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"Sports Quote of the Day"

“A strong, positive self-image is the best possible preparation for success.” ~ Joyce Brothers, Phycologist, Television Personality and Columnist

Trending: Marian Hossa scores twice in Blackhawks' shutout win over Coyotes.
(See the hockey section for Blackhawks updates and NHL news).

Trending: Back from scary concussion, Leonard Floyd playing like franchise pass rusher Bears craved. (See the football section for Bears News an NFL updates).

Trending: Bulls can't hold fourth quarter lead against Pistons, lose third straight. (See the basketball section for Bulls news and NBA updates).

Trending: The second-guessing follows Joe Maddon from World Series to winter meetings. (See the baseball section for Cubs and White Sox updates).

Trending: Red Sox, White Sox combine for interesting risk-reward with Chris Sale trade. (See the baseball section for Cubs and White Sox updates).

How 'bout them Chicago Blackhawks? Marian Hossa scores twice in Blackhawks' shutout win over Coyotes.

By Tracey Myers

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

Scott Darling was asked about the Blackhawks’ confidence level following their 2-1 loss to the Winnipeg Jets: was the Blackhawks’ lack of scoring affecting it?

Darling doubted it, adding that it was just about the Blackhawks finding their chemistry again, “because when it’s going, it’s pretty lethal.”

The Blackhawks’ offense may not have been lethal on Tuesday night but it was effective. And for a team that had just two goals in their previous two games combined, it was a welcome sight.

Marian Hossa scored twice and Scott Darling stopped all 22 shots he saw as the Blackhawks beat the Arizona Coyotes 4-0 on Tuesday night. The Blackhawks snapped their two-game losing streak and remain atop the Western Conference and Central Division with 37 points.

The Blackhawks, already without Jonathan Toews and Corey Crawford, lost Brent Seabrook in the second period to an upper-body injury. Coach Joel Quenneville said they’ll see how Seabrook, who fell awkwardly near the boards and was holding his head while he was down, is doing on Wednesday.

In this one, the Blackhawks found their scoring touch against an Arizona team that’s struggled this season and was coming off a game Monday in Columbus. While the Coyotes did to the Blackhawks what many have done to them in the opening minutes – outshooting them by a decent margin – the Blackhawks nevertheless took the first-period lead on Artem Anisimov’s power-play goal.

“Nice play at the net. Lateral passes or seam passes with those guys, that’s what they’ll always be looking for,” Quenneville said. “It’s nice to see us get a goal and that should help us settle things down.”

It did. The Blackhawks never looked back after that, scoring twice within 19 seconds – Hossa’s first of the game and Dennis Rasmussen’s second of the season – to distance themselves.

“It’s always nice to see them go into the net, whoever scores them,” Trevor van Riemsdyk said. “It gets everyone going. A lot of nice plays were made today so that gets the blood pumping, gets you flying around out there. But yeah, it’s obviously a lot of guys know how to put the puck in the net. always fun when you put a few in.”

And then there was Hossa again, scoring his 14th of the season in the third period, a breakaway off a nice feed from Niklas Hjalmarsson.

“That was beautiful play by Hammer on that last goal. But when you’ve got the time, you can aim a little bit,” Hossa said. “Obviously, the first one was a little bit lucky. I tried to squeeze it in. It went in. And it just feels good to put the puck in.”

Maybe the Blackhawks’ confidence wasn’t wavering despite the lack of goals. They nevertheless were looking to create more, to generate more, especially with their captain out of the lineup for a seventh consecutive game. They got opportunities on Tuesday and took advantage of them.

“It proves that when we play the right way defensively we’re going to get chances like we did tonight,” Darling said. “Hopefully we can remember this one going forward."

Five Things from Blackhawks-Coyotes: Is Brent Seabrook OK?

By Tracey Myers

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

The Blackhawks weren’t exactly reeling — they had only lost two straight games, matching their longest losing streak of the season. Still, they didn’t like the direction in which they were going, especially offensively.

Tuesday was a test in terms of playing another game without Jonathan Toews, another game without Corey Crawford and finding a way against a team that’s struggled this season. The Blackhawks passed the test, finding their offense and denying the Arizona Coyotes in a 4-0 victory.

This week doesn’t get any easier for the Blackhawks, who might be without another top player. We’ll find out more about that in a few days. So before we call it a night, let’s look at Five Things to take from the Blackhawks’ victory over the Coyotes.

1. Slow start, but another first-period lead. Seriously, I’m just going to type this paragraph up for every game and just switch out the name of the opponent. On Tuesday the Coyotes, who played Monday night in Columbus, outshot the Blackhawks early. But thanks to Artem Anisimov’s power-play goal, the Blackhawks led 1-0 after one. It wasn’t a shocker that the Coyotes came out strong early. But again, off the back-to-back, they looked like they were losing steam as the game continued.

2. Brent Seabrook does not return. Seabrook got tangled up with Jordan Martinook late in the second period and, after being down a few moments while holding his head, went to the locker room. Coach Joel Quenneville said he’ll see how Seabrook is on Wednesday — the Blackhawks don’t practice again until Thursday. The Blackhawks have good depth at defense, as we’ve seen throughout this season. Still, missing Seabrook is always a loss.

3. Marian Hossa scores his 13th and 14th of the season. In some previous seasons that might not mean anything tremendous, other than the Blackhawks would take every one of them. But on Tuesday night, in his 27th game of the season, Hossa surpassed his goal total of last season (13 in 64 games). His second, a breakaway off a pass from Niklas Hjalmarsson, put an exclamation point on this one. So, is it time to just admit Hossa is a cyborg? “I’d believe it. I wouldn’t put it past him,” Scott Darling said. “I still can’t believe how fast he is. He’s one of the fastest players I’ve ever been with. He’s an impressive human being.”

4. Scott Darling with the shutout. Maybe it didn’t seem like that overwhelming of a shutout (22 stops), but it was a good outcome for the backup goaltender, who was tremendous on Sunday but nevertheless took the loss to Winnipeg. Darling was still facing a tough situation in the third period — seeing zip. The Coyotes didn’t get their first third-period shot on goal until there was less than six minutes remaining in it. “It’s not ideal. But I guess it’s better than seeing 30 shots in a period,” Darling said. “Beggars can’t be choosers. You just have to stay with it mentally.”

5. Quick strikes in the second period. We’re all familiar with 17 seconds. On Tuesday the Blackhawks had 19 seconds. They scored twice in that time frame (Hossa and Dennis Rasmussen). From that point on, the Blackhawks looked comfortable and confident. Said Quenneville, “We had the puck a lot more. That’s been what we’re trying to get to where we want to go. Tonight was a good step.”

Bear Down Chicago Bears!!!!! Bears In-Foe: Matt Barkley about to get a different type of test.

By Chris Boden

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

If the Lions can intercept Drew Brees three times in the Superdome, and keep him without a touchdown pass in his home digs for the first time in seven years, what does that mean for Matt Barkley in his third NFL start, and first on the road?

Teryl Austin's unit held its sixth straight opponent to 20 points or less without its leading tackler, middle linebacker Tahir Whitehead (knee). The reason Whitehead's stepped up is due to the absence of stud linebacker DeAndre Levy, who's practicing, but has yet to play since the opener, due to leg injuries. This on the heels of playing just 17 snaps a year ago. 

It's remarkable what Austin's been able to do with a taped-together defense (sound familiar?) that was rocked by the loss of Ndamukong Suh a year ago (much less Levy's health issues).

Who's stepped up? Undrafted fire hydrant lineman Kerry Hyder (seven sacks). Devin Taylor (heard of him?) has 4.5 sacks. How about Armonty Bryant (3.0 sacks)? This as Ezekiel Ansah, who came into the season with 30 sacks in 46 NFL games (14.5 last season) has ZERO so far this season. He missed the first meeting with the Bears, which helped in a 17-14 win. 

Haloti Ngata is the linchpin along the line, the 32-year-old rebounding from an injury-plagued 2015. Second-round rookie A'Shawn Robinson and Tyrunn Walker also rotate in effectively.

With their linebacker health woes, they've loaded up on three-safety setups, and will throw in a fourth to serve as undersized help on the second level. Glover Quin and Tavon Wilson are the listed "starters" but Rafael Bush and 6-foot-2 rookie "hitter" Miles Killebrew roll into their packages.

Opponents tend to stay away from shutdown corner Darius Slay, who approached that status (and four-year, $48 million July payday) last season, and whose late Thanksgiving pick vs. Minnesota set up a game-winning field goal. Nevin Lawson may be "just" 5-foot-9, plays physical and fast on the opposite side, but the Lions may face a dilemma at what to do in their nickel package after Quandre Diggs reportedly suffered a season-ending pectoral injury Sunday in NOLA.

Special teams

Matt Prater kicked the longest field goal in NFL history for John Fox in Denver back in 2013 (64 yards in Mile High altitude), but still consistently connects from distance. He's 5-of-5 from 50-plus this season in going 26-for-29 overall (while missing two extra points).

Andre Roberts handles both kickoff and punt return duties. His 14.6-yard average on the latter leads the league, courtesy of two touchdown returns. The Lions also rank seventh in punt coverage and 10th in kickoff coverage.

Their "Teams" overall? Special.

Bears In-Foe: Since last meeting, Lions roar restored.

By Chris Boden

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

What a difference two months makes.

Matthew Stafford had his worst game of the season Oct. 2 at Soldier Field (23-of-36, 213 yards, no touchdowns, and two of the five interceptions the Bears have managed all year) in a 17-14 loss that left both teams 1-3. That was the last week the Bears weren't in last place in the NFC North by themselves.

Detroit has won seven of eight since, and is now in the division driver's seat, with a two-game lead over Green Bay and Minnesota (but it's really 2 1/2 over the Vikings after sweeping the season series). The Lions will either have a long memory from the first meeting, or look where the Bears have gone since, as they look forward to a difficult three-game finish if they're to hold on for the first division crown since 1993 (at New York Giants, at Dallas, host Green Bay).

Sunday's win in New Orleans was the first time the Lions hadn't trailed in the fourth quarter all season, with a start-to-finish 28-13 victory. While they had to settle for field goals on four of their trips to the red zone, they also answered the bell in a hostile environment.

The Saints had just scored to get to within 19-13 early in the fourth quarter. Facing a 3rd-and-10 from their own 34, Golden Tate got open for a 66-yard catch and score to quiet the Superdome. Yes, that's the same Tate who was benched during a one-catch-for-one-yard afternoon on the lakefront opposite Tracy Porter. 

The Golden Domer, admittedly dwelling on numbers following the retirement of Calvin Johnson, got the message. He's had 165- and 145-yard games (Sunday's was the latter) since, and seems back to his former self, up to 65 catches while ranking third among receivers in yards-after-catch. That's come as Marvin Jones has been hobbled by injuries since entering the first meeting with 118- and 205-yard efforts.

Ageless Anquan Boldin has caught six of Stafford's 21 touchdown passes, while Theo Riddick has five in ranking third among running backs with 53 receptions. While his 3.9-yard average fronts a 29th-ranked run game that's churning out just 81 yards per contest after the early loss of Ameer Abdullah, it's part of what's made this turnaround all the more impressive if you're into stats.

