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"Sports Quote of the Day"
"Think about what caused the injury and how it can be prevented next time; that way, you will become a smarter athlete and less likely to repeat the same mistakes." ~ Kevin R. Stone, Physician, Orthopedic Surgeon, Clinician and Researcher
Trending: U.S. women make history in capturing Rio Olympic gymnastics team gold. (See the Olympic section (The last section on this blog) for Team USA and Olympic updates).
Trending: Bears rookie LB Leonard Floyd breaking out, also finding out “you’re not in Kansas (or Georgia) anymore, Toto”. (See the football section for Bears and NFL updates).
(Photo/Copyright 2016 The Associated Press)
Trending: Bears rookie LB Leonard Floyd breaking out, also finding out “you’re not in Kansas (or Georgia) anymore, Toto”. (See the football section for Bears and NFL updates).
Trending: State of the game: Golf goes for the gold by Arnold Palmer. (See the golf section for tournament and PGA updates).
Trending: NASCAR: Power Rankings: Did Brad Keselowski bump Kyle Busch out of No. 1? (See the NASCAR section for racing information and updates).
Trending: Cubs and White Sox road to the "World Series".
Cubs 2016 Record: 70-41
White Sox 2016 Record: 54-58
(See the baseball section for Cubs and White Sox updates).
Bear Down Chicago Bears!!!!! Bears Camp Shorts: Will impact plays translate into games?
By John Mullin
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
It is still intra-squad stuff and won’t matter or count until Sept. 11 when the Bears open in Houston against the Texans. But the final day of open practice in Bourbonnais (the Bears will practice once more on Wednesday before breaking camp) was marked by impact plays on both sides of the football.
And many of them were coming from players the Bears need to develop into foundation pillars of the franchise.
Like No. 1 draft selections' Leonard Floyd and Kevin White. Floyd appears on the team’s first depth chart as a No. 3 outside linebacker but has been elevated into a rotation with the No. 1 defense. Floyd highlighted Tuesday’s session with a shadowing of running back Jeremy Langford in short-red-zone work, then executing a perfect break on the ball to slap it away.
“I definitely believe I got a lot to improve on,” Floyd said. “I’ll just go out, play as hard as I can, look at film, what I’ve made mistakes on and try to correct them.”
White, in the starting lineup since the outset, may be a de facto rookie by virtue of missing all last season with a stress fracture. But he has flashed continuously, finishing Tuesday by taking a short toss from quarterback Jay Cutler to the left edge, seeing it blocked and then circling all the way around to the right sideline and end zone, with Cutler in front for a faux lead block.
White also sold the entire defense with an end-zone route, with Marc Mariani taking Cutler’s pass all alone in the corner of the end zone. Fans and vendors were closer to Mariani than any of his defenders.
- The defense had its moments, with a strip and recovery of a fumble by Langford, followed later by an interception of quarterback Brian Hoyer by backup defensive back Taveze Calhoun.
The next obvious step is for those plays to happen in a game, in this case a preseason one, against the Denver Broncos Thursday night.
“The same transition from in practice, knowing what to do, how to do it, the key is to operate that under pressure,” Bears head coach John Fox said. “With everybody, there are guys that are gamers, sometimes guys don't show all their stuff in practice. I'm excited every year to watch that first game and watch guys how they perform under pressure."
- Bears receivers remain on the injured list in concerning numbers, with Alshon Jeffery (hamstring) again coming out in pads for preliminary work but not practicing. Eddie Royal and Zach Miller, both in the concussion protocol, watched practice, as did No. 2 tight end Greg Scruggs, down with a bruised lung.
- Swing tackle Nick Becton was held out of practice with an elbow injury that is still being evaluated.
- Amini Silatolu was cleared medically and has quietly been working as a No. 2 guard, something the Bears now need badly after the knee injury to Hroniss Grasu forced coaches to move Ted Larsen in at starting center.
Bears rookie LB Leonard Floyd breaking out, also finding out “you’re not in Kansas (or Georgia) anymore, Toto”.
By John Mullin
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
Leonard Floyd had used the move countless times before, unleashing speed on an outside pass rush, then countering quickly back underneath, inside a wrong-footed tackle, to a clear path to a quarterback.
On Monday morning the rookie outside linebacker, getting his first work with the No. 1 defense, unleashed his combination speed/change-of-direction move against first-string right tackle Bobby Massie. When he came out of the double move, he found, not a quarterback in his sights, but rather right tackle Bobby Massie in his face.
Several snaps later, Floyd was primed again. He worked his moves on left tackle Charles Leno Jr., and finished the high-speed combination with a spin that left him, yep, stalemated face-to-face with one left tackle Charles Leno Jr.
“I’ve tried some of my college moves,” Floyd said, smiling, “and they don’t work on these guys. I was just focused on why I didn’t get a sack. I’m right now meeting with [outside-linebacker coach] Clint Hurtt to try and come up with some NFL-fit moves.” The Bears are betting that Floyd comes up with them. Fast, since everything Floyd does, from warmup drills to scrimmage snaps, is fast.
Floyd did get some solid push on a bull rush against Massie, getting underneath the big tackle and using leverage to force the protection back toward quarterback Jay Cutler. He later worked off a stunt with one of his defensive ends and came clean for a simulated sack.
But he has taken stock of why he’s getting handled, when he is, and using it as a guide to things he needs to develop.
“It’s different because guys know their techniques,” Floyd said. “In college some of the offensive linemen didn’t know the proper techniques. All of the guys I’ve gone against here, they’ve got great technique.
“So I’ve really got to work on my technique to beat them or even be even.”
Some days you get the bear and some days the Bear (tackles) get you. The key, however, was that this time Floyd was being sent against the No. 1’s, the starters on the offensive line. And the overall has been extremely positive.
“I think he’s everything that we thought he would be, so very impressed,” said coach John Fox. “He’s learning well; it’s not perfect yet. Like any rookie they’re going to make some errors but I like his athleticism and like what he brings to the table. He’ll be a big part of us.”
Suddenly the “weight” questions around Floyd are disappearing. Floyd has answered some questions about his stoutness against the run. He set an edge Monday against Massie, forcing an outside run back into a tangle of teammates. He later closed down from the outside at full speed to stop running back Jeremy Langford for a small gain through the middle.
Floyd has worked his way into more playing time with steady progress and a work ethic that has impressed coaches, not only with the improved results, but also with an attitude toward not repeating mistakes and learning with every snap taken against NFL-grade competition.
That learning has been aided by a surprise boost.
Floyd understood that the NFL is a world of professional, graded by results, not scholarships. Yet he has found a team within a team in the group of outside linebackers despite the underlying reality that everyone is competing for some of the same jobs.
“Willie [Young] has taken me under his wing, and really, the whole OLB [outside linebacker] room gives me advice and help,” Floyd said. “I didn’t expect it, because it’s the NFL. But I was really happy they’ve taken me up under their wings.”
Young has consistently credited former teammates with helping him learn how to be a professional, on and off the field. Now he is paying it forward.
“I see a lot of similarities in the way that he plays and the way that I play,” Young said. “And I look forward to being able to be a part of his development. Like when I came in, those guys took me up under their wings.
“It didn’t matter, man. We had a brotherhood. And I know that to have a brotherhood, I’ve always been a team player. And to see Leonard come in here and to see the things that he’s doing now, sky’s the limit for him.”
Bears camp shorts: Ted Larsen settling in at center and are Bears becoming a 'dumb' team?
By John Mullin
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
Bears players met after Saturday’s Family Fest, another practice marred by a fight that involved multiple players, and the issue was the need to get control of themselves, because too often, they haven’t.
“We’re getting to a point where it’s a tough team, I think,” said quarterback Jay Cutler. “Now we’re getting to the point where we’re just kind of being a dumb team.
“So we’ve got to find that fine line of when we’re being tough and when we’re being dumb. I think we’re right there on that edge, so now we kind have to start dialing it back and getting ready for games.
Coach John Fox was not pleased with frequency and widespread participation in the scrums, and veteran center Ted Larsen has been involved in more than one.
“I mean, it’s hot out and guys’ tempers flare,” Larsen said. “I’m not a guy to take any crap from anybody or stand down, so … that’s probably the (gist) of it.
“I’d say we’re good now. I did an interview a couple of days ago, I said I was good. I’m never one to take anything from anybody. So, I mean, there is a fine line between standing up for yourself, standing up for your team and having something that could cost the team. You’ve got to walk that line."
- With the season-ending knee injury to Hroniss Grasu, the Bears turned to Larsen on Monday to anchor an offensive line that already had no players starting who were at those same positions when the 2015 season opened.
“He’s a pro,” Cutler said. “He stepped in today…and we’re going to be fine.”
Cornelius Edison, who spent some weeks last year on the Bears practice squad, worked at center. Rookie Cody Whitehair also did some warmup-only snaps with backup quarterback David Fales.
- Running back Ka’Deem Carey exploded through a crease created by blocks from tight ends Rob Housler and Gavin Sinclair to score untouched on a seven-yard burst in red-zone work.
- Rookie defensive end Jonathan Bullard exploded a running play and left running back Carey on the ground.
- Quarterback Jay Cutler sold nearly the entire secondary with a play-action fake, then tossed a 40-yard completion to wide receiver Deonte Thompson.
- Bears defensive lineman Mitch is not the most famous “Unrein” in the world this week.
Bears players came out at Saturday’s Family Fest practice in Soldier Field wearing “Team Unrein” T-shirts, bearing the Olympic rings symbol, in honor of Corey Cogdell-Unrein, representing the United States in Olympic trap-shooting competition. Cogdell-Unrein earned her second bronze medal (her first was in 2008), and Bears teammates earned the appreciation of her husband.
“I was so surprised,” Unrein said. “I came in and they had a big stack of those shirts and [kicker] Robbie Gould — I finally found out because everyone was coming up to me and saying, 'Thanks for the shirt!' It wasn't me!
“But I wish it was my idea now. It's so cool to have teammates like that that support one another. Robbie, he's a leader on this team and he made a great choice of doing that. I really think that it brings us closer as a team when you have situations like that.
“People are like, 'How did you get her to marry you?' And I'm like, 'You know, I'm a smooth talker maybe. I don't know.' I hit a home run when I got to marry her. She's one in a million. There's not too many times you can say, 'My wife is a three-time Olympian and has two medals.' It's so cool to watch her achieve her dreams. It's so cool that we're both kind of at the pinnacle of our sports. It really helps our relationship.”
- Wide receiver Alshon Jeffery came out in uniform on Monday, did stretching, but was not participating in team sessions as he and the team take it easy with a hamstring strain.
- Tight end Greg Scruggs, hospitalized with a bruised lung after a hit by linebacker Sam Acho, is still out of practice entirely.
By Brenna Carberry
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
As if the Chicago-St. Louis rivalry isn't intense enough already at this time of year - think Cubs-Cardinals - the Blackhawks and Blues are already gearing up for their Winter Classic battle in January.
Representatives from the National Hockey League, Chicago Blackhawks and St. Louis Blues gathered Tuesday at Busch Stadium to detail plans for the 2017 NHL Winter Classic, which will take place on Monday, Jan. 2, 2017 at Busch Stadium in St. Louis.
“With a strong and healthy rivalry already in place between the Blues and Blackhawks, sports fans across the country will be treated to an exciting game featuring some of the brightest stars in the League," said Blackhawks President and CEO John McDonough.
The Blackhawks-Blues rivalry has been in place for quite some time, but it really picked up steam last year when St. Louis eliminated Chicago from the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Now the archrivals will take their historic rivalry outside in an iconic ballpark that is sure to have a playoff atmosphere.
This year's Winter Classic will mark the NHL-high third Winter Classic appearance and fifth overall outdoor game for the Blackhawks organization. It will also mark the first time the Blues will host the Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic and the first-ever regular-season outdoor game for the Club.
Additionally, it was announced Tuesday that legendary players from both the Blues and Blackhawks organizations will participate in a special alumni game at Busch Stadium on Sunday, Dec. 31, 2016, two days prior to the 2017 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic. Fan-favorites will return to the ice to represent these organizations one more time and renew this great NHL rivalry.
Information on an exclusive ticket pre-sale for Blues season-ticket holders was released earlier today, while information on ticket sales for Blackhawks and Cardinals season-ticket holders will be sent to those groups by each team in the coming weeks. Information regarding ticket availability for the general public will be released at a later date.
