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"Sports Quote of the Day"
"Competing is intense among humans, and within a group, selfish individuals always win. But in contests between groups, groups of altruists always beat groups of selfish individuals." ~ E. O. Wilson, World Renown Biology Researcher
TRENDING: Corey Crawford bounces back with 42 saves in Blackhawks’ shootout win over Stars. (See the hockey section for Blackhawks updates and NHL news).
TRENDING: Corey Crawford bounces back with 42 saves in Blackhawks’ shootout win over Stars. (See the hockey section for Blackhawks updates and NHL news).
TRENDING: NBA Buzz: 2017 Draft could be the best in more than a decade. (See the basketball section for Bulls news and NBA updates).
TRENDING: Theo Epstein tops Fortune's list of World's 50 Greatest Leaders. (See the baseball section for MLB news and Cubs and White Sox updates).
TRENDING: Team USA captures first World Baseball Classic championship. (See the last article on this blog for details).
TRENDING: The Bears lead the NFL in free-agent signings. What's Your Take? (See the football section for Bears news and NFL updates). Please take a minute, read the article and share your thoughts with us. We love to hear from you.
TRENDING: 2017 NCAA March Madness Sweet Sixteen Scores, 03/23/2017.
No. 3 Oregon 69, No. 7 Michigan 68
No. 1 Gonzaga 61, No. 4 West Virginia 58
No. 1 Kansas 98, No. 4 Purdue 66
No. 11 Xavier 73, No. 2 Arizona 71
(See the NCAABKB section for collegiate basketball news, scores and tournament updates).
TRENDING: 2017 NCAA March Madness Sweet Sixteen Scores, 03/23/2017.
No. 3 Oregon 69, No. 7 Michigan 68
No. 1 Gonzaga 61, No. 4 West Virginia 58
No. 1 Kansas 98, No. 4 Purdue 66
No. 11 Xavier 73, No. 2 Arizona 71
(See the NCAABKB section for collegiate basketball news, scores and tournament updates).
How 'bout them Chicago Blackhawks? Corey Crawford bounces back with 42 saves in Blackhawks’ shootout win over Stars.
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
Patrick Kane scored his 33rd goal of the season and Artemi Panarin scored the shootout winner as the Blackhawks beat the Dallas Stars 3-2 on Thursday night.
The Blackhawks now have an eight-point lead over the Minnesota Wild, who lost to the Philadelphia Flyers 3-1.
Corey Crawford stopped 42 of 44 shots in the victory while Ales Hemsky scored both for the Stars.
The Blackhawks once again didn't look quite like themselves in this one, something that's been a trend the last few games. Crawford was improved from Tuesday, when he was pulled after allowing four goals on 10 shots. He was stellar, especially in overtime when the Stars came up with some outstanding opportunities.
Kane's goal, on the Blackhawks' first power play of the night, gave them a lead 8:13 into the game. That held until midway through the second period when Hemsky scored his first of the night to tie it.
It was quiet for a while after that until Marian Hossa, with Marcus Kruger cutting to the front of the net, laced one through Kari Lehtonen for a 2-1 lead at 8:37 of the third. But Hemsky's second of the night tied it 2-2 with 5:09 remaining in regulation.
Kane and Panarin got shootout attempts past Lehtonen while Tyler Seguin got the Stars' lone attempt past Crawford.
Blackhawks want to finish strong while staying fresh for postseason.
By Tracey Myers
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
Every team has goals it wants to hit at various parts of the season. At the start you want to be strong so you can save yourself a mad scramble to get into the postseason. In the middle, you want to just keep pace, get through that drudgery known as games 40-60.
But what about the end? If you're a playoff-bound team it's about reaching balance: you want to play your best hockey but also want to get your rest and conserve energy for the "next season."
The Blackhawks are in this mode right now. The postseason berth has been wrapped up. They've hit the 100-point mark and still maintain a six-point lead in the conference/division. So with nine games left the Blackhawks will try to get that overall play they had through most of February while being mindful of rest.
"We have [nine] to go and want to make sure we're fresh. At the same time, we want to be competitive," coach Joel Quenneville said. "We're looking to play games and in games, if we have a chance to back off a little bit, that'll be dictated by the score, the time of the game."
Entering their last two games trailing by two, the Blackhawks haven't had the chance to back off. They've had to do the opposite. Quenneville has said the team's four-line rotation, which was great in February, hasn't been there the past few games. Part of that could be due to injury. Artem Anisimov has missed the last three-plus games with a left-leg injury and is still expected to miss another 2-3 weeks. The Blackhawks have found ways to win despite that, but want to get back to more consistent hockey.
"Obviously we still want to try to win our division you want to be playing well," Brian Campbell said. "The last [few] games have been OK, spurts and stuff, so we want to ramp it up. There are some guys who can probably back off if they need or want to, there are those situations. It's a good situation to have. But this team's been around, they know how to prepare and get ready for it."
So does Quenneville. We've reached that time of the season when the Blackhawks won't practice much, if at all. They're playing every other day and their morning skates are their versions of practice. As for in games, the Blackhawks know how to keep their energy up there, too.
"I think just playing good hockey and taking short shifts is key. You're not extending shifts to a minute and a half, two minutes," Ryan Hartman said. "You're conserving some long-term energy."
The Blackhawks are nearing the regular-season finish line but another race awaits them. They want to be ready for the postseason but they don't want to get too relaxed down the stretch.
"It's still the regular season. Nobody's taking the foot off the gas pedal. We're still trying to win hockey games and you want to come into the playoffs with a winning atmosphere and winning attitude," Hartman said. "Take every game one at a time and don't try to play conservative. Play good and winning hockey."
Bear Down Chicago Bears!!!!! Bears lead NFL in free-agent signings. What's Your Take?
By Larry Mayer
Determined to upgrade their roster after a disappointing 3-13 season, the Bears have been the NFL's most active team during the first two weeks of free agency.
Since the start of the new league year March 9, the Bears have inked an NFL-high 14 unrestricted free agents. The 49ers are second with 13, followed by the Colts (12) and Falcons (10).
The 14 free agents the Bears have signed include four of their own players and 10 from other NFL teams. The only club that has signed more players from other teams is the 49ers with 11—a total that includes former Bears quarterbacks Brian Hoyer and Matt Barkley and tight end Logan Paulsen.
The Chiefs have signed the fewest unrestricted free agents with two, while the Browns, Broncos, Packers and Texans aren't far between with three apiece.
General manager Ryan Pace's philosophy is to add young ascending players in free agency and that's evident in the fact that nine of the 10 players the Bears have signed from other teams are either 26 or 27 years old. The lone exception is 31-year-old safety
Cornerbacks
The four unrestricted free agents the Bears have re-signed since the start of the league year are cornerback
They also extended seven others prior to March 9: Guard
Pace believes in filling needs in free agency, which then creates flexibility entering the draft. After two busy weeks, it appears that's exactly what he has accomplished.
UPDATE: A couple hours after this story was posted, the Bears re-signed receiver/kick returner
Chicago Sports & Travel Inc./AllsportsAmerica Take: Ryan Pace is valiantly trying to rebuild the Chicago Bears into a contender; it's going to be a long and ardent task. Last year's draft was surprisingly good. Hopefully, Mr. Pace will have another good draft this year and with the mixture of free agents he's acquiring, we should see great improvement. By great improvement, we should see a 3-13 team improve to at least 8-8. More improvement will come next year and by year 5 of the Pace rebuilding program, the Bears should return to the playoffs, if they don't do it by year 4. Rebuilding a depleted team takes time and while many fans want results now, the team is being rebuilt slow and steady but being rebuilt to be a winner. We like what we see and only see good things ahead. The old attitudes are gone and a new culture is being brought in. The major question is how will Mike Glennon perform at quarterback? The offensive line and defense are getting special attention and there is hope and promise there.
We just feel the Bears will be the proud franchise they once were within the next two years. Only time will tell and again, we feel it's going to show tremendous improvement. As always, you've read our thoughts, please take a moment and share your feelings with us, what's your take? Just go to the comment section at the bottom of this blog and let it rip. Tell us what you really think of our assessment. We look forward to hearing from you as we appreciate you taking the time to share your opinion with us. Pro or con, we can't wait for your assessment.
Marion P. Jelks, Chicago Sports & Travel Inc./AllsportsAmerica Editorial Director.
Goodell vows to improve pace of game.
By Larry Mayer
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell (Photo/www.chicagobears.com)
In a letter to NFL fans, Commissioner Roger Goodell details how the league intends to enhance the fan experience and improve the pace of the game.
The issues mentioned in the letter have been fully reviewed with the Competition Committee and Media Committee and will be discussed at next week’s league meetings in Phoenix.
One example is that Goodell hopes to centralize replay reviews with the NFL’s officiating center in New York having the final say. Another is reducing the frequency of commercial breaks.
“We know how annoying it is when we come back from a commercial break, kick off, and then cut to a commercial again,” Goodell wrote. “I hate that too. Our goal is to eliminate it.”
Here is the letter sent to fans in its entirety:
Dear Fans,
Here at the NFL, we have a relentless drive to improve—particularly when it comes to the way fans experience our game.
In order to understand how we might deliver a better and more exciting entertainment experience for you, we embarked on a specific project before the start of the 2016 season to gather feedback about the in-stadium and live NFL game viewing experience.
Consistently, we heard from fans that we can improve in two key areas: the flow and pace of the game, and commercialization and the number of unnecessary disruptions to the game on the field.
Today, I want to tell you about some of the ways we are working to address that.
On the football side, there are a number of changes we are making to the mechanics and rules of the game to maintain excitement and also improve the consistency of our officiating.
For example, next week clubs will vote on a change to centralize replay reviews. Instead of a fixed sideline monitor, we will bring a tablet to the Referee who can review the play in consultation with our officiating headquarters in New York, which has the final decision. This should improve consistency and accuracy of decisions and help speed up the process.
Regarding game timing, we're going to institute a play clock following the extra point when television does not take a break, and we're considering instituting a play clock after a touchdown. We're also going to standardize the starting of the clock after a runner goes out-of-bounds, and standardize halftime lengths in all games, so we return to the action as quickly as possible. Those are just a few of the elements we are working on to improve the pace of our game.
Together with our broadcast partners, we will be working to meaningfully reduce down time and the frequency of commercial breaks in our game. We will also be giving our broadcast partners increased flexibility to avoid untimely breaks in the action. For example, we know how annoying it is when we come back from a commercial break, kick off, and then cut to a commercial again. I hate that too. Our goal is to eliminate it.
We also know that you feel there are too many elements in the broadcast that aren't relevant to the play on the field. With our partners, we will be looking to instead focus on content that is most complementary and compelling to you–whether that is analysis, highlights or stories about our players.
All of these changes are meant to give you more of what you want: a competitive game with fewer interruptions and distractions from the action.
There is much more work to do in the coming seasons as we continue to listen and learn. But these positive changes are intended to create a better experience for you, our fans.
We hope that you will continue to give us feedback on how we can improve.
Thank you for all that you do for our players, our teams and our game.
Roger Goodell
Complete player buy-in a critical need in battle to reduce NFL head trauma.
The issues mentioned in the letter have been fully reviewed with the Competition Committee and Media Committee and will be discussed at next week’s league meetings in Phoenix.
One example is that Goodell hopes to centralize replay reviews with the NFL’s officiating center in New York having the final say. Another is reducing the frequency of commercial breaks.
“We know how annoying it is when we come back from a commercial break, kick off, and then cut to a commercial again,” Goodell wrote. “I hate that too. Our goal is to eliminate it.”
Here is the letter sent to fans in its entirety:
Dear Fans,
Here at the NFL, we have a relentless drive to improve—particularly when it comes to the way fans experience our game.
In order to understand how we might deliver a better and more exciting entertainment experience for you, we embarked on a specific project before the start of the 2016 season to gather feedback about the in-stadium and live NFL game viewing experience.
Consistently, we heard from fans that we can improve in two key areas: the flow and pace of the game, and commercialization and the number of unnecessary disruptions to the game on the field.
Today, I want to tell you about some of the ways we are working to address that.
On the football side, there are a number of changes we are making to the mechanics and rules of the game to maintain excitement and also improve the consistency of our officiating.
For example, next week clubs will vote on a change to centralize replay reviews. Instead of a fixed sideline monitor, we will bring a tablet to the Referee who can review the play in consultation with our officiating headquarters in New York, which has the final decision. This should improve consistency and accuracy of decisions and help speed up the process.
Regarding game timing, we're going to institute a play clock following the extra point when television does not take a break, and we're considering instituting a play clock after a touchdown. We're also going to standardize the starting of the clock after a runner goes out-of-bounds, and standardize halftime lengths in all games, so we return to the action as quickly as possible. Those are just a few of the elements we are working on to improve the pace of our game.
Together with our broadcast partners, we will be working to meaningfully reduce down time and the frequency of commercial breaks in our game. We will also be giving our broadcast partners increased flexibility to avoid untimely breaks in the action. For example, we know how annoying it is when we come back from a commercial break, kick off, and then cut to a commercial again. I hate that too. Our goal is to eliminate it.
We also know that you feel there are too many elements in the broadcast that aren't relevant to the play on the field. With our partners, we will be looking to instead focus on content that is most complementary and compelling to you–whether that is analysis, highlights or stories about our players.
All of these changes are meant to give you more of what you want: a competitive game with fewer interruptions and distractions from the action.
There is much more work to do in the coming seasons as we continue to listen and learn. But these positive changes are intended to create a better experience for you, our fans.
We hope that you will continue to give us feedback on how we can improve.
Thank you for all that you do for our players, our teams and our game.
Roger Goodell
Complete player buy-in a critical need in battle to reduce NFL head trauma.
By John Mullin
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
Pulling together some thoughts and perspectives amid the aftershocks from some very sad news… .
The revelations emerging over the past week were dark and ominous: that Bears Hall of Famer Gale Sayers is fighting dementia, that perennial Pro Bowler Lance Briggs is dealing with symptoms he considers part of chronic traumatic encephalopathy. Those cast a pall over anyone involved with the game, one that deepened exponentially when Dwight Clark disclosed that he is suffering from ALS. Because this kind of news is coming out too frequently, it sometimes loses the tragic pointedness just because it's far from the first time.
Clark didn't expressly link his condition to the universe of impacts he lived in for his nine NFL seasons, all with the 49ers, saying only that he suspects that playing football was involved.
Coincidentally, or perhaps not, the NFL will be considering rules changes at the owners meetings next week, one of which raises the prospect that players could be automatically suspended for certain "egregious illegal hits."
All of this together is recalling to mind a couple of conversations that cause me to wonder whether players may in fact hold a very big key to dialing down even a little bit the hits that are ultimately having the cumulative effect of ruining lives.
An interesting casual conversation one day in the Halas Hall locker room left ripple effects with this reporter long after the chat.
Concussions were in the news at the time, as they and their consequences too often are, and the young member of the Bears' offense and I were talking about the whole business. I remarked that with all the deeper, more serious issues with head trauma, I did not understand why players were not moved to fury by blows to the head, the way they often are when they believe a player has gone after their knees. Knee injuries shorten careers; head injuries shorten lives, so why not the same anger reaction?
"Intent," he said. "Somebody goes after your knees, it's on purpose. Blows to the head just happen."