The Lions are just 18th in points per game (22.9), entered Monday night 21st in yards (337.3), and middle-of-the-pack in red-zone touchdown percentage (55.9). Yet they're finding ways to win to make head coach Jim Caldwell's seat considerably cooler after a turnover in management. 

Speaking of turnover, even though he gave it up twice in Week 4 to the Bears, Stafford's been intercepted just 10 times over his last 23 games (with 47 touchdown passes). He set a franchise record by completing 13 straight passes Sunday. He ranks eighth in the NFL in completion percentage (67.2) this season, sixth in passer rating (100.5) and 10th in passing yards (3,224). 

After an injury-plagued first couple of seasons in which he was a Jay Cutler-like gunslinger, he's truly, finally, evolved into the franchise quarterback the Lions envisioned when they used the top pick in the 2009 draft on him, especially after Jim Bob Cooter took over play-calling duties midway through last season. His knack for comebacks (as noted this year above), keeps his team in games, and he's done it all along with shaky, at best, offensive lines.

The current makeup finds first-round pick Taylor Decker protecting his blind side, third-round rookie Graham Glasgow (from Marmion Military Academy) at left guard (supplanting struggling 2015 top pick Laken Tomlinson out of Lane Tech). 

Third-year third-rounder Travis Swanson continues holding down center, flanked on his right by 2013 third-rounder Larry Warford. Riley Rieff was once thought to be the left tackle of the future, but the 2012 first-rounder's been switched to the right edge in what may be his last season in Motown. 

Physically-gifted top 2014 choice Eric Ebron has been slow to blossom at tight end in an injury-plagued start to his pro career. He missed three games after the first meeting with foot and ankle woes, had a pair of seven-catch games upon his return, but has cooled down some since, while not scoring since the season opener.

Former Bears running back Rashaan Salaam dies at 42; Recalling Bears RB Rashaan Salaam: a gentle young man.

By John Mullin

(Photo/AP)

The thing that stood out about Rashaan Salaam to this reporter was the genuine humility that once prompted him to ask, “Why do you want to talk to me? I haven’t done anything yet. You should talk to these guys,” gesturing down the locker-room way toward some of his offensive linemen.

So on Tuesday when the news hit that Salaam had been found dead of undetermined causes in a Boulder, Colo., park at age 42, the first thought, after abject disbelief, was what kind of young man the Bears’ 1995 first-round draft choice was. And your mind goes back to Andy Heck, one of those offensive linemen, saying after Salaam had suffered a knee injury in a game at Cincinnati, that “Rashaan didn’t say anything, just was there in the huddle, his leg actually shaking from what must have been the pain.”

Salaam had won the 1994 Heisman Trophy as a running back topping 2,000 rushing yards with Kordell Stewart and the Colorado Buffaloes. "He was very coachable," former Colorado coach Bill McCartney said, via the school's website. "He had a happy heart. I loved being around him. He didn't take himself too seriously, and he always credited those around him, especially his offensive line. What I liked about him is that he had a sparkle in his eye. He was upbeat and positive."

Bears then-personnel chief Rod Graves made Salaam the 21st pick of the 1995 first round, and Salaam proceeded to then have one of the great rookie seasons in Bears history – 1,074 rushing yards (then a Bears rookie record, since eclipsed by Matt Forte and Anthony Thomas), and 10 touchdowns (exceeded only by Gale Sayers). Salaam was named NFC offensive rookie of the year.

But his year was marked by 10 fumbles (or nine, depending on the source), which became the lasting recollection of a season in which Salaam, Erik Kramer, Curtis Conway and Jeff Graham set franchise records for offense but missed the playoffs.

Salaam never completely shook free of the knee issues, giving way to Raymont Harris over the next two seasons before he left as a free agent (he had signed just a three-year rookie deal, gambling on reaching free agency sooner) after rushing for just 608 yards combined for 1996-97. After stops with Green Bay and Cleveland in 1999, Salaam played briefly in Canada and finished his football with the Toronto Argonauts in 2004.

He managed his money and was comfortable in retirement. But he confided to former colleague Fred Mitchell of the Chicago Tribune several years ago that his partying and use of marijuana contributed to his downfall as a player. "I had no discipline,” Salaam said. “I had all the talent in the world. You know, great body, great genes. But I had no work ethic and I had no discipline. The better you get, the harder you have to work. The better I got, the lazier I got."

Salaam told Pro Football Weekly a couple of years ago that he remained a Bears fan. "It's always great sitting down every Sunday to watch the Bears play," Salaam said.

"Legendary organization, gave me my chance 19 years ago, so they'll always be very dear to my heart."

Back from scary concussion, Leonard Floyd playing like franchise pass rusher Bears craved.

By John Mullin

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

Leonard Floyd wasn’t doing particularly well in the early stages of Sunday’s game against the San Francisco 49ers. First there was the snow, which was a new experience for the Bears rookie rush-linebacker, who was born in Georgia and played his high school and college football in the Peach State.

Then there was the matter of getting back up to NFL game speed after suffering a concussion sustained in a frightening collision with teammate Akiem Hicks two weeks ago against the New York Giants.

“Yeah, the beginning of the game I was playing too jittery,” Floyd said. “I wasn’t playing like myself. The more the game went on, the more I settled down.”

And finally was the problem of facing All-Pro left tackle Joe Staley, who repeatedly dominated Floyd in the first half the way a five-time Pro Bowler can do to a rookie.

“He’s up there with the top,” Floyd said. "He’s definitely a guy that has been in the league and has been dominant while he’s been here. I was looking forward to the matchup the whole week, and I enjoyed the whole matchup during the game.”

Staley might have been, too. He isn’t looking back at it fondly right now.

Floyd sacked Colin Kaepernick in the third quarter and Blaine Gabbert in the fourth, the latter for a safety. The sacks were in addition to four solo tackles, one for loss, as Floyd shook off his early troubles with Staley. That, as much as the actual plays, might have been the biggest positive for a young player.

“Even early in yesterday’s game we could have played a couple of things a little bit better,” coach John Fox said. “What was impressive about Leonard was being able to put maybe a couple of not some of his better plays behind him. I thought he responded really well in the second half.”

The significance of Floyd’s playmaking, Sunday and in other recent games, cannot be overstated.

No draft pick carries as much weight in the early formation of Ryan Pace’s job evaluation and legacy as Bears general manager than that of Floyd. Period. Pace is in his position in part because the Bears as a franchise has fallen behind division and NFC rivals over the past decade because of a succession of misses on first-round draft choices.

To some extent, Fox’s personnel skills were involved. Fox began his turnarounds in Carolina and Denver with top-10 picks of edge defenders: Julius Peppers in 2002 and Von Miller in 2011, both No. 2 overall. The priority placed on Floyd was in no small part rooted in evaluations of the two ranking members of the coaching staff for defense, Fox and coordinator Vic Fangio, whose building of a championship defense in San Francisco also began with a top-10 pick on an edge rusher: Aldon Smith, the No. 7 pick in the 2011 draft.

Floyd means even more than injury-plagued Kevin White, the No. 7 pick in the 2015 draft, Pace’s first. Floyd was not only a high first-round pick, he also was one that Pace regarded so highly that the Bears general manager felt compelled to trade up two spots to beat the Giants to Floyd.

For a time last offseason, with Floyd ill to start training camp, then suffering from a handful of injuries, the choice was open to serious question, even as Floyd was a mild surprise as a starter on opening day. Floyd collected half a sack in the loss at Houston but then was far from an impact factor in the next three games and then inactive with a hamstring injury the two after that.

Since then, however, Floyd has become nothing short of a significant contender for Defensive Rookie of the Year.

Floyd suffered his concussion and had to leave the game against the Giants and was inactive last week against the Tennessee Titans. But in the four complete games since he was inactive those two weeks, Floyd has totaled 6.5 sacks, one of those accounting for a touchdown against the Green Bay Packers and another going for a safety Sunday vs. the 49ers.

Floyd’s seven sacks lead all rookies, and his play in the San Francisco game will have him under high consideration for Rookie of the Week.

All of that pales next to seeing Floyd come through the hit that produced the concussion. Floyd lay on the field as teammates raced to him, and he eventually was taken off the field on a cart and a board to immobilize his neck.

“I can’t really remember much after the hit,” Floyd said. “I just knew that the trainers were telling me that I was gonna be all right, I was gonna be fine, and I was just listening to them the whole time and what they were saying. It was the first time I experienced (that). I was kinda scared at the moment. Like pretty much a day later, I felt like I was going to be back out there soon.

“It was just bad technique. I’m looking at myself, studying myself. Bad technique. My head was down.”

With his safety Sunday and touchdown in Green Bay, Floyd (eight points) is outscoring receiver Alshon Jeffery (six). Floyd is 6-foot-4, has speed and he played tight end in high school. So ... offense?

“Nah,” Floyd said, laughing. “I’m going to stick to getting after the quarterbacks, man.”

Just Another Chicago Bulls Session..... Bulls can't hold fourth quarter lead against Pistons, lose third straight.

By Vincent Goodwill

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

The margins in the Eastern Conference aside from Cleveland and Toronto are thin, and the Bulls found them themselves sitting outside the playoff picture last year because taking care of business against peer competition was too much.

They’ve followed the mold this season as the Detroit Pistons continued their recent dominance over the Bulls, winning 102-91 at the Palace of Auburn Hills on Tuesday as the Bulls completed their four-games-in-five-nights stretch with one win and three straight alarming losses.

It was the same old story from the night before in their late loss to Portland on Monday, as the Bulls held a slim lead into the fourth quarter and couldn’t hold it as their defense let them down.

A balanced attack from the Pistons was led by Tobias Harris scoring 22 points with seven rebounds, while Jimmy Butler tried to put the Bulls on his back again late, scoring 32 with six rebounds and four assists, but was unable to stop the Bulls from losing their sixth game in nine tries.

Nikola Mirotic’s triple gave the Bulls a 75-71 lead but the Pistons went on a 12-0 run to take firm control, as the Bulls fatigue began to creep in. Gone was their advantage from the free throw line that helped them work themselves back from a large deficit as they trailed by 17 in the second as the Pistons blitzed the Bulls early.

The Pistons are already a bad matchup for the Bulls, with an aggressive point guard and one of the league’s most active bigs in Andre Drummond. Add the fourth game and fifth night element to it and it was a recipe for disaster.

Drummond’s fresh legs accompanied by Jackson’s fresh spirit meant bad news for a weary team that played a full 48 the night before in Portland. Drummond had 15 with 10 rebounds and three blocks in just 25 minutes while Jackson, in his second game back from a knee injury, scored just seven with seven assists in 18 minutes.

Drummond was bouncy and the Bulls didn’t have an early answer aside from the perimeter attack by Butler and Dwyane Wade, who scored 19.

But the Bulls began chipping away at a 51-34 lead with 3:47 left in the second quarter, with Butler scoring 12 of the last 14 points to pull within seven. A steal and alley-oop from Wade to Butler took some air out of the Pistons, as they reclaimed some real estate with Drummond and Jackson on the bench.

A Rajon Rondo layup gave the Bulls a 62-61 lead with 5:18 in the third, completing the comeback. Rondo scored 10 in 37 minutes after his one-game punishment, giving the Bulls a little boost in the second half.

But like loss to the Blazers, the Bulls found themselves not making enough stops when it counted most, and are now one game from .500.

