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"Sports Quote of the Day"
"We talk a lot about hope, helping, and teamwork. Our whole message is that we are more powerful together." ~ Victoria Osteen, Co-Pastor and Author
TRENDING: Wisconsin racing favorite Dale Earnhardt Jr. announces his retirement. (See the NASCAR section for NASCAR news and racing updates).
(Photo/Getty)
TRENDING: Teammates see Mike Glennon taking command of Bears offense. (See the football section for Bears news and NFL updates).
TRENDING: Bulls Lose Game 4 But Remain Hungry For Battle. (See the basketball section for Bulls news and NBA updates).
TRENDING: Eulogy: Remembering the 2016-17 Chicago Blackhawks. (See the hockey section for Blackhawks updates and NHL news).
TRENDING: Kyle Hendricks outduels Gerrit Cole in Cubs win. (See the baseball section for Cubs and White Sox updates).
TRENDING: Three more hits for Leury Garcia as White Sox pound Royals. (See the baseball section for Cubs and White Sox updates).
Bear Down Chicago Bears!!!!! Teammates see Mike Glennon taking command of Bears offense.
By JJ Stankevitz
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
The Bears are expected to add a quarterback this week, possibly as soon as the third overall pick. But the starting quarterback the team already has in place is beginning to take control of the Bears' offense.
With the Bears' nine-week offseason program getting underway last week, Mike Glennon has had his first opportunity to work with coaches and teammates here at Halas Hall, largely in conditioning drills. And the early evaluations of the 27-year-old have been positive.
"(What) I've seen from Mike is just him taking command," receiver Josh Bellamy, this year's veteran recipient of the Piccolo Award, said. "He's taking command and he's willing to take all responsibility of what's going on, and that's what you want in a leader. And I'm willing to follow. And I know everybody else in the locker room is too."
Jordan Howard, the Bears' rookie recipient of the 2016 Piccolo Award, echoed Bellamy's praise of Glennon.
"He's a hard worker," Howard said. "He's been trying to motivate guys to push through things."
Having three different starting quarterbacks (Jay Cutler, Brian Hoyer and Matt Barkley) last year was part of why the Bears sunk to a 3-13 record. Even if the Bears pick their quarterback of the future in two days, having consistent leadership from Glennon could be a positive for this group in 2017.
"There's not a whole lot of teams that go through that (having three starting QBs) that have success," coach John Fox said last month. "That's over a 16-game regular season schedule. In Mike's case, he's been steady, he's been consistent, he just hasn't had a lot of opportunity. But everybody that I've known that's been around him both in college football and pro football people that I respect and know pretty well feel really good about him moving forward."
And that leadership would come from a guy who last started in 2014 and only attempted 11 passes in the last two seasons. But the Bears lauded Glennon's leadership abilities in signing him last month, and so far, the front office has been proven right in their assessment.
"He's first out," Bellamy said. "He wants everybody on time, he's demanding everything, what a quarterback should do, he's showing leadership with the whole team. And he interacts with the players, with his guys. He'll call us, hey, you guys want to go to the game or just stuff, just building camaraderie and building a brotherhood. And that's all it's about."
Jordan Howard not resting on 2016 success: 'I want to make the Hall of Fame'.
By JJ Stankevitz
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
Josh Bellamy considers Jordan Howard his "nephew," and has communicated a message to the second-year running back: Forget about 2016.
2016, of course, was the year in which the 22-year-old Howard set the Bears' single-season rookie rushing record with 1,313 yards and was a Pro Bowl selection. That's not necessarily easy to leave behind.
"What we did last year, that's in the past," Bellamy said. "So you gotta do that every year. You do that every year, man, you'll get in the Hall of Fame, and you'll be one of those guys that goes to the Pro Bowl every year, like Adrian Peterson, those guys. Forget last year and let's move forward."
Howard was at Halas Hall Tuesday to be honored along with Bellamy as the 2016 Piccolo Award winners ("It’s a real honor to win this award along with J.B.," Howard said). He spoke like someone who has his sights set on greater accomplishments than one year of 1,000-plus yards or a January trip to Orlando.
"Ever since I've been playing this game, I always wanted to be the best," Howard said. "That's still my drive. I want to be the best player. I want to make the Hall of Fame. But I also want to win Super Bowls. I want to keep getting better so the team can get better as well."
That Howard was standing in Halas Hall talking about Hall of Fame aspirations is somewhat incredible, given a year ago he tumbled all the way to the fifth round and the 150th overall pick.
That he fell that far was a surprise to him, and also to some observers — NFL.com's writeup pegged him as a second or third-round pick and compared him to Arian Foster.
"I didn't go where I thought I was going to be going," Howard said. "So that was kind of a disappointment. But I was very grateful to be selected at all."
And the Bears, of course, are grateful to have landed him.
Clemson's Deshaun Watson is the one situation where a Bears reach has epic upside.
By John Mullin
(Photo/Getty Images)
First impressions are so often the right ones, and throughout much of the pre-draft process, View from the Moon has been of the mind that LSU safety Jamal Adams would be the Bears' first selection on Day 1 of the NFL Draft. GM Ryan Pace set forth the premium the organization was placing on a ballhawking safety; Malik Hooker’s injury history raised too many concerns, and Adams was rated among the draft’s premier talents regardless of position.
That has changed, which is absolutely zero assurance that it was a change for the better. Because the cone of silence over Bears intentions, which may set the media a-grumbling but is at least something that the Bears have in common with Green Bay and New England, naming just a couple, is securely in place, which is a credit to the administration. (If another Administration out East were as airtight, political pundits would be reading their kids' school poems just to fill air time).
The revised decision to posit the Bears selecting Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson came on a wave of second thoughts drawn from information from a variety of sources. Chief among the "sources" was Pace himself, who has placed a premium on an individual capable of lifting not just the defense, but the organization. That bespoke "quarterback," and Watson gains the highest grade by virtue of intangibles on top of experience and results, with nods toward North Carolina's Mitchell Trubisky.
Usually the pre-draft process is to fault-find and nit-pick prospects, run 'em down a little, hedge bets. But with Watson, the closer this observer has looked, the better, not worse, the Clemson kid has looked.
The chief caveat or qualifier with Watson has been general consensus among draft analysts that Watson has some accuracy issues. Not that this would be any sort of picking nit to find something wrong with the guy, but his career completion percentage is 67.4, with all three of his season hit rate at or above 67 percent. No other top prospect (Trubisky Pat Mahomes, DeShone Kizer, Nathan Peterman, Brad Kaaya, Davis Webb – I stopped looking at that point) has three seasons at that level or anything approaching the consistency of all three of his college years being nearly identical for this one measure of accuracy.
But a mantra here this draft has been that stats and measurables should not be the starting point for evaluating quarterbacks; it should be intangibles, THEN the measurables. More on the stats in a moment.
On the intangibles/character graph, consider:
The kid finished his degree, in communications, in three years, which was how long he planned to be at Clemson. Notably, he’s not alone in this kind of degree-compartmentalizing; Leonard Fournette at LSU and Clemson teammate and wideout Artavis Scott are both on schedule for finishing their studies at about the same time as their football. This would be what this reporter considers a very, very big positive in the character area and one that more players are moving on, a good story for another time.
Watson’s chief negative cited has been turnovers, specifically his 17 interceptions in the 2016 season. That also was the season Watson took Clemson to the national championship over Alabama, and the one in which he threw 579 passes. I can’t do this at the moment, but if there are instances where Watson's play was a bit off for a particular game, it might be amusing to find out what finals/tests/labs he had due the day before. Hopefully teams don't gig him for studying something other than game film that week.
But back to the stats and measurables...
Watson’s 17 interceptions in 579 attempts this past college season means an interception rate of 2.9 percent – or just about exactly what Brett Favre had for his college career. Obviously, all purely for academic comparison purposes, Watson for his career was a little better than Favre, at 2.7 percent. Watson completed 67 percent or more of his passes in those three Clemson seasons, if accuracy is a concern. This year’s Super Bowl quarterbacks: Tom Brady’s Michigan pick rate was 2.7 percent; Matt Ryan threw 19 his senior year at Boston College before going No. 3 overall to Atlanta.
The Favre/Brady/Ryan point is this: Look beyond just the numbers, and even beyond some of the supposed smudges on Watson's game at this point. The position is about leadership and winning, and Watson comes into the draft with zero concerns there.
Suggesting that the Bears send up their first card with Watson's name on it doesn't ignore the dubious wisdom in drafting a player significantly higher than his grade on a draft board. But intangibles factor heavily into the quarterback position, and those aren't generally factored heavily into the grading process. Too many draft mistakes (Favre second round, Joe Montana third, Russell Wilson third, Brady sixth) were made ignoring those elements.
Reasons abound for the Bears not reaching for Watson at No. 3 – Jonathan Allen. Adams. Malik Hooker. Marshon Lattimore. Solomon Thomas. (Insert your choice here.) And the overall of "he’s doesn't have a top-five grade."
But as laid out here previously during this draft season, the quarterback position is about more than height-weight-arm strength-40 time-and such. The Bears hope they won’t ever be at No. 3-overall again. Whether they see Watson as the best chance to keep that from happening will play out later this week.
Just Another Chicago Bulls Session..... Bulls Lose Game 4 But Remain Hungry For Battle.
By Sam Smith
(Photo/chicagobulls.com)
"There’s more life left in playoff basketball and that should excite everyone after they get the nasty taste out of their mouth from losing.”
Maybe this is when the Bulls are better, when little is expected, when everyone has dismissed them and moved on, when they’ve left the basketball world wondering again just who are those guys.
Those guys are the unpredicta-Bulls, who Sunday lost their second consecutive home game to the Boston Celtics, this time 104-95, to see the first round playoff series tied at 2-2. Now having surrendered the rare two road victories and home court advantage, the Bulls go to Boston Wednesday for Game 5, again given little chance of success.
“They got what, two out of three at home?” asked Jimmy Butler, who was fabulous in this biggest game with 33 points, nine assists and five rebounds in almost 46 minutes. “We have to go in and play hard on the road; we’ve done that. It’s a different time now, 2-2. We’ll be OK. We can’t hang our heads that we lost two at home. We have to go battle on the road and two of the next three games, home, away whatever. We’ve got to win two.”
Simple as that, but now the most difficult of tasks is ahead as the Bulls walked into a wild punch after the Celtics were woozy with a figurative hooping eight-count. Those two Bulls wins in Boston were a near knockout. Only three teams in NBA history recovered from losing the first two at home to win a playoff series. But now it’s the Bulls reeling and trying to hold on with Rajon Rondo’s fractured thumb and two numbing losses.
“One of these slugfest series,” said Dwyane Wade. “No one could project it would be this way, the players neither. We look forward to Game 5. There’s more life left in playoff basketball and that should excite everyone after they get the nasty taste out of their mouth from losing.”
Other than Butler’s 33 points, the Bulls struggled to find offense and then did so in the most unlikely place from rarely used guard Isaiah Canaan with 13 points and good, physical defense on Boston star Isaiah Thomas. Thomas had 33 points and was brilliant in the pivotal third quarter stretch after the Bulls recovered from a 20-point deficit to take a 65-63 lead.
Canaan needed a breather after rarely playing the last two months and Thomas took off. The Celtics regained a double digit lead and then fought off every Bulls fourth quarter run.
“We don’t come out with any energy in the first quarter,” agreed Butler of the identical 14-4 deficits five minutes in two straight games. “We had plenty of energy in that second half. If we start at the beginning of the game like we do to get out of that hole we’ll probably be up or at least we wouldn’t be down that much.
“Offense is never the problem. Scoring 95 points can win in the playoffs; we gave up 104, 30 in the first quarter. We have to guard; offense hasn’t been the real big thing all year long. It’s not going to be the big thing in the playoffs. We have to man up, guard, pay attention when we are going over their stuff from the scouts; we can’t have mishaps. That’s a back breaker for us. It’s OK to make a mistake, but the same mistake over and over again in the playoffs? That’s not a good look." ~ Jimmy ButlerMostly that was again the weak switching on defense, Boston dictating mismatches and then taking advantage of the Bulls less athletic players with Thomas’ drives to the basket. Though the Bulls countered as much since their plan was to force Boston into equal switches and attack the tiny Thomas. Butler did it well in getting 19 of 23 free throws after zero in Game 3. But, again, the early deficit with the casual beginning was too much to overcome.
The Bulls again didn’t go into Robin Lopez early, settling for jump shots and awkward drives against Boston’s livelier pressure. It remained confounding how after two spectacular road wins the Bulls could be so lifeless back home to start consecutive games.
“I don’t know about the slow starts,” said Wade, who had 11 points. “Everyone is prepared, everyone is ready. It’s not that no one is. Give them credit. Offensively, they came out moving the ball, doing things. We have to go back and look at different ways to guard them. They’re kind of in the flow of the way we are guarding them. That’s what happens in a series. They’re kind of moving us around and getting the shots they want, so we have to go back and see how we can change some things to keep them from getting those big leads we had to work so hard to come back from.”