They do just happen. But does that go far enough? The 2015 Vontaze Burfict hit on Antonio Brown? Going further back, Jack Tatum's blow that paralyzed Darryl Stingley? "Just happen" doesn't get it.
Every training camp, officials come through with videos and presentations to players, coaches and media on rules changes and interpretations. After one of these, veteran referee Ed Hochuli told me, "You can tell intent. You know the guys, and you know the hits."
The players know. And they should be holding each other accountable, as accountable for a shot to the head (more accountable, in fact) than for something like twisting ankles (which Steelers and Panthers went public criticizing Burfict for doing at different times). Maybe because collisions involving heads are just an inescapable part of a collisions sport, they're taken as just part of the cost of doing football business. Who knows?
The point isn't to even remotely suggest that players can put an end to head trauma. This is in no shred of a way blaming the victims. And evidence is that the community of athletes is indeed becoming a force in the right direction, demanding that brain injuries be taken with the seriousness they should be.
But blows to the head are potentially lethal, and as too many stories keep coming out, stories of Briggs, Clark and Sayers, the hope has to be that even in the maelstrom of games, those get the attention at the time just the way a leg-whip or ankle-twist does.
Just Another Chicago Bulls Session..... Philadelphia 76ers Vs. Chicago Bulls Preview, 03/24/2017.
Scores & Stats
The Chicago Bulls can't afford to lose to teams below them in the standings as they try to close the gap between themselves and the eighth-place Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference. The Philadelphia 76ers, who are out of the race and visit the Bulls on Friday, won't make it easy.
The Bulls helped themselves despite being without suspended center Robin Lopez by beating a team above them in the standings with a 117-95 drubbing of the Pistons on Wednesday, which moved them into a tie for ninth with Detroit, 1 1/2 games behind the Heat entering play on Thursday. "As much as we hate to say it, if guys go down or are suspended, shout-out to 'RoLo', it's the next man up," All-Star Jimmy Butler told reporters. "We were whipping that ball around, but we got some stops. ... When you're making shots, the offense always looks good." The 76ers are trying to learn how to win with a young roster and were enjoying a 3-2 stretch - with both losses by three or fewer points - before getting knocked around in a 122-97 loss at Oklahoma City on Wednesday. Philadelphia, which beat Boston on Sunday, will get more chances to impact the East playoff race with two games each against the Bulls and the No. 7 Indiana Pacers as well as games against Atlanta, Cleveland, Toronto and Milwaukee down the stretch.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, CSN Philadelphia, WGN (Chicago)
ABOUT THE 76ERS (26-45): Philadelphia struggled to match the physicality of the Thunder on Wednesday and were outrebounded 67-33 while surrendering 76 points in the paint. "They were just stronger than us," power forward Dario Saric told reporters. "They are just more pounds, more kilos, like we say in Europe. They are really tough. They have a lot of experience. They know how to use the movement around the rim, how to get position around the rim. They showed us how to play basketball." Saric managed 12 points in the loss to run his streak of scoring in double figures to 21 straight games.
ABOUT THE BULLS (34-38): Chicago got a surprising performance in Wednesday's triumph from power forward Nikola Mirotic, who scored a season-high 28 points on 12-of-15 shooting. "It was a very important game, everybody knew that," Mirotic told reporters. "We talked pregame about how it would be difficult without Robin Lopez and that the big guys needed to step up, especially guarding (Pistons center Andre) Drummond. We did a good job defensively, and offensively we had 36 assists. It was big-time shooting and rebounding the ball." Mirotic has been in and out of the rotation this season and shot a combined 33.3 percent from the floor in the four games prior to Wednesday's breakout.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Bulls C Joffrey Lauvergne started in place of Lopez on Wednesday and scored 17 points - matching his total from the first 11 games of March.
2. 76ers SG Nik Stauskas recorded back-to-back 20-point efforts for the first time in his career on Monday and Wednesday.
3. Chicago is enjoying a 12-game winning streak in the series.
PREDICTION: Bulls 105, 76ers 103
NBA Buzz: 2017 Draft could be the best in more than a decade.
Scores & Stats
The Chicago Bulls can't afford to lose to teams below them in the standings as they try to close the gap between themselves and the eighth-place Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference. The Philadelphia 76ers, who are out of the race and visit the Bulls on Friday, won't make it easy.
The Bulls helped themselves despite being without suspended center Robin Lopez by beating a team above them in the standings with a 117-95 drubbing of the Pistons on Wednesday, which moved them into a tie for ninth with Detroit, 1 1/2 games behind the Heat entering play on Thursday. "As much as we hate to say it, if guys go down or are suspended, shout-out to 'RoLo', it's the next man up," All-Star Jimmy Butler told reporters. "We were whipping that ball around, but we got some stops. ... When you're making shots, the offense always looks good." The 76ers are trying to learn how to win with a young roster and were enjoying a 3-2 stretch - with both losses by three or fewer points - before getting knocked around in a 122-97 loss at Oklahoma City on Wednesday. Philadelphia, which beat Boston on Sunday, will get more chances to impact the East playoff race with two games each against the Bulls and the No. 7 Indiana Pacers as well as games against Atlanta, Cleveland, Toronto and Milwaukee down the stretch.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, CSN Philadelphia, WGN (Chicago)
ABOUT THE 76ERS (26-45): Philadelphia struggled to match the physicality of the Thunder on Wednesday and were outrebounded 67-33 while surrendering 76 points in the paint. "They were just stronger than us," power forward Dario Saric told reporters. "They are just more pounds, more kilos, like we say in Europe. They are really tough. They have a lot of experience. They know how to use the movement around the rim, how to get position around the rim. They showed us how to play basketball." Saric managed 12 points in the loss to run his streak of scoring in double figures to 21 straight games.
ABOUT THE BULLS (34-38): Chicago got a surprising performance in Wednesday's triumph from power forward Nikola Mirotic, who scored a season-high 28 points on 12-of-15 shooting. "It was a very important game, everybody knew that," Mirotic told reporters. "We talked pregame about how it would be difficult without Robin Lopez and that the big guys needed to step up, especially guarding (Pistons center Andre) Drummond. We did a good job defensively, and offensively we had 36 assists. It was big-time shooting and rebounding the ball." Mirotic has been in and out of the rotation this season and shot a combined 33.3 percent from the floor in the four games prior to Wednesday's breakout.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Bulls C Joffrey Lauvergne started in place of Lopez on Wednesday and scored 17 points - matching his total from the first 11 games of March.
2. 76ers SG Nik Stauskas recorded back-to-back 20-point efforts for the first time in his career on Monday and Wednesday.
3. Chicago is enjoying a 12-game winning streak in the series.
PREDICTION: Bulls 105, 76ers 103
NBA Buzz: 2017 Draft could be the best in more than a decade.
By Mark Schanokski
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
If you've been watching the NCAA Tournament closely, it's apparent this June's draft will include a number of elite prospects, maybe the best top 10 talent since the LeBron, Melo, Bosh, Wade draft in 2003.
Washington didn't qualify for the tournament, but NBA scouts seem to be in agreement that Washington point guard Markelle Fultz will be the No. 1 pick. The 6-foot-4 freshman has the size and ball-handling ability to play either guard spot, and word out of Boston is Fultz will be the pick if the Celtics get the first choice in the draft lottery.
UCLA point guard Lonzo Ball put on quite a show in the Bruins' win over Cincinnati on Sunday, finishing with 19 points, nine assists and seven rebounds. The 6-foot-6 Ball reminds scouts of a young Jason Kidd, showing amazing court vision and passing skills with the size to see over the top of smaller defenders. And don't caught up in his unusual shooting form. Ball can knock down shots, hitting almost 56 percent from the field this season and 42 percent beyond the 3-point line.
The other consensus top-3 prospect is Kansas small forward Josh Jackson. The 6-foot-8 Jackson is an Andrew Wiggins clone who has amazing quickness and finishing ability. Jackson improved his draft stock with a sensational performance in the first two games of the tournament. If the Bulls decide to trade Jimmy Butler in a deal for one of the top picks this June, the rangy 20-year-old Jackson would be an ideal replacement. If he ever gets a consistent jump shot, look out. We could be talking about a 25 points per game scorer.
Since Fultz, Ball and Jackson appear to be the kind of players NBA teams build around, the Bulls could potentially negotiate with the teams holding the top 3 picks for the best possible Butler deal. Right now, the Nets (pick will be swapped with Boston), Lakers and Suns own the worst records, and if the order isn't changed by the lottery, the Bulls could obtain a quality package centered around this year's first-round pick and a quality young player from any of the three teams.
Here's a look at how the lottery selections could fall based on the draft order as of March 23.
1. CELTICS (from Brooklyn) Markelle Fultz PG Washington
2. LAKERS Lonzo Ball PG UCLA
3. SUNS Josh Jackson SF Kansas
4. MAGIC Jayson Tatum SF Duke
5. 76'ers De'Aaron Fox PG Kentucky
6. KINGS Malik Monk SG Kentucky
7. KNICKS Dennis Smith PG N. Carolina St.
8. TIMBERWOLVES Lauri Markkanen PF Arizona
9. KINGS (from Pelicans) Frank Ntilikina PG France
10. MAVS Miles Bridges SF Michigan St.
11. HORNETS Jonathan Isaac SF Florida St.
12. BLAZERS Justin Jackson SF N. Carolina
13. PISTONS John Collins PF Wake Forest
14. BULLS OG Anunoby SG-SF Indiana
Alright Bulls fans, I'm sure you're asking, why would the Bulls want to draft a player coming off a serious knee injury? Well, the Bulls haven't done all that well drafting productive older players from major programs, so why not roll the dice on a 19-year-old who could develop into the next Butler?
Scouts raved about Anunoby's potential heading into his sophomore season at Indiana. At 6-foot-8, Anunoby has good positional size to play both the small forward and shooting guard spots and figures to be a plus-defender from Day 1 in the NBA. Right now, his rehab from right knee surgery and lack of a consistent jump shot are the biggest concerns, but looking at mock drafts in the 13-20 range, do the Bulls really want to take a project big man or a mystery international player?
Even if it takes a couple years for Anunoby to reach his ultimate potential, he seems like a good choice in today's position-less NBA. Plus, in the Bulls' current position, they need to take some chances and try to get lucky in landing a future star.
Two other athletic possibilities who are projected as late 1st round picks right now are SMU junior swingman Semi Ojeleye, a 6-foot-7 bundle of energy and muscle who should be able to contribute right away, and Oklahoma St. point guard Jawun Evans, one of the fastest players in the college game who could ignite the Bulls' fast break after Rajon Rondo moves on.
AROUND THE ASSOCIATION
If the Bulls are going to make a late season run to the playoffs, they'll have to find a way to pass two of the league's hottest teams. Milwaukee has won eight of its last 10 games to pull into a 6th place tie with the Pacers, while Miami has been one of the league's biggest surprises over the last two months, going from an 11-30 record on January 13 to 35-36, and a game and a half lead over the Bulls and Pistons for the final playoff spot.
Both late surges are surprising, especially the job Erik Spoelstra has done in Miami. After the controversial departure of Dwyane Wade, Pat Riley decided to hedge his bets for the future and signed a number of journeyman veteran types like Dion Waiters, Wayne Ellington, James Johnson, Derrick Williams and Willie Reed to short-term contracts.
Williams was released and signed on with Cleveland, but Spoelstra and his staff have done a masterful job in piecing together a roster with a lot of duplication into a consistent winning team. Hassan Whiteside has continued to improve, averaging 17 points and 14 rebounds, while the guard rotation of Waiters, Goran Dragic, Ellington and Tyler Johnson has been especially effective.
Bulls fans will remember James Johnson as a guy who arrived from Wake Forest with a lot of potential, but went on to bounce around the league with little success. Now that he's finally in optimal physical shape, Johnson is averaging 12 points, 5 rebounds and 3.5 assists off the bench while doing a strong job on the defensive end.
Spoelstra probably won't win the Coach of the Year award, but it might be his best job yet after losing Wade and Chris Bosh, then seeing promising second-year forward Justise Winslow go out with a season-ending shoulder injury.
It's been a different story in Milwaukee, where the Bucks got off to a fast start behind the amazing rise of Giannis Antetokounmpo to All-Star status. A mid-season slump dropped the Bucks out of the top 8 in the East, and when Chicago native Jabari Parker suffered another devastating ACL injury, it appeared Milwaukee was heading towards another trip to the lottery.
But Bucks' coach Jason Kidd got Khris Middleton back from a hamstring injury, and inserted rookies Thon Maker and Malcolm Brogdon into the starting lineup. All of a sudden, the Bucks took off with Antetokounmpo getting back to his early season production, and the bench unit of Greg Monroe, John Henson, Michael Beasley, Mirza Teletovic, Matthew Dellavedova and Jason Terry becoming a real strength.
It's unlikely either Milwaukee or Miami will be a threat to Cleveland and Boston in the opening round of the playoffs, but the hard work and persistence of those coaching staffs should not be overlooked.
STAT OF THE WEEK
Yet another example of the Bulls' maddening inconsistency under Fred Hoiberg over the last 2 seasons is the number of impressive wins offset by blowout losses.
These numbers courtesy of CSN's stats cruncher, Chris Kamka.
Bulls 20+ point wins and 20+ point losses
(with Fred Hoiberg as Head Coach)
20+ point wins 20+ point losses
2016-17 6 7
2015-16 3 7
total 9 14
========================================
(With Tom Thibodeau as Head Coach)
2014-15 7 1
2013-14 7 4
2012-13 5 5
2011-12 14 0
2010-11 8 1
total 41 11
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
I'm pretty sure Hoiberg was being sarcastic when asked early in the week if battling for one of the final playoff spots in the East is "fun".
The coach's response? "It's miserable."
Hoiberg won't get a lot of argument from Bulls fans who see their team stuck in the middle among the 30 NBA franchises right now. That's the worst place to be in professional sports, with no hope of contending for championships and little chance of getting a franchise-changing talent in the draft.
Bulls beat lifeless Pistons. (Wednesday night's game, 03/22/2017).
Washington didn't qualify for the tournament, but NBA scouts seem to be in agreement that Washington point guard Markelle Fultz will be the No. 1 pick. The 6-foot-4 freshman has the size and ball-handling ability to play either guard spot, and word out of Boston is Fultz will be the pick if the Celtics get the first choice in the draft lottery.
UCLA point guard Lonzo Ball put on quite a show in the Bruins' win over Cincinnati on Sunday, finishing with 19 points, nine assists and seven rebounds. The 6-foot-6 Ball reminds scouts of a young Jason Kidd, showing amazing court vision and passing skills with the size to see over the top of smaller defenders. And don't caught up in his unusual shooting form. Ball can knock down shots, hitting almost 56 percent from the field this season and 42 percent beyond the 3-point line.
The other consensus top-3 prospect is Kansas small forward Josh Jackson. The 6-foot-8 Jackson is an Andrew Wiggins clone who has amazing quickness and finishing ability. Jackson improved his draft stock with a sensational performance in the first two games of the tournament. If the Bulls decide to trade Jimmy Butler in a deal for one of the top picks this June, the rangy 20-year-old Jackson would be an ideal replacement. If he ever gets a consistent jump shot, look out. We could be talking about a 25 points per game scorer.
Since Fultz, Ball and Jackson appear to be the kind of players NBA teams build around, the Bulls could potentially negotiate with the teams holding the top 3 picks for the best possible Butler deal. Right now, the Nets (pick will be swapped with Boston), Lakers and Suns own the worst records, and if the order isn't changed by the lottery, the Bulls could obtain a quality package centered around this year's first-round pick and a quality young player from any of the three teams.