Stay tuned for more information on the Winter Classic, including the unveiling of the jerseys that will be worn by the Blackhawks when they take the ice at Busch Stadium on January 2.
Representatives from the National Hockey League, Chicago Blackhawks and St. Louis Blues gathered Tuesday at Busch Stadium to detail plans for the 2017 NHL Winter Classic, which will take place on Monday, Jan. 2, 2017 at Busch Stadium in St. Louis.
“With a strong and healthy rivalry already in place between the Blues and Blackhawks, sports fans across the country will be treated to an exciting game featuring some of the brightest stars in the League," said Blackhawks President and CEO John McDonough.
The Blackhawks-Blues rivalry has been in place for quite some time, but it really picked up steam last year when St. Louis eliminated Chicago from the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Now the archrivals will take their historic rivalry outside in an iconic ballpark that is sure to have a playoff atmosphere.
This year's Winter Classic will mark the NHL-high third Winter Classic appearance and fifth overall outdoor game for the Blackhawks organization. It will also mark the first time the Blues will host the Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic and the first-ever regular-season outdoor game for the Club.
Additionally, it was announced Tuesday that legendary players from both the Blues and Blackhawks organizations will participate in a special alumni game at Busch Stadium on Sunday, Dec. 31, 2016, two days prior to the 2017 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic. Fan-favorites will return to the ice to represent these organizations one more time and renew this great NHL rivalry.
Information on an exclusive ticket pre-sale for Blues season-ticket holders was released earlier today, while information on ticket sales for Blackhawks and Cardinals season-ticket holders will be sent to those groups by each team in the coming weeks. Information regarding ticket availability for the general public will be released at a later date.
Stay tuned for more information on the Winter Classic, including the unveiling of the jerseys that will be worn by the Blackhawks when they take the ice at Busch Stadium on January 2.
CUBS: John Lackey shuts down Angels as Cubs cruise to series-opening win.
By Patrick Mooney
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
John Lackey made his bones as a rookie with the 2002 Anaheim Angels, beating Barry Bonds and the San Francisco Giants in Game 7 of the World Series. Now 37 — and armed with another championship ring from his turbulent time with the Boston Red Sox — Lackey is looking for more jewelry.
Like he said before, Lackey “didn’t come here for a haircut” or to make friends or position himself for a talking-head gig on a future Cubs network. It’s World Series or bust, and Lackey looked like he was already in October form during Tuesday night’s 5-1 victory at Wrigley Field.
A Cubs team that appears to be over a midseason funk and ready to peak at the right time extended the winning streak to eight games as Lackey (9-7, 3.56 ERA) limited the Angels to one run across eight innings.
A Los Angeles lineup that doesn’t have much beyond Mike Trout and Albert Pujols in the middle managed only three hits off Lackey, who gave up a home run to Kole Calhoun in the first inning and settled down to finish with six strikeouts and only one walk.
Jered Weaver (8-9, 5.19 ERA), the soft-tossing, past-his-prime right-hander, couldn’t contain the Cubs’ offense, allowing five runs in five innings, including a ball Kris Bryant drove onto Waveland Avenue for his 28th homer.
Why Cubs are built to withstand the 162-game marathon and sprint into the playoffs.
By Patrick Mooney
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
FanGraphs and Baseball Prospectus project the Cubs as a 100-percent lock to make the playoffs, with their odds to win the division set between 99.5 and 99.8 percent.
Save it, nerds, might be the appropriate response from Cubs fans preconditioned to expect the worst. And this clubhouse should still have enough of a fried-chicken-and-beer hangover from September 2011 — when a Boston Red Sox team built by Theo Epstein collapsed and Joe Maddon’s Tampa Bay Rays surged into the playoffs — to not take anything for granted.
But how the Cubs got to this point by Aug. 8 — 11.5 games up on the St. Louis Cardinals in the National League Central — shows why they should be able to withstand almost anything across the final 52 games before painting an even bigger target on their backs in the postseason.
“I just like how we’ve gone about our business,” Maddon said. “We’re playing good baseball again. We’ve caught the ball really well. We’re pitching well. We’re getting the timely hit — (and) the timely walk, the timely wild pitch. But we’re just playing good ball right now, up and down the lineup. The bullpen has really gotten stern again. And the starters have been fantastic.”
The Cubs are loaded with star power, but unglamorous elements like depth, flexibility and redundancy have lifted them to a season-high 28 games over .500. A rotation that was supposed to be all about the three alpha males at the top now has Kyle Hendricks essentially leading the majors in ERA (2.17) and Jason Hammel putting together his best individual season (11-5, 3.07 ERA) during his 11th year in the big leagues. A bullpen that once looked shaky now has Pedro Strop (95-mph average fastball), Carl Edwards Jr. (95.2) and Hector Rondon (96) setting up in front of game-over closer Aroldis Chapman (100.2).
The Cubs (69-41) also have baseball’s best record (69-41) with Kyle Schwarber contributing zero hits, Miguel Montero hitting .190, Jason Heyward putting up the sixth-worst OPS (.634) among all qualified major-league hitters and Dexter Fowler (more than a month) and Jorge Soler (almost two months) each missing significant time with hamstring injuries.
“We think it’s a big advantage to be able to throw a quality lineup out every night,” Epstein said, “even if you have a guy or two banged up or you want to give someone a rest. Not having to dip down and put a replacement-level utility guy out there is a pretty big advantage. Sometimes, it’s subtle, but it manifests quite a bit over the course of the season.”
While harsh economic realities forced the small-market Rays and Billy Beane’s Oakland A’s to embrace platoons, the big idea here is that the Cubs can buy hitters and still exploit matchups, roll out different lineups each night and indulge all of Maddon’s mad-scientist tendencies with Ben Zobrist, Javier Baez, Kris Bryant and Willson Contreras.
“Versatility has gone from a luxury to a requisite, really, at this point,” Epstein said, when eight-man bullpens are normal and a 162-game schedule is jammed into a 183-day window. “And then with a manager who’s probably even more mindful of building a versatile roster, we know he’ll use them that way.
“It’s sort of a low bar to cross for him to send a guy out to a position. Sometimes it’s: ‘Has this guy ever played outfield?’ We’re like: ‘Well, no, but one time I saw him walk across the outfield during batting practice.’ (Joe’s like): ‘Well, OK, good, we’ll put him out there tomorrow night.’
“He’ll get creative with how he uses guys. It increases their versatility and then guys can learn, too, in the big leagues. The more versatile, the more positions a guy can play, the better it is for us. There’s a difference between having like backup emergency versatility and then real quality depth and versatility. We’re lucky to have that.”
This seven-game winning streak started with — what else? — that 12-inning comeback victory over the Seattle Mariners where lefty reliever Travis Wood moved between the mound and left field and All-Star pitcher Jon Lester dropped the two-strike, walk-off bunt on national TV.
“That’s how Joe manages,” Lester said. “You don’t ever really catch guys completely off-guard. We’re young enough and athletic enough where it doesn’t faze guys. They just go out and be baseball players.
“Everybody respects the hell out of him, so they know that he’s not going to put them in a bad situation. He’s not going to let you go out there and make a fool of yourself.”
The Cubs begin a 10-game homestand on Tuesday night against Mike Trout, Albert Pujols and the Los Angeles Angels, with the looming possibility of finishing off the Cardinals this weekend during a four-game series. The Cubs might not be the sure thing run through the computer simulations, but this is where the organization is at now, never feeling overmatched on the field, in the dugout or in the front office.
Save it, nerds, might be the appropriate response from Cubs fans preconditioned to expect the worst. And this clubhouse should still have enough of a fried-chicken-and-beer hangover from September 2011 — when a Boston Red Sox team built by Theo Epstein collapsed and Joe Maddon’s Tampa Bay Rays surged into the playoffs — to not take anything for granted.
But how the Cubs got to this point by Aug. 8 — 11.5 games up on the St. Louis Cardinals in the National League Central — shows why they should be able to withstand almost anything across the final 52 games before painting an even bigger target on their backs in the postseason.
“I just like how we’ve gone about our business,” Maddon said. “We’re playing good baseball again. We’ve caught the ball really well. We’re pitching well. We’re getting the timely hit — (and) the timely walk, the timely wild pitch. But we’re just playing good ball right now, up and down the lineup. The bullpen has really gotten stern again. And the starters have been fantastic.”
The Cubs are loaded with star power, but unglamorous elements like depth, flexibility and redundancy have lifted them to a season-high 28 games over .500. A rotation that was supposed to be all about the three alpha males at the top now has Kyle Hendricks essentially leading the majors in ERA (2.17) and Jason Hammel putting together his best individual season (11-5, 3.07 ERA) during his 11th year in the big leagues. A bullpen that once looked shaky now has Pedro Strop (95-mph average fastball), Carl Edwards Jr. (95.2) and Hector Rondon (96) setting up in front of game-over closer Aroldis Chapman (100.2).
The Cubs (69-41) also have baseball’s best record (69-41) with Kyle Schwarber contributing zero hits, Miguel Montero hitting .190, Jason Heyward putting up the sixth-worst OPS (.634) among all qualified major-league hitters and Dexter Fowler (more than a month) and Jorge Soler (almost two months) each missing significant time with hamstring injuries.
“We think it’s a big advantage to be able to throw a quality lineup out every night,” Epstein said, “even if you have a guy or two banged up or you want to give someone a rest. Not having to dip down and put a replacement-level utility guy out there is a pretty big advantage. Sometimes, it’s subtle, but it manifests quite a bit over the course of the season.”
While harsh economic realities forced the small-market Rays and Billy Beane’s Oakland A’s to embrace platoons, the big idea here is that the Cubs can buy hitters and still exploit matchups, roll out different lineups each night and indulge all of Maddon’s mad-scientist tendencies with Ben Zobrist, Javier Baez, Kris Bryant and Willson Contreras.
“Versatility has gone from a luxury to a requisite, really, at this point,” Epstein said, when eight-man bullpens are normal and a 162-game schedule is jammed into a 183-day window. “And then with a manager who’s probably even more mindful of building a versatile roster, we know he’ll use them that way.
“It’s sort of a low bar to cross for him to send a guy out to a position. Sometimes it’s: ‘Has this guy ever played outfield?’ We’re like: ‘Well, no, but one time I saw him walk across the outfield during batting practice.’ (Joe’s like): ‘Well, OK, good, we’ll put him out there tomorrow night.’
“He’ll get creative with how he uses guys. It increases their versatility and then guys can learn, too, in the big leagues. The more versatile, the more positions a guy can play, the better it is for us. There’s a difference between having like backup emergency versatility and then real quality depth and versatility. We’re lucky to have that.”
This seven-game winning streak started with — what else? — that 12-inning comeback victory over the Seattle Mariners where lefty reliever Travis Wood moved between the mound and left field and All-Star pitcher Jon Lester dropped the two-strike, walk-off bunt on national TV.
“That’s how Joe manages,” Lester said. “You don’t ever really catch guys completely off-guard. We’re young enough and athletic enough where it doesn’t faze guys. They just go out and be baseball players.
“Everybody respects the hell out of him, so they know that he’s not going to put them in a bad situation. He’s not going to let you go out there and make a fool of yourself.”
The Cubs begin a 10-game homestand on Tuesday night against Mike Trout, Albert Pujols and the Los Angeles Angels, with the looming possibility of finishing off the Cardinals this weekend during a four-game series. The Cubs might not be the sure thing run through the computer simulations, but this is where the organization is at now, never feeling overmatched on the field, in the dugout or in the front office.
Kyle Hendricks shares NL Player of the Week honors with Ichiro.
By CSN Staff
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
Cubs pitcher Kyle Hendricks has been on a roll lately and received an award for his efforts on Monday.
Hendricks and Ichiro Suzuki were named National League Co-Players of the Week for the period ending Aug. 7.
To earn the recognition, Hendricks went 2-0 with a 0.55 ERA with nine strikeouts in 16 1/3 innings. On Monday he pitched his third complete game and second career shutout. He followed that up with a win in Oakland on Sunday where he took a shutout into the eighth inning before allowing a solo home run. On the season Hendricks has a 2.17 ERA.