Boston’s small game again was effective with Gerald Green making a pair of early threes. The Bulls looked almost out of it, falling behind 41-21 on two more Green threes to open the second quarter. That’s when Canaan doubled Marcus (not so) Smart, stripping away the ball for a layup. Smart then went to take the ball out of bounds, pushing Butler and creating what passes as an NBA fight these days. Butler and Smart got technical fouls. But call him Marcus Stupid because it was clearly the waking of sleeping dogs thing as the crowd and the Bulls finally got into the game. Nikola Mirotic made a pair of threes, Butler pounded his way to the basket and the Bulls trailed 57-46 at halftime. They were leading about seven minutes later before Thomas saved his team.
But Butler had a post game warning for Smart, and we’ll see where that leads Wednesday.
“As far as the Marcus Smart situation goes, he’s a great actor,” said Butler. “Acting tough, that’s what he does. I don’t think he’s about that life, so he needs to calm down. I’m the wrong guy to get into my face. He needed to take it somewhere else because I’m not the one for that.
“That’s the first time; last time, too,” Butler warned. “We’re not going to sit here and get in each other faces like that. He needs to calm it down."
The Bulls need to figure some things out as well. The Celtics looked like they took their pick and roll with Thomas and Al Horford out a bit higher to give Thomas more running room and better angles. Getting switches onto the likes of non athletic players like Mirotic, Paul Zipser and Lopez was troublesome for the Bulls. Though the Bulls didn’t go back to Lopez in the fourth quarter when Boston shut off some Bulls rallies with a rebounding edge. Lopez had a big third quarter as the Bulls, at least, finally got him in some rolling action with Butler even if they didn’t post him inside early against the lighter Horford.
The Bulls did close with Bobby Portis having a strong offensive finish, but without Lopez the Bulls were smaller down the stretch. Plus, Wade had a tough close when it’s usually where the Bulls expect help from him.
“It’s the next one,” Wade said about the task ahead. “It’s a challenge in Game 1, a challenge in Game 2, Game 3, Game 4; that’s the playoffs. Just like we were guaranteed nothing when we came home, it guarantees them nothing. We have to go there and play better basketball than we played here. We have two days to prepare. Try to get a game plan to give us a chance on the road.
“You have to find (that confidence from Games 1 and 2). You have to let it go. That’s the one thing from having a young group of guys. Don’t hang your heads. Guys have bad games. No one wants to play bad. But you go to the film, figure out which way you can help the team, try to come out next game and be better. It’s not from a lack of effort. Not from a lack of want; just have to do it. Understand, in the playoffs the next game is the biggest game. Whatever happened the game before, once you get it out of your system, get back in the gym, shoot the shots you missed, go out and play the same way you always played." ~ Dwyane Wade
Isaiah Canaan will start Game 5, but Bulls need more adjustments against Celtics.
By Vincent Goodwill
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
If the Bulls were doubting Thomases before Sunday afternoon, Isaiah made them pay for it dearly with each turn of his hand, each herky-jerky dribble and each devastating floater.
Perhaps wiser to their errors, the Bulls will go into Game 5 in Boston with an Isaiah of their own in the starting lineup, as Isaiah Canaan will make the start at TD Garden on Wednesday night.
Having been banished to the inactive list and end of the bench, Canaan's best moments under the United Center lights had been one-on-one matchups with his teammates hours before the real games began.
So being tossed in with 2:15 left in the first quarter and the Bulls already behind 13 points presented both opportunity and some nerves given the stakes. Having played a total of 92 minutes since the calendar turned to 2017, beggars can't be choosers.
"Throughout the season you just wonder when that opportunity is going to come," Canaan said. "I believe everything happens for a reason. You never can see what it may be, from going from not playing for the second half of the season mostly to playing in the most crucial time of the season in the playoffs, I guess God just sent me a sign to mentally be locked in and really battle your faith."
He responded by pressuring Thomas in a way Jerian Grant and Michael Carter-Williams couldn't with any effectiveness, probably due to his quickness and similar build to Thomas.
"My job is to make his job miserable," Canaan said. "He's a great player and he can find different cracks, but I'm just going out there trying to interrupt their timing, try and milk as much time as I can off the shot clock and just keep him uncomfortable. Not let him get settled in for what they want to run, so I'm just out there to make him uncomfortable and speed him up."
Canaan scored 13 points in 33 minutes, hitting three 3-pointers and being a +11 while on the floor, so it's easy to see why Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg wasn't going to mess around with the Grant and Carter-Williams combo that hadn't done much of anything in the friendly confines of the United Center over the weekend.
"I really thought he did a good job picking up the ball and pressuring the pickup point a full 94 feet," Hoiberg said. "I thought his initial ball pressure was good. We have to get off to a much better start if we want to have any chance of winning another game in this series. That's two games in a row now we've gotten ourselves down 20 points and fought all the way back."
Still, Thomas scored 33 points and exploited a once-aggressive Bulls defense that seemed to be on its heels for most of the second half against Thomas, leading to Hoiberg's claims about Thomas carrying the ball to give himself an advantage in his hesitation moves.
Hoiberg wouldn't revisit the topic before Monday's practice and praised the Celtics guard who's battling through the devastating loss of his sister, who died right before the series opened in Boston last weekend.
"I'm a huge Isaiah Thomas fan. He's as big a competitor as we have in our league," Hoiberg said. "Obviously, he's as tough a guy to guard as we have in our league. I think the world of the kid, especially what he's going through now, how he's fought through that and like I said last night, he's a warrior to go out there and do what he's done so far in this series."
Thomas has averaged 25.8 points on 45.8 percent shooting with six assists and four rebounds per game. At times, the Bulls' size has bothered Thomas at the rim, particularly Jimmy Butler coming over to help alter his share of attempts, but since the Celtics have altered their approach Thomas has found easier traction to the basket.
Celtics coach Brad Stevens inserted Gerald Green in the starting lineup and the move has worked masterfully, with Green scoring 18 points with four 3-pointers and one highlight-worthy baseline dunk.
It's rendered Robin Lopez effectiveness to a minimum, as he was an unsung hero on the offensive glass in the first two games, meaning Stevens' move to play smaller was a risk, albeit a calculated one.
The Bulls didn't adjust at all to it in Game 4 after the Celtics won decisively Friday night, but changes besides Canaan have to be in store if the Bulls hope to come home looking to clinch a berth in the second round as opposed to fighting off elimination in Game 6.
"It changed it entirely. Obviously when it was big-big, we dominated them," Dwyane Wade said. "Dominated them defensively, incredibly. They made adjustments, we didn't need to because we were up 2-0. Then coming off Game 3, we felt watching the film we played with low motor, not enough energy so we didn't feel the game-plan was the key.
"But it was coming out of Game 4. So now it's a few adjustments we hope to make and hopefully it makes a difference."
NBA Buzz: Time for Fred Hoiberg to make adjustments for the Bulls.
By Mark Schanowski
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
And after dropping two games to the Celtics on their home court, the Bulls clearly need to make some changes to their strategy on both offense and defense. Fourteen-year veteran and three-time NBA champion Dwyane Wade admitted as much on Monday.
"They made adjustments (after losing the first 2 games in Boston). We didn't need to because we were up 2-0. Then coming off of Game 3, we felt watching the film we played low motor, not enough energy, so we didn't feel the game plan was necessarily the key. But it was coming out of Game 4. So now I'm sure it will be a few adjustments we'll look to make, and hopefully it makes a difference."
Fred Hoiberg indicated before practice on Tuesday that the Bulls had studied mistakes made against Boston's staggered screen-and-roll game, and would work on some new coverages for Game 5. Isaiah Thomas shredded the Bulls at the United Center with his ability to keep his dribble going while maneuvering around and between multiple screens either to score himself or find wide open shooters.
The Celtics' strategy oftentimes forced one of the Bulls' big men to switch on to the 5-foot-9 Thomas, and that's an impossible task. Thomas was able to blow by those slower defenders in Game 4, scoring eight of his 10 baskets at the rim. Boston's plan also forced Hoiberg to take Robin Lopez out of the game in the fourth quarter on Sunday, after Lopez had helped the Bulls grab a brief two-point lead briefly in the third quarter. Thomas was more of a facilitator in Game 3, dishing out nine assists, many of them to Al Horford rolling down the lane with little resistance.
Look for the Bulls to try to trap Thomas early on screen-and-roll plays and force him to move the ball to another player on the perimeter. And, if Thomas does get a driving lane to the basket, the Bulls need to go with my former studio partner Norm Van Lier's advice and take a couple of hard fouls to make him think twice about whether he wants to venture back into the paint.
Brad Stevens changed his starting lineup before Game 3, starting journeyman Gerald Green at forward and moving 6-foot-9 Amir Johnson to the bench. Green paid big dividends in Game 4, scoring 16 of his 18 points in the first half, helping Boston race out to a 20-point lead. The Bulls need to be more aware of closing out on Green at the 3-point line, and not let him take uncontested shots. It's going to be a tall task for the Bulls’ defense with all the confidence the Celtics gained during the last two games, but if new starter Isaiah Canaan can have some success pressuring Thomas out front, maybe the Bulls can force Boston out of their comfort zone and make them rely on contested perimeter jumpers.
The challenges are just as great on the other side of the floor. Without Rajon Rondo pushing the pace and moving the ball around to multiple shooters, the Bulls have been forced to play a grind-it-out style, too dependent on isolation plays for Jimmy Butler and Wade.
Again, the hope is Canaan's 3-point shooting (3-for-7 in Game 4) will help create better spacing in the offense, and Butler and Wade can be more effective coming off weakside screens to get the ball on the move to the attack the basket.
The Bulls also need to run more post-up plays against Boston's small lineup. Get the ball inside to Robin Lopez for some early chances against Horford, let Wade back down the smaller Avery Bradley like he did a couple of times in Game 4, and when the Bulls are successful in getting Thomas to switch on to Butler on screen and roll plays, punish the tiny defender inside and try to get him into foul trouble.
Hoiberg also has to find a way to get more open 3-point looks for Niko Mirotic, Bobby Portis and Paul Zipser. All three young forwards have had their moments in the series, and getting them into a comfortable rhythm early is crucial to the Bulls' offensive success.
Finally, we've all seen enough of young point guards Jerian Grant and Michael Carter-Williams in this series. Both players have lost their confidence, and neither has had any success trying to slow down Thomas. If Hoiberg needs to use another perimeter player, give rookie Denzel Valentine a look to see if he might be able to provide some outside shooting, with either Butler or Wade running the point.
Rondo did some light shooting before practice on Tuesday, and I'm guessing he'll play in Game 6 on Friday, even though he'll be severely limited because of the right thumb fracture. Let's hope the Bulls’ coaching staff comes up with the right adjustments to win Game 5, and set up for a possible clinching situation for the home team.
AROUND THE ASSOCIATION
Fascinating piece in the latest issue of ESPN The Magazine, profiling Miami Heat president and nine-time NBA champion Pat Riley. Written by Wright Thompson, the story details Riley's inner struggles trying to chase one more title after the break-up of the Big 3 of Wade, LeBron James and Chris Bosh.
Thompson details Riley's 2014 free agent meeting with James in Las Vegas, where James and two friends watched a World Cup game on television while only half listening to Riley's pitch to stay with the Heat. Riley was furious after James told him a short time later he was going back to Cleveland, and told Thompson he's glad he didn't go to the media with a Dan Gilbert, scorched-earth-style statement.
Riley admitted to Thompson he now understands why James made the choice he did. "He went home because he had to go home. It was time. It was really time for him to go home, in his prime. If he's ever gonna do anything in Akron again, this was the time to do it. Otherwise, he'd have had a scarlet letter on his back the rest of his whole life."
Thompson also writes that Riley regrets re-opening contract negotiations with Chris Bosh after James bolted for Cleveland. He wishes he would have said no to Bosh's request and given the money to Wade to keep him in Miami. The piece details how Riley is still hurt by Wade's decision to sign with the Bulls and wishes he would have handled things differently to be able to keep the face of the franchise as a lifetime member of the Heat.
In his end of the season news conference with Miami reporters, Riley says no decision has been made yet on Bosh's future with the team. It's expected the Heat will petition the league to get the final two years of Bosh's contract removed from the team's salary cap because of career-ending blood clot issues. Bosh would then be free to sign with any other team as a free agent if he tries to resume his career.
The Heat will have to decide whether to use the new cap room to re-sign productive players on the current roster like Dion Waiters and James Johnson or chase one of the big name stars in free agency. Given Riley's quest for one last championship, you can expect him to make a run at free agents Blake Griffin, Kyle Lowry, Paul Millsap and Gordon Hayward.
The Clippers' situation will be interesting to watch this summer. Head coach and president of basketball operations Doc Rivers has already indicated he'd like to keep the team together, but with Griffin, Chris Paul and J.J. Redick all headed to free agency, the cost of keeping all three might be cost prohibitive.
Paul and LeBron James, in their leadership roles with the Players Association, helped change the rule that prevented teams from offering long-term contracts that extended beyond the season a player turns 35. Now, Paul is in position to sign a new five-year contract well in excess of $200 million, so the odds are he remains with the Clippers.
Whether or not the 28-year-old Griffin or the 32-year-old Redick remain is a story that won't unfold until the start of free agency in July.