Here's a look at how the lottery selections could fall based on the draft order as of March 23.
1. CELTICS (from Brooklyn) Markelle Fultz PG Washington
2. LAKERS Lonzo Ball PG UCLA
3. SUNS Josh Jackson SF Kansas
4. MAGIC Jayson Tatum SF Duke
5. 76'ers De'Aaron Fox PG Kentucky
6. KINGS Malik Monk SG Kentucky
7. KNICKS Dennis Smith PG N. Carolina St.
8. TIMBERWOLVES Lauri Markkanen PF Arizona
9. KINGS (from Pelicans) Frank Ntilikina PG France
10. MAVS Miles Bridges SF Michigan St.
11. HORNETS Jonathan Isaac SF Florida St.
12. BLAZERS Justin Jackson SF N. Carolina
13. PISTONS John Collins PF Wake Forest
14. BULLS OG Anunoby SG-SF Indiana
Alright Bulls fans, I'm sure you're asking, why would the Bulls want to draft a player coming off a serious knee injury? Well, the Bulls haven't done all that well drafting productive older players from major programs, so why not roll the dice on a 19-year-old who could develop into the next Butler?
Scouts raved about Anunoby's potential heading into his sophomore season at Indiana. At 6-foot-8, Anunoby has good positional size to play both the small forward and shooting guard spots and figures to be a plus-defender from Day 1 in the NBA. Right now, his rehab from right knee surgery and lack of a consistent jump shot are the biggest concerns, but looking at mock drafts in the 13-20 range, do the Bulls really want to take a project big man or a mystery international player?
Even if it takes a couple years for Anunoby to reach his ultimate potential, he seems like a good choice in today's position-less NBA. Plus, in the Bulls' current position, they need to take some chances and try to get lucky in landing a future star.
Two other athletic possibilities who are projected as late 1st round picks right now are SMU junior swingman Semi Ojeleye, a 6-foot-7 bundle of energy and muscle who should be able to contribute right away, and Oklahoma St. point guard Jawun Evans, one of the fastest players in the college game who could ignite the Bulls' fast break after Rajon Rondo moves on.
AROUND THE ASSOCIATION
If the Bulls are going to make a late season run to the playoffs, they'll have to find a way to pass two of the league's hottest teams. Milwaukee has won eight of its last 10 games to pull into a 6th place tie with the Pacers, while Miami has been one of the league's biggest surprises over the last two months, going from an 11-30 record on January 13 to 35-36, and a game and a half lead over the Bulls and Pistons for the final playoff spot.
Both late surges are surprising, especially the job Erik Spoelstra has done in Miami. After the controversial departure of Dwyane Wade, Pat Riley decided to hedge his bets for the future and signed a number of journeyman veteran types like Dion Waiters, Wayne Ellington, James Johnson, Derrick Williams and Willie Reed to short-term contracts.
Williams was released and signed on with Cleveland, but Spoelstra and his staff have done a masterful job in piecing together a roster with a lot of duplication into a consistent winning team. Hassan Whiteside has continued to improve, averaging 17 points and 14 rebounds, while the guard rotation of Waiters, Goran Dragic, Ellington and Tyler Johnson has been especially effective.
Bulls fans will remember James Johnson as a guy who arrived from Wake Forest with a lot of potential, but went on to bounce around the league with little success. Now that he's finally in optimal physical shape, Johnson is averaging 12 points, 5 rebounds and 3.5 assists off the bench while doing a strong job on the defensive end.
Spoelstra probably won't win the Coach of the Year award, but it might be his best job yet after losing Wade and Chris Bosh, then seeing promising second-year forward Justise Winslow go out with a season-ending shoulder injury.
It's been a different story in Milwaukee, where the Bucks got off to a fast start behind the amazing rise of Giannis Antetokounmpo to All-Star status. A mid-season slump dropped the Bucks out of the top 8 in the East, and when Chicago native Jabari Parker suffered another devastating ACL injury, it appeared Milwaukee was heading towards another trip to the lottery.
But Bucks' coach Jason Kidd got Khris Middleton back from a hamstring injury, and inserted rookies Thon Maker and Malcolm Brogdon into the starting lineup. All of a sudden, the Bucks took off with Antetokounmpo getting back to his early season production, and the bench unit of Greg Monroe, John Henson, Michael Beasley, Mirza Teletovic, Matthew Dellavedova and Jason Terry becoming a real strength.
It's unlikely either Milwaukee or Miami will be a threat to Cleveland and Boston in the opening round of the playoffs, but the hard work and persistence of those coaching staffs should not be overlooked.
STAT OF THE WEEK
Yet another example of the Bulls' maddening inconsistency under Fred Hoiberg over the last 2 seasons is the number of impressive wins offset by blowout losses.
These numbers courtesy of CSN's stats cruncher, Chris Kamka.
Bulls 20+ point wins and 20+ point losses
(with Fred Hoiberg as Head Coach)
20+ point wins 20+ point losses
2016-17 6 7
2015-16 3 7
total 9 14
========================================
(With Tom Thibodeau as Head Coach)
2014-15 7 1
2013-14 7 4
2012-13 5 5
2011-12 14 0
2010-11 8 1
total 41 11
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
I'm pretty sure Hoiberg was being sarcastic when asked early in the week if battling for one of the final playoff spots in the East is "fun".
The coach's response? "It's miserable."
Hoiberg won't get a lot of argument from Bulls fans who see their team stuck in the middle among the 30 NBA franchises right now. That's the worst place to be in professional sports, with no hope of contending for championships and little chance of getting a franchise-changing talent in the draft.
Bulls beat lifeless Pistons. (Wednesday night's game, 03/22/2017).
By Vincent Goodwill
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
The Pistons looked to the worst possible matchup on the worst night of the season for the Bulls, as they were light at the center position and facing Andre Drummond, a man who has given the Bulls the business during their better days.
But the Pistons seemed to be the best opponent on the second night of a back-to-back, as they seemed dispirited and dead-legged, with the Bulls taking full advantage in their 117-95 win at the United Center Wednesday night.
The win ties the two rivals with 34-38 records, looking on the outside in at the Eastern Conference playoff race with 10 games left.
Both came into the game smarting from road losses the night before, with the Pistons falling to the lowly Brooklyn Nets at the buzzer in Brooklyn and the Bulls losing a 15-point fourth quarter lead to the Raptors, dropping the contest in overtime.
Nikola Mirotic scored a season-high 28 points in 38 minutes, hitting 12 of 15 shots while Jimmy Butler scored was perfect on his six shots, scoring 16 with 12 assists and five rebounds in 33 minutes, as the Bulls shot 59 percent from the field.
"I was proud of the guys, the way they bounced back after last night's disappointment," Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg said. "We talked before the game about how well we played for the majority of the game last night besides the last five minutes."
There would be no such suspense on this night, as the Pistons offered little resistance and seemed to be a bit lifeless for most of the evening, despite the prodding from coach Stan Van Gundy.
"We've got 10 games to go, but I don't see a lot of life in us," said Van Gundy in a statement that could've been attributed to Hoiberg if he was given some truth serum after some disappointing losses this season.
But the tables were turned for once, in the most unlikely of ways as the Bulls own the tiebreaker over the Pistons with a better division record at the moment.
With Robin Lopez out with a suspension stemming from Tuesday's swing-and-miss exercise with Serge Ibaka and Cristiano Felicio being out with a lower back injury, Drummond was expected to dominate, already having three 20-20 games against the Bulls on his ledger.
He grabbed 17 rebounds but only scored eight points as the Pistons shot 44 percent from the field.
Joffrey Lauvergne took his turn in the starting lineup, performing admirably with 17 points, seven rebounds and three assists in 28 minutes and keeping Drummond occupied, his best game since being traded to Chicago at the deadline.
"Joff plays incredibly hard, he listens," Butler said. "The big dude (Drummond) missed a lot of shots he normally makes. I think that's all you can play about that. Joff played hard, he did what he was supposed to do."
The Pistons' only signs of life came from Stanley Johnson (12 points) and Jon Leuer (13 points), who came off the bench in the late first quarter and early second to bring the game to a two-point margin before the half at 55-53.
But the Bulls took the fight from the Pistons early in the second half and made their separation in the third quarter with a decisive 32-20 run, as Nikola Mirotic scored 12 in the period and Butler adding seven.
Mirotic, if it carries over, could point to this game as the one that turned his season around at the right time. He was aggressive against Tobias Harris and hit four triples as the Bulls were nine of 20 from long range, proving they didn't have a hangover from their heartbreaker the night before.
"I thought he let the game come to him," Hoiberg said. "He didn't take forced shots. When you have good, crisp ball movement, you're going to get open looks."
Even without their lane cloggers, the Bulls lived in the paint, taking a 21-point lead due to scoring 48 points in the paint and moving the ball to the tune of 28 assists on their first 37 field goals.
"We needed to step up, especially guarding Drummond inside," Mirotic said. "Offensively, we played great. Thirty-six assists."
Considering where Mirotic was a couple weeks ago, out of the rotation and nowhere near top of mind when it came to who would help the Bulls find themselves, it's somewhat gratifying.
"It's exciting when you do something well," Mirotic said. "But I've always been very positive about everything. When they told me I would be out of the rotation, I was the first guy coming in, working out and being positive with my teammates."
Unlike the fourth quarter against the Raptors, the Bulls didn't have to worry about a late surge as the Pistons rested their regulars relatively early, waiving the white flag as the Bulls shot close to 60 percent.
Rajon Rondo added nine assists of his own as he was the only starter who didn't reach double figures in scoring.
He didn't need to, as the game served as a confidence-builder for Mirotic, Bobby Portis and Lauvergne, the man who started in Lopez's stead.
Although giving up plenty in size and skill to Drummond, he pulled him to the perimeter and even found gold inside to score 17 with seven rebounds in his best performance as a Bull since being involved in the trade involving Taj Gibson and Doug McDermott at the deadline.
If the Bulls play like this every night before April 12, they could find their way to the postseason, but if they played like this before tonight, a playoff spot would've already been assured.
CUBS: Now what? Jon Lester driven to deliver more World Series titles to Chicago.
By Patrick Mooney
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
Now what? Ryan Dempster believes these Cubs are young enough, hungry enough and talented enough to become the first group to win back-to-back World Series since the three-peat New York Yankees built a dynasty with titles in 1996, 1998, 1999 and 2000.
"Nothing can top it," Dempster said. "You can win 162 games and sweep everybody in the playoffs and it won't be as exciting for people, other than maybe the guys playing it."
That's why Jon Lester isn't putting up the "Mission Accomplished" banner at his locker, even though the Cubs had the parade down Michigan Avenue in mind when they gave him the biggest contract in franchise history at the time. Dempster — who also earned a World Series ring with the 2013 Boston Red Sox — had given Lester a scouting report as the Cubs went all-out in their pursuit of the big-game lefty.
There are still four years left on Lester's $155 million megadeal. It has been less than five months since the Cubs finally won the World Series and unleashed an epic celebration.
"Now the hard part is you don't get complacent," Lester said Wednesday after throwing six innings against an Oakland A's minor-league squad at the Sloan Park complex. "I talk about these young guys — that's where that helps. Even though you've accomplished things personally, you still want these guys to accomplish things.
"That's where that drive still gets you. You don't want to let your teammates down. You still want to be accountable for what you do. And that means showing up and doing your work in between starts and in the offseason."
Lester believed so much in Epstein's vision, the pipeline of talent about to burst and the lure of Chicago that he signed with a last-place team. The Cubs needed a symbol to show they were serious about winning, a clubhouse tone-setter and an anchor for their rotation.
A new comfort level in Year 2 of that contract helped explain how Lester performed as an All Star, a Cy Young Award finalist and the National League Championship Series co-MVP. But Lester wants to make sure that the Cubs don't get too comfortable — or feel like they're playing with house money.
"You enjoy that, you learn from it," Lester said. "The biggest thing is not getting complacent with yourself and with your teammates. That's what drives me, making sure I'm prepared to pitch.
"I'm called upon every five days, and I have to be there. That's where that goal of 30 starts and 200 innings comes into play. I feel like if I do that, then I've done my job, for my teammates and this organization.
"The championships and the World Series — that's stuff you can't predict. It's stuff you strive to do every single year. So that's all we're going to focus on again. Our team goal again is to win a World Series."
MLB season preview: Who can beat the Cubs?
Yahoo Sports Staff, Big League Stew
The day after the Chicago Cubs won the World Series last November, they were immediately listed by one Las Vegas sportsbook as the odds-on-favorite to repeat. Four months later, nothing has really changed.
The Cubs enter 2017 as the unquestionable favorites thanks to their young and talented lineup, strong rotation and the fact that they were able to patch up their big offseason hole by trading for Wade Davis to replace closer Aroldis Chapman. What that really means, though, is 29 other teams will be even more eager to dethrone them.
That’ll be easier for some teams than others. (Sorry, Milwaukee Brewers, but we don’t think this is the year.) So with the help of our Yahoo Sports colleagues Jeff Passan and Tim Brown in the video above, the Big League Stew crew is making our picks for the teams that have what it takes to take down the Cubs.
INDIANS
The Cleveland Indians took the mighty Cubs to a decisive Game 7 despite missing two-fifths of their dominant rotation and their best hitter. This year, Danny Salazar and Carlos Carrasco will be healthy to open the year, and Michael Brantley has been playing in spring games. Take that and add Edwin Encarnacion, and suddenly you have a team quite capable of dispatching everyone’s favorite dynasty on the North Side. All this, and we haven’t even mentioned Francisco Lindor, Andrew Miller or Terry Francona. Yeah, the Indians have more than enough to push the Cubs aside this year. (Chris Cwik)
GIANTS
The Indians stretched the Cubs to limits last year, but the San Francisco Giants almost did the same. Playing in the National League Division Series, the Cubs won 3-1, but it was a closely contested series. Chicago won two of the games by just a run — both coming when the Giants bullpen imploded. Watching the series, it was obvious the Giants could hang with the Cubs if their bullpen was in better shape. And guess what? Their bullpen is now in better shape. The Giants paid big money to add Mark Melancon as their closer. Now they enter the season with a dependable closer to go with a top-notch rotation and a sneaky good lineup. (Mike Oz)
RED SOX
The Cubs’ lineup isn’t the only one that can make your eyes widen in total amazement. The Red Sox have a stunning number of great players — and players who are on their way to being great. Xander Bogaerts, Mookie Betts, Andrew Benintendi, Dustin Pedroia, Hanley Ramirez and Jackie Bradley Jr. are all on the same roster. And that’s just position players! They traded for Chris Sale in the offseason, and with David Price injured that trade has already started paying dividends. With a lineup that can bash and flash the leather, plus a rotation that boasts Chris Sale at its helm, they could absolutely beat the Cubs. (Liz Roscher)
RANGERS
I’m not betting against the Cubs. If I had too, though, I wouldn’t hesitate putting my money on the Texas Rangers. To take Chicago down, a team must be built to score runs and be top heavy in the starting rotation. To me, that describes Texas perfectly. The lineup is loaded from top to bottom, and it’s balanced, too, with youth and experience plus with power and finesse. In a short series, Texas could lean heavily on Yu Darvish and Cole Hamels to help neutralize Chicago’s potent offense while hoping its own offense does enough damage. (Mark Townsend)
Former Cubs executive Dallas Green passes away.
