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"Sports Quote of the Day"
"Continuous, unflagging effort, persistence and determination will win. Let not the man be discouraged who has these." ~ James Whitcomb Riley, Writer, Poet and Author
TRENDING: Chicago Blackhawks Vs. Pittsburgh Penguins, 03/29/2017. (See the hockey section for Blackhawks updates and NHL news).
TRENDING: No sign Bears locked into drafting a QB in 2017 as Ryan Pace underscores 'best available' tack. (See the football section for Bears news and NFL updates).
TRENDING: Jimmy Butler, Bulls prep for stretch run with realistic eye on the postseason. (See the basketball section for Bulls news and NBA updates).
TRENDING: Panama 1-1 USMNT: Ugly, scrappy point for both sides. (See the soccer section for worldwide soccer league updates and team news).
TRENDING: Fans send the UConn women's team (Huskies) off to its latest Final Four. 111 straight victories and counting.....
(AP Photo/Pat Eaton-Robb)
How 'bout them Chicago Blackhawks? Chicago Blackhawks Vs. Pittsburgh Penguins, 03/29/2017.
Scores & Stats
"Maybe that last 10 percent (of effort hasn't) been there," defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson told the Chicago Sun-Times after the Blackhawks squandered a three-goal lead en route to a 5-4 overtime loss to Tampa Bay on Monday. "I don't know what it is. Maybe it's getting close to the end here and we're getting a little bit too comfortable. As soon as you do that, you're going to lose games." While Chicago can afford to be comfortable with a sizable lead on second-place Minnesota in the Central Division, Pittsburgh doesn't have that luxury in the Metropolitan as it resides behind both first-place Washington and Columbus. Captain Sidney Crosby (NHL-best 42 goals) has mustered just one point during the Penguins' current skid and was kept off the scoresheet in a 4-1 setback against the Blackhawks on May 1.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, NBCSN, TVA
ABOUT THE BLACKHAWKS (48-21-7): Reigning Hart Trophy winner Patrick Kane has erupted for 33 points (19 goals, 14 assists) in his last 24 games, highlighted by his fourth career regular-season hat trick in Chicago's victory over Pittsburgh earlier this month. Rookie Nick Schmaltz notched a pair of assists in that contest and also set up two goals against the Lightning, increasing his point total to 19 (three goals, 16 assists) in his last 20 games. Captain Jonathan Toews also has found his offensive rhythm with three goals and four assists during a six-game point streak before being shut down in back-to-back contests.
ABOUT THE PENGUINS (46-18-11): Pittsburgh's injury-riddled lineup appears to have avoided another absence as top-line forward Conor Sheary was a full participant in Tuesday's practice, two days removed from exiting a 6-2 setback against Philadelphia with a lower-body ailment. "Today was kind of a test day," the 24-year-old Sheary, who recently had missed 13 games with an upper-body injury, told reporters. "I felt pretty good out there. More of just a precautionary thing to make sure things didn't get worse last game." Former Hart Trophy winner Evgeni Malkin (shoulder) continued to show progress on Tuesday in the eyes of coach Mike Sullivan, but he likely will miss his seventh straight contest.
OVERTIME
1. Pittsburgh veteran C Matt Cullen has recorded two goals and an assist in his last two games but missed practice on Tuesday due to illness and is questionable to play versus Chicago.
2. Blackhawks RW Ryan Hartman is "very likely" to return to the lineup Wednesday after serving as a healthy scratch for mouthing off to an official, coach Joel Quenneville told CSN Chicago.
3. Penguins G Marc-Andre Fleury was tabbed as the team's nominee for the Bill Masterton Trophy, which is presented to the player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey.
PREDICTION: Penguins 4, Blackhawks 3
Tanner Kero latest to try and fill Artem Anisimov's skates.
By Tracey Myers
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
Tanner Kero's been thrown into a lot of different situations in his time with the Blackhawks, be it third- or fourth-line center or penalty kill.
Kero will center Artemi Panarin and Patrick Kane again when the Blackhawks host the Pittsburgh Penguins. The line had a good start to Monday's game against the Lightning in Tampa, scoring the team's first two goals — Kero assisted on Panarin's opener.
Coach Joel Quenneville liked Kero's first go-around there.
"Defensively he's in a good spot — he's usually in a reliable spot in his own end — he made a couple of nice plays offensively and didn't change his game too much," Quenneville said. "It's not easy playing with guys at that next level. It's certainly a great challenge and a great opportunity, so I thought he did a great job, took advantage of it. We'll see how he does going forward but we'll keep him in there for [Wednesday's] game and that gives us some more options."
Learning on the fly can be part of a rookie season, especially when injuries arise. Jonathan Toews said Kero's handled everything well this season.
"Come to think of it, it's one of those little things that maybe goes over my head but he's definitely one of those versatile players who's as consistent as ever," Toews said. "He has, for his age, an incredible level of maturity and he carries that with him wherever he goes. You're seeing offensive improvement, too. He was making some good plays with Bread Man and Kaner. He's showing he can do it all and I think his work ethic and attitude's a source of that success."
Earlier this season Kero was with guys like Ryan Hartman and Vinnie Hinostroza. They were all familiar with each other from their Rockford days, and that showed. Playing with two guys you don't know so well? It's a bit of a challenge, and one the three talk out. But ultimately, Kero said you have to rely on your instincts.
"You go over things before the game and on the bench, get a feel for what you might want to do. But then you just have to play hockey," Kero said. "You have to trust your game, make plays. You know they're going to make plays with the puck so you try to use your speed and get open and try to go to the net, create space for them and a little traffic in front and try to capitalize on opportunities."
Anisimov will be out another 1-2 weeks. Asked if Anisimov has started skating back in Chicago yet, Quenneville said, "I don't think so but I'm not positive. But he's progressing." Filling Anisimov's skates isn't easy, as evidenced by the Blackhawks' search for his temporary replacement. Kero is the third guy to get that shot, and he took advantage of his first showing.
"Obviously it's a great opportunity to play with two great players," Kero said. "You just try to do everything you can and do the little things right."
Briefly
- Marian Hossa and Duncan Keith didn't practice on Tuesday but both are expected to play against the Penguins.
- Corey Crawford gets the start against Pittsburgh.
- Hartman, scratched after a rough game against the Florida Panthers, is probably back in against the Penguins.
Blackhawks blow three-goal lead, fall in OT at Lightning. (Monday night's game, 03/27/2017).
By Associated Press
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
Yanni Gourde had a breakaway goal 4:25 into overtime and the Tampa Bay Lightning rallied from a three-goal deficit to beat the Chicago Blackhawks 5-4 on Monday night.
Tampa Bay, which trails Boston by a point for the second Eastern Conference wild card, got two goals from Jonathan Drouin. Ondrej Palat and Anton Stralman also scored, and Andrei Vasilevskiy, who got pulled 14 minutes into the first after allowing three goals on eight shots, returned to start the second and finished with 25 saves.
Artemi Panarin, Patrick Kane, Tomas Jurco and Richard Panik scored for the Western Conference-leading Blackhawks, who were coming off a 7-0 loss Saturday night at Florida. Scott Darling stopped 25 shots.
After the Blackhawks went up 4-1 midway through the second on Panik's goal, Tampa Bay tied it at 4 on Drouin's goals and one by Stralman in a 4:39 span.
Chicago took a 3-1 lead after the first period on goals by Panarin, Kane and Jurco. Palat, playing in his 300th NHL game, had the Tampa Bay goal.
Palat and Drouin's second goal came on power plays after Chicago was penalized for delay of game after shooting the puck over the glass.
The Blackhawks have the 24th ranked short-handed unit in the NHL.
Nikita Kucherov had two assists to set a Tampa Bay record for points in a single month with 22. The right wing has four assists and 11 points during a five-game point streak.
Bear Down Chicago Bears!!!!! No sign Bears locked into drafting a QB in 2017 as Ryan Pace underscores 'best available' tack.
By John Mullin
NFL owners meetings, like the Scouting Combine, invariably involve hallway conversations regarding quarterbacks. Why doesn’t Colin Kaepernick have a job? Why does Mark Sanchez have one? Will Jay Cutler take one? This year, despite a 3-13 record last season and a continuing slide toward irrelevance, the Bears are in intriguing part of those conversations, or maybe, whispers.
The reason, beyond the obvious fact that the Bears stand at No. 3 in a QB-lite draft, is because the Bears not only have done significant things at the position – cutting Cutler, signing Sanchez and Mike Glennon, not signing Brian Hoyer – but one NFL source said to keep an eye on the Bears as potentially being involved in at least one future blockbuster after this season.
More on that in a moment.
First of all, every indication is that GM Ryan Pace is absolutely NOT locked into or about to allow himself to be pressured into drafting a quarterback in 2017. Certainly not at No. 3, maybe not at all. Maybe this is pre-draft posturing, misinformation or misdirection, and Pace has said in the past that he wants to draft quarterbacks but hasn’t in his first two Bears drafts. But still:
“We’re going to draft the best players available, wherever that may be,” Pace said on Tuesday. “And if it’s a quarterback, it’s a quarterback. But we’re going to take the best players available. I think now some of those things are unforeseen. You can’t predict some of those things. But right now I like the way Sanchez blends with Glennon and with Connor Shaw.”
Whether the public likes Pace’s moves at quarterback, or whether they’re good, bad or anywhere in between is just offseason speculation for now. The NFL will start giving him meaningful feedback sometime this September. What Pace has in fact done, regardless of analyses at this point, like it or not, is create options for himself and his coaches. And those extend beyond 2017.
Some context here: Even with some measure of job security in the short term, Pace is tasked with winning in the future as well as the present. He has addressed the 2017 quarterback situation, if not spectacularly, with Glennon and Sanchez specifically. But think beyond ’17; because Pace is.
More context: GM’s and head coaches like and need options. Doubts about Glennon, Sanchez, Connor Shaw or some rookie notwithstanding, Pace has the Bears positioned with options, not necessarily good options, but arguably best-available for the most part.
A little more context: Dowell Loggains may not have quelled all doubts about his play calling, but Cutler, Hoyer and Matt Barkley all had their best NFL stretches, albeit short, under his stewardship.
Pace has effectively positioned the Bears for not one or two, but as many as a half-dozen spins of the quarterback wheel looking for a winner. It is a place the Bears were not in for most of Cutler’s tenure outside of brief Hoyer and Josh McCown bursts.
Within this context, consider the Pace’s chances for a strike at THE priority position for the franchise:
Spin 1: Mike Glennon
Pace announced the former Bucs quarterback as the Bears’ starter. Probably is. But Matt Flynn was the Seahawks’ starter when they free-agent signed him away from Green Bay in 2012. He lost his starting job by the end of training camp to a rookie third-round draft choice, Russell Wilson.
The Bears chose Glennon over Cutler and Hoyer because of upside; if Glennon plays to his perceived ceiling, the Bears have him under contract for two more years.
Spin 2: Mark Sanchez
When all the cynical subsides, consider him a low-risk spin who has been good enough to stand a career 37-35 as a starter. McCown amounted to something and still is after age 30, even with bad teams. Hoyer played some of his best football the past two seasons, after age 30. If Loggains resuscitates Sanchez’s career at age 30… .
Spin 3: The rookie
How, where and even if – make that a big IF – the Bears make their first Ryan Pace draft pick of a quarterback doesn’t come around for another month. But whomever the Bears select, if they select a quarterback this draft, gives Pace another spin of the QB wheel.
Spin 4: Kirk Cousins
CSNChicago.com confirmed that the Bears called on Cousins’ availability, even with the specter of Washington’s franchise tag hanging over him. But as one NFL source noted, Cousins is on a one-year deal ($23.94 million tag guarantee), it is his second and presumably last tag, and he has spurned long-term Washington offers to this point.
Glennon’s contract commits the Bears to $16 million this year. After that, minimal guarantee. Sanchez, one-year deal. Cousins, one-year deal.
Next offseason… .
Spin 5: Jimmy Garoppolo
The Eastern Illinois quarterback wasn’t deemed worth a No. 3 pick in 2014, in either round one or two. He hasn’t put enough on film to make him worth that pick now.
But if the Cleveland Browns don’t trade for him, or New England hasn’t turned to him and locked him up contractually, he would be an unrestricted free agent next offseason. It will take a long-term market deal but at least he wouldn’t cost a high No. 1.
Spin 6: Connor Shaw
He is already clearly getting a preseason look, as he did last year, and is ahead of evaluations that accompanied David Fales and some other Bears hopefuls. He’s found money if he develops into something, but Warren Moon, Tony Romo and Kurt Warner were all undrafted free agents, too.
Bears believe they got more than just a No. 2 QB in signing Mark Sanchez.
By John Mullin
(Photo/USA TODAY)
NFL owners meetings, like the Scouting Combine, invariably involve hallway conversations regarding quarterbacks. Why doesn’t Colin Kaepernick have a job? Why does Mark Sanchez have one? Will Jay Cutler take one? This year, despite a 3-13 record last season and a continuing slide toward irrelevance, the Bears are in intriguing part of those conversations, or maybe, whispers.
The reason, beyond the obvious fact that the Bears stand at No. 3 in a QB-lite draft, is because the Bears not only have done significant things at the position – cutting Cutler, signing Sanchez and Mike Glennon, not signing Brian Hoyer – but one NFL source said to keep an eye on the Bears as potentially being involved in at least one future blockbuster after this season.
More on that in a moment.
First of all, every indication is that GM Ryan Pace is absolutely NOT locked into or about to allow himself to be pressured into drafting a quarterback in 2017. Certainly not at No. 3, maybe not at all. Maybe this is pre-draft posturing, misinformation or misdirection, and Pace has said in the past that he wants to draft quarterbacks but hasn’t in his first two Bears drafts. But still:
“We’re going to draft the best players available, wherever that may be,” Pace said on Tuesday. “And if it’s a quarterback, it’s a quarterback. But we’re going to take the best players available. I think now some of those things are unforeseen. You can’t predict some of those things. But right now I like the way Sanchez blends with Glennon and with Connor Shaw.”
Whether the public likes Pace’s moves at quarterback, or whether they’re good, bad or anywhere in between is just offseason speculation for now. The NFL will start giving him meaningful feedback sometime this September. What Pace has in fact done, regardless of analyses at this point, like it or not, is create options for himself and his coaches. And those extend beyond 2017.
Some context here: Even with some measure of job security in the short term, Pace is tasked with winning in the future as well as the present. He has addressed the 2017 quarterback situation, if not spectacularly, with Glennon and Sanchez specifically. But think beyond ’17; because Pace is.
More context: GM’s and head coaches like and need options. Doubts about Glennon, Sanchez, Connor Shaw or some rookie notwithstanding, Pace has the Bears positioned with options, not necessarily good options, but arguably best-available for the most part.
A little more context: Dowell Loggains may not have quelled all doubts about his play calling, but Cutler, Hoyer and Matt Barkley all had their best NFL stretches, albeit short, under his stewardship.
Pace has effectively positioned the Bears for not one or two, but as many as a half-dozen spins of the quarterback wheel looking for a winner. It is a place the Bears were not in for most of Cutler’s tenure outside of brief Hoyer and Josh McCown bursts.
Within this context, consider the Pace’s chances for a strike at THE priority position for the franchise:
Spin 1: Mike Glennon
Pace announced the former Bucs quarterback as the Bears’ starter. Probably is. But Matt Flynn was the Seahawks’ starter when they free-agent signed him away from Green Bay in 2012. He lost his starting job by the end of training camp to a rookie third-round draft choice, Russell Wilson.
The Bears chose Glennon over Cutler and Hoyer because of upside; if Glennon plays to his perceived ceiling, the Bears have him under contract for two more years.
Spin 2: Mark Sanchez
When all the cynical subsides, consider him a low-risk spin who has been good enough to stand a career 37-35 as a starter. McCown amounted to something and still is after age 30, even with bad teams. Hoyer played some of his best football the past two seasons, after age 30. If Loggains resuscitates Sanchez’s career at age 30… .
