with Jonathan Toews and Andrew Shaw. He added the secondary assist on Toews’ power-play goal. Tomas Fleischmann fit in well in his first game, too. The third-line combination with he, Teuvo Teravainen and Andrew Desjardins looked very good, getting scoring opportunities and playing a strong all-around game.
2. Dennis Rasmussen scores the big goal. Considering recent trade acquisitions and the fact that Marian Hossa should be back relatively soon, you wonder how long Rasmussen will stay with the big club. Even if it isn’t much longer, Rasmussen made a big contribution on Sunday with what ended up being the game-winning goal. Rasmussen hadn’t scored since mid-December, so Sunday’s goal was a relief. “I try to play the two-way game and try to be strong at everything I do and play a simple game. But obviously nice to get a couple of goals, too,” Rasmussen said. “It’s been a while, so I’m happy.”
3. Blackhawks get away with a slow start. The Capitals looked like they were ready for the first 20 minutes on Sunday. The Blackhawks did not. But thanks to a great Trevor van Riemsdyk pass to Patrick Kane, who scored his 36th goal of the season, the Blackhawks came out of it 1-1 instead of down at least a goal. Said coach Joel Quenneville, “we got through [the first] 1-1, it was like a win.”
4. Teravainen looked much better. In too many games this season Teravainen has looked hesitant and lacking confidence. He didn’t look that in this one. Whether it was the new line mates or just the right outlook, Teravainen played on Sunday the way the Blackhawks have wanted him to all season.
5. The Capitals are really, really good. The Blackhawks got the victory today but there’s no doubt from goaltending to depth to the scoring ability, there’s a reason the Capitals are the best team in the league. The Capitals just come in waves, and there’s no doubt they had the Blackhawks on their heels in the first period.
Anaheim is almost certainly looking for a little help up front while Dallas has recently been exposed on the defensive side. Both teams should be active in the coming days.
St. Louis may also be on the look out for a couple of pieces to ensure they are prepared for the playoffs, and Minnesota will be looking to add a piece or two in the hopes of gaining some ground on the wild card. They are currently four points outside of the playoff picture. Nashville could also look for one more piece.
The weekend should get exciting as the rest of the teams look to find the missing pieces that will put them over the top.
Five Things: New Blackhawks making immediate impact.
By Tracey Myers
When the Blackhawks hosted the Washington Capitals on Sunday it promised to be an entertaining late-morning tilt. It didn’t disappoint.
After a few active trading days, the Blackhawks debuted a somewhat different lineup that also didn’t disappoint in a 3-2 victory over the Capitals, who have the best record in the NHL (45-12-4). It was fun, exhilarating and fast hockey, and it makes you wonder what kind of a series it would be if, by chance, these two would meet in June.
But we’re getting way, way, way ahead of ourselves here. So before we call it an early day, let’s look at Five Things to take from the Blackhawks’ victory over the Capitals.
1. Two of the new guys make immediate impacts. The Blackhawks obviously knew what they were getting with Ladd, and the veteran looked comfortable a few minutes in with Jonathan Toews and Andrew Shaw. He added the secondary assist on Toews’ power-play goal. Tomas Fleischmann fit in well in his first game, too. The third-line combination with he, Teuvo Teravainen and Andrew Desjardins looked very good, getting scoring opportunities and playing a strong all-around game.
2. Dennis Rasmussen scores the big goal. Considering recent trade acquisitions and the fact that Marian Hossa should be back relatively soon, you wonder how long Rasmussen will stay with the big club. Even if it isn’t much longer, Rasmussen made a big contribution on Sunday with what ended up being the game-winning goal. Rasmussen hadn’t scored since mid-December, so Sunday’s goal was a relief. “I try to play the two-way game and try to be strong at everything I do and play a simple game. But obviously nice to get a couple of goals, too,” Rasmussen said. “It’s been a while, so I’m happy.”
3. Blackhawks get away with a slow start. The Capitals looked like they were ready for the first 20 minutes on Sunday. The Blackhawks did not. But thanks to a great Trevor van Riemsdyk pass to Patrick Kane, who scored his 36th goal of the season, the Blackhawks came out of it 1-1 instead of down at least a goal. Said coach Joel Quenneville, “we got through [the first] 1-1, it was like a win.”
4. Teravainen looked much better. In too many games this season Teravainen has looked hesitant and lacking confidence. He didn’t look that in this one. Whether it was the new line mates or just the right outlook, Teravainen played on Sunday the way the Blackhawks have wanted him to all season.
5. The Capitals are really, really good. The Blackhawks got the victory today but there’s no doubt from goaltending to depth to the scoring ability, there’s a reason the Capitals are the best team in the league. The Capitals just come in waves, and there’s no doubt they had the Blackhawks on their heels in the first period.
Just Another Chicago Bulls Session... Bulls' comeback attempt comes up short in loss to Blazers. (Saturday night's game, 02/27/2016).
By Vincent Goodwill
Whenever the Bulls get back as a close-to-full squad, games like Saturday’s hard-played loss to the Portland Trail Blazers won’t haunt them as much as the other giveaways they’ve participated in through the first 58 contests.
They fought adversity, fatigue and bouts of ineffectiveness, and while having their share of opportunities late, they couldn’t get enough done in the fourth quarter of a 103-95 loss at the United Center.
Being without Derrick Rose in addition to Jimmy Butler and Nikola Mirotic, the margin for error was already thin, and they knew it coming in.
“First and foremost you wanna make sure you’re competing and scrapping,” Mike Dunleavy said. “If that doesn’t happen it makes it worse. But once you get to a certain level of losing, there’s a major disappointment.”
Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg was obviously disappointed at some of the mistakes that led to the loss, but there’s only so much he can do with what he has at the moment.
“I thought our guys competed and battled tonight and played the right way,” he said. “It showed with our movement with the assists and open shots. Defensively we couldn’t get back in the game, we just couldn’t get that big one (stop) when we needed it.”
In some ways it looked a lot like Friday’s loss to the Hawks, but the Bulls woke up late to have a shot at things.
Pau Gasol’s triple-double led them with 20 points, 16 rebounds and 14 assists, but even he had trouble with Blazers center Mason Plumlee, who stymied Gasol on a few drives to the basket.
As the Bulls clawed back, they were sent back by an attribute they lack — athletic shot-blocking in the form of Blazers forward Ed Davis.
When the Bulls attacked the basket, Davis was sending everything back in the Bulls’ faces, with five blocked shots, and the Blazers thwarted two attempts at the rim that could’ve cut the lead to four with under two minutes left.
“Their confidence is high,” Taj Gibson said. “They’re playing shorthanded as well, but they’re playing the right kind of basketball. Everybody wants to win, everybody means well. We have a lot of injuries, but we have enough to win. We have to shorten our mistakes.”
One player who had no such misfortune at the rim or otherwise was Blazers guard Damian Lillard, who has taken the NBA on his own personal revenge tour since not being selected for the All-Star Game despite statistics that look familiar to Derrick Rose’s 2010-11 MVP campaign.
Lillard shut down an early run with a three-point play midway through the fourth, scoring as soon as he re-entered the game. He scored 31 points on 12-for-26 shooting.
“He’s tough. He can shoot it, can drive it, he’s pretty shaky,” Dunleavy said. “The big thing was taking away those 3s, and we did tonight.”
The Bulls’ inability to handle Lillard was offset by making sure Lillard’s high-scoring backcourt mate C.J. McCollum couldn’t get going, as he missed 11 of his 12 shots, and they limited the Blazers to just 5-for-21 shooting from behind the 3-point line.
After missing his first eight shots, E’Twaun Moore joined the party to hit seven in a row in the third, waking up to score 15 of his 19 in the period. Doug McDermott scored 18 for his best five-game stretch of his career, with double figures in all of them.
“He and Pau have really developed a nice chemistry,” Hoiberg said. “Pau is such a great passer, and Doug can cut and move. Having Mike out there with Doug helps him a lot.”
But by then, the Blazers had their own party going, moving the ball around fluidly and taking a 15-point lead. It was then where the Bulls finally woke up and injected some energy into the building.
Gasol achieved his first triple-double as a Bull midway in the quarter, McDermott continued his surge, and all of a sudden after his corner 3 to end the third, they were within six.
But their early hole and inability to take advantage of the few opportunities presented to them led to their second straight loss, as they’ve slipped to eighth place in the East, just two games over .500.
Punchless Bulls can't break Hawks' spell as winning streak ends. (Friday night's game, 02/26/2016).
By Vincent Goodwill
The Atlanta Hawks have arguably been the most disappointing team in the NBA, but for whatever reason they have cast a spell over these Bulls.
Three games, three double-digit losses they’ve dealt the Bulls this season, and their 103-88 win Friday at Philips Arena broke a three-way tie for fifth place in the East, as the Bulls entered the evening percentage points ahead of the Hawks. But their usual bugaboo appeared, as it usually does in this matchup.
Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg warned his team of the Hawks’ trapping and aggressive defense, as the Bulls played hot potato in the first two matchups. It led to 21 turnovers this time, a familiar number and a big no-no considering all the impact players the Bulls were without.
“With the amount of games coming our way, everybody’s one or two games out of a seed, we’re jockeying for position,” Taj Gibson said. “We dropped the ball tonight.”
Derrick Rose was out for the second straight game with hamstring tendinitis, and Jimmy Butler and Nikola Mirotic were already out, with their returns still sometime away.
Doug McDermott scored 20 points, continuing his strong play, and Pau Gasol scored 16 points with 17 rebounds, but the Bulls were downright ineffective offensively, shooting 36 percent as only the first quarter featured a period in which the Bulls shot better than 40 percent.
“Right from the beginning they out-muscled us,” Hoiberg said. “I don’t get it. Three games we made a lot of progress but took a step back today. That’s all we talked about for two days was taking care of the ball. You don’t give yourself a chance to win. Too careless.”
Luckily for the Bulls early, the Hawks were just as anemic offensively and twice as stubborn — an attribute they could afford to have given they weren’t without their main weapons.
