Chicago Sports & Travel Inc./AllsportsAmerica
"America's Finest Sports Fan Travel Club, May We Plan An Event Or Sports Travel For You?"
We offer: Select opportunities, For your convenience, At "Very Rare but Super Fair" pricing
Because it's all about you!!!
"Sports Quote of the Day"
"If we're stuck with having expectations, there's a very good reason to embrace positive ones: It's that we often create what we anticipate." ~ Martha Beck, Sociologist, Life Coach, Best Selling Author and Speaker
TRENDING: Bears' makeover continues with salsa dancing ex-Giants WR Victor Cruz. (See the football section for Bears news and NFL updates).
TRENDING: Bears' makeover continues with salsa dancing ex-Giants WR Victor Cruz. (See the football section for Bears news and NFL updates).
TRENDING: NHL draft order 2017: Blackhawks to pick No. 26 overall in 1st round. (See the hockey section for Blackhawks updates and NHL news).
TRENDING: Report: Bulls expect Dwyane Wade to opt in. (See the basketball section for Bulls news and NBA updates).
TRENDING: Have the Cubs turned the corner? White Sox top pitching prospect Lucas Giolito throws no-hitter in Triple-A Charlotte. (See the baseball section for Cubs and White Sox updates).
TRENDING: Rahm 1 back as trio shares Colonial lead. (See the golf section for PGA news and tournament updates).
TRENDING: Still streaking: Fire beat Dallas for fourth straight win. (See the soccer section for Fire news and worldwide soccer updates).
TRENDING: Indy 500 Picks, Odds and Predictions. (See the Indianapolis 500 section for Indy 500 news and racing updates).
TRENDING: Bruce Arians explains why he's 'happy' overtime has been cut to 10 minutes. What's Your Take? (See the last article on this blog and take a moment and share your thoughts on this modified rule).
TRENDING: Bruce Arians explains why he's 'happy' overtime has been cut to 10 minutes. What's Your Take? (See the last article on this blog and take a moment and share your thoughts on this modified rule).
Bear Down Chicago Bears!!!!! Dowell Loggains' energy suiting Mike Glennon, Bears QBs well.
By JJ Stankevitz
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
As Bears quarterbacks begin learning Dowell Loggains’ offense, they’re also in a getting-to-know-you phase with each other.
While it’s not Mike Glennon’s job to develop Mitch Trubisky — that falls on Loggains and Dave Ragone — there does need to be some level of harmony from Glennon to Trubisky to Mark Sanchez to Connor Shaw in this unit. Coach John Fox is no fan of locker room drama, after all.
The energy Loggains brings to practice could help foster some of that unit-level cohesiveness. Whether it’s through practice competitions or his spirited coaching style, it’s helped keep things lively as the Bears move through their offseason program.
“He does a great job,” Glennon said. “He brings a lot of energy and he’s got that young personality that a lot of guys respond well to. It’s been great having him around along with a lot of other players and coaches, but he definitely does a great job bringing that energy.”
Shaw is the only holdover in the Bears’ quarterback room from last year, and even then, he suffered a season-ending injury during preseason play in August. The new guys are a 27-year-old signed to a $45 million contract, the No. 2 pick in the draft and a veteran who started two AFC Championship games.
Good chemistry in the quarterback room doesn’t guarantee success, but it’s something that probably can’t hurt, especially with the development of Trubisky underway. That the Bears have been emphatic in defining Glennon’s role — it’s his year — set the right tone, Ragone said earlier this month. Adding Loggains’ energy in practice seems to have had a positive effect already, too.
“With three new guys, they've worked very hard in the classroom and now finally we get to take it out on the field, so they're pretty enthusiastic themselves,” coach John Fox said. “And that's just Dowell's style.
“We have some pretty good guys in that room. Different levels of experience that have been there before and done it and that dynamic as far as being a good teammate and the relationship you have with that so I think that's why they handle it so well.”
Bears' makeover continues with salsa dancing ex-Giants WR Victor Cruz.
By John Mullin
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
The 2017 veteran makeover of the Bears’ wide-receiver position group continued on Thursday with the signing of former New York Giants wideout Victor Cruz to a one-year deal, a fourth move this offseason fitting an intriguing pattern in Bears roster construction.
Cruz “announced” the move on his Instagram account, declaring, “The Giants will forever be family,” Cruz wrote. “But for now, Bear down!!!” He becomes the fourth free-agent wide receiver signed by Bears and coming in with no fewer than four seasons of NFL experience.
The Bears have been about the business of shoring up their receiver group virtually since the 2016 season ended, adding depth in addition to filling in the vacancies created by Alshon Jeffery leaving for the Philadelphia Eagles via free agency, and the subsequent release of veteran Eddie Royal.
In their places, the Bears have added Cruz, Rueben Randle (Jan. 10), Markus Wheaton (Mar. 10) and Kendall Wright (Mar. 11), in addition to having Joshua Bellamy, Daniel Braverman, Cameron Meredith, Deonte Thompson and Kevin White in place.
Cruz, whose trademark Salsa dance to celebrate touchdowns has been an NFL staple over his six seasons with the Giants, for whom he started 53 of 70 career games after signing with the Giants as an undrafted free agent out of Massachusetts in 2010. Cruz has caught 303 career passes for 4,549 yards and 25 touchdowns, earning a Super Bowl ring with the Giants and earning selection to the 2012 Pro Bowl.
Cruz has not played a full 16-game season since 2012, when he caught a career-best 86 passes for 1,092 yards and 10 touchdowns. He missed all of 2015 after rehabbing from a torn patellar tendon in the 2014 season and then suffering a calf injury that eventually required surgery. The Giants released Cruz in early February this year.
Kevin White already impressing Bears QB Mike Glennon in OTA sessions.
By John Mullin
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
At the point where Kevin White’s 2016 season ended with a broken leg just four games into his de facto “rookie season,” the wide receiver was leading the Bears in receptions. Informal indications are that White already is making an impression in that direction.
White was in attendance at Tuesday’s OTA but it was Monday when he gave new Bears quarterback Mike Glennon a glimpse of the possibilities the Bears saw when they made White the No. 7 pick of the 2015 draft.
“I’ve really enjoyed getting to know Kevin on the field and off the field,” Glennon said on Tuesday. “He works his butt off. And he made some really good plays [Monday] that got me excited and the rest of the team. He’s really eager to learn. I know he’s eager to get back out on that field. Him along with a lot of other receivers, I think, have a chip on their shoulder to prove that it’s a good receiving corps.”
The Bears have never pushed White to accelerate any surgery or planned rehab program and they clearly are not doing it now. White’s 2015 season never got past a stress fracture suffered in pre-camp work, and the organization opted for a conservative approach rather than surgery until an operation was unavoidable.
At this point of White’s third offseason, the approach remains controlled, less interested in any given OTA day than in a phased return pointed toward training camp and ultimately the 2017 season.
“We’re just trying to make sure we get guys ready for camp, and even more precisely, for game one against Atlanta,” said coach John Fox. “So we’re going to do anything necessary to make that done.
White was in attendance at Tuesday’s OTA but it was Monday when he gave new Bears quarterback Mike Glennon a glimpse of the possibilities the Bears saw when they made White the No. 7 pick of the 2015 draft.
“I’ve really enjoyed getting to know Kevin on the field and off the field,” Glennon said on Tuesday. “He works his butt off. And he made some really good plays [Monday] that got me excited and the rest of the team. He’s really eager to learn. I know he’s eager to get back out on that field. Him along with a lot of other receivers, I think, have a chip on their shoulder to prove that it’s a good receiving corps.”
The Bears have never pushed White to accelerate any surgery or planned rehab program and they clearly are not doing it now. White’s 2015 season never got past a stress fracture suffered in pre-camp work, and the organization opted for a conservative approach rather than surgery until an operation was unavoidable.
At this point of White’s third offseason, the approach remains controlled, less interested in any given OTA day than in a phased return pointed toward training camp and ultimately the 2017 season.
“We’re just trying to make sure we get guys ready for camp, and even more precisely, for game one against Atlanta,” said coach John Fox. “So we’re going to do anything necessary to make that done.
How 'bout them Chicago Blackhawks? NHL draft order 2017: Blackhawks to pick No. 26 overall in 1st round.
By Satchel Price
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/54932957/usa_today_9108474.0.jpg)
(Photo/Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports)
The Chicago Blackhawks are set to pick No. 26 overall in the first round of the 2017 NHL draft, which will be hosted at the United Center in Chicago. This is the first time that the Blackhawks have their own first-round pick since 2014 as a result of midseason trades.
The NHL draft order each year is determined by a combination of regular season results, postseason results, and the lottery. The New Jersey Devils are picking No. 1 overall this year after winning the lottery despite having just the fifth-best odds of any team.
The Blackhawks will be picking No. 26 because they won the Central Division, but failed to reach the conference finals in the playoffs. Teams that were eliminated in the first two rounds and failed to win their division get to pick ahead of division winners that were knocked out early.
So the Blues will be picking No. 20 despite advancing further in the playoffs because they were a wild card team that didn’t reach the conference finals. The Wild also pick ahead of the Hawks at No. 23, although their selection is now owned by the Coyotes as a result of the Martin Hanzal trade.
The only division winner to get knocked out before the conference finals with more regular season points than the Hawks was the Capitals, so they’re picking No. 27 overall (with the Blues receiving that selection from a past trade). We hit an odd number there because of the inclusion of the Vegas Golden Knights, who are picking No. 6.
Blackhawks GM Stan Bowman is used to drafting in the bottom half of the first round, if at all. He’s never picked higher than No. 18 since taking over the front office in 2009. Since drafting Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews with back-to-back top-three picks in 2006-07, the team hasn’t had a top-10 pick.
But it at least has its first-rounder this year, along with nine other picks that make this draft a sizable opportunity for the Hawks to replenish their farm system. And between the draft being held in Chicago and this being the Hawks’ highest selection in three years, there will be extra attention on what Bowman does during draft weekend.
Still, for now, we know that the Blackhawks will be picking No. 26 overall in the first round and No. 57 overall in the second round. The final four spots in the first round will be determined by the remaining results of the playoffs.
Blackhawks announce plans for NHL Draft Fan Fest.