For those of us thinking the Cavs might be vulnerable in the Eastern Conference playoffs after a mediocre regular season, forget about it. James and company made an emphatic statement about their readiness to defend their NBA championship with a four-game sweep of Paul George and the Pacers.
James continues to play at an All-World level, leading the Cavs back from a 26-point deficit in Game 3, and told reporters he likes what he's seeing from his team so far in the playoffs. Cleveland's defense is still shaky, but does anyone really think they'll have trouble advancing to a third straight NBA Finals? Me neither.
Meanwhile, Golden State also appears ready for Cavs-Warriors NBA Finals, Part 3. They dispatched Damian Lillard and the Blazers in four straight, with Steph Curry looking like the two-time MVP Steph, capped off by a 37-point long ball shooting exhibition in the series clincher. Kevin Durant played well in limited minutes in Game 4, and if the Warriors stay healthy they will be a solid favorite to bring the Larry O'Brien trophy back to the Bay Area in June.
Speaking of health, all of us who follow the NBA closely, are rooting for the Warriors’ head coach and former Bulls’ three-time champion Steve Kerr to get back on the bench very soon. Kerr was forced to miss the last two games of the series against Portland because of the continuing after-effects of a botched back surgery.
Kerr said the neck pain and headaches he was experiencing became so debilitating that he couldn't function at the level he needed to during the playoffs. Assistant coach Mike Brown will run the Warriors in Kerr's absence, but it's just not the same around the team without Kerr's presence.
Getting to know Kerr a bit during his time as a player with the Bulls, you couldn't ask for a more likeable, down to earth athlete, and he's kept that same self-deprecating sense of humor through the daily pressure of life as an NBA head coach.
Kerr has experienced all the success anyone could ask for during his time in basketball, including six NBA championships, three as a player with the Bulls, two with the Spurs and one as head coach with the Warriors.
But as we all realize, good health is more important than anything in life, and right now Kerr's life has been all about managing pain for the better part of two years. Here's hoping Kerr can find the answers to his health issues, and be able to get back to experiencing the joys of coaching what looks like the NBA's next dynasty.
Will the Bulls be able to turn to Rajon Rondo soon?
By Vincent Goodwill
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
It doesn't seem likely but a Rajon Rondo return to the Bulls-Celtics series certainly seems possible, as the injured point guard was launching corner 3-pointers before the start of Tuesday's practice.
Except he was shooting with his left hand, as his right thumb was fractured in the second half of Game 2 in Boston. Game 5 is Wednesday night in Boston, as the Bulls have lost the two games without him and have looked rudderless at point guard.
As of the moment, the Bulls have ruled him out for Game 5 but are noncommittal beyond that, with Game 6 being back in Chicago Friday night.
If he returned it would be a remarkable turnaround considering one of Rondo's teammates called his thumb injury "I've worst I've ever seen in my career", leading to cautious words from Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg.
"This is honestly the first time he has touched a basketball with that right hand. We'll see how it goes. He's going to continue to condition and do everything he can," Hoiberg said. "Just watching him wince a little bit when the ball was coming to him makes me think it's a longshot.
But if there's anybody who can do it and will try to fight through it, it's Rondo because of the competitor he is."
Rondo said he couldn't grip a fork with his right hand, let alone a basketball when he spoke to the media this weekend, and the official diagnosis stated he would be evaluated between 7-10 days, pushing things right between Games 6 and 7, if it gets to a decisive seventh game in Boston.
It's not just Rondo's wizardry that has people fantasizing about Rondo producing a Willis Reed moment, but the lack of confidence in backups Jerian Grant and Michael Carter-Williams is palpable.
Except he was shooting with his left hand, as his right thumb was fractured in the second half of Game 2 in Boston. Game 5 is Wednesday night in Boston, as the Bulls have lost the two games without him and have looked rudderless at point guard.
As of the moment, the Bulls have ruled him out for Game 5 but are noncommittal beyond that, with Game 6 being back in Chicago Friday night.
If he returned it would be a remarkable turnaround considering one of Rondo's teammates called his thumb injury "I've worst I've ever seen in my career", leading to cautious words from Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg.
"This is honestly the first time he has touched a basketball with that right hand. We'll see how it goes. He's going to continue to condition and do everything he can," Hoiberg said. "Just watching him wince a little bit when the ball was coming to him makes me think it's a longshot.
But if there's anybody who can do it and will try to fight through it, it's Rondo because of the competitor he is."
Rondo said he couldn't grip a fork with his right hand, let alone a basketball when he spoke to the media this weekend, and the official diagnosis stated he would be evaluated between 7-10 days, pushing things right between Games 6 and 7, if it gets to a decisive seventh game in Boston.
It's not just Rondo's wizardry that has people fantasizing about Rondo producing a Willis Reed moment, but the lack of confidence in backups Jerian Grant and Michael Carter-Williams is palpable.
Hoiberg is going with Isaiah Canaan at point guard for Game 5, after he hit a few shots and defended Isaiah Thomas reasonably well, despite Thomas scoring 33 points Sunday night.
Rondo did a good enough job funneling Thomas near the help defense, but it seems to be a foreign process from anyone else this series. The Bulls' dependency on Rondo's brain is obvious, given everything he's been through; Their seeming reliance on Rondo in the physical form is more than shocking, seeing as how he couldn't do right in their eyes in December and January.
"He obviously wants to get back out there and is doing everything he can to put himself in that position, knowing that it's still a longshot that that happens," Hoiberg said.
The visual, though, in plain view of camera phones and TV cameras, certainly appeared striking as Rondo still had a brace around his thumb before practice.
"We want that guy back, man, but I don't know if it will happen, if it won't happen, I can't tell you that," said Jimmy Butler, who's had to take on more ball-handling responsibilities in Rondo's absence. "But he's still out here, shooting shots with his left hand from the corner."
Butler then added some levity and perhaps a dose of reality to the moment of optimism.
"He just shot that one right-handed by the way and air-balled it. But we love him, man," Butler said.
The Bulls would need more than just a ceremonial Rondo appearance if he were to return, as he supplied the Bulls with a confidence and swagger that hadn't been seen in awhile and hasn't been heard from since his injury—unless you could the Celtics' brimming confidence with two wins in Chicago to take control back of home-court advantage.
The Celtics have loaded up on Butler and to a lesser degree, Wade, turning them into facilitators rather than attackers or at least guys who can get an easy basket or two during a game.
Rondo was good for setting those guys up along with taking care of Nikola Mirotic and Bobby Portis, but that responsibility has fallen down the line to players who are just as willing but not as creatively capable as Rondo.
"He's our floor general out there," Butler said. "He knows everything, knows every matchup, every position, and he's still helping over there from the bench, but we really want him healthy and out there for us."
How 'bout them Chicago Blackhawks? Eulogy: Remembering the 2016-17 Chicago Blackhawks.
By Chris Link
(Photo/yahoosports.com/puck daddy)
Ed. Note: As the Stanley Cup Playoffs continue, we’re bound to lose some friends along the journey. We’ve asked for these losers, gone but not forgotten, to be eulogized by the people who knew the teams best: The bloggers and fans who hated them the most. Here is Chris Link, semi-retired Nashville Predators blogger, fondly recalling the 2016-17 Chicago Blackhawks.)
(Again, this was not written by us. Also: This is a roast and you will be offended by it, so don’t take it so seriously.)
It seems strange to pen a good-bye to the Chicago Blackhawks.
(Again, this was not written by us. Also: This is a roast and you will be offended by it, so don’t take it so seriously.)
It seems strange to pen a good-bye to the Chicago Blackhawks.
This is a team that has already died once before, accidentally adopting the Pittsburgh Penguins’ patented strategy of failing their way to success. Who knew that years of cynical mismanagement would result in a sea of entitled drunkards whose guttural cries are as predictable as they are tired and hollow. A pack of celery salt scarfing dude-bros in snapback hats and knockoff black-ice Kane jerseys purchased from a plywood shack sitting at the intersection of one of the tiered sewer lines Chicagoans call a ‘street system’ who want nothing more than to descend onto Nashville for some of those sweet, sweet free jello shots.
I would like to offer a special thank you to the visiting Chicago fans. I know you love to hate the “Keep the Red Out” campaign by the Predators, despite the long history of NHL teams making use of restricted ticketing programs. But that’s never stopped you. You still manage to find your way into the arena, time after time.
I would like to offer a special thank you to the visiting Chicago fans. I know you love to hate the “Keep the Red Out” campaign by the Predators, despite the long history of NHL teams making use of restricted ticketing programs. But that’s never stopped you. You still manage to find your way into the arena, time after time.
I must also say thank you as, during this most recent series, fewer of you managed to piss yourselves and pick fights with cops. Though your good behavior likely represents a loss of city revenue, we appreciate you going out of your way to elevate yourselves into a presentable state for the last two games of what was a long and arduous playoff series. Although it definitely made it more difficult for Predators fans to complete our Chicago Fans bingo card (credit to: https://twitter.com/ericshuff)
It seems strange to pen a good bye to the Chicago Blackhawks. Champions of the West. A dynasty in the making. A team that feels no pressure. In Patrick Kane’s own words, “We don’t really feel any pressure. All the pressure’s on them to win the next game.” Now, look into the eyes of a person who feels no pressure.
Those are the eyes of a leader.
Those are the eyes of person who is about to get bounced from the playoffs, before clearing out his locker, hoping on a plane, and going back to treating Hamburg, NY as his own personal Pyongyang.
Those are the eyes of person who had spent three games getting outplayed by Harry Zolnierczyk.
Those are the eyes of a loser.
And lose they did. Even if the hockey media weren’t quite ready to surrender their near unanimous endorsement of Chicago and the human Juicero the Hawks call a captain.
But it’s true. We never gave up on the Hawks. Even though they managed to score zero goals at home. Even though the Predators and their fans never had to deal with the psychological warfare that is “Chelsea Dagger.” Even though they collapsed under Nashville’s pressure after taking a two-goal lead in Game 3. We never gave up on them until after the handshakes.
Where does this leave the Hawks and their fans?
Chicago is a franchise fighting a salary cap and numerous massive contracts to hang on to talent that both meet value (Kane, ugh) and will never live up to it (Toews, maybe if he stopped playing so much defense).
I can only assume the Hawks are going to spend the next few years chasing the Vancouver Canucks down corridors of futility trying to balance massive contracts, diminishing depth, and listless ticket buyers who may yet abandon the team they discovered seven long years ago. .
On the bright side, your next Stanley Cup should be right on the horizon!
After all, Chicago averages .065 Stanley Cups per season.
Oh, and we’re taking your goal song as tribute.
Which Blackhawks will be participating in 2017 IIHF World Championships?
Those are the eyes of a leader.
Those are the eyes of person who is about to get bounced from the playoffs, before clearing out his locker, hoping on a plane, and going back to treating Hamburg, NY as his own personal Pyongyang.
Those are the eyes of person who had spent three games getting outplayed by Harry Zolnierczyk.
Those are the eyes of a loser.
And lose they did. Even if the hockey media weren’t quite ready to surrender their near unanimous endorsement of Chicago and the human Juicero the Hawks call a captain.
But it’s true. We never gave up on the Hawks. Even though they managed to score zero goals at home. Even though the Predators and their fans never had to deal with the psychological warfare that is “Chelsea Dagger.” Even though they collapsed under Nashville’s pressure after taking a two-goal lead in Game 3. We never gave up on them until after the handshakes.
Where does this leave the Hawks and their fans?
Chicago is a franchise fighting a salary cap and numerous massive contracts to hang on to talent that both meet value (Kane, ugh) and will never live up to it (Toews, maybe if he stopped playing so much defense).
I can only assume the Hawks are going to spend the next few years chasing the Vancouver Canucks down corridors of futility trying to balance massive contracts, diminishing depth, and listless ticket buyers who may yet abandon the team they discovered seven long years ago. .
On the bright side, your next Stanley Cup should be right on the horizon!
After all, Chicago averages .065 Stanley Cups per season.
Oh, and we’re taking your goal song as tribute.
Which Blackhawks will be participating in 2017 IIHF World Championships?
By Charlie Roumeliotis
(Photo/USA TODAY)
The Blackhawks' season ended much sooner than expected after being swept in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs by the Nashville Predators.
But for some players, their hockey season may not be finished yet.
The IIHF World Championships begin May 5, and an early postseason exit gives several Blackhawks an opportunity to play in the tournament.
With the National Hockey League saying it will not participate in the 2018 Winter Olympics, players may be more inclined to join given the uncertainty of when they'll be able to represent their countries again — if ever, for some.
Here's an update on which Blackhawks players could be participating:
— Patrick Kane said Saturday he's taking the weekend to mull over Team USA's offer, and will make a final decision in the next "day or two."
— Duncan Keith, Brent Seabrook and Jonathan Toews each declined their invites from Team Canada, electing to use a lengthy offseason to recharge and focus on training for the 2017-18 NHL season.
— Corey Crawford and Nick Schmaltz said they have not been contacted by their respective countries, but both said they would consider going if they are.
— Artemi Panarin has reportedly already accepted Team Russia's offer to play.