“The problem was we were 1-for-10 (from 3-point range) in that stretch, they were 2-for-20,” Hoiberg noted. “We came back, we had a wide open shot to cut it to five at the end of the third quarter. We didn’t make it. It’s all about, they were the aggressors tonight.”
Though the final score was lopsided, it was more a byproduct of the Hawks pulling away late in the fourth quarter than the Bulls getting blown out of the building — but to be fair, the Bulls never made the Hawks do much more than sweat in the fourth.
“We didn’t get off to a good start with a lot of energy,” McDermott said. “They scored 27 off (turnovers), that’s the game right there.”
Bobby Portis’ jumper pulled the Bulls to within nine with 9:48 left, but that was about it as the Hawks overcame their 2-for-20 start from behind the 3-point line to dispose of the Bulls and their three-game winning streak.
“They were getting their hands on the ball, they were tougher with the ball,” Hoiberg said, as the Hawks only had 11 turnovers.
The Bulls out-rebounded the Hawks, 49-48, but the key rebounds and possessions that could’ve swung precious momentum went the Hawks’ way.
“I feel we have a strong shot right now, we’re playing on a short deck,” said Gibson, who scored 11 with seven rebounds. “That’s another team we’re jockeying for playoff position with. We understand it’s a letdown tonight, it’s another one tomorrow. Once we play tomorrow, we move forward.”
Jeff Teague scored 19 with nine assists, while Al Horford scored 18 and Kent Bazemore scored 17 with seven rebounds — the biggest culprit of the Hawks’ terrible shooting, going 1-for-8 from 3.
While the win against Washington was an affair in which everyone could say they made positive contributions, the same couldn’t be said Friday night, as only McDermott and Gasol were in double figures until midway through the fourth quarter — and the high-scoring Bulls had just 76 points.
Ugly early, the Hawks took a 15-point lead before the Bulls went on a 15-7 run to close the first half.
Shooting wasn’t either team’s forte, but the Bulls’ margin for error left winning to be an impossible option as they scramble back home hoping this isn’t a first-round playoff matchup.
Bear Down Chicago Bears!!!!! Lack of seeming elite QBs in NFL draft could bode well for Bears
By John Mullin
This could bode well for the Bears, who are widely expected to invest more than a throwaway late pick on a quarterback to be either/both backup and successor to Jay Cutler. Fewer quarterbacks regarded now as elites point to more quarterbacks drifting down into mid rounds, and developing into winners.
Besides the obvious first-rounders like Peyton Manning, Cam Newton and Carson Palmer, playoff quarterbacks in 2015 came from second rounds (Andy Dalton, Cincinnati), third rounds (Russell Wilson, Seattle), fourth rounds (Kirk Cousins, Washington) , sixth rounds (Tom Brady, New England) and undrafteds (Brian Hoyer, Houston).
“I know Ron Wolf used to draft a quarterback every year,” Bears GM Ryan Pace has said. “It’s such a critical, critical position, that that’s something we’re always going to look at. And we want competition throughout the entire team, so competition at that position is just as good as competition anywhere.”
But where to find them in a game already desperately thin on pro-grade quarterback talent?
The marquee quarterbacks of the 2015 draft class – Marcus Mariota, Jameis Winston – were gone in picks 1-2. And only seven quarterbacks were even drafted among the 256 players selected in the seven rounds, including compensatory picks. After Mariota and Winston, no quarterback was taken until Colorado State’s Garrett Grayson went to the New Orleans Saints – as Drew Brees’ backup.
In the same vein of possible templates for the Bears, the Green Bay Packers selected Brett Hundley out of UCLA with pick No. 147, in the fifth round. No threat to Aaron Rodgers, obviously, but the personnel strategy is one that has worked, no more so than when the Packers used a 2005 No. 1 to draft Rodgers with Brett Favre securely in place.
The various quarterbacks in the 2016 draft appear to recognize what more than one team official said this week during the NFL Scouting Combine: That players, particularly quarterbacks, need to be developed, not automatically be started.
“You got to go in there and prove yourself,” said North Dakota State’s Carson Wentz, projected by Pro Football Weekly’s draft guide as a pick in rounds 1-2. “You’ve got to earn your respect. No matter if you go into a situation with a Hall of Famer in front of you or a situation with nobody in front of you and it's supposedly given to you, I don't think that's true. You got to earn every bit of it. That's how I'm going handle that situation.”
The notion of serving an apprenticeship is not a complete negative to members of this year’s draft group.
“You've seen guys do it before and be extremely successful with it and you've seen the opposite,” said Cal’s Jared Goff, projected to go as early as the first or second pick overall to as low as the early second round. “It wouldn't be the worst thing in the world, but I mean you always want to play. But at the same time, if that's the situation you go into, that's the situation. You get better and you deal with it and you go through the couple of years or whatever it is and do your best and continue to be ready whenever the time comes.”
Report: Bears will place franchise tag on Alshon Jeffery. By John Mullin
Chicago Bears GM Ryan Pace (photo/AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
Early in the evaluation process, with the draft still two months distant, one school of thought has gained traction that the 2016 quarterback draft class in fact does not have the headline-grade talent that graces some classes.
This could bode well for the Bears, who are widely expected to invest more than a throwaway late pick on a quarterback to be either/both backup and successor to Jay Cutler. Fewer quarterbacks regarded now as elites point to more quarterbacks drifting down into mid rounds, and developing into winners.
Besides the obvious first-rounders like Peyton Manning, Cam Newton and Carson Palmer, playoff quarterbacks in 2015 came from second rounds (Andy Dalton, Cincinnati), third rounds (Russell Wilson, Seattle), fourth rounds (Kirk Cousins, Washington) , sixth rounds (Tom Brady, New England) and undrafteds (Brian Hoyer, Houston).
But where to find them in a game already desperately thin on pro-grade quarterback talent?
The marquee quarterbacks of the 2015 draft class – Marcus Mariota, Jameis Winston – were gone in picks 1-2. And only seven quarterbacks were even drafted among the 256 players selected in the seven rounds, including compensatory picks. After Mariota and Winston, no quarterback was taken until Colorado State’s Garrett Grayson went to the New Orleans Saints – as Drew Brees’ backup.
In the same vein of possible templates for the Bears, the Green Bay Packers selected Brett Hundley out of UCLA with pick No. 147, in the fifth round. No threat to Aaron Rodgers, obviously, but the personnel strategy is one that has worked, no more so than when the Packers used a 2005 No. 1 to draft Rodgers with Brett Favre securely in place.
The various quarterbacks in the 2016 draft appear to recognize what more than one team official said this week during the NFL Scouting Combine: That players, particularly quarterbacks, need to be developed, not automatically be started.
“You got to go in there and prove yourself,” said North Dakota State’s Carson Wentz, projected by Pro Football Weekly’s draft guide as a pick in rounds 1-2. “You’ve got to earn your respect. No matter if you go into a situation with a Hall of Famer in front of you or a situation with nobody in front of you and it's supposedly given to you, I don't think that's true. You got to earn every bit of it. That's how I'm going handle that situation.”
The notion of serving an apprenticeship is not a complete negative to members of this year’s draft group.
“You've seen guys do it before and be extremely successful with it and you've seen the opposite,” said Cal’s Jared Goff, projected to go as early as the first or second pick overall to as low as the early second round. “It wouldn't be the worst thing in the world, but I mean you always want to play. But at the same time, if that's the situation you go into, that's the situation. You get better and you deal with it and you go through the couple of years or whatever it is and do your best and continue to be ready whenever the time comes.”
#BEARSTALK
Alshon Jeffery won't be hitting the free agent market in 2016.
According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the Bears will be placing their franchise tag on the 26-year-old wide receiver for the upcoming season.
The Bears have been "actively and aggressively" trying to sign Jeffery to a long-term deal. The Bears can still do so, but they have until July 15 to reach an agreement.
According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, the two sides will continue to negotiate in Indianapolis.
By John Mullin
During his interviews at the 1999 NFL Scouting Combine, UCLA quarterback Cade McNown unabashedly told teams, including the Bears, that they would be sorry if they didn’t draft him (insert joke here). A year later Tom Brady warned teams they would regret it if he weren’t drafted by them (insert new joke here).
At the Combine preceding the tackle-rich 2011 draft (Tyron Smith, Anthony Castonzo, Nate Solder) Wisconsin’s Gabe Carimi declared from his podium that he was the best tackle in the draft, which did not find a lot of traction before the Bears took him at No. 29. (Badger defensive end J.J. Watt did, however, go No. 11, suggesting that the NFL was more impressed by whom Carimi couldn’t block in practice than by whom he could).
Every year the selections of the NFL teams will tell players which of them the league regards as the “bests,” overall or by position. That doesn’t stop the requisite declarations of primacy in the meantime, some ranging over entire sections of the draft:
On how the entire defensive-line class will go down in history:
“The best I’d say. In five years from now, I’d say it beats the J.J. Watt and Marcell Dareus [2011] class. That’s what I’ll say.” - Alabama defensive tackle A’Shawn Robinson.
And within that class:
Best overall:
“I do believe I’m the best player in the draft.” - Joey Bosa, Ohio State.
Others stayed generally within their position groups:
Best Quarterback:
“I’m confident I’ll be the best quarterback in the draft.” - Jared Goff, Cal.
“Just being able to operate in the pocket, being able to get the ball from under center, and just our concepts I would say is what makes me the most pro ready.” - Connor Cook, Michigan State
Best tackle:
“I just think I’m the best.” - Laremy Tunsil, Mississippi.
“I always feel like I'm going to be the best.” - Ronnie Stanley, Notre Dame
Of course, any other answers might be the surprising ones: “I think as a player if you don’t believe that,” Bosa added, “then there’s kind of something wrong.”
Ron Rivera: 'Once a Bear, always a Bear'.
By John Mullin
Ron Rivera came to this year’s NFL Scouting Combine as coach of the NFC-champion Carolina Panthers, who put up the league’s best record for 2016. And he is front-and-center with his appreciation for what Carolina owner Jerry Richardson did in staying the course with him after a rocky start after Rivera succeeded John Fox in 2011.