Slow start to fourth dooms Bulls in loss to Blazers. (Monday night's game, 12/05/2016). 

By Vincent Goodwill

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

With his old teammate Robin Lopez in front of him and his feet at the United Center sign on the floor, Damian Lillard threw caution to the wind as he sensed the end was near.

With redemption on his mind and the Bulls on the ropes, Lillard unleashed a long triple that took the air out of the building with five minutes and pushed the Portland Trailblazers lead to 10.

The Bulls got closer but a few disastrous minutes spelled doom in their 112-110 loss Monday at the United Center, their third defeat in four games as they were without Rajon Rondo, who was suspended for conduct detrimental to the team earlier in the day.

Dwyane Wade scored 34 points with four rebounds and four assists in his return from a one-game rest while Jimmy Butler scored 26 with seven rebounds and five assists but the Bulls shot just 42 percent and committed 15 turnovers, many of them unforced against a defense that isn’t known for stopping opponents.

Lillard hit free throws in the final minute after the Bulls pulled to within three with 18.2 seconds left but his triple was a backbreaker.

It gave the visitors the push they needed after trailing to start the fourth, going on a 13-3 run while the Bulls missed 11 of their 13 shots to start the period, halting a relatively smooth offensive game to that point.

“They made plays, I thought we hung our heads, got a little deflated a bit. You can’t do that,” Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg said.

Without Rondo to perhaps settle them down, much of the burden relied on Wade and Butler to create as Jerian Grant couldn’t repeat his magic from their earlier meeting when he scored 18 and had five steals.

On this night, Grant went one for seven in 23 minutes and amassed just 16 assists, five off their season average.

And when their offense abandoned them, they couldn’t get enough stops against a potent Trailblazers team that loves playing fast and loose. Chicago native Evan Turner hit two big baskets during the run, as he hit five of six on the night to score 11.

“Tonight was an offensive battle and they’re better at that game than us,” Wade said. “You don’t want to lose at home. Just not being aggressive defensively. Can’t let them get to their spots.”

It obscured the fact the Bulls held the Blazers to 47 points in the second half and achieved most of their pregame goals: keeping the Blazers from hitting 10 triples, winning the free-throw battle (38-18) and outscoring them in the open floor (26-9).

The Bulls harassed Lillard into one of his worst shooting nights of the season in a blowout win a few weeks ago and he made amends with a 26-point, seven-assist night.

“We allowed them to get to the basket,” Wade said. “Highest scoring backcourt in the league for a reason.”

He looked to start off on the right foot from the jump, taking advantage of Grant off the dribble, and his backcourt mate C.J. McCollum wasn't far behind.

The Bulls’ defense was confused on rotations, allowing Lillard, McCollum and Allen Crabbe to feast early on. McCollum ran around screens and read a slow-reacting Bulls defense, nailing jumpers over flat-footed defenders.

Crabbe scored 17 off the bench while McCollum hit 10 of 19 to score 24, as the Blazers hit nine triples at 39-percent accuracy.

The trio of guards combined for 45 in the first half and the Bulls needed to make an adjustment.

“We want to get up and put pressure on that team when they get into their stuff,” Hoiberg said. “A high powered backcourt, as high powered as you’re gonna play all year. They got free and hit long, contested two’s. That’s what we wanted to force them into.”

So Butler started the third quarter defending Lillard and it seemed to throw off the Blazers’ rhythm. The Bulls took a 67-66 lead minutes into the second half and held off the duo until McCollum’s 25-foot triple right at the end of the third.

Butler wanted the matchup to start the game but Hoiberg, aware of the rigorous stretch the Bulls are in, waited until it was halfway through before unleashing his best defender on Lillard.

He dropped in another two minutes into the fourth to give the Blazers a 90-89 lead.

By then, they were in a dogfight and unable to slow down the hot shooting Blazers.

Rajon Rondo used foul language with Bulls assistant coaches following loss to Mavs.

By Vincent Goodwill  

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

The Rajon Rondo file has another suspension to the ledger, as he was suspended by the Bulls for one game for “conduct detrimental to the team” and will miss Monday night’s game against the Portland Trailblazers.

It’s the seventh incident in the past few years for Rondo where he’s been suspended by the NBA or the team he’s played for, which of course brings up queries as to the event in question.

Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg wouldn’t elaborate on what took place, only that he met with Rondo Sunday and that the two are on the same page. Saturday night, the Bulls lost in blowout fashion to the Dallas Mavericks, Rondo’s former team.

A source said he used some foul language to some assistant coaches, although he apologized afterwards to the team. Another source said he threw a towel at associate head coach Jim Boylen during a heated exchange.

Boylen and Rondo apparently have a relationship where they can go back and forth, and the two work with each other daily, as most players have assistant coaches they align themselves with based off positions or personalities.

“I wasn’t there, but we’re ready to go. He’s gonna have fresh legs tomorrow,” said Dwyane Wade, who missed Saturday’s game due to rest. “As players we back each other and support each other. This is an emotional game and guys have emotional moments. They handle it the way they feel is best.”

Apparently, a line was crossed during the exchange and considering the fact the Bulls have encouraged the veteran players to be vocal, one wonders if it’s a slippery slope that will allow for certain situations to arise.

Rondo, Wade and Jimmy Butler have had the latitude to speak up in practices through training camp and film sessions, as Hoiberg wanted this group to be more player-led than previously, and seemingly the slippery slope backfired on one occasion.

“He and I met yesterday, had a good meeting. He’ll meet us at the plane tonight,” Hoiberg said. “He’ll be back in uniform tomorrow night against Detroit and moving forward. As far as details guys, I’m not going to get in the details of it. We’re going to move past it, and again he’ll be back in uniform tomorrow.”

Hoiberg shut down every question about Rondo, only saying it wasn’t a physical altercation with any players or members of the coaching staff. With Rondo’s history of situations, Hoiberg said he understood the line of questioning but tried to walk the line of supporting the player as well.

“Sure, I understand that,” Hoiberg said. “But I’ll say this, Rajon, as we’ve all said, has been great. A great teammate. I’ve enjoyed the relationship that we developed, and again it’s not going to change moving forward.”

Rondo is averaging 8.2 points, 7.2 assists and 6.7 rebounds in 17 games, and is coming off a poor showing against Dallas, where he had five turnovers and just two points, two rebounds and two assists.

The Bulls play the Pistons Tuesday to complete their four games in five nights stretch, and Jerian Grant will start in Rondo’s place.

“(Rondo’s) been great. I think this is just another bump in the road,” said Jimmy Butler, who also wouldn’t elaborate on what led to the suspension. “He's a phenomenal damn teammate and I back him on everything.”

When asked whether he agreed with the organizational decision to suspend Rondo, Butler said: “It's not my job to agree or disagree.”

Butler positioned himself as a big Rondo backer Monday in speaking to the media, as the two were together for an NBA Cares event with Robin Lopez Sunday afternoon.

“I don't feel his reputation fits him at all. Rondo's an incredible basketball player, friend, brother to me now, to us,” Butler said. “I think we love him here. I think the fans love him as well, the organization, I think everyone has nothing but great things to say about him. I don't see where that reputation came from at all.”

Butler wouldn’t even admit to being disappointed about the situation, choosing to stay out of the fray and not issue any controversial statements.

“Nope. Not at all. These things happen, and when things happen you handle it the way you're supposed to handle it,” Butler said. “I think we all love Rondo. I know I do. He's been a great mentor to me, he's made me a much better basketball player. We've got to go out and get one tonight.”

CUBS: The second-guessing follows Joe Maddon from World Series to winter meetings.

By Patrick Mooney

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

At least 10 cameras lined up in a cramped corner of a huge hotel ballroom to capture Joe Maddon’s media session late Tuesday afternoon. For almost six minutes, reporters fired off Game 7 questions as the Cubs manager explained his thinking during the World Series.

And then a beat writer abruptly switched topics and asked who would hit leadoff once Dexter Fowler is gone.

“I don’t know, that’s a really good question,” Maddon said. “We’ve talked. There are some brilliant people standing around me right now.”

For a moment, Maddon sounded a little annoyed and defensive during Day 2 of the winter meetings. But the guy who designed “The Process is Fearless” T-shirts will point to the results from that instant classic against the Cleveland Indians.

“It’s fascinating to me regarding the second-guessing, because the only reality I know is that we won,” Maddon said at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center outside Washington, D.C.

“We have oftentimes in the past talked about ‘outcome bias.’ Or if people would anticipate, had you done something differently, would it have turned out better?

“But better than winning — I don’t know what that is.”

There won’t be enough space on Maddon’s Hall of Fame plaque to bullet-point all the twists and turns during those 10 innings in Cleveland, how he pulled Cy Young Award finalist Kyle Hendricks in the fifth and brought $155 million reliever Jon Lester into the game with a runner on base, a situation the Cubs wanted to avoid, in case that triggered the yips.

Maddon wrote off Aroldis Chapman giving up a game-tying, two-run homer to Rajai Davis in the eighth inning as a matter of location — not velocity — even though the closer wound up throwing 97 pitches in Games 5, 6 and 7 combined.

If anything, Maddon might have to do more of the convincing within his own clubhouse. Jason Heyward watched from third base as the manager ordered Javier Baez to bunt on a 3-2 count in the ninth inning and felt compelled to call a players-only meeting inside a Progressive Field weight room during the 17-minute rain delay.

“You can’t control the narrative when the game is in progress,” Maddon said. “I’ve talked about the barroom banter. And I definitely know that I was able to fill up — based on my decision-making in that game — a lot of barroom banter throughout the Chicago area, or nationally, internationally.

“But the point is, when you work a game like that, there’s not an eighth game. There’s only a seventh game. Everything that you saw us do that night, I planned out before the game ever began and felt really strongly about it — and still do.

“Just take away one hit by Davis, it worked out pretty darn well. But then you have to give our guys credit for the way we withstood the onslaught and eventually won the game.”

Ultimately, an 8-7 victory ended the 108-year drought, meaning Maddon should someday have his own spot in Cooperstown.

Instead of taking a public victory lap — the way his players have celebrated on “Saturday Night Live” and the talk-show circuit — Maddon went into decompression mode. Maddon bought a Dodge Challenger Hellcat muscle car, saw “Hamilton” on Broadway and partied at the Zeta Psi fraternity house for the Lafayette-Lehigh football game at his old stomping grounds in Pennsylvania.

Without Maddon, the Cubs don’t win 97 games and two playoff rounds last year, which opened the floodgates for nearly $290 million to spend on free agents. But after “Embrace The Target,” Maddon will have to come up with a new message for the 2017 Cubs, a group that might find some of his tactics a little old.

“You still want to ‘Try Not To Suck,’ but you can’t wear that out,” Maddon said. “I really feel confident. I like our group a lot. If you look at our core group and what we did last year — the youth, the inexperience turning into experience, the authenticity of our players — I want to believe (in) the humility of our players.

“All those things (are) what I’m going to rely on. That’s going to permit us — beyond our skill abilities — (to) be good for a period of time.”

Cubs: The next steps for Kyle Schwarber.

By Patrick Mooney

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

Kyle Schwarber might have been the most dangerous hitter in a World Series lineup that featured the National League MVP plus four more All-Stars. After spending more than six months recovering from major knee surgery. Against Cy Young Award winner Corey Kluber and a dominant Cleveland Indians bullpen.