By Charlie Roumeliotis
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
A handful of Blackhawks players and alumni will be in attendance and made available for photo opportunities, as will the Stanley Cup. Fans will also be able to explore the NHL
Centennial Fan Arena, "a 53-foot museum truck with an innovative interior featuring more than 1,000 square feet of interactive digital displays, original video content, one-of-a-kind historical memorabilia, unique photo moments and a social media wall," according to the press release.
A full list of activities, special guest appearances and schedule will be posted at a later date.
Friday's events will run from 3 to 9 p.m. while Saturday's festivities will go from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Parking Lot C, north of the United Center.
Additional passes for the weekend will be made available to the public starting June 9. For more information, visit chicagoblackhawks.com/fanfest.
Highmore, Noel will share a path to the pros beyond the Memorial Cup.
By Emerald Gao
(Photo/chicagoblackhawks.com)
In a tournament of champions, anything can happen. Saint John learned this the hard way with a roller-coaster 24 hours on Monday and Tuesday at the Memorial Cup.
One night they were on the wrong end of a drubbing of historical proportions, losing 12-5 to the OHL champion Erie Otters.
The next night they erased that goal deficit by shutting out the WHL champion Seattle Thunderbirds 7-0, claiming the first clean sheet of the week to book their spot in Friday's semifinal.
"We've been working hard this whole week," forward Matthew Highmore said afterward. Relief was palpable on the faces of the various Sea Dogs scattered around in postgame scrums. "We continued to believe, and we did a really good job regrouping in the last 24 hours and played a good game of hockey."
Highmore, 21, is the oldest member of a Saint John club that has improved steadily over the five seasons he's played there. An alternate captain in his overage season, the Halifax, Nova Scotia, native caught the eye of the Blackhawks around Christmastime and signed a pro contract with Chicago in early March.
"I've been working for the last 15 years -- since I started playing hockey -- to get a pro contract, and it was a big goal of mine," he said. "You obviously don't put your own goals ahead of team goals, but it was a very nice accomplishment. By no means is the job done."
Highmore is a do-it-all player for Saint John, one of many on a deep and experienced team. But even on a roster littered with NHL draft picks, Highmore has been the team's dependable first-line center, matching up against other team's best players and stepping up in all situations.
"He's just ultra-consistent, really works his butt off, smart player too," Development Coach Derek Plante said.
Against Erie, Highmore's line was overwhelmed by the Otters' top units, but the next night he and linemates Bokondji Imama and Mathieu Joseph showed that they could also dominate a game, combining to produce three of the Sea Dogs' seven goals against Seattle. Highmore picked up two helpers, his first points of the tournament; his second came after a strong move to the net that showcased his quickness and strength, producing a rebound goal.
"He's very consistent, which allows his speed to translate," Plante said. "A lot of guys are fast, but if they don't use that speed, it doesn't do them any good. One of the things we really like about him is his work ethic, and he does have good hockey sense. He's just consistently making plays."
If Highmore has speed and consistency on his side, teammate and fellow Blackhawks prospect Nathan Noel stands out for his ability to disrupt, but it wasn't always this way. In the past, Noel stood out to scouts as a creative offensive threat after a couple of productive seasons in the Shattuck St. Mary's high school program. Over the last few seasons with Saint John, the 20-year-old has found a different role to embrace.
"I've developed into a defensive, energy-type guy," Noel said. "Physical, just in-your-face hockey. You obviously keep [the offensive instincts], but you want to work on all parts of your game and keep striving to get better."
Plante says that evolution is necessary for some players to succeed at the pro level. Not all of them can be top-line stars, after all.
"If you think you're going to go to a Patrick Kane spot [in the lineup], it's probably not going to happen," he explained. "But there might be three other places where you could play if you can evolve and learn to use your strengths in a different way. The guys who are willing to do that -- adapt and use the hockey sense that they have -- they can be really effective players for a team."
Noel, who signed his own pro contract in late April, and Highmore have both been with Saint John for the entirety of their QMJHL careers, but they were also teammates long before that, playing Peewee together in New Brunswick before Noel left for Minnesota. They've also been roommates on the road, so Highmore naturally turned to the Blackhawks' 2016 fourth-round pick for advice after signing with the team.
"Being in the Chicago organization now, we can bounce ideas off each other," Highmore said. "It's been really cool. There's a comfort zone. We're both just very excited about the opportunity we have and we know that it won't be easy, but we look forward to it."
"I've known him for a long time, he's a good guy and I'm happy to be in the same organization as him," Noel said, before adding with a smile, "Bit of a strange guy sometimes."
Both have nothing but effusive praise for the Sea Dogs organization, Highmore saying it's been "extremely special" to reach the Memorial Cup with the current group and Noel calling his time with the team "nothing but excellent."
"I've loved every step of the way," he added. "great group of guys, and it's going to be sad to see it come to an end. Hopefully we can finish strong."
The two prospects will traverse along the same path for a while longer, at least, but first they need to slay the giants -- Erie, having lost to Windsor in the final round-robin match on Wednesday, will be Saint John's opponent once more on Friday in the semifinal. Highmore said the Seattle game was a step in the right direction, but the team won't be satisfied with just one win in the tournament.
What would it mean to complete the journey and win here with Saint John?
"There probably wouldn't be a whole lot of words for it," Highmore said. "We know in our locker room we have a chance, and we're looking to take advantage of it."
Highmore is a do-it-all player for Saint John, one of many on a deep and experienced team. But even on a roster littered with NHL draft picks, Highmore has been the team's dependable first-line center, matching up against other team's best players and stepping up in all situations.
"He's just ultra-consistent, really works his butt off, smart player too," Development Coach Derek Plante said.
Against Erie, Highmore's line was overwhelmed by the Otters' top units, but the next night he and linemates Bokondji Imama and Mathieu Joseph showed that they could also dominate a game, combining to produce three of the Sea Dogs' seven goals against Seattle. Highmore picked up two helpers, his first points of the tournament; his second came after a strong move to the net that showcased his quickness and strength, producing a rebound goal.
"He's very consistent, which allows his speed to translate," Plante said. "A lot of guys are fast, but if they don't use that speed, it doesn't do them any good. One of the things we really like about him is his work ethic, and he does have good hockey sense. He's just consistently making plays."
If Highmore has speed and consistency on his side, teammate and fellow Blackhawks prospect Nathan Noel stands out for his ability to disrupt, but it wasn't always this way. In the past, Noel stood out to scouts as a creative offensive threat after a couple of productive seasons in the Shattuck St. Mary's high school program. Over the last few seasons with Saint John, the 20-year-old has found a different role to embrace.
"I've developed into a defensive, energy-type guy," Noel said. "Physical, just in-your-face hockey. You obviously keep [the offensive instincts], but you want to work on all parts of your game and keep striving to get better."
Plante says that evolution is necessary for some players to succeed at the pro level. Not all of them can be top-line stars, after all.
"If you think you're going to go to a Patrick Kane spot [in the lineup], it's probably not going to happen," he explained. "But there might be three other places where you could play if you can evolve and learn to use your strengths in a different way. The guys who are willing to do that -- adapt and use the hockey sense that they have -- they can be really effective players for a team."
Noel, who signed his own pro contract in late April, and Highmore have both been with Saint John for the entirety of their QMJHL careers, but they were also teammates long before that, playing Peewee together in New Brunswick before Noel left for Minnesota. They've also been roommates on the road, so Highmore naturally turned to the Blackhawks' 2016 fourth-round pick for advice after signing with the team.
"Being in the Chicago organization now, we can bounce ideas off each other," Highmore said. "It's been really cool. There's a comfort zone. We're both just very excited about the opportunity we have and we know that it won't be easy, but we look forward to it."
"I've known him for a long time, he's a good guy and I'm happy to be in the same organization as him," Noel said, before adding with a smile, "Bit of a strange guy sometimes."
Both have nothing but effusive praise for the Sea Dogs organization, Highmore saying it's been "extremely special" to reach the Memorial Cup with the current group and Noel calling his time with the team "nothing but excellent."
"I've loved every step of the way," he added. "great group of guys, and it's going to be sad to see it come to an end. Hopefully we can finish strong."
The two prospects will traverse along the same path for a while longer, at least, but first they need to slay the giants -- Erie, having lost to Windsor in the final round-robin match on Wednesday, will be Saint John's opponent once more on Friday in the semifinal. Highmore said the Seattle game was a step in the right direction, but the team won't be satisfied with just one win in the tournament.
What would it mean to complete the journey and win here with Saint John?
"There probably wouldn't be a whole lot of words for it," Highmore said. "We know in our locker room we have a chance, and we're looking to take advantage of it."
Just Another Chicago Bulls Session..... Report: Bulls expect Dwyane Wade to opt in.
By Dan Friedman
(Photo/Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
Dwyane Wade said he wants to see the Bulls’ plan for Jimmy Butler and the rest of the roster before deciding on a $23.8 million player option for next season.
K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune:
I can tell you is most everyone associated with the Bulls believes Wade will pick up the option and remain in Chicago for a second season. More surprising things have happened in league history, though. So stay tuned.
This could be a tell that Wade will opt in. The Bulls could obviously be positioned to base their prediction on inside information into Wade’s thinking.
This could a tell the Bulls won’t trade Butler. If they know they’ll keep Butler, they can extrapolate what that’d mean for Wade.
Or the Bulls, like so many of us, just assume a 35-year-old Wade won’t turn down so much guaranteed money at this stage of his career.
This could a tell the Bulls won’t trade Butler. If they know they’ll keep Butler, they can extrapolate what that’d mean for Wade.
Or the Bulls, like so many of us, just assume a 35-year-old Wade won’t turn down so much guaranteed money at this stage of his career.
Swanigan's, Diallo's decisions and how it affects Bulls' NBA Draft.
By Mark Strotman
(Photo/AP)
The deadline for underclassmen to pull their names out of the NBA Draft passed on Wednesday at midnight.
There were a few surprises, and a handful of decisions had an effect on how the Bulls will go about next month's draft.