#CubsTalk
(Photo/AP)
The Chicago sports world lost another central figure in its history Wednesday.
The day after Jerry Krause died, former Cubs executive Dallas Green passed away at the age of 82.
Green was the Cubs' general manager from 1981 to 1987. He was considered the architect of the 1984 Cubs, a team that went 96-65 and finished first in the division.
One of his most notable moves was acquiring Ryne Sandberg, who was a minor leaguer at the time, in 1982. Two years later, Green was named Executive of the Year while Sandberg was named NL Most Valuable Player.
Green was also a vital part in rebuilding the Cubs' farm system, where players like Greg Maddux, Rafael Palmeiro, Jamie Moyer and Mark Grace came up under Green's watch.
Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts released this statement Wednesday night.
"Dallas Green had an eye for talent. Our fans can credit him for acquiring and drafting several of the most accomplished players to wear a Cubs uniform, including Hall of Famers Andre Dawson, Greg Maddux and Ryne Sandberg, as well as All Stars like Shawon Dunston, Mark Grace and Rick Sutcliffe. Green was not afraid to make bold moves in pursuit of winning and in 1984 led the Cubs to their first postseason appearance since the 1945 World Series. He will forever hold a meaningful place in Chicago Cubs history. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends as we mourn his passing."
Theo Epstein tops Fortune's list of World's 50 Greatest Leaders.
By Tony Andracki
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
The Cubs keep raking in the accolades.
Theo Epstein is the latest to be honored, with Fortune naming the Cubs president of baseball operations No. 1 on the newly-released list of the World's 50 Greatest Leaders.
Epstein — the architect of the Cubs team that ended a 108-year championship drought — beat out such names as Pope Francis, John McCain, LeBron James and Joe Biden.
Fellow Chicagoan and White Sox ambassador Chance the Rapper also made the list at No. 46.
The rationale for Epstein includes:
Theo Epstein is the latest to be honored, with Fortune naming the Cubs president of baseball operations No. 1 on the newly-released list of the World's 50 Greatest Leaders.
Epstein — the architect of the Cubs team that ended a 108-year championship drought — beat out such names as Pope Francis, John McCain, LeBron James and Joe Biden.
Fellow Chicagoan and White Sox ambassador Chance the Rapper also made the list at No. 46.
The rationale for Epstein includes:
In his book The Cubs Way, Sports Illustrated senior baseball writer Tom Verducci details the five-year rebuilding plan that led to the team’s victory. The Cubs owe their success to a concatenation of different leadership styles, from the affable patience of owner Tom Ricketts to the innovative eccentricity of manager Joe Maddon. But most important of all was the evolution of club president Theo Epstein, the wunderkind executive who realized he would need to grow as a leader in order to replicate in Chicago the success he’d had with the Boston Red Sox. In the following passages, Verducci describes how a deeper understanding of important human qualities among his players—the character, discipline, and chemistry that turn skilled athletes into leaders—enabled Epstein to engineer one of the most remarkable turnarounds in sports.For more on why Epstein and the Cubs topped the list, head to Fortune.com.
Epstein had a classic reaction to the honor with his official statement:
"Um, I can't even get my dog to stop peeing in the house. That is ridiculous. The whole thing is patently ridiculous. It's baseball - a pastime involving a lot of chance. If Zobrist's ball is three inches farther off the line, I'm on the hot seat for a failed five-year plan. And I'm not even the best leader in our organization; our players are."WHITE SOX: White Sox ace Jose Quintana puts on a show in victory over Reds.
By Dan Hayes
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
Those pesky, persistent trade rumors continue to be no match for White Sox starting pitcher Jose Quintana.
The 2016 All-Star was outstanding on Thursday afternoon as he made his first Cactus League appearance in nearly a month. Still waiting on word if he'll be the team's Opening Day starter, Quintana pitched seven scoreless innings against a thin Cincinnati Reds lineup in a 4-2 White Sox victory at Camelback Ranch.
Pitching in front of more than a dozen scouts, Quintana limited Cincinnati to two hits in a 79-pitch outing and struck out three.
"I just try to turn the page quick and keep going," Quintana said. "Never watch behind me and try to go ahead every time I can. I want to put my team in a good position to win games. It's good when you win games in spring training. It brings good energy for the season."
Quintana on Thursday followed the same format he did for Colombia against Team USA in the World Baseball Classic on March 10 as he retired the first 17 Reds hitters he faced. Even after he surrendered a hit, Quintana got back to work. Featuring a fastball that sat between 91-93 mph early, Quintana had Cincinnati hitters off-balance all day. After he exited the game, Quintana sprinted to the right-field bullpen to throw 15 more pitches as he continues to build arm strength.
The outing is more of the same consistency the White Sox have come to expect from their trusted lefty. It's also why they refuse to remove the high sticker price attached to Quintana, who has competed at least 200 innings the past four seasons with a 3.32 overall ERA in that span.
As Opening Day approaches, the White Sox continue to listen to offers for Quintana but have refused to budge on their price. Manager Rick Renteria said on Wednesday he needed a few more days before naming his starter for the April 3 opener, which suggests the team would still trade Quintana at this late date. But unless one of the team's suitors finally antes up, it's hard to believe that anyone other than Quintana would take the mound against the Detroit Tigers when the 2017 season kicks off at Guaranteed Rate Field.
Quintana is on target to pitch again Tuesday, though perhaps in a minor league game as the White Sox face Kansas City that day. His next turn would come on April 2, which would easily afford the team the chance to push him back one day.
Giving Quintana the nod in the opener would be the latest honor bestowed upon him. Earlier this month, Quintana dominated the eventual WBC champion as he didn't allow a hit until there were two outs in the sixth inning. That performance came after an outstanding campaign in which Quintana finally appeared in an All-Star Game.
All of the above has Quintana feeling pretty good about his abilities.
"I have confidence in me, and every time I go out there I just try to have fun and enjoy that time," Quintana said. "I spend good time with my teammates. Every time I go to the mound, I feel pretty good."
Nicky Delmonico homered and singled in a run in the victory for the White Sox. He drove in three runs and hit his third homer of the spring. Leury Garcia also had two hits and made a pair of nice defensive plays at second base.
White Sox youthful core building bonds.
By Scott Merkin
The 2016 All-Star was outstanding on Thursday afternoon as he made his first Cactus League appearance in nearly a month. Still waiting on word if he'll be the team's Opening Day starter, Quintana pitched seven scoreless innings against a thin Cincinnati Reds lineup in a 4-2 White Sox victory at Camelback Ranch.
Pitching in front of more than a dozen scouts, Quintana limited Cincinnati to two hits in a 79-pitch outing and struck out three.
"I just try to turn the page quick and keep going," Quintana said. "Never watch behind me and try to go ahead every time I can. I want to put my team in a good position to win games. It's good when you win games in spring training. It brings good energy for the season."
Quintana on Thursday followed the same format he did for Colombia against Team USA in the World Baseball Classic on March 10 as he retired the first 17 Reds hitters he faced. Even after he surrendered a hit, Quintana got back to work. Featuring a fastball that sat between 91-93 mph early, Quintana had Cincinnati hitters off-balance all day. After he exited the game, Quintana sprinted to the right-field bullpen to throw 15 more pitches as he continues to build arm strength.
The outing is more of the same consistency the White Sox have come to expect from their trusted lefty. It's also why they refuse to remove the high sticker price attached to Quintana, who has competed at least 200 innings the past four seasons with a 3.32 overall ERA in that span.
As Opening Day approaches, the White Sox continue to listen to offers for Quintana but have refused to budge on their price. Manager Rick Renteria said on Wednesday he needed a few more days before naming his starter for the April 3 opener, which suggests the team would still trade Quintana at this late date. But unless one of the team's suitors finally antes up, it's hard to believe that anyone other than Quintana would take the mound against the Detroit Tigers when the 2017 season kicks off at Guaranteed Rate Field.
Quintana is on target to pitch again Tuesday, though perhaps in a minor league game as the White Sox face Kansas City that day. His next turn would come on April 2, which would easily afford the team the chance to push him back one day.
Giving Quintana the nod in the opener would be the latest honor bestowed upon him. Earlier this month, Quintana dominated the eventual WBC champion as he didn't allow a hit until there were two outs in the sixth inning. That performance came after an outstanding campaign in which Quintana finally appeared in an All-Star Game.
All of the above has Quintana feeling pretty good about his abilities.
"I have confidence in me, and every time I go out there I just try to have fun and enjoy that time," Quintana said. "I spend good time with my teammates. Every time I go to the mound, I feel pretty good."
Nicky Delmonico homered and singled in a run in the victory for the White Sox. He drove in three runs and hit his third homer of the spring. Leury Garcia also had two hits and made a pair of nice defensive plays at second base.
White Sox youthful core building bonds.
By Scott Merkin
A White Sox scout made an interesting observation after the team moved their top five prospects per MLBPipeline.com to the Minor Leagues Tuesday afternoon.
"Charlotte better at least win the first half of their season," he said with a laugh.
"Charlotte better at least win the first half of their season," he said with a laugh.
The reference was made to the White Sox Triple-A affiliate, who will feature Lucas Giolito (No. 2), Carson Fulmer (No. 5) and Reynaldo Lopez (No. 4) as part of its starting rotation. Zack Burdi (No. 7) figures to be the closer, and of course Yoan Moncada, the No. 2 overall prospect in baseball.
There was the first-half qualifier added because a number of these players could be moving toward the big leagues in 2017 as the White Sox make moves on their rebuilding path. Michael Kopech (No. 3), also sent out on Tuesday, will start with Double-A Birmingham or Class A Winston-Salem, and the same scenario will play out for catcher Zack Collins (No. 6). But the common thread is they all spent the past five or six weeks together forming a cohesive Spring Training bond.
"We have a goal through this stage we're going through right now," Fulmer said. "There's a lot of young guys that are going through this together and we're really, really close. The organization is doing a great job of keeping us together and developing us.
"Our friendship in the clubhouse is one of the most important things. You build good teams through the clubhouse and our manager and the organization are doing a good job of doing that."
Rebuilds put forth by the Cubs, Royals and Astros in the recent past (with the Cubs and Royals winning the last two World Series titles) have followed a similar routine. Bring in the young talent, let them develop together, let them probably lose together and then hopefully, let them turn into a sustained success with some important supplemental pieces.
These elite prospects never really were considered for breaking camp with the team, but they've taken the first step together down a road leading to potential excellence.
"They're disappointed, but we don't want them to be discouraged," White Sox manager Rick Renteria said. "They have to keep working to get better and help us move forward in the future. The Chicago White Sox are in a good position with the young men we've had in camp."
"You look at the championship in 2005. Those guys came up through the Minor Leagues together," said Fulmer, who has talked with Minor League base-running and outfield instructor Aaron Rowand about '05. "That's where you build special relationships. You start feeling comfortable with the guys playing behind you and that's one of the most important things you can have. The organization knows what they're doing and we definitely trust the process."
There was the first-half qualifier added because a number of these players could be moving toward the big leagues in 2017 as the White Sox make moves on their rebuilding path. Michael Kopech (No. 3), also sent out on Tuesday, will start with Double-A Birmingham or Class A Winston-Salem, and the same scenario will play out for catcher Zack Collins (No. 6). But the common thread is they all spent the past five or six weeks together forming a cohesive Spring Training bond.
"We have a goal through this stage we're going through right now," Fulmer said. "There's a lot of young guys that are going through this together and we're really, really close. The organization is doing a great job of keeping us together and developing us.
"Our friendship in the clubhouse is one of the most important things. You build good teams through the clubhouse and our manager and the organization are doing a good job of doing that."
Rebuilds put forth by the Cubs, Royals and Astros in the recent past (with the Cubs and Royals winning the last two World Series titles) have followed a similar routine. Bring in the young talent, let them develop together, let them probably lose together and then hopefully, let them turn into a sustained success with some important supplemental pieces.
These elite prospects never really were considered for breaking camp with the team, but they've taken the first step together down a road leading to potential excellence.
"They're disappointed, but we don't want them to be discouraged," White Sox manager Rick Renteria said. "They have to keep working to get better and help us move forward in the future. The Chicago White Sox are in a good position with the young men we've had in camp."
"You look at the championship in 2005. Those guys came up through the Minor Leagues together," said Fulmer, who has talked with Minor League base-running and outfield instructor Aaron Rowand about '05. "That's where you build special relationships. You start feeling comfortable with the guys playing behind you and that's one of the most important things you can have. The organization knows what they're doing and we definitely trust the process."
Golf: I got a club for that..... Mickelson thriving in match-play format.
By Rex Hoggard
(Photo/Golf Channel Digital)
On the eve of the final round last year at the FedEx St. Jude Classic, Daniel Berger gave a glimpse into the psyche of a champion.
With Phil Mickelson looming in second place, just three shots behind Berger, the second-year PGA Tour player was asked his thoughts on Lefty’s close proximity.
“I like to call Phil 'Philip.' He says only his wife calls him that. I can't call him that until I win on the PGA Tour,” smiled Berger, who would go on to win the 2016 St. Jude Classic. “But I still call him that anyway. I don't care. It is what it is.”
That evening your scribe ran across Mickelson and told him Berger’s “Philip” story: “That’s awesome,” Lefty beamed, “you have to have that out here.”
In Berger, Mickelson sees a kindred spirit, a younger iteration of the player who won on Tour before he even turned pro and thrives on the challenge almost as much as he does the competition.
That connection at least partially explained Mickelson’s smile on Thursday at the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play when he set out for his Day 2 match against Berger in some of the most demanding conditions on Tour this season with winds gusting to 35 mph through the Texas hill country.
Mickelson, fresh off a Day 1 victory over Si Woo Kim, was solid, mostly with his driver that’s becoming something of a pillar in his game, on his way to a 4-up advantage through eight holes.
From there, it became a very Mickelson-esque round with Berger playing the role of wayward contender.
Mickelson halved holes with a double bogey (No. 9), bogey (No. 12) and bogey (No, 13), and he won a hole with a par (No. 8). During that stretch Berger was 5 over par, and that didn’t include an approach shot at the 14th hole that was pulled badly into the Colorado River that ended the match.
For the second time this week, Mickelson hasn’t been pushed past the 16th hole. In fact, he hasn’t even seen the final three holes since last year’s Match Play, having skipped that stretch during his practice round.
“I'm having fun,” he said. “The greens are severely pitched, very fast and firm and that makes it very difficult. I find that the mixture of holes from birdie holes to tougher pars is fun.”
There’s also something to be said for this week’s format, which brings out the best in Mickelson’s competitive moxie and allows for the occasional foul ball that has always been a part of Lefty’s persona.
“The fact that you are not adding up every shot allows you to be not quite as focused on every shot,” he said.
That’s not to say Mickelson and the Match Play have always been a perfect match. In 12 starts at the event, including the first Match Play in 1999, he’s advanced past the third round just once, in ’04 when he lost in the quarterfinals, and there was a four-year window when he skipped the World Golf Championship beginning in ’12.
Although his passion for the Ryder and Presidents cups, which use the same format, is well documented, that hasn’t necessarily translated to the Match Play.