Spin 3: The rookie
How, where and even if – make that a big IF – the Bears make their first Ryan Pace draft pick of a quarterback doesn’t come around for another month. But whomever the Bears select, if they select a quarterback this draft, gives Pace another spin of the QB wheel.
Spin 4: Kirk Cousins
CSNChicago.com confirmed that the Bears called on Cousins’ availability, even with the specter of Washington’s franchise tag hanging over him. But as one NFL source noted, Cousins is on a one-year deal ($23.94 million tag guarantee), it is his second and presumably last tag, and he has spurned long-term Washington offers to this point.
Glennon’s contract commits the Bears to $16 million this year. After that, minimal guarantee. Sanchez, one-year deal. Cousins, one-year deal.
Next offseason… .
Spin 5: Jimmy Garoppolo
The Eastern Illinois quarterback wasn’t deemed worth a No. 3 pick in 2014, in either round one or two. He hasn’t put enough on film to make him worth that pick now.
But if the Cleveland Browns don’t trade for him, or New England hasn’t turned to him and locked him up contractually, he would be an unrestricted free agent next offseason. It will take a long-term market deal but at least he wouldn’t cost a high No. 1.
Spin 6: Connor Shaw
He is already clearly getting a preseason look, as he did last year, and is ahead of evaluations that accompanied David Fales and some other Bears hopefuls. He’s found money if he develops into something, but Warren Moon, Tony Romo and Kurt Warner were all undrafted free agents, too.
Bears believe they got more than just a No. 2 QB in signing Mark Sanchez.
By John Mullin
(Photo/USA TODAY)
The signing of Mark Sanchez last week gave the Bears what they view as a bona fide No. 2 quarterback, something they have needed at least one of in each of the last seven seasons. Sanchez has started 72 NFL games vs. the 18 of Mike Glennon but GM Ryan Pace reiterated on Tuesday that Glennon is ensconced as the starter.
More than just finding a viable backup has been at stake in the Bears' quest for a backup, and in a clear statement of philosophy, Pace affirmed that intangibles played a significant part in deciding on Sanchez. Part of those specifically involved an assessment of how Sanchez would work off the field with Glennon.
"He's knowledgeable, he's smart and him and Mike have already kind of clicked," Pace said. "They're together and they're organizing workouts on their own and those kind of things are important.
"We've talked about it before: There's no more important room than the quarterback room and we put a lot of thought as to how that room blends together, especially with the number two position. Obviously we're evaluating the physical traits and what he can do physically but how they fit in as teammates, how they help each other, how they support each other. I think we've all seen really good rooms that are better as a whole because of the people that are in there. And maybe some rooms that don't click well together. I think we've created an environment not only with him but also with Connor Shaw where it's a room that can really click together and make each other better."
More than just finding a viable backup has been at stake in the Bears' quest for a backup, and in a clear statement of philosophy, Pace affirmed that intangibles played a significant part in deciding on Sanchez. Part of those specifically involved an assessment of how Sanchez would work off the field with Glennon.
"He's knowledgeable, he's smart and him and Mike have already kind of clicked," Pace said. "They're together and they're organizing workouts on their own and those kind of things are important.
"We've talked about it before: There's no more important room than the quarterback room and we put a lot of thought as to how that room blends together, especially with the number two position. Obviously we're evaluating the physical traits and what he can do physically but how they fit in as teammates, how they help each other, how they support each other. I think we've all seen really good rooms that are better as a whole because of the people that are in there. And maybe some rooms that don't click well together. I think we've created an environment not only with him but also with Connor Shaw where it's a room that can really click together and make each other better."
While Pace and coach John Fox have preached competition throughout the depth chart, that does not appear to apply at quarterback the same way. Indeed, a true quarterback competition can divide teams and become a distraction cloud over more than just that one position.
Glennon in fact may not need a lot of external competition. He is effectively playing to restart his NFL career, with $16 million guaranteed for the 2017 season but only $2.5 million guaranteed beyond that on a contract with a top-out of $45 million over three years.
"I think it's good for them to always be pushing each other so there's competition," Pace said. "Glennon's our starter… but that doesn't mean they're not pushing each other throughout practice and I think that goes with Connor Shaw, too. So those guys are all competitive guys, we wouldn't want them if they weren't competitive, and I just think it's a healthy competition."
Raiders' move to Las Vegas approved by NFL owners: When's Bears first trip to Sin City?
By CSN Staff
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
The Oakland Raiders won't be the Oakland Raiders for much longer.
NFL owners approved by a 31-1 vote Monday the Raiders' move to Las Vegas, meaning Sin City will soon have its own NFL team.
With the Raiders playing in the AFC, the move doesn't affect the Bears much. But there eventually will be a road trip to Nevada.
When's the first time the Bears could play in Vegas?
Now, that's contingent on a couple things.
First, the NFL needs to keep its current scheduling model, which pits certain divisions against one another every few seasons.
Second, will the Raiders even be playing in Vegas by 2019?
NFL owners approved by a 31-1 vote Monday the Raiders' move to Las Vegas, meaning Sin City will soon have its own NFL team.
With the Raiders playing in the AFC, the move doesn't affect the Bears much. But there eventually will be a road trip to Nevada.
When's the first time the Bears could play in Vegas?
Now, that's contingent on a couple things.
First, the NFL needs to keep its current scheduling model, which pits certain divisions against one another every few seasons.
Second, will the Raiders even be playing in Vegas by 2019?
A new stadium needs to be built, and NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said Monday that the Raiders will stay in Oakland for the 2017 and 2018 seasons, potentially getting to Vegas for the 2019 season --- when the Bears could play there in the team's inaugural campaign in the desert. But a new stadium might not be done by then, keeping the Raiders in Vegas another season. Or, maybe the Raiders could play where UNLV plays.
Whether it's two years down the road or more, there will one day be a Bears road trip to Vegas, one it's fairly certain Chicago fans will be interested in joining.
Just Another Chicago Bulls Session..... Jimmy Butler, Bulls prep for stretch run with realistic eye on the postseason.
By Mark Strotman
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
But with just eight games remaining in the regular season they're also aware of where they stand in a closely knit Eastern Conference.
Entering Tuesday night the Bulls sit one-half game behind the Miami Heat for the No. 8 seed in the conference, while just 3.5 games separate the fifth-seeded Hawks and tenth-seeded Hornets.
With the Bulls in the middle of so much movement that's bound to change a half dozen times between now and April 12, Fred Hoiberg and his team admit they're paying attention to what the rest of the league is doing.
"You almost have to this time of the year with all the outlets, being able to watch every game with (NBA) League Pass," Hoiberg said at Tuesday's practice. "You do keep an eye on what other teams are doing. But at the same time we talk every day about how it's up to us. We've got to go out and play with purpose, play with energy every time we step on the floor, and give ourselves a chance to win."
The Bulls have done just that lately.
An ugly skid in which they lost eight of 10 in March saw them fall out of the East playoff race, but crucial wins over the Pistons and Bucks - albeit with an ugly home loss to Philadelphia - have the Bulls back in solid playoff positioning.
Though they trail the Heat for that No. 8 spot, the Bulls hold the tiebreaker over Miami (2-1 season series advantage) and have a far easier remaining schedule down the stretch. In fact, the Bulls' remaining opponents have a combined win percentage of .390, the easiest remaining path in the East. It's different in Miami, where Erik Spoelstra's group has the third most difficult remaining stretch in the East.
Throw in injuries to Goran Dragic and Hassan Whiteside and it's looking likely that the Bulls will catch Dwyane Wade's old team by season's end. The Bulls' only two games against teams with winning records are the Cavaliers (8-10 since February began) and the Atlanta Hawks (losers of seven in a row).
After that the Bulls get bottom feeders in New Orleans, New York, Philadelphia, Orlando and Brooklyn twice. Then again, the Bulls have had issues against some of those teams, as they tout a 7-4 record against those squads (with losses to New York twice, Philadelphia and Orlando).
With Wade out of the lineup the rest of the year the backcourt tandem of Jimmy Butler and Rajon Rondo has picked up the slack. Rondo is looking more like the player who signed a two-year, $30 million deal this past offseason, averaging 12.4 points on 51 percent shooting and 7.4 assists in 31.1 minutes since being moved back to the starting lineup on March 13.
"I just try to look at what we're doing and control what we can control," Rajon Rondo said. "We're not playing other teams that we're racing against so we got 8 left and we want to take advantage of all eight.
"I would love to get back to the playoffs. That's the goal. That was the goal when I came here was to make the playoffs, nothing else. So we got a little bit more work to do.
Jimmy Butler claimed he hasn't been focused on what other teams around the Bulls are doing, but knows that making the playoffs has added value. Though the Bulls would likely be the No. 8 and seed and face either the Celtics or Cavaliers, with so many young players on the roster that experience can pay dividends down the line.
"You get to see how important every possession is, the way you've got to lock in, the challenge of playing the same team the possibility of seven times, it just shows the mental growth that you're gonna have to withstand and hold through a seven-game series," Butler said. "It's a lot harder than the regular season, I'll tell you that much."
CUBS: CSN announces Cubs 2017 season coverage details.
CSN Chicago
CSN Chicago
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
81 Game Regular Season Schedule begins April 4, 7:00 PM at St. Louis on CSN+ featuring Len Kasper and Jim Deshaies with the call all season long!
FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER -- Live streaming coverage of EVERY Cubs telecast – including all Pre/Postgame Shows – to be made available to authenticated subscribers on CSNChicago.com and via the NBC Sports app
CSNChicago.com to feature 24/7 reporting from Cubs “Insider” Patrick Mooney; website to also feature live video of Postgame Press Conferences, weekly Cubs podcasts featuring CSN Cubs on-air/digital talent, Daily Player/Coaches Interviews, plus In-Game Twitter updates from CSN talent and much more!
“Cubs Season Preview” special, featuring a complete analysis of this year’s roster and the roster of the future, to air TONIGHT at 10:30 PM CT
Chicago, IL (March 28, 2017) – CSN Chicago (CSN) -- the home for the most games and most comprehensive coverage of the defending World Series Champion Chicago Cubs - featuring National League MVP Kris Bryant (.292 avg, 39 HRs, 102 RBI, NL-best 121 runs scored), three-time All-Star/Gold Glove winner Anthony Rizzo (.292 avg, 32 HRs, 109 RBI), All-Star Addison Russell (21 HRs, 95 RBI), three-time All-Star/World Series MVP Ben Zobrist (18 HRs, 76 RBI), World Series standout Kyle Schwarber (.412 avg in postseason), National League "Cy Young" second/third place finishers Jon Lester (19-5, 2.44 ERA w/197 K’) & Kyle Hendricks (16-8, MLB-best 2.13 ERA w/170 K's), 2015 Cy Young winner Jake Arrieta (18-8, 3.10 ERA w/190 K's in '16), plus -- returning stars Javy Baez, Jason Heyward, Wilson Contreras, Miguel Montero, Albert Almora Jr., newcomers in outfielder John Jay, closer Wade Davis…and manager Joe Maddon (200 regular season wins in his first two seasons on the northside) among others - has announced its 2017 Cubs game telecast & surrounding coverage details, along with numerous digital coverage specifics on CSNChicago.com. CSN's season-long coverage of the 2017 Chicago Cubs is presented by State Farm.The 2017 Cubs season on CSN includes 81 live regular season games with the first telecast taking place on Tuesday, April 4 at 7:00 PM CT on CSN+, as the Cubs travel to face the arch-rival St. Louis Cardinals, which will feature the popular Cubs announcing tandem of Len Kasper and Jim Deshaies with the game call. (NOTE: Viewers are urged to visit CSNChicago.com's CHANNEL FINDER page for the exact CSN+ channel location in their area). Coverage gets underway on Cubs Pregame Live presented by Fields Auto Group beginning at 6:30 PM with host David Kaplan and new CSN Cubs studio analyst David DeJesus, along with CSN's Cubs beat reporter Kelly Crull and CSNChicago.com Cubs "Insider" Patrick Mooney providing live reports from St. Louis. The game will be immediately followed by an expanded edition of Cubs Postgame Live presented by BlueCross BlueShield of Illinois. NOTE: Crull will also be in St. Louis for the team's season opener on Sunday, April 2 and will provide post-game reports to air on In the Loop Prime at 10:00 & 10:30 PM.
CSN's first home Cubs telecast of the 2017 campaign will take place on Thursday, April 13, as the Cubs host their 2016 NLCS opponent - the Los Angeles Dodgers - live from Wrigley Field (pre-game coverage begins with Cubs Pregame Live presented by Fields Auto Group at 12:30 PM; first pitch is set for 1:20 PM).
In addition -- beginning THIS season -- EVERY Cubs telecast on CSN, including surrounding Cubs Pre/Postgame Live coverage, will be accessible live via CSNChicago.com and the NBC Sports app to authenticated CSN Chicago subscribers. The live stream of CSN's Cubs telecasts is also presented by State Farm. The live streaming service is currently available to customers of Comcast/Xfinity, DIRECTV, DISH Network, AT&T U-verse, Mediacom, RCN, WOW!, Time Warner Cable and Charter among numerous other carriers. For a full list of carriers and more information about CSN Chicago’s live streaming service of White Sox games, viewers are urged to visit the following link: http://www.csnchicago.com/live-faq .
Among the 2017 Cubs regular season schedule highlights on CSN -- featuring 45 weeknight primetime starts -- include 37 NL Central battles highlighted by games against the arch-rival St. Louis Cardinals (eight games), 2015 season NL Wildcard Game opponent Pittsburgh Pirates (eight games), I-90 rival Milwaukee Brewers (11 games), along with the Cincinnati Reds (ten games). In addition, viewers can look forward to the ONLY locally-televised game when the New York Yankees visit Wrigley Field for an interleague battle on May 5, plus – CSN will also carry the Cubs in another interleague clash when they visit the defending AL East champion Boston Red Sox on April 28. Other key match-ups of note include a pair of games against the LA Dodgers (Apr. 13 & May 28), and four games against the NL East champion Washington Nationals, among many others. ALSO -- CSN will carry all four Cubs-White Sox "Crosstown Cup" interleague games this year. (NOTE: the July 25 & 27 "Crosstown” games will be “Cubs” telecasts on CSN, while the July 24 & 26 games will be "White Sox" telecasts).
For the fifth-straight season, Cubs play-by-play man Len Kasper and former MLB pitcher/veteran game analyst Jim Deshaies join forces for every Cubs telecast on CSN. Plus, new this season - CSN's David Kaplan will be joined by former Cubs/MLB standout David DeJesus before and after the majority of CSN Cubs telecasts on Cubs Pregame Live presented by Fields Auto Group and Cubs Postgame Live presented by BlueCross BlueShield of Illinois.
SPECIAL PROGRAMMING NOTE: CSN will also air an In the Loop Prime: Cubs Season Preview special (presented by GMC) TONIGHT (Tuesday, March 28) at 10:30 PM CT. Hosted by David Kaplan and featuring special guests, the Cubs Season Preview special will provide a complete breakdown of all of the off-season transactions, a deep look at this year's roster, along with numerous players and coaches interviews, and a detailed discussion on the key factors needed for a World Series repeat. This special will also air on Friday, Mar. 31 at 4:00 PM and Sun, April 2 at 4:00 PM.
In addition to its live stream of every Cubs regular season telecast, CSNChicago.com also delivers comprehensive 24/7 Cubs coverage all season long, including the following highlights:
- Live stream of Cubs manager Joe Maddon’s post-game press conferences (sponsored by Xfinity) following every home game.
- Cubs “Insider” Patrick Mooney returns for his eighth season on the beat. Follow him on Twitter @CSNMooney for the latest team/player news and inside access 24/7. Mooney will also file daily stories/video reports and will make regular on-air appearances throughout the season on Cubs Pregame Live presented by Fields Auto Group, SportsTalk Live, In the Loop and in select CSN Cubs home games. All Patrick Mooney content on CSNChicago.com is sponsored by Jeff Vukovich & Nationwide.
- David Kaplan will once again offer on-going reports and insight throughout the 2017 Cubs/MLB season. Kaplan can also be followed on Twitter @thekapman, for up-to-the-second Cubs news. In addition, fans are urged to follow CSN Cubs beat reporter Kelly Crull (@Kelly_Crull) and new CSN Cubs studio analyst David DeJesus (@David_DeJesus3) for additional Cubs news, interviews, and insight all season long.