Staying in the draft
Caleb Swangian, PF, Purdue: The sophomore All-American surprised many by keeping his name in the draft. Swanigan actually tested the waters after his freshman season but returned to the Boilermakers in 2016. He averaged 18.5 points, 12.5 rebounds and 3.0 assists in 35 games, earning Big Ten Player of the Year honors and was a National Player of the Year candidate. It's no secret the 6-foot-9 Swangian can score - he had 15 games of 20 or more points - and showed some ability to shoot from deep, making nearly 45 percent of his 85 3-point attempts. Quickness and conditioning will be the real test for the 245-pound Swanigan, who has already lost significant weight since high school. Questions about his defense (he had just 27 steals and 36 blocks in two seasons) also stand out. With Nikola Mirotic's future in Chicago unknown, the Bulls could be in the market for depth at power forward. He wouldn't be an option for the Bulls at No. 14, but if he slides out of the first round he could be an option at No. 38.
D.J. Wilson, PF, Michigan: After averaging just 6.1 minutes as a sophomore, Wilson burst onto the scene as a junior, averaging 11.0 points and 5.3 rebounds in 30.4 minutes for the Wolverines. He did his best work during the postseason; during Michigan's Big Ten Championship run and Sweet 16 appearance, Wilson averaged 15.6 points on 54 percent shooting, 5.0 rebounds and 2.0 blocks. Standing 6-foot-10 with a 7-foot-3 wingspan, Wilson leaves some to be desired on the defensive end but has the ability to play as a combo forward - he had a 3-inch growth spurt after high school. Like Swangian, Wilson won't be an option for the Bulls at No. 14 but could be a second-round option. He'd give the Bulls a similar look to what Bobby Portis does with a little more versatility on the wing.
Going back to college
Hamidou Diallo, SG, Kentucky: The NBA Draft's biggest mystery could have been a home-run selection for the Bulls in the first round. Alas, Diallo has decided to play a year under John Calipari at Kentucky and likely boost his draft stock. Having not played since December, where he played at a prep academy in Connecticut, so there wasn't much film of the 6-foot-5 leaper. Still, after Thon Maker went No. 10 to the Bucks last year there was thought that a team would take a gamble on a high-upside mystery.
Andrew Jones, PG, Texas: There was little surprise that Jones, a five-star recruit who put together a solid freshman season, returned. He's still a bit raw as a prospect despite having elite size (6-foot-4) and solid athleticism, and another year running the point with incoming five-star recruit Mo Bomba could really improve his draft stock. The Bulls clearly have a need at the point (less if Rajon Rondo returns) and if Jones had made the leap he likely would have been around at No. 38. Even still, Jones is a player to keep an eye on during next year's draft, assuming Cameron Payne and Jerian Grant don't make significant improvements.
Moritz Wagner, PF, Michigan: There's a need on every NBA team for a stretch forward with 3-point potential. But those teams will have to wait at least another year after Wagner decided to return to Michigan for his junior season. Like Wilson, who kept his name in the draft, Wagner had an excellent postseason run for the Wolverines. That stretch included a 17-point effort against Minnesota and a career-high 26-point outing in a win over Louisville. He weighed in at just 231 pounds and only averaged 4.2 rebounds per game, so adding some strength to his game will help his draft prospect for next year. He could have been an option for the Bulls at No. 38.
There were a few surprises, and a handful of decisions had an effect on how the Bulls will go about next month's draft.
Staying in the draft
Caleb Swangian, PF, Purdue: The sophomore All-American surprised many by keeping his name in the draft. Swanigan actually tested the waters after his freshman season but returned to the Boilermakers in 2016. He averaged 18.5 points, 12.5 rebounds and 3.0 assists in 35 games, earning Big Ten Player of the Year honors and was a National Player of the Year candidate. It's no secret the 6-foot-9 Swangian can score - he had 15 games of 20 or more points - and showed some ability to shoot from deep, making nearly 45 percent of his 85 3-point attempts. Quickness and conditioning will be the real test for the 245-pound Swanigan, who has already lost significant weight since high school. Questions about his defense (he had just 27 steals and 36 blocks in two seasons) also stand out. With Nikola Mirotic's future in Chicago unknown, the Bulls could be in the market for depth at power forward. He wouldn't be an option for the Bulls at No. 14, but if he slides out of the first round he could be an option at No. 38.
D.J. Wilson, PF, Michigan: After averaging just 6.1 minutes as a sophomore, Wilson burst onto the scene as a junior, averaging 11.0 points and 5.3 rebounds in 30.4 minutes for the Wolverines. He did his best work during the postseason; during Michigan's Big Ten Championship run and Sweet 16 appearance, Wilson averaged 15.6 points on 54 percent shooting, 5.0 rebounds and 2.0 blocks. Standing 6-foot-10 with a 7-foot-3 wingspan, Wilson leaves some to be desired on the defensive end but has the ability to play as a combo forward - he had a 3-inch growth spurt after high school. Like Swangian, Wilson won't be an option for the Bulls at No. 14 but could be a second-round option. He'd give the Bulls a similar look to what Bobby Portis does with a little more versatility on the wing.
Going back to college
Hamidou Diallo, SG, Kentucky: The NBA Draft's biggest mystery could have been a home-run selection for the Bulls in the first round. Alas, Diallo has decided to play a year under John Calipari at Kentucky and likely boost his draft stock. Having not played since December, where he played at a prep academy in Connecticut, so there wasn't much film of the 6-foot-5 leaper. Still, after Thon Maker went No. 10 to the Bucks last year there was thought that a team would take a gamble on a high-upside mystery.
Andrew Jones, PG, Texas: There was little surprise that Jones, a five-star recruit who put together a solid freshman season, returned. He's still a bit raw as a prospect despite having elite size (6-foot-4) and solid athleticism, and another year running the point with incoming five-star recruit Mo Bomba could really improve his draft stock. The Bulls clearly have a need at the point (less if Rajon Rondo returns) and if Jones had made the leap he likely would have been around at No. 38. Even still, Jones is a player to keep an eye on during next year's draft, assuming Cameron Payne and Jerian Grant don't make significant improvements.
Moritz Wagner, PF, Michigan: There's a need on every NBA team for a stretch forward with 3-point potential. But those teams will have to wait at least another year after Wagner decided to return to Michigan for his junior season. Like Wilson, who kept his name in the draft, Wagner had an excellent postseason run for the Wolverines. That stretch included a 17-point effort against Minnesota and a career-high 26-point outing in a win over Louisville. He weighed in at just 231 pounds and only averaged 4.2 rebounds per game, so adding some strength to his game will help his draft prospect for next year. He could have been an option for the Bulls at No. 38.
Cubs enjoy 'Anchorman' road trip after big home stand: '60 percent of the time, it works every time'.
By Tony Andracki
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
Win or lose, the Cubs were always going to leave Wrigley Field on a good note Thursday evening.
Joe Maddon made sure of that.
The Cubs left "The Friendly Confines" dressed in "Anchorman" attire for Maddon's themed road trip that included Kyle Schwarber dressed as fictional sportscaster Champ Kind, right down to the gallon-size hat.
"Champ's my guy," Schwarber said.
John Lackey also got in the spirit of Champ Kind.
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
Maddon thought Schwarber was the perfect fit for Champ Kind.
"Of course he should be," Maddon said. "Isn't that a [John] Lackey kinda look, also?
"I just love that they're into it. It would've been perfect going to San Diego first, but I'll take it."
The Cubs are shipping out to Los Angeles for a weekend series beginning Friday before heading to San Diego — the site of Ron Burgandy's affection — from there.
The Cubs apparently even have some "Sex Panther" on board, the cologne that Paul Rudd's character used that smelled...shall we say...awful.
"Sex Panther's on board," Maddon said before Thursday's game. "I'm hearing a lot of good things about Sex Panther. 'Sixty percent of the time, [it works every time].' I wanna know who wrote that. That's brilliant.
"Of course, a win always makes it better, but even after a loss, it's a good way to just let 'er go. But I think everybody's embraced the 'Anchorman' very well."
Of course, the Cubs did win, beating the San Francisco Giants 5-1 to close out a 7-2 home stand.
Check out some of the best photos as the Cubs exited Wrigley Field on Thursday:
All Photos from Tony Andracki's Twitter account. (Top Row: Koji; 2nd Row, L to R,: Felix Pena and Pedro Strop, Jason Heyward; 3rd Row, Tim Buss; 4th Row: The Closer and Anthony Rizzo.
Summing up the Cubs' impressive, potentially season-altering homestand.
By Tony Andracki
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
For the third straight year, the Cubs' season could hinge on an important series with the San Francisco Giants.
In August of 2015, the Cubs swept the Giants in a four-game set at Wrigley Field and they built off that momentum to win 97 games and make it all the way to the National League Championship Series.
Last fall, the Cubs rallied to beat the Giants in an epic comeback in Game 4 of the NLDS, essentially winning the World Series in that game, by Joe Maddon's opinion.
The 2017 Cubs have spent all year hovering around .500 before winning three of four against the Giants this week at Wrigley, looking more and more like the defending champs.
Thursday's 5-1 win over the Giants was the icing on top of an impressive 7-2 homestand that also featured a sweep of the Cincinnati Reds and a split in a rain-shortened series with the Milwaukee Brewers.
Here's the summation of the potentially season-altering homestand:
—The Cubs are now 14-11 at home and 25-21 overall, having caught up to the Brewers and St. Louis Cardinals in the NL Central.
—This is the best homestand since the Cubs went 8-2 in a 10-game set from Aug. 9-18 last summer.
—The Cubs are four games above .500 for the third time this year, representing a season-high.
—How will this homestand affect the team moving forward?
"Well, you're gonna find out," Maddon said. "That's the kind of homestand we look forward to having because that's what we did last year and that's what got us there.
But we've also been a good road team. We're gonna get on the plane, have the Anchorman road trip; there'll be a lot of laughing and giggling, which is always good going to play a very good team in Los Angeles."
—On the nine-game homestand, the Cubs found their offensive groove, scoring 59 runs — good for 6.56 runs per game.
—They also smashed 20 home runs, which is nearly a third of their season total (62). On the homestand, 45.7 percent of the Cubs' runs came via the longball.
"Yeah, we're starting to hit 'em," Maddon said. "I also believe the weather [is a factor], it's a little bit warmer, somewhat more favorable wind conditions have helped a little bit, too.
"We have that kind of power on our team. We needed to get into our groove a little bit.
Looks like it's starting to show up right now. You're starting to see it from a wider range of the players. It's definitely a part of our game. But it is contagious, I agree with that."
