CS&T/AllsportsAmerica Friday Sports News Update and What's Your Take? 12/02/2016.

Chicago Sports & Travel Inc./AllsportsAmerica

"America's Finest Sports Fan Travel Club, May We Plan An Event Or Sports Travel For You?"

We offer: Select opportunities, For your convenience, At "Very Rare but Super Fair" pricing

Because it's all about you!!!

"Sports Quote of the Day"

"Success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life... as by the obstacles which he has overcome while trying to succeed." ~ Booker T. Washington, Educator, Author, Orator and Adviser to Presidents of the United States

Trending: Forbes: Blackhawks are fourth most valuable NHL franchise, own league's 'best fans'. (See the hockey section for Blackhawks updates and NHL news).   

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

Trending: Marian Hossa scores game winner as Blackhawks outlast Devils in OT.
(See the hockey section for Blackhawks updates and NHL news).  

Trending: San Francisco 49ers vs. Chicago Bears Preview. (See the football section for Bears News an NFL updates).

Trending: Quick thoughts on the Cubs and the new MLB labor deal. (See the baseball section for Cubs and White Sox updates).

Trending: 49ers QB Colin Kaepernick: Anthem protest about 'change,' not just police violence. What's Your Take? (See the last article on this blog for our take).

How 'bout them Chicago Blackhawks? Marian Hossa scores game winner as Blackhawks outlast Devils in OT.

By Tracey Myers

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

It was another first period in which the shots weren’t really there.

The Blackhawks have talked about shooting more, talked about getting away from waiting for the perfect opportunity to open up, but it was still absent through the first 20 minutes on Thursday night.

They turned talk into action by the second period.

Artem Anisimov scored his 10th goal of the season and Marian Hossa had the overtime winner as the Blackhawks beat the New Jersey Devils 4-3 on Thursday night. The Blackhawks are now 3-0-1 without Jonathan Toews, who missed his fourth consecutive game with that upper-body injury sustained against the San Jose Sharks last week. Toews, as of Thursday morning, was also doubtful for Saturday’s game against Philadelphia.

“When they’re ready to play, they’re ready to play,” coach Joel Quenneville said. “Every player’s different but they’ll tell you when it’s time and you know when they’re able and ready to go. But we wouldn’t put anybody out there who isn’t ready. In Jonny’s case we’ll make sure he’s clear – in a lot of ways.”

Corey Crawford stopped 30 of 33 shots for the victory. Niklas Hjalmarsson and Marcus Kruger each scored for the Blackhawks and Brent Seabrook and Duncan Keith each had two assists.

The Blackhawks’ second period was more of what they’ve been looking for this season, especially lately: just shooting, driving the net and seeing what comes out of it. On Thursday three goals came out of it.

“Yeah, we talked about going into the game that lately we need more of a net-front presence and have to put more pucks at the net,” coach Joel Quenneville said. “I thought we were much better in the second period, much better in the last half of the first period to get ourselves in the game. Crow made some big saves early, really kept them in our end there the first 5-10 minutes when were in a lot of trouble. We got our game going and we were much more effective the rest of the way. But you don’t score in this league when the goalies see the pucks.”

Devils goaltender Cory Schneider wasn’t seeing any pucks in the first few minutes of the first period. The Blackhawks were too busy trying to defend and clear against an energetic group of Devils, and they weren’t succeeding at it. The fact that the Devils only got one goal in those frantic early minutes – the first of Travis Zajac’s three on the night – was a credit to how good Crawford was again.

“Yeah. It was a rough start. I think they came out flying, played really good hockey and we were kind of standing on our heels a little bit,” Hjalmarsson said. “Crow kept us in the game and then I think we kind of started to grow and play better and better. As we’ve been doing as of late, we found a way to get it to overtime and get two important points.”

Yes, they did, and rather quickly. Kruger scored just 62 seconds into the second period, with Anisimov and Hjalmarsson adding their goals later. Hjalmarsson’s came not long after a bad turnover at the other end led to Zajac’s second goal of the night.

“I definitely owed the team that,” Hjalmarsson said. “That was a bad giveaway.”

After Zajac’s third forced overtime, it didn’t seem to be a surprise that Hossa had the final say once again. His 12th goal of the season was also his fourth game winner this season.

“[Patrick Kane] took the puck and just gave it to me at the blue line. I tried to hold, see my options and I didn’t see anything and I tried to shoot through the screen,” Hossa said. “I don’t think the goalie saw much. It wasn’t a hard shot, but I think I just tried to shoot it at the net.”

The Blackhawks found a way once again. With Toews out, it’s all about getting points any way possible. One way or another they’re doing it, and on Thursday, getting more pucks to the net was beneficial.

“During the intermission we [talked about] putting pucks on the net because we know there's a good goalie on the other side,” Kruger said. “I think we did a good job, from that being in traffic and putting pucks on net.”

Five Things from Blackhawks-Devils: From a sluggish start to a Marian Hossa finish.

By Tracey Myers 

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

Getting points any way possible: that’s pretty much any team’s mantra at any point of a season but when missing a top player, it’s even more so. The Blackhawks are in that boat right now, trying to gather as may points as they can while Jonathan Toews heals from his upper-body injury.

For the fourth consecutive game, the Blackhawks found a way. Yes, that start was dismal. We’ll get to that in a second. But the end result was a positive again as the Blackhawks beat the New Jersey Devils 4-3 in overtime. So before we call it a night, here are Five Things to take away from the Blackhawks’ victory.

1. Another awful start. Yeah, let’s just get this one out of the way. This was actually to a new level of lousy compared to the Blackhawks’ previous bad starts. For the first few minutes the Blackhawks couldn’t even get the puck to the red line. Credit the Devils for some of that – they were playing the type of road period that’s necessary – but the Blackhawks couldn’t get out of their own way. It was a surprise they finished the first 20 minutes down by just one goal. Well, actually not so much when you consider what Corey Crawford’s done this season, and did again on Thursday.

2. The Kruger line strikes again. While the top two lines struggle to find offense, the Dennis Rasmussen-Kruger-Richard Panik line found it again. This time it was Kruger, with a slick snipe that beat Cory Schneider and tied the game 1-1 just 1:02 into the second period. Rasmussen had his second assist in as many nights; this pass wasn’t the lengthy one he threw Panik on Tuesday, but was just as effective. And for Kruger, getting his second of the season was pleasant. “You never know what role you're going to play and if you're healthy and stuff like that, you want to score as many as you can. But it feels nice to chip in,” Kruger said.

3. Shooting isn’t so bad. From the second period on, the Blackhawks were buying more into the shoot-whenever-you-can mentality. It worked. First it was Anisimov shooting and then following his own shot for a goal. Hjalmarsson had a quick shot off a loose puck and also scored. The Blackhawks, who had just nine shots in the first period, had 15 in the second. They also had three goals. Who woulda thunk it?

4. Power play progress? Coach Joel Quenneville didn’t mind it, despite it going 0-for-4 against the Devils. The Blackhawks have just one power-play goal since Nov. 19 but Quenneville was encouraged by the zone time the Blackhawks got on Thursday night. That was evident on their fourth one, although they didn’t get a shot on it. Still, Quenneville said, “if we get that zone time, we’ll find a way to hit the back of the net.”

5. Marian Hossa finishes. Again. We shouldn’t be shocked anymore, should we? Hossa sliced through the middle and just tried to shoot through bodies. It worked, as he netted his fourth game-winning goal of the season. Niklas Hjalmarsson summed up Hossa best: “He seems to have found the fountain of youth. He’s looking better and stronger than ever. Whatever he’s doing, I’m just going to follow and do the same thing.”

Forbes: Blackhawks are fourth most valuable NHL franchise, own league's 'best fans'.

By Charlie Roumeliotis

Chicago is home to the best fans in hockey and also one of the most valuable franchises in the National Hockey League, according to Forbes.

In the magazine's annual valuations released Wednesday, it was revealed the Blackhawks' estimated worth is $925 million, which ranks No. 4 in the league. Only the New York Rangers ($1.25 billion), Montreal Canadiens ($1.12 billion) and Toronto Maple Leafs ($1.1 billion) are valued higher.

The Blackhawks have won three Stanley Cups in the last seven seasons, and own two of the most marketable players in Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews.

The fan rankings were compiled based on five metrics: local television ratings, arena attendance, resale ticket demand, merchandise sales, and social media reach.

The Blackhawks have led the NHL in regular season attendance for eight consecutive seasons, and are on track to make it a ninth thanks to a 446 percent fan increase from 2007-2016, including a 600 percent increase in the female fan base, per Scarborough research. Roughly 3.6 million (49 percent of Chicago) describe themselves as Blackhawks fans.

Forbes also pointed to the team's almost perfect season-ticket renewal rate of 99.8 percent — with the waiting list full at 20,000 — and strong television ratings on CSN and WGN that have continued to grow.

Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane among highest paid NHL players in 2016-17.

By Charlie Roumeliotis

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

For the second straight year, Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane rank among the highest paid NHL players in 2016-17, according to Forbes.

That's no surprise, considering they signed matching eight-year, $84-million contracts that kicked in last fall.

But there's been a change at the top.

After holding down the No. 1 spot as the highest paid player for eight straight years, Penguins superstar Sidney Crosby has been surpassed by Toews, who is set to accumulate a total of $16 million this year in salary and endorsements.

While Toews' contract carries a $10.5 million cap hit, the Blackhawks captain will earn $7.8 million in base salary, another $6 million in signing bonuses, and the rest off endorsements, which includes Bauer, Canadian Tire, Chevrolet in Chicago, Hallmark and more.

He was also the NHL's best-selling jersey last season, overtaking teammate Patrick Kane, who was No. 1 in jersey sales the previous year.

Crosby, a two-time Hart Trophy winner and reigning Stanley Cup champion, earned $16.5 million last year, but that number dropped to $15.4 million after his base salary went from $12 million to $10.9 million. He signed a front-loaded 12-year, $104.4 million deal that runs through 2024-25.

Kane came in at No. 3 with earnings of $14.8 million, which is a notch more than the $14.7 million he made last season. Like Toews, Kane brought in $13.8 million in salary and the remainder off his endorsement deals.

Los Angeles' Anze Kopitar ($14.1 million) and Washington's Alex Ovechkin ($14 million) round out the top five.

Bear Down Chicago Bears!!!!! San Francisco 49ers vs. Chicago Bears Preview.

Pro Football Weekly Staff

(Photo/www.eonline.com)

The San Francisco 49ers had a long trip to Miami last Sunday to lose their 10^th straight, 31-24. But they are hoping for better things ahead as their offense, and specifically quarterback Colin Kaepernick, have started to come around.

Over his last 4 starts Kaepernick is 86-145, 59.3%, 1,110, 7.7, 8 TD’s, 2 Int.’s, 96.0 while rushing 29-223, 7.7, 1 TD and after staying and working in Orlando, Fla. this week. they travel to Chicago.