- CSNChicago.com digital baseball reporters Tony Andracki (@TonyAndracki23) and JJ Stankevitz (@JJStankevitz) will also be providing Cubs game day reports, analysis and features throughout the season.
- "Cubs Talk PODCAST" – Featuring Cubs Pre/Postgame Live host David Kaplan, CSN Cubs beat reporter Kelly Crull, CSNChicago.com Cubs "Insider" Patrick Mooney, Cubs digital reporter Tony Andracki, and an array of special guests, CSN’s "Cubs Talk" podcast features in-depth Cubs discussion on the hottest topics and breaking news all season long. Fans can download all of CSN’s podcasts at CSNChicago.com/podcasts and simply subscribe to them via iTunes, Google Play or Stitcher. The podcasts can be played on any mobile device, laptop, or desktop computer.
- CubsTalk (CSNChicago.com./cubs) - CSNChicago.com’s high-velocity, real-time, comprehensive Cubs news and opinion section featuring original commentary, reporting and aggregation. CubsTalk contains interactive content with continually updated insights from the network's talent, which includes the new #CubsTalk podcast.
- @CSNCubs on Twitter provides 24/7 full team coverage, giveaways, fan photos and game day news straight from Wrigley Field and across the country.
Push Alerts: CSN Chicago will deliver Cubs push notifications for breaking team and player news, "Insider" reports, plus game reminder alerts via CSN Chicago’s SportsTalk app for iOS and Android devices. - Cubs coverage on CSNChicago.com/cubs is presented by Wintrust
- CSN Chicago’s Cubs content will also be distributed via its digital network of partnerships including NBCSports.com, NBCNews.com, and Xfinity.com.
For the tenth-straight season, CSN will produce every Cubs regular season home and road game in a high-definition (HD) format. In addition, nine Cubs games are currently scheduled to be telecast on CSN Plus (see attached schedule). CSN Plus (CSN+) telecasts are provided to CSN affiliates and distributed to viewers when two live events are scheduled simultaneously. CSN+ is available in high-definition on Comcast/Xfinity ch. 201 in the Chicago area/South Bend, IN & on Comcast/Xfinity ch. 285 in the Peoria, Springfield, Rockford and Champaign markets, along with being made available in DIRECTV, DISH Network, AT&T U-verse, RCN, and WOW! homes among others; viewers are urged to visit CSNChicago.com’s CHANNEL FINDER for complete channel location details). Comcast Cable and RCN subscribers can also watch all CSN+ games in standard definition on CLTV.
Before a number of Cubs games on CSN (including all weekend telecasts), fans can tune to Cubs Pregame Live presented by Fields Auto Group featuring a half-hour of pre-game analysis, interviews and the very latest Cubs news (NOTE: for weeknight 7:00 PM game start times or earlier, pre-game coverage can be found on SportsTalk Live presented by The Chevy Silverado featuring host David Kaplan or on In the Loop presented by Comcast Business). Following the majority of all games, viewers can look forward to the most comprehensive post-game wrap-up show on Cubs Postgame Live presented by BlueCross BlueShield of Illinois featuring live coverage of Cubs manager Joe Maddon's post-game press conferences and live locker room interviews with Cubs players. Following primetime editions of Cubs Postgame Live, CSN will air In the Loop Prime presented by GMC at 10:00 PM and/or In the Loop Prime presented by State Farm at 10:30 PM for a complete recap of the day’s top local and national sports news, along with the most popular topics, videos, posts and more in the social media universe.
CSNChicago.com/NBC Sports app
2017 Chicago Cubs Schedule
Regular Season: (every game available in HD)
- Tue, Apr 4 7:00 pm @ St. Louis CSN+
- Fri, April 7 7:00 pm @ Milwaukee
- Sat, Apr 8 6:00 pm @ Milwaukee CSN+
- Thu, Apr 13 1:20 pm vs Los Angeles Dodgers
- Sat, Apr 15 1:20 pm vs Pittsburgh
- Mon, Apr 17 7:00 pm vs Milwaukee
- Wed, Apr 19 1:20 pm vs Milwaukee
- Sun, Apr 23 12:00 pm @ Cincinnati
- Wed, Apr 26 6:00 pm @ Pittsburgh
- Fri, Apr 28 6:00 pm @ Boston
- Mon, May 1 7:00 pm vs Philadelphia CSN+
- Tue, May 2 7:00 pm vs Philadelphia
- Wed, May 3 7:00 pm vs Philadelphia
- Fri, May 5 1:20 pm vs New York Yankees
- Mon, May 8 7:30 pm @ Colorado
- Wed, May 10 2:00 pm @ Colorado
- Fri, May 12 7:00 pm @ St. Louis
- Tue, May 16 7:00 pm vs Cincinnati
- Thu, May 18 1:20 pm vs Cincinnati
- Fri, May 19 1:20 pm vs Milwaukee
- Sat, May 20 1:20 pm vs Milwaukee
- Tue, May 23 6:00 pm vs San Francisco
- Wed, May 24 7:00 pm vs San Francisco
- Sun, May 28 3:00 pm @ Los Angeles Dodgers
- Tue, May 30 9:00 pm @ San Diego CSN+
- Fri, June 2 1:20 pm vs St. Louis
- Mon, June 5 7:00 pm vs Miami
- Tue, June 6 7:00 pm vs Miami
- Thu, June 8 7:00 pm vs Colorado CSN+
- Fri, June 9 1:20 pm vs Colorado
- Mon, June 12 6:00 pm @ New York Mets
- Wed, June 14 6:00 pm @ New York Mets
- Sun, June 18 12:30 pm @ Pittsburgh
- Mon, June 19 7:00 pm vs San Diego
- Tue, June 20 7:00 pm vs San Diego
- Thu, June 22 6:00 pm @ Miami
- Sun, June 25 12:00 pm @ Miami
- Mon, June 26 6:00 pm @ Washington
- Wed, June 28 6:00 pm @ Washington
- Thu, June 29 3:00 pm @ Washington
- Sat, July 1 3:00 pm @ Cincinnati
- Wed, July 5 1:20 pm vs Tampa Bay
- Fri, July 7 1:20 pm vs Pittsburgh
- Fri, July 14 6:00 pm @ Baltimore
- Tue, July 18 6:30 pm @ Atlanta
- Wed, July 19 11:00 am @ Atlanta
- Sat, July 22 3:00 pm vs St. Louis
- Tue, July 25 1:20 pm vs WHITE SOX
- Thu, July 27 7:00 pm @ WHITE SOX
- Fri, July 28 7:00 pm @ Milwaukee CSN+
- Sun, July 30 1:00 pm @ Milwaukee
- Tue, Aug 1 7:00 pm vs Arizona
- Thu, Aug 3 1:20 pm vs Arizona
- Sun, Aug 6 1:20 pm vs Washington
- Tue, Aug 8 9:00 pm @ San Francisco
- Wed, Aug 9 2:30 pm @ San Francisco
- Fri, Aug 11 8:30 pm @ Arizona
- Tue, Aug 15 7:00 pm vs Cincinnati
- Thu, Aug 17 1:20 pm vs Cincinnati
- Fri, Aug 18 1:20 pm vs Toronto
- Wed, Aug 23 6:00 pm @ Cincinnati
- Thu, Aug 24 6:00 pm @ Cincinnati
- Sun, Aug 27 12:30 pm @ Philadelphia
- Tue, Aug 29 7:00 pm vs Pittsburgh CSN+
- Wed, Aug 30 7:00 pm vs Pittsburgh
- Thu, Aug 31 7:00 pm vs Atlanta
- Sat, Sept 2 1:20 pm vs Atlanta
- Sun, Sept 3 1:20 pm vs Atlanta
- Tue, Sept 5 6:00 pm @ Pittsburgh
- Thu, Sept 7 6:00 pm @ Pittsburgh
- Sat, Sept 9 3:00 pm vs Milwaukee
- Tue, Sept 12 7:00 pm vs New York Mets
- Sun, Sept 17 1:20 pm vs St. Louis
- Tue, Sept 19 6:00 pm @ Tampa Bay
- Thu, Sept 21 7:00 pm @ Milwaukee CSN+
- Sat, Sept 23 6:00 pm @ Milwaukee
- Mon, Sept 25 7:00 pm @ St. Louis
- Tue, Sept 26 7:00 pm @ St. Louis CSN+
- Wed, Sept 27 7:00 pm @ St. Louis
- Fri, Sept 29 1:20 pm vs Cincinnati
- Sat, Sept 30 3:00 pm vs Cincinnati
81 Regular Season Games – 41 home, 40 away
Schedule Subject to Change
All Times Central Time
Is Addison Russell still on track for Opening Night?
By Patrick Mooney
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
Addison Russell believes he will be ready for Opening Night. Right now, Cubs manager Joe Maddon says his All-Star shortstop starting the season on the disabled list is an option that "I'm not considering."
But Russell hasn't played in a Cactus League game since March 22 and the Cubs have only three exhibitions left before facing the St. Louis Cardinals on national TV. The new 10-day disabled list would also allow the Cubs to backdate Russell's injury (stiff back) to March 30 and create a degree of roster flexibility.
"We're trying to start the season out on a good note and definitely in St. Louis," Russell said Tuesday. "That's kind of the goal, but if the back doesn't feel well until then, maybe that's something that we'll have to do. With the way that I'm feeling, I don't think that's necessary."
The Cubs did get Ben Zobrist (stiff neck) back into the lineup that afternoon against the San Francisco Giants at Sloan Park. Russell estimated he's around "95 percent" and hoped to play Wednesday before the Cubs leave Arizona and fly out for two exhibition games against the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park.
"We're not trying to take it too quick," Russell said. "Missing a few games here in the spring is a lot better than a few games in the season. I've talked to Joe and there's no hurry back."
Five days out from what should be an electric atmosphere at Busch Stadium, Maddon said athletic trainer PJ Mainville didn't sound concerned about Russell's back issue.
"PJ felt very strongly that he's going to be fine over the next couple days," Maddon said. "From Addison's perspective, knowing baseball players who've been doing so well, you take a couple days off, you're concerned that you're going to lose it.
"I'm certain he's going to be fine. Actually, I'm OK with him getting some rest right now. The biggest thing is: Medically, is he going to be fine? Everybody thinks that he is, so I'm not concerned."
How Cubs came to fully believe in the legend of Kyle Schwarber.
By Patrick Mooney
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
An internal scouting report compared Kyle Schwarber to Babe Ruth before the 2014 draft. Schwarber debuted in The Show almost within a calendar year. The Cubs watched in awe as the rookie with the vicious left-handed swing became the franchise’s all-time leader in playoff home runs.
Before his 24th birthday, Schwarber had also: pulled off a medical miracle to rake in the World Series; spoken in front of what might have been one of the largest gatherings in human history; and got name-checked during President Barack Obama’s final official White House event.
“I feel like I do have something to prove,” Schwarber said.
Because the only Cub starring in a Gatorade ad campaign set to launch around Opening Day – a face of the New Era hat company with a weekly radio gig on WMVP-AM 1000 this season and an I-honestly-don’t-know, ask-my-agent attitude when asked how many endorsements have piled up – still hasn’t come close to playing a full season in the big leagues yet.
But where jealousy and off-the-field distractions helped tear apart the ’85 Bears, the Cubs have an absolute organizational man crush on “Schwarbs,” fully believing the legend will continue.
Tim Cossins’s wife, Lori, burst into tears after seeing Schwarber’s full-speed collision with Dexter Fowler on TV last year.
Cossins, the organization’s minor-league field coordinator and catching guru, is usually in zombie mode by early April after the grind of spring training. But as a young prospect, Schwarber had made such a huge impression when he visited their home in Windsor, California, coaching up their teenage son, Aiden, on how to talk to girls in between taking batting practice and getting another crash course in catching.
“My wife was bawling,” Cossins said. “I was just devastated. I was just shattered, like everybody was. In development, you get attached to these guys. To see one of them crawling around on a warning track is a horrifying feeling.”
Schwarber exited Chase Field in an ambulance cart after crashing into Fowler, trying to chase down the ball Arizona Diamondbacks leadoff guy Jean Segura had blasted into the left-center gap. The next day, shaken team president Theo Epstein told beat writers on a conference call that Schwarber being ready when pitchers and catchers report in 2017 would be reasonable speculation.
By April 19, Dr. Daniel Cooper – the head team physician for the Dallas Cowboys – had reconstructed Schwarber’s ACL and repaired his LCL in what was supposed to be season-ending surgery on his left knee.
In an eerie coincidence, Cossins watched the final out of the World Series in the same spot where he saw Schwarber facedown in the dirt, writhing in pain. Like any superstitious Cub fan, Game 7 put Cossins on edge to the point where he started watching offensive innings downstairs in his house and moving upstairs to the master bedroom for defensive innings.
“It almost felt scripted,” Cossins said. “He just has that innate ability to rise up and do those kind of things. I think that’s just in him. He’s one of those players where he’s large when it counts.”
Of course, a young player wants to rehab in Chicago instead of dealing with the 100-degree heat and the isolated feeling in the desert. Who wants to give up the life? Would you rather hang out on the Gold Coast or in Arizona strip malls?
The Cubs made an exception for Schwarber, who showed up to Wrigley Field early and often, staying out of the way of players who needed to get ready for first pitch that night, feeding off the energy from the best team in baseball.
“I knew that we could do something special and it was going to be hard for me,” Schwarber said. “Just dealing with those first six weeks, it was miserable. You can’t walk. You have to crutch everywhere. You have to have someone help you go to the bathroom.
“You’re pretty much confined to a chair, unless you’re going to rehab or you’re getting up to go to the bathroom. They want you to keep your leg elevated, so that the swelling kind of works its way down.
“(It’s) just trying to fight that mental battle…it was a weird spot for me.”
To keep Schwarber engaged – beyond the video he would break down and scouting reports he would help put together – the Cubs invited the gym rat into their draft room. When Cubs officials broke for lunch during one pre-draft meeting, Jason McLeod, the senior vice president who oversees scouting and player development, decided to prank Schwarber.
McLeod set it up with Tim Adkins, a regional cross-checker, telling the room, “We’re going to go back to the college catching,” knowing that would pique Schwarber’s interest. “But let’s just hurry up and get through the crap, the bottom half, the non-prospect-type-guys.”
Adkins had the video clip cued up in the dining room of Wrigley Field’s state-of-the-art underground clubhouse, saying the defense is a question mark and the guy always got his numbers against weaker competition, beating up on schools like Morehead State, but doing nothing on weekends against Michigan and Michigan State.
“And then we had him roll the film,” McLeod recalled. “And it was Schwarber from Indiana.
You could tell he was locked in and all of a sudden he’s like: ‘Ah, man, f--- that!’”
After sitting out Day 1 of the draft last June – and having to wait until No. 104 to make their first pick – McLeod and Epstein looked at each other and decided that someone had to fire up the group.
“Schwarber just walks in the room and yells: ‘Let’s f------ go! Get some f------ players!’” McLeod recalled. “And then he walks out and goes: ‘Let’s do this s---!’ and then he walks out the door.
“How comfortable and confident is he to come in and just do that?”
The shocking news leaked out before the Cubs played an almost perfect Game 6 in the NLCS, beating Clayton Kershaw and the Los Angeles Dodgers to win the franchise’s first pennant since the year World War II ended.
Cooper, a medical expert within NFL circles, had given Schwarber the green light to ramp up his baseball activities, opening the possibility to be the designated hitter in an American League stadium. Schwarber flew from Dallas to Los Angeles and secretly hit in the cage at Dodger Stadium before traveling to Arizona, where the Cubs set up a pitching machine on Field 1 at the Sloan Park complex.
Strength coaches fed at least 1,000 balls to Schwarber, who did his pre-pitch routine and natural stride toward the mound without actually swinging the bat, trying to sharpen his vision for Corey Kluber, Andrew Miller and the Cleveland Indians. Schwarber played in two Arizona Fall League games with the Mesa Solar Sox before taking a private jet to Cleveland.
