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"Sports Quote of the Day"
"In every aspect of life, have a game plan, and then do your best to achieve it." ~ Alan Kulwicki, NASCAR Winston Cup NASCAR Driver
TRENDING: Chicago Blackhawks Vs. Tampa Bay Lightning Preview, 03/27/2017. (See the hockey section for Blackhawks updates and NHL news).
TRENDING: Bear Down Chicago Bears!!!!! Bears make it official, announce signing of quarterback Mark Sanchez. Noise around QB Mark Sanchez misses bigger, far more important goal for Bears ’17 offseason. (See the football section for Bears news and NFL updates).
TRENDING: Match-by-match: WGC-Dell Technologies, Day 5. Dustin Johnson wins again. (See the golf section for PGA news and tournament updates).
TRENDING: California Kid is the man at Fontana: Kyle Larson wins to break runner-up streak. (See the NASCAR section for NASCAR news and racing updates).
TRENDING: California Kid is the man at Fontana: Kyle Larson wins to break runner-up streak. (See the NASCAR section for NASCAR news and racing updates).
2017 NCAA "MARCH MADNESS" SCORES (UP TO THE MINUTE):
"Sweet Sixteen"
"Sweet Sixteen"
Thursday, March 23, 2017
Game 1: Oregon 69, Michigan 68
Game 2: Gonzaga 61, West Virginia 58
Game 3: Kansas 98, Purdue 66
Game 4: Xavier 73, Arizona 71
Friday, March 24, 2017
Game 1: North Carolina 92, Butler 80
Game 2: South Carolina 70, Baylor 50
Game 3: Kentucky 86, UCLA 75
Game 4: Florida 84, Wisconsin 83, OT
"Elite Eight"
Saturday, March 25, 2017
Game 1: Gonzaga 83, Xavier 59
Game 2: Oregon 74, Kansas 60
Sunday, March 26, 2017
Game 1: South Carolina 77, Florida 70
Game 2: North Carolina 75, Kentucky 73
"Final Four"
National semifinals at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Ariz.
Saturday, April 1, 2017
Game 1: Gonzaga vs. South Carolina, 6:09 p.m. on CBS
Game 2: North Carolina vs. Oregon, 40 minutes after completion of Gonzaga-South Carolina on CBS
"National Championship Game"
at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Ariz.
Game 1: Oregon 69, Michigan 68
Game 2: Gonzaga 61, West Virginia 58
Game 3: Kansas 98, Purdue 66
Game 4: Xavier 73, Arizona 71
Friday, March 24, 2017
Game 1: North Carolina 92, Butler 80
Game 2: South Carolina 70, Baylor 50
Game 3: Kentucky 86, UCLA 75
Game 4: Florida 84, Wisconsin 83, OT
"Elite Eight"
Saturday, March 25, 2017
Game 1: Gonzaga 83, Xavier 59
Game 2: Oregon 74, Kansas 60
Sunday, March 26, 2017
Game 1: South Carolina 77, Florida 70
Game 2: North Carolina 75, Kentucky 73
"Final Four"
National semifinals at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Ariz.
Saturday, April 1, 2017
Game 1: Gonzaga vs. South Carolina, 6:09 p.m. on CBS
Game 2: North Carolina vs. Oregon, 40 minutes after completion of Gonzaga-South Carolina on CBS
"National Championship Game"
at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Ariz.
Monday, April 3, 9 p.m. on CBS
How 'bout them Chicago Blackhawks? Chicago Blackhawks Vs. Tampa Bay Lightning Preview, 03/27/2017.
By Valdis Pans
Chicago Blackhawks (48-21-5-1) vs. Tampa Bay Lightning (36-29-6-3)
When: 7:30 PM ET, Monday, March 27, 2017
Where: Amalie Arena, Tampa, Florida
The Chicago Blackhawks (1st in Central Division) will follow their embarrassment of a game against Florida with another outing in the area, this time meeting up with the Tampa Bay Lightning (5th in Atlantic), who have won two in a row…
Blackhawks Get Thrashed In Florida
The Chicago Blackhawks (48-21-6) made history when facing the Florida Panthers away at BB&T Center on Saturday, but for all the wrong reasons. The 7-0 beat-down was the first loss for the Blackhawks by seven or more goals since they fell 9-2 to the Edmonton Oilers in November, 2011. It was Chicago’s first 7-0 defeat since the San Jose Sharks shut the team out with the same margin back in 2001. It was a horrid performance, but one which hasn’t really done too much damage to where the Blackhawks currently stand. They are still 6-1-1 in their last eight games and sit eight points ahead of the Minnesota Wild at the top of the Central Division and the Western Conference.
Corey Crawford (30-16-3 for the year with a 2.56 GAA) allowed four goals on 25 shots and was replaced by Scott Darling (18-5-3 with a 2.23 GAA), who conceded three goals on six shots. Crawford has a 2-3-2 historical record against Tampa Bay with a 1.95 career GAA, while Darling has recorded a defeat in his only previous start versus the Lightning, giving up four goals on 29 shots in the 4-0 beating back in February, 2015. The Blackhawks are currently 4th in the league with 102 points from 75 outings, trailing the NHL-leading Washington Capitals by four points, but with an extra game already played. They are 8th in most goals scored per fixture (2.95), 9th in least goals allowed on average (2.55), 17th in power play (18.9%) and 24th in penalty kill (78.1%).
Bolts Grab Two Important Wins
The Tampa Bay Lightning (36-29-9) managed to keep themselves in the playoff race by snatching a 2-1 overtime win against the Detroit Red Wings at Joe Louis Arena on Friday, just 24 hours after beating the Boston Bruins 6-3 away at TD Garden as well. Nikita Kucherov (38 goals, 78 points for the year) starred in both outings, collecting a hat trick against the Bruins before grabbing the winning overtime goal in Detroit. Ondrej Palat (15 goals, 42 points) scored against the Red Wings and registered three assists in Boston. Brayden Point (13 goals, 32 points), Anton Stralman (3 goals, 16 points) and Jonathan Drouin (18 goals, 48 points) were also on the score-sheet on Thursday.
Peter Budaj made 28 saves versus the Bruins and is 2-1-0 so far for the Bolts (2.82 GAA), 29-21-3 for the whole current campaign (2.17 GAA) and 5-6-2 against Chicago (2.84 GAA). Andrei Vasilevskiy, who stopped 29 pucks in Detroit, meanwhile, has gone 18-16-6 for the year with a 2.63 GAA and has won his only start against the Blackhawks, allowing two goals on 36 shots in the 5-2 win for the Lightning in January. The Bolts are currently 18th in the league with 81 points from 74 fixtures, just three points out of the 2nd Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference with an extra game in hand. They are 15th in most goals netted on average (2.72), 13th in most goals allowed per outing (2.74), 5th in power play (22.0%) and 15th in penalty kill (80.9%).
Trends
Chicago
Tampa Bay
Amidst injuries to key players, the Lightning haven’t really done too badly lately, with their AHL call-ups still keeping the team in the playoff contention. Tampa Bay has lost its past three home games, but will be keen to bounce back on Monday, as will the visiting Blackhawks, who just lost their second away fixture in the past 13 road contests (11-2-0). Tampa, though, has been a pretty tough destination for Chicago, who hasn’t won a regular season game there since February, 2009 (0-2-3). The Blackhawks have gathered two victories at the Bolts during the 2015 Stanley Cup Finals, but even those were super-tight contests, finishing with 2-1 final scores each…
Pick: Tampa Bay Lightning
When: 7:30 PM ET, Monday, March 27, 2017
Where: Amalie Arena, Tampa, Florida
The Chicago Blackhawks (1st in Central Division) will follow their embarrassment of a game against Florida with another outing in the area, this time meeting up with the Tampa Bay Lightning (5th in Atlantic), who have won two in a row…
Blackhawks Get Thrashed In Florida
The Chicago Blackhawks (48-21-6) made history when facing the Florida Panthers away at BB&T Center on Saturday, but for all the wrong reasons. The 7-0 beat-down was the first loss for the Blackhawks by seven or more goals since they fell 9-2 to the Edmonton Oilers in November, 2011. It was Chicago’s first 7-0 defeat since the San Jose Sharks shut the team out with the same margin back in 2001. It was a horrid performance, but one which hasn’t really done too much damage to where the Blackhawks currently stand. They are still 6-1-1 in their last eight games and sit eight points ahead of the Minnesota Wild at the top of the Central Division and the Western Conference.
Corey Crawford (30-16-3 for the year with a 2.56 GAA) allowed four goals on 25 shots and was replaced by Scott Darling (18-5-3 with a 2.23 GAA), who conceded three goals on six shots. Crawford has a 2-3-2 historical record against Tampa Bay with a 1.95 career GAA, while Darling has recorded a defeat in his only previous start versus the Lightning, giving up four goals on 29 shots in the 4-0 beating back in February, 2015. The Blackhawks are currently 4th in the league with 102 points from 75 outings, trailing the NHL-leading Washington Capitals by four points, but with an extra game already played. They are 8th in most goals scored per fixture (2.95), 9th in least goals allowed on average (2.55), 17th in power play (18.9%) and 24th in penalty kill (78.1%).
Bolts Grab Two Important Wins
The Tampa Bay Lightning (36-29-9) managed to keep themselves in the playoff race by snatching a 2-1 overtime win against the Detroit Red Wings at Joe Louis Arena on Friday, just 24 hours after beating the Boston Bruins 6-3 away at TD Garden as well. Nikita Kucherov (38 goals, 78 points for the year) starred in both outings, collecting a hat trick against the Bruins before grabbing the winning overtime goal in Detroit. Ondrej Palat (15 goals, 42 points) scored against the Red Wings and registered three assists in Boston. Brayden Point (13 goals, 32 points), Anton Stralman (3 goals, 16 points) and Jonathan Drouin (18 goals, 48 points) were also on the score-sheet on Thursday.
Peter Budaj made 28 saves versus the Bruins and is 2-1-0 so far for the Bolts (2.82 GAA), 29-21-3 for the whole current campaign (2.17 GAA) and 5-6-2 against Chicago (2.84 GAA). Andrei Vasilevskiy, who stopped 29 pucks in Detroit, meanwhile, has gone 18-16-6 for the year with a 2.63 GAA and has won his only start against the Blackhawks, allowing two goals on 36 shots in the 5-2 win for the Lightning in January. The Bolts are currently 18th in the league with 81 points from 74 fixtures, just three points out of the 2nd Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference with an extra game in hand. They are 15th in most goals netted on average (2.72), 13th in most goals allowed per outing (2.74), 5th in power play (22.0%) and 15th in penalty kill (80.9%).
Trends
Chicago
- Blackhawks are 0-5 in their last 5 Monday games.
- Blackhawks are 1-6 in their last 7 after allowing 5 goals or more in their previous game.
- Blackhawks are 2-6 in the last 8 meetings in Tampa Bay.
Tampa Bay
- Lightning are 4-1 in their last 5 after allowing 2 goals or less in their previous game.
- Lightning are 4-1 in their last 5 games following a win.
- Lightning are 39-19 in their last 58 games playing on 2 days rest.
Amidst injuries to key players, the Lightning haven’t really done too badly lately, with their AHL call-ups still keeping the team in the playoff contention. Tampa Bay has lost its past three home games, but will be keen to bounce back on Monday, as will the visiting Blackhawks, who just lost their second away fixture in the past 13 road contests (11-2-0). Tampa, though, has been a pretty tough destination for Chicago, who hasn’t won a regular season game there since February, 2009 (0-2-3). The Blackhawks have gathered two victories at the Bolts during the 2015 Stanley Cup Finals, but even those were super-tight contests, finishing with 2-1 final scores each…
Pick: Tampa Bay Lightning
Jonathan Marchessault's hat trick leads Panthers rout of Blackhawks. (Saturday night's game, 03/25/2017).