Hendricks' run is impressive, but it's not quite as impressive as Ichiro's accomplishment of reaching 3,000 hits on Sunday. The 42-year-old tripled in Colorado on Sunday for his 3,000th hit. He became the 30th player in MLB history to reach the milestone and only the fourth foreign-born player to do so.
WHITE SOX: Todd Frazier's homer in 10th sends White Sox past Royals.
By Dan Hayes
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
The White Sox solved their late-inning woes at Kauffman Stadium on Tuesday night.
All it took was Jacob Turner and Dan Jennings.
Todd Frazier belted a three-run home run and the White Sox overcame a blown save by David Robertson to beat the Kansas City Royals 7-5 in 10 innings in front of 27,134. Shortly after Justin Morneau’s fourth hit, a one-out double, put a pair in scoring position, Frazier ripped a first-pitch fastball by Kelvin Herrera for his 31st homer. The White Sox won for the first time in Kansas City in four tries this season despite their fourth blown save.
“Here it’s always been tough for us,” White Sox manager Robin Ventura said. “They can scratch stuff across.
“It was a nice pushback after that, we get a couple guys on. (Jose Abreu) gets on, Morneau has a great at-bat with a double down the line, hanging in there and getting the barrel on the bat and then Frazier with the big one. Here we need all of them.”
The White Sox had been here before.
In their previous trip in May, the bullpen allowed 14 earned runs in 6 1/3 innings and took the loss in all three games as the Royals swept the White Sox. Seemingly every reliever got roughed up in a horrifying series.
Robertson, who allowed six runs in a non-save opportunity in an 8-7 loss on May 28, surrendered the tying run again on Tuesday. He allowed a leadoff single to Kendrys Morales and pinch-runner Jarrod Dyson stole second and scored on a two-out RBI single by Alcides Escobar. But Robertson, who has blown five of 32 tries, rebounded and retired Raul Mondesi to send it to extras.
Abreu then started a one-out rally in the 10th with a single off Herrera and Morneau yanked a double to right field to bring up Frazier. Combined with a May 9 grand slam in Texas, Frazier is the first player with two go-ahead homers in extra innings in the same season since Colorado’s Alex Gonzalez in 2010.
“It was big,” Frazier said. “We pick each other up. Dave gave up that RBI single, but we knew in our heads ‘Let’s pick the guy up.’ He’s been doing great all year. I needed that in the biggest way in the world.
“Frustrating day. Trying to find my swing a little bit. Finally, I felt a little connection. I was happy about that. I was happy I could help contribute to the team.”
With Nate Jones having pitched a scoreless eighth, Ventura had to determine who was the next to pitch. Turner allowed one run to score, but recorded two outs in the bottom of the 10th. Jennings then struck out Eric Hosmer to end it and earn the first save of his career.
“Not the normal guys coming in at the end, but Jacob has been moving up the ladder getting in there late in the game and Jennings is tough against lefties,” Ventura said.
The blown save cost Chris Sale his 15th victory.
In search of his first win since July 2, Sale got stronger as the game progressed. The left-hander fell behind 3-1 in the third inning after he surrendered three consecutive one-out hits, including a two-run single by Hosmer.
But Sale stranded Hosmer at third and got on a roll to retired 13 straight. He allowed three earned runs and seven hits in seven innings and struck out seven.
Much like Sale, the White Sox offense came to life after a slow start against Edinson Volquez. Trailing 3-1, the White Sox had five straight two-out singles in the fifth to pull ahead. Morneau had the last to make it a 4-3 game.
The rally had Sale and the White Sox in line for a victory until Kansas City spoiled another ninth inning. But thanks to Frazier, Turner and Jennings, Sale still had the chance to talk about a win afterward.
“We’re listening to music right now and it’s a good time so that’s all that really matters,” Sale said. “I’m not a big fan of individual stats. To be able to come back after something like that, it’s big. It says a lot about our guys, especially being here in this stadium.”
All it took was Jacob Turner and Dan Jennings.
Todd Frazier belted a three-run home run and the White Sox overcame a blown save by David Robertson to beat the Kansas City Royals 7-5 in 10 innings in front of 27,134. Shortly after Justin Morneau’s fourth hit, a one-out double, put a pair in scoring position, Frazier ripped a first-pitch fastball by Kelvin Herrera for his 31st homer. The White Sox won for the first time in Kansas City in four tries this season despite their fourth blown save.
“Here it’s always been tough for us,” White Sox manager Robin Ventura said. “They can scratch stuff across.
“It was a nice pushback after that, we get a couple guys on. (Jose Abreu) gets on, Morneau has a great at-bat with a double down the line, hanging in there and getting the barrel on the bat and then Frazier with the big one. Here we need all of them.”
The White Sox had been here before.
In their previous trip in May, the bullpen allowed 14 earned runs in 6 1/3 innings and took the loss in all three games as the Royals swept the White Sox. Seemingly every reliever got roughed up in a horrifying series.
Robertson, who allowed six runs in a non-save opportunity in an 8-7 loss on May 28, surrendered the tying run again on Tuesday. He allowed a leadoff single to Kendrys Morales and pinch-runner Jarrod Dyson stole second and scored on a two-out RBI single by Alcides Escobar. But Robertson, who has blown five of 32 tries, rebounded and retired Raul Mondesi to send it to extras.
Abreu then started a one-out rally in the 10th with a single off Herrera and Morneau yanked a double to right field to bring up Frazier. Combined with a May 9 grand slam in Texas, Frazier is the first player with two go-ahead homers in extra innings in the same season since Colorado’s Alex Gonzalez in 2010.
“It was big,” Frazier said. “We pick each other up. Dave gave up that RBI single, but we knew in our heads ‘Let’s pick the guy up.’ He’s been doing great all year. I needed that in the biggest way in the world.
“Frustrating day. Trying to find my swing a little bit. Finally, I felt a little connection. I was happy about that. I was happy I could help contribute to the team.”
With Nate Jones having pitched a scoreless eighth, Ventura had to determine who was the next to pitch. Turner allowed one run to score, but recorded two outs in the bottom of the 10th. Jennings then struck out Eric Hosmer to end it and earn the first save of his career.
“Not the normal guys coming in at the end, but Jacob has been moving up the ladder getting in there late in the game and Jennings is tough against lefties,” Ventura said.
The blown save cost Chris Sale his 15th victory.
In search of his first win since July 2, Sale got stronger as the game progressed. The left-hander fell behind 3-1 in the third inning after he surrendered three consecutive one-out hits, including a two-run single by Hosmer.
But Sale stranded Hosmer at third and got on a roll to retired 13 straight. He allowed three earned runs and seven hits in seven innings and struck out seven.
Much like Sale, the White Sox offense came to life after a slow start against Edinson Volquez. Trailing 3-1, the White Sox had five straight two-out singles in the fifth to pull ahead. Morneau had the last to make it a 4-3 game.
The rally had Sale and the White Sox in line for a victory until Kansas City spoiled another ninth inning. But thanks to Frazier, Turner and Jennings, Sale still had the chance to talk about a win afterward.
“We’re listening to music right now and it’s a good time so that’s all that really matters,” Sale said. “I’m not a big fan of individual stats. To be able to come back after something like that, it’s big. It says a lot about our guys, especially being here in this stadium.”
Just Another Chicago Bulls Session..... Jimmy Butler finally gets buckets in Team USA win.
By Mark Schanowski
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
Bulls fans know Jimmy Butler is legit after watching his transformation from a role-playing defensive specialist to a 20 PPG scorer and two-time All-Star. But casual fans tuning in to watch the Olympic competition got a chance to witness all the qualities Butler brings to the table in Team USA’s 113-69 rout of Venezuela on Monday.
Like most of the NBA stars on the roster, Butler has the ability to drive by an initial defender almost any time he wants. But during Team USA’s exhibition schedule, and in the Olympic opener against China, Butler had been content to simply drive into the lane and kick the ball back out to an open 3 point shooter. He’s been the poster child for the type of unselfish play advocated by Mike Krzyzewski and his staff.
In Monday’s win over Venezuela, Butler finally took advantage of some of his scoring chances, knocking down a 3-pointer when the game was still close in the first half, and converting a pair of old-fashioned 3-point plays to help Team USA break the game wide open after intermission. Butler finished with 17 points, second only to Paul George’s 20 for the U.S. side, and his defensive play continues to be outstanding.
With former Bulls’ coach Tom Thibodeau directing the defensive efforts, Team USA has been an active, swarming force, able to keep the opposition from getting good shots with pressure on ballhandlers, and excellent rim protection from big men DeAndre Jordan and DeMarcus Cousins. Butler has teamed with aggressive wing players like Paul George, DeMar DeRozan, Kevin Durant and Draymond Green to cut off passing lanes and come up with steals to ignite a lethal fastbreak attack.
It’s been kind of funny hearing the familiar sound of Thibodeau’s voice barking out defensive instructions, even with Team USA in total control. After a year away from the court, Thibs is still a perfectionist, and his defense-first philosophy is more important than ever in these Olympics. Without some of the elite NBA scorers like Steph Curry, LeBron James and Russell Westbrook on the roster, this version of the “Dream Team” model is keyed by its work on the defensive end, and Butler fits right in with that approach.
Krzyzewski commented early in training camp that he didn’t know Butler was such a complete player and raved about the work Butler put in to become a star. As the games have gone on, Butler has become a critical part of Team USA’s second unit, with his defensive ability and unselfishness complementing the skills of DeRozan, George and Kyle Lowry.
The Americans will get their toughest test on Wednesday against a rugged Australia squad, led by NBA big men Andrew Bogut and Aron Baynes, along with feisty point guard Matthew Dellavedova and 3-point specialist Patty Mills. The Aussies have already blown out France and Serbia, and they won’t be overpowered inside by Team USA. Former Bulls champion Luc Longley is an assistant coach for Australia, and said his players will get a true measure of just how good they are defensively against a team loaded with NBA All-Stars.
As for the Aussies chances of upsetting the heavily favored Americans, Longley said simply, “It’s always possible, mate. There are no impossibilities in basketball.”
Back to Butler, he’s not all that concerned about how many points he scores during the Olympic tournament, he just wants to come home with a gold medal draped around his neck. Butler’s role with the Bulls will most certainly change in the upcoming season with the addition of 12-time All-Star Dwyane Wade and four-time All-Star Rajon Rondo. The 6-7 swingman will be moving back to his original NBA position at small forward and he’ll be asked to knock down more catch and shoot jumpers than he has in the past.
Butler is only a 33 percent 3-point shooter over his first five seasons in the NBA, but after watching him improve every year he’s been in the league, don’t bet against him becoming a consistent threat from beyond the arc. Right now, it sounds like most of the national experts are dismissing the chances of the Bulls being more than a seventh or eighth seed in the East. But as you watch Jimmy Butler fit in with some of the game’s biggest stars during these Olympics, it’s exciting to think what he’ll be able to do teaming up with Wade, Rondo and some emerging young players next season.
Like most of the NBA stars on the roster, Butler has the ability to drive by an initial defender almost any time he wants. But during Team USA’s exhibition schedule, and in the Olympic opener against China, Butler had been content to simply drive into the lane and kick the ball back out to an open 3 point shooter. He’s been the poster child for the type of unselfish play advocated by Mike Krzyzewski and his staff.
In Monday’s win over Venezuela, Butler finally took advantage of some of his scoring chances, knocking down a 3-pointer when the game was still close in the first half, and converting a pair of old-fashioned 3-point plays to help Team USA break the game wide open after intermission. Butler finished with 17 points, second only to Paul George’s 20 for the U.S. side, and his defensive play continues to be outstanding.
With former Bulls’ coach Tom Thibodeau directing the defensive efforts, Team USA has been an active, swarming force, able to keep the opposition from getting good shots with pressure on ballhandlers, and excellent rim protection from big men DeAndre Jordan and DeMarcus Cousins. Butler has teamed with aggressive wing players like Paul George, DeMar DeRozan, Kevin Durant and Draymond Green to cut off passing lanes and come up with steals to ignite a lethal fastbreak attack.
It’s been kind of funny hearing the familiar sound of Thibodeau’s voice barking out defensive instructions, even with Team USA in total control. After a year away from the court, Thibs is still a perfectionist, and his defense-first philosophy is more important than ever in these Olympics. Without some of the elite NBA scorers like Steph Curry, LeBron James and Russell Westbrook on the roster, this version of the “Dream Team” model is keyed by its work on the defensive end, and Butler fits right in with that approach.