But there’s this special place down deep inside for a certain Midwest metropolis… . Will Rivera always be a Chicago Bear at heart?
“Very much so,” Rivera told CSNChicago.com during the NFL Scouting Combine. “I love the city of Chicago, the organization, what they’ve given me. They gave me my opportunity, not just as a player but as a coach as well… .
“Once a Bear, always a Bear.”
Rivera was a member of the ’85 Bears, coming to the Bears as a second-round pick out of Cal (another “Bears” team), and experienced near-immediate success as part of that legendary team.
But he benefited from the patience Richardson had with him, and Rivera employed that same kind of patience with quarterback Cam Newton, Rivera’s No. 1 pick in the 2011 draft.
“I think it vindicates a lot of things,” Rivera said. “Everything I believed in, the way of doing things… . I think right now, because we’ve become very impatient as a society, people are losing patience and not willing to give people time.”
Cubs adjust following MLB's new rules on 'Neighborhood Play'.
By Tony Andracki
The "Neighborhood Play" was essentially to help protect middle infielders trying to turn a double play, as umpires would allow a play to hold up if the player received the ball within the "neighborhood" of second base while avoiding a slide.
That is no longer the case now - players will have to possess the ball while touching the second-base bag. No more benefit of the doubt.
And the play is reviewable, so managers can challenge to determine if the defender was on the bag or not.
Saturday, the Cubs went over the rule change during the team workout, spelling out what infielders need to be aware of.
Joe Maddon doesn't see it as a major adjustment on the Cubs' part.
"I don't think it's gonna be big because I don't want them to do anything except to be aware of that one particular thing," Maddon said. "Do everything you've done to this point, but be aware of the throws off line at all to make sure you get that out at second base instead of just trying to complete a double play where we get nobody out."
As of right now, Ben Zobrist is projected to see the lion's share of the time at second base for the Cubs this season and he doesn't feel the rule change isn't a major deal for him.
"It doesn't really change what I do at second base as far as turning the double play," Zobrist said. "I feel like I pretty clearly stay on the base 99.9 percent of the time.
"Second basemen, it's easier to kind of move around the bag, stay on the bag when you're making the play. I think for shortstops, it's a little tougher because you really have to be conscious coming across the bag that you're at least tapping it with your toe."
Zobrist did admit there was a change that may need to take place in terms of Cubs infielders feeding each other at second base for a possible double play.
Zobrist said he and shortstop Addison Russell didn't get into it in detail, but they will have to be on the same page in terms of feeds and making sure they are timing things properly at the bag.
Maddon believes the biggest thing is just for infielders and baserunners to use common sense.
Because of the rule changes, Maddon's coaching staff did have to reiterate sliding fundamentals - ensuring Cubs baserunners slide in front of the bag, don't roll and don't kick anybody above the knee while sliding - all things Maddon has said he doesn't want his guys to do anyways, regardless of any rules.
The Cubs ran into something of a controversy late last season when Chris Coghlan slid into second base and broke the leg of Pirates shortstop Jung Ho Kang in the collision.
Maddon said the new rules "absolutely indicate it was a really good slide" by Coghlan.
As for the rule change in general, Maddon has a simple approach:
"Regardless of if you agree with it or not," he said, "if you think it's good or not or right or wrong - just go play.
"I talked to the guys and I want our guys to continue to play."
Cubs: Shane Victorino feels 'dynamic' in return to switch-hitting.
At the Combine preceding the tackle-rich 2011 draft (Tyron Smith, Anthony Castonzo, Nate Solder) Wisconsin’s Gabe Carimi declared from his podium that he was the best tackle in the draft, which did not find a lot of traction before the Bears took him at No. 29. (Badger defensive end J.J. Watt did, however, go No. 11, suggesting that the NFL was more impressed by whom Carimi couldn’t block in practice than by whom he could).
Every year the selections of the NFL teams will tell players which of them the league regards as the “bests,” overall or by position. That doesn’t stop the requisite declarations of primacy in the meantime, some ranging over entire sections of the draft:
On how the entire defensive-line class will go down in history:
“The best I’d say. In five years from now, I’d say it beats the J.J. Watt and Marcell Dareus [2011] class. That’s what I’ll say.” - Alabama defensive tackle A’Shawn Robinson.
And within that class:
Best overall:
“I do believe I’m the best player in the draft.” - Joey Bosa, Ohio State.
Others stayed generally within their position groups:
Best Quarterback:
“I’m confident I’ll be the best quarterback in the draft.” - Jared Goff, Cal.
“Just being able to operate in the pocket, being able to get the ball from under center, and just our concepts I would say is what makes me the most pro ready.” - Connor Cook, Michigan State
Best tackle:
“I just think I’m the best.” - Laremy Tunsil, Mississippi.
“I always feel like I'm going to be the best.” - Ronnie Stanley, Notre Dame
Of course, any other answers might be the surprising ones: “I think as a player if you don’t believe that,” Bosa added, “then there’s kind of something wrong.”
Ron Rivera: 'Once a Bear, always a Bear'.
By John Mullin
Ron Rivera came to this year’s NFL Scouting Combine as coach of the NFC-champion Carolina Panthers, who put up the league’s best record for 2016. And he is front-and-center with his appreciation for what Carolina owner Jerry Richardson did in staying the course with him after a rocky start after Rivera succeeded John Fox in 2011.
But there’s this special place down deep inside for a certain Midwest metropolis… . Will Rivera always be a Chicago Bear at heart?
“Very much so,” Rivera told CSNChicago.com during the NFL Scouting Combine. “I love the city of Chicago, the organization, what they’ve given me. They gave me my opportunity, not just as a player but as a coach as well… .
“Once a Bear, always a Bear.”
Rivera was a member of the ’85 Bears, coming to the Bears as a second-round pick out of Cal (another “Bears” team), and experienced near-immediate success as part of that legendary team.
But he benefited from the patience Richardson had with him, and Rivera employed that same kind of patience with quarterback Cam Newton, Rivera’s No. 1 pick in the 2011 draft.
“I think it vindicates a lot of things,” Rivera said. “Everything I believed in, the way of doing things… . I think right now, because we’ve become very impatient as a society, people are losing patience and not willing to give people time.”
Cubs adjust following MLB's new rules on 'Neighborhood Play'.
By Tony Andracki
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
Major League Baseball no longer has the "Neighborhood Play," so the Cubs - like every other team - will have to adjust.
That is no longer the case now - players will have to possess the ball while touching the second-base bag. No more benefit of the doubt.
And the play is reviewable, so managers can challenge to determine if the defender was on the bag or not.
Saturday, the Cubs went over the rule change during the team workout, spelling out what infielders need to be aware of.
Joe Maddon doesn't see it as a major adjustment on the Cubs' part.
"I don't think it's gonna be big because I don't want them to do anything except to be aware of that one particular thing," Maddon said. "Do everything you've done to this point, but be aware of the throws off line at all to make sure you get that out at second base instead of just trying to complete a double play where we get nobody out."
As of right now, Ben Zobrist is projected to see the lion's share of the time at second base for the Cubs this season and he doesn't feel the rule change isn't a major deal for him.
"It doesn't really change what I do at second base as far as turning the double play," Zobrist said. "I feel like I pretty clearly stay on the base 99.9 percent of the time.
"Second basemen, it's easier to kind of move around the bag, stay on the bag when you're making the play. I think for shortstops, it's a little tougher because you really have to be conscious coming across the bag that you're at least tapping it with your toe."
Zobrist did admit there was a change that may need to take place in terms of Cubs infielders feeding each other at second base for a possible double play.
Zobrist said he and shortstop Addison Russell didn't get into it in detail, but they will have to be on the same page in terms of feeds and making sure they are timing things properly at the bag.
Maddon believes the biggest thing is just for infielders and baserunners to use common sense.
Because of the rule changes, Maddon's coaching staff did have to reiterate sliding fundamentals - ensuring Cubs baserunners slide in front of the bag, don't roll and don't kick anybody above the knee while sliding - all things Maddon has said he doesn't want his guys to do anyways, regardless of any rules.
The Cubs ran into something of a controversy late last season when Chris Coghlan slid into second base and broke the leg of Pirates shortstop Jung Ho Kang in the collision.
Maddon said the new rules "absolutely indicate it was a really good slide" by Coghlan.
As for the rule change in general, Maddon has a simple approach:
"Regardless of if you agree with it or not," he said, "if you think it's good or not or right or wrong - just go play.
"I talked to the guys and I want our guys to continue to play."
Cubs: Shane Victorino feels 'dynamic' in return to switch-hitting.
By Tony Andracki
As of right now, the Cubs still have a crowded outfield, but Shane Victorino has an ace up his sleeve to help him crack the roster.
Victorino broke into the big leagues as a switch-hitter over a decade ago, but a back injury forced him to return to his natural side of right-handed while with the Boston Red Sox in 2013.
Now, for the first time in almost three years, Victorino feels healthy enough to return to switch-hitting.
"The thing I've found from going back to it - my body's dynamic from both sides," Victorino said. "My body starts to sync up correctly. I'm doing things from both sides rotationally.
"My body feels great. ... Listen, a month from now, I don't know. But right now, physically, I feel great."
Victorino's back injury got so bad that he had to have surgery on it in August 2014. When he got back on the field last season, he still didn't feel strong enough to hit left-handed, so stuck with righty in games.
But as the 2015 season wore on, Victorino started feeling better and began working in his left-handed stroke in the batting cage and occasionally in batting practice.
He's been working out all winter from both sides of the plate and took batting practice from each side Sunday in Sloan Park.
Victorino said he's going to stick to switch-hitting barring any further injury. He knows it's a great tool to have at his disposal and manager Joe Maddon confirmed Sunday it would help the Cubs coming off the bench.
"It's definitely something that, as a player, I wish I never had to lose," Victorino said. "Unfortunately, injuries kinda took me away from it.
"I'm very excited to be back switch-hitting and trying to be the dynamic player I once was."
Victorino feels like working from both sides of the plate helps his swing across the board (i.e. his left-handed swing can help his right-handed mechanics and vice versa).