Associated Press
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
Jonathan Marchessault scored his first career hat trick, James Reimer stopped 25 shots for his first shutout of the season and the Florida Panthers routed the Chicago Blackhawks 7-0 on Saturday night.
Marchessault had two goals in a 3-1 win over Arizona on Thursday. He has nine goals over his last nine games and leads the Panthers with 28.
Corey Crawford stopped 21 shots for the Blackhawks before being lifted at 4:59 of the third for Scott Darling, who allowed three goals on six shots.
Already leading 3-0, the Panthers poured in four goals in the third.
Marian Hossa named Blackhawks' nominee for 2017 Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy.
By Charlie Roumeliotis
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
The Chicago chapter of the Professional Hockey Writers Association has selected Marian Hossa to be the Blackhawks' nominee for the 2017 Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, which recognizes perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey.
The 38-year-old winger has bounced back in a huge way following a 2015-16 campaign where he had only 13 goals and 20 assists in 64 games.
Hossa is tied for second on the team with 24 goals and ranks sixth on the club with 42 points in 66 contests this season. He ranks fourth among active players with 1,131 points, and recently surpassed Pat Verbeek to move into 35th all-time in goals scored with 523.
Three finalists from the 30 NHL teams will be named at the end of the regular season.
Pit Martin (1969-70) and Bryan Berard (2003-04) are the only two players in Blackhawks history to win the honor.
The 38-year-old winger has bounced back in a huge way following a 2015-16 campaign where he had only 13 goals and 20 assists in 64 games.
Hossa is tied for second on the team with 24 goals and ranks sixth on the club with 42 points in 66 contests this season. He ranks fourth among active players with 1,131 points, and recently surpassed Pat Verbeek to move into 35th all-time in goals scored with 523.
Three finalists from the 30 NHL teams will be named at the end of the regular season.
Pit Martin (1969-70) and Bryan Berard (2003-04) are the only two players in Blackhawks history to win the honor.
Bear Down Chicago Bears !!!!! Bears make it official, announce signing of quarterback Mark Sanchez. Noise around QB Mark Sanchez misses bigger, far more important goal for Bears ’17 offseason.
By John Mullin
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
All of that, and a lot of the noise around Mike Glennon is really missing a larger point. A couple, really.
GM Ryan Pace established fixing the quarterback situation as a top priority, something it has been just about since Jim McMahon left, with the exception of a few Jay Cutler years. Doing that to any meaningful degree with the castoff options available in free agency or via trades wasn’t ever going to happen. What Pace has done with the quarterback situation, however, is more than a little intriguing.
The quarterback additions and subtractions, coupled with also suggest a draft plan far from locked in on a quarterback. The signings of Glennon and Sanchez don’t mean the Bears have solved their quarterback position, but it does mean the Bears have positioned themselves with the distinct option of NOT taking a quarterback – this year.
But here’s the bigger point.
Even with the optimum quarterback solution unavailable – Pace arguably did go best-available in his and the coaches’ minds with Glennon and Sanchez, all derision aside – Pace’s goal needs to be building a team that can reach a high playoff level regardless of quarterback.
Meaning: defense. And while the 2017 free agent and draft classes did not offer must-have quarterbacks in most evaluations, there are those elite-level defensive talents, and every indication is that the Bears will look there, in the draft, and should be. It had that feeling when the Bears, with ample, money to spend, backed away from day one free-agency runs at a couple of pricey defensive backs. The Bears simply think they can do better for less in the draft.
A perspective: With a defense at its levels during the Brian Urlacher era, the Bears could reach the NFC championship game with what they have at quarterback now. They did, twice, with Rex Grossman and with Cutler. Sanchez got to AFC championship games in each of his first two seasons. The Bears reached a Super Bowl with Rex Grossman as their quarterback. They went 13-3 in 2001 with a solid-but-unspectacular Jim Miller as their quarterback. They reached the 2005 playoffs with Kyle Orton as their starter most of that year, and should have been in the 2008 playoffs with him as well. The Bears reached the NFC championship game in 2010 with Cutler.
There is a common denominator in all of these situations, and it is within Pace’s grasp, and that was an elite defense. Rex Ryan had one with the Jets and Sanchez, Grossman and Orton and Cutler had theirs with Urlacher, Lance Briggs, Mike Brown, Tommie Harris, Charles Tillman, etc.
Forget the quarterback situation for now. Nothing anyone, including Pace, can really do anything about it (other than land possibly Deshaun Watson, based on their turnout at his Pro Day).
But if Pace and his personnel staff do this right, they can lay in the foundation for something elite on defense that will transcend the quarterback, or at least allow the Bears to play more than 16 games in a season even if they do not have a great quarterback. With the Urlacher core defense, the Bears went to postseasons with four different quarterbacks.
The prime directive now for Ryan Pace is to create precisely that model again.
NFL owners to mull 15 rule changes.
By Larry Mayer
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
NFL owners will consider 15 rule changes when they meet next week in Arizona. The proposals include reducing overtime in the preseason and regular season from 15 to 10 minutes, and giving the final say on all replay decisions to a centralized office in New York.
Here are all 15 proposals and who submitted them:
1. Long-snappers would be given additional protections on kick plays. (Eagles)
2. Players would no longer be permitted to leap over the offensive line in an attempt to block a field goal or extra point. (Eagles)
3. The “crown of the helmet” foul would be expanded to include the “hairline” part of the helmet. (Eagles)
4. Teams would be awarded a third replay challenge if they were successful on at least one of their first two challenges, and reviewable plays outside of two minutes of each half would be expanded. (Eagles)
5. The limit of three total challenges per team per game would be eliminated as would be the requirement that a team be successful on each of its first two challenges to be awarded a third. (Redskins)
6. The line of scrimmage would be moved from the 25- to the 20-yard line after a free kick travels through the uprights. (Redskins)
7. Coaches would be allowed to challenge any official's decision except scoring plays and turnovers. (Bills and Seahawks)
8. The rule that disqualifies a player who is penalized twice in one game for certain types of unsportsmanlike conduct fouls would become permanent. (Competition Committee)
9. The rule that changes the spot of the next snap after a touchback resulting from a free kick to the 25-yard line would remain in place for a second season. (Competition Committee)
10. The length of preseason and regular season overtime periods would be reduced to 10 minutes. (Competition Committee)
11. A receiver running a pass route would be given defenseless player protection. (Competition Committee)
12. Crack back blocks by a backfield player who is in motion, even if he is not more than two yards outside the tackle when the ball is snapped, would be prohibited. (Competition Committee)
13. The sideline replay monitor would be replaced with a hand-held device and designated members of the Officiating department would be designated to make the final decision on replay reviews. (Competition Committee)
14. Committing multiple fouls during the same down designed to manipulate the game clock would be considered Unsportsmanlike Conduct. (Competition Committee)
15. Actions to conserve time after the two-minute warning of either half would be illegal. (Competition Committee)
Here are all 15 proposals and who submitted them:
1. Long-snappers would be given additional protections on kick plays. (Eagles)
2. Players would no longer be permitted to leap over the offensive line in an attempt to block a field goal or extra point. (Eagles)
3. The “crown of the helmet” foul would be expanded to include the “hairline” part of the helmet. (Eagles)
4. Teams would be awarded a third replay challenge if they were successful on at least one of their first two challenges, and reviewable plays outside of two minutes of each half would be expanded. (Eagles)
5. The limit of three total challenges per team per game would be eliminated as would be the requirement that a team be successful on each of its first two challenges to be awarded a third. (Redskins)
6. The line of scrimmage would be moved from the 25- to the 20-yard line after a free kick travels through the uprights. (Redskins)
7. Coaches would be allowed to challenge any official's decision except scoring plays and turnovers. (Bills and Seahawks)
8. The rule that disqualifies a player who is penalized twice in one game for certain types of unsportsmanlike conduct fouls would become permanent. (Competition Committee)
9. The rule that changes the spot of the next snap after a touchback resulting from a free kick to the 25-yard line would remain in place for a second season. (Competition Committee)
10. The length of preseason and regular season overtime periods would be reduced to 10 minutes. (Competition Committee)
11. A receiver running a pass route would be given defenseless player protection. (Competition Committee)
12. Crack back blocks by a backfield player who is in motion, even if he is not more than two yards outside the tackle when the ball is snapped, would be prohibited. (Competition Committee)
13. The sideline replay monitor would be replaced with a hand-held device and designated members of the Officiating department would be designated to make the final decision on replay reviews. (Competition Committee)
14. Committing multiple fouls during the same down designed to manipulate the game clock would be considered Unsportsmanlike Conduct. (Competition Committee)
15. Actions to conserve time after the two-minute warning of either half would be illegal. (Competition Committee)
Just Another Chicago Bulls Session..... Nikola Mirotic, Bulls show some moxie in road win over Bucks.
By Vincent Goodwill
(Photo/USA TODAY)
Whacked on his ailing left hand by Khris Middleton, Jimmy Butler shook off the pain to hit a rare triple in transition while Middleton was complaining for a foul a couple possessions later.
Butler then darted into the passing lane for a pass intended for Jason Terry like a linebacker jumping into the flat for an interception, then trotted down for an uncontested dunk to give the Bulls an unlikely 17-point lead.
For the man who claims he’s the best football player in the NBA, playing through the pain and doing so with his team’s playoff hopes dwindling, Butler may finally have some believers to his boasts.
Not only did the Bulls avoid a season sweep to the Milwaukee Bucks with a resounding 109-94 win at the BMO Bradley Center Sunday afternoon, they restored a slight sense of pride after looking like they had none of it Friday night in their loss to the Philadelphia 76ers.
Butler scored 20 with a career-high 13 assists in a grinding 39 minutes, but he could play the role of a semi-closer, making those big plays in the fourth when the Bulls pulled away.
Instead, it was March Madness as Nikola Mirotic played up to his career numbers in his favorite month on the calendar, drilling five triples on his way to 28 points and eight rebounds in 35 minutes.
Mirotic and Rajon Rondo helped the Bulls to a decisive double-digit lead in the third quarter with Rondo scoring 14 of his 18 points in the period, hitting a triple, getting into the lane for layups and dishing out a few of his eight assists.
It was an offensive masterpiece for the Bulls, a prospect that seemed highly unlikely given the opponent and the way they played coming into Sunday’s contest. And with the Bucks getting Giannis Antetokounmpo going early along with Middleton, it looked like a nightmare of a different kind was in store for the Bulls.
But Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg wasn’t about to let an instant replay occur, having seen his own version of a “Nightmare on Madison Street” Friday night against the woeful 76ers when his backups let time stand still for minutes at a time, squandering a double-digit lead.
Hoiberg decided not to mess around with the second unit as the Bucks began pulling away in the same manner the 76ers did Friday night. He brought the starters right back in when the lead ballooned to 45-33 at the 8:29 mark.
Then the Bulls went to work to finish the half, with a 23-10 run, along with starting off the third as efficient as they had been in awhile against a worthwhile opponent, shooting 14 of 21 in the period to take a 91-79 lead they wouldn’t relinquish.
Mirotic was seven of eight from the field before halftime and his first miss of the third—a 30-foot triple that went wide right, wound up in a 3-point opportunity for Rondo, who scooped the ball and scored on a layup while being fouled.
It was that kind of afternoon for the Bulls, a team that can’t seem to decide who they want to be on a nightly basis—making it that much harder for an opponent to predict, that much more difficult to eliminate from the playoff conversation.
Butler then darted into the passing lane for a pass intended for Jason Terry like a linebacker jumping into the flat for an interception, then trotted down for an uncontested dunk to give the Bulls an unlikely 17-point lead.