Did part of you wonder about being the weak link for a 103-win team, that maybe this wouldn’t be a Hollywood ending?
“Those were definitely thoughts that crossed through my mind,” Schwarber said. “But when it came to the day of Game 1, I had all the confidence in the world in myself. I wanted to be the most confident person out there. And I felt like I was.”
Manager Joe Maddon estimated that “1 to 5 percent of major-league players – MAYBE – could do what he did.”
“It’s freak-of-nature stuff,” McLeod said. “You can’t be away for six months and step into the World Series against Cy Young-caliber pitching and do what he did. As much as we talk about it, it might even be years from now until we can fully even appreciate it.
“You can set the machine at like 95 or 88 with sliders. He’s there just tracking, tracking, tracking with his eyes locked in on that. And even still, that is different than standing there with 50 million people watching you and Corey Kluber on the mound throwing a 92-mph cutter on the outside corner.”
Schwarber saw six pitches and struck out swinging in his first at-bat against Kluber. The next time up, Schwarber slammed Kluber’s first-pitch fastball off the right-center field wall for a two-out double in the fourth inning. The Cubs lost Game 1, but won the next three at Progressive Field with Schwarber in the lineup and hitting .412 during the World Series.
“It’s unbelievable,” said Kris Bryant, the reigning NL MVP. “You can look at as many balls off the machine (as you want). It will be close in terms of speed, but you can’t really replicate how much movement (Kluber) has on his ball.
“He just saw pitches that had the right velocity, but nowhere near the movement or release point or timing or any of that. Especially coming off a knee injury, too, I’m sure he was kind of hesitant to do certain things. And then swinging – with all the torque he creates – it’s just all that stuff in your mind.
“For him to go out there and just perform like he did – I don’t know how he did it.”
Listed at 6 feet, 235 pounds – with a crew cut and a goatee that makes him look like a guy you would watch a Bears game with in Wrigleyville – Schwarber has outstanding hand-eye coordination and the type of athleticism that once made him a second-team all-Ohio linebacker in high school.
David Ross – the grandpa figure now on “Dancing with the Stars” – sort of joked that Schwarber seemed more comfortable in the batter’s box with six months off than he ever did during a 15-year big-league career.
“He’s born to hit,” Ross said. “He can roll out of bed and hit 95.”
After Jason Heyward’s fiery speech in the weight room and the 17-minute rain delay in Game 7, Schwarber hammered Bryan Shaw’s 93-mph fastball past the defensive shift and into right field, sparking the 10th-inning rally with a leadoff single.
How do you top the biggest moment of your life? Schwarber doesn’t spend much time on those existential questions, looking out from the stage at the never-ending sea of people celebrating during the Grant Park rally, raising his arms and saying: “Let’s do it again next year!”
Cossins, the organization’s minor-league field coordinator and catching guru, is usually in zombie mode by early April after the grind of spring training. But as a young prospect, Schwarber had made such a huge impression when he visited their home in Windsor, California, coaching up their teenage son, Aiden, on how to talk to girls in between taking batting practice and getting another crash course in catching.
“My wife was bawling,” Cossins said. “I was just devastated. I was just shattered, like everybody was. In development, you get attached to these guys. To see one of them crawling around on a warning track is a horrifying feeling.”
Schwarber exited Chase Field in an ambulance cart after crashing into Fowler, trying to chase down the ball Arizona Diamondbacks leadoff guy Jean Segura had blasted into the left-center gap. The next day, shaken team president Theo Epstein told beat writers on a conference call that Schwarber being ready when pitchers and catchers report in 2017 would be reasonable speculation.
By April 19, Dr. Daniel Cooper – the head team physician for the Dallas Cowboys – had reconstructed Schwarber’s ACL and repaired his LCL in what was supposed to be season-ending surgery on his left knee.
In an eerie coincidence, Cossins watched the final out of the World Series in the same spot where he saw Schwarber facedown in the dirt, writhing in pain. Like any superstitious Cub fan, Game 7 put Cossins on edge to the point where he started watching offensive innings downstairs in his house and moving upstairs to the master bedroom for defensive innings.
“It almost felt scripted,” Cossins said. “He just has that innate ability to rise up and do those kind of things. I think that’s just in him. He’s one of those players where he’s large when it counts.”
Of course, a young player wants to rehab in Chicago instead of dealing with the 100-degree heat and the isolated feeling in the desert. Who wants to give up the life? Would you rather hang out on the Gold Coast or in Arizona strip malls?
The Cubs made an exception for Schwarber, who showed up to Wrigley Field early and often, staying out of the way of players who needed to get ready for first pitch that night, feeding off the energy from the best team in baseball.
“I knew that we could do something special and it was going to be hard for me,” Schwarber said. “Just dealing with those first six weeks, it was miserable. You can’t walk. You have to crutch everywhere. You have to have someone help you go to the bathroom.
“You’re pretty much confined to a chair, unless you’re going to rehab or you’re getting up to go to the bathroom. They want you to keep your leg elevated, so that the swelling kind of works its way down.
“(It’s) just trying to fight that mental battle…it was a weird spot for me.”
To keep Schwarber engaged – beyond the video he would break down and scouting reports he would help put together – the Cubs invited the gym rat into their draft room. When Cubs officials broke for lunch during one pre-draft meeting, Jason McLeod, the senior vice president who oversees scouting and player development, decided to prank Schwarber.
McLeod set it up with Tim Adkins, a regional cross-checker, telling the room, “We’re going to go back to the college catching,” knowing that would pique Schwarber’s interest. “But let’s just hurry up and get through the crap, the bottom half, the non-prospect-type-guys.”
Adkins had the video clip cued up in the dining room of Wrigley Field’s state-of-the-art underground clubhouse, saying the defense is a question mark and the guy always got his numbers against weaker competition, beating up on schools like Morehead State, but doing nothing on weekends against Michigan and Michigan State.
“And then we had him roll the film,” McLeod recalled. “And it was Schwarber from Indiana.
You could tell he was locked in and all of a sudden he’s like: ‘Ah, man, f--- that!’”
After sitting out Day 1 of the draft last June – and having to wait until No. 104 to make their first pick – McLeod and Epstein looked at each other and decided that someone had to fire up the group.
“Schwarber just walks in the room and yells: ‘Let’s f------ go! Get some f------ players!’” McLeod recalled. “And then he walks out and goes: ‘Let’s do this s---!’ and then he walks out the door.
“How comfortable and confident is he to come in and just do that?”
The shocking news leaked out before the Cubs played an almost perfect Game 6 in the NLCS, beating Clayton Kershaw and the Los Angeles Dodgers to win the franchise’s first pennant since the year World War II ended.
Cooper, a medical expert within NFL circles, had given Schwarber the green light to ramp up his baseball activities, opening the possibility to be the designated hitter in an American League stadium. Schwarber flew from Dallas to Los Angeles and secretly hit in the cage at Dodger Stadium before traveling to Arizona, where the Cubs set up a pitching machine on Field 1 at the Sloan Park complex.
Strength coaches fed at least 1,000 balls to Schwarber, who did his pre-pitch routine and natural stride toward the mound without actually swinging the bat, trying to sharpen his vision for Corey Kluber, Andrew Miller and the Cleveland Indians. Schwarber played in two Arizona Fall League games with the Mesa Solar Sox before taking a private jet to Cleveland.
Did part of you wonder about being the weak link for a 103-win team, that maybe this wouldn’t be a Hollywood ending?
“Those were definitely thoughts that crossed through my mind,” Schwarber said. “But when it came to the day of Game 1, I had all the confidence in the world in myself. I wanted to be the most confident person out there. And I felt like I was.”
Manager Joe Maddon estimated that “1 to 5 percent of major-league players – MAYBE – could do what he did.”
“It’s freak-of-nature stuff,” McLeod said. “You can’t be away for six months and step into the World Series against Cy Young-caliber pitching and do what he did. As much as we talk about it, it might even be years from now until we can fully even appreciate it.
“You can set the machine at like 95 or 88 with sliders. He’s there just tracking, tracking, tracking with his eyes locked in on that. And even still, that is different than standing there with 50 million people watching you and Corey Kluber on the mound throwing a 92-mph cutter on the outside corner.”
Schwarber saw six pitches and struck out swinging in his first at-bat against Kluber. The next time up, Schwarber slammed Kluber’s first-pitch fastball off the right-center field wall for a two-out double in the fourth inning. The Cubs lost Game 1, but won the next three at Progressive Field with Schwarber in the lineup and hitting .412 during the World Series.
“It’s unbelievable,” said Kris Bryant, the reigning NL MVP. “You can look at as many balls off the machine (as you want). It will be close in terms of speed, but you can’t really replicate how much movement (Kluber) has on his ball.
“He just saw pitches that had the right velocity, but nowhere near the movement or release point or timing or any of that. Especially coming off a knee injury, too, I’m sure he was kind of hesitant to do certain things. And then swinging – with all the torque he creates – it’s just all that stuff in your mind.
“For him to go out there and just perform like he did – I don’t know how he did it.”
Listed at 6 feet, 235 pounds – with a crew cut and a goatee that makes him look like a guy you would watch a Bears game with in Wrigleyville – Schwarber has outstanding hand-eye coordination and the type of athleticism that once made him a second-team all-Ohio linebacker in high school.
David Ross – the grandpa figure now on “Dancing with the Stars” – sort of joked that Schwarber seemed more comfortable in the batter’s box with six months off than he ever did during a 15-year big-league career.
“He’s born to hit,” Ross said. “He can roll out of bed and hit 95.”
After Jason Heyward’s fiery speech in the weight room and the 17-minute rain delay in Game 7, Schwarber hammered Bryan Shaw’s 93-mph fastball past the defensive shift and into right field, sparking the 10th-inning rally with a leadoff single.
How do you top the biggest moment of your life? Schwarber doesn’t spend much time on those existential questions, looking out from the stage at the never-ending sea of people celebrating during the Grant Park rally, raising his arms and saying: “Let’s do it again next year!”
WHITE SOX: With season a week away, Todd Frazier is 'right where I need to be'.
By Dan Hayes
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
After he pulled the ball more than ever in 2016, Todd Frazier has worked to hit it the opposite way more often this spring. Even if he struggled.
But as the Opening Day nears, Frazier doesn’t want to cheat himself. Though he struggled last season, Frazier hit a career-high 40 homers. That kind of success means Frazier will continue to pull a pitch if it’s where he likes it. That approach led to a double and Frazier’s first home run of the spring in a 5-2 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers at Camelback Ranch. Both balls were hit to left field.
“I’ve been working on a lot of things and sometimes when you work on something the results aren’t going to be there,” Frazier said. “But I still stay true to myself. And once we start getting going here, pretty close, close as can be -- it’s time to have those things in the back of your mind. But at the same time, you have to hit it where the pitch is and put in play. I was working on a lot of things. I was still trying to go right field, couldn’t get it out there. And now you go to what you know best and just react.”
According to fangraphs.com, Frazier hit 22.8 percent of all balls he put in play to right field last year, which is actually above his career mark of 22.5 percent. But en route to slashing .225/.302/.464, Frazier saw a second consecutive dramatic drop in the number of balls he hit to center. Of the balls Frazier put in play, only 28.5 percent went up the middle, down from 37.7 percent in 2014 when he produced a career-best wRC+ of 122.
To correct that trend, Frazier has worked to give himself a better chance to hit outside pitches the opposite way. Now that his focus is back on hitting to all fields, Frazier thought it was a good sign to homer with a week left before the season starts.
“It feels good,” Frazier said. “It’s showing I’m in the right place. It was a changeup and I’ve been out in front on a lot of those. I’ve got about 10 or 12 more at-bats before the season starts and it’s go time. Get back in the rhythm of things. Whatever you worked on, keep that there. If it’s outside now I have that weapon too as well. I’m right where I need to be.”
Increased velocity has improved Anthony Swarzak's chances of making White Sox bullpen.
By Dan Hayes
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
Anthony Swarzak has thrown harder than ever this spring. He attributes it to an altered mindset rather than mechanics or delivery.
Vying for a relief role with three days left in camp, the veteran is right where he wants to be — with a shot to make the White Sox Opening Day roster. A non-roster invitee to camp, Swarzak is one of five healthy pitchers in a competition for the final two spots in the bullpen. With a fastball that has averaged nearly 96 mph this spring, Swarzak has a 3.86 ERA and 12 strikeouts in 9 1/3 innings.
"All you want is an opportunity in camp," Swarzak said. "I knew I was going to get an opportunity in camp here. I've kind of been around a little bit. I've got some innings under my belt. When you're going into camp as a guy with experience, you're generally going to get a fair look. And that's all I wanted, a fair chance to show the team what I can do and hopefully someone makes a decision.
"I'm throwing the ball pretty well, definitely how I wanted to coming in."
A starter early in his career, Swarzak's average fastball velocity ranged from 91-92 mph from 2011-15. After going up a tick to 93 last season, Swarzak has thrown even harder this spring. According to Brooksbaseball.net, Swarzak's fastball touched 97 mph and averaged 95.75 mph in his one contest in front of a PitchTrax system this spring on March 21.
But Swarzak, 31, said the only adjustment he has made is a mental one.
"Early on in my career you get so conscious of injuries from other people, veterans talking to a young guy, 'Just be careful man, you only have so many bullets,'" Swarzak said. "Subconsciously you kind of save some for whenever you might need it down the line. And I think these last few years I'm getting to that age where nothing is guaranteed for me so I'm kind of letting it all out there and I think I found another gear somewhere. I don't think it's anything delivery-wise or body-wise, I think I'm just trying harder to throw hard for the first time in a long time and it's working."
Swarzak's former life as a starting pitcher could serve him well. With Carlos Rodon likely to start the season on the disabled list, the White Sox could turn to a combination of Dylan Covey and Swarzak in a bullpen-esque type of start on either April 8 or 9.
Swarzak threw 30-plus pitches and struck out five in 2 1/3 innings at Mesa, Ariz. on Friday before he headed to the bullpen to throw a few more. Of Swarzak's 217 big league appearances, 32 were as a starter.
"He has been able to do that," manager Rick Renteria said. "He's started in the past. So, he does certainly fit that potential role. I know (Don Cooper) has been talking about trying to stretch him out a little bit, get two or three innings out of him. He can fill in for us in terms of multiple innings."
Swarzak threw a side session on Monday morning. He's next to scheduled to throw in Wednesday's Cactus League finale. But he has already accomplished all he wants to this spring short of making the team.
"I did everything I needed to do," Swarzak said. "I'm happy with how it has gone and we'll see how it goes the next few days."
Carlos Rodon headed to the disabled list, will start throwing program.
By Dan Hayes
Vying for a relief role with three days left in camp, the veteran is right where he wants to be — with a shot to make the White Sox Opening Day roster. A non-roster invitee to camp, Swarzak is one of five healthy pitchers in a competition for the final two spots in the bullpen. With a fastball that has averaged nearly 96 mph this spring, Swarzak has a 3.86 ERA and 12 strikeouts in 9 1/3 innings.
"All you want is an opportunity in camp," Swarzak said. "I knew I was going to get an opportunity in camp here. I've kind of been around a little bit. I've got some innings under my belt. When you're going into camp as a guy with experience, you're generally going to get a fair look. And that's all I wanted, a fair chance to show the team what I can do and hopefully someone makes a decision.
"I'm throwing the ball pretty well, definitely how I wanted to coming in."
A starter early in his career, Swarzak's average fastball velocity ranged from 91-92 mph from 2011-15. After going up a tick to 93 last season, Swarzak has thrown even harder this spring. According to Brooksbaseball.net, Swarzak's fastball touched 97 mph and averaged 95.75 mph in his one contest in front of a PitchTrax system this spring on March 21.
But Swarzak, 31, said the only adjustment he has made is a mental one.