He picked up switch-hitting in the minor leagues at age 20, but struggled and stopped. The following season, while playing in the Los Angeles Dodgers system, a coach suggested Victorino pick up switch-hitting again to help set himself apart from other oufielders.
He found success with it and it stuck for the next 12 years before injury struck.
When he moved back to becoming just a right-handed hitter, Victorino found some success in 2013.
But the 35-year-old veteran felt like the league caught up with him after they were initially thrown for a loop seeing Victorino as strictly a right-hander.
"To see these players talk about getting rid of being a switch-hitter, every single one I've talked to, I say, 'If it wasn't for physical reasons, there's no other reason why I'd give it up,'" Victorino said. "Some of these guys don't want to do it because, 'Oh, I'm not good from one side' or, 'I'm better from one side.'
"I'm like, in today's game, the numbers game that everybody plays and the matchups, it's not a benefit to get rid of switch-hitting.
"If you're a switch-hitter, I don't care if you hit .150 on one side and .400 on the other. Do not give it up."
But as the 2015 season wore on, Victorino started feeling better and began working in his left-handed stroke in the batting cage and occasionally in batting practice.
He's been working out all winter from both sides of the plate and took batting practice from each side Sunday in Sloan Park.
Victorino said he's going to stick to switch-hitting barring any further injury. He knows it's a great tool to have at his disposal and manager Joe Maddon confirmed Sunday it would help the Cubs coming off the bench.
"It's definitely something that, as a player, I wish I never had to lose," Victorino said. "Unfortunately, injuries kinda took me away from it.
"I'm very excited to be back switch-hitting and trying to be the dynamic player I once was."
Victorino feels like working from both sides of the plate helps his swing across the board (i.e. his left-handed swing can help his right-handed mechanics and vice versa).
He picked up switch-hitting in the minor leagues at age 20, but struggled and stopped. The following season, while playing in the Los Angeles Dodgers system, a coach suggested Victorino pick up switch-hitting again to help set himself apart from other oufielders.
He found success with it and it stuck for the next 12 years before injury struck.
When he moved back to becoming just a right-handed hitter, Victorino found some success in 2013.
But the 35-year-old veteran felt like the league caught up with him after they were initially thrown for a loop seeing Victorino as strictly a right-hander.
"To see these players talk about getting rid of being a switch-hitter, every single one I've talked to, I say, 'If it wasn't for physical reasons, there's no other reason why I'd give it up,'" Victorino said. "Some of these guys don't want to do it because, 'Oh, I'm not good from one side' or, 'I'm better from one side.'
"I'm like, in today's game, the numbers game that everybody plays and the matchups, it's not a benefit to get rid of switch-hitting.
"If you're a switch-hitter, I don't care if you hit .150 on one side and .400 on the other. Do not give it up."
WHITE SOX: Rick Renteria wants to be Robin Ventura's 'sounding board'.
By Dan Hayes
White Sox Bench Coach Rick Renteria (Photo/US Press Online)
Rick Renteria has experience in his current role and a good sense of what the White Sox hope to receive from him.
Headed into his fourth season as a bench coach, including the first with the White Sox, Renteria said Sunday he looks forward to working with manager Robin Ventura, who is entering his fifth season. Though the former Cubs manager could be a candidate to head up his own club as soon as next season, including perhaps even this one, Renteria said he hasn’t thought that far ahead. The longtime coach is merely worried about his role with the White Sox, one he knows very well after serving as bench coach of the San Diego Padres from 2011 to 2013. Renteria, who managed the Cubs in 2014 before they fired him to hire Joe Maddon, also served as the Padres’ first-base coach from 2008 to 2010.
“You’re all looking to do the same thing, looking to make sure that everybody is on the same page,” Renteria said. “Make no mistake about it, Robin is the manager. If he needs something from me, I’m here to be a sounding board. If there’s something I see that he might be involved in something else, I might mention it to him. But for the most part, I’m just here to be a sounding board and give him some information. Like everything, we get so much information in the course of a series that you’re trying to clean it up and try to filter it and use the one that’s going to be the most appropriate for the moment. Sometimes you hit, sometimes you don’t, but you’re out there being prepared to do the best job you can.”
There’s little doubt Renteria would love to one day manage again. Some have speculated that the White Sox brought Renteria in to take over for Ventura, were the White Sox to get off to yet another poor start.
Headed into his fourth season as a bench coach, including the first with the White Sox, Renteria said Sunday he looks forward to working with manager Robin Ventura, who is entering his fifth season. Though the former Cubs manager could be a candidate to head up his own club as soon as next season, including perhaps even this one, Renteria said he hasn’t thought that far ahead. The longtime coach is merely worried about his role with the White Sox, one he knows very well after serving as bench coach of the San Diego Padres from 2011 to 2013. Renteria, who managed the Cubs in 2014 before they fired him to hire Joe Maddon, also served as the Padres’ first-base coach from 2008 to 2010.
“You’re all looking to do the same thing, looking to make sure that everybody is on the same page,” Renteria said. “Make no mistake about it, Robin is the manager. If he needs something from me, I’m here to be a sounding board. If there’s something I see that he might be involved in something else, I might mention it to him. But for the most part, I’m just here to be a sounding board and give him some information. Like everything, we get so much information in the course of a series that you’re trying to clean it up and try to filter it and use the one that’s going to be the most appropriate for the moment. Sometimes you hit, sometimes you don’t, but you’re out there being prepared to do the best job you can.”
There’s little doubt Renteria would love to one day manage again. Some have speculated that the White Sox brought Renteria in to take over for Ventura, were the White Sox to get off to yet another poor start.
But Renteria contends his next job isn’t a focus and it never has been. He feels like diverting his attention elsewhere would hurt what he hopes to accomplish with the White Sox, who initially contacted him shortly after he was let go by the Cubs in 2014.
When the team spoke to Renteria this offseason, two things were clear. The White Sox wanted a Spanish-speaking coach to deliver the correct message to players, and they intended to improve their base running, among other aspects.
Those are several of the areas Renteria has been heavily focused upon since the team’s first full-squad workout on Tuesday.
“The biggest thing that I can do is take every day one day at a time and focus on what my job is now,” Renteria said. “I’ve kind of always worked that way, I’ve never really looked beyond where I was at. I think all those things ultimately take care of themselves and right now my job is to collaborate with all the coaches in that room and all the players and hopefully look forward to having some fun and we can all enjoy it.”
Golf: I got a club for that..... Australian Scott wins Honda Classic by one shot.
By Mark Lamport-Stokes, Editing by Andrew Both
Adam Scott maintained ice-cool composure over the tough closing stretch at the Honda Classic to end a title drought of nearly two years on Sunday, clinching his 12th PGA Tour victory by one shot at Palm Beach Gardens in Florida.
The Australian world number 13 outduelled his Spanish playing competitor Sergio Garcia as he carded a level-par 70 in the final round in blustery conditions on the challenging PGA National layout.
Tied for the lead with Garcia with eight holes to play, Scott played steadier golf down the stretch to post a nine-under total of 271 as the Spaniard's game unraveled.
"I got off to a good start, made one (for birdie) on the first and that definitely relaxed me," Scott, 35, told NBC Sports after winning his first tournament since the PGA Tour's Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial in May of 2014.
"I hit a lot of good putts. Some didn't go in, fortunately it was enough in the end. Things got tough out there at times but that's expected too. It's such a tough track and the wind was slightly different.
"It's hard to get it close all the time," said the Australian, who made his third and final birdie of the day at the 12th after hitting a superb 150-yard approach from a fairway bunker to just two feet.
"But it was nice to hit some quality shots coming in."
Scott's 12th PGA Tour victory put him one ahead of Rory McIlroy at the top of the list of most wins recorded by current tour players aged under 40.
Garcia, 36, who had been bidding for a ninth PGA Tour title, had to settle for second place after bogeying the 16th and 17th holes, before rebounding with a birdie at the last for a 71.
"It was tough," said the Spaniard, who had been tied for the lead with Scott after the third round but failed to make early inroads on Sunday as he parred the first 10 holes. "A really difficult golf course but he deserved it.
"I am proud of the way I hung in there. I don't feel like my swing is anywhere near where I want it to be but I scored nicely, I putted well, I chipped quite well. I felt like I stayed quite calm.
"I gave it my all but unfortunately a couple of bad shots on a couple of difficult holes (16 and 17) and I just wasn't good enough."
Blayne Barber, a rookie on the PGA Tour last season, closed with a 70 to tie for third at five under with fellow American Justin Thomas (69).
Thompson wins LPGA Thailand for seventh career title.
AP
American Lexi Thompson won her seventh LPGA title after a final-round 68 that completed a six-stroke victory over In Gee Chun of South Korea in the final round of the LPGA Thailand at the par-72 course at the Siam Country Club on Sunday.
The 21-year-old from Florida hit an eagle on the 10th to go along with three birdies and a lone bogey for a 20-under-par total of 268 to become the first American winner of the tournament.
"I never like to count it as a win until it's over. I just try to play aggressive and play my best out there," said the No. 4-ranked player whose four-shot advantage at the start of the final round was reduced to one after the Korean opened with three straight birdies.
"I was just saying I had to make birdies to win this thing. She was playing unbelievable with a three-birdie start there, and I knew I had to make birdies to stop her. I was just trying to focus on my game and nobody else's out there,' added Thompson.
Chun, winner of the US Women Open last year, added four bogeys to her eight birdies on the final day to end with a 70 and a four-day total of 14 under 274.
No. 25-ranked Jessica Korda of the United States fired eight birdies for a 64 and a 13 under total of 275, giving her a share of third place along with defending champion Amy Yang of South Korea, who signed off with a 70.
"It would have been nice to not shoot three over yesterday and end up pulling myself totally out of the tournament, but it's a good redemption around for sure," said Korda, who recovered from a dismal 76 on Saturday.
NASCAR: Jimmie Johnson wins at Atlanta, ties Dale Earnhardt for 7th on all-time wins list.