“It's a little different because you don't have that team environment. You don't have teammates and partners. You don't have the team room where everybody is talking smack and having fun,” Mickelson said. “Here I don't really talk too much because I don't want to cause a rift or cause any problems. So it's a totally different feel and environment than, say, the Presidents Cup or Ryder Cup.”
But as Mickelson talked about his match against Berger his mannerisms, his emotions, had a similar energy to the biennial team matches.
After having something of a meltdown with his driving over the weekend at the WGC-Mexico Championship, he’s largely kept the ball in play, hitting 7 of 12 fairways on Day 1 and 6 of 11 on Thursday.
His miscues earlier this month in Mexico City, Mickelson said, were a “relapse,” but his work with swing coach Andrew Getson has produced a much more consistent game from the tee and restored much of Lefty’s confidence.
The Match Play is one of two WGCs that Mickelson hasn’t won, a statistical oddity considering his affinity for the format, and he can secure himself a trip to the round of 16 with a victory on Friday against J.B. Holmes or if Berger drops his match against Kim.
It would set up arguably his best chance to win the event in his career, which prompted one reporter to ask if it was fair to say he had a little extra motivation to win this week and fill a hole in his resume?
“You can, but this isn't the one,” he smiled in a not-so-subtle reference to the U.S. Open which he hasn’t won.
Fair enough, but that same drive that Mickelson admires in Berger will only further inspire him the deeper he plays into the weekend.
Match-by-match: WGC-Dell Technologies, Day 2. (March 23, 2017).
(Photo/Golf Channel Digital)
Second-round play is underway at the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play, as 64 players take on Austin Country Club with hopes of advancing out of pool play. Follow along here to see how the second matches played out, and who is in line to advance to the Round of 16:
Group 1: Dustin Johnson (1) def. Martin Kaymer (41), 3 and 2: Coming off a 5-and-3 opening-round victory, DJ remained in good form against Kaymer, building a 4-up lead through seven holes and cruising to the finish line. Johnson needs only a half point Friday to advance to the knockout stage.
Group 1: Jimmy Walker (18) def. Webb Simpson (58), 3 and 2: Walker stayed alive by leading the entire way against Simpson, who is eliminated after dropping to 0-2 for the week. Walker had a 1-up lead on 13 tee, but his par there was enough to build a comfortable cushion down the stretch. To advance to the weekend, Walker must beat Johnson in his match Friday, then again in a head-to-head playoff.
Group 2: Rory McIlroy (2) def. Gary Woodland (33), conceded: Woodland withdrew before the start of the match because of a family emergency. McIlroy is now 1-1, but was already eliminated with Soren Kjeldsen improving to 3-0. A tough break, as he was 4 under in his match Wednesday and lost.
Group 2: Soren Kjeldsen (62) def. Emiliano Grillo (26), 4 and 3: Kjeldsen became the second player to punch his ticket to the knockout stage after rallying on the back nine to take down Grillo. With a guaranteed victory Friday against Woodland, Kjeldsen is 3-0 and now has the day off to prepare for his Round of 16 match.
Group 3: Lee Westwood (43) def. Jason Day (3), conceded: Westwood had a day off after Day withdrew from the event Wednesday to be with his ailing mother, who will undergo lung-cancer surgery on Friday. Westwood now has a 1-1 record.
Group 3: Pat Perez (56) def. Marc Leishman (28), 2 and 1: After an early day Wednesday because of Day’s withdrawal, Perez went deep into the back nine with the Bay Hill winner. Perez won the 14th with par to take a 1-up lead and added another won hole after Leishman whiffed a 5-footer. At 2-0, Perez is in the best position to advance.
Group 4: Ross Fisher (47) def. Hideki Matsuyama (4), 2 and 1: Fisher (1-1) jumped out to a 3-up lead through four holes, but he needed to bury a 12-foot birdie putt on 16 just to maintain a 1-up advantage into the final two holes. He rolled in a 15-footer for birdie on 17 to drop Matsuyama to 0-1-1 for the week (now eliminated).
Group 4: Louis Oosthuizen (23) def. Jim Furyk (51), 3 and 2: Furyk won three holes in a row on Nos. 11-13 to hand Oosthuizen his first career loss in pool play. Oosthuizen, last year’s finalist, has a 14-4 record in this event since 2014. Furyk leads the way in the group, with 1 ½ points.
Group 5: Jordan Spieth (5) def. Yuta Ikeda (37), 4 and 2: After a stunning loss in the opening round, Spieth was never threatened and played solidly enough in the toughest conditions of the afternoon to take care of Ikeda. Spieth at least has now given himself a chance to play the weekend, if he can defeat Ryan Moore outright.
Group 6: Kevin Na (46) def. Justin Thomas (6), 4 and 2: Despite a huge distance gap off the tee, Na turned an all-square match through eight holes into a comfortable margin of victory, winning Nos. 9, 13, 15 and 16. Na has some unfinished business, after becoming the only player to earn 2 ½ points last year and not advance to the weekend.
Group 6: Matthew Fitzpatrick (27) def. Chris Wood (49), 4 and 2: With his lead trimmed to only 1 up through 12 holes, the tidy Englishman won two holes in a three-hole span to put away Wood, who dropped to 0-7 in this event.
Group 7: Sergio Garcia (7) def. Kevin Chappell (38), 4 and 3: The result of this one was never in doubt, after Garcia won the first four holes. He never led by fewer than two holes as he dropped Chappell to 0-2. Now with 1 ½ points, Garcia needs at least a halve against fellow Spaniard Jon Rahm on Friday to stay alive.
Group 7: Jon Rahm (21) vs. Shane Lowry (53), 2 and 1: Playing his first Match Play, Rahm is in control of his own fate after pulling away late from Lowry and improving to 2-0 for the week. All Rahm needs Friday is a halved match against Garcia to advance to the Round of 16.
Group 8: Alex Noren (8) def. Bernd Wiesberger, 3 and 2: Noren became the first player to clinch his Round of 16 berth after Molinari withdrew and conceded his Friday match. Noren took a 4-up lead through six holes and never looked back. He won’t play again until Saturday.
Group 8: Thongchai Jaidee (57) def. Francesco Molinari (25), 5 and 3: Jaidee (1-1) grabbed a 6-up lead at the turn despite only playing the front nine in 2 under par. Molinari later withdrew from the event because of a wrist injury.
Group 9: Kevin Kisner (34) def. Patrick Reed (9), 2 up: Kisner gave up a narrow lead when he missed a 5-footer on 16, but he came back with a two-putt par to win the 17th and held on for an important victory that will give him a chance to advance Friday against Koepka. Reed (0-1-1), one of the pre-tournament favorites, has now been eliminated.
Group 9: Brooks Koepka (20) def. Jason Dufner (59), 6 and 5: It’s back-to-back blowouts for Koepka (2-0), who hadn’t entered the week playing well but now seems to be building off his impressive performance at last year’s Ryder Cup, where he went 3-1 in his debut. After halving the first four holes, Koepka took the next three, then added wins on 9, 10 and 11 on his way to a lopsided result.
Group 10: Tyrrell Hatton (10) def. Jeunghun Wang (40), 2 up: The Englishman had an early 2-down deficit, but he won three holes in a row before the turn and held on to put away the rising star from South Korea. Hatton buried a 12-foot birdie on 18 for good measure, improving to 2-0.
Group 10: Charles Howell III (61) def. Rafa Cabrera Bello (22), 1 up: After kicking away his opening-round match, Howell blew another lead against Bello, shanking his bunker shot into the hazard on 17 to square the match. But he redeemed himself on the final hole, chipping to tap-in range for a closing birdie.
Group 11: Bill Haas (42) def. Danny Willett (11), 6 and 5: Haas (1-1) had little trouble with the reigning Masters champion, winning three consecutive holes on the front nine and then blowing out the match with wins on the 10th and 12th holes. The struggles continue for Willett, who now has been eliminated.
Group 11: K.T. Kim (64) def. Russell Knox (17), 3 and 1: Kim, the last-ranked player in the field, improved to 2-0 after making four birdies in the first seven holes to take a 4-up lead. Kim needs only to halve his match Friday to advance.
Group 12: Paul Casey (12) def. Byeong Hun An (45), 1 up: The Englishman never trailed, and 15-footers on 14 and 16 gave him enough breathing room to escape with a full point and face a winner-take-all match Friday against Schwartzel.
Group 12: Charl Schwartzel (24) def. Joost Luiten (60), 4 and 3: After blowing out a listless Ben An in the opener, Schwartzel took advantage of another out-of-form opponent Thursday, winning five holes in a six-hole span around the turn for an easy day at the office. At 2-0, he will have a winner-take-all match against Casey. Schwartzel is now 7-1 in pool play.
Group 13: Bubba Watson (13) def. Scott Piercy (39), 4 and 3: Watson (2-0) carried over the momentum from his opening-day victory with an impressive takedown of Piercy in which he never trailed. One up after the sixth hole, Watson birdied back-to-back holes and never let up on the back nine.
Group 13: Jhonattan Vegas (55) def. Thomas Pieters (30), 3 and 1: Vegas (1-1) birdied the first hole and never looked back against Pieters, whose ball-striking was so good Wednesday that he never trailed in his opening match despite failing to make a putt longer than 4 feet. He wasn’t as sharp Thursday, playing the first 15 holes in even par, including the usual match-play concessions.
Group 14: Phil Mickelson (14) def. Daniel Berger (35), 5 and 4: Mickelson improved to 2-0 with a wild victory over Berger, halving holes with bogeys and even a double bogey. Lefty made three birdies early to take a big lead, then kept Berger at bay in the windy afternoon conditions. He has never made it past the quarterfinals in 12 previous tries.
Group 14: J.B. Holmes (31) vs. Si Woo Kim (63), halved: Holmes looked like he had finally pulled away, after winning the 17th with a par and leaving only 40 yards for his approach into 18. But he hit a mediocre pitch shot, and Kim hit the flagstick with his bunker shot for a short birdie. A half point didn’t do them any good – they’re both eliminated, with Mickelson already with two points.
Group 15: William McGirt (48) def. Branden Grace (15), 2 up: Clinging to a narrow lead, McGirt chipped in from behind the 16th green for par to maintain a 1-up advantage with two holes to play. He then made a 6-footer for par on 17 to close out the match and improve to 2-0.
Group 15: Brandt Snedeker (19) def. Andy Sullivan (52), 2 and 1: With a new putter in the bag and windy conditions, Snedeker (1-1) second-guessed himself on the greens but was still good enough to roll past the Englishman, taking the 10th and 12th holes to build a cushion. Sullivan has been eliminated.
Group 16: Zach Johnson (44) def. Matt Kuchar (16), 2 up: A tight match throughout, Johnson’s two-putt par on 15 gave him the advantage he needed, then he drove the 18th green for good measure. He improved to 1-1 on the week.
Group 16: Brendan Steele (50) def. Tommy Fleetwood (29), 1 up: Back and forth on the back nine, both players squandered a 2-up lead. The Englishman battled back with a birdie on 16 and par on 17 to square the match, but Steele sank a 7-foot birdie putt on the final hole to take the match. With 1 ½ points, Steele leads the group.
Group 1: Dustin Johnson (1) def. Martin Kaymer (41), 3 and 2: Coming off a 5-and-3 opening-round victory, DJ remained in good form against Kaymer, building a 4-up lead through seven holes and cruising to the finish line. Johnson needs only a half point Friday to advance to the knockout stage.
Group 1: Jimmy Walker (18) def. Webb Simpson (58), 3 and 2: Walker stayed alive by leading the entire way against Simpson, who is eliminated after dropping to 0-2 for the week. Walker had a 1-up lead on 13 tee, but his par there was enough to build a comfortable cushion down the stretch. To advance to the weekend, Walker must beat Johnson in his match Friday, then again in a head-to-head playoff.
Group 2: Rory McIlroy (2) def. Gary Woodland (33), conceded: Woodland withdrew before the start of the match because of a family emergency. McIlroy is now 1-1, but was already eliminated with Soren Kjeldsen improving to 3-0. A tough break, as he was 4 under in his match Wednesday and lost.
Group 2: Soren Kjeldsen (62) def. Emiliano Grillo (26), 4 and 3: Kjeldsen became the second player to punch his ticket to the knockout stage after rallying on the back nine to take down Grillo. With a guaranteed victory Friday against Woodland, Kjeldsen is 3-0 and now has the day off to prepare for his Round of 16 match.
Group 3: Lee Westwood (43) def. Jason Day (3), conceded: Westwood had a day off after Day withdrew from the event Wednesday to be with his ailing mother, who will undergo lung-cancer surgery on Friday. Westwood now has a 1-1 record.
Group 3: Pat Perez (56) def. Marc Leishman (28), 2 and 1: After an early day Wednesday because of Day’s withdrawal, Perez went deep into the back nine with the Bay Hill winner. Perez won the 14th with par to take a 1-up lead and added another won hole after Leishman whiffed a 5-footer. At 2-0, Perez is in the best position to advance.
Group 4: Ross Fisher (47) def. Hideki Matsuyama (4), 2 and 1: Fisher (1-1) jumped out to a 3-up lead through four holes, but he needed to bury a 12-foot birdie putt on 16 just to maintain a 1-up advantage into the final two holes. He rolled in a 15-footer for birdie on 17 to drop Matsuyama to 0-1-1 for the week (now eliminated).
Group 4: Louis Oosthuizen (23) def. Jim Furyk (51), 3 and 2: Furyk won three holes in a row on Nos. 11-13 to hand Oosthuizen his first career loss in pool play. Oosthuizen, last year’s finalist, has a 14-4 record in this event since 2014. Furyk leads the way in the group, with 1 ½ points.
Group 5: Jordan Spieth (5) def. Yuta Ikeda (37), 4 and 2: After a stunning loss in the opening round, Spieth was never threatened and played solidly enough in the toughest conditions of the afternoon to take care of Ikeda. Spieth at least has now given himself a chance to play the weekend, if he can defeat Ryan Moore outright.
Group 6: Kevin Na (46) def. Justin Thomas (6), 4 and 2: Despite a huge distance gap off the tee, Na turned an all-square match through eight holes into a comfortable margin of victory, winning Nos. 9, 13, 15 and 16. Na has some unfinished business, after becoming the only player to earn 2 ½ points last year and not advance to the weekend.
Group 6: Matthew Fitzpatrick (27) def. Chris Wood (49), 4 and 2: With his lead trimmed to only 1 up through 12 holes, the tidy Englishman won two holes in a three-hole span to put away Wood, who dropped to 0-7 in this event.
Group 7: Sergio Garcia (7) def. Kevin Chappell (38), 4 and 3: The result of this one was never in doubt, after Garcia won the first four holes. He never led by fewer than two holes as he dropped Chappell to 0-2. Now with 1 ½ points, Garcia needs at least a halve against fellow Spaniard Jon Rahm on Friday to stay alive.
Group 7: Jon Rahm (21) vs. Shane Lowry (53), 2 and 1: Playing his first Match Play, Rahm is in control of his own fate after pulling away late from Lowry and improving to 2-0 for the week. All Rahm needs Friday is a halved match against Garcia to advance to the Round of 16.
Group 8: Alex Noren (8) def. Bernd Wiesberger, 3 and 2: Noren became the first player to clinch his Round of 16 berth after Molinari withdrew and conceded his Friday match. Noren took a 4-up lead through six holes and never looked back. He won’t play again until Saturday.