—Kris Bryant, Jason Heyward and Ben Zobrist delivered the offense with a solo homer each off former Cubs pitcher Jeff Samardzija. Bryant and Anthony Rizzo added insurance by both scoring on a wild pitch (and subsequent error) in the bottom of the eighth inning.
—Heyward's blast was his fifth of the season. He didn't notch his fifth homer of 2016 until July 29.
—The Cubs are now 9-0 when hitting at least three homers in a game. They were 20-2 in 2016 when crushing at least a trio of longballs.
—The Cubs weren't just offense this homestand, also showing off the leather, like Javy Baez's ridiculous play in the eighth inning of the series finale against the Giants.
—Eddie Butler turned in another solid start, allowing just a run in five innings. Mike Montgomery faced one above the minimum in four innings of relief, inducing six outs on ground balls.
It was Montgomery's first regular-season save. You might remember his only other career save...
—Cubs are 9-5-1 in 15 series this season.
—The homestand was also fraught with controversy and drama, beginning with Reds manager Bryan Price's "hail to the Cubs" moment followed by the Brewers laying into the Cubs' handling of last Saturday's rainout and finishing with the Giants complaining they were unable to challenge Bryant's first-inning homer Thursday because the phones didn't work.
—With the Cubs embarking on an 'Anchorman'-themed road trip to the West Coast, Maddon was asked how Ron Burgandy would sum up the homestand:
"Stay classy, Chicago."
In August of 2015, the Cubs swept the Giants in a four-game set at Wrigley Field and they built off that momentum to win 97 games and make it all the way to the National League Championship Series.
Last fall, the Cubs rallied to beat the Giants in an epic comeback in Game 4 of the NLDS, essentially winning the World Series in that game, by Joe Maddon's opinion.
The 2017 Cubs have spent all year hovering around .500 before winning three of four against the Giants this week at Wrigley, looking more and more like the defending champs.
Thursday's 5-1 win over the Giants was the icing on top of an impressive 7-2 homestand that also featured a sweep of the Cincinnati Reds and a split in a rain-shortened series with the Milwaukee Brewers.
Here's the summation of the potentially season-altering homestand:
—The Cubs are now 14-11 at home and 25-21 overall, having caught up to the Brewers and St. Louis Cardinals in the NL Central.
—This is the best homestand since the Cubs went 8-2 in a 10-game set from Aug. 9-18 last summer.
—The Cubs are four games above .500 for the third time this year, representing a season-high.
—How will this homestand affect the team moving forward?
"Well, you're gonna find out," Maddon said. "That's the kind of homestand we look forward to having because that's what we did last year and that's what got us there.
But we've also been a good road team. We're gonna get on the plane, have the Anchorman road trip; there'll be a lot of laughing and giggling, which is always good going to play a very good team in Los Angeles."
—On the nine-game homestand, the Cubs found their offensive groove, scoring 59 runs — good for 6.56 runs per game.
—They also smashed 20 home runs, which is nearly a third of their season total (62). On the homestand, 45.7 percent of the Cubs' runs came via the longball.
"Yeah, we're starting to hit 'em," Maddon said. "I also believe the weather [is a factor], it's a little bit warmer, somewhat more favorable wind conditions have helped a little bit, too.
"We have that kind of power on our team. We needed to get into our groove a little bit.
Looks like it's starting to show up right now. You're starting to see it from a wider range of the players. It's definitely a part of our game. But it is contagious, I agree with that."
—Kris Bryant, Jason Heyward and Ben Zobrist delivered the offense with a solo homer each off former Cubs pitcher Jeff Samardzija. Bryant and Anthony Rizzo added insurance by both scoring on a wild pitch (and subsequent error) in the bottom of the eighth inning.
—Heyward's blast was his fifth of the season. He didn't notch his fifth homer of 2016 until July 29.
—The Cubs are now 9-0 when hitting at least three homers in a game. They were 20-2 in 2016 when crushing at least a trio of longballs.
—The Cubs weren't just offense this homestand, also showing off the leather, like Javy Baez's ridiculous play in the eighth inning of the series finale against the Giants.
—Eddie Butler turned in another solid start, allowing just a run in five innings. Mike Montgomery faced one above the minimum in four innings of relief, inducing six outs on ground balls.
It was Montgomery's first regular-season save. You might remember his only other career save...
—Cubs are 9-5-1 in 15 series this season.
—The homestand was also fraught with controversy and drama, beginning with Reds manager Bryan Price's "hail to the Cubs" moment followed by the Brewers laying into the Cubs' handling of last Saturday's rainout and finishing with the Giants complaining they were unable to challenge Bryant's first-inning homer Thursday because the phones didn't work.
—With the Cubs embarking on an 'Anchorman'-themed road trip to the West Coast, Maddon was asked how Ron Burgandy would sum up the homestand:
"Stay classy, Chicago."
SportsTalk Live Podcast: Have the Cubs turned the corner?
By CSN Staff
(Photo/USA TODAY)
Rick Telander (Chicago Sun-Times), Danny Parkins (670 The Score) and Jim Litke (Associated Press) join Kelly Crull on the panel. After the Cubs’ 7-2 homestand, should we still be worried about them? Meanwhile, how big of an impact will Victor Cruz make on the Bears?
Plus LeBron James says he’s not worried about the GOAT debate. Do we believe him?
Check out the SportsTalk Live Podcast here.
Plus LeBron James says he’s not worried about the GOAT debate. Do we believe him?
Check out the SportsTalk Live Podcast here.
White Sox top pitching prospect Lucas Giolito throws no-hitter in Triple-A Charlotte.
By Paul Roumeliotis
(Photo/USA TODAY)
Lucas Giolito threw a seven-inning no-hitter in Game 1 of Thursday's Charlotte Knights doubleheader.
The White Sox top pitching prospect recorded three strikeouts and issued three walks in a 4-0 win.
Perhaps the best part? It was against the Syracuse Chiefs, the Washington Nationals' minor league team.
The Nationals selected Giolito with the 16th pick in the 2012 MLB Draft. Last offseason, the 22-year-old was traded to the White Sox — along with Reynaldo Lopez and Dane Dunning — as a key component in exchange for Adam Eaton.
The last Knights pitcher to throw a no-hitter was Andre Rienzo on July 25, 2013 against the Indianapolis Indians, which also came in the first game of a doubleheader.
White Sox: Jose Abreu's five-week tear filled with hard contact, fewer strikeouts.
By Dan Hayes
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
Jose Abreu has made quite a turnaround from being a guy who was admittedly lost to bashing the ball like Abreu of old.
From April 19th on, Abreu has hit at another level, reminiscent of the performances he put on throughout an eye-opening 2014 campaign in which he was the unanimous American League rookie of the year winner. Over that stretch, Abreu has slashed at an absurd .347/.404/.677 clip with nine doubles, one triple, 10 home runs and 22 RBIs in 136 plate appearances.
Earlier this week, Abreu said the run is the product of trusting his tireless preparation.
"I struggled in the first few weeks of the season but I kept working," Abreu said through an interpreter. "Now I'm at this point where I feel very good and confident with my offense and things are going well for me. That's part of what you work for and if you work hard, you know the results will be there at the end of the day."
Two numbers that have improved significantly during Abreu's five-week tear are his average exit velocity and strikeout rate.
Abreu entered Wednesday 39th in the the majors with an average exit velocity of 90.5 mph this season, according to Baseball Savant.
But Abreu wasn't hitting the ball nearly as hard early this season, which was littered with weak contact. Abreu stumbled out of the gate with a .157 average, one extra-base hit and only five RBIs in his first 54 plate appearances. Through the first two weeks, Abreu's average exit velocity was 89.0 mph on 31 batted-ball events, which was slightly down from last season's 89.6 mph average and significantly down from 2015, when he averaged 90.9 mph.
Since then, however, Abreu has seen a significant increase in hard contact. Over his last 92 batted-ball events, Abreu is averaging 92.6 mph, a total that would qualify for 15th in the majors this season. Included in that span is 35 balls hit 100 mph or more.
But Abreu's success isn't just related to how hard he has hit the ball. He's also made much better contact this season and is striking out less than ever. Abreu struck out 14 times in his first 54 plate appearances (25.9 percent). But since then, he has whiffed only 17 times in 136 plate appearances, good for a 12.5 percent strikeout rate.
His season K-rate of 16.3 percent, according to Fangraphs.com, is down from a career mark of 19.6 percent.
"You have started to see him heat up a little," manager Rick Renteria said earlier this week. "He's given us solid at-bats. He's in a good place right now."
Actually, it's a great place and one Abreu hasn't done with consistency since 2015. He once again looks like the hitting machine he was for most of his first two seasons and the final two months of 2016.
Abreu is on pace to hit 36 home runs this season, which would match his 2014 total. His current wRC+ of 138 is his highest since he finished 2014 at 167.
Last season, Abreu didn't hit his 10th home run until June 18. He hit his 11th homer on June 23 and then didn't hit another until August 4. That stretch raised myriad questions both inside the organization and externally about whether or not Abreu would return to prominence as a hitter. Perhaps inspired by the August arrival of his son, Dariel, Abreu finished 2016 with a flurry, hitting .340/.402/.572 with 14 home runs in his final 241 plate appearances.
General manager Rick Hahn said last September that the stretch was important for White Sox evaluators to see.
"It certainly makes you more confident as you see him over the last six weeks, projecting out that he's going to be that same player that he was for the first two years of his career," Hahn said. "Earlier, when he was scuffling, you looked at some of the things he was doing from his approach or some of the mechanical issues he might have been having and you felt confident he was going to be able to get back. But in all candor, you like seeing the performance match what you're projecting and we've certainly seen that over the last six weeks."
The White Sox offense has benefitted from Abreu's leap back into prominence. The team has averaged 4.53 runs per game this season and is 9th in the American League with 204 runs scored and 17th overall in the majors. But the increase in offense still hasn't helped the White Sox improve in the standings. While Abreu is glad to be on the roll he is, he'd prefer if his team is along for the ride.
"We're are passing through a tough moment, a rough stretch," Abreu said. "For me as I've always said the team is first. I want to thank God for how I've performed through this rough stretch. But it's not something makes me feel happy because we didn't win as many games as we wanted to win. It's tough."
Golf: I got a club for that..... Rahm 1 back as trio shares Colonial lead.