For the man who claims he’s the best football player in the NBA, playing through the pain and doing so with his team’s playoff hopes dwindling, Butler may finally have some believers to his boasts.
Not only did the Bulls avoid a season sweep to the Milwaukee Bucks with a resounding 109-94 win at the BMO Bradley Center Sunday afternoon, they restored a slight sense of pride after looking like they had none of it Friday night in their loss to the Philadelphia 76ers.
Butler scored 20 with a career-high 13 assists in a grinding 39 minutes, but he could play the role of a semi-closer, making those big plays in the fourth when the Bulls pulled away.
Instead, it was March Madness as Nikola Mirotic played up to his career numbers in his favorite month on the calendar, drilling five triples on his way to 28 points and eight rebounds in 35 minutes.
Mirotic and Rajon Rondo helped the Bulls to a decisive double-digit lead in the third quarter with Rondo scoring 14 of his 18 points in the period, hitting a triple, getting into the lane for layups and dishing out a few of his eight assists.
It was an offensive masterpiece for the Bulls, a prospect that seemed highly unlikely given the opponent and the way they played coming into Sunday’s contest. And with the Bucks getting Giannis Antetokounmpo going early along with Middleton, it looked like a nightmare of a different kind was in store for the Bulls.
But Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg wasn’t about to let an instant replay occur, having seen his own version of a “Nightmare on Madison Street” Friday night against the woeful 76ers when his backups let time stand still for minutes at a time, squandering a double-digit lead.
Hoiberg decided not to mess around with the second unit as the Bucks began pulling away in the same manner the 76ers did Friday night. He brought the starters right back in when the lead ballooned to 45-33 at the 8:29 mark.
Then the Bulls went to work to finish the half, with a 23-10 run, along with starting off the third as efficient as they had been in awhile against a worthwhile opponent, shooting 14 of 21 in the period to take a 91-79 lead they wouldn’t relinquish.
Mirotic was seven of eight from the field before halftime and his first miss of the third—a 30-foot triple that went wide right, wound up in a 3-point opportunity for Rondo, who scooped the ball and scored on a layup while being fouled.
It was that kind of afternoon for the Bulls, a team that can’t seem to decide who they want to be on a nightly basis—making it that much harder for an opponent to predict, that much more difficult to eliminate from the playoff conversation.
Bulls fail to show up against 76ers: 'We didn't guard anybody'. Friday night's game, 03/24/2017).
By Vincent Goodwill
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
It's been said and proven that the Bulls can't handle any level of prosperity in this season of tumult, but they've apparently lowered the bar even more as they were unable to handle the thought of prosperity.
Taking a 10-point lead against the 10-man Philadelphia 76ers had the United Center buzzing with unselfish play, easy shots and Rajon Rondo wizardry. About 90 minutes later the slipper fell off Cinderella and life hit the Bulls hard in their 117-107 loss, as they failed to win their second game in a row for the first time in a month.
76ers rookie Dario Saric led the brigade with 32 points and 10 rebounds on 12 of 19 shooting, with two triples. Five 76ers scored in double figures, including an undrafted big named Shawn Long scoring 18 points and seven rebounds in his 10th NBA game.
Jimmy Butler scored 36 with 11 assists and seven rebounds in 42 minutes, but the narrative was the same, as he didn't have enough help on the offensive end for long stretches.
More importantly, it again signaled the reality that the belief this team can make a run for the playoffs with the schedule being the easiest of the contenders over the next two weeks is a fallacy—if the first 70 games is any indication.
"For us to come out with that lack of effort at this point in the season is maddening," Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg said. "Look at the points in the paint, 70-30; that tells you everything you need to know about tonight's game."
If the Bulls can't take care of business against the likes of these 76ers, they can't be counted on do much against anybody, regardless of how the schedule shakes out for the last six games.
By the time the United Center faithful was on its third cycle of boos when a Bulls turnover led to them having more points in the paint than the Bulls had on the scoreboard, it was clear the night had turned for the worst and wouldn't be turning again.
"Lost balls and rebounds, they got every one," an exasperated Hoiberg said.
They already had a 54-52 paint-to-total ratio and the Bulls committed just three fouls, meaning for all the 76ers activity, the Bulls didn't even touch them or give any consequences by making them earn it at the foul line.
"We didn't guard anybody," Butler said. "The lack of discipline, game plan, whatever you want to call it. The game plan is important but if you're not going to do what the game plan says then go get a stop and nobody will be mad at you."
Sergio Rodriguez, Gerald Henderson and T.J. McConnell literally sliced up the Bulls defense by getting inside and exposing the weak perimeter approach.
"Gotta have individual pride in our defense. Try to keep the ball in front of us," Rondo said. "Tonight, they took it to us."
When asked if the Bulls could change course suddenly after the first 70 or so games, Rondo was blunt: "Hard to say. Of course I want to say yeah but habits are habits. You can't just flip a switch, you are who you are at the end of the day."
When Rondo was on the bench with Joffrey Lauvergne, the relative newcomer asked Rondo why was there such variances with the Bulls' play; If given the chance, many Bulls fans would've asked the starting point guard the exact same question.
"I don't know, I don't have the answer," Rondo said. "Consistent play. It's how the season has been. It gets magnified when you lose to Philly or teams you should beat."
The lead ballooned to 26 at 81-55 with 6:15 left in the third and the Bulls looked as lifeless as they had at any point, given the relative lack of competition. They made a game of it, although the insertion of Anthony Morrow seemed to indicate a white flag more than a search for new energy.
"We finally showed up to fight in the fourth quarter but it was too late," Hoiberg said. "We were all over the place and just watched them to continue to drive right past us."
Morrow and Bobby Portis gave Butler the help he desperately needed with a surge that cut the deficit to 102-92 with seven minutes remaining—giving the Bulls a better than expected chance to salvage an improbable comeback.
But with the margins so thin and Butler already expending so much energy just to get the Bulls back in it, they couldn't do more than threaten as Saric probably earned a few extra rookie of the year votes with his career performance.
The Bulls defense, through, was far less than inspiring. The 76ers lived in the paint with guard penetration, scoring 40 in the paint in the first half alone. Rodriguez, Henderson and the rest of the perimeter players feasted on the Bulls as Robin Lopez and Lauvergne were missing in action, leading Hoiberg to leave both on the bench for the majority of the second half.
And with this sobering bit of reality, one wonders where the Bulls truly go from here.
Taking a 10-point lead against the 10-man Philadelphia 76ers had the United Center buzzing with unselfish play, easy shots and Rajon Rondo wizardry. About 90 minutes later the slipper fell off Cinderella and life hit the Bulls hard in their 117-107 loss, as they failed to win their second game in a row for the first time in a month.
76ers rookie Dario Saric led the brigade with 32 points and 10 rebounds on 12 of 19 shooting, with two triples. Five 76ers scored in double figures, including an undrafted big named Shawn Long scoring 18 points and seven rebounds in his 10th NBA game.
Jimmy Butler scored 36 with 11 assists and seven rebounds in 42 minutes, but the narrative was the same, as he didn't have enough help on the offensive end for long stretches.
More importantly, it again signaled the reality that the belief this team can make a run for the playoffs with the schedule being the easiest of the contenders over the next two weeks is a fallacy—if the first 70 games is any indication.
"For us to come out with that lack of effort at this point in the season is maddening," Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg said. "Look at the points in the paint, 70-30; that tells you everything you need to know about tonight's game."
If the Bulls can't take care of business against the likes of these 76ers, they can't be counted on do much against anybody, regardless of how the schedule shakes out for the last six games.
By the time the United Center faithful was on its third cycle of boos when a Bulls turnover led to them having more points in the paint than the Bulls had on the scoreboard, it was clear the night had turned for the worst and wouldn't be turning again.
"Lost balls and rebounds, they got every one," an exasperated Hoiberg said.
They already had a 54-52 paint-to-total ratio and the Bulls committed just three fouls, meaning for all the 76ers activity, the Bulls didn't even touch them or give any consequences by making them earn it at the foul line.
"We didn't guard anybody," Butler said. "The lack of discipline, game plan, whatever you want to call it. The game plan is important but if you're not going to do what the game plan says then go get a stop and nobody will be mad at you."
Sergio Rodriguez, Gerald Henderson and T.J. McConnell literally sliced up the Bulls defense by getting inside and exposing the weak perimeter approach.
"Gotta have individual pride in our defense. Try to keep the ball in front of us," Rondo said. "Tonight, they took it to us."
When asked if the Bulls could change course suddenly after the first 70 or so games, Rondo was blunt: "Hard to say. Of course I want to say yeah but habits are habits. You can't just flip a switch, you are who you are at the end of the day."
When Rondo was on the bench with Joffrey Lauvergne, the relative newcomer asked Rondo why was there such variances with the Bulls' play; If given the chance, many Bulls fans would've asked the starting point guard the exact same question.
"I don't know, I don't have the answer," Rondo said. "Consistent play. It's how the season has been. It gets magnified when you lose to Philly or teams you should beat."
The lead ballooned to 26 at 81-55 with 6:15 left in the third and the Bulls looked as lifeless as they had at any point, given the relative lack of competition. They made a game of it, although the insertion of Anthony Morrow seemed to indicate a white flag more than a search for new energy.
"We finally showed up to fight in the fourth quarter but it was too late," Hoiberg said. "We were all over the place and just watched them to continue to drive right past us."
Morrow and Bobby Portis gave Butler the help he desperately needed with a surge that cut the deficit to 102-92 with seven minutes remaining—giving the Bulls a better than expected chance to salvage an improbable comeback.
But with the margins so thin and Butler already expending so much energy just to get the Bulls back in it, they couldn't do more than threaten as Saric probably earned a few extra rookie of the year votes with his career performance.
The Bulls defense, through, was far less than inspiring. The 76ers lived in the paint with guard penetration, scoring 40 in the paint in the first half alone. Rodriguez, Henderson and the rest of the perimeter players feasted on the Bulls as Robin Lopez and Lauvergne were missing in action, leading Hoiberg to leave both on the bench for the majority of the second half.
And with this sobering bit of reality, one wonders where the Bulls truly go from here.
CUBS: Javier Baez won’t change his style around Cubs after World Baseball Classic: ‘We’re not showing anybody up’.
By Patrick Mooney
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
Javier Baez plays the game on a higher plane and at such an instinctual level that he can point to the catcher and start celebrating before even catching the ball and dropping a no-look tag.
Because the adrenaline surged so quickly for Team Puerto Rico that Baez needed that play to go viral on Twitter to realize what actually happened. Even if elements of that style – and a preplanned win-or-lose parade through San Juan – may have bothered American players like Ian Kinsler and Adam Jones or anyone else with a hot take and a fun-police badge.
"To be honest, I didn't know I did that until after the game," Baez said. "I got to my phone and I had so many messages and so many videos about it. I was like: 'Oh, whatever, I did it.'"
Baez skipped Thursday's parade after Team USA's 8-0 championship-game victory at Dodger Stadium, returning to Arizona and rejoining a Cubs team where he won't be an everyday player when everyone's healthy. Even after being a National League Championship Series co-MVP and the second baseman on the all-WBC team.
"I'm going to play a lot here," Baez said. "I'm just happy with that."
With a split squad in Las Vegas this weekend, Baez rolled into a quiet, mostly empty clubhouse on Saturday morning in Mesa and sat down in his chair to eat a McDonald's breakfast, a WBC equipment bag stashed in an extra locker.
The Cubs made Baez their starting shortstop and cleanup hitter for that afternoon's Cactus League game against the Colorado Rockies at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick. Baez spoke with reporters for almost 10 minutes, explaining what it meant to unleash his emotions and represent his island during an economic crisis.
"We do a great job playing and having fun out there," Baez said. "That's what it's all about. This is a game. It's not as serious as a lot of people take it. But, you know, everybody's got their style and their talent. I have a lot of fun.