Group 8: Thongchai Jaidee (57) def. Francesco Molinari (25), 5 and 3: Jaidee (1-1) grabbed a 6-up lead at the turn despite only playing the front nine in 2 under par. Molinari later withdrew from the event because of a wrist injury.
Group 9: Kevin Kisner (34) def. Patrick Reed (9), 2 up: Kisner gave up a narrow lead when he missed a 5-footer on 16, but he came back with a two-putt par to win the 17th and held on for an important victory that will give him a chance to advance Friday against Koepka. Reed (0-1-1), one of the pre-tournament favorites, has now been eliminated.
Group 9: Brooks Koepka (20) def. Jason Dufner (59), 6 and 5: It’s back-to-back blowouts for Koepka (2-0), who hadn’t entered the week playing well but now seems to be building off his impressive performance at last year’s Ryder Cup, where he went 3-1 in his debut. After halving the first four holes, Koepka took the next three, then added wins on 9, 10 and 11 on his way to a lopsided result.
Group 10: Tyrrell Hatton (10) def. Jeunghun Wang (40), 2 up: The Englishman had an early 2-down deficit, but he won three holes in a row before the turn and held on to put away the rising star from South Korea. Hatton buried a 12-foot birdie on 18 for good measure, improving to 2-0.
Group 10: Charles Howell III (61) def. Rafa Cabrera Bello (22), 1 up: After kicking away his opening-round match, Howell blew another lead against Bello, shanking his bunker shot into the hazard on 17 to square the match. But he redeemed himself on the final hole, chipping to tap-in range for a closing birdie.
Group 11: Bill Haas (42) def. Danny Willett (11), 6 and 5: Haas (1-1) had little trouble with the reigning Masters champion, winning three consecutive holes on the front nine and then blowing out the match with wins on the 10th and 12th holes. The struggles continue for Willett, who now has been eliminated.
Group 11: K.T. Kim (64) def. Russell Knox (17), 3 and 1: Kim, the last-ranked player in the field, improved to 2-0 after making four birdies in the first seven holes to take a 4-up lead. Kim needs only to halve his match Friday to advance.
Group 12: Paul Casey (12) def. Byeong Hun An (45), 1 up: The Englishman never trailed, and 15-footers on 14 and 16 gave him enough breathing room to escape with a full point and face a winner-take-all match Friday against Schwartzel.
Group 12: Charl Schwartzel (24) def. Joost Luiten (60), 4 and 3: After blowing out a listless Ben An in the opener, Schwartzel took advantage of another out-of-form opponent Thursday, winning five holes in a six-hole span around the turn for an easy day at the office. At 2-0, he will have a winner-take-all match against Casey. Schwartzel is now 7-1 in pool play.
Group 13: Bubba Watson (13) def. Scott Piercy (39), 4 and 3: Watson (2-0) carried over the momentum from his opening-day victory with an impressive takedown of Piercy in which he never trailed. One up after the sixth hole, Watson birdied back-to-back holes and never let up on the back nine.
Group 13: Jhonattan Vegas (55) def. Thomas Pieters (30), 3 and 1: Vegas (1-1) birdied the first hole and never looked back against Pieters, whose ball-striking was so good Wednesday that he never trailed in his opening match despite failing to make a putt longer than 4 feet. He wasn’t as sharp Thursday, playing the first 15 holes in even par, including the usual match-play concessions.
Group 14: Phil Mickelson (14) def. Daniel Berger (35), 5 and 4: Mickelson improved to 2-0 with a wild victory over Berger, halving holes with bogeys and even a double bogey. Lefty made three birdies early to take a big lead, then kept Berger at bay in the windy afternoon conditions. He has never made it past the quarterfinals in 12 previous tries.
Group 14: J.B. Holmes (31) vs. Si Woo Kim (63), halved: Holmes looked like he had finally pulled away, after winning the 17th with a par and leaving only 40 yards for his approach into 18. But he hit a mediocre pitch shot, and Kim hit the flagstick with his bunker shot for a short birdie. A half point didn’t do them any good – they’re both eliminated, with Mickelson already with two points.
Group 15: William McGirt (48) def. Branden Grace (15), 2 up: Clinging to a narrow lead, McGirt chipped in from behind the 16th green for par to maintain a 1-up advantage with two holes to play. He then made a 6-footer for par on 17 to close out the match and improve to 2-0.
Group 15: Brandt Snedeker (19) def. Andy Sullivan (52), 2 and 1: With a new putter in the bag and windy conditions, Snedeker (1-1) second-guessed himself on the greens but was still good enough to roll past the Englishman, taking the 10th and 12th holes to build a cushion. Sullivan has been eliminated.
Group 16: Zach Johnson (44) def. Matt Kuchar (16), 2 up: A tight match throughout, Johnson’s two-putt par on 15 gave him the advantage he needed, then he drove the 18th green for good measure. He improved to 1-1 on the week.
Group 16: Brendan Steele (50) def. Tommy Fleetwood (29), 1 up: Back and forth on the back nine, both players squandered a 2-up lead. The Englishman battled back with a birdie on 16 and par on 17 to square the match, but Steele sank a 7-foot birdie putt on the final hole to take the match. With 1 ½ points, Steele leads the group.
Group standings at WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play.
By Golf Channel Digital
Here are the group standings for pool play at the 2017 WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play Championship in Austin, Texas. The player with the most points in each pool will advance to Saturday's Round of 16 in Austin, Texas. Click here for scoring and click here for the bracket.
By Golf Channel Digital
Here are the group standings for pool play at the 2017 WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play Championship in Austin, Texas. The player with the most points in each pool will advance to Saturday's Round of 16 in Austin, Texas. Click here for scoring and click here for the bracket.
| Group 1 | Group 2 | Group 3 | Group 4 |
| (1) D. Johnson: 2-0-0 | (2) R. McIlroy: 1-1-0 | (3) J. Day: Withdraws | (4) H. Matsuyama: 0-1-1 |
| (18) J. Walker: 1-1-0 | (26) E. Grillo: 0-2-0 | (28) M. Leishman: 1-1-0 | (23) L. Oosthuizen: 1-1-0 |
| (41) M. Kaymer: 1-1-0 | (33) G. Woodland: Withdraws | (43) L. Westwood: 1-1-0 | (47) R. Fisher: 1-1-0 |
| (58) W. Simpson: 0-2-0 | (62) S. Kjeldsen: 2-0-0 | (56) P. Perez: 2-0-0 | (51) J. Furyk: 1-0-1 |
| Group 5 | Group 6 | Group 7 | Group 8 |
| (5) J. Spieth: 1-1-0 | (6) J. Thomas: 1-1-0 | (7) S. Garcia: 1-0-1 | (8) A. Noren: 2-0-0 |
| (32) R. Moore: 0-0-2 | (27) M. Fitzpatrick: 1-1-0 | (21) J. Rahm: 2-0-0 | (25) F. Molinari: Withdraws |
| (37) Y. Ikeda: 0-1-1 | (46) K. Na: 2-0-0 | (38) K. Chappell: 0-2-0 | (36) B. Wiesberger: 1-1-0 |
| (54) H. Tanihara: 1-0-1 | (49) C. Wood: 0-2-0 | (53) S. Lowry: 0-1-1 | (57) T. Jaidee: 1-1-0 |
| Group 9 | Group 10 | Group 11 | Group 12 |
| (9) P. Reed: 0-1-1 | (10) T. Hatton: 2-0-0 | (11) D. Willett: 0-2-0 | (12) P. Casey: 2-0-0 |
| (20) B. Koepka: 2-0-0 | (22) R. Cabrera Bello: 1-1-0 | (17) R. Knox: 1-1-0 | (24) C. Schwartzel: 2-0-0 |
| (34) K. Kisner: 1-1-0 | (40) J. Wang: 0-2-0 | (42) B. Haas: 1-1-0 | (45) B. H. An: 0-2-0 |
| (59) J. Dufner: 0-1-1 | (61) C. Howell III: 1-1-0 | (64) K. T. Kim: 2-0-0 | (60) J. Luiten: 0-2-0 |
| Group 13 | Group 14 | Group 15 | Group 16 |
| (13) B. Watson: 2-0-0 | (14) P. Mickelson: 2-0-0 | (15) B. Grace: 1-1-0 | (16) M. Kuchar: 0-1-1 |
| (30) T. Pieters: 1-1-0 | (31) J. B. Holmes: 0-1-1 | (19) B. Snedeker: 1-1-0 | (29) T. Fleetwood: 1-1-0 |
| (39) S. Piercy: 0-2-0 | (35) D. Berger: 1-1-0 | (48) W. McGirt: 2-0-0 | (44) Z. Johnson: 1-1-0 |
| (55) J. Vegas: 1-1-0 | (63) S. W. Kim: 0-1-1 | (52) A. Sullivan: 0-2-0 | (50) B. Steele: 1-0-1 |
NASCAR’s weekend schedule for Auto Club Speedway
By Daniel McFadin
(Photo by Robert Laberge/Getty Images)
This weekend NASCAR concludes its three-race “West Coast Swing” with a visit to the 2-mile Auto Club Speedway.
The Cup Series has the Auto Club 400, and the Xfinity Series holds the Service King 300.
Here’s the schedule for NASCAR this weekend with TV and radio information.
All times are Eastern.
Friday, March 24
11 a.m. – 9 p.m. – Cup garage open
12:30 – 11 p.m. – Xfinity garage open
1:30 – 2:55 p.m. – Cup practice (Fox Sports 1, Motor Racing Network)
3 – 3:55 p.m. – Xfinity practice (FS1)
5 – 5:55 p.m. – Final Xfinity practice (FS1)
7:05 p.m. – Cup qualifying; multi-car/three rounds (FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
Saturday, March 25
10 a.m. – Xfinity garage opens
10 a.m. – 6 p.m. – Cup garage open
11:30 a.m. – 12:25 p.m. – Cup practice (FS1, MRN)
12:30 p.m. – Xfinity qualifying; single vehicle/two rounds (FS1)
2:15 p.m. – Xfinity driver-crew chief meeting
2:30 – 3:20 p.m. – Final Cup practice (FS1, MRN)
3:30 p.m. – Xfinity driver introductions
4 p.m. – Service King 300 Xfinity race; 150 laps/300 miles (FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
Sunday, March 26
10 a.m. – Cup garage opens
1:30 p.m. – Driver-crew chief meeting
2:50 p.m. – Driver introductions
3:30 p.m. – Auto Club 400; 200 laps/400 miles (Fox, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
Dale Earnhardt Jr. prepares for 600th Cup Series start.
By Daniel McFadin
The Cup Series has the Auto Club 400, and the Xfinity Series holds the Service King 300.
Here’s the schedule for NASCAR this weekend with TV and radio information.
All times are Eastern.
Friday, March 24
11 a.m. – 9 p.m. – Cup garage open
12:30 – 11 p.m. – Xfinity garage open
1:30 – 2:55 p.m. – Cup practice (Fox Sports 1, Motor Racing Network)
3 – 3:55 p.m. – Xfinity practice (FS1)
5 – 5:55 p.m. – Final Xfinity practice (FS1)
7:05 p.m. – Cup qualifying; multi-car/three rounds (FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
Saturday, March 25
10 a.m. – Xfinity garage opens
10 a.m. – 6 p.m. – Cup garage open
11:30 a.m. – 12:25 p.m. – Cup practice (FS1, MRN)
12:30 p.m. – Xfinity qualifying; single vehicle/two rounds (FS1)
2:15 p.m. – Xfinity driver-crew chief meeting
2:30 – 3:20 p.m. – Final Cup practice (FS1, MRN)
3:30 p.m. – Xfinity driver introductions
4 p.m. – Service King 300 Xfinity race; 150 laps/300 miles (FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
Sunday, March 26
10 a.m. – Cup garage opens
1:30 p.m. – Driver-crew chief meeting
2:50 p.m. – Driver introductions
3:30 p.m. – Auto Club 400; 200 laps/400 miles (Fox, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
Dale Earnhardt Jr. prepares for 600th Cup Series start.
By Daniel McFadin
(Photo by Jerry Markland/Getty Images)
In the history of NASCAR, there have been 2, 537 drivers who have made at least one start in the Cup Series.
Only 24 drivers have made 600 or more starts.
On Sunday, Dale Earnhardt Jr. will join their ranks.
Eighteen years into his full-time Cup career, Earnhardt will take the green flag for the 600th time in the Auto Club 400.
It will make Earnhardt just the second active driver to reach 600 starts. Matt Kenseth is the other with 618 starts.
Earnhardt’s first Cup start occurred in the 1999 Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, the first of five starts in 1999. A year later, Earnhardt won his first Cup race at Texas Motor Speedway in only his 12th start.
In his 599 starts so far, the 14-time most popular driver has 26 wins, 148 top fives, 252 top 10s and 13 poles. His average finish is 15.6.
The achievement comes months after it originally would have taken place.
Earnhardt missed the final 18 races of the 2016 season as he recovered from a concussion. Had he not suffered the injury, Earnhardt’s 600th start would have been in last August’s race at Watkins Glen International.
The Hendrick Motorsports driver heads to Fontana this weekend looking to jump-start a season that’s gotten off to a rough start.
Earnhardt is 23rd in the point standings after not recording any top 10s or top fives through four races.
Sunday’s race will be Earnhardt’s 24th start at the 2-mile speedway. He’s earned five top fives at the track with a best result of second in 2013.
Mario Andretti tries out, approves of Charlotte Motor Speedway road course.
By Daniel McFadin
(Photo/nbcsports.com)
We now have two positive reviews of the Charlotte Motor Speedway road course.
Following AJ Allmendinger‘s comments back in January, IndyCar legend Mario Andretti has shared his thoughts on the 2.4-mile circuit that will likely host a NASCAR Cup race in fall 2018.
As a guest of the track and the NASCAR Racing Experience, the 77-year-old driver piloted two cars – a 2015 Porsche 918 Spyder Hybrid and a 2017 Cadillac CTS-V. Andretti maxed out at 177 mph in the Porsche.
“It’s very difficult sometimes to really create a road course where you can ‘stretch your legs’ inside an oval,” Andretti said in a press release. “From that standpoint, I think they did a good job by giving it rhythm by putting some banking to the hairpin corners – which obviously invites some overtaking. It’s wide enough that you can choose a line. You’re not really trapped. … It’s got a multiple-line (groove) that you can choose from, depending on the capability of the car.”
The “roval” circuit would use most of the 1.5-mile oval NASCAR already competes on.
Allmendinger took part in a data test on the road course in mid-January and later said it “was a lot of fun.”
Earlier this month, Speedway Motorsports Inc. CEO Marcus Smith said the track “learned a lot” from the test.
“We have done a lot to engineer a world-class road course that would include the ‘roval,'” Smith told NBC Sports, adding that “several truckloads of crash walls and catchfence” were being transported in for installation.
The Cup Series has two road courses on it schedule, at Sonoma Raceway in California and Watkins Glen International in New York.
SOCCER: Patience and persistence were required for Fire to sign Bastian Schweinsteiger.
By Dan Santaromita
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
For many, the Bastian Schweinsteiger to Chicago Fire rumors started with a meeting in Manchester.
Fire coach Veljko Paunovic was spotted meeting with Schweinsteiger in Manchester in November. The tabloid, TMZ-like nature of how the European media covers player moves and rumors had an effect on the Fire.