The Bears are a mess after losing 27-21 to the Titans last Sunday to fall to 2-9 and losing another key starter with ILB Danny Trevathan now lost for the rest of the season to a torn Patellar tendon.

SF 28TH OFF; CHI 11TH DEF

SF 4TH RUN; CHI 17TH vs. RUN

SF 30TH PASS; CHI 12TH vs. PASS

SF 22ND PTS; CHI T18TH PTS ALLOWED

CHI 16TH OFF; SF 32ND DEF

CHI 22ND RUN; SF 32ND vs. RUN

CHI 17TH PASS; SF 15TH vs. PASS

CHI 31ST PTS; SF 32ND PTS ALLOWED

SF T23RD TO/TA; CHI 28TH TO-TA

Will anybody be watching BEARS offense ranked 31^st in total points (16.2 ppg) try to outdo NINERS league-worst scoring defense (30.4 ppg)?

NINERS literally gave Dolphins a run for their money, romping for 193 yards among their 475 total yards in Week 12 game in Miami, but 2 critical turnovers led to a 31-24 defeat — their franchise-record 10^th loss in row.

NINERS TE Garrett Celek (who had a TD catch) lost a fumble at the Miami 16-yard line, while a deflected Dolphins INT landed on the Niners’ 26-yard line.

NINERS QB Colin Kaepernick was quite the load in Week 12, throwing for 29-46-296-3 TDs-1 INT and rushing for 10-113, including being stopped just short of Dolphins’ goal-line by DT Ndamukong Suh on game’s final play.

NINERS RB Carlos Hyde had 13-65 rushing, 5-30 receiving in Week 12 loss.

NINERS TE Vance McDonald had 4-60 receiving on 8 targets in Week 12 loss.

NINERS defense allowed Dolphins 358 yards and 6-of-12 3^rd -down conversions in Week 12 loss.

Check status of NINERS LB Shayne Skov (injured knee in Week 12) and WR Quinton Patton (concussion in Week 12).

Like Niners, BEARS battled right up to the end in 27-21 home loss to Titans in Week 12, cutting a 20-point lead to 6 in 4^th quarter.

But BEARS were burned big-time by 10 dropped passes (8 in 4^th quarter), including potential game-winning TD in end zone dropped by WR Josh Bellamy.

BEARS QB Matt Barkley had 2 ugly INTs in his debut under center replacing the injured Jay Cutler (check status), but he hung tough and showed resilience with 28-54-316-3-2 (72.8 QB rating).

BEARS converted an impressive 9-of-17 3^rd -down conversions in Week 12 loss.

BEARS RB Jordan Howard had 18-84 rushing in Week 12 loss.

BEARS WR Marquess Wilson had 8-125-1 receiving on 11 targets but had 2 dropped passes in Week 12 loss.

Latest key BEARS player to be lost for season is ILB Danny Trevathan, who ruptured his right patellar in Week 12 loss.

BEARS defense that allowed Titans 375 yards had zero sacks for 3^rd time this season and zero turnovers for 4^th time this season in Week 12 loss.

In addition to Cutler, check status of OLB Leonard Floyd (concussion; DNP in Week 12) and OG Josh Sitton (ankle; DNP in Week 12).

Bears' Jay Cutler set to undergo surgery, done for season.

By John Mullin

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

They had been holding out some hope that quarterback Jay Cutler would be able to recover enough from a shoulder injury suffered in the game against the New York Giants. But hope turned to unpleasant reality on Thursday when the Bears announced that Cutler would undergo labrum surgery on his right shoulder Saturday and be placed on injured reserve.

The injury removes any chance of Cutler stepping back in this year, meaning that Matt Barkley is the franchise’s starting quarterback for the foreseeable future, backed up by David Fales.

Cutler missed five games earlier this year due to a thumb injury that surfaced during the Philadelphia game.

Kyle Fuller returns to Bears practice, but what's next?

By John Mullin

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

One of the rarer forms of good news for the Bears this year is a starting player returning to the field instead of the season-long steady flow of players exiting for all or part of the 2016 campaign.

So it was with some anticipation on Wednesday when cornerback Kyle Fuller, out since knee surgery during the preseason, began to practice with the possibility of his return by this Sunday’s game against San Francisco.

Fuller was able to do individual drills and worked in on scout team vs. the Bears’ offense as well as some team sessions. The question now becomes, what’s next?

“That’s hard to predict with any injury,” said coach John Fox. “I was encouraged by what I saw today. We’re not going to put him out there if he’s not healthy enough to at least practice.

“But now getting him back in the groove, he’s been around so it’s not like he’s been away and not with us, not in meetings, not paying attention to what we’re doing. So we’ll have to see one day at a time and we’ll see how the week progresses.”

Fuller, who’d not missed a game in his two full seasons since the Bears made him the 14th pick of the 2014 first round, was placed on injured reserve as of Sept. 27 when it became evident that he was not going to be sufficiently recovered from the August surgery to contribute.

Including Fuller, the presumptive opening-day starter at cornerback opposite Tracy Porter, the Bears finished the disappointing loss to Tennessee with 11 anticipated or actual Day 1 starters out of the lineup with either injury or suspension.

How Fuller feels after his first day of real work since August will be as telling as what he was able to do Wednesday.

“Just that he's out there moving well and looks like he can play NFL corner, which is a very hard position to play from a movement standpoint,” said defensive coordinator Vic Fangio. “I think tomorrow will be an important day to see how he feels, sometimes guys come back and the next day is more telling than today, so we'll see.

Just Another Chicago Bulls Session..... Five Things to Watch: LeBron, Cavs visit Bulls Friday.

By CSN Staff

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

Get the hometown call as the Bulls and Cavaliers square off Friday night on CSN/CSN+ and streaming live on CSNChicago.com. Coverage begins at 6:30 p.m. with Bulls Pregame Live. Then stick around after the final buzzer to watch Bulls Postgame Live for highlights and analysis.

Click here to watch the game or download the NBC Sports App, your home for live streaming coverage of the Bulls.

Five Things to Watch

1. Neil and Stacey. CSN Chicago is the only place where you can hear Neil Funk and Stacey King give you the hometown call of Friday night's game.

2. Wade vs. LeBron. Once LeBron James changes out of his Cubs uniform and takes the United Center floor, he'll square off against one of his best buddies in Dwyane Wade. Wade admitted Friday's matchup is more than just another game, and it's always a blast watching the two future Hall of Famers battle. After winning two titles in Miami and leaving for Cleveland, James has faced Wade five times. James has a small advantage in statistics, averaging 26.8 points and 5.2 assists to Wade's 23.8 points and 3.0 assists in that span. But Wade holds a 3-2 head-to-head advantage.

3. Best of the best. The Eastern Conference appears to be a one-team race, with Cleveland out in front of everyone else. But the Bulls have played well at home this season, already earning victories over the Celtics, Blazers, Jazz and Lakers. And they've fared well against James in recent memory; since James returned to Cleveland the Bulls are 4-3 against him in Chicago.

4. Defending Kyrie Irving. While LeBron, SI's Sportsperson of the Year, is earning well-deserved praise for his start to the year, Kyrie Irving has been the Cavs' leading scorer. Irving is averaging career-bests in points, field-goal percentage, 3-pointers made and 3-point field-goal percentage. He's been a nightmare for opposing point guards, and Rajon Rondo hasn't exactly wowed anything with his defensive play. A key to the game will be Chicago's ability to limit Irving, while taking advantage of Irving's lackluster defensive play on the other end. 

5. A contrast of styles. Fred Hoiberg's offense was predicated on 3-point shooting when he arrived in Chicago at the start of last year. But his roster isn't built for that, and the Bulls rank second-to-last in 3-pointers attempted. On the other hand, the Cavaliers have relied on the deep ball as much as anyone in the Eastern Conference (and only less than the Rockets in the entire league). The Cavs will live at the 3-point line, and have at least three and as many as five capable 3-point shooters on the floor at a given time. Friday's matchup should be close, but the way the two teams score their points will not be.

Bulls return home thwarted with sloppy loss to Lakers. (Wednesday night's game, 11/30/2016).

By Vincent Goodwill

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

The Bulls’ bench had been a warning sign even during this team’s unexpected start, but it was only a matter of time before it came back to bite them.

And with the Los Angeles Lakers in town, on a back-to-back after taking a whipping from the New Orleans Pelicans, it didn’t seem likely this would be the night for the Bulls to start off what could be a fruitful home stretch with fruit flies.

But the gnats were all around in the Bulls’ 96-90 loss at the United Center Wednesday, starting from the second quarter and ending with Jimmy Butler’s airballed 3-point attempt that could’ve tied the game with under 20 seconds left, a play where Butler found himself open on in a similar fashion as their late loss in Denver a week ago when Butler didn’t get a chance to tie it late.

“I let it go like I did the other one; It came up short,” Butler said. “I guarantee you it won’t be the last time I take a shot like that. Hopefully it’ll be the last I miss one but I doubt it. I’ll probably miss another one.”

It was an ugly finish to an ugly night for the Bulls, after allegedly heeding the age-old warning about the first game back from a long road being a tough one. They took a 14-point lead in the first but it disappeared when the second units stepped on the floor and the Bulls were in a dogfight for the better part of the last 40 minutes.

“It goes to show you, you don’t go out and play with energy, you’re not gonna give yourself a chance,” Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg said. “It didn’t even look like the same team. The turnovers in the second half, mindless, careless. Disappointing, just disappointing game.”

Shooting just 35 percent, the Bulls couldn’t find much of a rhythm outside the first quarter and the bench was again a problem. Not only were the Lakers so potent off the bench, with Jordan Clarkson and Lou Williams scoring 18 each, but Larry Nance Jr added 12 with 11 rebounds and the Bulls bench was outscored 56-16—another sign the Bulls need Michael Carter-Williams and Doug McDermott back in the worst way.

Isaiah Canaan finished with a minus-19 in 25 minutes. Bobby Portis finished with a minus-15 in 10 minutes and Nikola Mirotic shot just three for nine and was a minus-9 in 21 minutes.

“Tried to get a couple of our starters out there early, get them back in there with the second unit,” Hoiberg said. “We’ve gotten some solid minutes with the bench in this early portion of the season. Tonight we struggled in the area.”

The memory of Butler tossing Laker defenders off him like rag dolls on his way to a 40-point game was fresh enough in the Lakers’ minds.

He received a much more physical brand of treatment this time around, being double-teamed at seemingly every part of the floor. Butler still went to the line and converted in abundance, hitting 13 of 15, but the easy treading was over.

They were dominated on the glass, a turnaround from what has been a hallmark of this early start as the Lakers outleaped and outhustled the Bulls to loose balls. Julius Randle’s relentlessness on the glass helped the Lakers to a hug 60-46 advantage while subsequently fouling out Taj Gibson with under three minutes left.