"Early on in my career you get so conscious of injuries from other people, veterans talking to a young guy, 'Just be careful man, you only have so many bullets,'" Swarzak said. "Subconsciously you kind of save some for whenever you might need it down the line. And I think these last few years I'm getting to that age where nothing is guaranteed for me so I'm kind of letting it all out there and I think I found another gear somewhere. I don't think it's anything delivery-wise or body-wise, I think I'm just trying harder to throw hard for the first time in a long time and it's working."
Swarzak's former life as a starting pitcher could serve him well. With Carlos Rodon likely to start the season on the disabled list, the White Sox could turn to a combination of Dylan Covey and Swarzak in a bullpen-esque type of start on either April 8 or 9.
Swarzak threw 30-plus pitches and struck out five in 2 1/3 innings at Mesa, Ariz. on Friday before he headed to the bullpen to throw a few more. Of Swarzak's 217 big league appearances, 32 were as a starter.
"He has been able to do that," manager Rick Renteria said. "He's started in the past. So, he does certainly fit that potential role. I know (Don Cooper) has been talking about trying to stretch him out a little bit, get two or three innings out of him. He can fill in for us in terms of multiple innings."
Swarzak threw a side session on Monday morning. He's next to scheduled to throw in Wednesday's Cactus League finale. But he has already accomplished all he wants to this spring short of making the team.
"I did everything I needed to do," Swarzak said. "I'm happy with how it has gone and we'll see how it goes the next few days."
Carlos Rodon headed to the disabled list, will start throwing program.
By Dan Hayes
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
Carlos Rodon will begin a two-week throwing program after a second opinion revealed no structural damage.
The White Sox pitcher is back in camp on Tuesday morning after he traveled to Los Angeles for a follow up appointment on Monday. That visit yet again cleared Rodon of any major injury, though he has been diagnosed as having bursitis (inflammation) in his left bicep tendon. Rodon is expected to start the season on the 10-day disabled list.
"I had a good day (Monday), figured some stuff out and are going with the plan we've got now," Rodon said. "(The program is) based on how I feel, how I push it. I'll try to take it slow, and if everything feels good, I want to be back with these guys as soon as I can."
Rodon was scratched from Friday's start and has undergone a slew of tests since.
General manager Rick Hahn said last week that odds were Rodon would start the season on the disabled list. Manager Rick Renteria hinted the same on Monday when he said the White Sox would be cautious with the No. 3 overall pick of the 2014 draft even if the second opinion revealed no significant damage.
Rodon wasn't certain but thinks he may stay behind in Arizona for extended spring training.
"It's almost like you have to re-start the process a little bit," Renteria said. "It would be foolish to try to anticipate or push him into any direction without first of all ultimately having whatever the diagnosis is or the validation or whatever it might be of the second opinion. Once we get that, we'll know hopefully tomorrow how we can ultimately proceed. I wouldn't think we’d try to ramp him up quickly."
Golf: I got a club for that..... Does Golf Suffer From A Similar Personality Problem As Baseball?
By Anthony Irwin
(Photo/Rob Schumacher/USA TODAY)
Anyone who has thoughts on golf popularity will say it starts with Tiger Woods’ absence. A single man apparently has the power to drive people to pick up or stick with the game. The crazy part here is not only that it’s mostly true, but how widely accepted this is.
The thing is: That’s not quite the whole story.
Tiger’s greatness at his peak will be impossible to replicate, but the driving force for his popularity — beyond those towering drives — was his willingness to show any personality on the course whatsoever.
So when people look back longingly on that era and compare it to what they see nowadays, the contrast could not possibly be any more stark. This is what golf misses. The guys playing are really, really boring.
Baseball is feeling the growing pains of another culture injecting some personality into the sport. Hi, Ian Kinsler.
All the time, you hear (mostly white) baseball players menacingly talk about those gosh-darn bat flips and how kids are watching. The sentiment is usually brought up before or after a baseball is hurled at whoever dared show just a little too much emotion while playing a game for millions of dollars.
While golfers can’t exactly target whoever they’re playing with an “errant” drive, watching a tournament now, you can’t help but notice the complete lack of any of the fire Woods, Chi-Chi Rodriguez or Lee Trevino used to showcase. Fans can get behind that.
Now, as all three of those guys I just mentioned have roughly the same chance at winning a major, the game has returned to the oft-mocked “golf clap” and oppressed emotion those white baseball players long for.
The really odd thing is when played amongst friends, golf has almost always accompanied by a few beers or a couple cocktails, which tends to lead to smack talk, laughter or (obnoxious gasp) the occasional outburst when a good shot is made. By the way, playing with a range finder is vastly underrated. Definitely try that sometime.
We let loose when we play, so why is the fun wiped from the sport when it’s played for millions?
By no means am I saying golfers should be drinking on the course mid-tournament (or am I?), but the game needs something.
Look, I get it. Golf and baseball are seen as “gentlemen’s games.” Still, I can’t help but notice the “look at that minority acting like they’ve never been here before” sentiment present in the way baseball players watch Yasiel Puig or back when Tiger was trying to inject any fun into the sport he dominated when he first burst onto the scene. To be fair, golf has intriguing personalities like Bubba Watson, Rickie Fowler and Dustin Johnson. Would the casual fan ever know about them? How hard would they have to find out?
As golf’s popularity continues to decline and baseball’s most ardent fan base dies off, both sports should look at what might be missing in their sport compared to others that have seen popularity surges in recent years.
Neither golf or baseball’s sponsorship money is going anywhere, but their fans are. It’s time to listen to that action.
You Oughta Know: Key stats heading into SHO.
By Golf Channel Digital
(Photo/Golf Channel Digital)
There's only one week left until the Masters, and plenty of big names are warming up at the Shell Houston Open. Here's what You Oughta Know heading into this week's event.
• Defending champion: Jim Herman (first career PGA Tour victory)
• Jordan Spieth finished T-2 and T-13 in this event last two years
• Henrik Stenson finished third or better three times in five career starts in Houston
• Adam Scott has the best career scoring average at GC of Houston
• Jon Rahm has a win and four top-5s in last five worldwide starts
• Phil Mickelson is 46 under in this event in the last five years (best of any player in that span)
• Winner this week receives invitation to Masters
• Only way remaining to get into the first major except for special invitation
Notable Players in Field Not Currently Invited to Masters
Keegan Bradley
Charles Howell III
Bryson DeChambeau
Andrew "Beef" Johnston
Luke Donald
Smylie Kaufman
Tony Finau
Davis Love III
Billy Horschel
Geoff Ogilvy
Spieth grouped with Reed, Rose in Houston.
By Will Gray
• Defending champion: Jim Herman (first career PGA Tour victory)
• Jordan Spieth finished T-2 and T-13 in this event last two years
• Henrik Stenson finished third or better three times in five career starts in Houston
• Adam Scott has the best career scoring average at GC of Houston
• Jon Rahm has a win and four top-5s in last five worldwide starts
• Phil Mickelson is 46 under in this event in the last five years (best of any player in that span)
• Winner this week receives invitation to Masters
• Only way remaining to get into the first major except for special invitation
Notable Players in Field Not Currently Invited to Masters
Keegan Bradley
Charles Howell III
Bryson DeChambeau
Andrew "Beef" Johnston
Luke Donald
Smylie Kaufman
Tony Finau
Davis Love III
Billy Horschel
Geoff Ogilvy
Spieth grouped with Reed, Rose in Houston.
By Will Gray
World No. 1 Dustin Johnson may have withdrawn, but it's still a star-studded field this week at the Shell Houston Open. Here's a look at a few marquee, early-round groupings as players make their final preparations for the Masters (all times ET):
9:10 a.m. Thursday, 2 p.m. Friday: Jon Rahm, Phil Mickelson, Daniel Berger
Rahm enters with plenty of momentum after his run through the WGC bracket came up just short of another victory. He'll be joined by Mickelson, a Houston regular whose brother, Tim, represents Rahm, while Berger will round out this trio that doesn't exactly lack confidence as he looks to better last year's T-5 finish at this event.
9:20 a.m. Thursday, 2:10 p.m. Friday: Rickie Fowler, Jimmy Walker, Jim Herman
Fowler skipped last week's event in Austin, opting instead to make his final pre-Masters start in Houston where he has cracked the top 10 in two of the last three years. Herman notched his maiden victory at this event last year and is defending a title for the first time, while Walker is making his 12th career start here but still remains in search of his first top-15 finish.
2 p.m. Thursday, 9:10 a.m. Friday: Henrik Stenson, Adam Scott, J.B. Holmes
Stenson has been a bridesmaid twice in Houston, including last year when he wasn't able to keep pace with Herman down the stretch. He'll play the first two rounds with a pair of players who have lifted this particular trophy, as 2007 champ Scott returns for the first time since 2010 while Holmes withdrew last year before beginning defense of the title he won in a 2015 playoff.
2:10 p.m. Thursday, 9:20 a.m. Friday: Jordan Spieth, Patrick Reed, Justin Rose
With Johnson resting at home, Spieth is the headliner this week and will be a clear fan favorite among the Texas crowds. He will play the first two rounds alongside Reed, a Houston resident himself and the second half of a memorable duo at last year's Ryder Cup. Rounding out the trio is Rose, who is making just his second start in Houston since 2011.
Masters odds: DJ ahead of Spieth, favored again.
By Will Gray
The Masters is now just one week away, and Dustin Johnson is once again atop the betting market.
Johnson cruised to victory at the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play for his third win in as many starts. It strengthened his grip on the No. 1 world ranking and allowed him to once again leapfrog Jordan Spieth and become the betting favorite for the season's first major.
Johnson's odds fell from 7/1 to 5/1 at the Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook, while Spieth drifted from 6/1 back to 7/1 with Rory McIlroy hot on his heels. Here's a look at some notable odds heading into the Shell Houston Open, where Spieth headlines the field:
5/1: Dustin Johnson
7/1: Jordan Spieth
15/2: Rory McIlroy
15/1: Jason Day
20/1: Jon Rahm, Justin Rose, Phil Mickelson, Hideki Matsuyama
25/1: Rickie Fowler, Henrik Stenson
30/1: Bubba Watson, Adam Scott, Sergio Garcia, Justin Thomas
40/1: Brandt Snedeker, Patrick Reed, Paul Casey
50/1: Louis Oosthuizen, Matt Kuchar, Tyrrell Hatton
60/1: Brooks Koepka, Matthew Fitzpatrick, Marc Leishman, Thomas Pieters
80/1: Branden Grace, Zach Johnson, Charl Schwartzel, Jimmy Walker, Lee Westwood, Daniel Berger, Gary Woodland
100/1: Tiger Woods, Danny Willett, J.B. Holmes, Bill Haas, Rafael Cabrera-Bello, Kevin Kisner, Alex Noren, Tommy Fleetwood, Adam Hadwin
NASCAR: Kyle Larson, Chase Elliott are kings of NASCAR Cup stages thus far in 2017.
By Jerry Bonkowski
(Photo/Getty Images)
With five NASCAR Cup races in the book thus far in the 2017 season and in the stage racing era, one thing is for certain.
While race wins are still the most important thing, stage wins and finishing a stage in the top-10 are having a significant impact upon the overall driver standings.
Starting this season, NASCAR broke the races into three segments of varying length (depending on the race and track). Just as in a full race, the most important thing for a driver is to finish as high as possible in each of the first two stages to maximize points.
A stage winner earns 10 points and one playoff point. The second- through 10th-place finishers in a stage earn, in descending order, nine points down to one point (which count toward the regular season).
Sunday’s race winner Kyle Larson is atop the NASCAR Cup point standings and also has amassed a series-high 70 stage points through the first five races.
Those 70 points make up nearly a third of the 243 total points Larson has earned thus far in 2017.
Chase Elliott is second with 63 stage points. Heading into Sunday’s race at Martinsville Speedway, Elliott has 214 overall points, so his stage points also account for nearly a third of his total.
“I think we’re realizing how important it is to continue to stack up those points throughout the day,” Team Penske competition director Travis Geisler told NBCSports.com. “Like Brad (Keselowski) did this weekend, he finished second, but we still lost points to everybody we’re around (because he didn’t do as well in the first two stages).
“The 78 (Truex), the 24 (Elliott) and especially the 42 (Larson), they all were at the front of the stages, and they ended up putting up a bunch of points between you. That’s a tough situation, but it’s the reality of it, and I think we’re all realizing that you have to be good all day long.
“You can’t just finish well. That’s a change of mindset (from years past).”
Geisler pointed to Joey Logano’s run two weeks ago at Phoenix, where the driver of the No. 22 started from the pole and earned 10 points for winning Stage 1.
Logano wrecked late in the race and finished 31st in the 39-car field, but his stage win helped him salvage some of the day with 16 total driver points earned.
“(Logano) won a stage, we got points, we got a catastrophic ending to the day, but it wasn’t as bad as what you would normally have,” Geisler said.
Going back to Larson, if he had not earned any stage points, he likely would be ranked fifth in the standings heading into Martinsville. It would be even worse for Elliott. Without stage points, he likely would be in seventh place in the overall Cup standings.
Rounding out the top 10 in stage points earned are Brad Keselowski (58 points), Martin Truex Jr. (53), Kevin Harvick (40), Joey Logano (38), Kyle Busch (36), Jamie McMurray (35), Ryan Blaney (31) and Ryan Newman (19).
But their rankings in the overall Cup standings is slightly different: While Larson (243 points) and Elliott (214) are 1-2, Truex is third (205 points), followed by Keselowski (179), Logano (174), McMurray (162), Blaney (157), Clint Bowyer (143), Harvick (137) and Kyle Busch (136).
Then there’s the total flip side, namely, Kurt Busch.
This year’s Daytona 500 winner has earned a total of just eight stage points.
That’s a major reason why Busch is ranked 16th in the stage points standings and 14th in the NASCAR Cup standings (125 points) – the lowest of any race winner thus far this season.
“I think that’s becoming more clear to us as the races go on that the stage points mean more than anybody gave credit to just because of the way the math adds up,” Geisler said.
“If you knock out 20 points right there in the first two stages, it’s a huge difference if you can get just a base hit for the end of the race. If you finish in the top 10, it’s a great day at that point.”
Top 10 stage points earned thus far in 2017:
- Kyle Larson (70)
- Chase Elliott (63)
- Brad Keselowski (58)
- Martin Truex Jr. (53)
- Kevin Harvick (40)
- Joey Logano (38)
- Kyle Busch (36)
- Jamie McMurray (35)
- Ryan Blaney (31)
- Ryan Newman (19)
- Jimmie Johnson (18)
- Erik Jones (16)
- Clint Bowyer (14)
- Dale Earnhardt Jr. (12)
- Denny Hamlin (11)
- Kurt Busch (8)
- Danica Patrick (7)
- Austin Dillon (5)
- A.J. Allmendinger (5)
- Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (4)
- Matt Kenseth (2)
- Trevor Bayne (1)
Bump & Run: Examining a biting comment and who is need of a good result soon.
By NBC Sports
By NBC Sports
(Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
Jimmie Johnson bristled last weekend about people questioning his performance this season and said: “Sixteen years, 80 wins and seven championships and people want to question us? I mean come on.’’ What do you make of Jimmie’s reaction?
Steve Letarte: I think it’s frustrating to him, apparently, to continue to have to answer that question. I think he had to answer that question last year as well and last year turned out OK. It’s going to be interesting to see the lack of stage performance, if that haunts the 48 and Jimmie Johnson more than last year because there was really no negative to not performing in the first half of the year. I think his performance in Miami last year, I took it as he thought it should have bought him a little bit of leeway early in this season, but I think it’s a fair question. I also think it’s a fair response. I would have concern if none of the Hendrick cars were running well but I think Chase Elliott is and I think Jimmie Johnson and Chad Knaus showed more patience last year than any year that they won a championship. I expect to see to see the same sort of run at the end of this year with the wildcard being how far behind can they afford to be on playoff points come September.
Nate Ryan: There are two ways to look at it: 1) Johnson has gotten more comfortable in his own skin and being blunt and outspoken comes more natural to him now than even after his third championship. He never will carry the swagger of The Intimidator, but he also has reached a point in his life where he feels worthy of a certain respect and isn’t shy about demanding that deference when he tires of familiar questioning; 2) But there also is probably a sliver of concern being masked about the worst start to a season in Johnson’s career. As he has said, the No. 48 Chevrolet has run well at times (aside from Fontana), and it’s too early to panic, but this isn’t how he wanted to begin his seventh title defense.