Krzyzewski commented early in training camp that he didn’t know Butler was such a complete player and raved about the work Butler put in to become a star. As the games have gone on, Butler has become a critical part of Team USA’s second unit, with his defensive ability and unselfishness complementing the skills of DeRozan, George and Kyle Lowry.
The Americans will get their toughest test on Wednesday against a rugged Australia squad, led by NBA big men Andrew Bogut and Aron Baynes, along with feisty point guard Matthew Dellavedova and 3-point specialist Patty Mills. The Aussies have already blown out France and Serbia, and they won’t be overpowered inside by Team USA. Former Bulls champion Luc Longley is an assistant coach for Australia, and said his players will get a true measure of just how good they are defensively against a team loaded with NBA All-Stars.
As for the Aussies chances of upsetting the heavily favored Americans, Longley said simply, “It’s always possible, mate. There are no impossibilities in basketball.”
Back to Butler, he’s not all that concerned about how many points he scores during the Olympic tournament, he just wants to come home with a gold medal draped around his neck. Butler’s role with the Bulls will most certainly change in the upcoming season with the addition of 12-time All-Star Dwyane Wade and four-time All-Star Rajon Rondo. The 6-7 swingman will be moving back to his original NBA position at small forward and he’ll be asked to knock down more catch and shoot jumpers than he has in the past.
Butler is only a 33 percent 3-point shooter over his first five seasons in the NBA, but after watching him improve every year he’s been in the league, don’t bet against him becoming a consistent threat from beyond the arc. Right now, it sounds like most of the national experts are dismissing the chances of the Bulls being more than a seventh or eighth seed in the East. But as you watch Jimmy Butler fit in with some of the game’s biggest stars during these Olympics, it’s exciting to think what he’ll be able to do teaming up with Wade, Rondo and some emerging young players next season.
Golf: I got a club for that..... John Deere Classic: Preview.
By Ryan O'Sullivan
The John Deere Classic is one of two events remaining before the FedExCup Playoffs kick off, and here is a preview and power ranking to usher in the week. While Jordan Spieth is the defending champion, he will not be in attendance at TPC Deere Run this week.
Historically, the John Deere Classic takes place the week before the Open Championship. For 2016, it sits opposite the Olympics. While that has an impact on the depth of the field, there are still several stalwarts teeing it up this week including Zach Johnson and Steve Stricker. Both take turns in owning TPC Deere Run. This is also an excellent spot for those looking to finish the year inside the top 125 in the FedExCup standings or the PGA TOUR money list to grab some points and cash.
Despite consistently offering one of the lighter fields each year on the PGA TOUR, the quality of champion has been impressive. Dating back to 2005, the winners are Sean O’Hair, John Senden, Jonathan Byrd, Kenny Perry, Steve Stricker (thrice), Zach Johnson, Jordan Spieth (twice) and Brian Harman. Despite being a birdie fest, in some ways that speaks to the quality of the course.
TPC Deere Run plays to a par of 71 and tips out at 7,268 yards. As one would expect, it features three par 5s, 11 par 4s and four par 3s. The par 5s offer legitimate birdie opportunities, but there are several strong par 3s and par 4s along the way.
If history is any indicator, and it usually is, conventional wisdom would say to take a hard look at the class of the field. The past champions are not exactly bombers, rather a combination of solid ball-strikers and wedge players who have the ability to roll the rock when hot.
With that as the backdrop, here we go!
1. Zach Johnson – It would be crazy to consider anyone else here, especially with Spieth skipping out on his defense this week. Here’s how ZJ has placed in his last five trips to TPC Deere Run. It goes T3-1-T2-2-T3. He currently sits sixth in the U.S. Ryder Cup standings, but is by no means a lock. That could change this week.
2. Steve Stricker – He has three wins and six top-11 finishes in his last seven John Deere Classics. For years, he was the perennial favorite, and his recent play has kept him entrenched near the top of the list of contenders. We almost saw Jerry Kelly pull out a win at the age of 49 last week in Connecticut, and Stricker will have a chance to be the old man on top this week.
3. Daniel Summerhays – The youngest studs aside, Summerhays is at or near the top of the list of best players knocking on the door of a breakthrough win. He showed very well in the majors this year and has gone T4-T13-T8 in his last three trips to TPC Deere Run.
4. Jerry Kelly – Last week’s runner-up has a very solid record in the John Deere Classic. He’s finished inside the top four twice in the last three years and has seven top 25s in 10 attempts. It will be very hard for him to put together back-to-back huge weeks, but if there ever were a course to make that happen, it could be this one.
5. Scott Brown – He has a bit of a reputation for lighting up opposite-field and weaker events. This fits the bill, as it sits opposite of the Olympics this year and he has two top 10s and three top 25s in four attempts.
6. Jon Rahm – Looked like he might threaten to score his breakthrough PGA TOUR win early in the proceedings last week, but faded over the weekend. It should be pointed out that Jordan Spieth earned his first PGA TOUR win in this event while playing on Special Temporary Membership.
7. Patrick Rodgers – By most standards, 2015-16 has been underwhelming relative to expectations for Rodgers. A T3 last week at the Travelers Championship could have turned the tide. It will be as much of a learning experience for gamers as to how he follows that success up as it will be for Rodgers.
8. Ryan Moore – His T17 last week marked his first top-30 finish since the Match Play back in March. He’s a perfect seven-for-seven in the JDC with a balanced two top 10s and four top 25s. Should be considered armed and dangerous given the quality of this field.
9. Kevin Na – His T13 here in 2014 marked both his best and his most recent finish at TPC Deere Run. While he’s gone about his business somewhat quietly, he’s been a top-25 machine of late, including at major championships. For him to play this week, it’s clear he views this as a real opportunity to steal a win.
10. Chris Stroud – Largely invisible this season, Stroud has come on a bit of late. He’s made all seven cuts at TPC Deere Run, with a T5 last year serving as the high-water mark. He’s one of those guys that’s been on TOUR seemingly forever without a win.
11. Robert Garrigus – Fresh off a T5 last week, the bomber has made four of seven cuts with three top 25s in the JDC. It hasn’t been a stellar season, but his recent form is worthy of some respect.
12. Brian Harman – The 2014 champion is sort of trending in the wrong direction, following up a T8 at the Barbasol Championship with a T23 in the RBC Canadian Open and a missed cut at the Travelers Championship. Still, three top 25s in four stops at TPC Deere Run prove the win was no fluke.
13. John Senden – Winner in 2006 and a fourth-place finisher in 2012 attest to TPC Deere Run fitting his eye. It will all come down to the putter for the Aussie, as he’ll have to convert enough opportunities to take it deep.
14. Gary Woodland – He’s made two of three cuts here, including a T21 in 2010 as the highlight. It’s a little hard to get his motivation for teeing it up this week. A Ryder Cup berth seems unlikely and he’s already locked up a spot in the FedExCup Playoffs.
15. Robert Streb – Someone had to take the last spot. Strebber has failed to build on a breakout 2014-15 season, but perhaps he can capitalize this week. He’s three-for-three with two top 25s, including a T14 last season.
Best of luck to all!
Tee times: Olympic Men's, Rounds 1 and 2.
By Golf Channel Digital
(Photo/Golf Channel Digital)
6:30 a.m. Thursday, 8:25 a.m. Friday: Adilson da Silva (BRA), Graham DeLaet (CAN), Byeong-Hun An (KOR)
6:41 a.m. Thursday, 8:36 a.m. Friday: Padraig Harrington (IRL), Matteo Manassero (ITA), Danny Lee (NZL)
6:52 a.m. Thursday, 8:47 a.m. Friday: Kiradech Aphibarnrat (THA), Gavin Green (MAS), Thomas Pieters (BEL)
7:03 a.m. Thursday, 9:03 a.m. Friday: Julien Quesne (FRA), Marcus Fraser (AUS), Shingo Katayama (JPN)
7:14 a.m. Thursday, 9:14 a.m. Friday: Nicolas Colsaerts (BEL), Jeunghun Wang (KOR), Espen Kofstad (NOR)
7:25 a.m. Thursday, 9:25 a.m. Friday: Felipe Aguilar (CHI), Danny Chia (MAS), Soren Kjeldsen (DEN)
7:41 a.m. Thursday, 9:36 a.m. Friday: Fabian Gomez (ARG), David Lingmerth (SWE), Jose Filipe Lima (POR)
7:52 a.m. Thursday, 9:47 a.m. Friday: Rodolfo Cazaubon (MEX), Bernd Wiesberger (AUT), Brandon Stone (RSA)
8:03 a.m. Thursday, 9:58 a.m. Friday: Danny Willett (GBR), Matt Kuchar (USA), Haotong Li (CHN)
8:14 a.m. Thursday, 10:09 a.m. Friday: Bubba Watson (USA), Martin Kaymer (GER), Anirban Lahiri (IND)
8:25 a.m. Thursday, 6:30 a.m. Friday: Jaco van Zyl (RSA), Mikko Ilonen (FIN), David Hearn (CAN)
8:36 a.m. Thursday, 6:41 a.m. Friday: Gregory Bourdy (FRA), Fabrizio Zanotti (PAR), C.T. Pan (TPE)
8:47 a.m. Thursday, 6:52 a.m. Friday: Yuta Ikeda (JPN), Roope Kakko (FIN), Miguel Tabuena (PHI)
9:03 a.m. Thursday, 7:03 a.m. Friday: Ashun Wu (CHN), Nino Bertasio (ITA), Scott Hend (AUS)
9:14 a.m. Thursday, 7:14 a.m. Friday: Joost Luiten (NED), Ricardo Gouveia (POR), Siddikur Rahman (BAN)
9:25 a.m. Thursday, 7:25 a.m. Friday: Sergio Garcia (ESP), Patrick Reed (USA), Emiliano Grillo (ARG)
9:36 a.m. Thursday, 7:41 a.m. Friday: Thorbjorn Olesen (DEN), Alex Cejka (GER), Ryan Fox (NZL)
9:47 a.m. Thursday, 7:52 a.m. Friday: S.S.P. Chawrasia (IND), Seamus Power (IRL), Wen-Tang Lin (TPE)
9:58 a.m. Thursday, 8:03 a.m. Friday: Rickie Fowler (USA), Justin Rose (GBR), Jhonattan Vegas (VEN)
10:09 a.m. Thursday, 8:14 a.m. Friday: Henrik Stenson (SWE), Thongchai Jaidee (THA), Rafael Cabrera-Bello (ESP)
Davis Love's Ryder Cup Captaincy Just Got Really Difficult.
By Sean Zak
(Photo/yahoosports.com)
Davis Love will select four captain's picks to round out Team USA's Ryder Cup roster next month, and with recent mainstays like Bubba Watson and Rickie Fowler outside of the automatic qualifiers, Love's choices are getting tougher with each passing event.
At last week's Travelers Championship, Daniel Berger and Jim Furyk made a significant push for one of Love’s four captain’s picks. Furyk fired the first-ever 58 on the PGA Tour to move to 21st in the Ryder Cup standings while Berger ran out to a 54-hole lead and jumped to 15th in the standings.
And so the debate can stand: Would Love tap Berger or Furyk – or for that matter, Bill Haas, Scott Piercy, etc. – over a group of players like Watson, Fowler Brandt Snedeker and Matt Kuchar with more Ryder Cup qualifying points and experience?
Both Watson and Fowler (as well as Patrick Reed, No. 10 in the standings) will not add to their Ryder Cup point total by playing in the Olympics this week, however, Love noted how those three will fare in the Olympics will have substantial merit in his "unofficial points list."
"We are going to have to factor in a lot of stuff, including the Olympics," Love said at the PGA Championship at Baltusrol. "The unofficial points list that's running in our heads, guys that are really playing well but just don't have as many starts is going to be a factor…When we look past the top 12, we are probably looking a little farther than people think." That could include Berger, Furyk, Piercy (13th), Haas (14th), William McGirt (16th) or Kevin Kisner (23rd).
In the scheme of a 12-man team, a captain’s pick functions as a complement to a squad already in place. It could be a player who played well in year's WGCs and majors or one who is peaking this summer. It could be an experienced Ryder Cupper or simply a player who makes sound analytical sense.