Randle’s spin and basket over Mirotic with 45 seconds left as the immediate counter to Butler tying the game at 90 with a triple, as Randle finished with 13 points and 20 rebounds.

The Bulls nearly pulled one from their behinds, as Rajon Rondo was engaged, hitting half of the Bulls’ four triples but nobody could do enough to counter the Bulls going four of 21 from long range.

Mirotic missed all four of his 3-pointers and Isaiah Canaan went one for five from three.

“I think that’s one of those nights,” Butler said. “Take shots you normally make, continue to take them, they’re gonna fall. We’ll be alright.”

And although the Bulls didn’t defend terribly, they didn’t defend well enough to offset their putrid showing offensively.

“I think the missed shots definitely affected us. And again, you can’t let that happen,” Hoiberg said. “Your defense and rebounding has to be your constant. It was one of those games on that end of the floor where the ball wasn’t going in. When they did, it ended up in a layup for them.”

Rondo hit two triples to start the third, looking more assertive as a whole offensively. He poked balls away after the Lakers started fast breaks and when he got the ball with an advantage, he wasn’t content to just settle; he absorbed the space given to him and attacked the rim on occasion.

He finished with 14, eight rebounds and six assists while Dwyane Wade scored 17, with all five starters scoring in double figures but getting nothing from the reserves.

Even the Lakers turning it over 24 times for 26 points couldn't save the Bulls from themselves. Robin Lopez blocked eight shots but the Lakers were so relentless in attacking, he couldn’t stop everything and the Bulls found themselves fighting a team with new life trying to make amends for a bad game the night before.

So the Bulls countered with one of their own, two triples to start the third, looking more assertive as a whole offensively. He poked balls away after the Lakers started fast breaks and when he got the ball with an advantage, he wasn’t content to just settle; he absorbed the space given to him and attacked the rim on occasion.

CUBS: Quick thoughts on the Cubs and the new MLB labor deal.

By Tony Andracki

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

The next time the Cubs post the best record in Major League Baseball and make the World Series, they will have homefield advantage.

The MLB Players Association and MLB owners reached a new five-year tentative Collective Bargaining Agreement late Wednesday night and one of the main points of discussion is the news that the All-Star Game will no longer decide homefield advantage for the World Series.

That means 2016 was the final year under that rule, when the American League beat the National League, giving the Cleveland Indians homefield advantage over the Cubs, who led the majors with 103 wins.

But all's well that ends well as everything worked out just fine for the Cubs. 

In fact, not having homefield advantage actually helped the Cubs.

After dealing with the intense pressure from the fanbase and city at Wrigley Field for Games 3-5 of the World Series, the Cubs admitted they felt some of the pressure ease off when the series flipped back to Cleveland for Games 6 and 7. Then the Indians had to endure the nervous energy from their fanbase and city itching for a championship after a 68-year drought.

It also helped to give the Cubs the designated hitter, adding Kyle Schwarber (America's large adult son) to the lineup on a regular basis. It was Schwarber who ignited the championship-clinching 10th-inning rally.

The Cubs will enter next season as the favorites to win it all and repeat, meaning if they live up to expectations a second year in a row, they could be opening the 2017 World Series at Wrigley Field.

The All-Star Game rule also helps out Joe Maddon, who will manage the NL squad in 2017 and now doesn't have to worry about trying to win the exhibition game.

While more information will come out and the "tentative" label will need to be removed, here's how else this new CBA will impact the Cubs:

Qualifying offer compensation

The qualifying offer system will still exist, but will undergo some major changes. 

Teams can still extend qualifying offers to players, but if declined, organizations will no longer receive a first-round pick as compensation and instead acquire a later pick in the draft.

That will no go into effect until after the 2017 season, however, meaning the Cubs will still receive a first-round pick if Dexter Fowler signs elsewhere after the "you go, we go" leadoff man declined the one-year qualifying offer.

Disabled list

The minimum time spent on the disabled list will move from 15 days to 10 on the new CBA.

That gives all teams the option of placing players on the disabled list and garnering an extra roster spot for just over a week instead of having to put a player on the shelf for more than two weeks at a time.

It will make things easier for Maddon's coaching staff and the Cubs front office when determining whether they should place a player on the disabled list or not.

Scheduling

Starting in 2018, the season will extend by four days to 187 overall as opposed to the 183-day regular seasons currently.

That will give each team an extra four days off during the season, reducing the grind of the schedule, giving players more time with their families during the season and a better chance to rest and remain fresh.

Maddon spent all 2016 ensuring his players got enough time off their feet and were "frisky" down the stretch, so an extra four days will only make that strategy easier for the Cubs manager.

Luxury tax threshold

The reported luxury tax figure for 2017 will be $195 million, up from $187 million this year. 

From there, the luxury tax will increase each season, going to a reported $197 in 2018, $206 million in 2019, $209 million in 2020 and $210 million in 2021. 

The Cubs had a payroll north of $171 million in 2016 and have more than $93 million committed to only eight players (Jason Heyward, Jon Lester, Ben Zobrist, John Lackey, Miguel Montero, Jon Jay, Anthony Rizzo, Jorge Soler) in 2017.

Cubs GM Jed Hoyer not banking on Dexter Fowler's return: 'We know how this business works'.

By Patrick Mooney

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

Cubs general manager Jed Hoyer says Dexter Fowler will always be welcome in Chicago. But that probably means not having to pay for a meal or a drink in this city. Or getting a standing ovation and a tribute on the video board when he returns to Wrigley Field in a different uniform. Or going to the 10-year reunion of the team that won the franchise’s first World Series title since 1908.

The Cubs couldn’t have done it without Fowler, the “you go, we go” leadoff guy for a team that won 200 games and five playoff rounds across the last two seasons combined.

But the Cubs are moving on, signing outfielder Jon Jay to a one-year, $8 million contract while Fowler expects to cash in with the multiyear offers that didn’t really materialize last winter.

“We would never close the door on a reunion with Dexter,” Hoyer said Wednesday on a conference call. “He’s always welcome here. He’s a guy that’s going to live in Cubs’ lore for a long time.

“If the unexpected happens – like it did last offseason – we would love to have him back. But we know how this business works. And that’s not something we necessarily count on.”

The Cubs see Albert Almora Jr. as a defensive upgrade and a future Gold Glover and felt enough confidence to put the rookie on the playoff roster for all three postseason rounds. Jay also grew up in Miami and worked out with Almora last winter. Jay represents a left-handed platoon partner and another veteran voice in the clubhouse after winning a World Series ring with the 2011 St. Louis Cardinals.

“We think Albert is definitely ready to play center field in the big leagues,” Hoyer said. “He’s a very instinctive player. He’s a great defensive outfielder. And I think Jon allows him to sort of ease into that role a little bit if Dexter doesn’t return.

“We would never close the door on Dexter. But we are aware that it’s something that may not happen for us.”

Theo Epstein’s front office tries to adhere to an overall philosophy of never ruling anything out. It paid off when Fowler remained out there as a free agent in spring training, willing to accept a $13 million guarantee with his market dragged down by the qualifying-offer system that’s been a focal point in the ongoing labor negotiations.

Fowler, who will be 31 next season, bet on himself and earned his first All-Star trip, putting up 13 homers and an .840 OPS in 125 games, presumably answering some of the questions other teams may have had about him. With the collective bargaining agreement set to expire on Thursday, the hot-stove season could be about to heat up or shut down.

“There’s a little hesitancy (for) everyone,” Hoyer said. “You don’t know the rules of the game yet. People are moving forward with stuff. But I think that’s always sort of in the back of people’s minds.

“My hope, certainly, is that we know the rules very soon. But, yeah, it’s added a different element to this offseason. Hopefully, that’s behind us in fairly short order.”

White Sox open for business, but Cubs understand why they wouldn't be part of Chris Sale sweepstakes.

By Patrick Mooney

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

When the Cubs explored deals to strengthen their rotation in the summer of 2015, they figured the White Sox would never trade them Jeff Samardzija, even though it would only be a rental pitcher for a team trying to hang onto the National League’s second wild-card spot. 

So now that the Cubs are World Series champions – with a young core positioned to be kings of the city for years to come – forget about them winning a bidding war for Chris Sale, a homegrown five-time All-Star who remains under club control through the 2019 season.

If that sounds obvious, well, this crosstown rivalry can still strike a nerve, even the week after Thanksgiving, fueling Twitter and talk radio. Within an overall story on Sale’s market, ESPN columnist Buster Olney mentioned the White Sox "have told the Cubs they won’t deal with them."

It’s not personal between Cubs executives Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer and their counterparts – Kenny Williams and Rick Hahn – who have signaled the White Sox are open for business and building for the future after four sub-.500 seasons.

Whatever chain-of-command issues may exist on the South Side, it’s just business.

“Listen, I think both Theo and I have very good and very long relationships with Kenny and Rick,” Hoyer said Wednesday. “We actually talk to them on a fairly regular basis. I guess I would just say that I wouldn’t expect a deal to get done between the two teams.

“I think that they would always listen to a deal and think through the merits of it. But I don’t think I’m saying anything that’s unexpected.”

Hoyer spoke on a conference call after the Cubs signed outfielder Jon Jay to a one-year, $8 million deal, perhaps rounding out their group of hitters and allowing them to focus on adding pitching depth and maybe a young, controllable starter during next week’s winter meetings at National Harbor, Maryland.  

But the Cubs aren’t going to waste their time dreaming about Sale in a different Chicago throwback uniform. (Never forget Cubs manager Joe Maddon trolling the White Sox after that Sale temper tantrum, saying how trade speculation “cuts at the fabric of what you’re attempting to do. No pun intended.”)

The Cubs experienced a similar dynamic around this year’s trade deadline, when they looked into acquiring outfielder Jay Bruce and catcher Jonathan Lucroy and got the sense the Reds and Brewers wouldn’t seriously consider trading homegrown All-Star players to the NL Central’s rising power.

“People talk about deals done in division and they’re very difficult to do,” Hoyer said. “People talk about deals done within different cities – you don’t see a lot of deals done between the Mets and the Yankees or Oakland and San Francisco. Deals within your own city are difficult to make, because you got a lot of writers covering the same things, and there’s a lot of scrutiny.

“Listen, I think they would always listen to the merits of a deal. They’re in the business of getting better. And they’re in the business of doing the best deal. But I don’t think anything that’s been written is the least bit surprising. I don’t expect a lot of deals done between the White Sox and Cubs. And I don’t think I’m really saying anything surprising when I say that.”

WHITE SOX: Rick Hahn: White Sox 'open to discussing trades with all 29 other clubs'.