— Niklas Hjalmarsson said he's "thinking about" Team Sweden's offer after the NHL's decision not to attend the 2018 Winter Olympics. "Who knows when I'll ever get a chance to play for my country again, so that might be factor," he said.
— Marcus Kruger said he's talking with Team Sweden officials, and has expressed interest in going.
— Marian Hossa said he informed Team Slovakia that he will not be playing: "Let the young guys play."
— Richard Panik will not be participating either, saying he doesn't want to risk injury as he seeks a new contract.
Blackhawks fire assistant coach Mike Kitchen.
By Tracey Myers
But for some players, their hockey season may not be finished yet.
The IIHF World Championships begin May 5, and an early postseason exit gives several Blackhawks an opportunity to play in the tournament.
With the National Hockey League saying it will not participate in the 2018 Winter Olympics, players may be more inclined to join given the uncertainty of when they'll be able to represent their countries again — if ever, for some.
Here's an update on which Blackhawks players could be participating:
— Patrick Kane said Saturday he's taking the weekend to mull over Team USA's offer, and will make a final decision in the next "day or two."
— Duncan Keith, Brent Seabrook and Jonathan Toews each declined their invites from Team Canada, electing to use a lengthy offseason to recharge and focus on training for the 2017-18 NHL season.
— Corey Crawford and Nick Schmaltz said they have not been contacted by their respective countries, but both said they would consider going if they are.
— Artemi Panarin has reportedly already accepted Team Russia's offer to play.
— Niklas Hjalmarsson said he's "thinking about" Team Sweden's offer after the NHL's decision not to attend the 2018 Winter Olympics. "Who knows when I'll ever get a chance to play for my country again, so that might be factor," he said.
— Marcus Kruger said he's talking with Team Sweden officials, and has expressed interest in going.
— Marian Hossa said he informed Team Slovakia that he will not be playing: "Let the young guys play."
— Richard Panik will not be participating either, saying he doesn't want to risk injury as he seeks a new contract.
Blackhawks fire assistant coach Mike Kitchen.
By Tracey Myers
(Photo/USA TODAY)
When Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman addressed the media on Saturday, he said that there would be change. That started on Monday when assistant coach Mike Kitchen was fired.
The move came five days after the Blackhawks were swept out of the first round by the Nashville Predators. Bowman said in a statement that, “we believe this decision is best for our organization moving forward. Mike had an impact on two different Stanley Cup championship teams during his tenure in Chicago. We appreciate his many contributions and wish he and his family success in the future.”
Kitchen has been a member of coach Joel Quenneville’s staff since 2010. The two go back to their playing days, however, when they were teammates with the Colorado Rockies and also the New Jersey Devils. Kitchen was Quenneville’s assistant when the two were with the St. Louis Blues and when Quenneville was fired as Blues coach midway through the 2003-04 season, Kitchen was promoted to head coach.
As part of the Blackhawks’ staff Kitchen’s focus on special teams, mainly the penalty kill. That kill finished the regular season 24th overall in the league, although that has to come with an asterisk. The penalty kill started the 2016-17 season so poorly that it was never going to get too far out of the basement. It did get stronger as the season wore on, and it was fourth overall during the Blackhawks’ short stay in the playoffs.
CUBS: Kyle Hendricks outduels Gerrit Cole in Cubs win.
Associated Press
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
Kyle Hendricks rediscovered his 2016 form, limiting the Pittsburgh Pirates to four hits over six innings to outduel Gerrit Cole and lead the Chicago Cubs to a 1-0 win on Tuesday night.
Hendricks (2-1) struck out two and walked three in easily his best start this year. The struggling Pirates managed just four singles off Hendricks and didn't reach third base until he was out of the game. Wade Davis worked a perfect ninth for his fifth save as the Cubs won for the sixth time in seven games.
Addison Russell doubled in the second off Cole (1-3) and scored when second baseman Alen Hanson airmailed first base on a Jason Heyward grounder, the Pirates' major league-high 20th error this season. They've also allowed 15 unearned runs, the most in the big leagues.
The miscue spoiled a terrific outing by Cole. He struck out eight without issuing a walk and retired 14 of his final 15 batters. It wasn't enough for Pittsburgh, which has lost six of eight.
Hendricks became the first Cubs pitcher in nearly 80 years to lead the majors in ERA last year (2.13) but entered at 6.19 after three lackluster starts. It dropped to 4.50 after he spent six innings keeping the Pirates off balance with a steady diet of breaking balls and changeups .
It was the second straight strong start for the defending World Series champions, who have spent the last week riding their offense to shake out of an early pitching funk. The Cubs' pitching did the heavy lifting while Cole dominated the highest-scoring team in the majors.
Russell's double and a two-out infield hit by Kris Bryant in the sixth was all the Cubs managed against the Pittsburgh ace, who is hoping to put an injury plagued 2016 behind him. After giving up five runs in a loss to Boston on opening day, Cole has surrendered just seven runs over his last 25 innings, a 2.52 ERA.
Pittsburgh had a chance to tie the score when John Jaso led off the seventh with a double against Koji Uehara. Jaso advanced to third on a fly ball but was stranded when Hanson struck out and pinch-hitter Jose Osuna flied to center.
Hendricks (2-1) struck out two and walked three in easily his best start this year. The struggling Pirates managed just four singles off Hendricks and didn't reach third base until he was out of the game. Wade Davis worked a perfect ninth for his fifth save as the Cubs won for the sixth time in seven games.
Addison Russell doubled in the second off Cole (1-3) and scored when second baseman Alen Hanson airmailed first base on a Jason Heyward grounder, the Pirates' major league-high 20th error this season. They've also allowed 15 unearned runs, the most in the big leagues.
The miscue spoiled a terrific outing by Cole. He struck out eight without issuing a walk and retired 14 of his final 15 batters. It wasn't enough for Pittsburgh, which has lost six of eight.
Hendricks became the first Cubs pitcher in nearly 80 years to lead the majors in ERA last year (2.13) but entered at 6.19 after three lackluster starts. It dropped to 4.50 after he spent six innings keeping the Pirates off balance with a steady diet of breaking balls and changeups .
It was the second straight strong start for the defending World Series champions, who have spent the last week riding their offense to shake out of an early pitching funk. The Cubs' pitching did the heavy lifting while Cole dominated the highest-scoring team in the majors.
Russell's double and a two-out infield hit by Kris Bryant in the sixth was all the Cubs managed against the Pittsburgh ace, who is hoping to put an injury plagued 2016 behind him. After giving up five runs in a loss to Boston on opening day, Cole has surrendered just seven runs over his last 25 innings, a 2.52 ERA.
Pittsburgh had a chance to tie the score when John Jaso led off the seventh with a double against Koji Uehara. Jaso advanced to third on a fly ball but was stranded when Hanson struck out and pinch-hitter Jose Osuna flied to center.
Jason Heyward homers, Addison Russell gets four hits, Cubs score 14 in blowout of Pirates. (Monday night's game, 04/24/2017).
Associated Press
(Photo/USA TODAY)
Jason Heyward is getting tired of talking about his rebuilt swing. Considering what the Chicago Cubs center fielder is doing at the plate these days, the conversation will soon flip from his new-look swing to the results.
A year after he hit just .230 while managing just seven home runs and 49 RBIs, Heyward is at .294 with three home runs and 16 RBIs in 18 games so far in 2017.
"I've been there before," Heyward said. "Had a down year before, didn't go exactly how I wanted. Had to put some work in and come back. It's great to see. It's not over. I'm not looking at it that way."
Addison Russell had a career-high four hits for the Cubs, who set a season-high total for runs and tied their season-high total with 17 hits. A little over two years after going 0-5 in his major league debut at PNC Park, Russell singled four times while spraying the ball to all fields.
"I just put it in play and see where it goes," Russell said. "It's working out. Seems like a pretty easy approach."
Ben Zobrist added three RBIs for Chicago. Anthony Rizzo had three hits to extend his hitting streak to 13 games. Kyle Schwarber, Kris Bryant and Miguel Montero all had two hits apiece. The Cubs are starting to get it going after a sluggish start, averaging 8.8 runs during their recent surge to first in the NL Central. It has helped take some of the pressure off a pitching staff that is struggling to get any sort of consistency from its starters.
"Some pieces are changed around but all in all if I'm producing, have Schwarbs here, him settled in for a whole year, there's a lot of good things that can come from it," Heyward said.
Chicago scored four runs with two outs in the first inning off Chad Kuhl (1-2) and added five more in the second to give Brett Anderson (2-0) all the breathing room he would need.
Anderson struggled at times with his command, walking six in six innings while striking out three and allowed three runs, one earned. Though Chicago manager Joe Maddon said he was "encouraged" by what he saw from Anderson, Anderson didn't exactly agree.
"I'd like to have a start where I don't have to battle, to grind, do all the things of that nature," Anderson said.
WHITE SOX: Three more hits for Leury Garcia as White Sox pound Royals.
By Dan Hayes
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
When a role player finally gets an opportunity in Rick Renteria's rotation, it's usually for two or three games. The idea is to give said player an opportunity to find a rhythm before they might head back to the bench for a few days.
So far this season, Leury Garcia has found this method to his liking.
The centerfielder/utility man posted his second consecutive three-hit night game and drove in two runs on Tuesday night as the White Sox pounded the Kansas City Royals 10-5 in front of 14,591 at Guaranteed Rate Field. Garcia said he appreciates knowing he's likely to appear in two straight games if he's penciled in for a first. Todd Frazier also drove in three runs for the White Sox, who scored double-digit runs in consecutive games for the first time since May 26-27, 2012 to improve to 10-9.
"That's something that makes you get into rhythm," Garcia said. "It's not the same when you get to play just once a week or twice a week. When you're playing every day you have your routine and your swing and your approach."
Though a familiar face, Garcia — who was acquired in the Aug. 9, 2013 deal that sent Alex Rios and $1 million to the Texas Rangers — is on pace to play more this April than he ever has before. With three more plate appearances on Tuesday, Garcia has 45 this month, just five shy of the 50 he accrued last September. September 2013 when he netted 45 trips to the plate is the only other time in Garcia's career where he's received at least 40 plate appearances in a month.
But Garcia has found ample time this month with Peter Bourjos traded, Charlie Tilson injured and Jacob May struggling. Much like Matt Davidson, Garcia has capitalized on his chances.
On Tuesday his two-out RBI single in the second inning off Danny Duffy tied the score at 1. Three innings later, Garcia's two-out RBI double put the White Sox ahead for good. He also added an infield single in the sixth inning for good measure and finished 3-for-4.
A career .462 OPS hitter before this season, Garcia is slashing .318/.348/.500 in 46 plate appearances this season.
A big factor for Garcia's early success is his reduced strikeout rate. He's at 8.7 percent this season (four in 46 tries), down from 30.8 percent for his career.
"I've been taking advantage of that rotation because you as a player, you want to play," Garcia said. "But at the same time you have to realize there's another 24 teammates that also deserve to play to. You have to be prepared to take advantage of that opportunity.
"For me I've been great because I've been able to perform and I feel good."
Garcia's second straight great game helped the White Sox break out against a lifeless Kansas City club. Tim Anderson followed Garcia's double in the fourth with an RBI single off Duffy to make it 4-2.
Frazier, who had two doubles and three RBIs, doubled in a run in the fifth and Yolmer Sanchez tripled him in.
Duffy allowed six earned runs and nine hits in 4 2/3 innings.
Omar Narvaez, who had two hits and a walk, singled in a pair off reliever Chris Young in the seventh as the White Sox pulled away. Frazier and Avisail Garcia, who finished 3-for-5, doubled in runs with two outs in the eighth.
The outpouring made a long night for the bullpen easier.
Starter Dylan Covey left with the lead but needed 86 pitches to complete four innings.
Dan Jennings, Anthony Swarzak, Nate Jones combined for four scoreless innings in relief. Chris Beck allowed three runs in the ninth on homers by Brandon Moss and Mike Moustakas.
So far this season, Leury Garcia has found this method to his liking.
The centerfielder/utility man posted his second consecutive three-hit night game and drove in two runs on Tuesday night as the White Sox pounded the Kansas City Royals 10-5 in front of 14,591 at Guaranteed Rate Field. Garcia said he appreciates knowing he's likely to appear in two straight games if he's penciled in for a first. Todd Frazier also drove in three runs for the White Sox, who scored double-digit runs in consecutive games for the first time since May 26-27, 2012 to improve to 10-9.
"That's something that makes you get into rhythm," Garcia said. "It's not the same when you get to play just once a week or twice a week. When you're playing every day you have your routine and your swing and your approach."
Though a familiar face, Garcia — who was acquired in the Aug. 9, 2013 deal that sent Alex Rios and $1 million to the Texas Rangers — is on pace to play more this April than he ever has before. With three more plate appearances on Tuesday, Garcia has 45 this month, just five shy of the 50 he accrued last September. September 2013 when he netted 45 trips to the plate is the only other time in Garcia's career where he's received at least 40 plate appearances in a month.
But Garcia has found ample time this month with Peter Bourjos traded, Charlie Tilson injured and Jacob May struggling. Much like Matt Davidson, Garcia has capitalized on his chances.