"It's their choice to look at how we play, how excited we get. To us, it's really huge what we did, even though we didn't win. All of Puerto Rico got really together.
"We were going through a hard time over there and everything got fixed up for at least three weeks. Hopefully, they keep it like that."
Baez appreciated the opportunity to play with Yadier Molina, the Puerto Rican captain and invaluable St. Louis Cardinals catcher. Before facing the Dominican Republic – and All-Star Cardinals right-hander Carlos Martinez – Baez said Molina joked to teammates: "I can't tell you many details, because then Javy will tell the Cubs."
Baez confirmed the stories that Puerto Rican fans got so swept up in the tournament that the island ran out of blond hair dye: "Yeah, they really did."
Baez also said that he's not going to keep this look: "No, I'm going to cut it soon. Or dye it back black."
What will this do for Baez beyond his Q rating? Eh, Cubs manager Joe Maddon has already seen the swim moves and freaky tags and trusted Baez enough to start all 17 playoff games at second base last year.
"I don't know that there's going to be any greater impact than the World Series had on him," Maddon said. "There's a strong nationalistic component to this year's WBC. That was great. I think it was fueled by a lot of world events right now. I'm curious to see what's going to happen four years from now, if there's the same kind of interest or passion employed in the games.
"Hopefully, that's true. But it was almost like the perfect storm for the tournament this time around with world politics, national politics and the way everybody reacted to everything right now. I mean, you can't pick up a Twitter account without reading something volatile.
"I'd much prefer being fueled by a World Series than a WBC that happens every fourth year."
Over the years, instructors throughout the minor leagues, including Manny Ramirez, have tried to harness all this raw talent and help Baez develop a routine, make adjustments and play under control. But Baez said the Cubs haven't directly asked him to tone down the "Javy Being Javy" act.
"No, not really," Baez said. "Joe came to me last year about doing the routine plays and not (only) the great plays. That's about it.
"But in the Baseball Classic, I think everything counts. You can do a bat flip. You can pimp whatever you want, because it's the Baseball Classic. You don't know how many times you're going to do that in life.
"I was really happy to be in it – and really happy that we enjoyed it."
Joe Maddon breaks down the Matt Szczur vs. Tommy La Stella decision for Cubs.
By Patrick Mooney
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
Matt Szczur vs. Tommy La Stella appears to be the final decision as the Cubs shape their Opening Night roster.
Maddon appeared to eliminate one variable, confirming that La Stella has signaled a willingness to go to Triple-A Iowa if necessary, which would normally be an obvious statement, except for last summer's "Where's Tommy?" episode.
"I haven't even thought about it," Maddon said during Saturday's media session at the Sloan Park complex. "It's not an issue. I thought we handled it pretty openly last year and there's been no blowback whatsoever from the players."
Beyond this – La Stella initially refused to report to the minors last July, moved back home to New Jersey and talked briefly about retirement – an American League scout and a National League scout tracking the Cubs in Arizona both agreed that Szczur looks like the superior player.
Plus Szczur – and not La Stella – is out of minor-league options now.
"When you get this kind of a talent, depth-wise, it's a wonderful problem to have," Maddon said. "And then, of course, the rules start creeping in. The rules in this situation would benefit Matt, which is a good thing, because he's a big-league guy that's been riding the shuttle. He's done it in a very stoic manner, and he's been great for us."
La Stella has allies in the clubhouse – Jake Arrieta got a Coastal Carolina tattoo on his right butt cheek after losing a College World Series bet – and goes about his routine in a quiet, diligent manner.
La Stella is not a distraction at all and can hit left-handed and play the infield – two attributes that Szczur can't bring to Maddon's bench.
"Matt Szczur, to me, is a Major League Baseball player," Maddon said. "You're seeing what Tommy can do from the left side of the plate right now. And then it's just a matter of balancing things out. We've already mentioned that some guys on the infield can play the outfield within this group, thus it presents differently regarding what you need."
Szczur is hitting .361 with a .994 OPS through 14 Cactus League games and can play all over the outfield. But that skill is diminished when the Cubs already have four established outfielders plus Zobrist and Kris Bryant able to shift from the infield.
Then again, defensive wizard Javier Baez should have the Cubs covered all across the infield in case of an emergency. With the defending World Series champs a week out from facing the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium, we're about to find out if Maddon made his recommendation or had a possible trade scenario or disabled-list situation in mind.
"I love Matt Szczur," Maddon said. "This guy as a teammate – you're not going to get a better one. Nobody's going to get a better one on any team for any reason.
"We haven't decided everything or anything yet. Stuff happens in a very short period of time. He is a major-league baseball player. So we'll just wait a couple more days, see how it plays out. But he's a benefit to any group that has him."
Kyle Schwarber catching again is a good step for a banged-up Cubs team.
By Patrick Mooney
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
The Cubs are so strong up the middle that Javier Baez can star for Team Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic and return to camp as a super-utility guy/late-game defensive replacement.
Center fielder Albert Almora Jr. exited a 4-2 loss to the Cleveland Indians with what the Cubs called "left neck tightness" after trying to make a diving catch in the third inning, though he still plans to play in Las Vegas this weekend.
On the other side of the spring-training complex in Mesa – away from the crowd of 15,473 in a minor-league game against a Colorado Rockies squad – the Cubs did get a positive piece of news on the health front: Kyle Schwarber went four innings behind the plate, going Tony Pena style and trying to reduce the stress on his body.
"I love catching," Schwarber said. "Whenever I played baseball, I was always a catcher. For me to be able to do that today – and feel pretty good about myself walking away from the day – it was a good step."
This is clearly important to Schwarber, an intensely driven personality who doesn't want to hear "no." Otherwise, the Cubs probably would have shut this down already, not wanting to risk it with a franchise player, someone who might blast 35 homers at the top of their lineup.
But the medical staff cleared Schwarber when pitchers and catchers reported to Arizona – 10 months after he underwent surgery on his left knee to reconstruct his ACL and repair his LCL – and it could become a valuable skill again.
"The most difficult part I would probably say was setup-wise," Schwarber said, "trying to find that timing of your moves and everything like that. Sometimes I felt like I was a little late getting my setup. But that all came. It's been a year since I got behind there, so overall everything went really well."
The Cubs already have one of the best young catchers in the game (Willson Contreras) and a two-time All-Star making $14 million this season backing him up (Miguel Montero). Schwarber doesn't want to put a number on how many starts he might make behind the plate, though the Cubs have framed it as in case of emergency, an extra late-inning option for manager Joe Maddon or maybe something that makes sense with a particular matchup.
"As of right now, it's still the third-catcher role," Schwarber said. "I'm down for whatever, but I know the majority of the time is going to be out there in left."
"The most difficult part I would probably say was setup-wise," Schwarber said, "trying to find that timing of your moves and everything like that. Sometimes I felt like I was a little late getting my setup. But that all came. It's been a year since I got behind there, so overall everything went really well."
The Cubs already have one of the best young catchers in the game (Willson Contreras) and a two-time All-Star making $14 million this season backing him up (Miguel Montero). Schwarber doesn't want to put a number on how many starts he might make behind the plate, though the Cubs have framed it as in case of emergency, an extra late-inning option for manager Joe Maddon or maybe something that makes sense with a particular matchup.
"As of right now, it's still the third-catcher role," Schwarber said. "I'm down for whatever, but I know the majority of the time is going to be out there in left."
WHITE SOX: Jose Quintana gets the Opening Day start for White Sox.
By Dan Hayes
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
Jose Quintana has been named the Opening Day starter — for the White Sox.
With Chris Sale gone to Boston, Quintana, a first-time All-Star in 2016, has been the odds-on favorite to take over as the team's ace. The only question seemed to be whether or not he'd still be in a White Sox uniform when the season began. But the club made it clear Friday that Quintana is their guy and he'll face the Detroit Tigers in the first game of 2017. The only one who seemed a little taken aback about the news is Quintana.
"I was surprised," Quintana said. "I knew I may get the ball for that day, but they didn't say nothing, so you didn't know. I just kept going and doing my workouts and all my stuff. I'm really, really happy with this opportunity. It's huge for me. I can't wait for that day to come.
"I'm excited to have this opportunity. It's a huge honor for me to have the ball for Opening Day the first time in my life. And I think it's a once-in-a-life opportunity."
Asked about the announcement earlier in the week, Renteria said he needed more time. Many speculated that it meant the White Sox were continuing to listen to offers for Quintana, who has drawn constant interest since the team began its rebuild in December.
Quintana, who went 13-12 with a 3.20 ERA and 181 strikeouts in 208 innings last season, has looked fantastic all spring. Pitching in front of more than a dozen scouts on Thursday, Quintana made his first Cactus League appearance in a month and allowed two hits over seven scoreless innings. The left-hander also put on a brilliant performance for Colombia in the World Baseball Classic on March 10 as he retired the first 17 Team USA hitters he faced before allowing a hit.
"He's very happy about it," Renteria said. "He has obviously earned it.
"I don't know if he was surprised as much as he was elated and proud to be given the opportunity to be the Opening Day starter. It's a privilege."
Quintana's resume of consistency made him a clear-cut choice for the nod. He heads into 2017 having pitched at least 200 innings in each of the past four seasons. In that span, he's produced a 3.32 ERA and 18.1 Wins Above Replacement, according to fangraphs.com. That figure represents the seventh-highest WAR total among all big league pitchers in that span.
Even though he's viewed as the staff ace, Quintana — who potentially has four years and $36.85 million left on his current contract — said he was surprised by the news because the club hadn't yet informed him of the honor.
"It means a lot for me, especially after last year when you make the All-Star team and this year the opportunity to play in the WBC and now you have the opportunity to pitch on Opening Day," Quintana said. "That's a lot of things happening for me now and I'm happy. And really blessed. You just try to do all my things every time.
"Maybe they don't know what it means for me, but it's a big thing."
White Sox: Carlos Rodon feels reassured after clean MRI.
By Dan Hayes
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
While he still has a second opinion ahead and is likely to start 2017 on the disabled list, a clean MRI has Carlos Rodon feeling relieved after a bizarre Thursday.
In the span of 48 hours, Rodon -- who will receive a second opinion on Monday -- went from feeling good enough after a midweek bullpen session to request that his first start be moved up to likely landing on the DL. As he prepares to navigate the rehab process, Rodon is more at ease after an MRI on Friday showed no structural damage.
“(Thursday) was a weird day for me,” Rodon said. “I wasn’t very happy with it. I got that checked out, trying to figure it out.
“I feel better. It’s reassuring.”
“(Your arm is) your tool. It’s concerning. But that’s why you go get those things checked out and make sure everything is ok. That’s what we did.”
Rodon, who went 9-10 with a 4.04 ERA and 168 strikeouts in 165 innings in 2016, has one more checkup before he’s all clear. He travels to Los Angeles on Monday for an appointment with Dr. Neal ElAttrache. General manager Rick Hahn said Friday that a second opinion is “protocol.”
Though he has already been reassured -- the club’s diagnosis was he had no structural issues after a physical exam and then the clean MRI -- Rodon wouldn’t mind more confirmation. The left-hander said he hadn’t experienced the kind of tightness he suddenly felt in his biceps tendon before Thursday. He could lift his arm above his head, but Rodon said his stuff wasn’t the same. After he informed them, the White Sox determined to be cautious.
“It’s pretty tight up there,” Rodon said. “I’ve never really been that tight. I couldn’t really step on some balls I wanted to throw to get that arm going. So, I had to get it checked out. It didn’t feel too good.”
The White Sox already had Rodon on a delayed schedule where he needed to hit every mark to be ready for the regular season. They did so in hopes of helping him avoid the fatigue he experienced last summer and also reaching the 200-inning mark this season. Now it appears Rodon will begin the season on the DL, according to Hahn.