“He’s not going to play winter ball,” Cubs general manager Jed Hoyer said with a perfect deadpan delivery. “We felt like he proved he can hit major-league pitching.”

The Cubs spent Monday at the winter meetings inside the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center, continuing their search for pitching on the outskirts of Washington, D.C. The Cubs are so stacked with hitters that manager Joe Maddon could write out a 2017 Opening Day lineup tomorrow and Theo Epstein’s front office would still have Jorge Soler left over as trade bait.

Schwarber could hit second for the defending World Series champs, and his presence would mean more than any player the Cubs could sign as a free agent. The Cubs expect him to be at full strength by spring training, though it’s unclear how much work, if any, he’ll get as a catcher.

“That’s the hurdle we haven’t really gone over yet,” Hoyer said. “Can he do it? There’s no question he’s going to want to do it. I think he can do it. I think that we have to have discussions about how heavy a workload we put on him in that regard.

“One of the things we talked about even last year before he got hurt was (how) he’s doing full catching drills, running around the outfield, doing stuff hitting. That’s a lot to put on a guy, sort of like playing two ways in football.”

Schwarber, an all-Ohio linebacker in high school, has a run-through-a-brick-wall mentality and doesn’t like to hear about what he can’t do. He wrecked his left knee in an outfield collision in early April and needed a procedure that reconstructed his ACL and repaired his LCL.

It took only two warm-up games in the Arizona Fall League before Schwarber made his dramatic return as the designated hitter at Progressive Field, batting .412 (7-for-17) with a .971 OPS during the World Series. 

The Cubs appear to be set with Willson Contreras and Miguel Montero behind the plate, but Schwarber is the type of baseball gym rat who enjoys breaking down video, giving input for scouting reports and being involved in every pitch.  

“We have to talk through all that stuff,” Hoyer said. “We know what his position’s going to be, so we have to figure out what our position’s going to be. I know he’s going to want to catch.

“But he knows he’s coming in as a left fielder next year. And we have to decide how much of the catching drills (he does).”

MLB releases postseason shares for Cubs.

By Tony Andracki

 

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

The Cubs' postseason shares were released Tuesday afternoon amid the craziness of the White Sox-Red Sox Chris Sale deal.

Fresh off a World Series win, the Cubs handed out 66 full playoff shares, worth $368,871.59 each. The organization also dealt 8.7 partial shares and four cash awards.

As champs, the Cubs received a share of $27,586,017.75 of the players' pool, which is formed from 50 percent of the gate receipts from the American League and National League wild card games and then 60 percent of the gate receipts from the first three games of the Division Series, the first four contests of the League Championship Series and first four games of the World Series.

The 2016 players' pool set a new record at $76,627,827.09, up from the 2015 total of just under $70 million.

2015 champion Kansas City Royals received share amounts of just over $370,000 last season, split into 58 shares.

The Cleveland Indians received more than $18 million from the 2016 players pool.

The Los Angeles Dodgers and Toronto Blue Jays — runners up in the LCS — tallied more than $9 million from the players' pool.

Cubs cashing in big time with ticket prices after World Series win.

By Tony Andracki

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

The Cubs didn't wait long to cash in on their first championship in over a century.
As the MLB winter meetings heat up in Maryland, the Cubs are raising ticket prices across the board.

Danny Ecker of Crain's Chicago Business reports the Cubs sent renewal invoices to season ticket holders Monday with an average price increase of 19.5 percent.

Meanwhile, club box infield tickets are increasing by 31 percent, bleacher seats up over 22 percent and other spots raising from 11 to 17 percent. The lowest increase is 6 percent for upper deck tickets.

The average price of a season ticket for the Cubs is $58 per game now at Wrigley Field, which is 31 percent more than the same figure from three years ago, Ecker reports. 

Just from season tickets alone, Ecker states the Cubs could be looking at an extra $20 million in revenue in 2017 compared to 2016.

Add in the more than 200 seats in the "Bullpen Box" down each foul line where the bullpens used to be on the field (each seat starts at $16,000 for the full season), and the Cubs are going to see a major increase in ticket sales coming off a year in which they led MLB with 103 wins, won the National League pennant and then finished it off by hosting three World Series games at Wrigley Field in late October before winning it all on the road.

And hey, why not?

Wrigleyville is guaranteed to be poppin' every night next summer regardless of ticket prices.

WHITE SOX: Red Sox, White Sox combine for interesting risk-reward with Chris Sale trade.

By Ben Reiter

(Photo/Sports Illustrated)

Boston acquired the five-time All-Star and perennial Cy Young candidate in a blockbuster trade that marked the biggest move yet of the winter meetings.

When it is said that something is priceless, it doesn't really mean that there exists no sum at which it can be bought. It means that the asset is so rare that it is virtually incomparable, so while one can imagine its price to be extraordinarily high there is no real way of precisely determining how exorbitant it might turn out to be.
                          
Such was the case with Chris Sale—before Tuesday, anyway. The 27-year-old lefthander, a perennial AL Cy Young candidate for the White Sox, seemed a priceless commodity for four main reasons. The first was the five-year extension he signed with Chicago in 2013 that will pay him a total of $38.5 million over the next three years; based on current WAR exchange rates of approximately $8 million per win above replacement, he's making about one-third of what he is worth.
                          
The second was the sorry state of a free agent market in which there was no starting pitcher approaching Sale's quality. The market is so weak that its top option was a soon-to-be 37-year-old, Rich Hill, who is a decade removed from the last time he exceeded 110 innings in a season. On Monday the Dodgers signed Hill to a three-year deal that will pay him an average of $16 million a season—significantly more than will be earned over that period by Sale, a five-time All-Star who has averaged 203 innings pitched over the past five years and, by the way, is nine years younger.
                          
The third reason reason is how incomparable Sale is, both in style and performance. He is a lanky lefty who uses his 6’6” height, upper-90s heat, cyclonic windup and sidearm delivery to fool hitters who have no way of preparing to face someone like him, because there is no one else like him. Of pitchers who appeared in each of the past five seasons, only Clayton Kershaw, Johnny Cueto, Zack Greinke and Madison Bumgarner had cumulative ERAs better than Sale's 3.04—which he achieved while pitching in a bandbox of a park on the South Side of Chicago and in front of some dreadful defenses. Only Max Scherzer and Kershaw whiffed more than the 1,133 batters Sale did.

The fourth reason is even harder to quantify, but no less real: sentimental value. For many years, when the White Sox’ front office imagined its franchise’s future, it included Sale raising a World Series trophy over his head with his long, skinny arms. To part with him would mean resetting the franchise’s very identity, which is a difficult thing with which to come to terms. As Chicago general manager Rick Hahn told me earlier this year, “While we have the benefit of Chris Sale in his prime, we gotta find a way to get him into the postseason.”
                          
That was back in May, when, after another offseason of retooling, the playoffs seemed a realistic goal for the White Sox. They were 23-10 and already had a six game lead in the AL Central. Though early, that would prove to be the high point of their 2016 season. Chicago went 55-74 the rest of the way, and a fourth straight losing season convinced the front office that the team needed more than a modest retooling. What seemed unthinkable in May became reality seven months later, early on Tuesday afternoon, when the White Sox sent their ace to the Red Sox. The price was high, but real: a quartet of highly regarded prospects, including a couple who rank among the best in baseball, in infielder Yoan Moncada (No. 1 on MLB.com’s Top 100 prospects list) and fireballing pitcher Michael Kopech (No. 30). Outfielder Luis Basabe and pitcher Victor Diaz are less highly-regarded but are also considered promising.
                          
It is only Dec. 6, but this winter already has its biggest news. Unless the Nationals trade Bryce Harper or the Angels deal Mike Trout, there won’t be a more staggering transaction, because there can’t be.

Like most blockbusters, the Sale trade both delights and hurts each side. Though Hahn said that he’d been talking to his Red Sox counterpart Dave Dombrowki about Sale for a year, on Tuesday Chicago’s future changed in the blink of an eye—from one centered on Sale (and several other veteran teammates, like third baseman Todd Frazier and closer David Robertson, who are now also likely to be dealt) to one in which postseason contention is now several seasons away. Moncada and Kopech are beloved by all talent evaluators, and will conceivably be controlled by the White Sox for a combined 12 future major league seasons against Sale’s three. But now they must actually make good on their promise, which is never a sure thing, particularly because they must now do it under the intense spotlight that will shine on them as a result of having been involved in this deal.
                          

In fact, Dombrowski has made his reputation, in part, by leveraging rivals’ overvaluing of prospects relative to mature performers. As the Tigers GM in 2007, he sent six prospects to the Marlins for slugger Miguel Cabrera and pitcher Dontrelle Willis. During the World Series, one of those prospects reflected on the deal, which ended up a clear win from which Detroit continues to benefit. “There’s a lot of expectations that are added when you get traded that young,” said the former prospect. “Maybe you’re good, but your name was never in the paper before because you’d never been traded. And it’s not automatic that if you’re a top five prospect, you’re going to have a successful career.” That player was Andrew Miller. He is now a shutdown reliever for the Indians, but he bombed out in Florida before finding his first taste of big league stardom in 2013, six years after the Cabrera deal. Moncada and Kopech could well become generational stars—but there are many other possible outcomes, as well.

The Red Sox have many reasons to feel good about a deal that allows them to add an ace while retaining every piece of their young big league core, which includes outfielders Andrew Benintendi, Mookie Betts and Jackie Bradley Jr, and shortstop Xander Bogaerts. Sale does have some baggage: He made national news for two embarrassing reasons this past year, first for flipping out at White Sox' management about the team's attempts to limit the clubhouse access of the 14-year-old son of his friend Adam LaRoche (which led to LaRoche’s retirement) and then, in July, for drawing a suspension from the team after he destroyed throwback jerseys whose cut, he felt, hindered the club’s performance. Sale is, clearly, a passionate person, but with a few notable exceptions his intensity is almost always channeled productively. There is no question he will be deeply missed in Chicago and welcomed in Boston.

More of a question, though, is his longevity. There is now an awful lot riding on elbow of a single lanky lefty. While he has yet to suffer a major injury, the risk of one always lingers, especially with his one-of-a-kind wind-up. And while he sought to pitch to contact more this season than in the past in order to improve his durability (as I detailed early last season in a SPORTS ILLUSTRATED feature) it’s hard to know how many years away he is from a time in which a decrease in his velocity doesn't happen by choice. That, too, is impossible to predict, because, as we have noted, there has been no one else like him who might have set a precedent.
                          
Still, without risk there is no reward, and on Tuesday both sides accepted a large serving of the former in search of the latter. They also pulled off one of those deals that will always be known in shorthand—the Chris Sale Trade. It is one that will be judged retroactively for at least the next decade; and one that will be remembered forever.

Golf: I got a club for that..... Bjorn to captain European team in 2018.

By Golf Channel Digital

(Photo/Golf Channel Digital)

Original story, Dec. 5:

Thomas Bjorn played on three winning Ryder Cup teams, and now he will be the man to lead the European team in 2018.