Steve Letarte: I think it’s frustrating to him, apparently, to continue to have to answer that question. I think he had to answer that question last year as well and last year turned out OK. It’s going to be interesting to see the lack of stage performance, if that haunts the 48 and Jimmie Johnson more than last year because there was really no negative to not performing in the first half of the year. I think his performance in Miami last year, I took it as he thought it should have bought him a little bit of leeway early in this season, but I think it’s a fair question. I also think it’s a fair response. I would have concern if none of the Hendrick cars were running well but I think Chase Elliott is and I think Jimmie Johnson and Chad Knaus showed more patience last year than any year that they won a championship. I expect to see to see the same sort of run at the end of this year with the wildcard being how far behind can they afford to be on playoff points come September.
Nate Ryan: There are two ways to look at it: 1) Johnson has gotten more comfortable in his own skin and being blunt and outspoken comes more natural to him now than even after his third championship. He never will carry the swagger of The Intimidator, but he also has reached a point in his life where he feels worthy of a certain respect and isn’t shy about demanding that deference when he tires of familiar questioning; 2) But there also is probably a sliver of concern being masked about the worst start to a season in Johnson’s career. As he has said, the No. 48 Chevrolet has run well at times (aside from Fontana), and it’s too early to panic, but this isn’t how he wanted to begin his seventh title defense.
Dustin Long: Jimmie isn’t thrilled with how he’s finished this year and he shouldn’t be. A wrong strategy in one race, some pit road issues that need to be cleaned up and cars that are not the fastest in the Hendrick camp (that would be Chase Elliott) are enough to bother any competitor. Johnson is right to be a bit testy because of that and also because of such a question coming so early in the season. There’s still more than five months until the playoffs begin. Let’s see where he and his team are in September.
What would have been the preseason odds that Richard Childress Racing and Chip Ganassi Racing each would have wins before Hendrick Motorsports and Joe Gibbs Racing?
Steve Letarte: It would have to be a field bet because those odds would not have been created in Las Vegas, they’re so far-fetched. The simple fact is that question alone is why I love auto racing. That’s why I love sports. How many golfers are guaranteed to win that collapse on the back nine? How many times did Dale Earnhardt Sr. have to fail in the closing laps of the Daytona 500 from circumstances outside of his control? Sports in general, and especially racing, creates these stages that you can’t make up. That wouldn’t have been a field bet in Las Vegas.
Nate Ryan: Very high. I think Ganassi had a shot at a win ahead of Hendrick or JGR, but getting a victory ahead of both would have been a 20-1 proposition. RCR seemed miles behind both of those powerhouses entering 2017.
Dustin Long: Astronomical. Credit Richard Childress Racing for gambling at Phoenix, but that’s something that the organization was more willing to do to snap a winless streak that dated back to late in the 2013 season. The Chip Ganassi Racing cars have been fast all season so it is not as surprising that they have won. Still, I don’t think anybody would have said that RCR and Ganassi would have won before both Gibbs and Hendrick this year.
Who is in need of a good result soon?
Steve Letarte: I know this sounds silly but I think the 41 (Kurt Busch) needs a good result off a restrictor-plate track. When I listen to Kurt Busch on the scanner, he doesn’t seem like a calm, calculated driver who has a win this year. I’m OK with poor performance because it’s going to happen because it’s a long season. But his emotion and lack of constructive feedback concerns me. It sounds like a driver that is in a year-long slump and has been struggling and he isn’t. He’s the Daytona 500 champion. I feel that what I feel the Daytona 500 should do to a race team hasn’t done to this 41 team. I don’t feel there’s any sort of air of confidence. I think they’re still distressed, and I think it’s because they’re getting outrun by both Kevin Harvick and Clint Bowyer.
Nate Ryan: Matt Kenseth. Back-to-back heavy impacts (and crashes in three of the first five races this year) surely have left the driver and team a little shook. He has run well in all five races, however, and he’s been a factor at Martinsville since joining Joe Gibbs Racing.
Dustin Long: Matt Kenseth. He’s wrecked three times in the first five races and hard the past two weeks. He just needs to finish without hitting a wall or another car. It’s too early in the season to be damaging so many cars and getting beat up.
Upon Further Review: Martinsville could provide relief for famed teams seeking victory.
By Dustin Long
(Photo by Jerry Markland/Getty Images)
No big deal that Hendrick Motorsports and Joe Gibbs Racing both haven’t won a Cup race yet?
Maybe, but consider this — the last time both teams had yet to win by the season’s fifth race was 1994. That’s before Hendrick Motorsports driver Chase Elliott was born, before Jeff Gordon had won his first championship and two years after Richard Petty’s final race.
While this season celebrates five different winners in the first five races, including Stewart-Haas Racing’s first Daytona 500 triumph and Richard Childress Racing’s first Cup win since Nov. 2013, it also notes what hasn’t been done with Hendrick and Gibbs failing to reach Victory Lane.
Of course, that likely will change Sunday at Martinsville Speedway. Hendrick and Gibbs have combined to win 80 percent of the last 30 races (See Chart at right) at the historic half-mile track, dating back to 2002. Hendrick Motorsports has 16 wins during that time, including last fall with Jimmie Johnson.
Most wins at Martinsville Speedway in last 30 races there (Since 2002).
Executives from both organizations told NBC Sports this week that they’re not fretting about their starts to the season.
“I don’t sense any extra pressure,’’ said Doug Duchardt, general manager at Hendrick Motorsports. “There’s no meeting saying we’ve got to win or anything like that.’’
Said Jimmy Makar, senior vice president of racing operations at Joe Gibbs Racing: “I don’t put a timestamp on it, we’ve got to win by our fifth or sixth race. I feel like that we need to be competitive week in and week out and then we tweak from there. I know our guys are capable of winning.’’
Duchardt notes the speed Chase Elliott’s car has had this year as a sign of the potential for each Hendrick team. While questions have been raised about Jimmie Johnson’s start to the season, Duchardt sees the matter differently.
“The 48 team obviously hasn’t had the finishes that we wanted,’’ Duchardt said. “Other than this past weekend (21st at Auto Club Speedway), I feel like at Atlanta they had a top-five car. At Vegas, they did, kind of got behind in strategy there on that one second stage. In Phoenix, they were running top five and the way things ended we ended up (ninth). This weekend obviously was not what we wanted. I think up to this weekend, I thought they were, obviously not as strong as (Elliott), but were pretty good.’’
Duchardt said one area he’s looking for improvement is in qualifying, feeling that has hindered some of the teams in scoring stage points. Elliott has 63 stage points, while Johnson has 18, Dale Earnhardt Jr. 12 and Kasey Kahne has yet to score a stage point this season.
“Overall I think the company, we’re good relative to the competition, but obviously we’re going to have to continue to work and make the next step as far as speed in the cars,’’ Duchardt said.
Joe Gibbs Racing entered this season having won 26 of the previous 67 races (38.8 percent), but its Toyota ally, Furniture Row Racing, has made it to Victory Lane first this season with Martin Truex Jr.
“Obviously, we didn’t start off as strong as we thought we were going to be,’’ Makar said. “I guess this package has hindered us more than we thought compared to other teams. We’re a little disappointed in that.
“We’ve had to go to work. Atlanta kind of gave us the first glimpse of it. We’ve improved on all of our races since then. I feel good about that. That’s a positive that we’ve been getting better week in and week out, and we’ve gotten to the point where we’ve gotten in contention to win a few of these races. I still feel like we’re still a little behind the eight-ball on the way our cars driver compared to the field.’’
SOCCER: Arena speaks about USMNT turnaround, says “no secret formulas”.
By Matt Reed
(AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
It’s only been one competitive match since Bruce Arena regained control of the U.S. Men’s National Team and there’s already been a noticeable difference in form.
The former LA Galaxy manager wouldn’t have you believe that though following Friday night’s convincing 6-0 victory over Honduras in CONCACAF World Cup qualifying.
He added, “They want to be successful. They want to play in a World Cup. Is that a recipe for success? I don’t know. I’m sure Honduras wants to play in a World Cup too.”
Arena, who took over for Jurgen Klinsmann following the U.S.’ collapse during the first two matches of the Hexagonal, is unbeaten in his first three games in charge since getting his job back with the Stars and Stripes.
Although there has been a considerable turnaround in the way the USMNT has performed in the first three matches of 2017, Arena wouldn’t stoop to comparing his style to that of Klinsmann.
“I’m not doing anything differently,” he said. “I’m not taking a survey [of the players]. I know it’s different. We lose tomorrow, there will be articles written that, ‘This a—— is letting these guys run loose.'”
“I have spent no time on the past. There’s nothing I can do about it. I kind of have a sense about things, but there’s no point in me spending time investigating what went on in the past. The idea was to get it going the right way from the start.”
Panama 1-1 USMNT: Ugly, scrappy point for both sides.
By Nicholas Mendola
The United States will finish the international break in the Hex’s fourth place after a 1-1 draw at Panama in World Cup qualifying on Tuesday.
Clint Dempsey scored off a feed from Christian Pulisic to give the U.S. a brief 1-0 lead, and Gabriel Gomez leveled the score before halftime.
The Americans’ next World Cup qualifier is June 8 against Trinidad and Tobago before a June 11 road trip to Azteca to face Mexico
Here’s the Hex table as it stands, with the U.S. on pace for a playoff spot against Asia’s playoff winner:
Mexico — 10 points
Costa Rica — 7 points
Panama — 5 points
USMNT — 4 points
Honduras — 4 points
Trinidad and Tobago — 3 points
The first 10 minutes were a bit frenetic, with the U.S. focused on adventurous first touch passes when it managed to earn the ball from Panama.
That feel wasn’t aided by the officiating, as Cesar Ramos was inconsistent in a very physical opening quarter-hour (and never pulled a single card).
Felipe Baloy flashed a header over the cross bar off a 16th minute corner kick as he lost Jozy Altidore and nodded back across goal. It was a bit of set piece foreshadowing, as Arena has yet to fix a long-held USMNT problem.
Christian Pulisic was fired up when Luis Tejada shoved him to the turf in the 20th minute.
Tim Ream bailed out Jorge Villafana, who wasn’t as composed and smart as his Friday versus Panama, sliding to divert Armando Cooper’s cross for a corner kick.
Jermaine Jones cued up Pulisic moments later, but the youngster had to wait for a bounding ball to settle before Panama conceded a corner. That opportunity was wasted by an overly aggressive Gonzalez, who was called for a foul before the ball arrived in the 18.
Howard saw his first danger and averted it when Alberto Quintero shook Zusi to rip a shot on frame. It was 0-0 after 32 minutes.
Then, the breakthrough. Dempsey moved to within a goal of Landon donovan’s all-time mark thanks to Pulisic, who cooked Felipe Baloy and held off Roman Torres before laying off to the veteran. 1-0, 39′.
The lead lasted all of three minutes, as Gomez pounced on a loose ball with the Yanks’ back line at sixes and sevens off a long throw-in. Gomez turned off Jermaine Jones and lost Villafana to bury his chance behind Howard. 1-1, 44′.
The second half began with more chunky play until Villafana blazed down the left wing on an overlapping run to cross for Pulisic, whose shot was forced out for a corner which led to nothing.
Dempsey then turned a Michael Bradley free kick to a waiting Jaime Penedo as the Yanks started to refind their flow.
Panama found a doorstep chance when Torres nodded down for Tejada, but Howard made an exceptional
nether regions “leg” save to keep it 1-1.
Arena introduced Alejandro Bedoya for Darlington Nagbe with 20 minutes to play, a move that was a testament to the physical nature of the game.
Fittingly, it was creative work from Pulisic that helped the U.S. win a corner kick soon after, though Penedo claimed the offering.
More chances came Panama’s way, as the U.S. spent much of the late stages desperately clearing loose balls. On another night, with better finishing from Tejada, the Yanks would’ve been sunk.
Star-Spangled Spurs: Tottenham eager for US return.
“It’s nothing I can write a book on,” Arena said about his team’s turnaround in form against Honduras. “You have a sense of your group, and you go about doing your business. There’s no secret formulas to this stuff. Work together, take ownership in what you’re doing, treat them like responsible professional athletes, and you get on with your business.
He added, “They want to be successful. They want to play in a World Cup. Is that a recipe for success? I don’t know. I’m sure Honduras wants to play in a World Cup too.”
Arena, who took over for Jurgen Klinsmann following the U.S.’ collapse during the first two matches of the Hexagonal, is unbeaten in his first three games in charge since getting his job back with the Stars and Stripes.
Although there has been a considerable turnaround in the way the USMNT has performed in the first three matches of 2017, Arena wouldn’t stoop to comparing his style to that of Klinsmann.
“I’m not doing anything differently,” he said. “I’m not taking a survey [of the players]. I know it’s different. We lose tomorrow, there will be articles written that, ‘This a—— is letting these guys run loose.'”
“I have spent no time on the past. There’s nothing I can do about it. I kind of have a sense about things, but there’s no point in me spending time investigating what went on in the past. The idea was to get it going the right way from the start.”
Panama 1-1 USMNT: Ugly, scrappy point for both sides.
By Nicholas Mendola
(Photo/nbcsports.com)
The United States will finish the international break in the Hex’s fourth place after a 1-1 draw at Panama in World Cup qualifying on Tuesday.
Clint Dempsey scored off a feed from Christian Pulisic to give the U.S. a brief 1-0 lead, and Gabriel Gomez leveled the score before halftime.
The Americans’ next World Cup qualifier is June 8 against Trinidad and Tobago before a June 11 road trip to Azteca to face Mexico
Here’s the Hex table as it stands, with the U.S. on pace for a playoff spot against Asia’s playoff winner:
Mexico — 10 points
Costa Rica — 7 points
Panama — 5 points
USMNT — 4 points
Honduras — 4 points
Trinidad and Tobago — 3 points
The first 10 minutes were a bit frenetic, with the U.S. focused on adventurous first touch passes when it managed to earn the ball from Panama.
That feel wasn’t aided by the officiating, as Cesar Ramos was inconsistent in a very physical opening quarter-hour (and never pulled a single card).
Felipe Baloy flashed a header over the cross bar off a 16th minute corner kick as he lost Jozy Altidore and nodded back across goal. It was a bit of set piece foreshadowing, as Arena has yet to fix a long-held USMNT problem.
Christian Pulisic was fired up when Luis Tejada shoved him to the turf in the 20th minute.
Tim Ream bailed out Jorge Villafana, who wasn’t as composed and smart as his Friday versus Panama, sliding to divert Armando Cooper’s cross for a corner kick.
Jermaine Jones cued up Pulisic moments later, but the youngster had to wait for a bounding ball to settle before Panama conceded a corner. That opportunity was wasted by an overly aggressive Gonzalez, who was called for a foul before the ball arrived in the 18.
Howard saw his first danger and averted it when Alberto Quintero shook Zusi to rip a shot on frame. It was 0-0 after 32 minutes.
Then, the breakthrough. Dempsey moved to within a goal of Landon donovan’s all-time mark thanks to Pulisic, who cooked Felipe Baloy and held off Roman Torres before laying off to the veteran. 1-0, 39′.
The lead lasted all of three minutes, as Gomez pounced on a loose ball with the Yanks’ back line at sixes and sevens off a long throw-in. Gomez turned off Jermaine Jones and lost Villafana to bury his chance behind Howard. 1-1, 44′.
The second half began with more chunky play until Villafana blazed down the left wing on an overlapping run to cross for Pulisic, whose shot was forced out for a corner which led to nothing.
Dempsey then turned a Michael Bradley free kick to a waiting Jaime Penedo as the Yanks started to refind their flow.
Panama found a doorstep chance when Torres nodded down for Tejada, but Howard made an exceptional
Arena introduced Alejandro Bedoya for Darlington Nagbe with 20 minutes to play, a move that was a testament to the physical nature of the game.
Fittingly, it was creative work from Pulisic that helped the U.S. win a corner kick soon after, though Penedo claimed the offering.