Though he’d like to start the season on schedule, Rodon wants to make sure he’s physically good to go.
“Just trying to be healthy man,” Rodon said. “You don’t want to go the start of the season and be behind the best guys. You are a tick down from the best guys in the world. It’s not fun pitching when you are not feeling too good. I want to be 100 percent when I’m out there. That gives our team the best chance of winning.”
David Robertson, Nate Jones return to White Sox after WBC victory.
By Dan Hayes
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
Having experienced a playoff-like atmosphere at the World Baseball Classic, David Robertson and Nate Jones already feel prepared for the regular season.
"Back up to speed?" Robertson said. "More like slow down and get ready for the season. I'll probably play catch (Friday). I didn't throw (Thursday), I spent the day traveling. Probably play catch today, and be ready to throw (Saturday). If I needed to throw today, I could. I feel like I'm season ready right now."
"It feels good to be back. It's been a long trip doing this WBC, so it's good to be back and relax a little bit. Have a couple days before we start the season."
Both Jones and Robertson appeared four times each for Team USA with similar results. Each allowed a solo home run but nothing else. Jones said he brought his gold medal back to camp because he isn't yet ready to put it in his safety deposit box. His favorite moments of the tournament were brought on by raucous crowds.
"Once you get a crowd chanting USA that was a pretty cool moment," Jones said. "You're proud of representing your country, and once they did that, it all kind of set in, like, ‘Wow, this is happening.'
"It's just pure excitement, everybody going crazy."
Jones and Robertson said they're pleased to have returned to the relative tranquility of White Sox camp after they lived out of a suitcase for the previous 18 days. Both were set to meet with pitching coach Don Cooper and manager Rick Renteria to discuss their upcoming schedule. Jones said he expected to throw a side session on Friday in front of Cooper to have his mechanics reviewed. Robertson last pitched on Wednesday and didn't know when he'd throw again.
"They've been busy, obviously, with Robbie finishing up the last game," Renteria said. "We'll see how the schedule lines up in terms of their usage for the remaining 9-10 days."
Robertson is pretty sure he won't need much work. Whereas the team's closer normally waits until the first week of March to appear in a game, Robertson has pitched in plenty this spring. Each of the last four has had a ton more intensity than any normal Cactus League work.
"It felt like playoff baseball really early in the year," Robertson said. "Just coming from Miami, trying to win a couple days in there was really hard. Fans were really loud. That place was a very intense environment, and it didn't feel like you were the home team at all.
"It felt like (a home game) when we were in San Diego We were the home team there, and when we got to L.A., same thing. Although, I will say that when we were playing the Japanese, it erupted a couple times when they had some big moments in their game. It was just a lot of fun to play in this whole event. It was definitely more than I expected."
Golf: I got a club for that.....
By Golf Channel Digital
Dustin Johnson plays a shot on the 18th hole during the final match of the World Golf Championships Match Play on March 26, 2017 (AFP Photo/Christian Petersen)
Here's how things played out Sunday at the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play at Austin CC, where Dustin Johnson held off a hard-charging Jon Rahm to add another WGC trophy to his growing collection.
Click here for the full bracket:
Final
Dustin Johnson (1) def. Jon Rahm (21), 1 up: Johnson earned his third victory in as many starts, but it wasn't quite as easy as it appeared at the halfway point. The top seed stormed out to a huge lead, winning four straight holes from Nos. 3-6 and taking a 5-up lead through eight holes. But Rahm began to chip away, then kicked it into high gear with three birdies from Nos. 13-16. That cut Johnson's lead to 1 up with two holes to play, but Rahm couldn't get any closer as Johnson closed with a pair of pars for his second straight WGC title to further tighten his grip on the top spot in the world rankings.
Consolation match
Bill Haas (42) def. Hideto Tanihara (54), 2 and 1: Tanihara authored the shot of the tournament when he aced the par-3 seventh hole, and he carried a 2-up lead to the back nine. But Haas quickly turned the tables, winning four of the next five holes to take his first lead of the match. When Tanihara made a bogey on No. 17, all Haas needed was par to snag third-place honors for his best result since last year's Quicken Loans National.
Semifinals
Match 1: Jon Rahm (21) def. Bill Haas (42), 3 and 2: So dominant in his previous three matches, Rahm got off to a slower start Saturday morning. After he and Haas traded early lead back and forth, Haas squared the match at No. 7, and he'd never win another hole. Following five straight halves from Nos. 8-13, Rahm birdied 13, 15, and 16 to run away and secure his place in Sunday's final. Rahm, who already has a win to his credit this year at Torrey Pines, is a perfect 6-0-0 this week.
Match 2: Dustin Johnson (1) def. Hideto Tanihara (54), 1 up: The world No. 1 was pushed to the limit, but eventually found just enough to squeak past the bracket's lowest remaining seed. Johnson appeared to be cruising early, taking a 3-up lead to the eighth tee, but Tanihara eventually squared the match and forced Johnson to the 17th tee for the first time. There, the reigning U.S. Open champ stuffed a wedge for a pivotal birdie, then closed out the match with an up-and-down par on No. 18 to set up a much-anticipated duel in the final.
Final
Dustin Johnson (1) def. Jon Rahm (21), 1 up: Johnson earned his third victory in as many starts, but it wasn't quite as easy as it appeared at the halfway point. The top seed stormed out to a huge lead, winning four straight holes from Nos. 3-6 and taking a 5-up lead through eight holes. But Rahm began to chip away, then kicked it into high gear with three birdies from Nos. 13-16. That cut Johnson's lead to 1 up with two holes to play, but Rahm couldn't get any closer as Johnson closed with a pair of pars for his second straight WGC title to further tighten his grip on the top spot in the world rankings.
Consolation match
Bill Haas (42) def. Hideto Tanihara (54), 2 and 1: Tanihara authored the shot of the tournament when he aced the par-3 seventh hole, and he carried a 2-up lead to the back nine. But Haas quickly turned the tables, winning four of the next five holes to take his first lead of the match. When Tanihara made a bogey on No. 17, all Haas needed was par to snag third-place honors for his best result since last year's Quicken Loans National.
Semifinals
Match 1: Jon Rahm (21) def. Bill Haas (42), 3 and 2: So dominant in his previous three matches, Rahm got off to a slower start Saturday morning. After he and Haas traded early lead back and forth, Haas squared the match at No. 7, and he'd never win another hole. Following five straight halves from Nos. 8-13, Rahm birdied 13, 15, and 16 to run away and secure his place in Sunday's final. Rahm, who already has a win to his credit this year at Torrey Pines, is a perfect 6-0-0 this week.
Match 2: Dustin Johnson (1) def. Hideto Tanihara (54), 1 up: The world No. 1 was pushed to the limit, but eventually found just enough to squeak past the bracket's lowest remaining seed. Johnson appeared to be cruising early, taking a 3-up lead to the eighth tee, but Tanihara eventually squared the match and forced Johnson to the 17th tee for the first time. There, the reigning U.S. Open champ stuffed a wedge for a pivotal birdie, then closed out the match with an up-and-down par on No. 18 to set up a much-anticipated duel in the final.
Points wins in Puerto Rico; DeChambeau T-2.
By Will Gray
(Photo/Golf Channel Digital)
Veteran D.A. Points birdied the 72nd hole at the Puerto Rico Open to seal a two-shot win over a group that included former U.S. Open champ Retief Goosen and rookie Bryson DeChambeau.
Points began the day one shot behind Chris Stroud but birdied four of his final six holes to rally for the victory. It's the third of his career and first since the 2013 Shell Houston Open.
Points, 40, played off past champion status during the 2015-16 season and had to return to Web.com Tour Finals last fall in order to regain his PGA Tour card. With the win, he's now fully exempt through the 2018-19 season and has spots in the Players Championship, PGA Championship and Tournament of Champions.
"I can't even begin to explain what this means," Points said. "Couple really awful years, I pretty much hit rock bottom. Put my family through a lot. To be able to find the strength and courage to stay calm and win is something I didn't know I had in me."
Goosen snagged the clubhouse lead after a final-round 64, but ultimately came up just short of what would have been his first Tour win since 2009. DeChambeau rolled in a pair of lengthy birdie putts down the stretch to tie Goosen and Bill Lunde at 18 under for his best career finish on Tour.
DeChambeau's previous best came during last year's RBC Heritage, when he tied for fourth in his first start as a professional.
Rahm, DJ drive it a combined 862 yards.
By Golf Channel Digital
That's because his opponent, Jon Rahm, stepped up and hit one 15 yards past him, to 438 yards.
That's 862 yards combined. Those are, to put it mildly, eye-popping numbers.
Johnson overcame the disadvantage and went on to win the hole, but Rahm followed it up with another ridiculous tee shot to win the next hole, driving the green on the par-4 13th.
Of course, they both have a ways to go to catch The Rock, but don't we all?
Points began the day one shot behind Chris Stroud but birdied four of his final six holes to rally for the victory. It's the third of his career and first since the 2013 Shell Houston Open.
Points, 40, played off past champion status during the 2015-16 season and had to return to Web.com Tour Finals last fall in order to regain his PGA Tour card. With the win, he's now fully exempt through the 2018-19 season and has spots in the Players Championship, PGA Championship and Tournament of Champions.
"I can't even begin to explain what this means," Points said. "Couple really awful years, I pretty much hit rock bottom. Put my family through a lot. To be able to find the strength and courage to stay calm and win is something I didn't know I had in me."
Goosen snagged the clubhouse lead after a final-round 64, but ultimately came up just short of what would have been his first Tour win since 2009. DeChambeau rolled in a pair of lengthy birdie putts down the stretch to tie Goosen and Bill Lunde at 18 under for his best career finish on Tour.
DeChambeau's previous best came during last year's RBC Heritage, when he tied for fourth in his first start as a professional.
Rahm, DJ drive it a combined 862 yards.
By Golf Channel Digital
(Photo/Golf Channel Digital)
Dustin Johnson hit his drive on the 12th hole in the championship match of the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play a whopping 424 yards. He was away for his approach shot.
That's because his opponent, Jon Rahm, stepped up and hit one 15 yards past him, to 438 yards.
That's 862 yards combined. Those are, to put it mildly, eye-popping numbers.
Johnson overcame the disadvantage and went on to win the hole, but Rahm followed it up with another ridiculous tee shot to win the next hole, driving the green on the par-4 13th.
Of course, they both have a ways to go to catch The Rock, but don't we all?
Daly calls out The Rock over 490-yard drive claim.
By Jason Crook
John Daly (L) and Dwayne "Rock" Johnson (R). (Photo/Golf Channel Digital)
John Daly smells what The Rock is cooking, and to him, it smells a little fishy.
Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson claimed earlier this week that he hit a 490-yard drive while on the set of his HBO show "Ballers," and while that number may seem ridiculous, it's hard to doubt The Rock because, you know, he's ridiculous.
But John Daly, who knows a thing or two about hitting the ball a long way, doesn't want to hear it, and called out the "Baywatch" actor when TMZ Sports caught up with him on Wednesday.
All-time quote, "I don't work out, I put out," aside, hard to argue with Daly here.
For his part, The Rock all but fessed up on Twitter, saying he's an optimist and always rounds up.
Rounding up the numbers on your drive, eh? Well, if that doesn't sound like every golfer ... ever. Try to be more likeable, Rock. You can't.
Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson claimed earlier this week that he hit a 490-yard drive while on the set of his HBO show "Ballers," and while that number may seem ridiculous, it's hard to doubt The Rock because, you know, he's ridiculous.
But John Daly, who knows a thing or two about hitting the ball a long way, doesn't want to hear it, and called out the "Baywatch" actor when TMZ Sports caught up with him on Wednesday.