Golf Channel insider Tim Rosaforte confirms that Bjorn will be named the captain on Tuesday. The story was first reported by Golf Digest. He has served as an assistant captain four times (2004, 2010, 2012, 2016) and played on winning teams in 1997, 2002 and 2014.

Bjorn won 15 times on the European Tour and compiled a 3-4-2 record in the Ryder Cup. He was an assistant captain on Darren Clarke's team in October that lost to the U.S. for the first time in eight years. It was the only time Bjorn had been part of a losing team either as a player or assistant captain.

The 2018 Ryder Cup will be held at Le Golf National outside Paris.

Updated Dec. 6:

Ryder Cup Europe announced Tuesday that Thomas Bjorn has been named captain for the 2018 matches at Le Golf National outside Paris.

Bjorn, 45, played in three Ryder Cups as a player and served on four other occasions as a vice captain. The Dane will become the first Scandinavian to serve as European captain.

"It's a huge honor for me to be named European captain for the 2018 Ryder Cup in Paris," Bjorn said. "This is one of the greatest days in my career."

Bjorn was chosen by a five-member panel that included each of the last three European captains - Darren Clarke, Paul McGinley and Colin Montgomerie - as well as European Tour CEO Keith Pelley and tournament committee member Henrik Stenson.

Bjorn was a runner-up at The Open in both 2000 and 2003, and since 2007 he has served as the chairman of the European Tour's tournament committee, a role he will now relinquish in order to take on the responsibilities of captain.

"I studied a lot of captains as a player and as a vice captain, and always wondered what that feeling would be like to be the one leading out a team of 12 great players," Bjorn said. "Now it's my turn to do just that and it is an exciting moment for me. I have lived and breathed the European Tour for so long, and now I will do the same with the Ryder Cup for the next two years."

Rosaforte: Couples to be considered for '18 captaincy.

By Golf Channel Digital

(Photo/Golf Channel Digital)

The U.S. Ryder Cup committee will have a conference call Tuesday to discuss the future of the team, including the 2018 captain. One name that is expected to emerge as a potential captain: Fred Couples.

Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Davis Love III and three PGA of America officials will be on the call. Among the names that are expected to be discussed are Jim Furyk, Steve Stricker and Couples.

Furyk and Stricker were assistant captains at Hazeltine. After years of one-off captains, the committee now emphasizes continuity and a succession plan.

Couples has already been named an assistant for the 2017 Presidents Cup.   

Golf Channel insider Tim Rosaforte reported Tuesday that a member of the committee said of Couples: “Anything is possible, but given the plan of continuity from year to year, not having been an assistant captain this past year would be an inconsistency. But having three President Cup captaincies and multiple (Ryder Cup) vice captaincies and his close relationship to Davis, he’d be a great alternative if Furyk or Tiger don’t make the team as players.”

Love, who led the U.S. to a 17-11 victory, told Rosaforte: “Our new system of experienced assistants and the Ryder Cup committee gives me confidence that anyone we choose will have the tools to be successful, so that opens up the list to more than in the past. It just has to be someone that the players trust and have confidence in.” 

Furyk, 46, missed the first four months of the season but tied for second at the U.S. Open, shot 58 and was under consideration for a captain’s pick for this year’s matches. He said recently that “if they decide that I’m the right person, I would love to have that job. I think everyone would.” 

Thomas Bjorn was named the 2018 European captain on Tuesday.

For his sake and their's, peers want the Tiger of old.

By Will Gray

(Photo/Golf Channel Digital)

As Tiger Woods exited the scoring tent after completing his final round at the Hero World Challenge, he was quickly whisked next door to a makeshift stage a few feet away. There, nearly every credentialed media member that made the trek to Albany stood waiting, eager to pepper the man who was in front of them dressed in red and black for the first time in seemingly ages.

As Woods answered a wide range of queries, the group behind him quietly finished the 18^th hole and strode to scoring with minimal fanfare. It was a twosome that included Jordan Spieth, someone for whom the media has many times stood waiting.

But in a week when Woods finally ended his competitive drought, if you weren’t the tournament host, you were playing second fiddle.

It’s a blunt assessment, and one that Spieth validated minutes later when the microphones finally turned in his direction.

“Tiger moves the needle,” Spieth said.

There was no shortage of interested parties who left the Bahamas pleased with the start of Woods’ comeback, from those within his camp to fans and television executives alike. But there was an unmistakable vibe throughout the week at Albany, whether walking the range or on the course, that Woods’ peers are genuinely excited to have him again inside the ropes.

“I don’t care what the score is, we want our champion back,” Bubba Watson said. “We want our Tiger Woods back, we want Tiger back. We want him playing again.”

Part of that sentiment is a nod to the opportunities created by the greatest player of their generation. Many acknowledged the fact that without Woods’ impact and influence, this week’s lucrative exhibition at a luxurious island outpost wouldn’t even exist.

But there is also a secondary motivation, especially for some of the game’s youngest stars for whom Woods has been more idol than adversary.

Spieth’s Rookie of the Year campaign in 2013 coincided with Woods’ last great season, one in which he won five times including The Players Championship. But Spieth never played alongside Woods during any of those five weeks, and the notion of seeing Woods at the top of his game is one that the 23-year-old has read about more often than he’s seen it with his own eyes.

In team sports, an upset win is always relished a bit more when the opponent is at the top of his game. No one celebrated beating Woods this week at Albany, but many salivated over the notion that they might soon be able to stand toe-to-toe with a full-strength Woods and take their chances.

“That’s why we got into this, not to play for second but to have a chance to take down the top, couple greatest to ever play the game. Call him tied for first, call him whatever you want,” Spieth said. “Even if it’s Tiger’s tournament next year, or it’s a major championship, we can say, ‘I battled Tiger when we felt like he was really on, and I was able to get the breaks and pull it off.’ That’s something you can tell your grandkids.”

The allure of duplicating Y.E. Yang’s takedown of Woods at the 2009 PGA Championship remains strong, and it was even a specific example cited early in the week by Spieth, who was just 16 years old when Woods lost a 54-hole lead at a major for the first and only time in his career.

The innate, competitive drive in the world’s best players seeks a worthy adversary; the confidence that propelled them to the top of the game fuels their belief that they would also come out on top.

“I still want to beat him,” said Patrick Reed before playing alongside Woods in the first round. “Tiger still wants to beat me. It’s just like everybody out here.”

For his part, Woods seems just as eager to give them a chance to earn their own stripes in the near future. He spoke early and often about the joy he derived simply from being back in the arena after 15 months of rehab and recovery in relative isolation.

“It feels good to be back out here playing again, competing and trying to beat these, the best players in the world,” he said. “I love it. I missed it.”

With 72 healthy holes now under his belt, Woods appears ready to take the next step in his long journey back. It’s one that his fellow Tour pros hope continues without further delay, as Woods still represents the largest tide available to lift all boats.

And after months of wait and speculation, they now believe they’re one step closer to a scenario so many envisioned on practice greens and driving ranges over the years: standing across from Woods, strength against strength, with the tournament on the line.

But if asked to offer a few words of advice, scores of Woods’ former foes might well sing out in unison: be careful what you wish for.

NASCAR 2016 awards: NASCAR's search for a new sponsor is the story of the year.

By Jordan Bianchi

(Photo/John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports)

Just as NASCAR conducts an annual year-end ceremony, SB Nation does the same. But whereas NASCAR's official gala is a staid, button downed affair, SBN's fictional awards shindig features fewer tuxedos, an open bar, a musical act that isn't eligible for Social Security (i.e., Sting, who played the Sprint Cup banquet on Friday) and the doling out of hardware in a variety of categories honoring the best of what NASCAR offered in 2016.

Story of the year

When the sport's most popular figure announces he's sidelined indefinitely after sustaining another concussion and putting his career in peril, it would seem obvious it would be the dominant news story of the season. And in many aspects, Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s injury and subsequent absence and recovery spanning the entire second half of the season was in fact the central focus.

But Earnhardt's adamant stance throughout that he would return to racing if he was medically cleared -- and with that now appearing to be a distinct possibility following a successful rehabilitation program -- means 2016 will no longer be viewed as the year when NASCAR had to see its biggest star call it a career prematurely.

There is also Jimmie Johnson, who struggled for much of the regular season before a resurgent playoff run culminated with him capturing a seventh series championship. Except his credentials as one of NASCAR's best-ever were already well solidified even before he tied the record shared by Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt Sr. At this juncture Johnson is merely cementing that status.

The preeminent story of 2016 was one that actually began two years ago when Sprint announced it would cease its position as the Cup Series entitlement sponsor effective at the end of this season. Optimism abounded then that NASCAR would quickly pinpoint and secure a replacement, a partner that would take it to unforeseen heights much like R.J. Reynolds and Sprint had done previously.

However, it became apparent that while NASCAR had a lot of positives to sell to a prospective company, continued woes with television ratings and attendance would be sizable hurdles to overcome.

That search carried into this season, and became the cloud lingering over just about every decision NASCAR enacted. An ominous indicator that not only intensified with each passing month, but eventually manifested into increasingly loud whispers within the industry regarding NASCAR's perceived lack of leadership and direction.

NASCAR finally revealed Sprint's successor last week with Monster Energy taking on the role. Even then, doubts still remain.

Exact terms of the contract were not disclosed, including the length of the deal; a stark departure from when NASCAR publicly touted its 10-agreement when Sprint (then Nextel) took over from R.J. Reynolds and the stability it brought. Then there is the issue whether NASCAR is truly willing to embrace the changes needed to make itself an enticing product to capture the attention of millennials, and how it will do so by not further alienating an already jaded fan base that frequently expresses dismay over how the sport is governed.

All of which is why even in spite of the two-year sponsorship search having concluded, the far-reaching implications are too great to ignore. Significance that even exceeds Earnhardt's health and Johnson's legacy.

Other deserving mention: The creation of the franchise-like charter system that provides teams some level of security; Stewart-Haas Racing defecting to Ford; continued emergence of young talents in the Xfinity and Camping World Truck Series; NASCAR instituting a 2017 rule capping the number of races a Cup driver can run in other divisions; TV ratings continuing to decline.

Brian France ranks 23rd in magazine’s 50 ‘most influential’ in sports.

By Daniel McFadin

(Photo by Brian Lawdermilk/Getty Images)

Brian France, NASCAR’s CEO and Chairman, has been ranked 23rd by the Sports Business Journal on its list of 50 most influential sports figures.

The ranking is a drop of 10 spots for France from last year’s ranking.

Topping the list is NBA commissioner Adam Silver. Ahead of France in the rankings is Cleveland Cavaliers’ owner Dan Gilbert. In 24th is Michael Levine and Howard Nuchow, co-heads of CAA Sports, an agency that represents athletes.

France’s ranking comes at the end of year that saw him come under criticism after publicly endorsing President-elect Donald Trump during his campaign in February and also announce the next title sponsorship for the Cup series.

Last week France announced that Monster Energy would become the title sponsor for NASCAR’s premier series in 2017. It will be just the third different title sponsor for the premier series. France, who ascended to his position in 2003, was also responsible for the negotiation of the Nextel/Sprint title sponsorship that began in 2004.

The weekend of the season finale races at Homestead-Miami Speedway, France defended NASCAR’s diversity efforts and the health of the sport that’s been under his leadership for 13 years and has seen declines in attendance and viewership.