By Dan Hayes

(photo/csnchicago.com)

Rick Hahn cleared the air late Wednesday afternoon about who the White Sox would and wouldn’t consider a trade partner.

The general manager issued a brief statement about his team’s stance on trades after a recent ESPN report suggested the White Sox wouldn’t allow the Cubs to trade for five-time All-Star Chris Sale.

“To clarify any confusion regarding our stance on possible trading partners, we want to once again make it clear that our primary goal is to make our club better,” Hahn said in an email. “We will consider any trade, with any team, that improves the Chicago White Sox.

“As I have said many times over the years, we are always open to discussing trades with all 29 other clubs. We even have completed trades within our division, despite facing these teams 19 times a year, and while trades between the Cubs and White Sox will always draw heightened scrutiny and attention, it makes no sense for us to ever eliminate any potential trading partners.”

Though reports continue to roll in that they’re listening on players with less than four seasons of control, the White Sox haven’t said which direction they intend to head or if they’d trade Sale. Still, many signs point to the team starting anew after another disappointing season.

The White Sox have had a losing record in four straight seasons and haven’t reached the postseason since 2008.

Sale would likely cost a fortune to whatever team wants to acquire him as the White Sox need to rebuild a thin farm system that has proven incapable of providing replacement-level talent in the case of injuries in recent years.

Earlier Wednesday, Cubs GM Jed Hoyer discussed the difficulty of a potential trade between the two sides.

The last deal between the two sides was Nov. 16, 2006 when the White Sox acquired David Aardsma and Carlos Vasquez for Neal Cotts.

MLB players, owners reach tentative labor deal. 

By Associated Press

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

Baseball players and owners reached a tentative agreement on a five-year labor contract Wednesday night, a deal that will extend the sport's industrial peace to 26 years since the ruinous fights in the first two decades of free agency.

After days of near round-the-clock talks, negotiators reached a verbal agreement about 3 1/2 hours before the expiration of the current pact. Then they worked to draft a memorandum of understanding, which must be ratified by both sides.

"It's great! Another five years of uninterrupted baseball," Oakland catcher Stephen Vogt said in a text message.

In announcing the agreement, Major League Baseball and the players' association said they will make specific terms available when drafting is complete.

"Happy it's done, and baseball is back on," Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Brandon McCarthy said.

As part of the deal, the experiment of having the All-Star Game determine which league gets home-field advantage in the World Series will end after 14 years, a person familiar with the agreement told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the deal had not yet been signed.

Instead, the pennant winner with the better regular-season record will open the Series at home.

Another important change: The minimum time for a stint on the disabled list will be reduced from 15 days to 10.

The luxury tax threshold rises from $189 million to $195 million next year, $197 million in 2018, $206 million in 2019, $209 million in 2020 and $210 million in 2021.

Tax rates increase from 17.5 percent to 20 percent for first offenders, remain at 30 percent for second offenders and rise from 40 percent to 50 percent for third offenders. There is a new surtax of 12 percent for teams $20 million to $40 million above the threshold, 42.5 percent for first offenders more than $40 million above the threshold and 45 percent for subsequent offenders more than $40 million above.

Union head Tony Clark, presiding over a negotiation for the first time, said in a statement the deal "will benefit all involved in the game and leaves the game better for those who follow."

Key changes involve the qualifying offers clubs can make to their former players after they become free agents — the figure was $17.2 million this year. If a player turns down the offer and signs elsewhere, his new team forfeits an amateur draft pick, which usually had been in the first round under the old deal.

Under the new rules, a player can receive a qualifying offer only once in his career and will have 10 days to consider it instead of seven. A club signing a player who declined a qualifying offer would lose its third-highest amateur draft pick if it is a revenue-sharing receiver, its second- and fifth-highest picks (plus a loss of $1 million in its international draft pool) if it pays luxury tax for the just-ended season, and its second-highest pick (plus $500,000 in the international draft pool) if it is any other team.

A club losing a free agent who passed up a qualifying offer would receive an extra selection after the first round of the next draft if the player signed a contract for $50 million or more and after competitive balance round B if under $50 million. However, if that team pays luxury tax, the extra draft pick would drop to after the fourth round.

Among other details:

—For a team $40 million or more in excess of the luxury tax threshold, its highest selection in the next amateur draft will drop 10 places.

—While management failed to obtain an international draft of amateurs residing outside the U.S., Puerto Rico and Canada, it did get a hard cap on each team's annual bonus pool for those players starting at $4.75 million for the signing period that begins next July 2.

—There is no change to limits on active rosters, which remain at 25 for most of the season and 40 from Sept. 1 on.

—Smokeless tobacco will be banned for all new players, those who currently do not have at least one day of major league service.

—The regular season will expand from 183 days to 187 starting in 2018, creating four more scheduled off days. There are additional limitations on the start times of night games on getaway days.

—The minimum salary rises from $507,500 to $535,000 next year, $545,000 in 2018 and $555,000 in 2019, with cost-of-living increases the following two years; the minor league minimum for a player appearing on the 40-man roster for at least the second time goes up from $82,700 to $86,500 next year, $88,000 in 2018 and $89,500 in 2019, followed by cost-of-living raises.

—The drop-off in slot values in the first round of the amateur draft will be lessened.

—Oakland's revenue-sharing funds will be cut to 75 percent next year, 50 percent in 2018, 25 percent in 2019 and then phased out.

—As part of the drug agreement, there will be increased testing, players will not be credited with major league service time during suspensions, and biomarker testing for HGH will begin next year.

Negotiators met through most of Tuesday night in an effort to increase momentum in the talks, which began during spring training. This is the third straight time the sides reached a new agreement before the old contract expired, but a deal was struck eight weeks in advance in 2006 and three weeks ahead of expiration in 2011.

Talks took place at a hotel outside Dallas where the players' association held its annual executive board meeting.

Clark, the first former player to serve as executive director of the union, and others set up in a meeting room within earshot of a children's choir practicing Christmas carols. A man dressed as Santa Claus waited nearby.

Baseball had eight work stoppages from 1972-95, the last a 7 1/2-month strike in 1994-95 that led to the first cancellation of the World Series in 90 years. The 2002 agreement was reached after players authorized a strike and about 3 1/2 hours before the first game that would have been impacted by a walkout.

The peace in baseball is in contrast to the recent labor histories of other major sports. The NFL had a preseason lockout in 2011, the NBA lost 240 games to a lockout that same year and the NHL lost 510 games to a lockout in 2012-13.

Golf: I got a club for that..... Holmes (64) leads Hero; Tiger returns with 73.

By Nick Menta

(Photo/Golf Channel Digital)

J.B. Holmes leads the Hero World Challenge following a round of 8-under 64, but Thursday was dominated by the return of the tournament host and 14-time major winner Tiger Woods, who started out on fire but faltered on the back nine to post 1-over 73. Here’s where things stand through 18 holes in Albany:  

Leaderboard: Holmes (-8), Hideki Matusyama (-7), Dustin Johnson (-6), Henrik Stenson (-5), Matt Kuchar (-5), Louis Oosthuizen (-5), Rickie Fowler (-4), Jordan Spieth (-4)

What it means: Holmes, a member of the victorious U.S. Ryder Cup team in September, is searching for his fifth career win and first since the 2015 Shell Houston Open. It’s all part of a remarkable comeback from multiple brain surgeries in 2011. He leads by one over Matsuyama, who’s won three times in the last six weeks including the WGC-HSBC Champions, and by two over reigning Player of the Year Dustin Johnson, who chased down Holmes in the final round at Doral in 2015.

Round of the day: After an opening bogey, Holmes played the rest of the golf course 9 under with 7 birdies and an eagle at the par-5 11^th. Using his length to his advantage, Holmes played Albany’s five par 5s in 5 under.

Best of the rest: Like Holmes, Matsuyama played 17 holes with seven birdies and an eagle. His only slip-up was a double bogey-5 at the par-3 eighth.

Biggest disappointment: It’s somewhat strange considering the 15-month layoff, but after his blistering start, it’s Tiger. Woods went out and wowed, making four birdies across his first eight holes to take a share of the early lead at 4 under. And then the wheels came off. A 3-under 33 appeared a most promising start but his bogey at the par-5 ninth, featuring a pitch-out and chunked chip, proved a sign of what was to come across a scattershot second nine. After a bogey and birdie at 11 and 15, Woods finished double bogey-par-double bogey on his final three holes – he took an unplayable from a bush on 16 and found the water off the tee at 18 – to settle for a disappointing 1-over 73.

Shots of the day: Not one, but two chip-ins from Jordan Spieth. This for eagle at 9:

Boost in events, money coming on 2017 LPGA Tour.

AFP

LPGA commissioner Mike Whan speaks during the HSBC Golf Business Forum on November 30, 2016 in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida (AFP Photo/Sam Greenwood)

LPGA commissioner Mike Whan unveiled a 2017 tour schedule Wednesday that features a $4.35 million (4.1 million euros) prize money boost and more tournaments than the 2016 campaign.

There will be four new LPGA events but three others that will not return from this year for 34 tournaments in all plus the Solheim Cup US-Europe women's team showdown with a record total purse of $67.35 million.

In all, 11 of 30 returning events will raise prize money offerings, including four of the five women's golf majors.

The US Women's Open will jump from $4.5 million to $5 million next year, when it will be staged at Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey -- a layout owned by US President-elect Donald Trump.

"Our goal has been to consistently move the needle forward in providing increased financial opportunities for our members,"Whan said. "We are excited to see these increases for 2017 and we look forward to continuing to grow overall prize money in future years.

"While we receive credit for being a global tour, we're just as proud that we've added more events in North America since 2011 then we have abroad."

The number of US events will fall, however, with events lost in Florida, San Francisco and Alabama and added in Indianapolis and Oneida, Wisconsin.

The Scottish Ladies Open, co-sanctioned with the Ladies European Tour, and New Zealand Women's Open, won by Kiwi teen star Lydia Ko three of the last four years, were also added to the LPGA lineup.

The New Zealand event begins a run of seven LPGA events in the Asia-Pacific region before the season-ending Tour Championship in Naples, Florida.

The Lorena Ochoa Invitational will become a match-play event starting next year with the world's 64 top players competing in Mexico City. The event will also move from November to May.

Americans will seek to defend the Solheim Cup from August 18-20, 2017, at Des Moines Golf and Country Club in Iowa.

Finchem's vision for the Tour will define his legacy.

By Rex Hoggard

(Photo/Golf Channel)

Throughout his more than two decades as the PGA Tour’s front man, Tim Finchem was never one to spend much time rehashing ancient history.

Even when his retirement was at hand and a successor in place, the former politico-turned-commissioner would talk about his Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., team and the Tour’s long-term health, not what may or may not be written on his Wikipedia page.

Even on Nov. 7, the day he announced to his team that he would be stepping down as commissioner on Jan. 1, ending a tenure that began in 1994, Finchem didn’t care to go over his career scorecard.