By Will Gray
(Photo/Golf Channel Digital)
He doesn't hold the opening-round lead at the Dean & DeLuca Invitational, but Jon Rahm is still very much a factor. Here's a look at how things stand after the first round at Colonial, where the red-hot Rahm sits just one shot off the pace:
Leaderboard: Derek Fathauer (-5), Kelly Kraft (-5), J.T. Poston (-5), Jon Rahm (-4),
Graeme McDowell (-4), Scott Brown (-4), Phil Mickelson (-3)
What it means: Swirling winds took a toll on the field during the afternoon wave, and Fathauer's opening 65 was the score to beat for several hours. He was eventually caught by Kraft and Poston, with all three in search of their maiden victory, while the chase pack includes Rahm, a winner already this season, and Mickelson, who won this event twice but hasn't played Colonial since 2010.
Round of the day: Fathauer was a standout player at Louisville, but he was battling for his card at Web.com Tour Finals as recently as 2015. Fathauer hasn't made a cut since a T-32 at the RBC Heritage last month, but he opened with a birdie on No. 10 and then added five more birdies in an eight-hole stretch from No. 18 to No. 7, gaining more than three strokes over the field on the greens in the process.
Best of the rest: Kraft was a runner-up earlier this year at Pebble Beach, and he won the 2011 U.S. Amateur at Erin Hills, the site of next month's U.S. Open. Kraft was bogey-free Thursday in Fort Worth, with three birdies over his first seven holes and a 40-footer on No. 16 to grab a share of the lead. He also got up and downs on each of the five holes where he missed the green in regulation.
Biggest disappointment: Players champ Si Woo Kim was unable to carry his momentum from TPC Sawgrass to Colonial, as he carded a 2-over 72 in the first competitive round since his breakthrough victory. Kim started on No. 10 and made the turn in 2 under but struggled on the second nine, with two bogeys and a double over his final four holes to drop seven shots off the lead.
Main storyline heading into Friday: With three unexpected names at the top of the leaderboard, the focus belongs on the chase pack. Specifically, Rahm appears poised to bounce back from a surprising MDF at TPC Sawgrass, while Mickelson and another two-time champ, Zach Johnson, lurk just two shots off the pace. And don't count out defending champ Jordan Spieth, who capped a tumultuous round of even-par 70 with a pair of birdies.
Shot(s) of the day: Spieth was in danger of a seriously high number before nearly holing each of his final two approaches. He hit it from 148 yards to 3 feet on No. 17, then stuffed it to 5 feet from 104 yards on the home hole.
Quote of the day: "To be honest, that energy and positivity probably helped me today. If they could do that, why couldn't I play well today?" - Rahm, a former Arizona State standout who watched the women's golf team win its eighth NCAA national title Wednesday.
Leaderboard: Derek Fathauer (-5), Kelly Kraft (-5), J.T. Poston (-5), Jon Rahm (-4),
Graeme McDowell (-4), Scott Brown (-4), Phil Mickelson (-3)
What it means: Swirling winds took a toll on the field during the afternoon wave, and Fathauer's opening 65 was the score to beat for several hours. He was eventually caught by Kraft and Poston, with all three in search of their maiden victory, while the chase pack includes Rahm, a winner already this season, and Mickelson, who won this event twice but hasn't played Colonial since 2010.
Round of the day: Fathauer was a standout player at Louisville, but he was battling for his card at Web.com Tour Finals as recently as 2015. Fathauer hasn't made a cut since a T-32 at the RBC Heritage last month, but he opened with a birdie on No. 10 and then added five more birdies in an eight-hole stretch from No. 18 to No. 7, gaining more than three strokes over the field on the greens in the process.
Best of the rest: Kraft was a runner-up earlier this year at Pebble Beach, and he won the 2011 U.S. Amateur at Erin Hills, the site of next month's U.S. Open. Kraft was bogey-free Thursday in Fort Worth, with three birdies over his first seven holes and a 40-footer on No. 16 to grab a share of the lead. He also got up and downs on each of the five holes where he missed the green in regulation.
Biggest disappointment: Players champ Si Woo Kim was unable to carry his momentum from TPC Sawgrass to Colonial, as he carded a 2-over 72 in the first competitive round since his breakthrough victory. Kim started on No. 10 and made the turn in 2 under but struggled on the second nine, with two bogeys and a double over his final four holes to drop seven shots off the lead.
Main storyline heading into Friday: With three unexpected names at the top of the leaderboard, the focus belongs on the chase pack. Specifically, Rahm appears poised to bounce back from a surprising MDF at TPC Sawgrass, while Mickelson and another two-time champ, Zach Johnson, lurk just two shots off the pace. And don't count out defending champ Jordan Spieth, who capped a tumultuous round of even-par 70 with a pair of birdies.
Shot(s) of the day: Spieth was in danger of a seriously high number before nearly holing each of his final two approaches. He hit it from 148 yards to 3 feet on No. 17, then stuffed it to 5 feet from 104 yards on the home hole.
Quote of the day: "To be honest, that energy and positivity probably helped me today. If they could do that, why couldn't I play well today?" - Rahm, a former Arizona State standout who watched the women's golf team win its eighth NCAA national title Wednesday.
Good news, bad news for Spieth on Day 1.
By Rex Hoggard
(Photo/Golf Channel Digital)
Maybe the best news for Jordan Spieth on Thursday at the Dean & DeLuca Invitational is that no one asked about his putting following his opening round.
Instead, the defending champion spent his post-round interview discussing how close his first-round 70 was to being something really good given the windy conditions on Day 1 at Colonial.
“With gusty winds it's not going to end up where you think it's going to a lot of the time,” said Spieth, who struggled in the wind off the tee and hit just 5 of 14 fairways. “I felt like I missed some fairways by 1 to 5 yards today that made a complete difference in the way the hole played.”
It could have been much worse after Spieth began his round with two bogeys through his first four holes. But he rallied with birdies at Nos. 5 and 7 to turn at even par and added another at the 13th to move to 1 under for the day before an untimely course management error cost him at the 15th.
From a fairway bunker on the par-4 15th hole, Spieth’s 8-iron approach shot climbed into the sky before being blown left and into a water hazard adjacent the green.
“My eye was solely on getting it back there by the pin and continuing momentum,” Spieth said. “In mid-air I'm like, shoot, I completely forgot about the water. Which you can't be upset about. I'm zeroed in on the pin. Obviously you should know to favor one side or the other.”
As for his putting, which has been a familiar topic since he switched putters last week at the AT&T Byron Nelson, that wasn’t an issue on Day 1, with Spieth needing just 26 putts and gaining more than a stroke on the field in the strokes gained: putting statistic.
Langer has 2-shot lead at Senior PGA on Trump course.
By Ben Nuckols
Shrugging off fatigue from last week's victory, Bernhard Langer shot a 7-under 65 Thursday to take a two-shot lead in the first round of the Senior PGA Championship.
Instead, the defending champion spent his post-round interview discussing how close his first-round 70 was to being something really good given the windy conditions on Day 1 at Colonial.
“With gusty winds it's not going to end up where you think it's going to a lot of the time,” said Spieth, who struggled in the wind off the tee and hit just 5 of 14 fairways. “I felt like I missed some fairways by 1 to 5 yards today that made a complete difference in the way the hole played.”
It could have been much worse after Spieth began his round with two bogeys through his first four holes. But he rallied with birdies at Nos. 5 and 7 to turn at even par and added another at the 13th to move to 1 under for the day before an untimely course management error cost him at the 15th.
From a fairway bunker on the par-4 15th hole, Spieth’s 8-iron approach shot climbed into the sky before being blown left and into a water hazard adjacent the green.
“My eye was solely on getting it back there by the pin and continuing momentum,” Spieth said. “In mid-air I'm like, shoot, I completely forgot about the water. Which you can't be upset about. I'm zeroed in on the pin. Obviously you should know to favor one side or the other.”
As for his putting, which has been a familiar topic since he switched putters last week at the AT&T Byron Nelson, that wasn’t an issue on Day 1, with Spieth needing just 26 putts and gaining more than a stroke on the field in the strokes gained: putting statistic.
Langer has 2-shot lead at Senior PGA on Trump course.
By Ben Nuckols
Shrugging off fatigue from last week's victory, Bernhard Langer shot a 7-under 65 Thursday to take a two-shot lead in the first round of the Senior PGA Championship.
The 59-year-old German could break Jack Nicklaus' record of eight senior majors with a win at Trump National. He tied Nicklaus last week with a five-shot victory at the Regions Tradition. He would also become the first player to win all five of the current senior majors.
Langer started with five straight pars on a cool, misty morning before sparse galleries. The start was delayed 80 minutes because of overnight rain that saturated President Donald Trump's already-soft course on the shores of the Potomac River, about 25 miles from Washington.
"I was really tired on Monday and Tuesday, really low on energy," Langer said. "Today, I felt fine. I got up early at 5 a.m. and went through my stretching routine and stuff and then heard about the delay, so sat around for an hour and a half, got all stiff again, so that part didn't help."
Langer's lead held up as afternoon thunderstorms halted play for the day with half of the 156-man field still on the course.
Langer pumped his fist when he rolled in his first birdie, an 18-footer at the par-4 sixth hole. That started a run of six birdies in eight holes that tied him for the lead at 5 under. He missed only two fairways and just one green in regulation, leading to his only bogey.
"I hit a lot of good putts," Langer said. "There was one or two other ones that actually I thought I made them and they just went over the edge, or one actually lipped out, but I also had two or three that went in that don't go in every day."
He finished his round by hitting a 2-hybrid from 216 yards to 3 feet for eagle on the par-5 18th.
"I had a very good yardage," Langer said. "I knew if I hit it somewhat solid it should land near the hole and it landed perfectly."
The PGA of America allowed players to lift, clean and place their golf balls in the fairways and moved up some tees on the soggy course so that it played at just under 7,000 yards.
"They shortened the course quite a bit and it turned out to be such a nice day, the course played incredibly short," said Tom Lehman, who was two shots back after a 67.
Lehman briefly had the lead until he chunked a 4-iron into the water on 18, leading to a bogey.
"I played very well. I'm not going to dwell on one bad swing," he said.
Lee Janzen, Scott McCarron and James Kingston also were two shots behind Langer. Kingston, a South African who got into the field by finishing among the top 20 in money on the European Senior Tour, tied Langer at 7 under before two late bogeys.