All-time quote, "I don't work out, I put out," aside, hard to argue with Daly here.
For his part, The Rock all but fessed up on Twitter, saying he's an optimist and always rounds up.
Rounding up the numbers on your drive, eh? Well, if that doesn't sound like every golfer ... ever. Try to be more likeable, Rock. You can't.
NASCAR: California Kid is the man at Fontana: Kyle Larson wins to break runner-up streak.
NASCAR's hottest driver dominated the field by leading 110 of 202 laps at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California. (Photo/Omnisport/yahoosports.com)
After three consecutive runner-up finishes, Kyle Larson finally broke through to win his first NASCAR Cup race of the season, capturing Sunday’s Auto Club 400.
Larson, who started from the pole and won Stage 1 of the event at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California, held off a number of drivers including Brad Keselowski (finished second), Clint Bowyer (third), Martin Truex Jr. (fourth) and Joey Logano (fifth) to earn his second career Cup Series win.
Larson winds up sweeping the weekend, having won Saturday’s Xfinity Series race at Fontana, as well.
“I was staying as calm as I could be, but also frustrated at the same time because it seemed like every time I get to the lead at the end of one of these things, the caution comes out and I have to fight people off on restarts,” Larson told Fox Sports.
Larson, nicknamed The California Kid because he hails from the northern part of the Golden State, had a nearly two-second lead when Gray Gaulding hit the wall with 21 laps left in regulation. While the driver of the No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet came back out on-track in the lead, Truex had a slow stop and fellow Toyota driver Denny Hamlin became the next to challenge Larson.
On the restart on Lap 184, Truex tapped the rear of Matt Kenseth, spinning the latter hard into the inside SAFER barrier, bringing out yet another caution.
Larson winds up sweeping the weekend, having won Saturday’s Xfinity Series race at Fontana, as well.
“I was staying as calm as I could be, but also frustrated at the same time because it seemed like every time I get to the lead at the end of one of these things, the caution comes out and I have to fight people off on restarts,” Larson told Fox Sports.
Larson, nicknamed The California Kid because he hails from the northern part of the Golden State, had a nearly two-second lead when Gray Gaulding hit the wall with 21 laps left in regulation. While the driver of the No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet came back out on-track in the lead, Truex had a slow stop and fellow Toyota driver Denny Hamlin became the next to challenge Larson.
On the restart on Lap 184, Truex tapped the rear of Matt Kenseth, spinning the latter hard into the inside SAFER barrier, bringing out yet another caution.
The race restarted on Lap 189 — 11 laps shy of the scheduled 200-lap event. But that lasted just three laps as Corey LaJoie spun on Lap 192. Three drivers stayed out on the ensuing pit stops — Hamlin, Truex and Jamie McMurray.
Hamlin took the lead on the restart but faced a furious battle with Truex, Larson, Keselowski and Ryan Blaney. Then, on Lap 196, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. spun, bringing out the caution yet again.
The race resumed on Lap 200 and Larson roared back to the lead for the two overtime laps, which he’d never relinquish.
“We had a good last restart, had some good clean air and came home with the win,” Larson told Fox.
There were 17 lead changes and seven cautions in the extended 404-mile event.
WHO ELSE HAD A GOOD RACE: Brad Keselowski came back after two early race incidents – being involved in an accordion-like crunch on the first lap and then being spun by Jimmie Johnson on lap three – to finish second. … Third-place finisher Clint Bowyer earned his best Cup showing since finishing fifth at Bristol in August 2015 (his last third-place was at Sonoma, two months earlier).
WHO HAD A BAD RACE: In finishing 36th, Kenseth suffered his third DNF of the season (in just five races) after wrecking on Lap 184. He also had DNFs at Daytona and last week at Phoenix. Kenseth had a total of four DNFs in the entire 2016 season.
NOTABLE: Today’s race marked the fourth straight time that a Cup race at Fontana has gone into overtime. … Dale Earnhardt Jr. finished 16th in his 600th career NASCAR Cup start.
QUOTE OF THE DAY: “This is just amazing. We’ve been so good all year long. Three seconds in a row and I’ve been watching all the TV that ‘he doesn’t know how to win.’ But, we knew how to win today.” – Race winner Kyle Larson to Fox Sports.
WHAT’S NEXT: After three weeks on the west coast, the series moves to the half-mile paperclip at Martinsville Speedway for Sunday’s (April 2) STP 500.
MORE: Kyle Larson extends points lead after California win.
Full race results from Saturday’s Service King 300 Xfinity race at Fontana.
By Jerry Bonkowski
(Photo/Getty Images)
But Larson knows how to win in the Xfinity Series, that’s for sure. The California native earned his sixth career junior league win — and his second at Auto Club Speedway in his home state — in Saturday’s Service King 300.
Joey Logano gave Larson a strong challenge in the final four laps but couldn’t quite seal the deal, finishing second, followed by Kyle Busch, Erik Jones and William Byron.
Click here for the full race results.
Elliott Sadler remains atop Xfinity standings after Fontana race.
By Jerry Bonkowski
(Photo/Getty Images)
Elliott Sadler remains atop the NASCAR Xfinity Series point standings after Saturday’s Service King 300 at Auto Club Speedway.
Sadler slightly increased his lead to 17 points over second-ranked teammate William Byron.
Justin Allgaier and Ryan Reed are tied for third place, each 46 points behind Sadler, while Darrell Wallace Jr. rounds out the top five, 49 points behind Sadler in fifth place.
Click here for the point standings after Saturday’s race at Fontana.
The Xfinity Series is off next weekend. The next race is April 8 at Texas Motor Speedway.
Sadler slightly increased his lead to 17 points over second-ranked teammate William Byron.
Justin Allgaier and Ryan Reed are tied for third place, each 46 points behind Sadler, while Darrell Wallace Jr. rounds out the top five, 49 points behind Sadler in fifth place.
Click here for the point standings after Saturday’s race at Fontana.
The Xfinity Series is off next weekend. The next race is April 8 at Texas Motor Speedway.
SOCCER: How does Bastian Schweinsteiger fit into the Fire's lineup?
By Dan Santaromita
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
The dust has begun to settle from the Chicago Fire's signing of Bastian Schweinsteiger.
A few days after the announcement, everyone has had a chance to process the move, evaluate it and wonder how it will help the team. The big question that remains is how will Schweinsteiger fit in with this group?
While central midfield had been a problem for the Fire last year, the additions of Dax McCarty and Juninho, both former MLS All-Stars who are currently still in their prime, seemed to have filled the hole. Now Schweinsteiger comes in and the Fire have a glut of central midfielders.
When asked about finding a way to get all three on the field, coach Veljko Paunovic said it's not a concern at all.
"We were thinking about that a long time ago," Paunovic said. "We were preparing him and other guys to play together. We know what we are doing."
Paunovic wouldn't give much away about how the three would play together in midfield or what specific role Schweinsteiger would play. Will he be an attacking midfielder? Will he sit deep and have one of McCarty and Juninho move up?
"He's going to play the role of the midfielder," Paunovic said. "The midfielder has to play different roles depending on the situation so it's a proven player and I don't think that there is a question about his qualities and what he can bring to our team. For sure he can play, helping our team to build the attack, to help the organization of the play and then in the final third we all know that he can produce passes in the final third and score goals."
While Paunovic wouldn't give any hints as to how Schweinsteiger fits into the Fire's midfield, general manager Nelson Rodriguez did. Sort of.
"There's a current trend that the only way to be a successful No. 10 is to go to Argentina, find a No. 10 fairy tree... and that's the only way that you can have a 10,” Rodriguez said. "I'm not saying that Pauno is going to play him in the 10 role, that will be Pauno's decision. But there's a lot of different types of playmakers that can impact a game."
That answer implies that maybe the Rodriguez and Paunovic view Schweinsteiger as an attacking midfielder in MLS. Even though Rodriguez volunteered the concept of Schweinsteiger of a playmaking No. 10 without being asked about that role, he wouldn't commit to it.
"Pauno and I clearly have had discussions and we were comfortable with it in that regard," Rodriguez said of Schweinsteiger's fit. "I'm loathe to say No. 10 or otherwise again because I think those conjure up preconceived notions and I would also point out that Bastian played in attacking midfield role for Bayern in some of his last years there to great effect. We're talking about a player whose versatility, his intelligence through his dominance of the ball allows him to play a lot of different roles. I think that we all tend to fall into traps and want to define players in a very small way. Some players can transcend those definitions by virtue of their versatility. I think Bastian is one of those guys."
So if Rodriguez and Paunovic won't give much away yet, let's have fun speculating as to how the Fire may line up with the German in the fold.
For starters, there are some basic, reasonable assumptions you have to make when coming up with how things could fit together. These assumptions largely dictate the options available.
Neither Juninho nor Dax McCarty are going to the bench.
The simplest lineup solution would involve having Schweinsteiger step into his natural position and no one moving out of their natural spot. However, that's not going to happen because Juninho and McCarty are too good and too important to send to the bench. That's why this isn't simple. Finding a way to fit three central midfielders into the same starting lineup will require some creativity from Paunovic.
Nemanja Nikolic, David Accam and Michael de Leeuw all must start.
Like Schweinsteiger, Nikolic and Accam are designated players and will start when healthy. Hypothetically, the Fire could have Schweinsteiger come in as an extra midfielder in some sort of 4-5-1 (or 4-3-3) formation and have the Fire play with only one forward, which would be Nikolic. The problem with this is de Leeuw, who was arguably the team's best player after debuting last August, is too good to send to the bench. In this scenario he is left without a spot. Does he move into a wide position to accommodate Schweinsteiger and send Arturo Alvarez to the bench? This seems plausible, but less than ideal for de Leeuw, who has proven to be an effective goal poacher.
Given Rodriguez's quotes about Schweinsteiger being a playmaker, here are a couple ways this could work with him as the highest of the three central midfielders.
First, a 4-2-3-1, which Paunovic has used for most of his matches with the Fire.
Schweinsteiger has more offensive responsibility here.
Second, a more traditional 4-3-3 where Vincent and Harrington will have provide more attacking width.
The differences between these two are subtle, but these seem to be the most likely possibilities.
The benefits to this are that the Fire's best offensive players are all on the field at the same time in their natural positions and Schweinsteiger won't be asked to cover a lot of ground with Juninho and McCarty playing behind him centrally.
USMNT routs Honduras to emphatically get back on track in World Cup qualifying. (Friday night's game, 03/24/2017).
But what about something very different? What about a 3-5-2? Paunovic tried this formation a few times last season, but often times it looked more like a very defensive 5-3-2 because, as he even said, the wide defenders weren't getting forward enough. Different personnel could change that. Behold:
The benefits to this are that the Fire's best offensive players are all on the field at the same time in their natural positions and Schweinsteiger won't be asked to cover a lot of ground with Juninho and McCarty playing behind him centrally.
However, there's always risk going with a three-man back line. McCarty and Juninho can provide better cover and support than the Fire had last year when trying this formation. Another option would be to have Brandon Vincent replace Alvarez to have a more defensive-minded player on the field.
The answer won't come until Schweinsteiger makes his first start in a Fire uniform, and even then Paunovic may tinker or change his mind.
"I would just say I don't think people should make an assumption as to how we're going to line up or play or what roles we're going to fill," Rodriguez said. "I think that we have to allow this team to come together. We have to allow this team to play together. We have to allow competition to change to determine who plays."
USMNT routs Honduras to emphatically get back on track in World Cup qualifying. (Friday night's game, 03/24/2017).
By Grant Wahl
(Photo/SI Sports)
Facing as close to a must-win situation as it had in many years for a World Cup qualifier, the U.S. poured in three goals in the first 32 minutes and rode a Clint Dempsey hat trick to a 6-0 beatdown of Honduras in coach Bruce Arena’s first qualifier since 2005.