More chances came Panama’s way, as the U.S. spent much of the late stages desperately clearing loose balls. On another night, with better finishing from Tejada, the Yanks would’ve been sunk.
Star-Spangled Spurs: Tottenham eager for US return.
By Joe Prince-Wright
(Photo/Tottenham Hotspur)
With Tottenham Hotspur heading to the U.S. for their preseason tour this summer, Spurs’ club legend Ledley King embarked on a whistle-stop trip of their three host cities.
King, 36, spent time in New York City, Orlando and Nashville last week as Tottenham’s fans Stateside gear up to see Spurs’ first full U.S. tour since 2014.
Tottenham did play the MLS All-Stars in 2015 but that was a brief one-game trip during preseason. Now, they’ve gone all-in as Mauricio Pochettino‘s men will play Paris Saint-Germain in Orlando on July 22, AS Roma at Red Bull Arena on July 25 and finish the tour in Nashville on July 29 where they take on Manchester City in an all-Premier League clash.
Pro Soccer Talk caught up with King last week and the club ambassador revealed that everyone connected with Tottenham is excited to be heading back to the USA.
Tottenham did play the MLS All-Stars in 2015 but that was a brief one-game trip during preseason. Now, they’ve gone all-in as Mauricio Pochettino‘s men will play Paris Saint-Germain in Orlando on July 22, AS Roma at Red Bull Arena on July 25 and finish the tour in Nashville on July 29 where they take on Manchester City in an all-Premier League clash.
Pro Soccer Talk caught up with King last week and the club ambassador revealed that everyone connected with Tottenham is excited to be heading back to the USA.
“It is something everyone enjoys,” King explained. “We have a huge fanbase in the States and on previous trips I have been able to spend some time with the supporters groups out here and it’s forever growing. It’s really important we put on a show for them and try and give back to them.”King — Spurs’ former captain who was forced to retire early at the age of 31 after chronic knee problems — met with Tottenham supporters groups in NYC, Orlando and Nashville during his trips, as well as taking in some iconic sights from all three cities.
One thing which stood out to the towering former central defender was the dedication Spurs fans in the States have for their team.
“It’s amazing,” King said. “A lot of the supporters make trips over to White Hart Lane when they can and they are obviously very clued up on everything that’s happening surrounding the club, all the recent moves, they are all up to date. Whenever I come away, no matter how far away from home, I bump into Spurs fans everywhere which is great.”
Pochettino’s players will be based on the east coast of the U.S. for the trip this summer but they will soak up three very different cities. From the hustle and bustle of NYC to the theme parks and heat of Orlando and laid-back sights in Nashville, Tottenham’s players will get a real taste of America this summer.
Like many of Spurs’ current first team players, King is also a huge fan of U.S. sports. Harry Kane is a massive New England Patriots fan, while the likes of Jan Vertonghen, Eric Dier and Dele Alli are avid followers of many American sports.
King is no different and, somewhat unsurprisingly, he is a big fan of a certain NBA team from San Antonio…
“I’m big into basketball and the NBA at the moment. I’ve always followed players. I was a big Kobe Bryant fan years ago but there are players I like now, LeBron James, Steph Curry. I like the San Antonio Spurs, obviously…” King laughed. “I like their organization and the way they are run. They’ve had an infrastructure in place and keep performing at a high level. I’m a big basketball fan and I’m trying to get into the NFL more. I’ve met quite a few players the last few years on their trips to London and our training ground and I’m really looking forward to all of the NFL teams coming over to London and Tottenham once our new stadium is ready.”
With Spurs’ new 61,000 capacity stadium at White Hart Lane scheduled to be ready for the 2018-19 Premier League season, they’ve signed a 10-year deal with the NFL to host at least two games per season in London. That will keep fans of both types of football on either sides of the pond very happy.
As for fans in the U.S., King applauded their dedication and revealed the different reaction PL players receive when they come Stateside.
“We have an exciting team and an exciting project with a young group of players and I think the U.S. fans like the underdog, ” King said. “We are not a team who goes out and spends huge sums of money. We try to do things the right way and play the game the right way. I think the fans appreciate that and we would like to grow our fanbase. The other thing in coming out here is that we get the weather and the opposition. The opposition we will be competing against is at a very, very high level, and that will enable our players to get the right preparation for the new season. On all levels it works really well.”
Another thing which has gone really well in recent years is the popularity of the Premier League in the U.S.
There’s no shying away from the fact that more and more fans of the PL are popping up across the country and preseason games involving Premier League clubs are selling out. Has King noticed a difference in how soccer is now perceived compared to previous trips across the pond?
NCAABKB: Ranking the 20 Final Four starters from most to least valuable.
“It’s amazing,” King said. “A lot of the supporters make trips over to White Hart Lane when they can and they are obviously very clued up on everything that’s happening surrounding the club, all the recent moves, they are all up to date. Whenever I come away, no matter how far away from home, I bump into Spurs fans everywhere which is great.”
Pochettino’s players will be based on the east coast of the U.S. for the trip this summer but they will soak up three very different cities. From the hustle and bustle of NYC to the theme parks and heat of Orlando and laid-back sights in Nashville, Tottenham’s players will get a real taste of America this summer.
“Every city is quite different, the weather especially!” King laughed as he’d traveled from a frigid NYC to steamy Orlando in 24 hours. “The Spurs fans are all there and they greeted us in every city we went to which was great. They will get fully behind the team when the lads come out this summer. I would imagine most of the boys have been to New York before but I don’t think many have been to Nashville. It is great that they can experience what a nice place it is and I’m sure the team will be looking forward to it.”On King’s quick trip the former England international was able to catch up with Man vs. Food star, and huge Spurs fan, Adam Richman in NYC, plus pose for a few classic photos. With U.S. national team stars Kasey Keller, Clint Dempsey, DeAndre Yedlin and current center back prospect Cameron Carter-Vickers all calling White Hart Lane home over the years, Spurs’ links with the U.S. are strong.
Like many of Spurs’ current first team players, King is also a huge fan of U.S. sports. Harry Kane is a massive New England Patriots fan, while the likes of Jan Vertonghen, Eric Dier and Dele Alli are avid followers of many American sports.
King is no different and, somewhat unsurprisingly, he is a big fan of a certain NBA team from San Antonio…
“I’m big into basketball and the NBA at the moment. I’ve always followed players. I was a big Kobe Bryant fan years ago but there are players I like now, LeBron James, Steph Curry. I like the San Antonio Spurs, obviously…” King laughed. “I like their organization and the way they are run. They’ve had an infrastructure in place and keep performing at a high level. I’m a big basketball fan and I’m trying to get into the NFL more. I’ve met quite a few players the last few years on their trips to London and our training ground and I’m really looking forward to all of the NFL teams coming over to London and Tottenham once our new stadium is ready.”
With Spurs’ new 61,000 capacity stadium at White Hart Lane scheduled to be ready for the 2018-19 Premier League season, they’ve signed a 10-year deal with the NFL to host at least two games per season in London. That will keep fans of both types of football on either sides of the pond very happy.
As for fans in the U.S., King applauded their dedication and revealed the different reaction PL players receive when they come Stateside.
“I think what makes it special is their passion and love of the game,” King said. “In England, the fans are spoiled with being able to come to games and seeing players. When players and the likes of myself are able to come over to this side of the pond and meet fans in the flesh, the fans in the U.S. seem genuinely shocked that we are actually there. There is always a big surprise and we get a good reaction when we are in their company or in their country. That’s a nice treat.”With so many teams coming to the U.S. from all over Europe each summer to train, play against each other in preseason tournaments and try to capture the hearts and imaginations of the American public, what will Spurs, a team who has battled for the PL title the past two seasons, aim to gain from their time Stateside?
“We have an exciting team and an exciting project with a young group of players and I think the U.S. fans like the underdog, ” King said. “We are not a team who goes out and spends huge sums of money. We try to do things the right way and play the game the right way. I think the fans appreciate that and we would like to grow our fanbase. The other thing in coming out here is that we get the weather and the opposition. The opposition we will be competing against is at a very, very high level, and that will enable our players to get the right preparation for the new season. On all levels it works really well.”
Another thing which has gone really well in recent years is the popularity of the Premier League in the U.S.
There’s no shying away from the fact that more and more fans of the PL are popping up across the country and preseason games involving Premier League clubs are selling out. Has King noticed a difference in how soccer is now perceived compared to previous trips across the pond?
“Just coming here on this trip, you can see the interest in the Premier League is growing,” King said. “I’ve never been to Nashville before but going there surprised me. When we did the press conference so many people wanted to come down and everyone was passionate about the game. Overall, people really know their stuff about the Premier League and in MLS with great players like Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard coming over recently and obviously Robbie Keane doing so well in LA, all of these little things add up to people looking at the Premier League. It is the most exciting league in the world. Americans like their fast-paced action and that’s what you get with the Premier League.”Fans Stateside this summer will be getting to see the likes of Tottenham, Manchester City and Manchester United up close and personal.
NCAABKB: Ranking the 20 Final Four starters from most to least valuable.
By Jeff Eisenberg
One is a bearded 300-pound 7-footer from Poland who’s as skilled as he is big. Another is an ultra-athletic wing from South Carolina starring in his home state. A third is a fiercely competitive swingman from Canada known for his scoring and intensity.
All of them have one thing in common: They’re starters at this year’s Final Four.
This year’s 20 Final Four starters are a diverse group. With the Final Four tipping off on Saturday, here’s a list of starters on each team ranked from most to least valuable:
1. Sindarius Thornwell, G, South Carolina
The catalyst for this year’s most surprising Final Four team, Thornwell has scored at least 24 points in all four of South Carolina’s NCAA tournament victories. The 6-foot-5 senior has always been dangerous attacking the rim, but this year he shoots more consistently from the perimeter and gets to the foul line more often off the bounce.
2. Justin Jackson, F, North Carolina
After slumping late in the regular season, Jackson has reemerged in the NCAA tournament, averaging 19.8 points per game and using his length to bother Malik Monk in the South Regional final. The ACC player of the year will have a big size advantage over whichever one of Oregon’s guards check him Saturday.
3. Nigel Williams-Goss, G, Gonzaga
Shots aren’t falling with the consistency that Williams-Goss would like so far in the NCAA tournament, but Gonzaga’s standout point guard is still finding ways to impact games. He smothered West Virginia’s Jevon Carter on three straight 3-point attempts in the final possession last Thursday, then sank 4 of 7 3-pointers against Xavier’s zone two nights later.
4. Dillon Brooks, F, Oregon
The Pac-12 player of the year has been Oregon’s third best player in the NCAA tournament, but he may be the Ducks’ most important player against North Carolina. It will be up to Brooks to hold his own on the defensive glass against the bigger, stronger Tar Heels while taking advantage of his quickness edge on offense.
5. Jordan Bell, F, Oregon
Already the Pac-12’s best defender during the regular season, Bell has upped his game even further in the absence of injured fellow shot blocker Chris Boucher. Bell played Michigan’s Moritz Wagner off the floor in the Sweet 16 and controlled the paint against Kansas two days later, tallying 11 points, 13 rebounds and 8 blocks.
6. Joel Berry II, G, North Carolina
Roy Williams say he’s “scared to death” that the left ankle injury Berry suffered on Sunday may limit him against Oregon six days later. If so, that would be crippling for a Tar Heels team that relies on its junior point guard’s ability to score off the dribble or via his outstanding jump shot.
7. Tyler Dorsey, G, Oregon
After averaging 12.4 points during the regular season, Dorsey has caught fire since the start of the Pac-12 tournament. Dorsey has scored 20 or more in Oregon’s last seven games, including the game-winning 3-pointer in the second round against Rhode Island and the game-clinching 3-pointer in the Elite Eight against Kansas.
8. Kennedy Meeks, F, North Carolina
Why is North Carolina the nation’s premier offensive rebounding team? It starts with Meeks. The 6-foot-10 senior gobbles up boards like Pac-Man gobbles dots, posting 39 in his last three games alone. His offensive rebounding could be key for North Carolina on Saturday against an Oregon team ranked 179th on the defensive glass.
9. Przemek Karnowski, C, Gonzaga
Defending Gonzaga starts with a question to which there is no good answer: Is doubling Karnowski the right idea? Let the massive 7-footer go one-on-one in the post, and he has the size, strength and skill to consistently score on the low block. Send help on the catch, and the Polish big man is an excellent passer capable of finding an open shooter spotted up behind the arc.
10. Johnathan Williams, F, Gonzaga
From chasing South Dakota State’s sharpshooting stretch forward Mike Daum around screens to staying in front of high-scoring Xaiver wing Trevon Bluiett off the dribble, Williams has excelled defending multiple positions. The former Missouri transfer also has been hard to guard, especially around the rim.
11. P.J. Dozier, G, South Carolina
The most coveted recruit of Frank Martin’s South Carolina tenure, Dozier has all the physical tools of an NBA guard, but his skill level has yet to catch up. His outside shot deserted him by the start of league play this season, but he has enjoyed a strong NCAA tournament, averaging an efficient 15.3 points per game.
12. Isaiah Hicks, F, North Carolina
Persistent foul trouble and the emergence of Elite Eight hero Luke Maye reduced his role the past couple games. But when Hicks is playing, the 6-foot-9 senior is effective crashing the glass, scoring with his back to the basket or attacking off the bounce from the high post.
13. Jordan Mathews, G, Gonzaga
A graduate transfer from Cal, Mathews has been Gonzaga’s best perimeter sniper this season. He has sunk multiple 3-pointers in each NCAA tournament game, scored in double figures each round and sunk the biggest shot of the Zags’ season to date, a go-ahead 3-pointer in the final minute against West Virginia in the Sweet 16.
14. Dylan Ennis, G, Oregon
Oregon’s best perimeter defender, Ennis will almost certainly draw the assignment of shadowing Joel Berry II against North Carolina. The 6-foot-2 combo guard is also effective on offense as a complementary scorer who is capable of hitting a spot-up 3-pointer or creating off the dribble for himself or a teammate.
15. Chris Silva, F, South Carolina
The native of Gabon journeyed to the U.S. to pursue basketball a few years ago despite hardly speaking any English. The 6-foot-9 sophomore is best known as a rim protector but has scored in double figures in all four of South Carolina’s NCAA tournament games and tallied 13 second-half points in the East Regional final against Florida.
16. Theo Pinson, G, North Carolina
Best known for crashing press conferences with his blend of humor and charisma last March, Pinson makes an impact in multiple ways on the floor. He’s North Carolina’s best perimeter defender and an outstanding passer, as evidenced by his dish to Luke Maye for the last-second jumper that waylaid Kentucky on Sunday.
17. Josh Perkins, G, Gonzaga
Mostly a non-factor against Northwestern and West Virginia, Perkins sank a trio of big first-half 3-pointers in the West Regional final against Xavier. The former four-star recruit has unselfishly accepted a reduced role with Nigel Williams-Goss coming aboard this season but has struggled with consistency the second half of the season.
18. Duane Notice, G, South Carolina
Notice is one of the SEC’s best on-ball defenders thanks to his ability to keep opposing guards in front of him. The 6-2 senior takes nearly two-thirds of his shots from behind the arc on offense but he has hit a career-low 34 percent of his threes this season.
19. Payton Pritchard, G, Oregon
The offensive spark that Pritchard provided for Oregon during the regular season has been scarce sine the first round of the NCAA tournament. The 6-foot-3 freshman point guard has just three field goals in his past three games and has not hit from behind the arc during that stretch.
20 Maik Kotsar, F, South Carolina
The 6-foot-10 freshman regained his starting job when South Carolina chose to go with a bigger lineup during the NCAA tournament, however, it wasn’t until Sunday’s win over Florida that he truly earned it. The Estonia native scored 12 points to help ensure his parents will get a chance to see him play in person at the Final Four.
Final Four storyline: Drought ends, the West returns and defense triumphs.