“We are still very pleased with our position in sports,” France said. “The audience isn’t going away at all. It’s sliding to different places, consuming in different ways.

“I would tell you some other leagues that have 30 percent drop‑offs, they didn’t lose 30 percent of their audience from one moment to the next, that audience is just sliding and consuming in some different ways. Our digital consumption is off the charts.

“So things are happening and sliding and moving around. It will all work out. Sports, in the end, us included, will always have a huge, big audience. So whether ratings are sliding over here, spiking at times over here, that will all work out.”

Click here to see the Sports Business Journal’s full rankings.

Christian Eckes wins Snowball Derby.

By Dustin Long

(Photo: 5 Flags Speedway)

Christian Eckes, a 15-year-old who races Late Models for JR Motorsports, won Tuesday night’s Snowball Derby at 5 Flags Speedway.

Eckes, though, was not driving for JR Motorsports in the Super Late Model race.

John Hunter Nemechek finished second. Ty Majeski finished third. Donnie Wilson was fourth and Chandler Smith completed the top five. Casey Roderick was sixth and followed by Grant Enfinger, Zane Smith, Noah Gragson and Raphael Lessard.

The 49th annual event had been postponed from Sunday and Monday because of rain.

SOCCER: As rumors pile up, Fire GM Nelson Rodriguez says team has a "sense of urgency".

By Dan Santaromita

(Photo/USA TODAY)

As the beginnings of a cold Chicago winter start to take hold of the city, the rumor mill has started to heat up for the Chicago Fire.

Major League Soccer’s clubs are not able to make official moves until after MLS Cup takes place on Dec. 10, which means rumors will remain just that for another week and a half. So when Fire general manager was asked about a potential Sean Johnson trade, as was reported yesterday, he wasn’t able to comment in a substantive way.

“Sean had a good season for us,” Rodriguez said Friday afternoon. “There’s a trade moratorium until after MLS Cup and like every player on the team we’re constantly evaluating opportunities and possibilities.”

Compare that to what Rodriguez said last December about transfer rumors involving David Accam and it’s not hard to notice the difference. Rodriguez vehemently denied anything regarding Accam then and the Ghanaian stayed. This time around regarding

Johnson, Rodriguez said the team is “evaluating opportunities.” There is a three-hour trade window on Dec. 11 in advance of the expansion draft for Atlanta and Minnesota on Dec. 12.

Rodriguez said there have been discussions about trades before the expansion draft.

“We have been having several conversations with a few different teams,” Rodriguez said. “We’ve called and inquired about players and discussed possibilities about acquiring players and also have received calls from teams inquiring about our players. I think there’s a general mood around the league that people want to get those deals done in advance of the expansion draft so that they know who they’re protecting and otherwise.”

Teams will be able to protect 11 players and homegrown players will not be eligible for selection. As the roster currently stands, the Fire have 17 players under contract and four homegrown players so only two players would be left unprotected and that’s before a potential Johnson trade.

As far as acquiring players from outside the league, Rodriguez said the staff has been busy scouting both college games and foreign leagues. Coach Veljko Paunovic and assistant Marko Mitrovic “remain abroad” while scout Matt Pearson has returned after watching players live in October and November.

Nothing seems to have changed in regards to what Rodriguez said the team needs. He still spoke of “players who represent leadership, experience, poise on the ball, particularly in the central midfield slots,” and a “gamebreaker” who can create or score a goal.

Some of the rumored names this offseason are of a higher profile than last winter. While following through on such moves is all that matters, Rodriguez said things are different in the way the front office has approached this offseason.

“I think what we all feel is a sense of urgency that we need to win,” Rodriguez said. “We need to prove that we can win and we need to win consistently. That’s our mindset.”

Rodriguez, assistant Logan Pause and goalkeeper coach Aleksandar Saric have been scouting college games. Rodriguez said the decision to sign homegrown players from college has not yet been made. The plan is to wait until the end of the college season for all teams to talk with coaches and families of prospects. North Carolina freshmen Cam Lindley and Mauricio Pineda, Indiana junior Grand Lillard and Indiana sophomore Andrew Gutman are some of the Fire’s top prospects in college. Indiana was recently eliminated from the NCAA Tournament, but UNC’s Elite Eight game is tonight.

As for some of the players the Fire declined options on last week, there is a chance that some will return like the way Razvan Cocis did last season after the Fire didn’t pick up his option.

“We are still in discussions on a few of the players whose options we did not select, but we’re still talking to them to see if the possibility to bring them back still exists,” Rodriguez said.

Champions League preview: Real Madrid, BVB play for critical seed.

By Nicholas Mendola

(AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

Unlike Tuesday’s UEFA Champions League group stage finales, which featured a lot of dead rubber, Wednesday’s docket has heavy weighted matches.

Look no further than the Bernabeu, where Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund duke it out for Group F honors.
After drawing in Germany, the onus is on Real to scoop up a win at home. A draw or better gives BVB the seeded berth in the next round.

Given where fellow Bundesliga and La Liga sides finished, the knockout round opponents make the seeded spot quite interesting.

If Real wins the group…

Real could play PSG, Benfica, Man City, Bayern Munich, Bayer Leverkusen, Juventus or Lyon, Porto or Copenhagen.

BVB could play Leicester City, Monaco, Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, Napoli, Arsenal, Juventus or Sevilla

If BVB wins the group…

Real could play Arsenal, Napoli, Monaco, Leicester City, Juventus or Sevilla
BVB could play Man City, Benfica, PSG, Porto or Copenhagen, Lyon or Sevilla

As for the Premier League sides, Leicester City can relax when it visits Porto with its seeded fate sealed atop Group A. Tottenham Hotspur, on the other hand, falls into the Europa League with a win or draw against visiting CSKA Moscow. Lose at Wembley, and Spurs are out of Europe. Might they prefer that?

Also in play

Group F: Sporting CP or Legia Warsaw can advance to Europa. Hosts Legia need to win, while a draw would be enough for Sporting.

Group G: Porto advances to the knockout rounds with a win against Leicester, or if Copenhagen fails to win at Club Brugge.

Group H: Juventus wins the group by earning more points than Sevilla; Sevilla advances with a draw or better at Lyon; Lyon advances with a multi-goal win over Sevilla; Lyon or Sevilla will go to the Europa League.

Wednesday’s UCL schedule

all matches at 2:45 p.m. EDT

Tottenham Hotspur vs. CSKA Moscow
Bayer Leverkusen vs. Monaco
Juventus vs. Dinamo Zagreb
Club Brugge vs. FC Copenhagen
Legia Warsaw vs. Sporting CP
Lyon vs. Sevilla
Porto vs. Leicester City
Real Madrid vs. Borussia Dortmund

Who can Arsenal, Leicester, Man City draw in the knockout rounds?

By Nicholas Mendola

(Photo/Georgios Kafalas/Keystone via AP)

The UEFA Champions League is one Real Madrid win away from setting both the Bundesliga and La Liga for three potential quarterfinalists.

That means the opportunities for Arsenal, Leicester, and Man City are fairly wide open in terms of knockout round opponents.

The UCL rules dictate that teams from the same group cannot redraw each other in the knockout rounds, and the same is true for teams from the same league.

The draw will be held Monday.

With Arsenal and Leicester City winning their groups, here’s who they could draw as it stands:

Arsenal: Bayern Munich, Benfica, Bayer Leverkusen, Porto or Copenhagen,
Juventus, Sevilla, or Lyon, Borussia Dortmund or Real Madrid.

Leicester City: Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern Munich, Benfica, Bayer Leverkusen, Juventus, Sevilla, or Lyon, Borussia Dortmund or Real Madrid.

If we’re Arsenal, we like the Bayer Leverkusen or Copenhagen match-ups in terms of style. Ideal for Leicester? Lyon or Benfica.

As for unseeded Manchester City, it was not a boon to finish second to Barcelona, though City won’t face the Blaugranas and also avoids Arsenal in addition to either BVB or Real Madrid.

Manchester City: Atletico Madrid, Napoli, Monaco, Juventus or Sevilla, Borussia Dortmund or Real Madrid

We suspect Guardiola would prefer Monaco.

Seeded

Arsenal
Atletico Madrid
Barcelona
Napoli
Monaco
Leicester CityJuventus or Sevilla
Borussia Dortmund or Real Madrid

Unseeded

Paris Saint-Germain
Bayern Munich
Manchester City
Benfica
Bayer LeverkusenPorto or Copenhagen
Juventus or Lyon
Borussia Dortmund or Real Madrid

Premier League Player Power Rankings – Week 14.

By Joe Prince-Wright

(Photo/nbcsports.com)

Here are the latest batch of Premier League Player Power Rankings, with Chelsea and Arsenal leading the way.

Antonio Conte‘s Blues have won eight on the spin and there’s no surprise that seven of their players feature in our top 20. There are also three players from Arsenal as the Gunners have now gone 13 games without a defeat in the PL.

Middlesbrough and Sunderland both have multiple players included which goes hand-in-hand with their recent good form, while Liverpool, West Brom, Bournemouth and Crystal Palace are also represented.

Remember: this is a list of the top 20 performing players over the past seven days in the Premier League.

Let us know in the comments section below if you agree with the selections of the top 20 players in the Premier League right now.

  1. Alexis Sanchez (Arsenal) – Up 1
  2. Diego Costa (Chelsea) – Down 1
  3. Mesut Ozil (Arsenal) – Up 16
  4. Harry Kane (Tottenham) – New entry
  5. Eden Hazard (Chelsea) — Up 6
  6. N’Golo Kante (Chelsea) – Up 1
  7. Christian Eriksen (Tottenham) – New entry
  8. Gaston Ramirez (Middlesbrough) – Up 5
  9. Victor Moses (Chelsea) – New entry
10. Thibaut Courtois (Chelsea) – New entry
11. Jordan Pickford (Sunderland) – New entry
12. Laurent Koscielny (Arsenal) – Down 2
13. Matt Phillips (West Brom) – New entry
14. Cesar Azpilicueta (Chelsea) – New entry
15. Jermain Defoe (Sunderland) – New entry
16. Alvaro Negredo (Middlesbrough) – Down 7
17. Divock Origi (Liverpool) – Even
18. Christian Benteke (Crystal Palace) – New entry
19. Gary Cahill (Chelsea) — Down 5
20. Ryan Fraser (Bournemouth) – New entry

NCAAFB: Lamar Jackson, OU tandem headline list of five Heisman finalists.

By Zach Barnett

(Photo/Getty Images)

The Heisman Trophy finalists were announced in a made-for-awkward-television moment during ESPN’s Monday Night Countdown on sight from MetLife Stadium. The Heisman trust revealed a list of five finalists including: Louisville quarterback Lamar Jackson, Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield, Michigan linebacker Jabrill Peppers, Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson and Oklahoma wide receiver Dede Westbrook.

Described my some (read: yours truly) as Allen Iverson in cleats, Jackson’s slippery explosiveness led to 4,928 yards of total offense and a nation-leading 51 touchdowns responsible for. He is regarded as the overwhelming favorite to win the stiffarm trophy.

Mayfield has thrown for 3,669 yards with 38 touchdowns against eight interceptions. His 197.75 quarterback rating is on pace to break the FBS single-season record, and he pilots an offense that ranks third nationally in scoring and yards per play. Mayfield’s efforts helped Oklahoma win its second straight Big 12 title and complete the first 9-0 run in the league’s 6-year round-robin era.