Entering the night in last place in the CONCACAF Hexagonal standings and with a -5 goal differential, the win and vast marginshoots the U.S. up to fourth place after three games.
Here are three thoughts on the game:
After several players looked like they quit in the 4-0 November loss at Costa Rica that sealed Jurgen Klinsmann’s fate as the coach, the Americans were locked in from the start on Friday. Local boy Lletget, who was making his first qualifying start and probably wouldn’t have been in camp under Klinsmann, pounced on the rebound from Pulisic’s shot just five minutes in after Jozy Altidore had sent a gorgeous ball to Pulisic. It was the earliest U.S. qualifying goal since Brian McBride against Trinidad and Tobago in 2005, and it set the tone for the game. Every U.S. player had a fire-not just to win but to demolish the opponent. It was only one game, of course, but this was some sexy football, too.
The 18-year-old is the U.S.’s best player, period, but on Friday he really showed it in a game that mattered. What’s more, his understanding with Dempsey was almost telepathic. A delicate Pulisic lob found Dempsey for his first goal, when he bulled defenders off him and finished with aplomb. And a dagger of a pass on the floor from Pulisic to a streaking Dempsey created Dempsey’s second goal.
Arena surprised some people by opting to start Pulisic in the central attacking midfield instead of out wide, but it was a move that paid off in spades. Pulisic doesn’t have a ceiling, and that’s awfully exciting for U.S. fans.
It was only a few months ago that Dempsey’s playing career was in jeopardy due to an irregular heartbeat. In January, Arena said he wouldn’t call in Dempsey for these games, that it was too soon after his return to playing for Seattle, but then he reconsidered when the U.S. ran into a spate of injuries (including forwards Bobby Wood and Jordan Morris).
Not only did Dempsey start on Friday, but he had a hat trick of beautiful goals that displayed the wide breadth of the Texan’s talents. The first goal showed off his strength (when many forwards would have hit the ground on the contact). The second, his run-making intelligence and connection with a terrific passer (Pulisic). The third? Well, that was all Dempsey, bending a free kick in from distance.
Dempsey entered the game with 52 all-time U.S. goals, No. 2 in men’s national team history behind Landon Donovan’s 57. Now Dempsey is at 55 and within striking distance, perhaps as early as Tuesday night in Panama.
Meanwhile, his U.S. team seems like another one entirely from that team we saw in November.
An under-the-radar Premier League XI.
By Nicholas Mendola
(Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images)
The Premier League’s international break invites reflection on both what we’ve seen so far and what’s to come.
For example, what if we left out the superstars?
For whatever reason, this one is recalling the state of mind of 2015-16, when we were digesting that Leicester City very much looked the part of Premier League champions.
For a lot of us, that meant delving into statistics and seeing what matched the eye test. Many started Googling the name “N'Golo Kante“, the dynamic disruptor who’d move to Chelsea in August.
He’s a household name now, with some personalities even arguing that he should buck the trend of Ballon d’Or nominees including only major statistic producers (There was a time when names like Fabio Cannavaro and Matthias Sammer claimed the honor, you know).
For our purposes, we’ll use a pair of advanced stats sites and the good ol’ eye test. (Of the sites we’re using, Squawka seems to skew toward high attack scores, while WhoScored tilts a bit toward the back, so life is good if a player hits both sites’ Top 50).
Before getting into our team — we promise no 10-picture, click-to-reveal-next stuff — some stats that stood out.
— Three players have had outstanding “short” seasons for different reasons.
For example, what if we left out the superstars?
For whatever reason, this one is recalling the state of mind of 2015-16, when we were digesting that Leicester City very much looked the part of Premier League champions.
For a lot of us, that meant delving into statistics and seeing what matched the eye test. Many started Googling the name “N'Golo Kante“, the dynamic disruptor who’d move to Chelsea in August.
He’s a household name now, with some personalities even arguing that he should buck the trend of Ballon d’Or nominees including only major statistic producers (There was a time when names like Fabio Cannavaro and Matthias Sammer claimed the honor, you know).
For our purposes, we’ll use a pair of advanced stats sites and the good ol’ eye test. (Of the sites we’re using, Squawka seems to skew toward high attack scores, while WhoScored tilts a bit toward the back, so life is good if a player hits both sites’ Top 50).
Before getting into our team — we promise no 10-picture, click-to-reveal-next stuff — some stats that stood out.
— Three players have had outstanding “short” seasons for different reasons.
- Leicester City’s Wilfried Ndidi took a short spell to adjust to the Premier League after arriving in January, but has been the Foxes’ most influential player in their recent turnaround).
- Bournemouth’s Nathan Ake essentially was the Cherries’ first-half success before heading back to Chelsea where Antonio Conte won’t move him ahead of Marcos Alonso or Victor Moses (and that’s actually understandable as you’ll see below).
- Chelsea’s Cesc Fabregas just doesn’t feature a ton for Conte, but in limited time his per-90 stats on Squawka trail only Eden Hazard and Alexis Sanchez.
---The following players have risen well above most of their teammates but fall short of the league Top 50 on either site: Ben Gibson (Boro), Michael Keane and Ben Mee (Burnley), Christian Fuchs (Leicester City), Joe Allen (Stoke City), Jose Holebas and Troy Deeney (Watford), Gareth McAuley (West Brom).
— Watford, as a side, is seemingly the choose to a sort of MVP. On WhoScored, not a single player rises above 7, but there are a host in the very high sixes.
— In very different systems, John Stones (91.8) and Adam Forshaw (89.2) are thriving in pass percentage.
— Southampton’s Oriel Romeu and Stoke’s Erik Pieters rank fourth and fifth respectively in tackles per game.
— In a team that has to intervene a ton, Hull City’s Curtis Davies the league with 3.8 interceptions per game.
Honorable mention
Goalkeeper: Lukasz Fabianski (Swansea City)
Defenders: Aleksandar Kolarov (Manchester City), Marcos Alonso (Chelsea), Calum Chambers (Boro), Papy Djilobodji (Sunderland), Laurent Koscielny (Arsenal), Cesar Azpilicueta (Chelsea)
Midfielders: Ake, Victor Wanyama (Spurs), Willian (Chelsea), Juan Mata (Manchester United), Harry Winks (Spurs), Manuel Lanzini (West Ham United), Victor Moses (Chelsea), Jack Wilshere (Bournemouth).
Forwards: Joshua King (Bournemouth), Fernando Llorente (Swansea City), Christian Benteke (Crystal Palace)
Goalkeeper
Ben Foster (West Brom) — With the highest performance score in the position on WhoScored, Foster has claimed all 95 balls he’s went up for and has a league-best 76 saves.
Defenders
Nicolas Otamendi (Man City, 7.49, 29.18) — One of few defenders to rate high in interceptions despite being on a team that doesn’t concede loads of chances or possession.
George Friend (Middlesbrough) — Just out of the upper echelon on the advanced stats site, he is in rarefield air in traditional stats interceptions and tackles.
Steve Cook (Bournemouth, 7.16, 22.76) — Jumps out of the advanced stats on a Cherries team which has faced plenty of attacking pressure.
Antonio Valencia (Manchester United, 7.28, 27.45) — There’s a reason Jose Mourinho rewarded him with an extension not long into the manager’s tenure at Old Trafford.
Midfielders
Ander Herrera (Manchester United, 7.44, 36.64) – Long-heralded at Athletic Bilbao, Herrera is finally showing what made him so sought. One odd stat that may be explained by his willingness to run to any situation: he’s very high in average times dribbled past.
Idrissa Gana Gueye (Everton, 7.34, 20.57) – The best player in Aston Villa’s awful 2015-16, he’s been arguably as effective as N’Golo Kante. Seriously.
Matt Phillips (West Bromwich Albion) – Once the top player on a relegated QPR, Phillips is fifth in the Premier League in assists despite missing the last four matches with injury.
Christian Eriksen (Tottenham Hotspur, 7.41, 31.89) – Second in the PL in key passes, he doesn’t get the plaudits of English teammates Dele Alli and Harry Kane. The relationships are very symbiotic.
Forwards
Wilfried Zaha (Crystal Palace, 7.44) – On an under-achieving team, Zaha’s statistics are wild. He’s the most-fouled player in the league, and attempts/completes the most dribbles in the PL. He gives the ball away a lot, too, but that happens when you’re the focal point of everything your team does in the attacking third.
Alex Iwobi (Arsenal, 30.54) – The Nigerian turns 21 in May, and has four goals and seven assists across all competitions.
NCAABKB: Unfamiliar faces -- and North Carolina -- make up a very different Final Four.
By Dana O'Neil
South Carolina's Frank Martin embraced his mother in an endless and tearful hug.
Gonzaga's Mark Few jumped from a ladder and into to the arms of his Poland-born big man.
Oregon's Dana Altman soaked up a Gatorade bath.
North Carolina's Roy Williams? He grabbed a Final Four hat and ambled along, just as he did last year, just as he has done eight other times in his career. The national semifinals isn't a birthright to anyone, of course, but it is at least a fairly regular destination for the Tar Heels.
Which makes the blue blood the outlier in this college basketball quartet, the only team that can truly act like it has been there.
"Tears of joy and makes your heart warm to like 350 degrees Celsius or something,'' Few said after his team beat Xaiver. "Maybe Fahrenheit. It's been a while since I was in class.''
Few can be forgiven his scientific snafu. His time outside the classroom is a blip compared to Gonzaga's wait for a Final Four.
Never (Gonzaga), never (South Carolina), might as well have been never (Oregon) and North Carolina -- that's the simple way of looking at this Final Four.
South Carolina, a team that finished third in a maligned SEC, hadn't won an NCAA tournament game in 44 years until nine days ago. Now the Gamecocks improbably have strung together four in a row, riding a defensive assault to the program's first Final Four. A school considered football first, second and last gathered up a head of steam and a legion of rowdy fans at the tourney's relocated first round in Greenville, South Carolina, and rolled all the way through East Region final in New York.
Gonzaga has been chipping at this moment for nearly two decades, a one-time Cinderella turned best-team-to-never-make-the-national-semifinals. The Bulldogs' inability to make the final weekend turned them into the game's most lovable lightning rod, a squad appreciated for its overreaching success but questioned for its underachieving results.
The NCAA hosted its first hoops championship in 1939 in Evanston, Illinois; ironically at Northwestern, the school that until this year couldn't get to the party it first hosted. Eight teams reluctantly agreed to participate in the newfangled tourney. The Wandering Webfeet won the championship. We know them as the Oregon Ducks. They've spent the past 78 years designing uniforms and cornering the Nike market, the only school that had a booster (Phil Knight) climb the ladder to snip a piece of the net. But cool unis do not necessarily beget basketball results. Oregon's drought had stretched the entire history of the sport.
"1939 was a long time ago,'' Altman said in a Captain Obvious moment after the Ducks upset No. 1 seed Kansas to move on.
So, comparatively, 366 days is not all that long ago. That's all it's been since the Tar Heels last won an Elite Eight game. But their wait also felt endless considering what happened in Houston a year ago, when Villanova's Kris Jenkins broke North Carolina's heart with a buzzer-beater to win the national title.
"That was our ultimate goal, to win the championship,'' North Carolina senior Isaiah Hicks said after his team earned a second shot. "We were 4 seconds away from that. Just to see your dream taken away right in front of you, that's all the motivation you need. Of course nobody likes to lose, but that one, when you're right there, all of us, we just need that second chance.''
Normally, North Carolina's revenge tour would be the story of this Final Four, and perhaps as the week stretches on, it will turn out that way. This is their 20th Final Four, after all. But right now it's about the newbies, the fresh faces who will try to navigate a world they can't even comprehend.