On Tuesday his two-out RBI single in the second inning off Danny Duffy tied the score at 1. Three innings later, Garcia's two-out RBI double put the White Sox ahead for good. He also added an infield single in the sixth inning for good measure and finished 3-for-4.
A career .462 OPS hitter before this season, Garcia is slashing .318/.348/.500 in 46 plate appearances this season.
A big factor for Garcia's early success is his reduced strikeout rate. He's at 8.7 percent this season (four in 46 tries), down from 30.8 percent for his career.
"I've been taking advantage of that rotation because you as a player, you want to play," Garcia said. "But at the same time you have to realize there's another 24 teammates that also deserve to play to. You have to be prepared to take advantage of that opportunity.
"For me I've been great because I've been able to perform and I feel good."
Garcia's second straight great game helped the White Sox break out against a lifeless Kansas City club. Tim Anderson followed Garcia's double in the fourth with an RBI single off Duffy to make it 4-2.
Frazier, who had two doubles and three RBIs, doubled in a run in the fifth and Yolmer Sanchez tripled him in.
Duffy allowed six earned runs and nine hits in 4 2/3 innings.
Omar Narvaez, who had two hits and a walk, singled in a pair off reliever Chris Young in the seventh as the White Sox pulled away. Frazier and Avisail Garcia, who finished 3-for-5, doubled in runs with two outs in the eighth.
The outpouring made a long night for the bullpen easier.
Starter Dylan Covey left with the lead but needed 86 pitches to complete four innings.
Dan Jennings, Anthony Swarzak, Nate Jones combined for four scoreless innings in relief. Chris Beck allowed three runs in the ninth on homers by Brandon Moss and Mike Moustakas.
After sitting for four games, Matt Davidson sparks White Sox. (Monday night's game, 04/24/2017).
By Dan Hayes
(Photo/AP)
Matt Davidson hadn't played his team's previous four games before putting on yet another big showing with the bat on Monday night.
But time on the bench hasn't slowed down Davidson. The designated hitter/third baseman continued to make the most of his opportunities as he fell a triple shy of the cycle in a 12-1 White Sox victory over the Kansas City Royals in front 11,484 at Guaranteed Rate Field. Davidson blasted his fourth home run and drove in four runs as the White Sox produced their biggest inning since 2012 and tied a season-high with 15 hits. The outpouring provided ample support for Miguel Gonzalez, who improved to 3-0 after he allowed an unearned run and two hits in eight innings.
"I looked at Jacob (May) tonight and said, 'Man, every time (Davidson) plays he hits a home run,'" said shortstop Tim Anderson, who singled three times and scored three runs. "He's putting together some good at-bats and is definitely one of the lead guys on the offensive side throughout the season. He's been putting together good ABs and crushing balls."
Monday's appearance was the 12th for Davidson this season in 18 White Sox games, but his first since Tuesday in New York and only his ninth start.
Davidson didn't show much rust.
He made up for lost time starting with a solo homer in the second inning off Jason Vargas to put the White Sox ahead 1-0. Four innings later, Davidson helped jumpstart an eight-run rally with an RBI double to right-center field to put the White Sox ahead 5-1. Anderson also singled in a run and Tyler Saladino tripled in two more to make it 8-1. Todd Frazier also had a two-run double before Davidson nearly knocked down the left-field fence with a two-run single. It was the biggest inning for the White Sox since they scored nine times in the fifth inning of a July 3, 2012 contest against the Texas Rangers.
Davidson is hitting .368/.375/.789 with four homers and 14 RBIs in 40 plate appearances this season. He should find himself in the starting lineup again with left-hander Danny Duffy on the mound for the Royals.
"He's going to keep doing what he needs to do," White Sox manager Rick Renteria said. "He's doing it right now. He's playing. He's going to stay working and we're going to get him the opportunities every chance we get like we are now. He doesn't have to do more than he's doing now. He's a part of us and fortunately for us every time he gets in there he does something pretty impactful for us."
All three of Davidson's hits exited his bat at greater than 103 mph, including the 110-mph single. According to MLB Barrel Alert, Davidson has hit eight pitches off the barrel this season.
He's feeling a ton of confidence and would love to play every day. But after being stuck at Triple-A Charlotte since 2014, Davidson isn't about to complain.
"It feels a whole lot better being here than in Charlotte, so I'm enjoying every single day," Davidson said. "Obviously I want to play, but being here with these guys and being in Chicago is a dream come true."
Whether he's in or out of the lineup, Davidson said he tries to stay sharp for his opportunities by staying focused every day. No matter the score, Davidson heads to the cage around the fifth inning to prepare for a potential late-innings at-bat even if they never arrive. He thinks that helps him take advantage of the days he finds himself penciled into Renteria's lineup card.
"I try to treat it as close to a game as possible," Davidson said. "If I'm not playing it's not like I'm going to go eat a ton of food. I try and not take a day off mentally and screw around."
Gonzalez hasn't been messing around this season whenever he takes the mound. He continued as an outstanding stretch that dates back to July with eight more strong innings.
Gonzalez needed only six pitches to retire the side in order in the first and sixth innings. Only one of the hits allowed by Gonzalez left the infield — Mike Moustakas' game-tying RBI double in the third. He struck out five with only one walk and lowered his ERA since July 1 to 2.54 in 106 1/3 innings.
The team's sixth-inning rally was so long that the right-hander headed into the home batting cages to throw a handful of pitches and stay warm. But he wasn't complaining afterward, either.
"It felt so long but I try not to do too much," Gonzalez said. "We scored eight runs and that's huge for our team."
Golf: I got a club for that..... New decision limits video, allows reasonable judgement.
(Photo/Golf Channel Digital)
With the Rules of Golf again under attack, the game’s governing bodies took another step in trying to limit video evidence by announcing Tuesday a new decision that will rely more on a player’s integrity and less on slow-motion replay.
Decision 34-3/10, which will be effective immediately, addresses two situations in which the rules committee will now be able to limit the use of video and overrule a penalty. (Click here for full wording of the decision)
The first is when video evidence reveals an infraction that couldn’t be seen with the naked eye. The most recent example is what transpired at the 2016 U.S. Women’s Open, when Anna Nordqvist unknowingly brushed a few grains of sand during her backswing – a rules breach that was noticed only after reviewing the zoomed-in, high-definition footage. Nordqvist was assessed a two-shot penalty and lost in a playoff.
Under the new decision, if the rules committee determines that the infraction could not have reasonably been seen by the naked eye, the player will not be assessed a penalty, even if video replay shows otherwise.
The second situation is an immediate implementation of the reasonable judgment standard that was part of the USGA and R&A’s 30 proposed changes announced on March 1. According to this rule, no penalty will be assessed if it is determined that the player did “all that can be reasonably expected under the circumstances to make an accurate estimation or measurement … even if later shown to be wrong by other means (such as video technology).”
Examples of when this rule could be enforced are estimating where a ball last crossed the margin of a hazard, where to drop when taking relief, and, yes, how a lifted ball is replaced in relation to a ball marker.
At the LPGA’s first major of the year, the ANA Inspiration, Lexi Thompson was leading by two strokes on the back nine Sunday when she received a four-stroke penalty – two for playing from an incorrect spot, another two for signing an incorrect scorecard – after rules officials were contacted by a TV viewer who noticed that the 22-year-old had incorrectly replaced her ball on a 1-foot putt during the previous round. Thompson ended up losing in a playoff.
It’s unknown whether the reasonable judgment standard would have absolved Thompson of any wrongdoing – neither Thompson nor anyone in her group was questioned about the incident, so there was no explanation for her actions. But the rules committee, after discussing the circumstances with the player and other members of the group, will now be able to clear the player if it is determined that he or she did all that could reasonably be expected to make an accurate determination with the spot, line or drop.
The USGA and R&A made no mention of the two rulings that marred those LPGA majors, saying in a statement that it decided to enforce this decision immediately because of the “many difficult issues arising from video review in televised golf.”
Still to be determined is how the governing bodies will address viewer call-ins and post-round scorecard penalties. Representatives from all of the major tours have begun a “comprehensive review of broad video issues that arise in televised competitions.”
“This important first step provides officials with tools that can have a direct and positive impact on the game,” USGA executive director Mike Davis said. “We recognize there is more work to be done. Advancements in video technology are enhancing the viewing experience for fans, but can also significantly affect the competition. We need to balance those advances with what is fair for all players when applying the rules.”
The governing bodies will consider implementing more changes before the new rulebook is released on Jan. 1, 2019. The USGA and R&A are currently accepting feedback on the 30 proposed rules changes.
PGA Tour players on Rules decision: It's a start.
By Ryan Lavner
(Photo/Golf Channel Digital)
Nothing riles up professional golfers quite like a rules controversy, a point that was reinforced Tuesday, when the move to limit video evidence was met mostly with frustration because larger, more pressing issues remain.
“Going forward, I hope they just clarify if it’s a yes or a no, and you don’t have to have somebody call in or go to a high-def TV to get an answer,” Steve Stricker said. “I hope that’s what comes from all of this, that there’s a clear-cut answer: ‘This is what you do and you go forward.’ It shouldn’t be that hard.”
That viewers at home can influence the outcome of an event never has sat well with players and even some fans. After all, how many calls would the NFL, NBA or MLB receive for a blown call during a game? But those sports are confined to a small space, with time restraints and officials monitoring the action – a markedly different arena than professional golf, which is nonstop action played out acres of land for 12 hours a day with roving officials on-site. Frustratingly, there is no easy solution.
Yes, armchair officials are protecting the field by spotting a potential infringement on TV. But maybe only a dozen players a day are shown on the broadcast. It’s not a level playing field … and yet, failing to penalize a player for an obvious infraction would cast a dark cloud over the event.
More clear-cut, at least according to the players, is how the governing bodies should handle the post-round scorecard penalties, like the one Lexi Thompson received at the ANA Inspiration. Most agree that Thompson should have received a two-shot penalty for playing from an incorrect spot – replays show she clearly marked her 1-foot putt, picked up her ball and placed it in a different position – but what continues to frustrate Tour players is that she was assessed another two-shot penalty, for signing an incorrect scorecard, after officials were made aware of the infraction a day later.
“You penalized her the two shots, but they never gave her an opportunity to sign for the new card,” Stricker said. “She signed for a correct card at the time. Why would you penalize her again when she had no idea that she was even being penalized? Once the round is in the books, and signed, we’re over it. We should be moving forward. What other sport do you go back and change the outcome the day after?”
The USGA and R&A have already softened their stance on scorecard penalties. Under the old rules, Thompson, who held a two-shot lead on the back nine, would have been disqualified on the spot. At least at the ANA she still had a chance to win.
The problem that the USGA and R&A have yet to confront is that a scorecard is archaic in 2017. Cards were necessary decades ago, when a threesome would head out for five hours and they needed to report how everyone in the group fared. The players themselves were ShotLink – the way to ensure that all of the accounting was right. But that’s not the case anymore. Scorers walk with each group, and there is a mountain of data with scores and yardages.
“Any penalty relative to the scorecard is complete [nonsense],” Geoff Ogilvy said. “We’re not accountants. We can still do a card, but the goal of golf is to find the best golfer.”
So, yes, some issues, some big issues, remain unresolved. But players also applauded the USGA and R&A for the swift response to the increasingly heated debate over the use of TV replay.
Sparing players from being penalized because the infraction wasn’t noticeable with the naked eye or because they used “reasonable judgment” was a good start.
Ogilvy said it signifies a “new strategy” for the governing bodies, which traditionally changed the rules every four years. Less than six months after Dustin Johnson’s controversial penalty at the U.S. Open, the Rules of Golf were amended to include a local rule that would waive the one-shot penalty if a ball moved on the green by accident.
“The idea that they’re going to see something that is unfair or unjust and not right and quickly change it is really how the rules should be changed,” Ogilvy said. “That’s how life works. You see something that doesn’t work, you change it and you go on. That’s how stuff evolves forward.
“For years, it’s been, 'No, we only write rules every four years,' and they sit around a table and they drink gin and tonics and they decide this is how golf is supposed to be without using any real-world examples. Changing it pretty quickly, while it’s fresh in everybody’s mind, that’s the process I like. If that was always the process, this stuff would happen a lot less often. It would have been corrected years ago.”
It’s reasonable to think that, after “deeper evaluation,” even more changes will be implemented before the Jan. 1, 2019 unveiling of the new rulebook.
In the past 10 months alone, there have been three high-profile incidents in the majors that have prompted change.
And there will continue to be more.
Golf is a strange game. There are a million rules. Officials can’t predict every possible scenario. But the game is evolving.
“Golf has gotten unlucky these past couple of years that there were situations with prominent players in the final rounds of majors,” Ogilvy said, “but maybe that’s just the universe saying, Look, you’ve got to change the way you do this. This is a step in the right direction.”
Power Rankings: Zurich Classic of New Orleans.
By Rob Bolton
Zurich Classic teammates Justin Rose and Henrik Stenson finished with the gold and silver medals at the Rio Olympics. (Photo/Scott Halleran/Getty Images)
And now for something completely different.