By Jerry Bonkowski
Jimmie Johnson moved into a tie for seventh on NASCAR’s all-time wins list with Dale Earnhardt, capturing his 76th career Sprint Cup victory Sunday.
Johnson took the checkered flag in the Folds of Honor Quik Trip 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway, holding off Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Kyle Busch as the race went five extra laps past the scheduled 325-lap event.
Richard Petty (200 wins) is the all-time winningest driver in the Sprint Cup Series, followed by David Pearson (105), Jeff Gordon (93), Darrell Waltrip (84), Bobby Allison (84), Cale Yarborough (83), Dale Earnhardt (76) and now Johnson (76).
It was a 1-2 Hendrick Motorsports finish with Johnson, who is now qualified for the Chase for the Sprint Cup, and Earnhardt Jr. Johnson took the lead for good on lap 286 and held on for the remaining 44 laps.
Kyle Busch, who won the pole position on Friday, only to have it disallowed after the No. 18 Toyota failed post-qualifying inspection, rallied from starting at the back of the field Sunday to finish third.
Older brother and revised pole sitter Kurt Busch finished fourth, while Carl Edwards rounded out the top five.
Kevin Harvick, who led a race-high 131 laps, spun his tires on the final restart with two laps to go and fell back to a sixth-place finish.
Martin Truex Jr. finished seventh, followed by Chase Elliott, Brad Keselowski and Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
Only 12 cars were on the lead lap when the checkered flag fell.
There was only one caution flag in the race (for debris on Lap 210) until Lap 322 when Ryan Newman experienced a single-car spin after apparently experiencing a tire failure. That put the race into overtime.
There was a four-car crash involving Aric Almirola, David Ragan and two other drivers on the final lap, bringing out the third and final caution, sealing Johnson’s win.
HOW JOHNSON WON: Crew chief Chad Knaus wasn’t taking any chances. He told Johnson to give it his all to catch and pass Harvick. And even though it took several laps for the 48 to catch Harvick’s car, the strategy worked. “It was definitely a gutsy call,” Johnson told Fox Sports. “The 4 car was awfully tough and it was going to take some strategy to get by him. When (Knaus) told me to whip it as hard as I could there, I just felt like I was going to take too much lap out of the tires, but it worked. I got rolling around the top and got to where I got to Victory Lane.” Another big key was the final restart. Johnson had a perfect jump, while Harvick spun his tires and fell back, ending any chance for a last-lap rally.
WHO ELSE HAD A GOOD DAY: Even though he never led a lap, Dale Earnhardt Jr. rallied from fifth in the final laps to take second place. “You get lucky on some restarts and sometimes you don’t. We gained a few spots at the end and got lucky,” Earnhardt told Fox Sports. … Kyle Busch ignored that he started at the back of the pack, led two laps and barely lost second to Earnhardt. … Chase Elliott rebounded from his disappointment at Daytona to finish eighth.
WHO HAD A BAD DAY: Clint Bowyer struggled throughout the race, finishing 35th, eight laps off the lead lap. … Aric Almirola was closing in on a potential top 10 finish until he was involved in a last lap wreck with David Ragan, Ryan Blaney and Landon Cassill. Almirola’s car burst into flames but he was able to exit without incident.
NOTABLE: After earning his fifth career win at Atlanta, Johnson took a victory lap, sticking three fingers out the driver’s side window in honor of tying the late Dale Earnhardt with his 76th career win. … Ty Dillon, filling in for the injured Tony Stewart, finished 17th. … Chevrolet had five finishers in the top 10, Toyota had three and Ford had two. … Harvick may be disappointed by the way he faded at the end of the race, but he has this to look forward to: He won two of last year’s races (Las Vegas, Phoenix) on the upcoming West Coast swing, and finished third (Fontana) in the other.
QUOTE OF THE DAY: “It is such an honor. The chaos at the end and the crash and wondering about overtime, I kind of lost sight of that (tying Earnhardt). I remembered on my victory lap, coming down, I had to throw a 3 out the window to pay respects to the man. There’s a huge void in my career that I never had a chance to race with him, but at least I was able to tie his record.” – Race winner Jimmie Johnson on tying Dale Earnhardt for seventh on NASCAR’s Sprint Cup all-time wins list (76 wins each).
WHAT’S NEXT: Kobalt 400, March 6 (3:30 p.m. ET), Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Are dwindling Cup car counts a cause for concern?
By PAUL NEWBERRY
All eyes will be on the guys up front during Sunday's NASCAR race at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
It might be worth taking a look at who's running toward the back.
Or, more accurately, who isn't there.
Only 39 cars showed up for the second race of the Sprint Cup season, the lowest number of entries in more than two decades. It marks just the third time since NASCAR standardized the fields in 1998 that there aren't enough cars to fill every available slot.
While the reduced numbers won't affect front-runners such as Daytona 500 winner Denny Hamlin - after all, we're talking about low-budget drivers who probably would've been lapped early in the race - it does drive home the end of an era.
Farewell to those penny-pinching teams that merely want to go fast enough in qualifying to hang around through the weekend.
Another part of the sport's colorful history has been cast aside.
''We've lost a lot,'' said former driver Dave Marcis, who spent much of his long career simply trying to qualify for races in under-financed cars. He remembers a time when ''if you were the little guy and didn't have any money and were not capable of winning the race, the fans still respected you when you made that race.''
This season, NASCAR will be hard-pressed to get the new maximum - 40 cars - on the track each week. By the end of the year, it wouldn't be surprising to see as few as 37.
Former team owner Phil Parsons doesn't necessarily consider that a bad thing. He ran one of those mom-and-pop operations, shutting it down during the 2015 season for financial reasons.
''I hate the fact that we don't have 50 or 60 cars attempting to qualify,'' said Parsons, the brother of late Cup champion Benny Parsons. ''That's just where we are right now. We have a new normal.''
NASCAR was keenly aware of dwindling car counts when it agreed to a ''charter system'' - essentially, recasting racing teams as sports franchises with an eye toward enhancing their value, creating more financial stability and hopefully luring some fresh financial blood into the sport.
That last point is especially important when you look at the roster of powerful owners: Rick Hendrick is 66, while Richard Childress, Jack Roush, Joe Gibbs, Richard Petty and Roger Penske are all in their 70s.
If you're one of the 36 charter teams, the future looks bright. You're guaranteed a spot in every race and some bang for your buck.
If lacking a charter, it simply doesn't pay to compete on a regular basis unless you have a major sponsor, like the Wood Brothers. The race purses are still a bit of a mystery under the new arrangement, but it seems the charter teams are claiming a hefty piece of that pie, too, with an eye toward nudging out the start-and-park teams that showed up merely to collect a last-place paycheck.
Six-time Cup champion Jimmie Johnson was taken aback when told there were only 39 Cup teams in Atlanta. But, he quickly added, ''The whole point of the charter system was to create quality over quantity.''
Forget about seeing another driver such as Marcis, who famously competed in wing-tip shoes and managed to operate his own team over much of his 35-year-career, sometimes hopping out of the car to work on it himself during races. From NASCAR's perspective, the little guy is a necessary casualty to ensure the money keeps flowing.
Clearly, though, it's a work in progress. Even after scaling back the 43-car field, which had been in place for 18 years, NASCAR didn't even hit the new target just two weeks into the season. This is the smallest number of teams at a Cup race since 35 attempted to qualify for the 1993 Goody's 500 at Martinsville Speedway, and more contraction is likely.
''I'm not sure how it's all going to shake out,'' Parsons said, ''but I don't necessarily see three non-charter teams continuing to run.''
A decade ago, the Cup garage was overrun with teams. The 2006 Daytona 500 had 58 entries. Fifty-two cars turned up that year for the spring race in Atlanta. Ten other races had at least 50 entries.
Now, we've got the first Cup race with fewer than 40 drivers since a 37-car field for the last race held at North Wilkesboro Speedway in 1996, according to STATS.
''If you don't have teams that are interested in trying to get into the sport, that should tell you something,'' said the 74-year-old Marcis, who retired from NASCAR in 2002 but still has a racing shop near Asheville, North Carolina.
The season-opening Daytona 500 drew only 44 cars - the lowest number of entries in the 58-year history of NASCAR's most storied event. The number of full-time teams is down to 38, and The Motorsports Group - a beggarly operation simply trying to survive from week to week - is the only other team to enter the first two races.
The No. 30 car failed to qualify for the Daytona 500. Likewise for the No. 98 owned by Premium Motorsports, which leased its charter to a more-competitive team and therefore surrendered its guaranteed spot.
At least those two teams don't have to worry about missing out this week. Atlanta will have its smallest field for a Cup race since 1983.
The way things are going in NASCAR, showing up is all it takes to get in the race.
And that ain't racin'.
SOCCER: Fire finish undefeated preseason with win against Portland.
By Dan Santaromita
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
Wins in preseason don't ultimately mean anything, but wins of any kind for a team that finished last in the league a year ago are a welcome change.
The Chicago Fire beat the Portland Timbers 2-0 on Saturday night at Providence Park in Portland. The win wrapped up the Simple Invitational title and an undefeated preseason for the Fire.
Arturo Alvarez and Gilberto, two of the more prominent names in the Fire attack throughout the preseason, scored goals in the first half.
Portland, the reigning MLS Cup champions, had the run of play early in the first half, but Alvarez scored to put the Fire in front on the team's first good chance. In the 28th minute Michael Harrington whipped a cross in from the right that found the head of Alvarez, who scored with a glancing header.
Gilberto doubled the lead when an Alvarez free kick went into the penalty box. Gilberto eventually controlled it and nutmegged Portland goalkeeper Adam Kawarsey to double the lead.
From a lineup standpoint, coach Veljko Paunovic chose what appeared to be close to a first choice lineup although David Accam and Sean Johnson sat out for the second straight match. Most interestingly was that three natural center backs, Joao Meira, Johan Kappelhof and Jonathan Campbell, all started.
The formation was still listed as a 4-2-3-1, but it more closely resembled a 3-5-2 or a 5-3-2. The three central defenders were flanked by Brandon Vincent and Harrington, but those two had more freedom to attack wide with the extra defender to cover. When the Fire needed to defend, which was the case for most of the match, Vincent and Harrington dropped back to form a five-man back line.