By various accounts, he took a moment to thank his staff and spent the evening saying goodbye to friends and colleagues. There wasn’t even a gold watch, at least not one that Jason Bohn saw, but there were gifts. Lots of gifts.

According to Bohn, one of four player directors on the Tour’s policy board, Finchem’s lowest round was a 67 he shot a few years ago in Colorado.

“I found him an 1867 U.S. half dollar to mark his ball with and I told him, ‘Sixty-seven is your best score, so your goal in retirement should be to try and beat that,’” Bohn said.

There was a lot of that during what was described as an emotional evening. There are people you work with and those you are friends with. For many, Finchem was both.

Finchem, who will turn the office over to incoming commissioner Jay Monahan early next year, was a pragmatist, some would say he was a visionary, while others would describe him as an autocrat.

What isn’t up for debate is that Finchem left the Tour better than he found it. Although he’s been reluctant to take a deep dive into his own legacy, those who have watched the circuit grow have no shortage of opinions.

 “There are so many things he did, FedEx Cup, World Golf Championships, the growth of the Tour. Bringing all of the organizations together,” Davis Love III said. “The PGA of America, USGA, R&A, Augusta National, you’d think we’d all be fighting, but it seems we’re pulling in the same direction.”

Love has had a particularly unique perspective of Finchem’s reign. The 21-time Tour winner had just been elected to his first term on the policy board in 1994 and rejoined the board last year, at the request of Finchem, to help Monahan with the transition.

While many on the outside of Finchem’s inner circle see a leader who has appeared inflexible, Love said the commissioner’s leadership style is more of a consensus builder who is willing to listen to ideas and implement them.

“Sitting in on a lot of it, there were a lot of ideas he threw out and you thought, ‘That will never work,’” Love said. “There’s been some stuff, even the New Orleans thing [the recently announced team event at the Zurich Classic]. I was like, ‘I don’t know, team event, guys are already skipping New Orleans, is that going to help.’ But it’s already working.”

Finchem wasn’t always in step with the players, but “if four player directors tell him something, he listens,” Love said.

Throughout his career, Finchem never shied away from sweeping, some would even say revolutionary, changes like the FedEx Cup, which the Tour introduced in 2007.

Every time, the challenge for Finchem was to allow the players to see the forest for the trees – which was not always easy.

“Emotionally we may have thought, ‘This is ridiculous,’” Bohn said. “As players, you don’t want to change things. We’re not very forward thinking people because we’re emotionally attached to the current situation, and it’s good.”

Whatever your opinion of the season-long FedEx Cup race, there is no denying that golf’s post-season has succeeded in bringing together the game’s best players in major markets to play meaningful events during a time of year when golf has traditionally been an afterthought.

“Tim would probably say he wants The First Tee to be his legacy, but I think the FedEx Cup is his largest legacy. Most people don’t associate The First Tee with Finchem, but they do associate the FedEx Cup with Finchem,” said Stewart Cink, a former member of the policy board.

Bohn took a more esoteric view of Finchem’s body of work, focusing on the commissioner’s lower profile accomplishments.

“I give commissioner Finchem the most credit for The First Tee, and also for putting golf back in the Olympics,” Bohn said. “I think he worked really hard at that. But what The First Tee program has done for so many kids, that’s his legacy.”

Whatever Finchem’s legacy, be it The First Tee or FedEx Cup, it might have been his analytical approach to problem solving and crisis management that is most overlooked.

There have been missteps, like the handling of the Vijay Singh and Casey Martin lawsuits – both of which left the Tour looking insensitive at best and insular at worst. But now, in the twilight of his career, it’s telling that Finchem’s detached leadership style may have been his best asset.

“I’ve met some intelligent people in my life, but he may have been the most intelligent in the sense that every time he handled a difficult situation he never reacted to emotion, he only reacted to thought,” Bohn said. “When he spoke about an issue you could tell he thought about the issue before he spoke. He didn’t just speak to be heard.”

Finchem wasn’t always in step with his players or the media, and he certainly didn’t leave behind a legacy of openness at Tour headquarters, but his vision for the circuit and the game never wavered.

NASCAR: Monster Energy to replace Sprint as NASCAR's top sponsor.

By Nick Bromberg

Monster Energy sponsored Kurt Busch in 2016. (Photo/Getty)

Monster Energy is NASCAR’s replacement for Sprint.

NASCAR made the new sponsor announcement official Thursday in Las Vegas as the Sprint Cup will be replaced with Monster Energy. Sprint’s deal to sponsor NASCAR’s top series expired after the 2016 season.

It appears the word “Cup” will no longer be affiliated with the series — at least by the looks of the NASCAR press release, which referred to the Cup Series as the “NASCAR premier series.” That’s not a surprise based off a report from Sports Business Daily earlier in the week as well as the jokes that would undoubtedly ensue with the “Monster Cup.”

According to NASCAR CEO Brian France, an official name for the series has not been decided.

Monster Energy currently sponsors the No. 41 car of Kurt Busch as well as the Monster Energy Supercross Series. The appeal of supercross to younger fans is something NASCAR wanted to tap into as its fanbase is one of the oldest among all major sports.

France used the words “dynamic” and “edgy” to describe Monster and quickly noted the company’s appeal to millennials in the press conference announcing the sponsorship.

Coca-Cola, which owns 17 percent of Monster Energy, is no stranger to NASCAR. The soft drink company has deals with multiple drivers and sponsors the May race at Charlotte Motor Speedway and the July race at Daytona International Speedway.

Monster will also sponsor the All-Star Race at Charlotte in May.

NASCAR makes push for younger demographic with Monster sponsorship.

By Nick Bromberg

NASCAR and Monster executives toast the sponsorship announcement. (Photo/Getty)

It didn’t take long to discover the demographic NASCAR wants to court with the announcement of Monster Energy as the new Cup Series sponsor.

“The reality for how impactful they are and what they can do differently is obviously they’re an edgy brand,” Brian France said in response to the first question about Monster’s expanded relationship with NASCAR. “They’re a fun brand. They get at a millenial audience in a different way clearly than we’ve ever been associated with, particularly at this level, and they know what they’re doing.”

It’s probably a safe assumption no one in NASCAR ever publicly called outgoing sponsor Sprint “edgy” and “fun.” Monster replaces Sprint after the telecommunications company declined to renew its sponsorship of NASCAR’s No. 1 series following the conclusion of the 2016 season.

Say goodbye to Sprint yellow and hello to Monster green. And, if France’s comments are any indication, promotion of “fun.”

“But we’re very confident that this is the right partner for us, and we’re looking forward to having some fun with it,” France said. “By the way, we’re in the fun business. We’re racing cars. We’re crowning champions. We’re‑‑ this is where people come to have fun, right? Our speedways and watch us on television, what better brand to have associated with us than the people who understand that.”

It’s been hard to consider NASCAR very fun in recent years. While Jimmie Johnson’s seventh title was a great way to cap off the Sprint era, dominant topics of the last two years have included — in no particular order — aerodynamic rules changes, the Confederate flag, lug nuts, France’s endorsement of president-elect Donald Trump, and declining television ratings and attendance. None of those are fun.

And neither was the delay in finding a title sponsor. NASCAR had Nextel (Sprint’s predecessor via merger) lined up to take over in 2004 in July 2003. Heck, the agreement between NASCAR and Monster is so fresh that the two companies haven’t even (publicly) agreed on a name for the series.

According to a 2014 demographic study, 86 percent of NASCAR fans are over 35. And while the agreement with Monster makes clear that NASCAR wants to go after younger fans, the series has been trying to do that for some time. The move to an elimination-laden Chase with a winner-take-all finale was a play for non-fans and a demographic that has grown up accustomed to highlights as a form of sports consumption.

We wonder just how much big moments will be manufactured and (over)emphasized at the expense of authentic competition.

“We do have some ideas about how we can make NASCAR more attractive to what I would call a different audience than is currently there without detracting from what is already a great audience and a great fan base,” Monster chief marketing officer Mark Hall said. “Like I said earlier, we have experience with that, and those fans do relate to our brand, and we think there’s an opportunity to bring some new ones in, as well.”

But like France’s endorsement of Donald Trump in February, there is a Monster staple that doesn’t jive with NASCAR’s diversity efforts. And that staple was present at the introductory news conference.

Monster has a cadre of “Monster Girls,” women who appear on the company’s website in scantily-clad attire and answer questions such as what is their favorite bikini to wear at the beach. If you’ve been at a race this season, you may have seen them in the garage or on pit road as the company has sponsored Kurt Busch’s car. And those women may have an increased role in 2017 and beyond as Monster has title rights.

“We also want to bring some good shows and entertainment for NASCAR fans so they can interact with our brand and understand what our culture is all about, so when they leave the racetrack on Sunday they’ve had an experience,” Hall said. “Of course they will have met the fabulous Monster Energy girls. We’re going to have a lot of fun at NASCAR, both in the parking lot and inside the oval.”

Not long after Hall mentioned the company’s “girls,” the sponsorship announcement ended with two Monster Girls around four middle-aged white men.

Here’s some of the interesting cars, drivers running Thunderhill.

By Tony DiZinno

(Photo: Bob Chapman/Autosport Image)

NASA’s 25 Hours of Thunderhill is a wonderful hodgepodge of drivers, cars and teams for a year-end gathering of a seemingly no rules – or limited rules – endurance race in Willows, Calif.

I say this as someone who’s talked to drivers who have competed in the Thunderhill, yet not gone myself. It’s something I’d like to do at some point.

With the entry list out, here’s a number of the interesting cars, drivers and lineups running in this year’s race. The full team, car and class and driver entry lists are linked in this sentence.