Among the players who didn't finish, Larry Mize had the best round going at 5 under through 10 holes. Miguel Angel Jimenez was among the group at 4 under, playing alongside John Daly and defending champion Rocco Mediate, who were both 1 under.
Langer has 31 career victories and $22 million in earnings on the PGA Tour Champions, trailing only Hale Irwin's 45 wins and $27 million. He has topped the money list eight times in nine seasons.
"I feel like Bernhard is catchable, but you've got to play awfully, awfully well," Lehman said. "He's accomplished so much, but yet I think we all still feel that he can be beat. It's just that you need to play really well to do it."
NASCAR: Kevin Harvick will start first in Coca-Cola 600.
By Nick Bromberg
Kevin Harvick has won three poles in 2017. (Photo/Getty)
Kevin Harvick is starting first for the second-straight race at Charlotte.
Harvick posted the fastest lap in the third round of Thursday’s qualifying session to take the pole for Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600. His lap beat that All-Star Race winner Kyle Busch, who will start second in NASCAR’s longest race.
It’s the 20th pole for Harvick and his third of the season. All three have come on 1.5-mile tracks. And while Harvick undoubtedly happy about the qualifying effort, he’s certainly hoping Sunday’s race doesn’t go like the 2016 fall race did. After Harvick started first in October, an engine issue relegated him to a 38th-place finish.
Once again, inspection was a problem for many teams, though only two cars failed to make a lap Thursday — down from 11 at Kansas two weeks ago. Kyle Larson, who hit the wall in practice earlier in the day, and Corey Lajoie were the only drivers who didn’t make a qualifying attempt.
Here’s what the starting lineup will look like for Sunday’s race.
1. Kevin Harvick
2. Kyle Busch
3. Chase Elliott
4. Matt Kenseth
5. Erik Jones
6. Denny Hamlin
7. Ryan Blaney
8. Martin Truex Jr.
9. Clint Bowyer
10. Brad Keselowski
11. Jamie McMurray
12. Kurt Busch
13. Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
14. Jimmie Johnson
15. Danica Patrick
16. Paul Menard
17. Ryan Newman
18. Trevor Bayne
19. Dale Earnhardt Jr.
20. Daniel Suarez
21. Michael McDowell
22. Austin Dillon
23. Joey Logano
24. Kasey Kahne
25. Regan Smith
26. AJ Allmendinger
27. Ty Dillon
28. David Ragan
29. Chris Buescher
30. Matt DiBenedetto
31. Landon Cassill
32. Gray Gaulding
33. JJ Yeley
34. Cole Whitt
35. Reed Sorenson
36. Timmy Hill
37. Derrike Cope
38. Jeffrey Earnhardt
39. Kyle Larson
40. Corey LaJoie
2. Kyle Busch
3. Chase Elliott
4. Matt Kenseth
5. Erik Jones
6. Denny Hamlin
7. Ryan Blaney
8. Martin Truex Jr.
9. Clint Bowyer
10. Brad Keselowski
11. Jamie McMurray
12. Kurt Busch
13. Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
14. Jimmie Johnson
15. Danica Patrick
16. Paul Menard
17. Ryan Newman
18. Trevor Bayne
19. Dale Earnhardt Jr.
20. Daniel Suarez
21. Michael McDowell
22. Austin Dillon
23. Joey Logano
24. Kasey Kahne
25. Regan Smith
26. AJ Allmendinger
27. Ty Dillon
28. David Ragan
29. Chris Buescher
30. Matt DiBenedetto
31. Landon Cassill
32. Gray Gaulding
33. JJ Yeley
34. Cole Whitt
35. Reed Sorenson
36. Timmy Hill
37. Derrike Cope
38. Jeffrey Earnhardt
39. Kyle Larson
40. Corey LaJoie
Byron, Evernham, Hornaday, Squier and Yates make 2018 NASCAR Hall of Fame class.
By Nick Bromberg
Red Byron, Ray Evernham, Ron Hornaday, Ken Squier and Robert Yates will be inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2018.
The five inductees were announced by NASCAR on Wednesday. According to the sanctioning body, Hornaday tied with Alan Kulwicki for the fifth and final spot in the class. Hornaday then beat Kulwicki via a tiebreaker.
Hornaday is a four-time Camping World Truck Series champion. His inclusion into the Hall of Fame comes at the over Kulwicki, the 1992 Cup Series champion and Bobby Labonte, the 2000 Cup champion. He also beat out champion owners Joe Gibbs, Jack Roush and Roger Penske.
His induction over two Cup-winning drivers and owners with Cup titles is a statement about the significance of the Truck Series in voters’ minds. While four Truck titles is a hell of an accomplishment, it seems fair to wonder just how much Cup titles should be weighed against titles in lesser series.
Hornaday and Kulwicki also tied with 38 percent of the vote. Perhaps it’s time for NASCAR to establish a simple majority threshold for inductees to clear during the voting process.
Byron is NASCAR’s first Cup Series champion. He had two wins and four top 10s in six races in 1949, the first season of NASCAR’s existence.
Evernham won three championships as Jeff Gordon’s crew chief. After leaving Gordon’s pit box, Evernham became a car owner and was one of the flagship owners for Dodge’s return to NASCAR in 2001.
Evernham and Gordon won 49 races together, including 33 from 1996-1998. As a car owner, Evernham’s teams had 13 wins from 2001-2006.
Squier is a longtime NASCAR broadcaster whose voice is ingrained in the heads of many longtime NASCAR fans. The Squier-Hall Award for NASCAR broadcasters is named after Squier and longtime radio announcer Barney Hall.
Yates won the 1999 Cup Series championship as Dale Jarrett’s car owner and his teams won 57 races from 1989 to 2005. Yates is famed for his engine building prowess and all Ford engines are currently branded as Roush-Yates engines. Yates, who has been battling liver cancer, received 94 percent of the votes. His tally was the most of any inductee.
The five will be inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in January.
Indy President: Indianapolis and NASCAR are ‘about the oval’.
By Tony DiZinno
(Photo by Brian Lawdermilk/Getty Images)
Indianapolis Motor Speedway President J. Douglas Boles confirmed to NBC Sports that discussions were had about shifting the Brickyard 400 to the road course before the decision was made to keep the NASCAR Cup Series on the 2.5-mile oval.
The track’s NASCAR weekend shifts from late July to Sept. 9 next year. The track will host the final Cup race before the playoffs begin.
Boles said Wednesday that the road course was considered an option but rejected for multiple reasons.
“As fans know and as we know and as NASCAR knows, the Brickyard 400 over the last several years has struggled,” Boles told NBC Sports. “We believe to continue to make it viable and frankly to grow it, we had to look at everything.
“We actually had a conversation about the road course in February in Daytona. Mark (Miles, CEO of Hulman & Co., INDYCAR and IMS parent company) and I met with the folks in NASCAR in New York City. We talked it through.
“Ultimately, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway is about the oval and NASCAR is about the oval. What makes this race special for the drivers is they get to drive on a track that Ray Harroun ran on, Wilbur Shaw won on, and you can recall the names that meant something to this sport.
“We felt committed to making the oval work.”
It was the heat, Boles said, that was the primary factor for the move to the fall. Boles noted the customer feedback from annual surveys and said that more than the racing product on track, heat was an overriding complaint.
“We survey our fans after every year,” Boles said. “The one thing we hear more than anything, the biggest complaint about the Brickyard 400 is the heat in the middle of the summer and you can’t shade this place. You can’t add more shade. The heat is the number one factor. We would make a move to move it out of the heat.
“Now we’ve moved it to an event where they will crown their regular season champion and they will set their 16 drivers for the playoffs. For us, that is another talking point.
“This addresses the number one concern that our customer has. The second or third, depending on the year, is that the race is just a race and doesn’t have real meaning to the rest of the season, so now we’ve also addressed that concern as well.”
One concern that arises from a September date is the potential of going head-to-head with the Indianapolis Colts. The NFL traditionally releases its schedule in April, so NASCAR will know whether the Colts are in town on Sunday, Sept. 9 well in advance.
Boles and IMS are already working toward an amenable solution.
“We completely understand it’s NFL season, and we’re in a city where the Colts are,” he said. “So we have begun those conversations, even ahead of announcing this with the folks at the Colts, so we can do the best we can to limit the weekends we go head to head with the Colts in this market.”
INDIANAPOLIS 500: The Greatest Spectacle in Racing remains an American icon.
By Associated Press
The Indy 500 in it's inaugural showing. (Archive Photo/Stringer/Getty Images)
The Indianapolis 500 has outlasted two world wars, the decline of the automobile industry, a bitter split in open-wheel racing and more death than anyone cares to recall.
The Greatest Spectacle in Racing might as well be called the Greatest Survivor in Sports.
Through it all, though, this iconic event in America's heartland has endured. And after another round of pageantry, another rendition of "Back Home Again in Indiana," it will run Sunday for the 100th time.
"I know football fans and everyone says the Super Bowl is the biggest thing around, but by the same token, we're 100 years this year," three-time champion Bobby Unser said. "One hundred! And it's still at the top of the heap. That tells you all you need to know about its place in America."
The Greatest Spectacle in Racing might as well be called the Greatest Survivor in Sports.
Through it all, though, this iconic event in America's heartland has endured. And after another round of pageantry, another rendition of "Back Home Again in Indiana," it will run Sunday for the 100th time.
"I know football fans and everyone says the Super Bowl is the biggest thing around, but by the same token, we're 100 years this year," three-time champion Bobby Unser said. "One hundred! And it's still at the top of the heap. That tells you all you need to know about its place in America."
Those closest to it have fond memories.
As a kid, NASCAR star Tony Stewart would rush home from school every day in May to watch the field turn laps on TV. Fellow NASCAR champion Jeff Gordon stood in line at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for Rick Mears' autograph. Sam Hornish Jr. made the trek from Ohio each year with his family to sit in the grandstands and watch the spectacle unfold.
"My parents were working really hard at that time trying to establish a business," Hornish said. "I always knew where my parents were at night, but there were not a whole lot of days spent with them. So it was really exciting to be able to go and spend a day at the race track with them, getting up early in the morning and driving to Indy, getting a bucket of fried chicken and eating it cold in the grandstands."