Both of the outside backs also created chances from the flanks. Harrington assisted on the first goal and Vincent had a shot go off the frame of the goal in the 51st minute.
Without getting too much into the specifics of the tactics, Saturday's match provided an example of the versatility Paunovic has repeatedly said is so important. Being able to change formations depending on the opponent and the situation in the match has been high on Paunovic's priority list from a philosophical standpoint. The Fire showed what he was talking about on Saturday.
In a more general sense, the preseason was a success for the Fire. Not that wins and losses are meaningful in the preseason, but for a team that needs an identity and some confidence, going undefeated in the preseason can't hurt.
Next up is a regular season MLS match. The Fire take on New York City FC at Toyota Park on March 6 at 1 p.m. CT. The match will be televised on CSN Chicago.
Arsenal chokes on chance with demoralizing loss at Manchester United.
By Nicholas Mendola
To the legions of Arsenal supporters across the United States and world, know this is meant without malice. It’s just a simple observation.
Given the stage, the opportunity and the rivals, Arsene Wenger‘s Gunners just committed an the closest thing to an absolute choke job at Old Trafford.
Maybe it was ego, knowing that Manchester United was starting an inexperienced lineup, one that had played just three days earlier.
After all, this is Arsenal. An in-form club that showed well against mighty Barcelona on Tuesday in the UEFA Champions League. A Gunners side that looked primed to eschew their recent reputation as the ones who don’t get it done.
Heck, their last outing in the Premier League saw them beat Leicester City to clutter up the title race.
Alas, this was disappointment of the highest order, with a barely-known 18-year-old putting the Gunners in a 2-0 hole. Arsenal’s only answers came when down by two. Petr Cech was hung out to dry.
It was like Arsenal assumed three points.
Theo Walcott‘s horrible giveaway and subsequent sleepwalking afterward allowed United to strike first. That wasn’t championship mettle. Not at all.
That it came against Manchester United will sting. That it allowed Spurs to rise second will double that. Maybe triple.
Five points out with 11 matches to go, this could still be just a big blip on the radar; Maybe it’s a meteor zipping past only to reveal itself as an annoying pebble. A win over Spurs next week surely helps everything feel and look a lot better.
In any event, it’s necessary to question Wenger’s words. While they’re likely different to his players in the room, his continuing desire to label their trip-ups as the fault of someone else is head-scratching. At one point will the man embrace the role of favorite?
Given Manchester United’s sad pregame acceptance of its fate, the foregone conclusion that Arsenal’s rampant crew would treat Old Trafford like a home pitch — even given this history — it’s hard to argue Wenger’s bunch did anything but choke on Sunday.
What should’ve been cozy was thorny.
Liverpool 1-1 Manchester City: Caballero stops three PKs as City wins fourth League Cup.
By Nicholas Mendola
The Chicago Fire beat the Portland Timbers 2-0 on Saturday night at Providence Park in Portland. The win wrapped up the Simple Invitational title and an undefeated preseason for the Fire.
Arturo Alvarez and Gilberto, two of the more prominent names in the Fire attack throughout the preseason, scored goals in the first half.
Portland, the reigning MLS Cup champions, had the run of play early in the first half, but Alvarez scored to put the Fire in front on the team's first good chance. In the 28th minute Michael Harrington whipped a cross in from the right that found the head of Alvarez, who scored with a glancing header.
Gilberto doubled the lead when an Alvarez free kick went into the penalty box. Gilberto eventually controlled it and nutmegged Portland goalkeeper Adam Kawarsey to double the lead.
From a lineup standpoint, coach Veljko Paunovic chose what appeared to be close to a first choice lineup although David Accam and Sean Johnson sat out for the second straight match. Most interestingly was that three natural center backs, Joao Meira, Johan Kappelhof and Jonathan Campbell, all started.
The formation was still listed as a 4-2-3-1, but it more closely resembled a 3-5-2 or a 5-3-2. The three central defenders were flanked by Brandon Vincent and Harrington, but those two had more freedom to attack wide with the extra defender to cover. When the Fire needed to defend, which was the case for most of the match, Vincent and Harrington dropped back to form a five-man back line.
Both of the outside backs also created chances from the flanks. Harrington assisted on the first goal and Vincent had a shot go off the frame of the goal in the 51st minute.
Without getting too much into the specifics of the tactics, Saturday's match provided an example of the versatility Paunovic has repeatedly said is so important. Being able to change formations depending on the opponent and the situation in the match has been high on Paunovic's priority list from a philosophical standpoint. The Fire showed what he was talking about on Saturday.
In a more general sense, the preseason was a success for the Fire. Not that wins and losses are meaningful in the preseason, but for a team that needs an identity and some confidence, going undefeated in the preseason can't hurt.
Next up is a regular season MLS match. The Fire take on New York City FC at Toyota Park on March 6 at 1 p.m. CT. The match will be televised on CSN Chicago.
Arsenal chokes on chance with demoralizing loss at Manchester United.
By Nicholas Mendola
(Photo/Getty Images Sport)
To the legions of Arsenal supporters across the United States and world, know this is meant without malice. It’s just a simple observation.
Given the stage, the opportunity and the rivals, Arsene Wenger‘s Gunners just committed an the closest thing to an absolute choke job at Old Trafford.
Maybe it was ego, knowing that Manchester United was starting an inexperienced lineup, one that had played just three days earlier.
After all, this is Arsenal. An in-form club that showed well against mighty Barcelona on Tuesday in the UEFA Champions League. A Gunners side that looked primed to eschew their recent reputation as the ones who don’t get it done.
Heck, their last outing in the Premier League saw them beat Leicester City to clutter up the title race.
Alas, this was disappointment of the highest order, with a barely-known 18-year-old putting the Gunners in a 2-0 hole. Arsenal’s only answers came when down by two. Petr Cech was hung out to dry.
It was like Arsenal assumed three points.
Theo Walcott‘s horrible giveaway and subsequent sleepwalking afterward allowed United to strike first. That wasn’t championship mettle. Not at all.
That it came against Manchester United will sting. That it allowed Spurs to rise second will double that. Maybe triple.
Five points out with 11 matches to go, this could still be just a big blip on the radar; Maybe it’s a meteor zipping past only to reveal itself as an annoying pebble. A win over Spurs next week surely helps everything feel and look a lot better.
In any event, it’s necessary to question Wenger’s words. While they’re likely different to his players in the room, his continuing desire to label their trip-ups as the fault of someone else is head-scratching. At one point will the man embrace the role of favorite?
Given Manchester United’s sad pregame acceptance of its fate, the foregone conclusion that Arsenal’s rampant crew would treat Old Trafford like a home pitch — even given this history — it’s hard to argue Wenger’s bunch did anything but choke on Sunday.
What should’ve been cozy was thorny.
Liverpool 1-1 Manchester City: Caballero stops three PKs as City wins fourth League Cup.
By Nicholas Mendola
(Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)
What a Cup final we just saw at Wembley Stadium between Liverpool and Manchester City; A shame it had to end in kicks.
Fernandinho‘s early second-half goal was set even by Philippe Coutinho‘s late tally, and the match went to kicks tied at 1.
Fernandinho hit the post with his first PK attempt after Emre Can converted, but Lucas Leiva was saved by Willy Caballero and Jesus Navas scored to level it up.
Then Caballero stopped Coutinho, and it was City’s match to lose. Aguero made his shot. Caballero stopped Lallana, and Yaya Toure won it.
Booed at each touch, Raheem Sterling won a free kick against his old team deep in Liverpool territory. The Reds were up for the challenge, though, with Mamadou Sakho clearing.
Chances at both ends in the 24th minute. Nathaniel Clyne played James Milner through for a chance that City blocked, then Sergio Aguero cruised past Sakho en route to a great shot that Simon Mignolet pushed off the post.
Mignolet won’t like replays of the opener, as Liverpool’s back line respected Aguero plenty as the Argentine laid the ball off to Fernandinho, who shot low to beat Mignolet under the arm when standing pat and closing his legs might’ve done the trick.
It should’ve been 2-0, but Sterling missed a streaking tap-in. He passed it wide of goal.
Maybe none, if Michael Oliver whistled Alberto Moreno for a wanton kick at Aguero. The replays showed the Argentine embellishing the play.
The majority of Liverpool’s attack in the second half went through James Milner, and the normally reliable midfielder was a touch off for most of the contest.
Sterling missed another prime chance in the 80th minute. Would the ex-Liverpool man’s mistakes make a difference for the Reds?
Maybe! Adam Lallana hit the post in the 84th minute, only for Coutinho to bank the rebound and leave us tied at 1.
Mignolet made late stops on Fernandinho and Yaya Toure, and extra time was coming.
Lallana won a free kick in the 97th minute, but Liverpool opted for a short kick and possession.
City had a tremendous chance before the first extra time period ended, but Mignolet tipped away Aguero’s chip.
In the second session, Nicolas Otamendi clattered into Nathaniel Clyne, giving away a free kick that Sturridge hit within reach of Caballero. Still 1-1.
The final five minutes saw a skirmish between Yaya Toure and Lallana, with the Ivorian shoving the Liverpool midfielder to the ground.
Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 Swansea City: Spurs battle back to stay two points behind Leicester.
By Nicholas Mendola
Nacer Chadli and Danny Rose scored second-half goals to give Tottenham Hotspur a deserved 2-1 win over Swansea City at White Hart Lane on Sunday.View post.
Spurs trail Leicester City by two points for the Premier League’s top place.
Alberto Paloschi scored early for Swansea, which remains just a trio of points clear of the Premier League drop zone.
Spurs came close in the 5th minute, when Erik Lamela touched Danny Rose’s pass over the cross bar.
The ball stayed mainly in the Swansea end, and Christian Eriksen played Harry Kane for an in-tight shot that Lukasz Fabianski saved.
Paloschi broke through for the game’s first goal, his premier finish as a Swansea striker. The ex-Chievo man was quick to a deflected cross and turned the ball past Hugo Lloris to make it 1-0.