Captain’s picks typically play just three matches. In the seven contests since 2002, only two American captain’s picks played five matches (the maximum). The same number of picks played two matches (a reasonable minimum). With that number in mind, Love can show some analytical creativity. He could consider picking players with strengths that offset his team’s weaknesses, considering more than a quarter of the event is staged in an alternate shot format.
Watson has played three Ryder Cups and is the second-best American in strokes gained tee to green, averaging 1.356, however, his short game is lacking. He's ranked 112th in strokes gained around the green and 138th in putting this season.
With bombers like Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka and J.B. Holmes likely automatically qualifying, Bubba’s pink driver might not be as great an asset to Team USA as it has been in the past. Yes, Hazeltine is long, with three par 5s that reach beyond 600 yards, but where Watson lacks in short game is where some other prospective picks have thrived this year. Below is a chart that shows how each player’s game has stacked up in 2016, according to strokes gained.
These are season-long numbers that speak to a player’s shot-by-shot value and shouldn’t fluctuate much in this late-season scrum for Ryder Cup points. Looking at the numbers, Fowler and Kuchar are solid all-around players who can reasonably be paired with anyone on the team, and Berger has certainly excelled as a ball-striker and putter.
Despite the data, Love may struggle to use a pick on a Ryder Cup rookie. Back in January, he said: "It’s hard to pick a guy who hasn't played before. So you have to balance that."
That sounds like bad news for would-be rookies like Berger and McGirt. Each are sound drivers, good ball-strikers and solid on the greens. They’re both winners on Tour, but are competing with Furyk, Watson, Fowler and Kuchar – none of whom has won this year, but own 17 total Ryder Cups between them. The key question for Love: How good is experience when it hasn't produced victories? The quartet with "experience" is a combined 17-36-11.
And how valuable is experience when you’re on the official Ryder Cup Task Force? Furyk and Fowler hold seats on the committee, and the other nine members all have defined roles at Hazeltine. Would Love actually leave Fowler aside?
It’s a question that will only gain intrigue with the Olympic competition in Rio this week. And don’t forget the John Deere, where assistant captain Steve Stricker is in the field and has won the event three times. He could stir the pot even more and make Love's job that much harder.
State of the game: Golf goes for the gold.
By Arnold Palmer
(Photo/golfchannel.com)
In September I will turn 87 years old. For most of that time — at least 84 years — sport has played an outsized role in my life. Obviously, golf has provided the foundation for my career, but in addition to being an athlete I’m also a fan. Like many of you I have dogged affection for my favorite teams, whether it be the Pittsburgh Steelers or the Wake Forest Demon Deacons. That said, there is no team I pull for more avidly than the Home Team: Team USA. So I’m doubly excited and interested as we approach the historic and long-awaited return of golf to the Olympics. I’ll be rooting for America, but pulling for the sport of golf.
As a kid growing up in Latrobe, Pa., I could dream about being an Olympian like Jesse Owens or Johnny Weissmuller. I could also dream about being a great golfer like Bobby Jones or Byron Nelson. But the idea of being an Olympic golfer never occurred to me. The notion of golf in the Olympics — something that last happened a quarter-century before I was born — was completely alien. But that all changed in 2009 when the International Olympic Committee voted to again include golf on the Olympics slate.
I know that a few of the game’s brightest young stars will not be participating in Rio, and that’s too bad. However, now that the Olympic flame is lit, the focus of a massive global audience will be on the players that have chosen our sport to pursue their Olympic dream. Inevitably, there will be compelling performances from high-profile veterans as well as previously unheralded young players who have taken up the game in developing countries.
Golf’s four major championships have long been viewed as our sport’s ultimate melting pots, championships of the golfing world. But Olympic golf will be even more international. This year the men’s four major championships hosted players from a total of 30 countries; the four women’s majors contested, so far, have included players from 34 countries. But this month, the fields in the men’s and women’s golf competitions at the Olympics will feature golfers from 41 different countries.
Will many of you be watching and rooting for the Americans during the Olympic competition? You bet, and so will I. So imagine the billions of people — particularly sports-crazed kids — in places like India, Bangladesh, Brazil, China and Malaysia watching their own countrymen and women competing and (I expect) contending on the greatest stage in sports. The global interest that spotlight will spur is incalculable. I suspect that only months after Rio, soaring grassroots interest in golf will combine with better funding from medal-hungry governments to launch our sport into a truly global, truly gilded future. In fact, we’re already seeing increased support. Since 2009, when golf was voted onto the Olympic slate, the number of national organizations supporting golf in their home countries has grown from 116 to 145. Imagine where that number could go.
I am a sentimental guy and occasionally that lump in my throat when I speak has stopped my tongue from working. You know I have played golf many times in competition when I have stood to attention as “The Star Spangled Banner” was played – Ryder Cup, Presidents Cup – as part of the opening ceremonies. However, I don’t recall ever having the national anthem played because of my performance. The winners at the Olympics step up, bursting with pride, because everything that they have worked for and all their dedication is rewarded in a climax that I, and most golfers, will never experience. Representing their countries, they will listen to the music, stare at their flag, wear a medal with millions of people watching around the world, and know that this moment in time is all about them and what they have achieved.
This month, for the first time in 112 years, golf stands heroically alongside the marathon and the decathlon on a 21st-century digital stage that spans from a television in South Carolina to a hand-held phone in the South China Sea. This is the game in full bloom and living color with all the pomp and pageantry sport can muster. As of today a kid growing up in western Pennsylvania or eastern Portugal can dream of being an Olympic golfer. This is golf in the Olympics. And that, alone, is pure gold.
Note: On GolfChannel.com, Arnold Palmer periodically shares his opinions about issues affecting the game of golf through his column, “Arnold Palmer’s State of the Game.”
By Nick Bromberg
(Photo/Getty Images)
1. Kyle Busch (LW: 1): Busch had one of the fastest cars throughout the entire race and had a shot at the race win before his little off-corner excursion with Brad Keselowski in turn 1 with nine laps to go. Busch finished behind the next four drivers behind him in this week’s rankings, but it’s hard to bump him from the top spot given how he spent the majority of the day near the front of the field.
2. Brad Keselowski (LW: 3): Hey, we used the word bump in Busch’s paragraph. What a transition. It’s both possible to think that Keselowski screwed up bumping Martin Truex Jr. in the race’s final corner – he admitted as much – and that any visceral reaction (outside of the No. 78 camp) to the bump is overblown. Given how many NASCAR fans feel about Team Penske’s drivers, we’d love to know how opinions would change if it was Truex bumping Keselowski.
3. Joey Logano (LW: 4): Hell, Keselowski didn’t even finish second after the bump. Logano did. Logano also won the Xfinity race the day before and last year’s Cup race at Watkins Glen. Is Logano the newest road-course ringer? Or perhaps it’s time for the term to be retired officially. Entering 2017, Kyle Busch is the only Cup driver with multiple road course wins (four).
4. Denny Hamlin (LW: 8): Hamlin joins a monstrous tie for second on the road course win list with Kevin Harvick, Carl Edwards, Truex, Logano, Clint Bowyer, Kasey Kahne, Jimmie Johnson, AJ Allmendinger and Kurt Busch. The list of one-time winners speaks to the depth of the Sprint Cup field and how road racing excellence isn’t the niche it used to be. But that depth doesn’t undermine what Hamlin did on Sunday at all. Remember, he was a turn away from sweeping the road course races this season.
5. Tony Stewart (LW: 9): The guy who ultimately denied Hamlin his road course sweep finished fifth on Sunday and moves up to fifth in Power Rankings. Who’d have thought that Stewart would be challenging Kurt Busch and Kevin Harvick for the title of fastest (and most consistent) driver at Stewart-Haas through August? Stewart’s still probably the No. 3 choice at the team if we’re ranking title probability, but that’s more about the excellence of the team in a lame-duck manufacturer season.
6. Kevin Harvick (LW: 2): Harvick tumbles four spots because of the crash that led to a 32nd-place finish. But it’s important to remember Harvick wasn’t near the front of the field when the wreck took place. He was mired in the middle of the pack. He could have gotten a top-15 finish or so, but a top-1o would have taken some luck.
7. Martin Truex Jr. (LW: 10): Well, Truex had bad luck and still finished seventh, so… progress? Truex crossed the line eighth, behind Jamie McMurray, but was credited with finishing ahead of McMurray. The caution flag came out for Kyle Larson’s crash after Truex’s spin and the field was frozen at that point as Truex was still ahead of McMurray.
8. Kurt Busch (LW: 6:): Oh no, Busch finished 11th, sound the alarms. Wait, there’s no road course in the Chase and Watkins Glen was a weird race anyway with the pavement and the tire. Nevermind. We’re still bullish on Busch’s Chase chances.
9. Matt Kenseth (LW: 7): Did you know that box score officially lists Kenseth’s sponsor as “Dollar General/Matt Kenseth 600th start?” Congratulations on sponsoring yourself, Matt! You probably shouldn’t have done that this year when you have sponsorship. Save that for next year when you may need it after Dollar General leaves the team. Oh, Kenseth finished 10th.
10. Jimmie Johnson (LW: 5): Jimmie Johnson finished last. That’s a sentence we’ve never written before. Crazy, isn’t it? It’s also crazy to think that Johnson is closer to 20th in the points standings than he is to first. We’re not sure what to write now because we’re still comprehending that statistic.
11. Kyle Larson (LW: 11): Larson keeps his position because he was cruising towards a top-five finish and it wasn’t his fault he got knocked all the way down to 29th in the final corner. Larson’s Chase chances are pretty steep now, but the speed he’s showing on a regular basis is also pretty real.
12. Jamie McMurray (LW: NR): Larson’s teammate was the main beneficiary of Allmendinger’s bump. Perhaps he should send AJ a fruit basket if he makes the Chase over Larson. As on now, McMurray is 30 points ahead of Larson for the final Chase spot.
Lucky Dog: Trevor Bayne finished ninth and keeps his faint Chase hopes alive. He’s eight points back of Larson.
The DNF: This ain’t Greg Biffle’s year, y’all.
Dropped Out: Chris Buescher
NASCAR executive hints at rule change to address victory celebrations.
By Dustin Long
(Photo by Chris Trotman/Getty Images)
Citing a “trend we don’t like to see,’’ a NASCAR executive hinted Tuesday of a rule change that would soon curb post-race victory celebrations.
Steve O’Donnell, NASCAR executive vice president and chief racing development officer, made the comments on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio two days after Denny Hamlin’s victory celebration at Watkins Glen forced him to walk to victory lane.
“It’s a trend we don’t like to see,’’ O’Donnell said of winning cars damaged in victory celebrations. “We want to see a celebration, and we think that drivers can celebrate without doing that. So, you’ll probably see us sooner than later put something in place that covers us for that as you kind of head into the last quarter of the season.
“Again not there yet. We’re talking to a lot of the teams about it, but I think everybody is on board with the direction we want to go in.’’
Section 8.5.2.1.c in the Sprint Cup Rule Book states that “the first-place vehicle may engage in appropriate celebratory activity (such as a victory lap, burn-out(s) or donuts) prior to reporting to victory circle.’’
Any damage during a victory celebration, though, could impact NASCAR’s ability to properly inspect the winning car afterward and ensure that everything was legal with the vehicle.
With the Chase beginning next month for each of NASCAR’s three national series, it appears series officials want to have something stronger in place before the playoffs begin.
Questions have been raised before about excessive celebrations that damage the winning car and how that could impact NASCAR’s post-race inspection process. In March 2015, a NASCAR official told NBC Sports that if series officials believed that such damage from a celebration affected inspection after the race that they would address the matter.
Competitors raised issues about excessive celebrations during last year’s Chase after Kevin Harvick won at Dover and banged his car against an inside wall and also blew out tires amid his celebration. His car passed inspection after the race.
“The winner is the only one that’s able to damage his car after the race without it being too obvious,’’ Hamlin said last October.
Said Brad Keselowski last October: “I’ve definitely blown tires out. I think every driver has done something to do some kind of damage to their car.’’
Hamlin, on the topic of purposely blowing tires, said last October: “Nothing we do is without merit. We all know what we’re doing. It’s a tough balance because NASCAR wants you to celebrate, but as drivers we know when a tire is about to blow and sometimes we continue to put the throttle to it.’’