His own Indy 500 victory a decade ago is a blur, but Hornish's early days as a fan are crystal clear.
They were as American as apple pie.
Indianapolis is where A.J. Foyt, Rick Mears and Al Unser became household names. The trio represents the only four-time winners, and Unser, his brother Bobby and son Al Jr. are the only multi-generational winners.
Mario Andretti, despite his gripping duels with Foyt, won only once. His heartbreak in the race has been passed down to his son, Michael, and grandson, Marco. Between five Andrettis, they have just that 1969 win, though Marco will look once more to break the family curse Sunday. So big is this centennial event, IMS officials have announced it is sold out for the first time in 100 years and the race will be shown live on TV in central Indiana for just the third time. The last time it was aired live was in the 1950s.
"This race is a jewel. It's arguably the best known motorsport race in the world," Mario Andretti said. "When I won this in '69, I got fan mail from Tibet and Egypt. To be a part in something like this instills a lot of pride in you. And then to have your family involved is just an incredible feeling."
Indianapolis is where Formula One world champion Emerson Fittipaldi landed, winning twice. Nigel Mansell left F1 as the reigning world champion and came to Indy, only to fall short in two starts. Jacques Villeneuve used his 1995 victory to launch his F1 career and was world champ within two years. Juan Pablo Montoya parlayed his 2000 victory into an F1 job, then won Indy again last year following a NASCAR stint.
The race lures the biggest names, the biggest crowd and can make or break a career.
JR Hildebrand was one turn away from winning as a rookie in 2011 when he spun into the wall. He's raced just one full season since, these days called upon mostly to run the Indy 500 every May.
"It's the biggest race in the world," Villeneuve said. "There's half a million people that go there in the grandstands, that watch it. What has made Indy is the level of risk that the drivers are willing to take to go for the win. They are real gladiators and I think that's what the fans have respected."
Former winner Buddy Rice likens the speedway to Wrigley Field — you drive through an unremarkable neighborhood and suddenly stumble upon a sporting cathedral. The track was in disrepair after it was abandoned during World War II, but Terre Haute businessman Tony Hulman bought the property and pumped life back into it.
His family continues to own the speedway to this day.
Rice said the speedway shows its age, but the cracks and groans are part of the nostalgia, a signal that "you're going somewhere there's a lot of history." Rice believes the track has a special sound, too, recalling echoes off the seats surrounding the 2.5-mile oval that has no floodlights and has never hosted a 500 at night.
"It kind of talks to you when you get there," he said. "And as it gets closer and closer to race day, it just gets bigger. You keep ramping up. It's like the buildup to a big fight."
The track has won its share of battles, with more than 60 deaths over the years tied to racing.
Buddy Lazier listened to the Indy 500 on the radio as a child, using it as a barometer for the official start of summer. His father was an amateur racer and that helped him appreciate the importance of the speedway, the event and its role in the nation's history.
"I don't know of anything more America," the 1996 winner said, "and it's so relevant to what we as people do every day. No matter where you live, you get in your car, you start it up and drive away, and while you're doing it, practically everything was filtered through an Indy car.
If it worked there, it was worth having. The telemetry, the computer programs, they're all relevant to America's youth. The younger generation with computer savviness, they're very technologically aware. No matter how you chalk it up, it's got Indianapolis 500 relevance written all over it."
Ryan Hunter-Reay's earliest memories of the Indy 500 are as a child, playing with his Hot Wheels in front of the TV. "I don't know if I was in my diapers or underwear or what," he said. "But I remember making my own track, watching my heroes."
Despite winning two years ago, Hunter-Reay still considers it an honor just to be in the 33-car field. He recognizes the special place the Indy 500 is to so many people, and that heroes are made that Sunday every year.
"The history there, the tradition, this is something that is Americana," he said. "Just to have a shot at it, to be a part of it, is a tremendous honor."
It's the main reason the Indy 500 has withstood the test of time, now at 100 years and counting.
Indy field keen to beat him, but agree Alonso Indy 500 win would boost IndyCar globally.
By Jerry Bonkowski
(Photo by Dana Garrett/IndyCar)
Graham Rahal wants to win Sunday’s Indianapolis 500. If not him, he’d like to see a Honda driver in victory lane.
Ditto for James Hinchcliffe, who’d like to win but would also be happy to see a Honda winner, as well.
Will Power is also of the same mindset. If he can’t win, he’d like one of his Team Penske teammates take the checkered flag.
But those same drivers interviewed by NBC Sports Thursday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, are also well aware of the potential impact of having two-time Formula 1 World Champion Fernando Alonso in the race.
And make no mistake, even though this is Alonso’s first foray into IndyCar and oval racing, when it comes to Sunday’s race, he’s in it to win it. And some of the drivers he’ll challenge for the ‘500 win are well aware of that.
“Obviously, selfishly, for a lot of us, we hope he doesn’t,” Rahal said with a smile.
Rahal then grew serious, adding, “But I’m not going to lie to you, he’s driving the same car Townsend (Bell) drove last year, which was one of the favorites to win until the pit lane accident. So it’s a fast car, it’s a good machine, I’ve worked with some of his mechanics in the past.
“They’re quality guys. It wouldn’t surprise me. He’s going to be in the hunt. But I hope it just continues to draw more eyes. I think he’s had a great time here this month. It would be great to have him continue to come back, amongst others. Clearly, we hope one of the regulars wins this thing, there’s a lot of guys that deserve a lot of credit and maybe have been overlooked this month, but that’s just part of it. We’ll see what happens Sunday.”
Hinchcliffe also wants to win Sunday, but knows Alonso brings an additional dynamic to the table that is kind of a mixed blessing.
“That’s one of those bittersweet situations,” Hinchcliffe said with a chuckle. “Obviously, it would be a tremendous amount of coverage for IndyCar and the Indianapolis 500, but if a rookie comes in and wins it on pace, it just makes us look a bit silly.
“Now, if you’re going to be made to look silly, if it’s going to happen at the hands of Fernando Alonso, you’ll sleep a little bit better at night because he’s pretty much the greatest living racing driver.
“The fact of the matter is he’s got a really good shot at it, man. He’s been incredible. There’s a lot of difficult situations that you get put into during a 500-mile race here or in practice and we’ve watched him handle them like a seasoned veteran. It’s been very impressive, honestly. He’s in one of the best cars, he’s starting near the front (middle of Row 2), he’s got as good a shot as anyone.”
In addition to Alonso’s massive talent, Hinchcliffe has also been impressed at the Spanish driver’s personality.
“He’s super down to earth, very friendly and has really embraced this experience,” Hinchcliffe said. “The IndyCar paddock is a very different world from the F1 paddock.
“I know for a fact that there are a lot of (F1) drivers that wouldn’t handle the atmosphere here very well, but Fernando hasn’t been like that. He’s embraced the whole experience, the fan interaction we have, which is a massive degree higher than what you see in F1. He’s been an awesome addition to the field. I hope it’s not the last IndyCar race that we see him at.”
And then there’s Will Power, who has an IndyCar championship trophy on his mantle, but not the Borg-Warner Indy 500 winner’s trophy.
Power feels he has a good chance to finally break through and win the Greatest Spectacle In Racing. But he also knows Alonso presents a formidable challenge in addition to the regular IndyCar drivers he does battle with in every series race.
But Power agrees with his counterparts that an Alonso win would bring a great deal of worldwide attention that would provide a big boost of attention and popularity into the IndyCar Series.
“I think you’d have a new group of Spanish fans if Alonso happened to win the race, plus a lot of interest from Europe, which there already is,” Power said. “He definitely has the car and the capability to do it – but so does a lot of people in the field.”
When asked if he can relate his own first 500 (finished 13th in 2008) to that of Alonso, Power said it was completely apples to oranges.
“It’s not similar,” Power said. “When I came here the first time, the team had never raced ovals and we got the car two weeks before the first race of the season and had no idea of the setup. And my engineer had never run ovals, either.
“(Alonso’s) been placed with one of the best teams, one of the best cars and much more experience. I would have dreamed of having that experience in my first time. It would have made it much easier and given me way more confidence on the oval.”
Ganassi team confident amid high expectations for Indy 500.
By Kyle Lavigne
(Photo: IndyCar)
Chip Ganassi Racing was uncharacteristically quiet during last year’s 100th Indianapolis 500 presented by PennGrade Motor Oil. Tony Kanaan was the only member of the team to lead laps, heading the field for 19 circuits. Charlie Kimball took advantage of a strategy similar to winner Alexander Rossi’s to finish fifth, while Scott Dixon was never in contention much of the day and finished eighth. Max Chilton, in his first “500,” soldiered home in 15th.
For the 101st running of the Greatest Spectacle in Racing, the team has a much different outcome in mind. Once again partnered with Honda, which had the superior speedway package last year, Chip Ganassi’s outfit appears to be in a much stronger position heading into this year’s race.
Most notably, Scott Dixon captured the pole, with Tony Kanaan joining him in the Fast Nine shootout before qualifying seventh. And while Chilton and Kimball start 15th and 16th, they could easily be dark horses heading into race day.
Team owner Chip Ganassi was bursting with enthusiasm when asked about returning Indianapolis Motor Speedway during a May 19 press conference.
“I mean, I’m excited. I mean I think — you know, when you come back here to Indianapolis, it’s the real thing. It’s what we’re all about. It’s why we got in this sport in the first place, is because of the Indianapolis 500. We want to win this race, and that’s what we’re here to do,” he asserted.
Mike Hull, managing director of the Verizon IndyCar Series side of Chip Ganassi’s operation, detailed the team’s success, and potential for more success, is down to people and communication, and that on the driving front, he thinks they have all their bases covered.
“In order for race drivers to win races, they have to support their teammates and their teammates have to give very unselfishly to each other when you race at a major event like this one,” Hull explained. “And it’s really, really neat to see these four drivers interact with each other knowing full well that one of the other ones could win. That’s very special, and that’s what we have at Chip Ganassi Racing.”
Dixon, the polesitter and holder of one of the fastest speeds Indianapolis Motor Speedway has seen since 1996, is not only Ganassi’s longest tenured driver but the team’s best bet for success on race day, in tandem with engineer Chris Simmons. Dixon alluded to missed opportunities (such as in 2015, when an overheating problem dropped him from the lead late in the race, and in 2011, when fuel strategy put paid to his chances) as added motivation to secure his second “500” triumph.