Spurs had a few chances to equalize before half, and Eric Dier hit a Rose cross right at a splayed Fabianski.
Spurs continued their assault as the second half began, and Eriksen whipped a free kick off the near post.
On another occasion, the goal decision system saw Spurs get the ball more than halfway over the goal line. It appeared to be that kind of day.
Only it wasn’t. Chadli redirected a low Kyle Walker drive past Fabianski, and Rose bounced a left-footed shot home in the 78th minute to give Tottenham its first lead of the day.
NCAABKB: LATE NIGHT SNACKS: No. 5 Xavier, No. 8 Iowa suffer road losses.
By Raphielle Johnson
(AP Photo/Mel Evans)
IMPORTANT OUTCOME
Seton Hall 90, No. 5 Xavier 81: The Pirates likely punched their ticket to the NCAA tournament with this win, leading by as much as 21 in a game that wasn’t as close as the final margin would lead one to believe. Desi Rodriguez was sensational for the Pirates, finishing with 27 points, 12 rebounds and three assists, and Isaiah Whitehead added 22 to go along with five assists. Seton Hall’s turnover count was a bit high (18), but they did more than enough to ensure that the followed up Thursday’s win over Providence with another quality result.
Ohio State 68, No. 8 Iowa 64: Ohio State now has 11 Big Ten wins, but only three have come against teams not in the bottom five of the conference standings. That’s what made this result, with Marc Loving scoring 25 points, so important for a team that still has work to do when it comes to getting into the NCAA tournament. As for Iowa, they’ve now lost four of their last five games with their offensive struggles being the big reason why. This result also means that Indiana has clinched at least a share of the Big Ten title, which they can earn outright with a win at Iowa Tuesday night.
Pittsburgh 76, No. 15 Duke 62: The Panthers added a needed quality win to its résumé, as they punished the Blue Devils on the glass. Pittsburgh grabbed better than 55 percent of its available misses, with Chris Jones and Sheldon Jeter combining for seven of the team’s 16 offensive boards. Jamel Artis led five Panthers in double figures with 17 points, and James Robinson celebrated “Senior Day” with 14 points and seven assists.
STARRED
Shaq Goodwin and Dedric Lawson, Memphis: Both posted double-doubles in the Tigers’ win over Tulsa. Goodwin finished with 28 points and 11 rebounds, and Lawson racked up 27 points, 12 rebounds and six assists.
Desi Rodriguez, Seton Hall: 27 points, 12 rebounds and three assists in the Pirates’ 90-81 win over No. 5 Xavier.
Damyean Dotson, Houston: 22 points, 14 rebounds and three assists in Houston’s 75-68 win at Connecticut.
Alec Peters, Valparaiso: 25 points and 15 rebounds in the Crusaders’ two-point win at Green Bay.
STRUGGLED
Brandon Taylor, Penn State: Taylor shot just 1-for-6 from the field, scoring two points before fouling out of the Nittany Lions’ 88-57 loss at Michigan State.
Derryck Thornton, Duke: Five points on 2-for-9 shooting, two assists and three turnovers in the Blue Devils’ 76-62 loss at Pittsburgh.
Sterling Gibbs, Connecticut: Five points (1-for-5 FG), three assists and three turnovers in the Huskies’ 75-68 home loss to Houston.
THE REST OF THE TOP 25
- No. 6 Michigan State took care of business in East Lansing, beating Penn State 88-57. Denzel Valentine led the way with 19 points, eight rebounds and six assists for the Spartans, who have won four straight games.
- No. 24 SMU moved back into a tie for first in the American with a 74-53 home win over Tulane. Ben Moore led a balanced offensive effort with 16 points while also grabbing 12 rebounds and blocking two shots, and Sterling Brown added 15 points and four assists.
OTHER NOTABLE RESULTS
- While Connecticut is well-positioned to return to the NCAA tournament, they did themselves no favors with a 75-68 home loss to Houston. UConn’s defense was the issue, as the Cougars managed to shoot 51.9 percent from the field.
- Saint Joseph’s avoided what would have been a bad loss, pulling away in the second half to beat Saint Louis 77-63. DeAndre Bembry and Isaiah Miles combined to score 45 points, with Bembry adding eight rebounds and six assists to his game-high 27 points.
- Creighton, which has a lot of work to do to get back into the bubble conversation, steamrolled St. John’s 100-59 in Omaha. Seniors Geoffrey Groselle and James Milliken combined to score 41 points for the Bluejays, and St. John’s head coach Chris Mullin was ejected in the second half.
- Tennessee State picked up a confidence boost of sorts with an 87-72 win over OVC regular season champion Belmont. Keron DeShields scored 25 for the Tigers, who will be the four-seed in next week’s OVC tournament and could face Belmont in the semifinals.
- Monmouth locked up the outright MAAC regular season title with a 77-68 win over Niagara. Next up for King Rice’s Hawks will be either the Purple Eagles or Quinnipiac in Friday’s MAAC quarterfinals.
- Iona will be the two-seed at the MAAC tournament, and they capped their regular season with an 86-78 home win over Canisius. Tim Cluess’ Gaels will play either Canisius or Marist in their quarterfinal matchup Friday.
- Tulsa suffered a damaging loss as it looks to earn an NCAA tournament bid, falling 92-82 at Memphis. Shaq Goodwin led the Tigers with 28 points while also grabbing 11 boards, and Dedric Lawson finished with 27, 12 and six assists.
- Valparaiso, already the Horizon League regular season champion, moved to 26-5 on the season with a 70-68 win at Green Bay. Alec Peters finished with 25 points and 15 rebounds.
- Wisconsin won for the tenth time in the last 11 games, beating Michigan 68-57 in Madison. Nigel Hayes and Vitto Brown combined to score 30 points and grab 11 boards for the Badgers, who are now part of a four-team logjam for second place in the Big Ten.
- Nevada, which went 5-13 in Mountain West play a season ago, moved to 10-6 under first-year head coach Eric Musselman with an 87-80 overtime win over Colorado State. D.J. Fenner and Tryon Criswell combined to score 47 points and Cameron Oliver, who’s been the conference’s best freshman, finished with 16 points and 14 rebounds for the Wolf Pack.
- Oregon State took care of business in its home finale, beating Washington State 69-49. Gary Payton II (who brought his father’s number out of the rafters for Senior Night), Tres Tinkle and Drew Eubanks scored 13 points apiece for the Beavers.
- Virginia Tech locked up a first-round bye in the ACC tournament with an 81-74 win at Wake Forest. Justin Bibbs led four Hokies in double figures with 22 points.
BUBBLE BANTER: Seton Hall punches their ticket to the dance.
By Rob Dauster
(AP Photo/Mel Evans)
That’s a huge deal for Kevin Willard, the Seton Hall head coach. Willard was on the hot seat entering the season. That’s what happens when you’re in your sixth season at a program with nothing but a single NIT appearance to show for it. After the collapse at the end of last season (the Pirates with top 15 in the country at one point) and what appeared to be a splintering locker room, this win has to feel particularly good for Willard.
The key now? Keep winning games. Get a seed that’s good enough to spend more than a day dancing.
WINNERS
- Pitt (KP: 47, RPI: 44, CBT: 9): Like the Pirates, the Panthers just about punched their ticket to the NCAA tournament on Sunday with an emphatic win over Duke. The difference for Pitt is that they already have a pair of sub-100 losses on their résumé, which, when combined with just two top 50 wins, puts them in a spot where they still have room to slip up. They have two road trips left: at Virginia Tech and at Georgia Tech. Both of those teams have been tough out this season. The Panthers would do well to avoid slipping up.
- Wisconsin (KP: 30, RPI: 34, CBT: 8): It may be too early to lock the Badgers into an at-large bid, but it’s hard to imagine that one of the hottest teams in the country would go from winning 10 out of 11 to losing at Minnesota, which would be the only bad loss left on their schedule. It’s hard to believe, but a team that, on January 12th, was 9-9 with a loss at Northwestern and home losses to Marquette, Milwaukee and Western Illinois will be comfortably in the NCAA tournament.
- Saint Joseph’s (KP: 35, RPI: 25, CBT: 7): The Hawks are getting closer and closer to punching their ticket to the dance. I still think they need to beat Duquesne and avoid another bad loss in the A-10 tournament, but even then the Hawks still might be able to snag a bid.
- Oregon State (KP: 60, RPI: 27, CBT: 9): Losing to Washington State at home is a good way to derail an NCAA tournament run. The Beavers did not do that.
LOSERS
- UConn (KP: 23, RPI: 42, CBT: 10): The Huskies are playing with fire right now. As of today, they are probably still safe. They have seven top 100 wins, including at Texas and SMU at home, and their only sub-100 loss was Sunday’s loss at home to Houston. Winning at SMU this week would punch their ticket. If they can’t win there, UConn may need to beat UCF and win a game or two in the AAC tournament to really feel comfortable.
- Michigan (KP: 44, RPI: 50, CBT: 10): The Wolverines are going to be one of the most interesting teams to discuss on Selection Sunday. On the one had, they had three terrific wins: Texas, Purdue and Maryland. There are just 10 teams in all of college basketball with more top 25 wins that the Wolverines. And while those three wins are the entirety of Michigan’s top 100 wins, the Wolverines only loss outside the top 50 is at Ohio State. Pro-tip: Beat Iowa next Saturday and end any speculation.
- USC (KP: 46, RPI: 35 , CBT: 8): The slide of the Trojans continues. They’ve now lost five of their last six games and square off with the Oregon schools next weekend with a real chance of finishing the Pac-12 season under .500. The Trojans have three top 50 wins, 10 top 100 wins and no bad losses to their name; losing to Monmouth isn’t quite as bad as losing at Arizona State in the eyes of the RPI. I think one more win might be all they need to get it done, but they still have work left to do.