• TOYO Tires/Flying Lizard Motorsports, No. 45 Audi R8 LMS, Darren Law, Johannes van Overbeek, Dion von Moltke, Mike Hedlund
• TOYO Tires/Flying Lizard Motorsports 2, No. 74 Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, Tommy Sadler, Andy Wilzoch, Charlie Hayes, Will Owen
• JFC Racing, No. 52 Wolf GB08MJ-K20, Ryan Eversley, Al Unser Jr., Miles Jackson, Todd Harris
• CLP Motorsports, No. 14 Lamborghini Gallardo LP 570-4, Marc Miller, Tyler McQuarrie, Tom Dyer, Tanner Foust, Pat O’Keefe
• ONE Motorsports/Desert West, No. 67 Radical SR3, Sean Rayhall, John Falb, Todd Slusher, Jesse Menczer
• ONE Motorsports/Crowd Strike, No. 44 Radical SR3, George Kurtz, Jeff Shafer, Dave House, Paul LaHaye, Kenton Koch
• Patent It!, No. 19 Panoz GTS, Davy Jones, Paul Edwards, Chuck Hemmingson, Anthony Lisa, Steven Lisa
• Ryno Racing Team 1, No. 5 Ginetta G57, Colin Braun, Ryan Carpenter, Parker Chase, Colton Herta, Bryan Herta
• Roadshagger Racing 2016, No. 61 BMW M3, Gavin Ernstone, Jon Morley, Thomas Merrill
• THRW Honda Racing 2, No. 20 Honda Civic, Chad Gilsinger, Brian Shanfield, Matthew Staal, Douglas Chan, Michael Tsay
• 2016 – HPD Honda Racing 2, No. 93 Honda Civic, James Nazarian, Jeff Barrow, Tom O’Gorman, Shea Holbrook
• El Diablo Motorsports, No. 30 BMW 325, James Clay, Lance Boicelli, Cameron Evans, Dale Sievwright, James Colborn, Charles Postins
• El Dorado Motorsports 2016, No. 22 Honda Prelude, Mike Lock, Carl Young, Tom Lepper, Nathan Pope
• Fantasy Junction with Winding Road Racing, No. 15 Riley Daytona Prototype, Spencer Trenery, Robert Gewirtz, Darrell Anderson, Mark Drennan
• Strom Motorsports 2, No. 68 BMW 330Ci, Dan Clarke, Vic Pizzino, Mark Mitchell, Harold Petit
• 2016 Trim-Tex, No. 9 Mazda MX-5, Joe Koenig, Josh Bilicki, Keil Zornow, Cameron Cassels
• MAZDA USA #55, No. 55 Global MX-5 Cup, Taz Harvey, Richard Fisher, Scott Clark, CJ Wilson
• MAZDA USA #70, No. 70 Global MX-5 Cup, Spencer Brockman, Mark Abouzeid, Liam Dwyer, Stevan McAleer
• RDR, No. 34 Mazda RX-8, Robert Davis, Joel Miller, Dennis Holloway, Jeremy Barnes

One year later: A look back at Veljko Paunovic's first year with the Fire. 

By Dan Santaromita

(Photo/USA TODAY)

A year ago on this day Veljko Paunovic was introduced as the new coach of the Chicago Fire.

The 39-year-old Serbian was a hot coaching prospect fresh off leading his country to the Under-20 World Cup title the previous June. He joined a Fire club that was in disarray after a last place finish in Major League Soccer, the worst season in club history in both position and point total.

In the Fire’s initial announcement of Paunovic’s hiring, the Serbian had a clever line that set the tone for the way he speaks.

“I see the Chicago Fire as a hurt lion ready to unleash all its power,” Paunovic said in the statement released two days before Thanksgiving in 2015.

It was great press release fodder that added a little bit of flavor and may have connected with some fans who have become disillusioned with the Fire’s lack of success, just one playoff appearance since making the conference finals in 2009, in recent years.

In Paunovic’s introductory press conference, general manager Nelson Rodriguez said Paunovic “learns and teaches enthusiastically” and “competes relentlessly.” Rodriguez also commented on the hope that the hiring of Paunovic brought to the club and the fanbase.

“A new coach often symbolizes hope,” Rodriguez said then. “Hope that something in the future will be better. I don’t have that hope. I have incredible belief that we are better already today and we will continue to be significantly better in the future.”

Paunovic was the wildcard of the rumored candidates. A foreigner with limited MLS playing experience and even less club coaching experience. The Fire gig was Paunovic’s first with a club team and his first with a senior team after coaching youth international teams. He was a foreign coach whose limited experience in MLS, he played one year with the Philadelphia Union in 2011, raised concerns as to whether he would be able to handle the league’s quirks that are rarely seen around the world (playoffs to decide league champion, no promotion and relegation, a salary cap).

A year later, Paunovic leads a Fire club still reeling after another last place finish in MLS, although the team did improve upon its point total - by one. Obviously turning an 8-20-6 team into a 7-17-10 one the improvement Rodriguez was alluding to during Paunovic’s introduction..

So what is known about Paunovic now that was uncertain a year ago and what should be expected in his second season at the helm of the Fire?

Paunovic talked about being “adaptable” after his first practice as coach in the preseason. He wanted a team that could play different formations in order to keep opponents off balance. Some early season experimentation with a 3-5-2/5-3-2 hybrid faded away and the 4-2-3-1 was used almost exclusively in the second half of the season. Paunovic wasn’t afraid to make a halftime sub to adjust the team’s tactics, but he did seem to settle on a standard formation and style of play that didn’t mimic his words from January. Perhaps this was Paunovic being pragmatic and realizing he didn’t have the personnel to play different formations as he said he wanted to.

In fact that wasn’t the only thing that seemed to fade away from Paunovic’s preseason talk. He spoke about playing out of the back and trying to press teams, neither of which the Fire had a ton of success with in 2016. The Fire did try to play out of the back for much of the season, but didn’t seem to gain much comfort with it and that resulted in a number of goals against them following turnovers in their own half. On top of that the Fire’s identity was not of a pressing team, but of a team that would sit back, defend and try to counter, probably via a long ball to the speedy David Accam. The Fire finished last in the league in terms of time of possession, which again shows Paunovic was perhaps forced to be pragmatic against his own ideals.

As the Fire build a roster for 2017, a day after taking the first step towards that, it will be worth watching to see if the players acquired give the team more ability to have tactical flexibility, build out of the back and press teams higher up the field. The 2016 Fire failed in a number of ways, but three things Paunovic emphasized before the season didn’t play out positively on the field and could have been contributing reasons to why the season was another disappointment.

Sean Johnson reportedly nearing trade to Atlanta in busy day of Fire rumors.

By Dan Santaromita

(Photo/USA TODAY)

With the MLS Cup final still nine days away, Major League Soccer teams can't make trades until the day after Toronto hosts Seattle for the league's championship, but that hasn't stopped the rumor mill from churning out some juicy potential Chicago Fire moves.

Sam Stejskal of MLSSoccer.com reported that a deal that would send Fire goalkeeper Sean Johnson to expansion team Atlanta is nearing completion. The report says the Fire would receive general allocation money in return for the 27-year-old. If the report is accurate, Johnson would be traded after MLS Cup and before the expansion draft.

Johnson, who has spent his entire pro career with the Fire, is from Lilburn, Georgia, a suburb of Atlanta. The local ties, combined with the fact that Matt Lampson began the season as the Fire's No. 1 goalkeeper, has fueled speculation that Johnson could join his hometown club in its expansion season.

The Fire had picked up Johnson's option, along with eight others, last week. If the Fire had not picked up Johnson's option he would have gone into the league's re-entry process, which would have meant the Fire would not have received anything in return for him if a team selected him.

To go further down the rabbit hole of potential moves, Paul Tenorio of FourFourTwo reported that American national team goalkeeper Brad Guzan is "exploring" a return to MLS. Guzan, who is currently with Middlesborough in the Premier League, would be subject to the league's allocation order. The Fire have the top allocation spot until the expansion teams, Atlanta and Minnesota, move into the top two spots once the current season ends after MLS Cup. Atlanta will have the top spot in the allocation order and the Fire would have the third spot, also behind Minnesota.

Guzan is a Chicagoland product who went to Providence Catholic. It would be irresponsible to connect the Johnson report to the Guzan rumor without any more information to go on, but if Johnson is traded Guzan could potentially become an option for the Fire.

Finally, in a busy day of Chicago Fire-related rumors, ESPNFC reported that the Fire are in the running for Hungarian striker Nemanja Nikolic, who is currently with Legia Warsaw. Nikolic, 28, has scored 13 goals in 28 appearances for the Polish club this season and has reportedly been linked with Premier League team Hull City.

Throw this fresh pile of potential offseason moves in with the ongoing Bastian Schweinsteiger rumors, who by the way actually played for Manchester United on Wednesday in a four-minute substitute appearance, and the Fire's offseason is promising to be active.

SOCCER: Premier League Power Rankings — Week 13.

By Andy Edwards

(Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)

Three points are all that separate four teams at the top of the Premier League table.

Five points are all that separate seven teams, including the defending champions, at the bottom of the table.

It’s been a strange ride through 13 weeks of the 2016-17 season, and it’s only going to get wilder as the calendar turns to December. Check out the latest batch of power rankings ahead of Matchday 14.

TEAM	RANKING
	20 (20)		Sunderland: At what point do we rename 20th spot “the Sunderland spot?” Back-to-back wins over Bournemouth and Hull saw them climb out of the cellar, but they’re right back down there with a single win by Swansea.
	19 (13)		Crystal Palace: Six straight league games without a win, and Alan Pardew is hanging by a thread. If not for their strong-ish start, they’d find themselves in the bottom-three today. As it stands, they’re safe on goal differential.
	18 (19)		Hull City: One win in their last 11 games. If not for Sunderland’s perennial bottom-feeding, and Pardew’s impending pink slip, the Tigers would be languishing on the bottom.
	17 (18)		Swansea City: The good news — Bob Bradley got his first win in the PL. The not-as-good news — he’s going to need a lot more of them to keep the Swans up this season. The defense is still a problem, because they won’t score five goals against many sides not named Palace.
	16 (17)		West Ham United: Winless in their last four games, and perhaps even more detrimental to their power-rankings stock, the Hammers are abysmal from an entertainment perspective. Last season seems long, long, long ago.
	15 (15)		Burnley: Two stats on Burnley — 1) only Hull have scored fewer goals (11) than the Clarets (12) through 13 games; 2) they are the worst road team in the PL (1 point, -12 GD from five games away from Turf Moor). That’ll get you relegated nine out of 10 times.
	14 (14)		Middlesbrough: Boro are one of two other sides (Sunderland being the third) with just a dozen goals to their name. Home against Hull on Monday would be an awfully perfect time to rectify that.
	13 (8)		Leicester City: The Foxes’ bounce-back is coming any day now. Any. Day. Now. With Champions League progression secured — more importantly, a trip to Sunderland on the horizon — better days might not be far off.
	12 (9)		Bournemouth: Nearly halfway to the requisite 40 points necessary to avoid relegation, Eddie Howe has done well to consolidate and stabilize during his first 18 months in the PL, even if they’ve won just one of their last five.
	11 (7)		Everton: Remember when some of us thought Everton were top-four contenders? That seems a long time ago. It wasn’t. One win in eight games will make you feel that way.
	10 (6)		Southampton: Sunday’s win over Everton (and Ronald Koeman) snapped a four-game winless skid that began all the way back in October. Claude Puel has assembled one of the PL’s best defenses (12 goals conceded), but also a lifeless attack (13 goals).
	9 (11)		Watford: Liverpool’s 6-1 destruction aside, Watford haven’t conceded multiple goals in a game since Oct. 1. Not a coincidence: the Hornets have picked up 10 of 18 possible points since then.
	8 (16)		West Brom: Don’t look now, but the Baggies are a top-seven side over the last month and a half. Unbeaten in three, they could end up as high as seventh in the table with a win over Watford on Saturday.
	7 (12)		Stoke City: The early-season struggles have gone, and Stoke find themselves exactly where they strive to be: right in the middle of the table, after just one defeat from their last eight games.
	6 (10)		Manchester United: In the formula that converts dollars spent into entertainment value on the field, no one has lit more money on fire these last four years than the Red Devils. Not even Jose Mourinho wants to watch them anymore.
	5 (5)		Tottenham: The unbeaten start to the season covered up a lot of blemishes, and is finally no more. With just one win in their last six, another title challenge looks a very, very, very long shot as of Dec. 1.
	4 (4)		Arsenal: Much like Spurs struggled mightily with Harry Kane out injured, it must be terrifying for an Arsenal fan to imagine what will happen when Alexis Sanchez inevitably misses a month this winter.
	3 (3)		Manchester City: After a pair of late wins against Palace and Burnley, City sit third in the table, behind Liverpool on goal differential. They’re far and away the best road team in the PL (18 points from 7 games), but alarmingly average at home (12 points from 6 games).
	2 (2)		Liverpool: Philippe Coutinho is out for a month, while Daniel Sturridge, Roberto Firmino and Adam Lallana are all dealing with injuries of their own. The Reds will continue their league-leading pace of 2.5 goals per game anyway.
	1 (1)		Chelsea: After putting to bed Spurs’ unbeaten start, the Blues have won seven in a row, by a combined score of 19-1, since Antonio Conte switched to three at the back. Their 10 goals conceded are joint-fewest in the PL (Spurs), and Eden Hazard and Diego Costa look unstoppable together once again.