The Final Four is an unwieldy beast for a novice, the games played on an elevated court that more closely resembles a boxing ring, inside a dome normally reserved for football crowds.
Gonzaga's arena seats 6,000.
The Bulldogs will play in front of 70,000 on Saturday at University of Phoenix Stadium.
It is not something you can comprehend until you see it, as the South Carolina players admitted after they ousted Florida.
"I can't even imagine it,'' P.J. Dozier said. "I have no idea what to expect.''
He's not alone. This NCAA tournament has not gone as anyone predicted.
The anticipated Elite Eight showdown between Villanova and Duke in Madison Square Garden evaporated in the first weekend. The Lonzo Ball Show devolved into a turnover disaster against Kentucky. Kansas looked like a juggernaut ... until it couldn't score against Oregon. And then Sunday night, in a Kentucky-North Carolina game featuring millions of dollars worth of future NBA talent, Luke Maye walked off the hero.
So it makes sense that this is where we finish, in a Final Four where one of these things is not like the other.
In a pure basketball-in-the-moment sense, though, this odd quartet actually adds up. Three of the four may be new to the party, but no one got here uninvited.
South Carolina carved a path through Duke and Baylor. Gonzaga chewed up darling Northwestern and decidedly less darling West Virginia. Oregon ousted the feel-good story of March, Michigan, and then beat Kansas in Kansas City, which is only slightly easier than winning at Allen Fieldhouse. While all that was happening, North Carolina emerged by beating another blueblood, Kentucky, to reach the season's final weekend.
"The same thing everybody else says -- we're ecstatic we're still having press conferences,'' Williams said after his win. "Couldn't think of anything I'd rather be doing right now.''
Same goes for South Carolina.
And Gonzaga.
And Oregon.
Maybe these teams aren't so different after all.
Final Four game times, matchups, TV schedule, betting odds set.
By Henry Bushnell
Houston hosted the Final Four in 2016. Phoenix will host in 2017. ((Photo/Getty)
Sixty-eight teams entered the 2017 NCAA tournament, and after South Carolina eliminated Florida and North Carolina knocked out Kentucky in the latter two Elite Eight games Sunday, only four teams remain.
Those four teams — Gonzaga, Oregon, South Carolina and North Carolina — will travel to Phoenix in the coming days for the Final Four, which will tip off Saturday evening around 6 p.m. ET. The NCAA announced the order of the two games shortly after the North Carolina-Kentucky game went final:
Saturday, April 1
(All times Eastern)
6:09 p.m. — No. 1 Gonzaga vs. No. 7 South Carolina — CBS (Line: Gonzaga -6.5)
*8:49 p.m. — No. 1 North Carolina vs. No. 3 Oregon — CBS (Line: UNC -5)
*The second game will tip off approximately 40 minutes after the conclusion of the first game
The semifinal winners will play in the national championship on Monday night.
Monday, April 3
9 p.m. — Semifinal 1 Winner vs. Semifinal 2 Winner — CBS
Jim Nantz, Grant Hill, Bill Raftery and Tracy Wolfson will be on the call for all three games. Monday’s game won’t actually begin at 9 — it will begin several minutes after the top of the hour.
The two semifinal games and national title game will be played at the University of Phoenix Stadium. The stadium, which normally houses football and holds 63,400 people, is actually in Glendale, but Phoenix is the host city, and will be the site of other Final Four events throughout the weekend.
NCAAFB: Turner Field on schedule to be ready for Georgia State season opener.
By Kevin McGuire
(Photo/nbcsports.com)
The Atlanta Braves opened the doors to their brand new baseball stadium over the weekend to fans as the baseball team gets ready to open the 2017 season in their new digs. Meanwhile, at the old home of the Braves, Georgia State University is moving along according to schedule in downsizing and renovating Turner Field to serve as the permanent home of the football program. So far, so good, as the university fully anticipates the stadium will be ready to go for the season opener on August 31 against Tennessee State.
“The job that’s being done is incredible,” Athletic Director Charlie Cobb told 11Alive. “Each and every time I walk in, I see something new being done.”
Renovation and construction at Turner Field got started in February. The entire project will be done in phases as the university plans to develop around the football stadium for an expanding university. As far as the stadium goes, the seating capacity will be retrofitted to hold a capacity of 23,000 fans. That will be the first phase of the master plan, with a second phase to complete building the rest of the stadium and add additional seating for fans.
“We plan on doing some unique things capturing the history of the stadium, but also creating a football facility that speaks to Georgia State,” Cobb said. “One of the stories we want to tell is the fact that it went from being an Olympic venue, to the home of the Braves, and now to the home of Georgia State. I think we can write that third chapter.”
Georgia State previously played its home games in the Georgia Dome, the now former home of the Atlanta Falcons of the NFL. The Falcons are also moving into a new football stadium this season. The Falcons’ new home at Mercedes-Benz Stadium will also welcome some college football action to the stadium this season with the annual Chick-fil-A Kickoff will move to the new stadium from the Georgia Dome. This year’s Chick-fil-A Kickoff features Alabama and Florida State on September 2 and Georgia Tech and Tennessee on September 4. The SEC Championship Game and the Peach Bowl will also be hosted in the new stadium and the 2018 College Football Playoff National Championship Game will be played there on January 8, 2018.
Georgia State may have their new home, but perhaps one day they will get to play in the new stadium too.
“The job that’s being done is incredible,” Athletic Director Charlie Cobb told 11Alive. “Each and every time I walk in, I see something new being done.”
Renovation and construction at Turner Field got started in February. The entire project will be done in phases as the university plans to develop around the football stadium for an expanding university. As far as the stadium goes, the seating capacity will be retrofitted to hold a capacity of 23,000 fans. That will be the first phase of the master plan, with a second phase to complete building the rest of the stadium and add additional seating for fans.
“We plan on doing some unique things capturing the history of the stadium, but also creating a football facility that speaks to Georgia State,” Cobb said. “One of the stories we want to tell is the fact that it went from being an Olympic venue, to the home of the Braves, and now to the home of Georgia State. I think we can write that third chapter.”
Georgia State previously played its home games in the Georgia Dome, the now former home of the Atlanta Falcons of the NFL. The Falcons are also moving into a new football stadium this season. The Falcons’ new home at Mercedes-Benz Stadium will also welcome some college football action to the stadium this season with the annual Chick-fil-A Kickoff will move to the new stadium from the Georgia Dome. This year’s Chick-fil-A Kickoff features Alabama and Florida State on September 2 and Georgia Tech and Tennessee on September 4. The SEC Championship Game and the Peach Bowl will also be hosted in the new stadium and the 2018 College Football Playoff National Championship Game will be played there on January 8, 2018.
Georgia State may have their new home, but perhaps one day they will get to play in the new stadium too.
Arrogate comes from last to win $10M Dubai World Cup easily.
Associated Press
![Mike Smith riding Arrogate wins the Dubai World Cup Sponsored By Emirates Airline during the Dubai World Cup at the Meydan Racecourse on March 25, 2017 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.]({"default":"//img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/BByM9XH.img?h=600&w=924&m=6&q=60&u=t&o=t&l=f&x=1128&y=701","size3column":"//img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/BByM9XH.img?h=0&w=624&m=6&q=60&u=t&o=t&l=f&x=1128&y=701","size2column":"//img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/BByM9XH.img?h=0&w=624&m=6&q=60&u=t&o=t&l=f&x=1128&y=701"})
Mike Smith riding Arrogate wins the Dubai World Cup Sponsored By Emirates Airline during the Dubai World Cup at the Meydan Racecourse on March 25, 2017 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. (Photo/Martin Dokoupil/Getty Images)
Arrogate showed his class again as he came from dead last out of the stalls to win the Dubai World Cup by an impressive 2 1/4 lengths on Saturday.
In the second richest horse race in the world at $10 million, run over dirt and 2,000 meters at Meydan Racecourse, Arrogate produced a powerful finish under jockey Mike Smith to beat Gun Runner and Neolithic in a 1-2-3 for the U.S.
The winning time was 2 minutes, 2.15 seconds - slower than the course record set by Chrome last year - but understandable given the soft conditions after a second straight day of rain and thunderstorms in Dubai.
Even halfway into the race, Arrogate was nowhere in the picture, but last year's runner-up Mubtaahij was showing encouraging form as jockey Christophe Soumillon managed to settle near the rail from his wide draw of 14 out of 14.
Arrogate, the No. 1-rated racehorse in the world, started gaining momentum around the 800-meter mark and swept past more than half a dozen rivals before setting his sight on the leaders.
At the top of the straight, Smith was wide and finding a clear path, and coaxed Arrogate to hit top gear. With 200 remaining, he caught the leaders, and the result was never in doubt with the last 100 remaining.
A relieved Smith said: "The start, it just went wrong and was not what he was used to; he missed it and then found traffic. I thought that was it but this horse is unbelievable.
"He found his massive stride and galloped, carrying me into the race, then quickening in the straight, and actually winning quite easily.
"This horse can do anything; he can win in the lead, he can come from dead last, he hasn't even taken a breath. What a horse!"
Arrogate gave trainer Bob Baffert his third Dubai World Cup victory after Silver Charm (1998), and Captain Steve (2001).
"I looked away after 50 meters and prayed Mike would just bring him back safely," Baffert said.
"When he missed the break, I gave him no chance at all. I was so mad at myself, thinking 'I shouldn't have brought him.' But that's the greatest horse I've ever seen run, I can't believe he won."
Vivlos of Japan, trained by Yasuo Tomomichi and ridden by Joao Moreira, won the Dubai Turf over 1,800 meters, one of the two races on the card offering $6 million in prize money. Moreira left it late to break from the outside and catch Heshem and Godolphin's Ribchester over the last 100 meters.
Ribchester, under William Buick, looked solid until caught by Heshem with less than 100 meters to go. Both were outsprinted by Vivlos to give Japan a second win in the race in two years. Real Steel, who was a non-runner this year, won in 2016.
The other $6 million race, the Group 1 Dubai Sheema Classic over 2,410 meters, was claimed comfortably by Godolphin-owned and John Gosden-trained Jack Hobbs.
In a race in which only seven went to the post, Jack Hobbs was bunched up with three others but jockey William Buick forced a powerful finish. Jack Hobbs surged from 300 meters out to beat Seventh Heaven and Postponed, the defending champion.
Belgian jockey Soumillon was a back-to-back winner earlier, making a very late charge on Vazirabad to win the 3,200-meter Group 2 Dubai Gold Cup, followed by a photo-finish in the UAE Derby where he powered Godolphin's Thunder Snow to win by a nose over Epicharis.
On This Date in Sports History: Today is Monday, March 27, 2017.
emoriesofhistory.com
1917 - The Seattle Metropolitans, of the Pacific Coast League of Canada, defeated the Montreal Canadiens and became the first U.S. hockey team to win the Stanley Cup.
1981 - U.S. President Reagan hosted a luncheon honoring the members of the Baseball Hall of Fame.
1989 - Sport Illustrated exposed Pete Rose's gambling activities. The magazine article alleged Rose bet on baseball from the Riverfront dugout using hand gestures with an associate.
1994 - Magic Johnson became head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers. He coached the final 16 games of the 1993-4 season.
2007 - NFL owners voted 30-2 to make the video replay system a permanent officiating tool.
1981 - U.S. President Reagan hosted a luncheon honoring the members of the Baseball Hall of Fame.
1989 - Sport Illustrated exposed Pete Rose's gambling activities. The magazine article alleged Rose bet on baseball from the Riverfront dugout using hand gestures with an associate.
1994 - Magic Johnson became head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers. He coached the final 16 games of the 1993-4 season.
2007 - NFL owners voted 30-2 to make the video replay system a permanent officiating tool.
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