By Henry Bushnell
There will be much anticipation and much discussion over the next five days about Saturday’s two national semifinals. To set the stage for that anticipation and discussion, it’s time to look ahead to the four biggest storylines that await us in Phoenix:
1. The have and the have-nots
One of this year’s participants, North Carolina, qualified for its 20th Final Four, the most of any school, with its win over Kentucky Sunday. As for the other three remaining contenders combined? They have one prior appearance among them, and it was Oregon’s way back in 1939. The last time three of the four semifinalists collectively had one or fewer Final Four appearance was 1979, when Penn (0), Indiana State (0), DePaul (1) and Michigan State (1) were the contestants.
This year’s Final Four field, therefore, offers up plenty of intriguing narratives. Gonzaga, despite this being its debut, has plenty of postseason experience, and it would be wonderful to see the Zags further prove their doubters wrong. Oregon’s rise under Dana Altman has been gradual, and is ongoing; the Ducks are a burgeoning power out west, and are here because they came up just short a year ago. South Carolina, meanwhile, is the one true newbie on the big stage, and the one team that only a couple weeks ago seemed like it wouldn’t have belonged.
2. The West returns, but a drought still lingers
Gonzaga and Oregon didn’t just end their own droughts. Heading into the 2017 tournament, no team located west of Norman, Okla., had reached the Final Four since UCLA in 2008. The barren slate included shortcomings from the Bruins themselves, but also Arizona, Oregon, Utah, Gonzaga, San Diego State, BYU, New Mexico and others. Finally, after nine years, not one but two teams broke through.
The Elite Eight triumphs of Gonzaga and Oregon were the culmination of a narrative that picked up steam before the season even began. With the Pac-12’s top three programs all appearing primed for strong years and Gonzaga with arguably its most talented team ever, the nearly decade-long run of failure was treading water, and appeared to be tiring. The “West Coast basketball is back” narrative wasn’t fulfilled by teams outside that elite class, but those big four delivered, and two delivered when it mattered most.
But perhaps this wasn’t the culmination. Both Gonzaga and Oregon are certainly good enough to win it all — something no team west of Lawrence, Kan., has done in 20 years. This year’s Final Four presents the West Coast with its best chance yet to end that drought too.
3. Defense wins regionals
The closest thing to a broad common theme between Gonzaga, Oregon, South Carolina and North Carolina and their roads to the Final Four is defense. The four teams have allowed 0.85, 1.05, 0.98 and 0.95 points per possession, respectively, over their past four games. Oregon got through the early rounds with offense before holding two top-five offenses to a combined 0.98 points per trip. The Ducks threw three or four different looks at both Michigan and Kansas to disrupt their rhythm. North Carolina needed defense on the first weekend before its offense picked up on the second.
Meanwhile, teams such as Kansas, UCLA and Michigan that put together multiple offensive masterpieces in earlier rounds were bounced in the Sweet 16 or Elite Eight. The successful reliance on stout defense, as opposed to the unsuccessful reliance on offense, isn’t a sign of any long-term trend, but it does mean we could get defensive battles in Phoenix. The first game features the No. 1 and No. 2 teams in KenPom’s adjusted defensive efficiency rankings. The second one should have more offense, but Roy Williams must crack Altman’s constantly shifting scheme, and if the struggles of Michigan and Kansas are instructive, that won’t be an easy task.
4. South Carolina is the one major surprise, but has a legitimate shot at the title
Oregon’s upset of Kansas was stunning for a few reasons, but the Ducks are far from a Cinderella story. South Carolina isn’t really a classic March Madness underdog either, but at least some rational prognosticators had Oregon in the Final Four; nobody had the Gamecocks getting past the second round.
Frank Martin’s turnaround in Columbia is a remarkable tale of belief. South Carolina lost 14 SEC games in 2012-13, Martin’s first year. It lost 13 the following year and 12 in 2014-15. Martin raves about the way his players battled through defeat after defeat, and finally tasted some success last year. But they faded late, and faded in February again this season. They lost six of their last nine games heading into the tournament. They were near the bottom of sleeper lists, if not off the lists entirely.
But when you have the belief to go to a place like South Carolina, a program that had finished above .500 just once since 1998 when every upperclassman on the current roster arrived, and when you have the belief to endure long strings of losses as freshmen and sophomores, it’s easy to have the requisite belief for a tourney run. Or maybe it’s not easy; but it’s not surprising that these players do have it.
And while the Gamecocks are the biggest surprise, they’re a legitimate contender for the national championship. Sindarius Thornwell is the leader in the clubhouse for most outstanding player of the tournament. He’s scored a total of 103 points on 60 shots over the four games, and has been unsurprisingly outstanding on defense. The entire team has been relentless on both ends of the floor, but if there’s one player remaining who can single-handedly will his team to two wins, it’s Thornwell.
Fans send UConn off to its latest Final Four.
Associated Press
Connecticut basketball players Katie Lou Samuelson, front left, and Saniya Chong greet fans outside Gampel Pavilion in Storrs, Conn., Tuesday, March 28, 2017 as they prepare to board a bus to depart for the Final Four of the NCAA college basketball tournament in Dallas. UConn's Natalie Butler, rear left, follows. (Photo/Mark Mirko/Hartford Courant via AP)
University of Connecticut freshman Larissa Compio was among about 200 fans who braved the drizzle and cold on Tuesday to cheer on the school's women's basketball team as it boarded a bus for a 10th consecutive trip to the Final Four.
The 18-year-old biology major from Washingtonville, Orange County, said she's been a fan of the women's team since she was a little girl and it was huge reason she chose to attend the school. Their 111-game winning streak has given the campus, and especially female students, a sense of pride and identity, she said.
"These women are definitely giving an empowerment to all women," she said. "Not bragging, but we did better than the boys this year, so it's such an awesome thing."
The fans waved towels, chanted, cheered and high-fived the players as they made their way between sets of barricades from Gampel Pavilion to begin the journey to Dallas, where they will play Mississippi State on Friday night.
Coach Geno Auriemma didn't attend this year's send-off, opting instead to meet the team at the airport. But he told reporters earlier in the day that he's not taking the trip for granted.
"It just seems like it gets harder and harder to believe because it is getting harder and harder to accomplish this," he said on conference call. "The teams that you have to beat year in and year out are getting better and better."
"Nothing can stop us," she said. "I get upset when I'm watching and they're not 20 points up. I may be too demanding. But they are just amazing. I love them."
NCAAFB: Worst-case scenarios in the SEC: What every team wants to avoid this spring.
By Chip Patterson
Sometimes, spring practice is about avoiding the negatives as much as building momentum.
Normally in spring practice, everything is positive. Everyone is undefeated and coaches are more than happy to run through a list of players that are “competing” and “working on fundamentals” during this period of organized, yet regulated, team activities. But that’s not the real world, where injuries and depth concerns loom large along with program stability and ticket sales.
Below, we’ve got some worst-case spring practice scenarios for the SEC. Some are serious, many are not, but all of the potential topics would not be good news if they surfaced at the end of April when the final spring games are done.
SEC West Worst-Case Scenarios
Below, we’ve got some worst-case spring practice scenarios for the SEC. Some are serious, many are not, but all of the potential topics would not be good news if they surfaced at the end of April when the final spring games are done.
SEC West Worst-Case Scenarios
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Quarterback controversy: Nick Saban loves to keep the competition going into the fall, and often into the first weeks of the season, but Alabama fans would prefer to know that position is settled going into the fall. If word around town is that Jalen Hurts hasn’t taken the steps forward to separate himself from the rest of the group after being named SEC Offensive Player of the Year in 2016, it’s going to great some consternation and high interest in how Tua Tagovailoa looks in the spring game.
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More shuffling of offensive responsibility: At this point, all Auburn fans want is some consistency. A quarterback that can start 13 games, a play-calling setup that doesn’t have fans questioning who does what behind the scenes, and an offense that won’t inexplicably and unexpectedly misfire against Georgia after a six-game winning streak.
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Bad news for the running backs: There’s a lot of unknowns for the Razorbacks going into 2017, like the impact of new defensive coordinator Paul Rhoads on a defense that struggled last season -- hopefully he’ll be “SO PROUD” come September -- and whether Austin Allen is, as some suggest after a 3,400-yard passing season, on the verge of being a first-team All-SEC quarterback. But I’m most concerned with the continued development of Rawleigh Williams III and Devwah Whaley. The dynamic duo can be as dangerous a running combo as Alex Collins and Jonathan Williams were in 2014 and 2015.
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Matt Canada stops getting mic’d up: Free content idea I’d like to release to the marketplace: an alternate broadcast with Matt Canada mic’d up when LSU is on offense and Ed Orgeron’s running commentary when the Tigers are on defense. In the two-minute video below this table (at 2:18 to be exact), which consists of clips from multiple practices, Canada says “bang” 26 times, normally in rapid fire succession as he’s watching a play develop -- “Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang!” He also says “the ball” about 12 times and only lowers his tone and volume to welcome athletic director Joe Alleva to practice. If Canada keeps this up, he’ll be a content generation machine.
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Lots of new faces around the facility: There’s nothing fun about an NCAA investigat
ion. Hugh Freeze’s “four-year colonoscopy” line made for good headlines and plenty of laughs, but there’s no disputing the discomfort created around a program by an active NCAA probe. Now that Ole Miss and the NCAA have moved into the litigation of the case, the stakes are higher and any current or future misstep is going to be amplified by the media and used against the school by the enforcement staff. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Everyone else figures out Nick Fitzgerald: When a star quarterback breaks out early in his career, it’s always fun to see how defensive coordinators spend their time adjusting. Because college football coaches are obsessives and have a longer offseason than any other sport, a particularly tough player or scheme to stop can get so much attention between December and August that the defensive staff has probably logged as many hours studying tape as pilots do to earn their license. Football Study Hall’s Ian Boyd did an excellent breakdown of Fitzgerald’s sophomore season and how this “pretty good” passer and strong power runner is the perfect fit with Dan Mullen’s spread-to-run offense. When Mississippi State got rolling against better teams, it was usually off Fitzgerald hitting big plays with his legs. The SEC West was caught off guard by Fitzgerald in 2016, they won’t be this fall.
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The Swag-Copter’s impact wears off: Has Texas A&M lost some of its swagger? The arrival of Kevin Sumlin and the instant impact of Johnny Manziel beating Alabama and winning the Heisman Trophy all lined up perfectly for the Aggies’ first year in the SEC. A huge monster of buzz, energy and attention surrounded the Texas A&M program, Sumlin got a Swag-Copter and started pulling the best recruits in the country and everyone jumped on board. Kyle Field got massive renovation projects approved and the narrative that the SEC’s new arrivals from the Big 12 wouldn’t be able to hang in their new league was squashed immediately. After Johnny Football came top-rated recruiting classes that brought the likes of Myles Garrett, Christian Kirk and Daylon Mack to College Station. As long as Sumlin and his staff continue to recruit at a high level you are going to see Texas A&M get the dark horse label every year, but what happens if those recruits start to see past the hype machine and wonder why the Aggies haven’t won more than eight games in the post-Manziel era?
SEC East Worst-Case Scenarios
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Teams set for NCAA Men's Frozen Four at United Center.
By Chicago Blackhawks Media Relations / chicagoblackhawks.com
The 2017 NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Championship semifinals, also known as the Men's Frozen Four, will be held at the United Center and feature Denver University, the University of Minnesota Duluth, Harvard University and the University of Notre Dame, which is also the host team. Harvard and Minnesota Duluth will face off at 5 p.m. CT on Thursday, April 6, at the United Center, followed by Denver and Notre Dame at 8:30 p.m. CT. Tickets are available for purchase at NCAA.com/FrozenFour or by visiting the United Center box office.
The Chicago Blackhawks will have two draft picks competing in the tournament. Notre Dame defenseman Dennis Gilbert was a 2015 Draft selection (third round, 91st overall) and Denver defenseman Blake Hillman was a 2016 Draft selection (sixth round, 173rd overall). Additionally, seven players competing in the tournament are from Illinois: Notre Dame's Tory Dello (Crystal Lake), Jack Jenkins (Lake Bluff) and Bobby Nardella (Rosemont); Harvard's Adam Baughman (Chicago) and Michael Floodstrand (Hinsdale); and Denver's Erich Fear (Winnetka) and Greg Ogard (Wilmette).
This marks the first time the Frozen Four has been held at the United Center. The tournament will take place April 6 & 8, 2017. The Frozen Four is the culmination of the NCAA's 16-team tournament to determine the collegiate national champion. The tournament, which began in 1948, has branded its semi-final and final games as the Frozen Four since 1999. The single-elimination tournament was expanded to its current 16-team format in 2003.
The Chicago Blackhawks will have two draft picks competing in the tournament. Notre Dame defenseman Dennis Gilbert was a 2015 Draft selection (third round, 91st overall) and Denver defenseman Blake Hillman was a 2016 Draft selection (sixth round, 173rd overall). Additionally, seven players competing in the tournament are from Illinois: Notre Dame's Tory Dello (Crystal Lake), Jack Jenkins (Lake Bluff) and Bobby Nardella (Rosemont); Harvard's Adam Baughman (Chicago) and Michael Floodstrand (Hinsdale); and Denver's Erich Fear (Winnetka) and Greg Ogard (Wilmette).
This marks the first time the Frozen Four has been held at the United Center. The tournament will take place April 6 & 8, 2017. The Frozen Four is the culmination of the NCAA's 16-team tournament to determine the collegiate national champion. The tournament, which began in 1948, has branded its semi-final and final games as the Frozen Four since 1999. The single-elimination tournament was expanded to its current 16-team format in 2003.
On This Date in Sports History: Today is Wednesday, March 29, 2017.
emoriesofhistory.com
1929 - The first NHL Stanley Cup Final between two U.S.-based teams took place. The Boston Bruins beat the New York Rangers to get their first Stanley Cup title.
1970 - Tony Esposito (Chicago Black Hawks) recorded his 15th shutout. It was an NHL record for rookie goalies and the most shut outs in the modern era.
1973 - Bobby Clarke (Philadelphia Flyers) became the first NHL player from a post-'67 expansion team to score 100 points in a season.
1987 - Hulk Hogan took 11 minutes, 43 seconds to pin Andre the Giant in front of 93,136 at Wrestlemania III fans at the Silverdome in Pontiac, MI.
1998 - Tennessee won the woman's college basketball championship over Louisiana. Tennessee had set a NCAA record with regular season record of 39-0.
1999 - Wayne Gretzky (New York Rangers) scored his 1,072nd professional goal (WHA and NHL combined) passing Gordie Howe who had scored 1,071.
2004 - Steve Moore (Colorado Avalanche) spoke to the media for the first time since Todd Bertuzzi (Vancouver Canucks) sucker-punched him during a game on March 9.
2004 - The NHL approved the sale of the Atlanta Thrashers from Time Warner.
2013 - Jaromir Jagr (Dallas Stars) scored is 1,000th assist in a game against the Minnesota Wild. He was the 12th NHL player to reach 1,000 points and the first non-Canadian NHL player to reach the mark.
1970 - Tony Esposito (Chicago Black Hawks) recorded his 15th shutout. It was an NHL record for rookie goalies and the most shut outs in the modern era.
1973 - Bobby Clarke (Philadelphia Flyers) became the first NHL player from a post-'67 expansion team to score 100 points in a season.
1987 - Hulk Hogan took 11 minutes, 43 seconds to pin Andre the Giant in front of 93,136 at Wrestlemania III fans at the Silverdome in Pontiac, MI.
1998 - Tennessee won the woman's college basketball championship over Louisiana. Tennessee had set a NCAA record with regular season record of 39-0.
1999 - Wayne Gretzky (New York Rangers) scored his 1,072nd professional goal (WHA and NHL combined) passing Gordie Howe who had scored 1,071.
2004 - Steve Moore (Colorado Avalanche) spoke to the media for the first time since Todd Bertuzzi (Vancouver Canucks) sucker-punched him during a game on March 9.
2004 - The NHL approved the sale of the Atlanta Thrashers from Time Warner.
2013 - Jaromir Jagr (Dallas Stars) scored is 1,000th assist in a game against the Minnesota Wild. He was the 12th NHL player to reach 1,000 points and the first non-Canadian NHL player to reach the mark.
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