NCAAFB: Bowl Projections: Auburn and Florida State looking good for New Year's Six bowls

By Nick Bromberg

Welcome to our last round of bowl projections guaranteed to be incorrect.

If Alabama and Clemson make the College Football Playoff, it spells good news for Auburn and Florida State. The Sugar and Orange Bowls are obligated to take the next-highest teams from the SEC (Sugar) and ACC (Orange) if the top teams are in the playoff. Right now, Auburn’s in the Sugar Bowl and Florida State is in the Orange. It’s hard to see Florida State getting jumped by Louisville for the Orange Bowl given that neither team plays this weekend and Auburn will only fall out of the Sugar if Florida somehow beats Alabama.

New Mexico Bowl, Dec. 17
New Mexico vs. UTSA

Las Vegas Bowl, Dec. 17
Boise State vs. Mississippi State (5-7)

Camellia Bowl, Dec. 17
Louisiana-Lafayette vs. Miami, Ohio

Cure Bowl, Dec. 17
Central Florida vs. South Alabama

New Orleans Bowl, Dec. 17
Western Kentucky vs. Troy

Miami Beach Bowl, Dec. 19
Houston vs. Toledo

Boca Raton Bowl, Dec. 20
South Florida vs. Middle Tennessee State

Poinsettia Bowl, Dec. 21
San Diego State vs. BYU

Potato Bowl, Dec. 22
Wyoming vs. Ohio

Bahamas Bowl, Dec. 23
Old Dominion vs. Eastern Michigan

Armed Forces Bowl, Dec. 23
Kansas State vs. Navy

Dollar General Bowl, Dec. 23
App State vs. Central Michigan

Hawaii Bowl, Dec. 24
Hawaii vs. Southern Miss

St. Petersburg Bowl, Dec. 26
Wake Forest vs. Tulsa

QuickLane Bowl, Dec. 26
Maryland vs. Arkansas State

Independence Bowl, Dec. 26
NC State vs. Vanderbilt

Heart of Dallas Bowl, Dec. 27
North Texas (5-7) vs. Army

Military Bowl, Dec. 27
Georgia Tech vs. Memphis

Holiday Bowl, Dec. 27
Utah vs. Iowa

Cactus Bowl, Dec. 27
Louisiana Tech vs. Colorado State

Pinstripe Bowl, Dec. 28
Northwestern vs. Boston College

Russell Athletic Bowl, Dec. 28
West Virginia vs. Miami

Foster Farms Bowl, Dec. 28
Indiana vs. Washington State

Texas Bowl, Dec. 28
TCU vs. Kentucky

Birmingham Bowl, Dec. 29
South Carolina vs. Temple

Belk Bowl, Dec. 29
North Carolina vs. Tennessee

Alamo Bowl, Dec. 29
Oklahoma State vs. USC

Arizona Bowl, Dec. 30
Air Force vs. Idaho

Liberty Bowl, Dec. 30
Baylor vs. Georgia

Sun Bowl, Dec. 30
Pitt vs. Stanford

Music City Bowl, Dec. 30
Minnesota vs. Arkansas

Orange Bowl, Dec. 30
Michigan vs. Florida State

Peach Bowl, Dec. 31 (Playoff semifinal)
Alabama vs. Washington

Fiesta Bowl, Dec. 31 (Playoff semifinal)
Ohio State vs. Clemson

TaxSlayer Bowl, Dec. 31
Virginia Tech vs. Florida

Citrus Bowl, Dec. 31
Louisville vs. LSU

Outback Bowl, Jan. 2
Nebraska vs. Texas A&M

Cotton Bowl, Jan. 2
Western Michigan vs. Wisconsin

Rose Bowl, Jan. 2
Penn State vs. Colorado

Sugar Bowl, Jan. 2
Oklahoma vs. Auburn

MAC title game the next hurdle for unbeaten Western Michigan.

By Noah Trister

Ohio quarterback Quinton Maxwell throws during an NCAA college football walk-through in Detroit, Thursday, Dec. 1, 2016. Ohio will play Western Michigan in the Mid-American Conference Championship at Ford Field on Friday. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

Amid all his talk about taking things one game at a time and staying focused on the process, Western Michigan coach P.J. Fleck acknowledged reality.

Yes, his players realize how significant this opportunity is.

''We're not going to sit there and trick them - they know how big this is,'' Fleck said. ''They're very mature. They've been through a lot. They understand exactly where they are, and how hard it is to get to this point.''

The 13th-ranked Broncos take on Ohio on Friday night in the Mid-American Conference title game, with a chance to win WMU's first league championship since 1988. There's more at stake than just that, of course. At No. 17 in the playoff rankings, the Broncos are trying to hold off No. 19 Navy for the Group of Five spot in a New Year's Six bowl.

For Ohio, this game is about more than just being a spoiler. The Bobcats (8-4) have an even longer title drought than WMU (12-0). Ohio hasn't won the MAC since 1968.

''I feel like there are some sleepers out there that may not think that we belong here on this stage playing this game,'' Ohio defensive end Tarell Basham said. ''We're going to play hard, physical, we're going to be enthusiastic about it, and we're going to show all those people that this is exactly where Ohio needs to be.''

The MAC title game had the same matchup for the past three years - Northern Illinois against Bowling Green. The presence of two new teams - one of which is undefeated and playing in its home state - has added some significant buzz. WMU athletic director Kathy Beauregard said as of Thursday morning, ticket sales had exceeded 46,000, which would almost triple the attendance at Ford Field for last season's championship game.

''It's fun to be a part of this, and fun to have this opportunity, and also to see the pride in the community,'' WMU quarterback Zach Terrell said.

Here are a few things to watch when WMU and Ohio play for that elusive conference title:

NO LOBBYING

Fleck hasn't gotten too involved in the debate over where WMU should be in the rankings. He said Thursday that trying to lobby publicly probably would be pointless.

''Our body of work speaks for itself,'' Fleck said. ''I think everybody understands how hard it is to go undefeated, even to get to this point, especially with the coaches that are on the (playoff) committee, former coaches. But I'm not going to say anything that's going to make them think differently.''

PRESSURE

From the moment they beat Northwestern 22-21 in the season opener, the Broncos had a chance for a special season - and plenty of people realized it even then. The players have had to avoid getting too far ahead of themselves.

''The question after Northwestern was, 'So you guys think you can go undefeated?' I mean, we are 1-0,'' Fleck said. ''And these guys have had to handle all those questions the entire year.''

LINE OF SCRIMMAGE

Ohio has 41 sacks on the season, and Basham has 11. He was named MAC defensive player of the year, while WMU receiver Corey Davis earned offensive player of the year honors.

WMU has allowed only 12 sacks this season, so the Bobcats' upset hopes could hinge on their ability to rush the passer. Ohio also has the top-ranked run defense in the MAC.

''We're not concerned about where we're at in terms of an underdog and how most people are looking at it and what's in store for us,'' Ohio coach Frank Solich said. ''We're excited about the opportunity, we'll play our best football, and we'll see what happens.''

RECORD SETTER

Davis is the career FBS leader with 5,068 yards receiving. He broke the mark held by Trevor Insley of Nevada during last week's victory over Toledo.

TURNOVERS

The Broncos are plus-18 in turnover margin, thanks to the fact that they've given the ball away only five times. Terrell has thrown one interception all season (with 30 touchdown passes) and although WMU has 17 fumbles, it has lost only four of them.

NCAABKB: How Buzz Williams has transformed long-struggling Virginia Tech.

By Jeff Eisenberg

Virginia Tech is off to an impressive 6-1 start in Buzz Williams’ third season. (AP)

As referees struggled to coax a pair of young ball boys into mopping up a wet spot underneath the basket last Sunday afternoon, Virginia Tech coach Buzz Williams began to grow impatient.

“Let’s solve this,” he screamed from the sideline. “Our guys know how to wipe.”

Seconds later, a Virginia Tech player grabbed a towel, dropped to his knees and began scrubbing the floor. It was a perfect example of the selfless, blue-collar mentality Williams has instilled in his players while transforming the Hokies from perennial laughingstock to budding NCAA tournament contender.

When Williams made the stunning decision to leave Marquette and come to Virginia Tech in March 2014, the Hokies were in the midst of a stretch of four straight last-place finishes in the ACC. Not only did they make an improbable eight-game leap in the league standings last season, they’re also poised to take another step forward this year.

Virginia Tech improved to 6-1 on Wednesday night at Michigan by storming back from a 10-point deficit in the final eight minutes. The Hokies also finished third at the Wooden Legacy tournament last weekend, bracketing a frustrating late collapse against Texas A&M with convincing victories over New Mexico and Nebraska.

The way that Virginia Tech is winning is as noteworthy as the victories themselves. There are no McDonald’s All-Americans or surefire NBA prospects on the Hokies’ roster — just a collection of high-character, hard-working four-year recruits and transfers who have wholeheartedly embraced Williams’ intellectual curiosity, nonstop energy and tough love.

“Everybody on this team is unselfish,” senior forward Zach LeDay said. “We’re all coming together for a common goal, and that’s winning. Everyone has stories. We all come from different backgrounds. But we all come together to make one tough, hard-nosed team.”