In a joint effort to generate interest and excitement, tournament organizers of the Zurich Classic of New Orleans and the PGA TOUR are introducing a two-man team format for the 69th edition of the event. The field consists of a season-high 160 golfers for the stroke-play competition. Most of the 80 partnerships were determined by the golfer slotted higher in the Eligibility Ranking, but the usual array of sponsor exemptions were also distributed. The first and third rounds will be alternate shot (or foursomes). The second and final rounds will be best ball (or four-ball).
As you'd expect, there's no shortage of compelling pairings and narratives scattered across the field, but here are 10 that stand out with an expectation to contend.
| RANK | TEAM | COMMENT |
| 1. | Justin Rose & Henrik Stenson | The team to beat. Considerable experience playing together. Both major champions. Finished 1-2 at Olympics. Stenson scuffling, but Rose nearly won Masters. |
| 2. | Jason Day & Rickie Fowler | With mom doing well, Day can use Fowler's help in polishing off what he's started here. Day's actual scoring average in last seven rounds at TPC Louisiana is 67.43. |
| 3. | Branden Grace & Louis Oosthuizen | South Africa's No. 2- and 3-ranked golfers. Each making his tournament debut. They went 4-0-0 in foursomes and four-ball at 2015 Presidents Cup. |
| 4. | Daniel Berger & Thomas Pieters | Perhaps the most intriguing of the intriguing partnerships. Both are powerful scorers having solid years and Berger is always a threat on Bermuda greens. |
| 5. | Ryan Palmer & Jordan Spieth | Bond solidified when Palmer's caddie beat Spieth last fall. Spieth's knack for scoring can pay off Palmer's propensity to get hot off the tee. Perfect blend. |
| 6. | Bud Cauley & Justin Thomas | Never teammates at the Alabama but among fellow alums of the same university partnering this week. Cauley's recent surge meets Thomas' firepower. |
| 7. | Hideki Matsuyama & Hideto Tanihara | Japan's No. 1- and 3-ranked talents. Arguably best pairing of strengths. Matsuyama's tee-to-green game can let Tanihara do his thing with the putter. |
| 8. | Patrick Cantlay & Patrick Reed | Even though he's in a slump, Reed is the consummate team performer. Can both complement and feed off Cantlay's steely execution. These guys won't budge. |
| 9. | Keegan Bradley & Brendan Steele | Long-time pals. Both have made noise this season. Steele opened with victory at Silverado. In his contract year, Bradley has three top 10s and another four top 25s. |
| 10. | Kevin Chappell & Gary Woodland | Could be exactly what each needs. Chappell is less likely to suffer a letdown after breakthrough title. Woodland's focus in wake of family tragedy becomes global in nature. |
PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf presented by SERVPRO does not include this tournament, but I will write a Fantasy Insider for Tuesday as usual.
This week's Zurich Classic marks the 62nd time in TOUR history that two professionals are teaming up in an official event, but it's been a while since the last: the Walt Disney World National Team Championship in 1981 (won by Vance Heafner and Mike Holland). With quite a bit of change on the circuit since and other ramifications to consider, here's a breakdown of what's what:
• The low 35 teams and ties after 36 holes will survive the cut. If more than 40 teams survive, a second (MDF) cut of low 35 teams and ties will occur at the conclusion of 54 holes.
• FedExCup points and earnings will be split per the usual distributions averaging finishes. So, both winners will receive 400 FedExCup points and $1,022,400.00, both averages of first and second place.
• Both winners will receive two-year PGA TOUR exemptions (through 2018-19).
• Both winners will receive exemptions into THE PLAYERS, the PGA Championship and all invitationals, including the Tournament of Champions in January.
• Official World Golf Ranking points will not be distributed. Therefore, neither winner is eligible for the potential of an exemption from this event into the World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational (which uses strength-of-field rating for tournament winners).
• The top-10 exemption will apply to the golfers who are among the top-five teams. If any aren't already eligible for next week's Wells Fargo Championship, he will gain entry.
TPC Louisiana hosts for the 12th time. It's a stock par 72 with scorable par 4s and fair sets of par 3s and par 5s. It tips at 7,425 yards. Three of the par 3s are odd-numbered holes (Nos. 3, 9 and 17), so there will be deliberation among teams as to which partner is more comfortable on those boxes.
Last year's field averaged 71.159 in what was a 54-hole contest that still needed Monday to complete, but it represented the overall challenge well. Expansive fairways will add to the enjoyment of the format from every perspective, but greens are smaller than average with sections separated by severe undulations. They will test even good putters. The premium is on distance and accuracy on approach. It's a second-shot track with a soft spot for scrambling. Indeed, TPC Louisiana is an ideal course to host this format since team strategy tilts toward aggressive play.
Unfortunately, the threat for inclement weather is real again this week, particularly on the weekend when the wind is expected to howl. Daytime temps will climb into the mid-80s.
Billy Horschel: 'I'm not speaking out to create controversy'.
By Ryan Asselta
Billy Horschel has always been a likable guy on Tour, but he's not afraid to speak his mind. (Photo/yahoosports.com/golf.com)
Billy Horschel has always been a likable guy on Tour, but he's not afraid to speak his mind.
Horschel, who will tee it up at the Zurich Classic this week, the site of his first career PGA Tour win in 2013, has long been one of the most outspoken players in the game. He most notably ripped the USGA on the condition of the greens at the 2015 U.S. Open at Chambers Bay, but he asserts that many other Tour pros are simply hesitant to say what they’re thinking.
The 2014 Fed Ex Cup champion recently sat down for an exclusive interview with GOLF.com's Ryan Asselta ahead of the Zurich Classic.
"Unfortunately we live in a world now, just not in golf, but the world in general, that you're sort of looked down upon if you have a different view than someone else," Horschel said. “They hate you. They try to discourage you in every possible way."
Horschel says that while many of his fellow pros have strong opinions, they largely choose to air them in private. When Horschel speaks his mind, he says he’s often misunderstood and disrespected.
"When I speak out about a golf course, or a rule, I don't think people respect me in the sense of where I'm coming from with this," the three-time PGA Tour winner said. "And I'm not just saying it to create controversy, I'm saying it because there's a true meaning behind it."
You can watch the full interview below.
NASCAR: Wisconsin racing favorite Dale Earnhardt Jr. announces his retirement.
By Brandon Rook and Jeff Karnowski
Jimmie Johnson wins second race in a row, captures Food City 500 at Bristol. (Monday's weather delayed Food City 500 at Bristol, 04/24/2017).
By Jerry Bonkowski
Jimmie Johnson made it two consecutive NASCAR Cup wins, capturing Monday’s weather-delayed Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway.
(Photo/accesswdun.com)
It was the 82nd career victory for the seven-time and defending Cup champion, who won two weeks ago at Texas Motor Speedway.
Johnson is one win from tying Cale Yarborough (83 wins, sixth on NASCAR’s all-time wins list) and two away from Darrell Waltrip and Bobby Allison (tied for fourth with 84 wins each).
“That’s just mind-blowing,” Johnson told Fox Sports. “I wouldn’t be here without (team owner) Mr. (Rick) Hendrick’s support. … It’s been a perfect environment for me.
“(Crew chief) Chad Knaus and this consistent group of guys behind me for all these years has led to the environment to win 82 races, which is just insane. I’m truly humbled, excited to win back-to-back races, excited to win at Bristol, will test the next couple of days at Indianapolis and then try to win again (next weekend) at Richmond.”
It also was just his second victory at Bristol, the previous coming on March 21, 2010.
The race originally was scheduled for Sunday but was washed out during a period of 28 consecutive hours of rain in the area.
Clint Bowyer finished second, followed by Kevin Harvick, Matt Kenseth, Joey Logano, Kyle Larson, Chase Elliott, Martin Truex Jr., Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Denny Hamlin.
Truex’s No. 78 Toyota was found with a right-rear lug nut loose in postrace inspection. Truex also had an unsecured lug nut after the race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, resulting in a $10,000 fine for crew chief Cole Pearn.
Larson won Stage 1 and led the most laps in the entire event (202), and Truex won Stage 2.
Among the significant incidents following the first two stages in the final 250-lap sprint to the checkered flag:
* Brad Keselowski’s string of six consecutive top-six finishes came to an end when he took his car to the garage on Lap 313 because of steering problems.
* On Lap 323, David Ragan tried to split the cars of teammate Landon Cassill and Danica Patrick. Ragan hit Patrick’s car, sending both cars into the wall. Patrick’s day was done.
* Kyle Busch once again suffered problems at Bristol, hitting the wall for a second time in the race on Lap 383, ending his day, too. It is Busch’s fourth DNF in his last five starts at Bristol.
* Erik Jones abruptly slowed likely because of a tire problem, and A.J. Allmendinger was unable to avoid the car, causing damage to his right front and Jones’ left front.
* Kasey Kahne slowed with 38 laps to go, and Paul Menard ran into the back of Kahne’s car, sustaining minor damage to both cars.
HOW JOHNSON WON: Even though he made contact with other drivers a couple of times during the race, Johnson did not sustain much damage. He led a total of 81 laps, taking the lead for good on Lap 479 and sailed on to victory lane.
WHO ELSE HAD A GOOD DAY: Clint Bowyer had a season-best second-place finish. It was his first runner-up since April 27, 2013 at Richmond. Bowyer extended his streak of top-11 finishes in his last seven starts. … Matt Kenseth rallied late to finish fourth.
WHO HAD A BAD DAY: Chris Buescher (contact, finished 39th), Dale Earnhardt Jr. (broken oil cooler after wrecking, 38th), Kyle Busch (wreck, 35th) and Danica Patrick (36th) all had early exits. Keselowski suffered mechanical problems that kept him in the garage for 67 laps (finished 34th).
NOTABLE: Johnson paid homage to Alan Kulwicki, doing a reverse victory lap in honor of the 1992 champion, who was killed in a plane crash near Bristol in April 1993. … Johnson averages one race in every seven starts in his Cup career. … Hendrick Motorsports has 11 wins at Bristol and 247 wins overall.
QUOTE OF THE DAY: “There was a wreck, and I was the lucky winner. … It was one thing after another. I had about 30 laps of hope today.” – Danica Patrick, whose day ended early after making contact with David Ragan.
WHAT’S NEXT: Toyota Owners 400, Sunday, April 30, Richmond International Raceway.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. drops four spots in the points standings after Bristol crash.
By Nate Ryan
(Photo/hattiesburgamerican.com)
With his fourth finish of 30th or worse in the first eight races of the 2017 season, Dale Earnhardt Jr. dropped to 24th in the Cup points standings.
The 14-time most popular driver finished 38th in Monday’s Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway, crashing on a Lap 218 restart after an apparent problem with his oil cooler under caution. He lost four spots in the rankings and is 50 points behind the current cutoff for qualifying for the 16-driver playoff on points.
Earnhardt had finished a season-best fifth two weeks ago at Texas Motor Speedway before the off week, his best finish in 10 months. He returned to the No. 88 Chevrolet this season after missing the last 18 races of 2o16 while recovering from concussion symptoms. He is in the final year of his contract at Hendrick Motorsports.
Kyle Larson, who led every lap to claim the opening stage at the 0.533-mile oval, remained first atop the standings and widened his lead to 27 points over Chase Elliott.
Click here for the points standings after Bristol.
The 14-time most popular driver finished 38th in Monday’s Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway, crashing on a Lap 218 restart after an apparent problem with his oil cooler under caution. He lost four spots in the rankings and is 50 points behind the current cutoff for qualifying for the 16-driver playoff on points.
Earnhardt had finished a season-best fifth two weeks ago at Texas Motor Speedway before the off week, his best finish in 10 months. He returned to the No. 88 Chevrolet this season after missing the last 18 races of 2o16 while recovering from concussion symptoms. He is in the final year of his contract at Hendrick Motorsports.
Kyle Larson, who led every lap to claim the opening stage at the 0.533-mile oval, remained first atop the standings and widened his lead to 27 points over Chase Elliott.
Click here for the points standings after Bristol.
SOCCER: Boosted by Bastian Schweinsteiger's big salary, Fire rank fourth in MLS payroll.
By Dan Santaromita
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
The Major League Soccer Players Union releases player salaries twice a year and it always makes for good statistics and headlines.
While the numbers the Players Union release aren't always perfectly accurate, for the most part it gives a good view of who makes what and what teams are spending big or not. Some players are listed lower than their actual salary for a variety of reasons, but teams stay quiet on this matter so this remains hazy.
It's also important to note that these salaries are not what the player costs against the cap. Transfer fees factor into a player's cap hit and are among the other costs that aren’t included in the salaries listed.
With that in mind, today the MLSPU dropped the salary numbers, dated April 15, 2017. Here are some of the interesting notes on the salaries:
- The big news from a Chicago Fire standpoint is that Bastian Schweinsteiger's $5.4 million salary is seventh-highest in the league and is a big reason why the Fire moved from 20th to fourth in payroll since the last time the Players Union released salaries. By the time the numbers were released last September, the Fire had already shed designated players Gilberto and Kennedy Igboananike. Those two combined to make just over $2 million, which would have put the Fire just outside the top 10 in the league rankings.