- Tulsa (KP: 40, RPI: 38, CBT: 11): I think it’s too early to say that Tulsa played their way out of an at-large bid on Sunday, but losing to Memphis is really going to hurt on Selection Sunday. The Tigers are now the worst loss on the résumé of a team with two sub-140 losses, and with A) just South Florida left on their schedule, and B) a 19-10 record and just three top 50 wins, Tulsa has some work left to do. They need to land a big win in the AAC tournament.
NCAAFB: More points and yards were produced in 2015 than any season in college football history.
By Zach Barnett
(Photo/Getty Images)
When the nation’s No. 2 and No. 17 defenses play to a 45-40 final score in the national title game and no one is surprised, that should tell you all you really need to know about the offensive revolution in college football. The revolution is over, and offenses have won.
But data produced by the NCAA and provided to Dennis Dodd of CBS Sports crystallizes that point: FBS teams averaged 29.65 points per game in 2015, the most on record. Moreover, this was the fifth time since the turn of the century the scoring record has been broken, and the 0.3 points per game jump from 2014 is the biggest one-year increase since 2001.
On top of that, FBS teams broke the records for average yards per game (411.56), yards per play (5.76), yards per rush (4.51) and yards per pass (7.3).
Sixty teams averaged at least 30 points per game or more last season, compared to 36 in 2008. Sixty-four teams totaled at least 400 yards per game last fall, versus 35 in 2008. The same trends hold true for teams averaging six yards a snap (43 in ’15 vs. 24 in ’08), 4.5 yards per carry (58 in ’15 vs. 42 in ’08) and seven yards per pass attempt (75 in ’15 vs. 56 in ’08).
Data research firm Sport Source Analytics told Dodd that 73 percent of FBS games in 2014 saw at least one team hitting the 30-point barrier.
Bet on that number increasing for 2016.
NCAA surveys student-athletes about time demands.
By Sam Cooper
But data produced by the NCAA and provided to Dennis Dodd of CBS Sports crystallizes that point: FBS teams averaged 29.65 points per game in 2015, the most on record. Moreover, this was the fifth time since the turn of the century the scoring record has been broken, and the 0.3 points per game jump from 2014 is the biggest one-year increase since 2001.
On top of that, FBS teams broke the records for average yards per game (411.56), yards per play (5.76), yards per rush (4.51) and yards per pass (7.3).
Sixty teams averaged at least 30 points per game or more last season, compared to 36 in 2008. Sixty-four teams totaled at least 400 yards per game last fall, versus 35 in 2008. The same trends hold true for teams averaging six yards a snap (43 in ’15 vs. 24 in ’08), 4.5 yards per carry (58 in ’15 vs. 42 in ’08) and seven yards per pass attempt (75 in ’15 vs. 56 in ’08).
Data research firm Sport Source Analytics told Dodd that 73 percent of FBS games in 2014 saw at least one team hitting the 30-point barrier.
Bet on that number increasing for 2016.
NCAA surveys student-athletes about time demands.
By Sam Cooper
(AP Photo/Cliff Owen/File)
As NCAA decision-makers continue to discuss time demands for student-athletes, it appears those student-athletes will have a say in the matter.
According to ESPN.com, the NCAA distributed a survey, which was created by the Power 5 conferences, NCAA Division I council and Division I student-athlete advisory committee, to athletes in every Division I sport earlier this week. Athletes have until March 21 to complete the survey, and the results will be consulted when the D-I council meets in April.
According to ESPN.com, the NCAA distributed a survey, which was created by the Power 5 conferences, NCAA Division I council and Division I student-athlete advisory committee, to athletes in every Division I sport earlier this week. Athletes have until March 21 to complete the survey, and the results will be consulted when the D-I council meets in April.
Athletes are expected to complete the surveys online without involvement from coaches.
From ESPN:
According to a survey sent to a Football Bowl Subdivision player and obtained Friday by ESPN, respondents complete sections on in-season countable athletic-related activities (CARA), out-of-season time demands and travel.
A "massive legislative package" regarding time demands will be introduced by September, according to Northwestern athletic director Jim Phillips, chair of the council. After several months of review, a proposed policy will go to a vote at the NCAA convention in January 2017.
"We could have passed legislation at the [2016] NCAA convention around time demands, but that wasn't the right thing to do because each sport has its own ebb and flow and their own calendar where they play and practice," Phillips told ESPN on Friday. "As much angst as there is about specific rules out there that people are using that are legal, the right approach has been to take this in a comprehensive review.
"We want to hear what the student-athletes have to say."The survey covers many areas including in-season breaks, decreasing the number of scheduled games, lengthening the season (calendar-wise) while keeping the same number of games, off-season conditioning, and weekly “rest” hours.
The NCAA has been discussing time demands for college athletes for months, but with Jim Harbaugh bringing his Michigan team to Florida for a portion of spring practice (during the school’s spring break), it has received increased attention in recent weeks. NCAA president Mark Emmert, SEC commissioner Greg Sankey and ACC commissioner John Swofford are among those who have spoken out against the Wolverines’ trip, but with UM’s first Florida practice scheduled for Monday, there’s no way the NCAA could act in time to prevent it. Plus, as the rules currently stand, the practices are legal.
Phillips told ESPN that making a rash decision based on what Michigan is doing would be ill advised.
"Even though some things burn inside of us deeply and we're sensitive to some people taking advantage of rules, having one-off legislation is not the right approach," Phillips said. "What Michigan is doing is permissible. If the student-athletes come back and tell us across the board we don't want to interrupt our spring break, we'd be hypocritical not to listen to them.
"They may also say there's a period of time after the completion of a season, two to three weeks where they don't do anything: no film, no weights, nothing. So you can't restrict legislation or propose legislation when you're dealing with a comprehensive, holistic review."
As it currently stands, the NCAA forbids student-athletes from spending more than 20 hours per week on his or her sport.
Why Holly Holm opted out of Ronda Rousey rematch.
By Dave Doyle
Holly Holm punches Ronda Rousey during their UFC 193 fight. (Photo/AP)
Holly Holm heard all the business arguments in the wake of her stunning knockout victory over Ronda Rousey at UFC 193 in November.
Conventional wisdom was that the smart route for the new UFC women’s bantamweight champion would be to hold out until next July and fight Rousey in a rematch at UFC 200 in Las Vegas, which would bring in a bigger payday than she ever could have imagined when she began her combat sports career.
Even UFC president Dana White came out and said he should have his promoter’s license revoked if he didn’t make the Holm-Rousey rematch.
It’s a moot point now, because it turned out Rousey won’t be ready for a return within that time frame. But from day one, Holm says, the financial arguments for holding out on a second Rousey fight went in one ear and out the other.
“I told myself I would never fight for money or for fame,” Holm said. “I would fight for passion.”
Holm is in an unusual spot as a fighter. She’s a seasoned combat sports competitor, a former three-weight class world women’s boxing champion, and she's in her mid-30s. But Holm is still learning MMA, having committed to the sport full-time just three years ago.
So that means staying active and continuing to grow as a fighter. No matter how many times Holm heard she should wait for the big money payday, the Albuquerque, N.M. native wanted to make her mark as a fighting champion.
Holm got her wish, as she’ll defend her title against former Strikeforce champion Miesha Tate on Saturday in the co-feature bout of UFC 196 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
“This is the next opportunity,” Holm said. “My mind doesn’t function like, ‘If I wait for this, it will be more money.’ That’s just not how my brain functions. There’s never a dollar sign in my mind when I’m thinking about my fighting career. I want the passion.”
Holm got a taste of A-list fame following her victory over Rousey, when she returned to the United States and went on a full-on media tour of New York and Los Angeles, which included a night courtside at the Los Angeles Clippers-Golden State Warriors game with comedian Jamie Foxx.
But while she admits the attention was nice, Holm said she never wants to lose the mentality that catapulted her to the top in the first place. Holm might dabble in Hollywood if the right opportunity comes along, but she’s never going to go Hollywood.
“When you start fighting, you start in amateurs, you don’t get paid anything,” Holm said. “You pay money out, because you’re not going to make it back. You have to pay for your camp, you have to pay for your gas, you put miles on your own car, You’re paying money out in the beginning. I try to have that same passion I had in the beginning.”
With such a mindset, Holm shouldn't have too much trouble trying to find the motivation to fight Tate. The popular Tate has consistently proven herself among the sport’s toughest and most resilient fighters. While she’s best known for her rivalry with Rousey, where she’s twice come up short, she’s also been unstoppable against the rest of the pack.
Tate had been promised a third fight with Rousey last summer, after she defeated Jessica Eye in Chicago to win her fourth consecutive fight. But the UFC changed its mind and went with Holm instead, in a move that was highly controversial at the time.
On
emoriesofhistory.com
1964 - Dawn Fraser got her 36th world record. The Australian swimmer was timed at 58.9 seconds in the 100-meter freestyle in Sydney, Australia.
1972 - Hank Aaron signed a contract with the Atlanta Braves for $200,000 a year.
1980 - Gordie Howe (Hartford Whalers) became the first NHL player to score 800 goals. It was his 1,000th regular season game.
1992 - The Professional Spring Football League began operations.
1992 - Ray Bourque scored his 1,000th career point. He was only the third NHL defenseman to score 1,000 career points.
1996 - The Dallas Mavericks set an NBA record with 18 3-pointers in a game. They also set a record with 12 3-pointers in a half.
Please let us hear your opinion on the above articles and pass them on to any other diehard fans that you think might be interested. But most of all, remember, Chicago Sports & Travel, Inc./AllsportsAmerica wants you.
1972 - Hank Aaron signed a contract with the Atlanta Braves for $200,000 a year.
1980 - Gordie Howe (Hartford Whalers) became the first NHL player to score 800 goals. It was his 1,000th regular season game.
1992 - The Professional Spring Football League began operations.
1992 - Ray Bourque scored his 1,000th career point. He was only the third NHL defenseman to score 1,000 career points.
1996 - The Dallas Mavericks set an NBA record with 18 3-pointers in a game. They also set a record with 12 3-pointers in a half.
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Please let us hear your opinion on the above articles and pass them on to any other diehard fans that you think might be interested. But most of all, remember, Chicago Sports & Travel, Inc./AllsportsAmerica wants you.
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