Virginia Tech’s rapid improvement has validated Williams’ decision to come to Blacksburg, a head-scratching career move that left many grasping for explanations at the time.

Whereas tradition-rich Marquette had reached the Sweet 16 three times in Williams’ six seasons at the school, Virginia Tech had only made the NCAA tournament twice since 1986. Worse yet, the Hokies’ path to relevance had just become even tougher with ex-Big East stalwarts Syracuse, Louisville, Pittsburgh and Notre Dame joining traditional powers Duke and North Carolina in the ACC.

The most common explanation for Williams’ move is that instability at Marquette chased him out.

Marquette had a leadership vacuum at the time of Williams’ departure as the university president, provost and athletic director all had “interim” as part of their job titles. The old Big East had also just disbanded, raising concerns that remaining members could be at a major disadvantage compared to Power 5 programs with football revenue and more visibility on ESPN.

The way Williams tells it, concerns about Marquette’s future were not the catalyst for his move. Williams instead relished the challenge of seeing if his methods would work at a moribund program that had seldom tasted success before.

“There was nothing that transpired at Marquette that made me want to leave, not the administrative changes there or anything relative to the league,” Williams said. “My last child was born at Marquette. We built an incredible house there. We had a great church there. We have great friends there that we still talk to all the time.

“Everyone has a different thought about what a good job is or what a bad job is. Because of how I grew up and how I came up in this business, I was intrigued to find out if what we do would work at a situation where everyone knew it was on its knees. I wanted to know if we could breathe life into a program.”

Virginia Tech’s underdog standing appealed to Williams because of his own humble origins. Williams has long viewed himself as an long shot in his own profession since he didn’t play basketball beyond high school, nor did he hail from a famous coaching tree.

A native of tiny Van Alstyne, Texas, Williams worked odd jobs mowing yards, bailing hay and filling fence holes to pay for college. He started in basketball as a student manager at Navarro College, where his responsibilities included washing clothes and sweeping the gym floor.

When Williams worked basketball camps each summer at Navarro and NAIA Oklahoma City University, he’d ask the college coaches he met for a mailing address or phone number. Williams kept in touch by writing them letters, a process that eventually helped him break into the coaching profession as an assistant at Texas-Arlington in 1994.

How Williams runs his program is a reflection of his unassuming background.

Instead of selling recruits with grandiose gestures and false promises the way some competitors do, Williams is straightforward and direct with prospects or their parents. He also values character and work ethic in recruits as much as he does elite talent.

LeDay, who averaged a modest 4.1 points and 2.5 rebounds as a sophomore at South Florida, has developed into an all-league-caliber player the past two seasons at Virginia Tech. He and former Maryland transfer Seth Allen are the Hokies’ most accomplished players, yet neither has complained whatsoever about coming off the bench this season.

“It just speaks to who they are,” Williams said. “Those kids are redshirt seniors. They were two of the first kids we signed. It’s not just that they haven’t said anything. There’s never been any body language to suggest they’re unhappy either.”

While many of the previous staff’s players couldn’t handle Williams’ demanding coaching style and transferred within the first year of his tenure, that turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Twelve of the 13 players on Virginia Tech’s season-opening roster last year were Williams’ recruits. Guards Chris Clarke, Ahmed Hill and Justin Robinson are among those who benefited from an accelerated learning curve because they had no choice but to play right away as freshmen.

Since he has an array of talented guards and swingmen this season but no proven big men, Williams has implemented a system designed to highlight Virginia Tech’s strengths and hide its weaknesses. The Hokies attack bigger, slower defenders off the dribble on offense and compensate for their lack of height with constant activity and aggressive ball pressure on defense.

“They don’t have a tremendous amount of size, but Buzz has found a style of play that fits them this year,” Nebraska coach Tim Miles said. “I just think his commitment to the players is second to none. He’s an excellent recruiter and his staff does a great job too. He’s going to keep building that thing better and better and better.”

The better Virginia Tech gets, the less people question Williams’ sanity for leaving Marquette. In a sport where good teams typically stay good and bad ones typically stay bad, Williams has a long-struggling Hokies program poised for a rare period of sustained success.

“The hardest thing to do in business or sports is to completely flip something upside down,” Williams said. “We haven’t fully flipped it yet, but I think we’re in the process of doing that.”

Indiana proves itself once again by dropping surging North Carolina.

By Jeff Eisenberg

Nineteen days after upsetting Kansas, the Hoosiers toppled another elite team (Photo/AP)

Indiana rocketed to No. 6 in the polls three weeks ago with a season-opening upset win over third-ranked Kansas. The Hoosiers then plummeted right back out of the top 10 a mere eight days later with a stunning loss at Fort Wayne.

So who’s the real Indiana? At last, the Hoosiers have offered some clarity.

Indiana reasserted itself as an elite team Wednesday night with an impressive 76-67 victory over previously undefeated North Carolina. The Hoosiers controlled the game from start to finish, opening a 17-point cushion midway through the first half and holding the lead the rest of the game.

Only once did the third-ranked Tar Heels mount a serious push, a 9-1 surge that closed the gap to four with just under five minutes to play in the second half. It was then that Indiana guard James Blackmon sunk the biggest shot of the game, a 3-pointer that halted North Carolina’s momentum and helped the Hoosiers close out a big victory.

Few thought that Indiana would win so comfortably because North Carolina entered the game playing as well as anyone in the nation. The Tar Heels steamrolled a loaded field at the Maui Invitational last week, winning all three games by an average of 30 points.

North Carolina was at its most dominant in Maui in the paint. On the off chance the Tar Heels didn’t score in transition or around the rim, Isaiah Hicks, Kennedy Meeks and Justin Jackson bludgeoned opponents on the offensive glass, helping their team amass the nation’s second best offensive rebounding rate.

Indiana defeated North Carolina on Wednesday by neutralizing the Tar Heels’ strengths for long stretches of the game.

Josh Newkirk hounded star point guard Joel Berry into 3-for-13 shooting. Meeks and Hicks were ineffective on the low block and scored a combined six first-half points. And while North Carolina collected 13 offensive boards, the Tar Heels’ rebounding percentage was still far below their season average.

Indiana’s own offense lacks a point guard who creates off the dribble as effectively as Yogi Ferrell has the past few years, so the Hoosiers have to manufacture points through ball movement and paint touches. That bogged down in stretches during the second half, but overall the Hoosiers were effective.

O.G. Anunoby led five players in double figures with 16 points including a pair of big dunks. Blackmon had 14 points and Thomas Bryant had 10 of his 12 after halftime.

One topsy-turvy month into the season, we now have a better idea of who Indiana will be.

Erratic defense and a reliance on 3-pointers gives Indiana a lower floor than some of this year’s other title contenders. But as victories over Kansas and North Carolina attest, when the Hoosiers are engaged defensively and in rhythm offensively, they can beat anybody.

49ers QB Colin Kaepernick: Anthem protest about 'change,' not just police violence. What's Your Take? 

John Mullin

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

President-elect Donald Trump tweeted this week that people burn the American flag should be subjected to some form of punishment, such as prison time or loss of citizenship. The Supreme Court has ruled that flag-burning was protected as a form of “symbolic speech.”

Colin Kaepernick, who comes to Soldier Field next Sunday to face the Bears, elected this season to express his concern about what he called “systematic oppression” by not standing for the national anthem before games. Is the San Francisco 49ers quarterback concerned that the incoming Administration may look to punish anthem-sitters?

“No, I’m not concerned about that at all,” Kaepernick said via conference call on Wednesday. “To me, if things go down that path, those are human-rights issues. Patriotism is earned; it’s not something you demand. For me, I don’t see those as issues. I’ll continue on my path as I have planned.”

Kaepernick began his sitting protest during San Francisco preseason games last August. It ignited a national firestorm because it was viewed as anti-police, a protest against police violence.

But for Kaepernick, it was never a police issue.

“I’ve been very clear from the beginning that I’m against systematic oppression,” Kaepernick said. “Police violence is just one of the symptoms of that oppression. For me that is something that needs to be addressed but it’s not the whole issue.”

Kaepernick said he has been in touch with groups and individuals in Chicago, which has been plagued with gun violence in general. The goal is to support those groups trying to effect change and that has been Kaepernick’s end game as well, he said.

“For me, I want to try help create change and also help empower other people, other organizations, that are doing the work to continue to do the work, and people that aren’t, to get involved to help create that change,” Kaepernick said. “Because this isn’t something that’s going to be changed by one person or a couple of people. It’s going to take communities coming together and creating the change that needs to be made, and the country coming together.”

Chicago Sports & Travel, Inc./AllsportsAmerica Take: We must agree that systematic oppression does still exist in this country, however, it is still the best place on the earth to follow your aspirations and achieve your goals. There's a lot of work to be done and burning, looting and killing does not help or solve any problem. It sets the process back. There's a lot of dialogue needed from all sides with recommendations that must be brokered to accomplish a mutual amicable agreement. The burners, looters and killers hurt everyone and in the long run, they suffer the most. Economic protest seem to get everyone's attention and create the best results. We know that times have changed but the Birmingham, Alabama bus boycott started by Rosa Parks and led by Dr. Martin Luther King achieved the goal that their objective had set. The beginning of the breakdown of segregation through economic facilitation. Yes, there was still a degree of violence involved but a serious point was made and the cause received worldwide attention.

Colin Kaepernick has the inalienable right to protest but we think a successful organized economic boycott would get everyone's attention. In today's world, it all seems to be about the almighty dollar. Some of you will agree with us and many of you won't so here's your opportunity to share your thoughts and ideas with us. Go to the comment section at the bottom of this and let us know what's your take? As always, we love hearing diverse comments with pros and cons on all sides of this issue: the right to protest.

Thanks in advance for your time, consideration and comments.

 The Chicago Sports & Travel, Inc./AllsportsAmerica Editorial Staff.

On This Date in Sports History: Today is Friday, December 02, 2016.

Memoriesofhistory.com

1963 - The Major League Rules Committee banned the use of oversized catcher's mitts. The rule went into effect in 1965.

1984 - Dan Marino (Miami Dolphins) threw his 40th touchdown pass of the season.

1987 - "The Grabowski Shuffle" video by Mike Ditka and The Grabowskis was certified Gold and Platinum by the RIAA.

1988 - ESPN aired its 10,000th Sports Center, making it the most televised cable program in history.

1996 - Clyde Drexler (Houston Rockets) became the fourth NBA player to reach 2,000 career steals.

1997 - Latrell Sprewell's $32 million contract was terminated by the Golden State Warriors. The termination came one day after Sprewell assaulted head coach P.J. Carlesimo.

****************************************************************

Please let us hear your opinion on the above articles and pass them on to any other diehard fans that you think might be interested. But most of all, remember, Chicago Sports & Travel, Inc./AllsportsAmerica wants you.