- Schweinsteiger makes more than the listed payrolls of four teams (Minnesota, D.C., Montreal and Houston). Montreal was the biggest drop in payroll in terms of rank (eighth to 21st) with Didier Drogba ($2,116,667) coming off the books. The LA Galaxy shed the most amount of money from a year ago, just over $6 million, with Robbie Keane and Steven Gerrard coming off the books.
- Schweinsteiger is the fourth-highest paid midfielder.
Jorge Bava ($267,133) is sixth-highest paid among goalkeepers. Last year's Fire starter, Sean Johnson ($220,008), is ninth.
Nemanja Nikolic ($1,906,333) is the seventh-highest paid forward. David Accam ($820,937.50) is 15th and Michael de Leeuw ($564,212.50) is 25th.
Johan Kappelhof ($570,000) is ninth among defenders.
- Among returning Fire players, Luis Solignac has the biggest listed raise. He had his option declined by the Fire in the offseason, but still re-signed, implying that the option was for more than what he ended up signing for. Solignac's listed guaranteed compensation went from $85,000 to $328,312.
- The next biggest percentage raise is Jonathan Campbell, who went from $78,125 as a rookie to $109,875 this year. This is a bit ironic considering Campbell has already been on the bench more this season than in all of 2016, when he led the team in minutes played.
- Homegrown player Djordje Mihailovic is the highest-paid among the rookies, coming in at $80,000.
Here are the players listed as making $2 million or more:
Kaka (Orlando): $7,167,500.00
Sebastian Giovinco (Toronto): $7,115,555.67
Michael Bradley (Toronto): $6,500,000.00
Andrea Pirlo (NYCFC): $5,915,690.00
David Villa (NYCFC): $5,610,000.00
Gio Dos Santos (LA): $5,500,000.00
Bastian Schweinsteiger (Fire): $5,400,000.00
Jozy Altidore (Toronto): $4,875,000.00
Clint Dempsey (Seattle): $3,892,933.50
Diego Valeri (Portland): $2,607,500.00
Tim Howard (Colorado): $2,475,000.00
Miguel Almiron (Atlanta): $2,297,000.00
Maxi Moralez (NYCFC): $2,000,000.04
For more number nerdiness, Jonathan Tannenwald has some league-wide numbers and charts at Philly.com. He has the MLS average salary at $326,319.23 and the median salary at $135,002.
Full Premier League schedule for midweek.
By Joe Prince-Wright
(Photo/Getty Images)
Five games are on the way in the Premier League in midweek as the makeup games kick off.
Kicking things off on Tuesday league leaders Chelsea host Southampton (Watch live, 2:45 a.m. ET on NBCSN and online via NBC Sports.com) at Stamford Bridge fresh from their FA Cup semifinal victory against Tottenham. Can Antonio Conte‘s men extend their lead to seven points?
On Wednesday the attention shifts to Tottenham who make the trip across London to in-form Crystal Palace (Watch live, 2:45 p.m. ET on NBCSN and online via NBC Sports.com). Can the Eagles put a huge dent in Spurs’ title bid at Selhurst Park?
Then comes the big one on Thursday as Manchester City host Manchester United (Watch live, 3 p.m. ET on NBCSN and online via NBC Sports.com) with so much at stake. City are in fourth place heading into the Manchester derby but Pep Guardiola‘s side are just one point and place above Jose Mourinho’s men and will.
The full TV schedule for this week is below, plus you can watch every single second of every single game live online via NBC Sports.com and the NBC Sports App,
If you’re looking for full-event replays of Premier League games, you can find them here. They are available soon after the final whistle, but rights limit us to a certain number each week. Looking for game highlights? Try this. Here’s your full TV schedule for the coming days. Enjoy.
FULL TV SCHEDULE
Tuesday
2:45 p.m. ET: Chelsea vs. Southampton – NBCSN [STREAM]
Wednesday
3 p.m. ET: Crystal Palace vs. Tottenham Hotspur – NBCSN [STREAM]
2:45 p.m. ET: Arsenal vs. Leicester City – Premier League Extratime [STREAM]
2:45 p.m. ET: Middlesbrough vs. Sunderland – Premier League Extratime [STREAM]
Thursday
3 p.m. ET: Manchester City vs. Manchester United – NBCSN [STREAM]
On Wednesday the attention shifts to Tottenham who make the trip across London to in-form Crystal Palace (Watch live, 2:45 p.m. ET on NBCSN and online via NBC Sports.com). Can the Eagles put a huge dent in Spurs’ title bid at Selhurst Park?
Then comes the big one on Thursday as Manchester City host Manchester United (Watch live, 3 p.m. ET on NBCSN and online via NBC Sports.com) with so much at stake. City are in fourth place heading into the Manchester derby but Pep Guardiola‘s side are just one point and place above Jose Mourinho’s men and will.
The full TV schedule for this week is below, plus you can watch every single second of every single game live online via NBC Sports.com and the NBC Sports App,
If you’re looking for full-event replays of Premier League games, you can find them here. They are available soon after the final whistle, but rights limit us to a certain number each week. Looking for game highlights? Try this. Here’s your full TV schedule for the coming days. Enjoy.
FULL TV SCHEDULE
Tuesday
2:45 p.m. ET: Chelsea vs. Southampton – NBCSN [STREAM]
Wednesday
3 p.m. ET: Crystal Palace vs. Tottenham Hotspur – NBCSN [STREAM]
2:45 p.m. ET: Arsenal vs. Leicester City – Premier League Extratime [STREAM]
2:45 p.m. ET: Middlesbrough vs. Sunderland – Premier League Extratime [STREAM]
Thursday
3 p.m. ET: Manchester City vs. Manchester United – NBCSN [STREAM]
Premier League Weds. preview: Desperation on display.
By Nicholas Mendola
Two London powers face a race to stay alive for their lofty season goals, while two Northeast sides see their last chances to claim hope for another year in the Premier League.
Crystal Palace vs. Tottenham Hotspur — 3 p.m. ET on NBCSN
No team has looked better than Spurs lately, though Palace won’t be bowed by a big name or good form. Sam Allardyce‘s Eagles boast wins at Liverpool and Chelsea, as well as a home defeat of Arsenal. Those have all come in 2017, as Palace has leapt to within striking distance of the top half.
Spurs need to win at Selhurst Park to keep pace with Chelsea and sit four points back of the No. 1 spot with five matches to play. Lose, concede, and feel like last April all over again. It was a year from Tuesday that Spurs coughed up a home lead to Leicester and saw any hopes of catching Leicester fade into the sunset.
Middlesbrough vs. Sunderland — 2:45 p.m. ET
This Tees-Wear Derby oozes desperation, with Sunderland knowing it needs to win its matches-in-hand on Hull City and Swansea to have any hope of staying up, and Middlesbrough nearly as desperate.
Boro’s 24 points is three more than Sunderland, who has played one less game. Hull sits 17th with 33 points while Swansea holds 31.
Middlesbrough hasn’t won in the Premier League since Dec. 17, a run of 16 matches. Their only wins of the year are over lower league opposition, a trio of victories against Sheffield Wednesday, Accrington Stanley, and Oxford United.
Sunderland has just one league win since that same date in December, and that came at Crystal Palace. The Black Cats have lost six of eight, and look destined to join Boro in the second tier as Northeast neighbors Newcastle comes up.
Arsenal vs. Leicester City — 2:45 p.m. ET
Did Sunday’s FA Cup semifinal win over Manchester City snap Arsenal out of its funk, or was it just a matter of Alexis Sanchez’s class squeezing a bit of excellence out of the tube?
Arsene Wenger will hope for the latter, because Arsenal’s Top Four hopes hinge on winning its matches-in-hand on Liverpool and getting significant help from Man City and Manchester United. Their opposition will also be rested, having rested since bowing out of the UEFA Champions League on April 18.
Leicester’s five match winning streak, part of Craig Shakespeare’s new manager bounce, has died down a bit. The Foxes lost at Everton and drew at Palace, and get a third tricky road test in a row at the Emirates Stadium.
Title fight in Spain: Will Real slip up again?
By Nicholas Mendola
(AP Photo/Daniel Ochoa de Olza)
Barcelona’s dramatic 3-2 win over Real Madrid has set La Liga’s title race on its ear, with both clubs level on points with 75.
Real still controls its own destiny in a bid for its first league title since 2011-12, but a single loss puts Barcelona in pole position for its fourth title in five seasons.
The tiebreaker is head-to-head, which Lionel Messi lifted from Real with his thrilling stoppage time thriller on Sunday at the Bernabeu.
Here are the run-ins for both sides, with Real facing a more congested schedule thanks to its status as a UEFA Champions League semifinalist.
Real Madrid
Only two of Real’s remaining five La Liga matches are at home, a boon for Barcelona considering Real boasts a strong home mark. The loss to Barca was Real’s first at the Bernabeu this season, and the Merengues only drew three matches at home (Villarreal, Eibar, Atletico Madrid).
Those home matches, however, are against teams that beat Real in the sides’ other league meetings this year, Sevilla and Valencia.
Wednesday – at Deportivo de la Coruna (16th)
Saturday – vs. Valencia (12th)
May 2 – vs. Atletico Madrid (UCL)
May 6 – at Granada (19th)
May 10 – at Atletico Madrid (UCL)
May 14 – vs. Sevilla (4th)
May 21 – at Malaga (14th)
Barcelona
Barca is home for three of its remaining five matches. The Blaugranas drew Villarreal and blew out Osasuna and Eibar ahead of the return visits.
As for the road matches, Barca has the Derbi barceloni with Espanyol, having taken the Camp Nou meeting 4-1, as well as a trip to Las Palmas (5-0 at home).
Wednesday – vs. Osasuna (20th)
Saturday – at Espanyol (9th)
May 6 – vs. Villarreal (5th)
May 14 – at Las Palmas (13th)
May 21 – vs. Eibar (8th)
May 27 – vs. Alaves (Copa del Rey Final)
The verdict
Any whiplash Real faces from schedule congestion should be offset by Barcelona’s much tougher schedule. Real could lose again, perhaps versus Sevilla, but Barca will likely finish second thanks to dropped points against Espanyol, Eibar, or Villarreal.
Real still controls its own destiny in a bid for its first league title since 2011-12, but a single loss puts Barcelona in pole position for its fourth title in five seasons.
The tiebreaker is head-to-head, which Lionel Messi lifted from Real with his thrilling stoppage time thriller on Sunday at the Bernabeu.
Here are the run-ins for both sides, with Real facing a more congested schedule thanks to its status as a UEFA Champions League semifinalist.
Real Madrid
Only two of Real’s remaining five La Liga matches are at home, a boon for Barcelona considering Real boasts a strong home mark. The loss to Barca was Real’s first at the Bernabeu this season, and the Merengues only drew three matches at home (Villarreal, Eibar, Atletico Madrid).
Those home matches, however, are against teams that beat Real in the sides’ other league meetings this year, Sevilla and Valencia.
Wednesday – at Deportivo de la Coruna (16th)
Saturday – vs. Valencia (12th)
May 2 – vs. Atletico Madrid (UCL)
May 6 – at Granada (19th)
May 10 – at Atletico Madrid (UCL)
May 14 – vs. Sevilla (4th)
May 21 – at Malaga (14th)
Barcelona
Barca is home for three of its remaining five matches. The Blaugranas drew Villarreal and blew out Osasuna and Eibar ahead of the return visits.
As for the road matches, Barca has the Derbi barceloni with Espanyol, having taken the Camp Nou meeting 4-1, as well as a trip to Las Palmas (5-0 at home).
Wednesday – vs. Osasuna (20th)
Saturday – at Espanyol (9th)
May 6 – vs. Villarreal (5th)
May 14 – at Las Palmas (13th)
May 21 – vs. Eibar (8th)
May 27 – vs. Alaves (Copa del Rey Final)
The verdict
Any whiplash Real faces from schedule congestion should be offset by Barcelona’s much tougher schedule. Real could lose again, perhaps versus Sevilla, but Barca will likely finish second thanks to dropped points against Espanyol, Eibar, or Villarreal.
NCAAFB: SEC commissioner hints at review of rules regarding alcohol sales in football stadiums.
By Bryan Fischer
(Photo/Getty Images)
The prohibition of alcohol at football stadiums has undergone one interesting about-face in college athletics the past 15 years or so. While various suite levels at stadiums across the country have generally had access to a few adult beverages, there’s been some very large programs that have opened up the taps in the general seating areas the last few years.
From West Virginia to Texas to Ohio State, more and more programs are selling beer and/or liquor across the board and raking in hundreds of thousands (if not millions) in added revenue while doing so. One conference that isn’t jumping in on that trend however has been the SEC, which has numerous restrictions on where those types of beverages can be sold. That may be about to change in the near future however according to SEC commissioner Greg Sankey.
“At some point, I’m relatively certain, there will be further review of the prohibition,” said Sankey on Monday, per The Tuscaloosa News. “That doesn’t predict any outcome.”
While you may think that the league is close to opening the floodgates on alcohol being served at stadiums across the conference, you probably shouldn’t jump to any conclusions on the matter as Sankey seemed to hold his ground and stand firm on keeping things as is right now.