Hamlin’s celebration Sunday came after he scored his first Cup victory on a road course, giving him a victory on all the different types of track in the series. It also came after he lost at Sonoma in June on the last corner of the last lap to Tony Stewart at that road course.
Steve O’Donnell, NASCAR executive vice president and chief racing development officer, made the comments on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio two days after Denny Hamlin’s victory celebration at Watkins Glen forced him to walk to victory lane.
“It’s a trend we don’t like to see,’’ O’Donnell said of winning cars damaged in victory celebrations. “We want to see a celebration, and we think that drivers can celebrate without doing that. So, you’ll probably see us sooner than later put something in place that covers us for that as you kind of head into the last quarter of the season.
“Again not there yet. We’re talking to a lot of the teams about it, but I think everybody is on board with the direction we want to go in.’’
Section 8.5.2.1.c in the Sprint Cup Rule Book states that “the first-place vehicle may engage in appropriate celebratory activity (such as a victory lap, burn-out(s) or donuts) prior to reporting to victory circle.’’
Any damage during a victory celebration, though, could impact NASCAR’s ability to properly inspect the winning car afterward and ensure that everything was legal with the vehicle.
With the Chase beginning next month for each of NASCAR’s three national series, it appears series officials want to have something stronger in place before the playoffs begin.
Questions have been raised before about excessive celebrations that damage the winning car and how that could impact NASCAR’s post-race inspection process. In March 2015, a NASCAR official told NBC Sports that if series officials believed that such damage from a celebration affected inspection after the race that they would address the matter.
Competitors raised issues about excessive celebrations during last year’s Chase after Kevin Harvick won at Dover and banged his car against an inside wall and also blew out tires amid his celebration. His car passed inspection after the race.
“The winner is the only one that’s able to damage his car after the race without it being too obvious,’’ Hamlin said last October.
Said Brad Keselowski last October: “I’ve definitely blown tires out. I think every driver has done something to do some kind of damage to their car.’’
Hamlin, on the topic of purposely blowing tires, said last October: “Nothing we do is without merit. We all know what we’re doing. It’s a tough balance because NASCAR wants you to celebrate, but as drivers we know when a tire is about to blow and sometimes we continue to put the throttle to it.’’
Hamlin’s celebration Sunday came after he scored his first Cup victory on a road course, giving him a victory on all the different types of track in the series. It also came after he lost at Sonoma in June on the last corner of the last lap to Tony Stewart at that road course.
Bryan Clauson dies due to injuries sustained in dirt-racing crash.
By Tom Jensen
Open-wheel driver Bryan Clauson has died, USAC and Indianapolis Motor Speedway officials announced Monday morning.
The Indiana native had a horrifying crash Saturday night in the Belleville (Kan.) Midget Nationals USAC midget race. Clauson was airlifted to a hospital in Lincoln, Nebraska, following the incident.
At an 8 a.m. news conference at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, officials read a statement from Clauson's family.
"Last night, the seventh of August, we said goodbye to our son, fiancé and friend, Bryan Clauson. He was surrounded by family and friends, and we were grateful that we could experience his final moments with him.
"Our Bryan fought to the end with the same desire he demonstrated behind the wheel of all the various race cars we would park in Victory Lane.
"However, we were more proud of our Bryan that took a moment to make a young fan's day or demonstrated his uncommon kindness and appreciation towards his friends, family and fans."
"This is certainly a sad day for the racing community as a whole, and on behalf of INDYCAR and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, we send our deepest condolences to the family of Bryan Clauson," said Mark Miles, CEO of Hulman & Co., the parent of INDYCAR and Indianapolis Motor Speedway. "Anybody who witnessed Bryan behind the wheel of a race car can attest to his elite ability, relentlessness and unbridled willingness to race anything on wheels. While he'll be remembered most as a legend of short-track racing, his participation in the Indianapolis 500 exemplifies his fearlessness, true versatility as a competitor and the pure depth of his talent as a driver."
"Short-track racing has always been the heart and soul of auto racing in America," said Doug Boles, Indianapolis Motor Speedway president. "Bryan Clauson combined his passion and enthusiasm for grassroots racing with a God-given talent that made him the favorite to win every time he got in a midget or sprint car. And he proved on the world's largest racing stage -- by leading three laps in the 100th Running of the Indianapolis 500 -- that he could use that talent in just about anything with wheels.
"More importantly, he possessed a humility and character out of the race car that made him a person that fellow competitors and fans alike enjoyed being around," Boles added. "His spirit, his positive outlook and his thrilling talent will be missed by the entire racing community. The thoughts and prayers of everyone at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway are with the Clauson family in this difficult time."
Clauson was considered the nation's top short-track dirt-car driver. He has won four USAC national championships and was participating in his 116th race of the season on Saturday night.
His schedule this year was on pace for 200 starts, and that included a 23rd-place finish in the Indianapolis 500.
The 27-year-old racer started three Indianapolis 500s and was a development driver for Chip Ganassi in NASCAR, where he competed in 26 races over the 2007 and 2008 seasons.
Clauson was a three-time winner and the defending champion at Belleville. He flipped off the guard rail between turns 3 and 4 while leading. His car rolled several times and was hit by another car.
It was his second wreck of the weekend.
He started seventh on Friday night before he was in another vicious wreck. After that accident, he posted on Twitter his appreciation for his safety equipment, his chassis manufacturer and his team for getting his car ready for him to race Saturday night.
SOCCER: Fire prepare for 'game of the season' in Tuesday's Open Cup semifinal.
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
The Chicago Fire are falling out of reach in the Eastern Conference playoff race and haven’t been firmly in the race for a while.
That is why Tuesday’s U.S. Open Cup semifinal in New England has taken on so much importance for the Fire.
The Fire’s season more or less rides on this game. A win means the Fire get to host the U.S. Open Cup final, which would be the biggest game the club has played in years. A loss means 2016 is likely going to go down as another lost year.
“Tomorrow’s game I see as a great opportunity for us, not only to advance to the final and have a possibility later to win it,” coach Veljko Paunovic said on Monday. “With that I believe it will in some way save our season so far. I also see it as a great catalyst for boosting our mood and our performance in the league. Of course we are far from the playoffs, but I think it can boost our mood and our performance if we win tomorrow.”
The Fire have already lost twice in New England this season. On May 14 the Revolution came out 2-0 winners and a recent clash on July 23 resulted in a 1-0 New England victory.
The Fire will have to change that trend, as well as the team’s winless road record, in order to advance to the final.
“It is very helpful that we played the last game against New England soon in the past,” Paunovic said. “The only thing we learned from that game is we have to be consistent until the end of the game.”
The team practiced in Utah the morning after Saturday's 3-1 loss at Real Salt Lake, a match in which Paunovic rested key players. They also had an afternoon practice on Monday at Harvard's Ohiri Field after arriving in the area.
While the Fire may have been looking ahead to New England in the lead up to the RSL match, the focus can now fully shift to the Revolution and the cup. The players know the boost that extending this cup run and hosting a final could mean to the Fire’s rebuild.
“It’s a good way for the team to get used to winning ways, to winning cups,” midfielder Arturo Alvarez said. “It’s always a good feeling so we’re looking forward to doing that here.”
Paunovic also emphasized the importance of Tuesday’s game.
“This game is the game of the season so far and we are very excited,” Paunovic said. “After the loss in Salt Lake I could see and feel the team is relieved and focused on the Open Cup semifinal game against New England and that’s what makes me feel good about the game tomorrow and also for me it’s a great excitement. I can’t wait for the game tomorrow.”
Pogba signing puts Man United back in Premier League title conversation.
By Andy Edwards
(Photo/ Manchester United / Twitter: @ManUtd)
Finally — and I do mean finally — the Paul Pogba transfer saga is over.
As you’ve probably heard by now, the former Manchester United midfielder is “former” no more after completing his world-record transfer back to the Premier League from Juventus. This likely concludes Man United’s major transfer dealings for the summer, and in good time with the 2016-17 PL season kicking off this weekend.
As such, it’s the perfect time to discuss the question on everyone’s mind in light of Pogba’s move to Old Trafford:
As you’ve probably heard by now, the former Manchester United midfielder is “former” no more after completing his world-record transfer back to the Premier League from Juventus. This likely concludes Man United’s major transfer dealings for the summer, and in good time with the 2016-17 PL season kicking off this weekend.
As such, it’s the perfect time to discuss the question on everyone’s mind in light of Pogba’s move to Old Trafford:
Why did they let him go for free only to buy him back for $116 million? (Just kidding, there aren’t enough hours in the rest of our lives to answer that.) Serious question: Are the Red Devils title contenders this year?
Last week, I wrote the following in PST’s season preview of United:
United can improve four places from last season, and win the league, because… There’s practically nothing to separate the top five or six sides heading into the season. If one or two results go their way early on, they’ll be great front-runners under [Jose] Mourinho.
Actually, United could miss out on Champions league qualification altogether, because… There’s practically nothing to separate the top five or six sides heading into the season. If one or two results go against them early on, they’ll be terrible chasers under Mourinho.Fast forward a week, and the signing of Pogba boosts Mourinho’s squad from hopefuls to qualify for the UEFA Champions League, to suddenly squarely in the title race. The one thing that hasn’t changed, however, is the fact that this season’s title race is wide open without anything resembling a clear-cut favorite. Any one of eight sides could win it, and no one will bat an eye.
“(Where) will Wayne Rooney play,” was and still is question no. 1 for Mourinho to work out, but “Who starts in central midfield,” ran a close second prior to Monday’s announcement. No two-man combination of Morgan Schneiderlin, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Ander Herrera, Michael Carrick, Marouane Fellaini and Daley Blind was ever going to inspire confidence.
Now, with Pogba, the versatile two-way player that he is, in the mix, Mourinho can go any number of routes in central midfield based on the day’s opponent. Facing a bottom-half side that’ll sit deep and aim to soak up the pressure? Start Herrera alongside Pogba, push the Spaniard forward and break down the bunker. Facing a fellow title contender with goal-scoring firepower out the wazoo?
Schneiderlin’s your man for a bit of extra steel in midfield, to shield the backline and break up play. Up a goal with 10 minutes to play? Sub on Schweinsteiger and push Pogba into the most-advanced of the three central positions.
With the midfield now sorted, we can focus on all the attacking talent at Mourinho’s disposal (should he choose to use it). Zlatan Ibrahimovic marked his competitive debut with the winning goal in the Community Shield on Sunday; he should be good for 15 to 20 league goals this season. 18-year-old Marcus Rashford continues to show signs of his rapid development, and Anthony Martial actually looked last season like he might one day be worth the $55 million United paid for him last summer. Jesse Lingard remains a steady contributor every time he takes the field, and the signing of Henrikh Mkhitaryan will give United the kind of no. 10/underneath striker hybrid they’ve long dreamt of Rooney becoming. Then there’s Memphis Depay, for whom there might simply not be a place in this United squad.
Perhaps the only thing that can stop United from returning to (what they’ll consider) their rightful place atop the footballing world, is the man in charge, Mr. Mourinho. No matter what happens at United this season, it’ll be must-see television from beginning to end.
What will Chelsea achieve under Antonio Conte?
By Matt Reed
(Photo/yahoosports.com)
He’s found success basically everywhere he’s been, but Antonio Conte is set to embark upon a new adventure this season in England as he gets set to revamp Chelsea.
All of Conte’s previous successes have come in Italy, both with the national team and at the club level, but now, the 47-year-old will now have to show that his creative mind is ready to compete with the rest of the big managers in England’s top flight.
While the biggest criticism of Conte this summer was not addressing the backline, the few signings that he and the Blues have made should be game changers. The additions of N'Golo Kante and Michy Batshuayi give Chelsea another dimension in the midfield and attacking third, respectively, while complimenting the current crop of players already afforded to the new Italian manager.
Those signings do give the Blues a much-needed boost after last campaign’s struggles, however, the London side isn’t the only one to have made a significant overhaul this summer. Manchester City and Manchester United were the biggest spenders in the transfer market, leaving Conte a bit more responsible for maneuvering around his current squad.
With talented attacking players such as Eden Hazard, Willian and Diego Costa already guaranteed starting positions because of successful track records, the inclusion of Kante from the start and likely Batshuayi off the bench provides the Blues with a good combination of talent and depth.