Peppers is the swiss army knife of a threat for the Wolverines. He ranks second on Michigan’s elite defense in tackles and tackles for loss while also returning punts and kicks and serving as a running back on offense.

Watson has led Clemson to back-to-back ACC championships and College Football Playoff appearances while firing 37 touchdown passes and throwing for 3,914 yards on the year.

Mayfield’s top target, Westbrook recorded 74 receptions for 1,465 yards and 14 touchdowns on the year. Westbrook’s inclusion makes Oklahoma the first team to send teammates to New York since Matt Leinart and Reggie Bush did the same for USC in 2005. They’re just the fifth set of teammates to do so overall (Leinart and Bush did so twice.)

That’s also the last time the SEC did not place a player in the top five vote-getters.

The Heisman Trophy ceremony will be held Saturday night in New York.

Baylor announces hiring of Temple’s Matt Rhule.

By John Taylor

(Photo/Getty Images)

When the college football world settled in for bed Monday night, it was Blake Anderson reportedly negotiating with Baylor to become its next head football coach.  Late the next morning, it’s Temple, not Arkansas State, that will be searching for its own new coach.

Following up on speculation that had been building through the past couple of hours, Matt Rhule has officially been hired by the scandal-plagued to be its permanent replacement for Art Briles.  Rhule will be officially introduced by the university at a Wednesday press conference.

“We could not be more excited to welcome Matt, Julie and their children to the Baylor Family,” a statement from athletic director Mack Rhoades began. “When we set out on our search for a new leader of our football program, we wanted a coach who shared our values, who had demonstrated success, who showed a true commitment to the overall student-athlete and who we believed could lead Baylor to a national championship. We found all of that and more in Matt and I know that he will be a perfect fit with the Baylor Family.”

Rhule just completed his fourth regular season as the head coach at Temple, which ended with the program’s first AAC championship ever and first conference title of any kind in nearly four decades.  The Owls’ 10 wins last season was just the second in school history; the 10 wins this season give them back-to-back double-digit wins for the first time ever.

In a coaching career that began in 1998, Rhule has held just one job west of the Mississippi River — at UCLA in 2001.  He’s never coached in the state of Texas, so he’ll need to fill his staff with assistants familiar with the area, particularly when it comes to recruiting.

“I am truly honored and humbled to join the Baylor Family,” said Rhule, a former Penn State linebacker, “and I can’t thank President [David] Garland and Mack Rhoades enough for this incredible opportunity. Baylor is a tremendous institution with a history of football success and I know the passion that so many have for the Bears will help bring the community together to reach even greater heights. I am excited to get started.”

It’s unclear if Rhule will coach the Owls in the Dec. 27 Military Bowl, although it’s thought he’ll be leaving his current program immediately.

Forever a Tiger, LSU RB Leonard Fournette declares for NFL Draft.

By Kevin McGuire

(Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)

In one of the least surprising announcements from the world of college football, LSU running back Leonard Fournette has announced he will be heading to the NFL in 2017. Fournette announced with a statement on Twitter he will play in LSU’s bowl game matchup against Louisville and then begin preparing for the NFL.

In his statement, Fournette said he chose to make this decision now as a way to avoid potential distractions leading up to LSU’s Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl appearance.



Fournette has rushed for 843 yards and eight touchdowns this season in just seven games. Injuries got in the way of Fournette’s big hopes for the 2016 season after rushing for 1,953 yards and 22 touchdowns a year ago. Fournette was among the preseason Heisman Trophy favorites. Fournette was a First-Team All-SEC pick in 2015 and a consensus All-American. could the New Orleans native be drafted by the New Orleans Saints? That would be something.

He will now be largely considered one of the top potential draft picks in the 2017 NFL Draft, even though he will head to the NFL coming off some injury concerns and the stock for running backs at the next level has trended downward.

That said, there are going to be some fantastic running backs out there to draft next spring. Fournette joins a running back class that includes Dalvin Cook, Christian McCaffrey, and D'Onta Foreman.

NCAABKB: 2016 NCAA Associated Press Basketball Rankings, 12/05/2016.

AP

RANK	SCHOOL	POINTS	PREVIOUS	RECORD
1	Villanova (57)	1,613	2	8-0
2	UCLA (2)	1,478	11	9-0
3	Kansas	1,458	4	7-1
4	Baylor (6)	1,437	9	8-0
5	Duke	1,389	5	8-1
6	Kentucky	1,274	1	7-1
7	North Carolina	1,234	3	8-1
8	Gonzaga	1,198	8	8-0
9	Indiana	1,103	13	7-1
10	Creighton	1,003	10	8-0
11	Louisville	901	14	7-1
12	Saint Mary's	899	12	6-0
13	Xavier	784	7	7-1
14	Virginia	758	6	7-1
15	West Virginia	729	25	6-1
16	Butler	691	18	8-0
17	Wisconsin	655	17	7-2
18	Purdue	485	15	6-2
19	South Carolina	476	20	8-0
20	Arizona	320	16	6-2
21	Florida	285	24	7-1
22	Cincinnati	258	NR	7-1
23	Notre Dame	197	NR	8-0
24	Oregon	175	23	7-2
25	Iowa State	95	19	5-2

Others receiving votes: Syracuse 45, Southern Cal 43, Ohio St. 40, TCU 33, Florida St. 18, Virginia Tech 11, California 10, Maryland 9, Valparaiso 7, Wichita St. 5, Temple 3, Michigan St. 3, Minnesota 1, IPFW 1, UNC Wilmington 1

Ranking the 11 unbeaten teams and projecting when each will lose first.

By Jeff Eisenberg

Villanova could be poised to take an unbeaten record into Big East play. (Photo/Getty Images)

Three years ago, Wichita State completed the regular season undefeated. Two years ago, it was Kentucky who did it. There’s probably too much parity this season for anyone to match that feat, but 11 teams still have a chance.

Below those 11 remaining undefeated teams are ranked from strongest to weakest with projections on when they’ll lose first.

1. VILLANOVA (8-0): The reigning national champs remain a serious threat to become the first college basketball team to repeat since Florida in 2006 and 2007. The Wildcats own an impressive road win at Purdue and seven other double-digit victories over lesser competition. The strength of this year’s Villanova team is a perimeter-oriented attack led by All-American candidate Josh Hart, title game hero Kris Jenkins and former McDonald’s All-American point guard Jalen Brunson. Nearly half the Wildcats’ field goal attempts are 3-pointers, and they’re shooting a lethal 40.5 percent as a team from behind the arc. The lone weakness of this Villanova team is its lack of size after starting center Daniel Ochefu graduated last spring and presumed heir apparent Omari Spellman was ruled ineligible to play this season. Like last year, the Wildcats are allergic to offensive rebounds, however, this season they also allow teams to shoot a much higher percentage at the rim. Projected first loss: At Butler, Jan. 4

2. BAYLOR (8-0): Having lost three key starters from last year’s 22-win team, Baylor did not receive a single vote in either of the major preseason polls. Only four weeks later, the Bears have ascended all the way to fourth in the AP Top 25 and boast the nation’s best collection of wins. They’ve beaten Oregon, VCU, Michigan State, Louisville and Xavier, each top 50 teams who are projected to contend for conference titles this season. Dominating the offensive glass has been Baylor’s trademark in recent years, but this year’s Bears have overcome slippage in that area by taking better care of the ball, scoring efficiently at the rim and getting to the foul line more frequently. The one-two punch of shifty point guard Manu Lecomte and powerful forward Johnathan Motley fuels Baylor’s slow-paced but efficient offense. The presence of the nation’s second leading shot blocker, Jo Lual-Acuil, has made the Bears’ signature zone much tougher to score against at the rim than in recent years. Projected first loss: At Kansas State, Jan. 14

3. UCLA (9-0): With four starters returning and one of the nation’s premier freshman classes making a massive impact, UCLA has bounced back from last year’s 15-17 season in a big way. The Bruins have zoomed to a 9-0 start highlighted by Saturday’s marquee road win at top-ranked Kentucky. UCLA owes its reemergence to a fast-paced, freewheeling offense piloted by point guard Lonzo Ball. The heralded freshman leads the nation in assists at 9.3 per game and his unselfish, aggressive mindset has the entire UCLA team looking to attack in transition whenever possible and make the extra pass. Ball’s emergence has allowed both Bryce Alford and Isaac Hamilton to play off ball and do what they do best — run off screens and look for opportunities to score. Six UCLA players are averaging at least 11 points per game and the Bruins have recorded assists on over two thirds of the baskets they’ve scored. Projected first loss: At Oregon, Dec. 28

4. GONZAGA (8-0): For a team with five newcomers in its eight-man rotation, Gonzaga has meshed surprisingly quickly so far this season. The Zags already boast four victories over potential NCAA tournament teams — a demolition of injury-plagued San Diego State, narrow wins over Florida and Iowa State and a satisfying victory over a shorthanded Arizona team that has tormented them in recent years. What this Gonzaga team does best is score with balance and efficiency. Przemek Karnowski is a massive 7-footer with soft touch around the rim and a knack for passing out of double teams. Point guards Josh Perkins and Nigel Williams-Goss can both create off the dribble or knock down jumpers. Cal transfer Jordan Mathews is a proven spot-up shooter and talented young big men Zach Collins and Killian Tillie will only get better the more they play. All in all, this is an excellent Gonzaga team with a chance to take an unbeaten record into league play. The Zags’ biggest remaining non-league tests come against struggling Washington and rebuilding Tennessee. Projected first loss: At BYU, Feb. 2.

5. SAINT MARY’S (6-0): One year after piling up 29 wins but settling for an NIT bid, Saint Mary’s is eager to leave no doubt for the NCAA tournament selection committee. The Gaels are off to a 6-0 start that includes victories over Dayton, Stanford, UAB and Nevada. All five starters return from last season for Saint Mary’s, however, it’s actually one of last year’s reserves who has made the biggest impact. Six-foot-11 junior Jock Landale is averaging 19.7 points and 9.0 rebounds while sinking 76.1 percent of the shots he attempts. With an array of lethal shooters surrounding Landale and a pair of point guards who excel at creating off the dribble, Saint Mary’s boasts one of the nation’s most patient yet potent offenses. The Gaels score the most points per possession of any team in the country and they’re sixth nationally in assists per made basket. The one knock on Saint Mary’s is that its non-conference schedule is once again too conservative for a team of its caliber. The toughest game the Gaels have left before WCC play is Thursday’s visit from Texas Arlington. Projected first loss: At Gonzaga, Jan. 14.

6. CREIGHTON (8-0): No longer is Xavier the lone threat to Villanova in the loaded Big East. Creighton has established itself as a potential contender as well by exceeding expectations to start the season. The Bluejays have already beaten Wisconsin, NC State, Ole Miss and Washington State, putting them squarely on track for their first NCAA tournament bid since Doug McDermott graduated in 2014. They will probably take an undefeated record into Big East play if they can win at Nebraska and Arizona State this month. The key to Creighton’s jump from NIT team to No. 10 in the latest AP poll has been an unstoppable offense fueled by outstanding perimeter play and deadly outside shooting. The Bluejays are hitting 44.8 percent of their 3-pointers as a team and are the only team in the nation to shoot 50 percent or better in every game they’ve played, a product of excellent ball movement and an emphasis on perimeter shooting in recruiting. Projected first loss: Villanova, Dec. 31.