However, the Fire's pursuit of Schweinsteiger started months before that. MLSsoccer.com's Sam Stejskal chronicled the timeline and how the Fire convinced the German star to come to Chicago.
General manager Nelson Rodriguez said in a conference call on Tuesday that the first pursuit of him "came late summer, early fall of last year." Things did not progress initially.
"At that time, while granted permission to make contact with the player's representatives and the player, we were kindly asked to wait and see how things went," Rodriguez said. "Ultimately we pursued Bastian harder because he is rather singular, he is rather unique in all of that vast experience that he brings along with the attitude and willingness to share it."
As the 2016-17 Premier League season started and Jose Mourinho took over at Manchester United, Schweinsteiger found himself on the outs. He ended up playing no league matches and four cup matches this season for Man U.
Rodriguez and Paunovic saw an opportunity with Schweinsteiger not playing.
"We worked on our weaknesses last season and one of them was adapting in our midfield," Paunovic said. "We had the idea with him when we saw everything was happening that he was not playing. We reached out to the team, Manchester United. We asked for the permission to speak with him and from there we started a relationship with Bastian and it went well. We were working a long time on his acquisition and we are very happy that we could make it done."
Reports of Schweinsteiger training with the Man U reserves signaled a likely departure, but he was not ready to give up.
"Bastian had nothing but good things to say about his experience at United, about his relationship with his teammates and his coaching staff," Rodriguez said. "He clearly has a great affection for the fans as well. I'm sure knowing the competitor that he is, although not wanting to speak for him, of course I imagine he felt he could have played more, should have played more, wanted to play more. But he did not exhibit frustration. In fact, some of the length of this process was due to his insistence to want to remain at United and prove himself even more valuable than he was able to show."
According to Stejskal, the infamous meeting in Manchester between Paunovic and Schweinsteiger was four hours long and the Fire were hoping to land Schweinsteiger in January. While the chances of that seemed to fade, Man U found some moderate use for him.
He still wasn't playing in the Premier League, but Schweinsteiger was high enough on the depth chart to play in some cup matches in January, including playing all 90 minutes and scoring against Wigan in the FA Cup on Jan. 29.
The Fire brass remained persistent in their pursuit of Schweinsteiger. Rodriguez said on Fire Weekly on Wednesday that they checked in with Schweisteiger about once a month, but as the Fire's season neared and ultimately began, things were getting tight. Rodriguez has said multiple times that he isn't fond of introducing players in the middle of the MLS season, saying it is difficult to fully integrate players midseason and didn't want to have to do so with Schweinsteiger.
"We would have preferred it earlier," Rodriguez said. "We would have preferred it before the window closed in England and in January and in preseason. But United, with good reason, was reluctant to let him leave. They were still competing on all fronts and they still regarded Bastian as a valuable member of their club. I think over time maybe we were able to wear them down a little bit with our persistence. Their calendar probably is thinning out as we get closer to the end of the year, but we did reach a point where we said 'It has to be now or it wouldn't happen.'"
Another meeting took place, according to Stejskal, and this time it convinced Schweinsteiger to get on board. After getting United to let him leave, the deal was on. Rodriguez said on Fire Weekly that "it all came together in early March."
"Bastian is a special case, again as a person and as a player, and so not wanting to say an ultimatum because I think that would be unfair and untrue, we made it clear that if we couldn't close it now, then we would likely move on," Rodriguez said.
Five questions for USMNT ahead of World Cup qualifiers.
By Joe Prince-Wright
(Photo/Getty Images)
The USMNT’s next two World Cup qualifiers will be pivotal in deciding whether or not they’ll qualify for the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
With plenty of injuries restricting Bruce Arena, the upcoming games against Honduras on Friday and Panama next Tuesday are massive for the U.S. national team.
Here’s a closer look at some lingering questions heading into the next seven days.
Who will play at full back?
With DeAndre Yedlin and Fabian Johnson out injured, the USMNT is without their top two full backs for these games. That’s a big, big problem. Arena may have to put some square pegs in round holes when it comes to playing Geoff Cameron at right back or even Matt Besler or Tim Ream at left back, while DaMarcus Beasley can also slot in at full back if needed but Jorge Villafana will likely start on the left. Simply put: the U.S. defense is weaker without Johnson and Yedlin at full back. They’ll be missing two of the four defenders from the unit which looked so strong at the Copa America Centenario last summer and the Cameron-Brooks partnership may be broken up in central defense. Far from ideal.
Can Pulisic deliver?
There’s been plenty of talk from Arena about Pulisic being ready to start and contribute regularly for the USMNT.
“He has the potential to be a great player and I think he’s going to be a big part of our team, he’s not going to be a role player. He’s going to be an important part,” Arena told Fox Sports’ Colin Cowherd earlier this month.
Pulisic, just 18 years old, is having a fine first full season for Borussia Dortmund (four goals and seven assists and a new contract is pretty decent…) and he may be used centrally for the U.S. in the next two games. He has the ability to control the tempo of games but often he’s played out wide for Dortmund and the USMNT. It would be a big call for Arena to hand the keys to the U.S. offense to Pulisic but he clearly has the talent to handle that pressure. Now, can he deliver on the international stage? The USMNT has a new star and they need him to deliver sooner than many would have expected.
Will Arena go for experience in central midfield?
With Jermaine Jones suspended for the Honduras game, there’s a big hole alongside Michael Bradley in central midfield to fill. Arena may well go for experience in this kind of situation. Sacha Kjestan and Dax McCarty are the obvious choices with Sebastian Lletget and Darlington Nagbe perhaps too inexperienced for these must-win games. Alejandro Bedoya could slot in alongside Bradley and he’d offer plenty of industry but his best position is out on the right and tucking inside to help build attacks. If I had to choose I’d go with Kljestan. His poise on the ball and his form for the New York Red Bulls over the last 12 months prove that he deserves the chance to step up and dovetail with Bradley in midfield.
Is USMNT capable of setting the tempo?
Having Kljestan start in midfield would be a big part of this as it’s likely that the U.S., especially against Honduras, will set the tempo of these games. Both Honduras and Panama will likely sit back and then look to hit the USMNT on the counter and without recognized full backs that could be very dangerous for the U.S.
This is all about game management. Arena’s men know that at times down in Panama they will be up against it and there will be severe pressure on their goal the longer the game remains scoreless. That said, they will be expected to create chances and they can’t just sit back, defend and hope to score goals from set pieces like they did at times in the Copa America last summer and for most of the 2014 World Cup.
Can Altidore carry the team?
Jozy Altidore will need to carry the U.S. to victory in these games. With Clint Dempsey still battling back to full fitness following his four months out, plus Pulisic still a teenager, the fact that Bobby Wood is out and Jordan Morris is extremely doubtful puts a lot of pressure on Altidore’s shoulders.
It may not have been the case during his time in the Premier League, but for Toronto and the U.S. national team he has been the go-to man in key moments. Altidore usually delivers and he has 37 goals in 100 appearances for the Stars and Stripes. If the USMNT can get Dempsey and Pulisic on the ball, then Altidore will get service in the final third. He always adds power and presence up top but not having Wood alongside him may mean he’s isolated for large spells of these games. The U.S. needs to stop that happening to not only get the best out of Altidore but also give themselves the best chance of grabbing the two wins they desperately need to get back on track in the Hex.
At 0-2, Americans understand stakes in World Cup qualifying.
Associated Press
(Photo/Associated Press)
Michael Bradley sees no reason to keep harping on that 4-0 loss at Costa Rica four months ago.
Yes, it’s still fresh in the Americans’ minds, a night every mistake snowballed into another.
“There is zero point in continuing to look back on that at the moment,” Bradley said. “We are where we are. Now it’s about on Friday night beginning this process of moving ourselves back up the table and stepping on the field from the first minute and playing a really aggressive way that ultimately leaves no doubt as to who’s stepping off the field, win or lose.”
Bruce Arena’s U.S. squad gets a fresh start in World Cup qualifying Friday against Honduras, and the pressure is on following the home country’s first 0-2 start in the North and Central American and Caribbean region’s final round.
“We understand the position we’re in,” Bradley said. “There’s no need for anybody on the outside to put any more pressure on us than we’ve already put on ourselves, because we didn’t start the hex in the right way. We put ourselves behind the eight ball. We’re honest and real enough with ourselves to understand that. Friday night is the beginning of our chance to put things right and get ourselves back in a good position. … We need guys to step on the field and understand the moment, not be fazed by it, go for it in a fearless way and have a big group of guys play really well.”
Forward Jordan Morris’ status for Friday appears in question after he missed a third straight day of practice Wednesday because of an ankle injury sustained Sunday with the Seattle Sounders. Morris rehabbed in the gym, the U.S. Soccer Federation said.
“Have you followed our team at all the last month? You think that’s going to be something that’s going to bother me?” Arena said at the start of the week when asked about health concerns. “We’re fine. We’re going to have 11 good players on the field on Friday.”
For those who do play, Bradley said it is paramount everybody brings his best game. Same goes for the Americans’ next match in Panama on Tuesday.
While the man in charge has changed – Arena replaced the fired Jurgen Klinsmann in November for a second stint as U.S. coach – and more Major League Soccer players were called upon this time than in November, Bradley insists the approach remains simple: Find a way to win.
“We stepped on the field in Costa Rica wanting to win. That desire to win is obviously still there, so in terms of the basic idea of stepping on the field and trying to play well and go for it in the right way and come away with a positive result, that part’s still the same obviously,” the longtime captain said. “There’s no two ways about it, we let ourselves down in Costa Rica. We didn’t play well enough. Mistakes turned into bigger mistakes, which turned into bigger mistakes, and so it all comes together in a way that you can lose a game in a bad way.”
And, there are many faces who have been on the big stage – Bradley, included.
Goalkeeper Tim Howard started the past two World Cups. Howard, four-time World Cup participant defender DaMarcus Beasley and Clint Dempsey played for Arena leading into the coach’s last World Cup qualifying, in 2005. Jozy Altidore brings experience up front.
“It’s a huge game for us,” Howard said. “It’s helpful that we have guys who have been through the hex before, who understand what that takes and the pressures that are on us. Yeah, it’s a big game.”
Bradley isn’t getting fancy when it comes to what the U.S. group must do.
“Winning. Three points,” Bradley said. “That’s it.”
“For us the reality is simple: We let ourselves down in the first two games,” he said. “It means that our margin for error is very, very small, but nothing’s changed in that we still feel good about the team that we have, the group that we are. I think that Bruce has come in and done an excellent job in terms of re-establishing certain things, getting at a few things. The mentality, the spirit in training and around the group both in January and now this week has been excellent, so we’re getting a little excited about the chance to step on the field in a big-time qualifier.”
Schedule, preview for UEFA World Cup qualifying.
By Joe Prince-Wright
(Photo/Getty Images)
Three full days of 2018 World Cup qualifying are coming your way.
This will be a lot of fun.
Plenty of crunch qualifiers will be pivotal in deciding the fate of teams across Europe as just the top team from the nine groups goes automatically through to the finals in Russia, plus the eight best second-placed teams earn their spot in a home and away playoff for the four remaining spots.
The main game to look out for on Friday is the Republic of Ireland hosting Wales in Dublin with Group D finely poised. Ireland currently leads the group with 10 points but Austria is in second on eight points and Wales in third on six points. Just like he did at EURO 2016 (remember Chris Coleman’s Wales made the semifinals) Gareth Bale will be the talisman for the Welsh at the Aviva Stadium. Ireland knows that a draw isn’t disastrous but a win would put them in a very strong position to reach their first World Cup since 2002.
Elsewhere on Friday, Spain host Israel in Gijon with the Israeli’s knowing a win would take them above the Spanish in a very congested Group G that has Italy and Spain at the top on 10 points with Israel on nine. Plus Croatia welcome Ukraine to Zagreb in Group I with the hosts top of the group but a big away win for Ukraine would see them climb to top spot.
On Saturday three games stick out with the Netherlands heading to Bulgaria in Group A as Danny Blind’s men look to strengthen their grip on second place and try to hunt down first-place France. Meanwhile in Group B, EURO 2016 champs Portugal host upstarts Hungary in a similar scenario as Cristiano Ronaldo and Co. have nine points to Hungary’s seven but both trail leaders Switzerland who have a 100 percent record so far in qualifying.
Speaking of perfect records, Roberto Martinez’s Belgium host Greece in Group H with the talented Belgian outfit looking to make it five wins out of five in qualifying but Greece, who sit on 10 points, knows a win would see them leapfrog Belgium into top spot.
On Sunday England’s quest to make it four wins from five sees them host Lithuania in Group F as Gareth Southgate‘s men warmed up with a good performance but a disappointing defeat at Germany in a friendly. Elsewhere in Group F Scotland simply must beat Slovenia to have any chance of advancing to their first World Cup since 1998.
Group C leaders Germany head to Azerbaijan with Joachim Low’s men winning all four of their games so far, scoring 16 goals and not conceding in the process, while Northern Ireland host Norway in an intriguing clash as Michael O’Neil’s side hope to clinch second spot to continue their fine showing at EURO 2016.
Below is the full schedule for the next three days, while we will have reaction and analysis on all the World Cup qualifying games from the UEFA region.
Friday
Group D
Georgia vs. Serbia – 1 p.m. ET
Austria vs. Moldova – 3:45 p.m. ET
Republic of Ireland vs. Wales – 3:45 p.m. ET
Group G
Italy vs. Albania – 3:45 p.m. ET
Liechtenstein vs. FYR Macedonia – 3:45 p.m. ET
Spain vs. Israel – 3:45 p.m. ET
Group I
Turkey vs. Finland – 1 p.m. ET
Croatia vs. Ukraine – 3:45 p.m. ET
Kosovo vs. Iceland – 3:45 p.m. ET
Saturday
Group A
Sweden vs. Belarus – 1 p.m. ET
Bulgaria vs. Netherlands – 3:45 p.m. ET
Luxembourg vs. France – 3:45 p.m. ET
Group B
Andorra vs. Faroe Islands – 1 p.m. ET
Switzerland vs. Latvia – 1 p.m. ET
Portugal vs. Hungary – 3:45 p.m. ET
Group H
Cyprus vs. Estonia – 1 p.m. ET
Bosnia vs. Gibraltar – 1 p.m. ET
Belgium vs. Greece – 3:45 p.m. ET
Sunday
Group C
San Marino vs. Czech Republic – 1 p.m. ET
Azerbaijan vs. Germany – 1 p.m. ET
Northern Ireland vs. Norway – 3:45 p.m. ET
Group E
Armenia vs. Kazakhstan – 1 p.m. ET
Montenegro vs. Poland – 3:45 p.m. ET
Romania vs. Denmark – 3:45 p.m. ET
Group F
England vs. Lithuania – 1 p.m. ET
Scotland vs. Slovenia – 3:45 p.m. ET
Malta vs. Slovakia – 3:45 p.m. ET
Premier League player Power Rankings – Week 29.
By Joe Prince-Wright
(Photo/Getty Images)
As we take a breather over the international break, let’s take stock of which stars in the Premier League have been running the show.
With the top dog from last week, Eden Hazard, out injured in Week 29, we have a new man on top of our rankings.
Remember: this is a list of the top 20 performing players right now 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 PL right now.