Willian, in particular, is coming off of a very impressive campaign for the Blues, and will likely continue to play a major factor in the team’s attack due to his superb technical abilities, as well as his innate sense of finding the back of the net from both open play and set piece situations.
Defensively is where things become a bit eery though for the Blues.
Veteran centerback John Terry will hold down things on the backline, while likely being paired with either Gary Cahill or Kurt Zouma, once the latter resumes full health following a devastating knee injury from a season ago.
The good news for Conte is that he has been provided with several promising young options in the central defense, which starts with Zouma. From there, the squad also features Jake Clarke-Salter, Michael Hector and U.S. defender Matt Miazga, although it’s likely none will feature regularly unless the team is hit with injuries.
However, the team doesn’t have the luxury of having as many options at the outside back position, which could cause problems for the backline. Branislav Ivanovic will likely get the nod at right back, while Cezar Azpilicueta is projected to provide help on the opposite side. After those two players, though, the Blues don’t feature many choices. Kenedy provided a solid spark both offensively and on the defensive end last season, however, the Brazilian youngster is still too raw as a defender to throw him out against England’s best.
Meanwhile, English youngster Ola Aina has shown well during the team’s preseason run in, but the Under-21 defender needs more experience of his own before getting a consistent first-team go.
Despite being known for being one of the few managers at a top club to utilize the 3-5-2 and 3-4-3 formations, Conte will likely have to stick to a more traditional 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1 given Chelsea’s current personnel.
The current squad of players that Conte has at his disposal gives Chelsea an undoubted chance to be considered among the favorites to win the Premier League in 2016/17. With about six other clubs in the mix though for the title, though, the Italian has his work cut out for him in managing the team over the long season.
While Champions League football is something the Blues will be looking to get back to for next season, Conte does at least have the luxury of going all out for the PL and FA Cup, while other teams have to deal with the riggers of European competition on top of their domestic obligation.
NCAAFB: Alabama will repeat, and nine other 2016 season predictions.
By Mark Schlabach
(Photo/ESPN)
After a summer full of hyperbole, promises, slogans, candidates and debate, we can finally see light at the end of the tunnel.
No, I'm not talking about the U.S. presidential election, which won't end until Nov. 8.
Thankfully, the start of the 2016 college football season is right around the corner. And if you haven't heard, the opening weekend of the season is going to be so big. It's going to be yuuuge. Listen, it's going to be so good that you won't be able to turn away from your TV for 72 straight hours. It's going to be so very, very, very big. Trust me.
On the opening Saturday, Oklahoma will play Houston, UCLA will play Texas A&M, LSU will play Wisconsin (at Lambeau Field!), Georgia will play North Carolina, USC will play Alabama and Clemson will play Auburn. Then Notre Dame will play at Texas on Sunday night, and Ole Miss will play Florida State on Labor Day night.
We're going to have so much fun. It's going to be like Super Bowl Sunday on steroids. The best part: everybody is going to win (even UCF and Kansas!). There's going to be so much winning that no one will want to fire a coach after Week 1. Well, everyone but Auburn, which always seems to want to fire its coach.
Hawaii and California officially kick off the season in Sydney, Australia, on Aug. 26 (10 p.m. ET, ESPN). After college football goes worldwide, here's what to watch this coming season:
1. Alabama will win the national championship. Again.
Alabama's season will look a lot like the last one -- the Crimson Tide will struggle at quarterback early, might even lose to Ole Miss again, and then they'll figure it out and start rolling. By the end of the regular season, Alabama's running game will be punishing people and its defense will be stuffing everyone.
Alabama coach Nick Saban will win his fifth national title in 10 years in Tuscaloosa and his sixth overall (he won one at LSU), which will tie him with legendary Tide coach Paul "Bear" Bryant for the most in major college football history. Afterward, Alabama will unveil a statue of Saban's wife, Terry, at Bryant-Denny Stadium at next year's spring game.
2. Alabama will be joined in the College Football Playoff by Clemson, Michigan and Oklahoma.
Year 3 of the College Football Playoff includes semifinal games at the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl and Fiesta Bowl on New Year's Eve. Then the championship game will be played at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida, on Jan. 9.
It's the last time the CFP semifinals games will be played on New Year's Eve until after the 2021 season. After this season, future semifinals games will fall on either Saturday or New Year's Day until 2022. So this year, you'll have to split time between college football and Ryan Seacrest once more.
I'm picking Alabama, Clemson, Michigan and Oklahoma to make the playoffs. Alabama will play Michigan in the national championship game, which will be preceded by an eight-day Twitter war between Wolverines coach Jim Harbaugh and Alabama offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin. Sadly, the Twitter war will be more entertaining than the actual game.
3. Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson will win one of the closest Heisman Trophy races in history.
Miami's Mark Richt recently said that when he was Georgia's coach, he told an assistant that Watson would "win somebody a national championship" when the Bulldogs were recruiting him four years ago. Watson will get close to winning a national championship for the second season in a row, but the Tigers will fall in the CFP semifinals.
However, Watson will win the Heisman Trophy in a very close race over Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield and three tailbacks -- LSU's Leonard Fournette, FSU's Dalvin Cook and Stanford's Christian McCaffrey.
4. McCaffrey will kick an extra point, return a fumble for a touchdown and score a touchdown off an onside kick this coming season.
What didn't McCaffrey do last season? He'll be the best player in the country for the second season in a row in 2016, but not enough Heisman Trophy voters on the East Coast will stay up late enough to watch him play.
"Pac-12 After Dark" sounds cool, but it's killing the league. Please don't make East Coast fans stay up until 11 p.m. ET every week to see McCaffrey play. He's too fun to watch.
5. The Pac-12 will be left out of the College Football Playoff again.
The Pac-12 was the only Power 5 league left out of the playoff last season, and it might be in the same boat in December. There doesn't seem to be a dominant team out West, especially with Stanford and Oregon having to break in new quarterbacks.
Plus, the Pac-12 is at a disadvantage playing nine conference games (compared to eight in the ACC and SEC). The Big 12 also plays nine conference games, but one of them is against Kansas. The Big Ten is starting to play nine this season, but one of them is against Purdue. The Pac-12 will devour itself, and Washington will win the league with three losses.
6. Michigan will beat Ohio State and win the Big Ten.
I don't get why people don't like Harbaugh. He loves Twitter. He appears in rap videos. He likes Judge Judy. He likes taking his shirt off in public. He takes his entire team to Florida for spring break and holds satellite camps around the world. What's not to love?
College football people in the South don't like Harbaugh because he doesn't fear the SEC. SEC coaches don't like Harbaugh because he makes them work too hard. SEC coaches don't like spending their summers at satellite camps. They want to spend their summers with their families at the beach, and I don't blame them.
The Wolverines went 10-3 in Harbaugh's first season and throttled SEC East champion Florida 41-7 in the Buffalo Wild Wings Citrus Bowl. But there was also an ugly 42-13 loss to Ohio State in the Big House. Harbaugh despises the Buckeyes. The Wolverines won't lose to OSU this season. They will beat the Buckeyes at the Horseshoe to win the Big Ten.
7. A Power 5 school will scoop up Houston's Tom Herman by Dec. 1.
After guiding Houston to a 13-1 record and 38-24 upset of Florida State in the Chick-fil-A Bowl last season, Herman will be a hot commodity this coming season. With quarterback Greg Ward Jr. leading Herman's offense, the Cougars are again favorites to win the AAC.
If teams like Auburn, Texas or Texas A&M struggle early, don't be surprised to see an athletic director fire a coach sooner than usual. Everybody will line up to get a chance to hire Herman, especially schools in Texas.
8. Tennessee will win the SEC East (but won't beat Florida).
The Volunteers haven't won an SEC championship since 1998 and haven't won 10 games in a season since 2007. After limping through four seasons under Lane Kiffin and Derek Dooley, the Vols have slowly showed progress under Butch Jones, who is 21-17 in three seasons.
But Jones says he believes he might finally have an SEC contender, and the Volunteers look loaded on both lines of scrimmage. With quarterback Joshua Dobbs and tailbacks Jalen Hurd and Alvin Kamara coming back, the Vols might be the team to beat in the SEC East. They'll win at Georgia and South Carolina, but they'll lose to Florida for the 12th season in a row. Even worse, Steve Spurrier will be there to watch it.
9. Big 12 expansion will come quickly.
The Big 12 has 10 teams. The Big Ten has 14. Whatever. The Big 12 recently announced that it's looking to expand, possibly with two more teams and maybe even four. Everybody from BYU to Cincinnati to Houston to South Florida to Tulane is under consideration.
The Big 12 will expand, probably even before the games kick off in September. I think it'll add only two teams -- probably Houston and maybe Cincinnati. The Big 12 adding four teams of the caliber it's considering for expansion would only water down its on-field product. It won't help it catch the SEC. After losing Cincinnati and Houston, the AAC won't replace them and will remain at 10 teams.
10. San Diego State will finish the regular season undefeated.
If the Aztecs can beat a rebuilding Cal team at home on Sept. 10, then win at Northern Illinois the next week, they'll have a great chance to finish 12-0. SDSU carries a 10-game winning streak -- second-longest in FBS behind only that of Alabama -- and doesn't play Boise State during the regular season.
Aztecs tailback Donnel Pumphrey is one of the most underrated players in the country, after running for 1,653 yards with 17 touchdowns in 2015, and coach Rocky Long's defense is stingy. After going 12-0 in the regular season, the Aztecs will have to beat Boise State in the Mountain West championship game to land a spot in a New Year's Six bowl.
NCAABKB: ACC/Big Ten, SEC/Big 12 Challenges have broadcast dates, times, networks announced.
NCAABKB: ACC/Big Ten, SEC/Big 12 Challenges have broadcast dates, times, networks announced.
By Rob Dauster
(Photo/AP)
ESPN announced the date, time and channel that all of the games featured in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge and the SEC/Big 12 Challenge.
Here are the highlights that you need to know about:
Kentucky squares off with Kansas on Jan. 28th at 6:00 p.m. on Rupp Arena, which is a matchup between two of the preseason top three teams in the country.
Duke’s showdown with Michigan State in Cameron Indoor Stadium will be on Nov. 29th — a Tuesday — in a 9:30 p.m. tip. That will, of course, be on ESPN.
North Carolina’s Sweet 16 rematch with Indiana in Bloomington will be at 9:00 p.m. on the following night, Nov. 30th.
Beyond that, the schedule isn’t all that moving. Syracuse at Wisconsin on Nov. 29th, Purdue at Louisville on the 30th, Texas A&M at West Virginia on Jan. 28th. Those are all nice matchups. But it’s those first three that are going to be must-see TV.
Anyway, here is the full schedule.
ACC/BIG TEN CHALLENGE
Here are the highlights that you need to know about:
Kentucky squares off with Kansas on Jan. 28th at 6:00 p.m. on Rupp Arena, which is a matchup between two of the preseason top three teams in the country.
Duke’s showdown with Michigan State in Cameron Indoor Stadium will be on Nov. 29th — a Tuesday — in a 9:30 p.m. tip. That will, of course, be on ESPN.
North Carolina’s Sweet 16 rematch with Indiana in Bloomington will be at 9:00 p.m. on the following night, Nov. 30th.
Beyond that, the schedule isn’t all that moving. Syracuse at Wisconsin on Nov. 29th, Purdue at Louisville on the 30th, Texas A&M at West Virginia on Jan. 28th. Those are all nice matchups. But it’s those first three that are going to be must-see TV.
Anyway, here is the full schedule.