7. BUTLER (8-0): The Bulldogs have accomplished something this season that neither of their Final Four teams managed to do earlier this decade. They’ve won their first eight games of the season, including solid victories against Northwestern, Utah, Vanderbilt and shorthanded Arizona. Butler’s offense has remained among the 20 most efficient in the nation despite the graduation of sharpshooter Kellen Dunham and versatile forward Roosevelt Jones. Junior forward Kelan Martin has played at an all-Big East level, but the real difference maker has been point guard Tyler Lewis. The senior is shooting 64.1 percent from the field this season after hitting less than 40 percent of his shots the previous three years. He’s also dishing out 5.3 assists per game compared to 2.8 last season. Butler’s defense has also shown improvement this year because the Bulldogs have limited second-chance points and forced a higher percentage of turnovers. Projected first loss: Indiana, Dec. 17

8. NOTRE DAME (8-0): Is Notre Dame’s undefeated start a product of its talent or soft schedule? That’s a worthwhile question considering the Irish have yet to beat a surefire NCAA tournament team. Five of Notre Dame’s victories have come against teams rated 250th or worse in Ken Pomeroy’s rankings. The other three teams the Irish beat were rebuilding Iowa, middling Northwestern and a solid Colorado team. Tougher tests are coming for Notre Dame in the form of neutral-court games against Purdue and Villanova the next two Saturdays. If the Irish win one or both of those, it will be because of their high-powered offense. Notre Dame boasts four players who average 12.5 or more points and is second only to Saint Mary’s nationally in points per possession. Undersized power forward Bonzie Colson has been Notre Dame’s most important player, averaging 17.1 points and 10.8 rebounds. Projected first loss: Villanova, Dec. 10.

9. SOUTH CAROLINA (8-0): On a list of teams who have mostly won because of their prolific offenses, South Carolina is the exception. The Gamecocks have toppled the likes of Monmouth, Michigan and Syracuse because of a formidable defense that surrenders less than 0.8 points per possession. With ample length and athleticism all over the floor, South Carolina coach Frank Martin favors and active man-to-man defense. The Gamecocks make up for fouling a little too frequently by generating turnovers on nearly a quarter of their opponent’s possessions and by aggressively contesting shots at the rim and behind the arc. The concern for South Carolina is that its already tepid offense will be without leading scorer and rebounder Sindarius Thornwell for the time being. Thornwell was suspended indefinitely on Saturday for undisclosed team rules violations, potentially leaving the Gamecocks vulnerable in upcoming games against Seton Hall, South Florida and Clemson. Projected first loss: Seton Hall, Dec. 12

10. USC (8-0): Even though two of USC’s best players unexpectedly turned pro last spring and a third starter transferred to Marquette, the Trojans haven’t taken the step backward many anticipated. In fact, they’ve beaten Texas A&M on the road and SMU and BYU in Los Angeles on their way to an impressive undefeated start. The key to USC’s success has been the impact made by players whose roles increased without Julian Jacobs, Nikola Jovanovic or Katin Reinhardt. Jordan McLaughlin has scored more efficiently and made excellent decisions with the ball as USC’s primary point guard. Wing Elijah Steward has nearly doubled his scoring and transfer Shaqquan Aaron and freshman De’Anthony Melton have both averaged double figures and exceeded expectations. Stretch forward Bennie Boatwright’s projected six-week absence due to a sprained knee is a concern, but at least it game at a favorable time in the schedule. The Trojans don’t play a top 100 opponent until they begin Pac-12 play. Projected first loss: At Oregon, Dec. 30

11. TCU (8-0): The biggest surprise among the unbeatens is TCU, which last season had already lost four games against a modest schedule by early December. The Horned Frogs haven’t exactly faced a gauntlet of top teams this season either, but they’ve beaten a couple of credible opponents, sweeping a pair of games from Washington and defeating Illinois State and rebuilding UNLV. Where TCU is better under first-year coach Jamie Dixon so far is on offense. Six players are averaging between 9 and 12 points per game and not one is a senior, a statistic that bodes well for the future for the Horned Frogs. Given the strength of the rest of the Big 12 again this season, it’s highly unlikely TCU can win enough games to make the NCAA tournament this season. Nonetheless, the Horned Frogs are further along than expected in year one under Dixon and they have a chance to be competitive in their league sooner than later. Projected first loss: At SMU, Dec. 7

Doctors Debate If High School Football Should Be Banned Due to Concussion Risks.

By Gillian Mohney

With growing concerns about the long-term effects of concussions due to football, the medical community, especially pediatricians, are grappling with how to turn early scientific studies into real-world advice for parents, coaches and school boards.

In a commentary for the medical journal Pediatrics, physicians from multiple institutions, including the University of North Carolina and Children's Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, debate the merits and drawbacks of advising a ban of high school football.

The commentary focused on exploring the risks of high school football by having three experts give an answer to a hypothetical scenario where a small-town pediatrician has to decide whether to advise cancelling a football program.

Concussions and their possible role in the development of CTE, or chronic traumatic encephalopathy, has put a spotlight on the dangers of tackle football. In recent years, posthumous examinations of multiple professional football players have revealed the athletes had been suffering from the condition. Currently, CTE can only be diagnosed posthumously. However, the life-time risks for an average football player, especially one in high school, remain unclear.

CTE is a degenerative disease that involves a buildup of the abnormal protein called tao, which is also found in dementia patients and is associated with a breakdown of brain tissue. It's believed to be caused by repetitive trauma to the brain, especially concussions, according to the CTE Center at Boston University, and symptoms include memory loss, confusion, impulse control problems, aggression, depression, anxiety and progressive dementia.

Dr. Andrew Gregory, an associate professor of Orthopedics and Pediatrics at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, said new research and attention on concussions has been important to raise awareness, but that he didn't want parents to be so afraid that they keep children away from sports in general.

"I do worry about the anxiety in general. ... We don't want the message to be that kids shouldn't participate in sports because of risk of injury," Gregory told ABC News today. The question is "what can we do to make kids safer?"

In the commentary, Dr. Lewis Margolis, a pediatrician and epidemiologist at the University of North Carolina, argued that current evidence points to football as more dangerous to the brain than other sports and that there is not enough evidence that benefits, including character building and physical fitness, is enough to outweigh the risks.

"High school football players have, by far, the highest risk of concussion of any sport," Margolis wrote. "In football, the rate of concussion is 60 percent higher than in the second ranking sport, lacrosse."

Margolis wrote that he was also troubled by the fact that a large percentage of players are African American, and that as a result they "face a disproportionate exposure to the risk of concussions and their consequences."

He advised that pediatricians should advise "discontinuation of high school football programs" until there is proof that it will not lead to long-term consequences for players.

"At present, there does not seem to be a way to reduce the number of head injuries in high school football," Margolis wrote. "There is no question that football is deeply imbedded in this community, as in U.S. culture. Our society has, however, researched other harms, such as tobacco use, alcohol-related driving, and obesity-related unhealthy diets and exercise, and successfully changed social norms."

As a counter argument, Dr. Greg Canty, medical director for the Center for Sports Medicine at the Children's Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, said that the medical community should push to make the sport safe but found there was not enough factual evidence to point to completely banning high school football.

"If we eliminate football, what sport is next and what is our threshold?" Canty asked in the commentary. "Who is going to be responsible for defining 'safe play?'"

While CTE is often cited as a concern for football players, Canty said the disease has only been found in relatively few players when compared to the millions who have played the sport.

"It has been found in a hundred or so deceased athletes when the sample size of former athletes is in the millions," Canty noted. "We have no idea how to apply current information about CTE to youth or living athletes. We have concerns, but no definitive answers."

Canty also pointed out that the U.S. Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention have reported a "10-fold increase in reported rates of sports-related concussions over the past decade," but that many in the medical community believe this is due to increased awareness and not increased injury.

If physicians decide to recommend banning football, they may then be forced to look at banning other sports, such as hockey, lacrosse or soccer, which also put players at risk for concussions, Canty said.

"I encourage pediatricians to look for ways to make all sports safer for our patients," Canty said. "Start by demanding certified athletic trainers at all sporting events. Be a resource for educating your community on sporting topics."

Dr. Mark Halstead, a sports medicine physician at Washington University, agreed in the commentary with Canty and said there are clear steps schools can take to reduce the risk of dangers from concussion. Among them is teaching key staff members to work with a licensed athletic trainer on site and develop an emergency action plan.

"I am often asked if I would allow either of my 2 sons to play football knowing what I do about concussions. Yes, I would," Halstead wrote in the commentary, qualifying it would only be in a program where safety was a priority. "I would only let them play in a program that encourages safety and puts an athlete’s health above winning."

Ronda Rousey says she tries not to call herself famous.

By Arjun Devgan

(Photo/yahoosports.com)

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) former bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey says she tries not to think of herself as a famous person as she is scared of it. The Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) superstar also reveals that she feels very nervous before a fight but does not feel any nerves by the time she enters the Octagon.

Rousey has not been engaged in a fight since her shock defeat at the hands of Holly Holm at the UFC 193 event with the American Holm knocking the legend out with a vicious head kick, inflicting what was the first loss of her career.

The 29-year-old is scheduled to make her return when she takes on current bantamweight champion Amanda Nunes for the title at UFC 207, which takes place at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, on 30 December.

"I try not to call myself famous or think about it too much, because I'm scared of it. I'm really scared to lose my reference on reality. If you are socially unhealthy then you'll be mentally unhealthy, so I'm trying to remain socially healthy so I don't lose my reference on what's real", said Rousey, as quoted by MMAMania.

"It's a human sport, there's an instinct in every person on this planet to fight, at any age. Everyone has a reason to fight. You have to have the personality to fight, and you can't learn personality, you just have it. Fighters are born, and I was a born fighter."

While talking about her clash against Nunes in what will be a return to the ring in more than a year, Rowdy as she is also called revealed that she suffers from nerves at least two weeks prior to the fight but by the time she enters the Octagon, she is over it.

"I feel most nervous two weeks before a fight, I call it 'two week-itus.' It's when I feel the most emotional, my body is the most broken down, and I literally will cry over spilt milk. By the time I actually walk out, I'm tired of being nervous, so I just do what I need to do."

On This Date in Sports History: Today is Wednesday, December 07, 2016.

Memoriesofhistory.com

1925 - Swimmer Johnny Weissmuller set a world record in the 150-yard freestyle with a time of 1 minute, 25 and 2/5 seconds. He went on to play "Tarzan" in several movies.

1939 - Lou Gehrig was elected to Baseball's Hall of Fame. He was the first player to have the rule waived that required a player to be retired one year before he could be elected.

1963 - CBS introduced the first-ever "Instant Replay" during the Army-Navy football game.

1978 - Mike Bossy (New York Islanders) got his first career hat trick.

1986 - Huey Lewis and the News sang the U.S. national anthem acapella before a San Francisco 49ers-New York Jets NFL football game at Candlestick Park in San Francisco, CA.

1988 - The Texas Rangers signed free-agent pitcher Nolan Ryan to a one-year contract.

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