“The conference has a policy that says that we’re not selling alcohol in the general seating area,” he added. “Now, you can agree or disagree with that policy, but that’s the policy. The basis for changing that or maintaining it is one that’s developed in the conversation.
“I think we were at like 98 percent ticket sales in football… So is that one-percent margin a trade that we’re going to make?”
It’s no secret that of-age fans can easily find a few beverages at SEC tailgates prior to games nowadays but it seems momentum is slowing building in the conference to allow fans to buy some during a game. It might not happen anytime in the very near future but the conversation is certainly going to keep popping up each year with many more schools across the country jumping in on this trend.
Northwestern, Pat Fitzgerald agree to lengthy contract extension.
By John Taylor
(Photo/Getty Images)
It appears Pat Fitzgerald will still be stalking the sidelines in Evanston deep into the next decade.
Tuesday afternoon, Northwestern announced that it has reached an agreement with Fitzgerald, the program’s Dan and Susan Jones Family Head Coach, on a multi-year contract extension. The 42-year-old Fitzgerald’s extension would keep him as the coach of the Wildcats through the 2026 season.
Fitzgerald will be entering his 17th season as a coach at the school, 11 of those as head coach. From 1993-96, Fitzgerald was an All-American linebacker for the Wildcats and ultimately inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as a player.
“This is home for me and my family, and I love this University,” a statement from Fitzgerald began. “I’m extremely privileged to coach the exceptional young men we invite here to earn the best education in college football and compete at the highest level in the Big Ten Conference. The best is yet to come, and we’re excited for the future.”
In his 11 seasons, Fitzgerald has guided NU to a 77-62 record overall and a 41-48 mark in Big Ten play. Fitzgerald has accounted for two of NU’s four 10-win seasons the program has produced, with both of those coming in the last five seasons.
He is the winningest football coach in the school’s history.
Ohio State claims 2017 national championship… for spring game attendance.
By Kevin McGuire
(Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
For the third consecutive year, Ohio State is your national champion in the all-important category that is spring game attendance. The Buckeyes once again had the largest attendance for its spring game this month despite stadium renovations cutting out 20,000 seats from Ohio Stadium. After a weekend that saw Alabama and Penn State prove to be the final hurdles necessary to clear, the Buckeyes can once again boast about having the highest attendance this spring, for whatever that is worth.
Alabama (73,426), Penn State (71,000) and Georgia (66,133) made their final push to round-out the top five spring crowds this year over the weekend. The only power conference programs remaining on the spring game schedule are Arkansas, Oregon, Virginia, and UCLA this coming weekend. If you took the combined spring attendance of each of those schools, they would collectively fall shy of Ohio State’s spring crowd total for this season.
Spring Game Attendance Top 10 for 2017 (as of 4/24/2017)
1. Ohio State – 80,134
2. Nebraska – 78,312
3. Alabama – 74,326
4. Penn State – 71,000
5. Georgia – 66,133
6. Clemson – 60,000
7. Michigan – 57,418
8. Florida – 48,000
9. Auburn – 46,331
10. Oklahoma – 43,723
The Big Ten is led by Ohio State, Nebraska, Penn State and, recently, Michigan when it comes to spring game crowds, but then there is the curious case of Wisconsin. The Badgers have a loyal following, but have not cracked the 10,000-fan mark since 2014, when I began tracking spring game attendance figures. Northwestern has never even kept track of its spring scrimmage numbers, and neither has Indiana for the past three years.
You can check the updated spring game attendance numbers and sort them by conference HERE.
NCAABKB: Facing his toughest rebuild yet, can John Calipari keep Kentucky in title mix?
By Pat Forde
John Calipari will have his work cut out for him at Kentucky next season. (Photo/Getty)
With the multiple reports Monday that center Bam Adebayo is retaining an agent and will stay in the NBA draft, Kentucky has now lost its top seven scorers and eight of its top nine from the 2016-17 team. The Wildcats will return just 7.4 percent of their scoring from that team, with just one player who had even a marginally important role with the squad that made the Elite Eight before losing to North Carolina.
That player is forward Wenyen Gabriel, who averaged 4.6 points and 4.8 rebounds as a freshman. By season’s end the exceedingly raw Gabriel had all but played himself out of Calipari’s rotation: In four NCAA tournament games, the five-star recruit averaged 6.5 minutes and 0.3 points while missing all eight of his field-goal attempts.
There’s your veteran to build around.
The rest of the returning roster: Sacha Killeya-Jones, a 6-10 sophomore-to-be who arrived as a five-star recruit but never left the bench in Kentucky’s final 19 games of the season; Tai Wynyard, a 6-10 center who sat the final 14 games; and a couple walk-on-caliber guys who played even smaller roles.
Then there is redshirt Hamidou Diallo, a five-star guard who arrived in January but never played and then rather unexpectedly threw his name into the draft late in the process. Diallo will not hire an agent and thus could return to Lexington and see his first collegiate action.
That callow crew will be joined by the No. 1 recruiting class in the country, which has become a Calipari staple. What currently is a six-man class that includes five of the top 31 Rivals.com prospects still could get even bigger and better, if Kentucky lands Rivals’ No. 2 player, 7-footer Mohamed Bamba, and/or another currently uncommitted prospect.
So, yes, Calipari will have a glut of talent. But it will be the most inexperienced talent he’s ever put on the floor.
The 2015-16 Wildcats also returned none of the top seven scorers from the previous season, but that team still had 14 percent of its scoring back – about double what next year’s group will have. That team had first-round pick Tyler Ulis, fourth-year junior Alex Poythress, Marcus Lee, Derek Willis and Dominique Hawkins all as veterans – and it didn’t get past the first weekend of the NCAA tournament.
The 2010-11 Cats also had 14 percent of their scoring returning from the previous year, led by juniors Darius Miller and DeAndre Liggins. Buttressed by a stellar freshman class and the emergence of senior center Josh Harrellson, that team made the Final Four.
Calipari has done a lot with young players, but he’ll be fighting history next season. A team that looks like the 2017-18 Wildcats has never won a national title.
Complete remodeling jobs requiring freshmen to do everything hasn’t been the formula for winning it all, which remains the annual objective for UK fans. (Even if that ranks second to winning draft night, according to the head coach.)
The last 11 national champions returned at least one double-digit scorer from the previous year, and often more than one. Seventeen of the previous 18 champions had a returning double-digit scorer. The lone exception was Florida’s 2006 team, which did have its Nos. 4 through 9 scorers back from ’05.
And if anything, the recent trend has been even more weighted toward experience. The North Carolina team that just won the title had six of its top eight scorers back from the previous season. Villanova’s 2016 champions returned five of its top eight scorers from ’15. Freshmen impact players have been almost nonexistent the past two Final Fours.
Even the two freshmen-led teams that have won the title in the past six years were heavily supplemented by veteran input. Duke’s 2015 team, with Jahlil Okafor and Justise Winslow and Tyus Jones, would never have won it all without senior guard Quinn Cook and others. And Calipari’s own 2012 team, with freshman Anthony Davis as its centerpiece and two other freshmen starters, needed clutch contributions from senior Miller and double-digit scoring averages from sophomores Doron Lamb and Terrence Jones.
Given those facts, plus the state of Kentucky’s roster, it seems wise to rejigger all the ridiculous 2017-18 Top 25s that sprang up predictably within hours of the end of the 2016-17 season. Many of them had the Wildcats No. 1.
Truth be told, any Top 25s published before the final deadline to withdraw from the NBA draft are worthless. Until we know who is on the roster for next season, what’s the point?
With Kentucky, we at least know almost everyone who will not be on the ’17-18 roster. We know that the top seven scorers are gone, and eight of the top nine. We know that even John Calipari, the master of the roster makeover, has never given himself this thorough a rebuilding job.
Set the over/under for times Cal moans about coaching the youngest team in the country at a million. But this is his creation, his way of program building. Nobody is making him recruit and shape a roster in this fashion.
This is the way Calipari wants to do the job, and he’s being paid $8 million a year to do it. How well it works in 2017-18 will be intriguing to watch.
Report: Chris Collins to receive lengthy contract extension.
By Terrence Payne
(Photo/nbcsports.com)
Chris Collins and Northwestern have reportedly agreed to a lengthy contract extension on Monday morning.
According to Teddy Greenstein of the Chicago Tribune, Collins, 43, and the university have come to terms on a deal that will run through the 2024-25 season.
The news shouldn’t come as a surprise. Collins, in his fourth year in Evanston, took Northwestern to the first NCAA Tournament in school history. The Wildcats defeated Vanderbilt in the first round and had eventual national finalist Gonzaga on the ropes in the second round before a controversial call swung all the momentum they had.
In four seasons, Collins has a 73-60 (30-42 Big Ten) record, with back-to-back 20-win seasons.
Northwestern football coach Pat Fitzgerald is also reportedly in line for an extension, according to the Tribune.
Jockeys Castellano, Espinoza, Gomez, throughbred Goldikova elected to HOF.
According to Teddy Greenstein of the Chicago Tribune, Collins, 43, and the university have come to terms on a deal that will run through the 2024-25 season.
The news shouldn’t come as a surprise. Collins, in his fourth year in Evanston, took Northwestern to the first NCAA Tournament in school history. The Wildcats defeated Vanderbilt in the first round and had eventual national finalist Gonzaga on the ropes in the second round before a controversial call swung all the momentum they had.
In four seasons, Collins has a 73-60 (30-42 Big Ten) record, with back-to-back 20-win seasons.
Northwestern football coach Pat Fitzgerald is also reportedly in line for an extension, according to the Tribune.
Jockeys Castellano, Espinoza, Gomez, throughbred Goldikova elected to HOF.
Associated Press
(Photo/Getty Images)
Jockeys Javier Castellano, Victor Espinoza and Garrett Gomez and thoroughbred Goldikova have been elected to the National Museum of Racing’s Hall of Fame.
The 39-year-old Castellano has won the Eclipse Award for outstanding jockey the past four years. Entering the week, he had 4,664 career wins and was ranked fifth all-time in purse earnings, with more than $276 million.
The 44-year-old Espinoza had 3,318 wins entering the week, with purse earnings of more than $193 million, which ranks him 17th all-time. He won the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont Stakes in 2015 aboard American Pharoah.
Gomez, who died last year, won 3,769 races, with purse earnings of more than $205 million to rank 14th all-time.
Goldikova posted a career record of 17-6-3 from 27 starts to earn $7,176,551. The filly is the only three-time Breeders’ Cup Mile winner (2008-10).
The induction ceremony is Aug. 4 in Saratoga Springs, New York.
The 39-year-old Castellano has won the Eclipse Award for outstanding jockey the past four years. Entering the week, he had 4,664 career wins and was ranked fifth all-time in purse earnings, with more than $276 million.
The 44-year-old Espinoza had 3,318 wins entering the week, with purse earnings of more than $193 million, which ranks him 17th all-time. He won the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont Stakes in 2015 aboard American Pharoah.
Gomez, who died last year, won 3,769 races, with purse earnings of more than $205 million to rank 14th all-time.
Goldikova posted a career record of 17-6-3 from 27 starts to earn $7,176,551. The filly is the only three-time Breeders’ Cup Mile winner (2008-10).
The induction ceremony is Aug. 4 in Saratoga Springs, New York.
On This Date in Sports History: Today is Wednesday, April 26, 2017.
Memoriesofhistory.com
1912 - Hugh Bradley (Boston Red Sox) hit the first home run in Fenway Park.
1941 - An organ was played at a baseball stadium for the first time in Chicago, IL.
1952 - Patty Berg set a new record for major women’s golf competition when she shot a 64 over 18 holes in a tournament in Richmond, CA.
1964 - The Boston Celtics won their sixth consecutive NBA title. They won two more before the streak came to an end.
1966 - Red Auerbach retired as head coach of the Boston Celtics.
1988 - The NBA approved the addition of a third referee for the 1988-89 season.
1995 - In Denver, CO, Coors Field officially opened. The Rockies beat the New York Mets 11-9 in 14 innings.
1997 - Mario Lemieux (Pittsburgh Penguins) played what was billed as his last NHL game. He later came out of retirement to play for the Penguins as an owner/player.
2000 - Charles Wang and Sanjay Kumar purchased the NHL's New York Islanders.
1941 - An organ was played at a baseball stadium for the first time in Chicago, IL.
1952 - Patty Berg set a new record for major women’s golf competition when she shot a 64 over 18 holes in a tournament in Richmond, CA.
1964 - The Boston Celtics won their sixth consecutive NBA title. They won two more before the streak came to an end.
1966 - Red Auerbach retired as head coach of the Boston Celtics.
1988 - The NBA approved the addition of a third referee for the 1988-89 season.
1995 - In Denver, CO, Coors Field officially opened. The Rockies beat the New York Mets 11-9 in 14 innings.
1997 - Mario Lemieux (Pittsburgh Penguins) played what was billed as his last NHL game. He later came out of retirement to play for the Penguins as an owner/player.
2000 - Charles Wang and Sanjay Kumar purchased the NHL's New York Islanders.
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