ACC/BIG TEN CHALLENGE
Mon, Nov. 28:
- 7:00 p.m. Minnesota at Florida State, ESPNU
- 9:00 p.m. Wake Forest at Northwestern, ESPNU
Tues, Nov. 29
- 7:00 p.m. Pittsburgh at No. 14 Maryland, ESPN2
- 7:00 p.m. Georgia Tech at Penn State, ESPNU
- 7:30 p.m. No. 17 Syracuse at No. 9 Wisconsin, ESPN
- 9:00 p.m. Iowa at Notre Dame, ESPN2
- 9:00 p.m. NC State at Illinois, ESPNU
- 9:30 p.m. No. 13 Michigan State at No. 1 Duke, ESPN
Wed, Nov. 30
- 7:00 p.m. No. 16 Purdue at No. 5 Louisville, ESPN
- 7:00 p.m. Virginia Tech at Michigan, ESPN2
- 7:00 p.m. Rutgers at Miami, ESPNU
- 9:00 p.m. No. 6 North Carolina at No. 8 Indiana, ESPN
- 9:00 p.m. Ohio State at No. 7 Virginia, ESPN2
- 9:00 p.m. Nebraska at Clemson, ESPNU
SEC/BIG 12 CHALLENGE
Sat, Jan. 28
Sat, Jan. 28
- Noon No. 19 Texas A&M at No. 15 West Virginia, ESPN
- 2:00 p.m. Florida at No. 18 Oklahoma, ESPN
- 2:00 p.m. Kansas State at Tennessee, ESPN2
- 2:00 p.m. LSU at Texas Tech, ESPNU
- 4:00 p.m. Texas at Georgia, ESPN
- 4:00 p.m. No. 22 Iowa State at Vanderbilt, ESPN2
- 4:00 p.m. Arkansas at Oklahoma State, ESPNU
- 6:00 p.m. No. 4 Kansas at No. 3 Kentucky ESPN
- 6:00 p.m. Baylor at Ole Miss, ESPN2
- 6:00 p.m. Auburn at TCU, ESPNU
OLYMPICS: Medals Count (08/09/2016)
OLYMPICS: U.S. women make history in capturing Rio Olympic gymnastics team gold.
2016 Summer Olympics medal table
| Rank | NOC | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  United States (USA) | 9 | 8 | 9 | 26 |
| 2 |  China (CHN) | 8 | 3 | 6 | 17 |
| 3 |  Hungary (HUN) | 4 | 1 | 1 | 6 |
| 4 |  Australia (AUS) | 4 | 0 | 5 | 9 |
| 5 |  Russia (RUS) | 3 | 6 | 3 | 12 |
| 6 |  Italy (ITA) | 3 | 4 | 2 | 9 |
| 7 |  South Korea (KOR) | 3 | 2 | 1 | 6 |
| 8 |  Japan (JPN) | 3 | 1 | 10 | 14 |
| 9 |  France (FRA) | 2 | 3 | 1 | 6 |
| 10 |  Thailand (THA) | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| 11 |  Great Britain (GBR) | 1 | 3 | 2 | 6 |
| 12 |  Germany (GER) | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
 Sweden (SWE) | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 | |
| 14 |  Brazil (BRA)* | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 15 |  Chinese Taipei (TPE) | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| 16 |  Belgium (BEL) | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
 Greece (GRE) | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | |
 Netherlands (NED) | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | |
| 19 |  Argentina (ARG) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
 Colombia (COL) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
 Croatia (CRO) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
 Kosovo (KOS) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
 Slovenia (SLO) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
 Vietnam (VIE) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| 25 |  Indonesia (INA) | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
 New Zealand (NZL) | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | |
 North Korea (PRK) | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | |
 South Africa (RSA) | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | |
| 29 |  Canada (CAN) | 0 | 1 | 4 | 5 |
| 30 |  Kazakhstan (KAZ) | 0 | 1 | 3 | 4 |
| 31 |  Ukraine (UKR) | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 32 |  Azerbaijan (AZE) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
 Denmark (DEN) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
 Malaysia (MAS) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
 Mongolia (MGL) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
 Philippines (PHI) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
 Slovakia (SVK) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
 Turkey (TUR) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| 39 |  Uzbekistan (UZB) | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| 40 |  Georgia (GEO) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
 Israel (ISR) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
 Kyrgyzstan (KGZ) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
 Poland (POL) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
 Portugal (POR) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
 Spain (ESP) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
 Switzerland (SUI) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
 United Arab Emirates (UAE) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
| Total (47 NOCs) | 55 | 55 | 64 | 174 | |
OLYMPICS: U.S. women make history in capturing Rio Olympic gymnastics team gold.
By Dan Wetzel
Simone Biles led the Americans to Olympic team gold. (Getty Images)
The depth and brilliance of the Americans was on display throughout, as the team of Biles, Aly Raisman, Gabby Douglas, Laurie Hernandez and Madison Kocian took a .700 lead on the field after the first apparatus and continued to extend it throughout.
It was up to 4.026 after two and 4.092 after three, as the rout was on. The United States finished with a total of 184.897. Russia (176.688) won silver. China (176.003) took home the bronze.
The previous Olympic record for margin of victory was 5.066 set by the 2012 American team.
Due to a decided advantage in degree of difficulty, the Americans didn’t need to be perfect to win. They were close anyway, though, with no major gaffes and just a few minor mistakes. This was not an event full of drama, just excellence.
The victory was a crowning achievement for national team coordinator Marta Karolyi, who at 73 is set to retire after these Games. Since taking over for her husband, Bela, at the turn of the century, the U.S. had turned into a gymnastics juggernaut both on the individual and team level that has left the rest of the world unable to maintain a competitive level.
Biles was the American anchor, the only member to perform in all four disciplines, batting clean up on three of them. The 19-year-old from Spring, Texas, and UCLA delivered team-high scores on vault (15.933), balance beam (15.300) and floor exercise (15.800) and showed a level of gymnastics that far exceeds anyone else in the world. Her gold-clinching final performance on floor (where she scored a 15.800) left her teammates bouncing and cheering in jubilation and the gymnastics hall on its feet in appreciation of history unfolding.
Biles is expected to dominate individual competition the rest of the Olympics, favored to win not just all-around gold but take first on three apparatus competitions. If she does that, she will become the first female gymnast to capture five gold medals in a single Games.
Raisman, of Needham, Mass., and Douglas, of Virginia Beach, Va., were also members of the 2012 gold medal team, returning, in part, for an afternoon like this.
Raisman was solid as ever on vault (15.833), beam (15.000) and floor (15.366). Douglas, the all-around champion at the London Games, participated in bars and delivered an impressive 15.766. Kocin, the team’s bars specialist out of Dallas, brought the house down with a brilliant 15.933.
Meanwhile, New Jersey’s Laurie Hernandez, who was bypassed for Douglas for all-around qualifying, proved her overall skill by competing in three events vaults (15.100), beam (15.233) and then floor, where her typically electric performance delighted the crowd and the judges (14.833).
It was that kind of effort for the Americans, overwhelming favorites due to their combination of individual genius, depth of talent and mental focus. They met those expectations and then some, setting a new standard in women’s gymnastics for future teams — in the States or anywhere — to chase.
The gymnastics competition continues the rest of the week, with the women’s all-around on Thursday, where Biles and Raisman are favored to go gold-silver.
On Sunday, Biles will compete in vault, while Kocin and Douglas will go for gold in uneven bars. Monday will feature Biles and Hernandez on beam and Tuesday will conclude with Biles and Raisman on floor.
Michael Phelps takes double gold after winning 200 butterfly, 800 freestyle relay.
By Pat Forde
Michael Phelps scored a spectacular double Tuesday night, further underscoring that he is primed to bow out of swimming in a blaze of golden glory.
About 70 minutes after winning gold in the 200-meter butterfly, Phelps swam a leg of the United States’ gold-medal-winning 800 freestyle relay. Phelps was not a lock to swim the event after not posting an elite-level 200 free time all year, but his spectacular performance in the 400 free relay Sunday night made him an obvious option for the 800.
Phelps swam the anchor leg with a split 1:45.26. He teamed with Conor Dwyer, Townley Haas and fellow swimming legend Ryan Lochte to easily win the event in 7:00.66. Great Britain won silver in 7:03.13 while Japan took bronze in 7:03.50.
When the 31-year-old Phelps announced his most recent comeback, the expectation was for a limited number of events as a concession to his advanced age by swimming standards. But he’s now on track for six medals, and all six could be gold.
That would give Phelps four Olympic performances with six or more medals, a staggering accomplishment. He is the all-time leader in Olympic medals (25) and golds (21).
Phelps has won gold in his first three events in Rio – the 400 freestyle; the 200 butterfly; and the 800 freestyle – and still has three events remaining in his swan song Olympics: the 200 individual medley Wednesday and Thursday; the 100 butterfly Thursday and Friday; and a leg on the U.S. medley relay Saturday. By the time he is done, Phelps could put a mind-boggling 28 lifetime medals and 24 golds in the trophy case.
USA's Katie Ledecky does it again, winning gold in 200 freestyle.
By Jeff Passan
With the 800 free left to swim, Ledecky is all but guaranteed a third gold. She is first expected to anchor the United States’ 4×200-meter freestyle relay team Thursday. The U.S. 4×100-meter team, anchored by Ledecky, won silver the first night of swimming.
The 200 free was supposed to pose the greatest challenge for Ledecky, with Sweden’s Sarah Sjostrom qualifying fastest. Ledecky held off Sjostrom, who won silver. Australia’s Emma McKeon took bronze.
Ledecky is only the third woman and sixth swimmer to win gold in both the 200 and 400 freestyle at the same Olympic Games.
She is approaching rarefied air in the pool in these Olympics. American Missy Franklin won four gold medals and one bronze at the 2012 Games and Amy Van Dyken four golds in 1996. Hungary’s Katinka Hosszu, who has two golds in individual events at the Rio Games, is favored to win two more in the 200-meter butterfly and 200-meter individual medley.
Hope Solo blunders but U.S. women clinch Rio Olympics group anyway.
By Leander Schaerlaeckens
The unspoken bargain is basically this: the United States women’s national team will tolerate Hope Solo’s off-field issues and baggage, the run-ins with the law and the volatility, and in return she’ll keep being one of the best women’s goalkeepers ever – if not the very best outright.
In Tuesday’s final group stage game, however, a 2-2 tie with Colombia, Solo wavered from her usually transcendent standards to give up two unusually soft goals in the USA’s final group stage game at the Rio Olympics.
“I personally gave up a goal I wish I could take back,” Solo told NBC after the game. “I’ve been around the game long enough to know these things happen. I’m going to choose to have short-term memory and put this one behind me.”
The first one was fairly unfathomable. In the 26th minute, an unnecessary foul by Megan Rapinoe, newly back after eight months of injury, gave Catalina Usme a free kick from just outside the box. She popped her effort around the America wall, but right at Solo, who had but a routine save to make on the low ball. But she inexplicably let it skitter through her legs.
The U.S., which rested or rotated several regulars, had never given up a goal against Colombia in five games, which they won by a total score of 18-0. In fact, Colombia had never scored in the Olympics before.
It was a remarkable slip-up for Solo, who’d been outstanding so far in this tournament and has now put together the better part of a decade of unimpeachable play for the U.S. It was Solo’s handiwork in goal that conserved a 1-0 win against France on Saturday that clinched the Americans’ spot in the quarterfinals in their quest to win a fourth straight gold medal.
This has been a strange tournament for Solo, who has found herself booed mercilessly by the local crowds for a pair of tweets demonstrating her rather elaborate precautions against the Zika virus, which had caused her to contemplate skipping the tournament altogether. That story blew up in the local press and won her no fans in Brazil.
Oddly, local fans have chanted “Zika!” at her whenever she has kicked the ball.
But after all of those games in which Solo bailed out her teammates, they returned the favor against a physical and aggressive Colombia. Well, almost.
Before half-time, Christen Press, who had already come close to scoring, set up captain Carli Lloyd. The reigning World Player of the Year saw her blast parried by Sandra Sepulveda and carom off the bar. But Crystal Dunn got to the loose ball first and deftly flicked it through the defenders and into the net.
Then, after the intermission, the 18-year-old Mallory Pugh became the youngest American scorer in Olympic history when she collected a Dunn cross, took the ball back across the box and scored.
On
emoriesofhistory.com
1947 - William Odom completed an around-the-world flight. He set the solo record by completing the flight in 73 hours and 5 minutes.
1971 - Harmon Killebrew became the 10th major league player to hit 500 career home runs.
1973 - Arnold Palmer did not make the cut for the final two rounds of the PGA Golf Championship. It was the first time in his career.
1981 - Pete Rose hit a single and broke the National League all-time hit record with his 3,630 hit.
1971 - Harmon Killebrew became the 10th major league player to hit 500 career home runs.
1973 - Arnold Palmer did not make the cut for the final two rounds of the PGA Golf Championship. It was the first time in his career.
1981 - Pete Rose hit a single and broke the National League all-time hit record with his 3,630 hit.
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