- Leroy Sane (Man City) – Up 3
- Alexis Sanchez (Arsenal) – Up 1
- Romelu Lukaku (Everton) – Up 2
- Dele Alli (Tottenham) – Up 2
- N’Golo Kante (Chelsea) – Down 3
- Jamie Vardy (Leicester City) – Up 1
- Diego Costa (Chelsea) – Up 1
- Kasper Schmeichel (Leicester City) – Up 7
- Eden Hazard (Chelsea) – Down 9
- Raheem Sterling (Man City) – Even
- Kevin De Bruyne (Man City) – New entry
- David Silva (Man City) – Even
- David De Gea (Manchester United) – Even
- Gary Cahill (Chelsea) – New entry
- Jesse Lingard (Man United) – New entry
- David Luiz (Chelsea) – Down 5
- Josh King (Bournemouth) – Down 1
- Marcus Rashford (Man United) – New entry
- Thibaut Courtois (Chelsea) – Down 1
- Craig Dawson (West Brom) – New entry
The 2017 NCAA Tournament has come to an end for Michigan , West Virginia, Purdue and Arizona. Kansas and Gonzaga, No. 1 seeds in their respective regions, have made it back to the familiar territory of the Elite Eight along with Oregon and, yes, Xavier, which knocked off No. 2 seed Arizona.
Thursday’s games provided plenty of thrills, including one of the worst final possessions in NCAA Tournament history and a glimpse of a potentially legendary run from one of our No. 1 seeds.
How did the winners fare on Thursday night? We’ve got grades for each and a preview of what’s to come.
61-58 over (4) West Virginia
For the most part, West Virginia played the game it wanted to play. Gonzaga turned the ball over 16 times, shot just 40 percent from the field and allowed the Mountaineers to grab 41 offensive rebounds. The Bulldogs were sped up by West Virginia’s pace and out of sync on offense -- it was the kind of game that felt like a typical heartbreaking Gonzaga loss in the NCAA Tournament.
But this is not your typical Mark Few-coached Gonzaga team. It’s been 18 years since the Zags first reached the Elite Eight, and now they’re back with the best defensive team since Mark Few has taken over as head coach. Gonzaga does a tremendous job of playing help defense, denying the open space on the floor and forcing opponents to shoot over top from outside. Having that impact on the West Coast Conference is one thing, but having that stellar team defense show up again in the Sweet 16 is the mark of a champion.
West Virginia played the game it wanted to play and even led late, but after a big bag of onions from Jordan Matthews that defense won the game, forcing Jevon Carter and WVU into one of the ugliest final possessions in March Madness history.
(11) Xavier Musketeers: A+73-71 over (2) Arizona
At one point this season, Xavier had lost six straight games. Entering the Sweet 16, they were the lowest seed remaining and the lowest-ranked team remaining in Ken Pomeroy’s rankings at No. 30. The Musketeers haven’t had star point guard Edmond Sumner since Jan. 29 and many had written 2016-17 off as a lost season for Chris Mack.
Now Xavier is going to the Elite Eight for the first time since 2008, beating Sean Miller, the coach that took them to that Elite Eight.
Now Mack, the Miller assistant promoted after he left for Arizona, is one win away from his first Final Four and the hottest name on the list of potential candidates on the coaching carousel .
Mack drew up the perfect plays, gave the perfect instructions and Xavier closed better than anyone else on Thursday with a 12-2 run to close out one of the biggest wins in school history. Xavier led by eight with less than four minutes to go but played rock solid defense and denied both Allonzo Trier and Lauri Markkenen the opportunities they needed to power this Arizona team to a win. Brackets may be busted, but March Madness finally has the Cinderella its been waiting for in the West Region. Regardless of who wins on Saturday night between Gonzaga and Xavier, one team will be going to the Final Four for the first time in program history.
(1) Kansas Jayhawks: A 98-66 over (4) Purdue
The Jayhawks are at another level right now. There is no guarantee that they’ll win the national championship or even make it to the Final Four (more on Oregon, their competition for Saturday, below), but no one has looked more consistent through the NCAA Tournament than Kansas. It doesn’t always look that way within the game, but by the end of 40 minutes it’s clear that most teams in college basketball just can’t hang on their level.
Purdue actually led for 12 minutes during the first half, by as much as eight points with less than seven minutes to play before halftime, before the rug got pulled out from under the Big Ten regular season champions. Kansas big man Landen Lucas did a good job of denying Caleb Swanigan inside -- though Swanigan still finished with 18 points and seven rebounds -- and the Jayhawks turned every turnover and missed shot into an opportunity to get out and run in the open floor. Frank Mason III was in total Player of the Year mode with 26 points on 9-of-11 shooting with seven assists and seven rebounds, and Devonte Graham added 26 of his own thanks to five three-pointers.
By the end of the night in Kansas City, the building was chanting “Rock Chalk, Jayhawk” and Kansas had a new school record for the most points in its the first NCAA Tournament games. If this absurd pace continues, Kansas will threaten for a spot in the record books for most dominant Final Four runs in tournament history. But before the egg, we must talk about the chicken, or Duck...
(3) Oregon Ducks: B+69-68 over (7) Michigan
Michigan put on another typical second-half run, but Oregon, an experienced team that’s now in the Elite Eight for a second straight year, did not wither. Ultimately the Wolverines fans will be kicking themselves for giving up offensive rebounds off missed free throws down the stretch, but Derrick Walton Jr. at least had a good look -- a step-back jumper, no different than any other huge shot he’s hit in clutch moments throughout his career -- to win the game.
Oregon got lucky here, and thankfully has Jordan Bell playing the best basketball of his career here in the NCAA Tournament. Bell shut down Michigan’s star sophomore Moritz Wagner and, pulled down key rebounds in the final minute that sealed the win. Tyler Dorsey continued his postseason tear with a team-high 20 points, but Bell was right there with 16 points to go with 13 rebounds and two blocks in the best performance of the evening for the Ducks.
UConn is dominating women's basketball by realizing it takes more than just talented players.
By Emmett Knowlton
(Photo/Roy K. Miller/AP)
The University of Connecticut's women's basketball team thoroughly dominated Syracuse on Monday night, 94-64, to reach its 24th consecutive NCAA Tournament Sweet 16.
"33 baskets, 30 assists," Auriemma said. "Take a minute to think about that. [Syracuse] had 26 baskets and eight assists."
In their first tournament game, a rout against 16-seed Albany, the Huskies managed an equally impressive 34 assists of 43 baskets, giving them a program-record 64 assists for a two-game stretch. Even for a program as storied as UConn, that passing prowess is stunning.
"Our ball movement was incredible," Auriemma added. "All five players feel really comfortable with the ball. When you have five players who can all make plays you can have a performance like we had today. They were good. They were really good."
"When we move the ball like that, it's hard for the defense to keep up with that," Kia Nurse, who finished with 29 points and six assists, said.
Again, this may all sound rather obvious, considering the team and the quality of players. But UConn's performance thus far in the NCAA Tournament does more than show off the talent of the roster. It also reflects Auriemma's longstanding basketball philosophy: that above all else, what matters most for a team is good body language and a selfless approach to the game.
Last year, when UConn reached the Final Four, Auriemma gave a press conference in which he spoke at length about trying to recruit players that aren't overly concerned with their stat-lines. This week, the clip has gone viral on Facebook — perhaps not surprisingly, considering Auriemma's team is putting this on display with aplomb.
Auriemma begins by talking about how hard it is to find young players with good fundamentals:
"Recruiting enthusiastic kids is harder than it’s ever been because every kid watches TV, and they watch the NBA, or the watch Major League Baseball, or they watch the NFL, whatever sport they watch — WNBA, it doesn't matter — and what they see is people just being really cool. So they think that's how they’re gonna act. And they haven't even figured out which foot to use as a pivot foot and they’re gonna act like they're really good players. You see it all the time. You see it at every AAU tournament. Every high school game."
He continued:
"So recruiting kids that are really upbeat, that are loving life, that love the game, have this tremendous appreciate for when their teammates do something well, that's hard, it's really hard. So on our team, we — me, my coaching staff — we put a huge premium on body language. And if you're body language is bad, you will never get in the game. Ever. I don't care how good you are."
"If somebody says, 'well, you know, you just benched [Breanna Stewart] in the Memphis game a couple years ago.' Yeah, I did. 'Oh, well, that was to motivate her for the South Carolina game the following Monday.' No it wasn't! [She] was acting like a 12-year-old, so I put her on the bench and said sit there. It doesn't matter on our team."
"Now, the other coaches might say, 'Well you can do that because you’ve got three other All-Americans on your team.' I get that. I understand that. But I'd rather lose than watch kids play the way some kids play. I'd rather lose."
"So when I look at my team, they know this, when I watch game film, I'm checking what’s going on the bench. If somebody’s asleep over there, somebody doesn’t care, somebody’s not engaged in the game, they will never get in the game. Ever. And they know that."
UConn, meanwhile, plays UCLA in the Sweet 16. If they can keep passing the ball like they have in the first two rounds of the tournament, they'll be hard to stop.
NCAAFB: Arkansas state senate votes to revise concealed gun law to prevent guns in football stadiums.
By Kevin McGuire
(Photo by Brian Bahr/Getty Images)
One day after Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson signed a bill to allow concealed guns to be carried into football stadiums, the state senate voted to make an exemption to block guns on game day.
The house bill that was signed into law by the governor this week would have allowed those with proper training to be allowed to bring a concealed handgun into an otherwise restricted area such as a football stadium. The bill overruled any stadium policies banning weapons as well, but that will no longer be the case.
According to the Associated Press, the Arkansas state senate voted 22-10 in favor of an exemption to the rule that would uphold a weapons ban in football stadiums throughout the state. The law will still allow those with the proper training to carry a concealed handgun on college campuses, in bars and government buildings, but football stadiums are off limits.
The amended bill still must pass through the House of Representatives in Arkansas.
The house bill that was signed into law by the governor this week would have allowed those with proper training to be allowed to bring a concealed handgun into an otherwise restricted area such as a football stadium. The bill overruled any stadium policies banning weapons as well, but that will no longer be the case.
According to the Associated Press, the Arkansas state senate voted 22-10 in favor of an exemption to the rule that would uphold a weapons ban in football stadiums throughout the state. The law will still allow those with the proper training to carry a concealed handgun on college campuses, in bars and government buildings, but football stadiums are off limits.
The amended bill still must pass through the House of Representatives in Arkansas.
6 3-year-olds nominated late to Triple Crown series.
AP
Thunder Snow, winner of the UAE 2000 Guineas, is among six 3-year-olds made eligible to compete in the Triple Crown series during the late nomination period.
Thunder Snow, winner of the UAE 2000 Guineas, is among six 3-year-olds made eligible to compete in the Triple Crown series during the late nomination period.
The late nominees, which required a payment of $6,000 each, raise the total nominations to 425 for the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont stakes. The late nomination period closed Monday. The early nomination window closed in January and required a payment of $600.
Ireland-bred Thunder Snow, owned by Godolphin Racing, is set to run Saturday in the $2 million UAE Derby in Dubai. The colt has three wins in seven career starts for trainer Saeed bin Suroor.
The other late nominees are Hollywood Handsome, trained by Dallas Stewart; More Than Words, trained by Charlie LoPresti; Parlor, trained by Eddie Kenneally; Rapid Dial, trained by Ingrid Mason; and Stretch's Stone, trained by Bruce Levine.
Thorougreds that weren't nominated to the Triple Crown have one final chance by paying a supplemental fee. The fee for the Derby is $200,000; $150,000 for the Preakness; and $75,000 for the Belmont.
Dubai World Cup: Favorite Arrogate primed for $10 million race.
(Photo/wesharepics.info)
The overwhelming favorite for the Dubai World Cup title ran "perfectly" in a pre-race drill at the Meydan circuit.
Arrogate, from the prolific stable of trainer Bob Baffert, has won six races on the bounce and is odds on to scoop the $6 million prize pot Saturday.
The race has a $10 million purse, which had been the largest in the world prior to the running of the inaugural $12 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes.
That race in January was also won by Arrogate and if the three-year-old triumphs on Saturday the colt would confirm its status as one of racing's superstars.
"They just walked and it was nice and cool for them, which was great," Baffert said of Arrogate and his stablemate Hoppertunity on the Dubai Racing Club's official site.
Hall of famer Baffert has won a host of famous races, including four Kentucky Derbies, and his horse American Pharoah won the Triple Crown in 2015.
"I know I have a great horse," he added when quizzed by reporters. "If he just repeats his last race we'll be in good shape."
Wednesday's draw for the Saturday showpiece was seen as favorable for Arrogate -- he'll be in gate nine of 13.
Wednesday's draw for the Saturday showpiece was seen as favorable for Arrogate -- he'll be in gate nine of 13.
"Nine is fine," Baffert explained. "The main thing for him is to get away, then it's up to (jockey) Mike Smith to decide.
"I just didn't want to be number 14 or on the inside -- otherwise it really didn't matter."
According to Baffert's assistant Dana Barnes, who has been riding both horses in Dubai, Arrogate was "just perfect" during his short run earlier this week.
"He was a little aggressive early on, so I kind of geared down on him a little, but Bob told me (via a radio connection) to pick it up a little," she said.
"I was afraid to pick it up too much because he can go from zero to 60 pretty quick," she said with a laugh. "His stride is just unbelievable.
"I've never ridden him on any track that he didn't handle, and he was just beautiful yesterday," Barnes said. "And he bounced back to the barn -- he doesn't usually do that on the way home, but he was bouncing yesterday."
Team USA captures first World Baseball Classic championship.
By CSN Staff
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
For the first time in the history of the World Baseball Classic, the United States of America walked away champions.
Team USA bested Puerto Rico in blowout fashion on Wednesday night in Los Angeles, winning the championship game by an 8-0 score at Dodger Stadium.
White Sox relief pitchers David Robertson and Nate Jones were part of the championship-winning American roster. Robertson pitched in Wednesday's game, closing things out with a scoreless ninth inning.
Cubs infielder Javy Baez came up short as a member of the Puerto Rican team. Baez went 0-for-3 with a strikeout on Wednesday.
Blue Jays starting pitcher Marcus Stroman dominated the Puerto Rican lineup, pitching six no-hit innings before surrendering the first hit in the seventh inning.
The Americans crossed home plate eight times on the night, getting a two-run home run from Tigers infielder Ian Kinsler and two-run hits from Christian Yelich and Brandon Crawford. Andrew McCutchen also drove in two, and Kinsler and Nolan Arenado scored two runs apiece.
The Puerto Ricans mustered just three hits.
This was the first time the United States even advanced to the championship game in the four times the event has been staged. It's just the second top-four finish for the Americans. They finished fourth in 2009.
On This Date in Sports History: Today is Friday, March 24, 2017.
emoriesofhistory.com
1962 - Benny "Kid" Paret was knocked into unconsciousness in a boxing match with Emile Griffith at Madison Square Garden. He died 10 days later. It was the first televised "death in the ring."
1973 - Nate "Tiny" Archibald became the first player in NBA history to lead the league in scoring (34.0 ppg) and assists (11.4 apg) in the same season.
1975 - Muhammad Ali knocked out Chuck Wepner in the 15th round to retain the world heavyweight title.
1992 - Mario Lemieux (Pittsburgh Penguins) scored his 1000th career point in his 513th game. He was the second fastest player in the NHL to record 1000 points.
2002 - Michael Finley (Dallas Mavericks) became the 238th NBA player to surpass 10,000 career points.
2005 - The NHL canceled its draft due to a six-month player lockout.
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