“I think we came up short in a couple where we could have maybe stolen a couple wins there which would have definitely helped that list. But yeah, you know, it’s all focused right now on this event and preparing as well as we can,” he said.
“I think the first couple of days were definitely trying in a lot of ways but I think we found some good headway, but it’s the goal. We finished second here a couple of times and it’s almost the worst place to finish when you come so close, especially under caution.”
One might assume that as a former winner, Dixon may hold a mental edge on most of the field. But, he later revealed that isn’t necessarily the case.
“Every year is very different. The target constantly moves. The situations change. How the race plays out changes,” he said. “I think because you’ve had the sense and the feeling of that victory, you want it that much more again. So I think it maybe even adds to it.”
Teammate Tony Kanaan, who won this race in 2013, echoed those sentiments. “To me every year it’s like the first year,” he added. “I mean, I don’t get to think that I won this thing until Monday. If everything goes wrong, I might, you know, just say ‘All right, at least I won one.’ That’s the way I really think. But up until then I still get as nervous as I was the first time. I still want to win as bad as if I hadn’t won.”
So far, Kanaan has endured a difficult 2017 campaign. With only two finishes inside the top ten, he languishes back in 11th in the championship. Still, he recognizes that this year presents as strong a chance as he’s ever had at Indianapolis, and the strength of Ganassi’s organization creates a heightened sense of pressure to perform.
“I got extremely lucky when after I won the “500” I got hired by Chip and Mike’s organization. I think I’m in the best place I’ve ever been. So they cut my work in half by doing that,” he added. “They give me great cars, great people, and it’s just an awesome place to be. So for me, you know, I think I have one of my best shots this year.”
Outside of Dixon and Kanaan, Charlie Kimball and Max Chilton are often the overlooked men of Chip Ganassi’s four-car armada. However, each has shown the potential for success.
Kimball, a former IndyCar race winner, has very quietly established himself at the Indy 500 with consecutive finishes inside the top five (third in 2015 and fifth in 2016) to go along with two other finishes inside the top ten (eighth in 2012, ninth in 2013). Like Kanaan, Kimball has endured a difficult 2017 season, one in which he didn’t even make it through the opening lap in any race until Round 3 at Barber Motorsports Park.
Kimball explained that his success is down to a simple love of the race track, and that the surrounding team may be the most vital component to ending the day in victory lane.
“I love racing around here. And on Race Day the fact that it’s a 500-mile event: it’s challenging mentally, physically, not just for us as drivers but especially for the teams, the guys on the stand, the engineers, the strategists, the guys, the crew that go over the wall. I mean, that focus that they need for those six, seven-plus stops is critical to the job we do on the racetrack,” he said.
And for Max Chilton, who has raced at such world-renowned events as the Monaco Grand Prix and the 24 Hours of Le Mans, competing at the Indy 500 left an indelible impression on him.
“I’ve done some big races, Le Mans 24 Hours, Monaco Grand Prix a number of times, but this one stands out last year,” he said. “(It was) the 100th running of the biggest race we’ve ever had here. To me that was still very incredible.”
For the 101st running of the Greatest Spectacle in Racing, the team has a much different outcome in mind. Once again partnered with Honda, which had the superior speedway package last year, Chip Ganassi’s outfit appears to be in a much stronger position heading into this year’s race.
Most notably, Scott Dixon captured the pole, with Tony Kanaan joining him in the Fast Nine shootout before qualifying seventh. And while Chilton and Kimball start 15th and 16th, they could easily be dark horses heading into race day.
Team owner Chip Ganassi was bursting with enthusiasm when asked about returning Indianapolis Motor Speedway during a May 19 press conference.
“I mean, I’m excited. I mean I think — you know, when you come back here to Indianapolis, it’s the real thing. It’s what we’re all about. It’s why we got in this sport in the first place, is because of the Indianapolis 500. We want to win this race, and that’s what we’re here to do,” he asserted.
Mike Hull, managing director of the Verizon IndyCar Series side of Chip Ganassi’s operation, detailed the team’s success, and potential for more success, is down to people and communication, and that on the driving front, he thinks they have all their bases covered.
“In order for race drivers to win races, they have to support their teammates and their teammates have to give very unselfishly to each other when you race at a major event like this one,” Hull explained. “And it’s really, really neat to see these four drivers interact with each other knowing full well that one of the other ones could win. That’s very special, and that’s what we have at Chip Ganassi Racing.”
Dixon, the polesitter and holder of one of the fastest speeds Indianapolis Motor Speedway has seen since 1996, is not only Ganassi’s longest tenured driver but the team’s best bet for success on race day, in tandem with engineer Chris Simmons. Dixon alluded to missed opportunities (such as in 2015, when an overheating problem dropped him from the lead late in the race, and in 2011, when fuel strategy put paid to his chances) as added motivation to secure his second “500” triumph.
“I think we came up short in a couple where we could have maybe stolen a couple wins there which would have definitely helped that list. But yeah, you know, it’s all focused right now on this event and preparing as well as we can,” he said.
“I think the first couple of days were definitely trying in a lot of ways but I think we found some good headway, but it’s the goal. We finished second here a couple of times and it’s almost the worst place to finish when you come so close, especially under caution.”
One might assume that as a former winner, Dixon may hold a mental edge on most of the field. But, he later revealed that isn’t necessarily the case.
“Every year is very different. The target constantly moves. The situations change. How the race plays out changes,” he said. “I think because you’ve had the sense and the feeling of that victory, you want it that much more again. So I think it maybe even adds to it.”
Teammate Tony Kanaan, who won this race in 2013, echoed those sentiments. “To me every year it’s like the first year,” he added. “I mean, I don’t get to think that I won this thing until Monday. If everything goes wrong, I might, you know, just say ‘All right, at least I won one.’ That’s the way I really think. But up until then I still get as nervous as I was the first time. I still want to win as bad as if I hadn’t won.”
So far, Kanaan has endured a difficult 2017 campaign. With only two finishes inside the top ten, he languishes back in 11th in the championship. Still, he recognizes that this year presents as strong a chance as he’s ever had at Indianapolis, and the strength of Ganassi’s organization creates a heightened sense of pressure to perform.
“I got extremely lucky when after I won the “500” I got hired by Chip and Mike’s organization. I think I’m in the best place I’ve ever been. So they cut my work in half by doing that,” he added. “They give me great cars, great people, and it’s just an awesome place to be. So for me, you know, I think I have one of my best shots this year.”
Outside of Dixon and Kanaan, Charlie Kimball and Max Chilton are often the overlooked men of Chip Ganassi’s four-car armada. However, each has shown the potential for success.
Kimball, a former IndyCar race winner, has very quietly established himself at the Indy 500 with consecutive finishes inside the top five (third in 2015 and fifth in 2016) to go along with two other finishes inside the top ten (eighth in 2012, ninth in 2013). Like Kanaan, Kimball has endured a difficult 2017 season, one in which he didn’t even make it through the opening lap in any race until Round 3 at Barber Motorsports Park.
Kimball explained that his success is down to a simple love of the race track, and that the surrounding team may be the most vital component to ending the day in victory lane.
“I love racing around here. And on Race Day the fact that it’s a 500-mile event: it’s challenging mentally, physically, not just for us as drivers but especially for the teams, the guys on the stand, the engineers, the strategists, the guys, the crew that go over the wall. I mean, that focus that they need for those six, seven-plus stops is critical to the job we do on the racetrack,” he said.
And for Max Chilton, who has raced at such world-renowned events as the Monaco Grand Prix and the 24 Hours of Le Mans, competing at the Indy 500 left an indelible impression on him.
“I’ve done some big races, Le Mans 24 Hours, Monaco Grand Prix a number of times, but this one stands out last year,” he said. “(It was) the 100th running of the biggest race we’ve ever had here. To me that was still very incredible.”
While a victory for him would be an upset of sorts, Chilton knows he has everything he needs to do so. “I’m going to work as hard as I can. I feel like we got the car in a good place (in practice) and I can’t wait to be here on the 28th of May and be zooming around,” said the Briton, who was fastest during Monday practice.
The team has moved a number of pieces around – Kanaan and Kimball swapped engineers with Eric Cowdin coming back to Kanaan and Todd Malloy going over to Kimball – and other crew members have also been rotated. But as Hull explained, that comes from the strength of depth within the organization based on Woodland Drive in Indianapolis.
“We’re lucky, we have quality people in all positions, so we can do that,” Hull said. “But what it does is it provides fresh thinking even though the thinking is in the same room. And it’s all about the interaction of people. That’s what teamwork is all about and teams of people are all about. They have to pinch each other every day to remember what the priority actually is, and our priority is to win. We try to match the people up that we think can do that.”
An Indy 500 victory in 2017 would be the fifth for Chip Ganassi Racing, the previous four coming at the hands of Juan Pablo Montoya (2000), Scott Dixon (2008), and Dario Franchitti (2010, 2012).
Indy 500 Picks, Odds and Predictions.
By T. Wilkinson
The team has moved a number of pieces around – Kanaan and Kimball swapped engineers with Eric Cowdin coming back to Kanaan and Todd Malloy going over to Kimball – and other crew members have also been rotated. But as Hull explained, that comes from the strength of depth within the organization based on Woodland Drive in Indianapolis.
“We’re lucky, we have quality people in all positions, so we can do that,” Hull said. “But what it does is it provides fresh thinking even though the thinking is in the same room. And it’s all about the interaction of people. That’s what teamwork is all about and teams of people are all about. They have to pinch each other every day to remember what the priority actually is, and our priority is to win. We try to match the people up that we think can do that.”
An Indy 500 victory in 2017 would be the fifth for Chip Ganassi Racing, the previous four coming at the hands of Juan Pablo Montoya (2000), Scott Dixon (2008), and Dario Franchitti (2010, 2012).
Indy 500 Picks, Odds and Predictions.
By T. Wilkinson
(Photo/bamgthebook.com)
Scott Dixon is favored to win the Indy 500 on Sunday on ABC. Dixon is a former Indy 500 winner and he will start this race on the pole. Dixon is listed at odds of 5-1, while Will Power and Fernando Alonso are next at odds of 8-1. Those are the only three drivers listed at single-digit odds. Let’s look at the Indianapolis 500 and Indy 500 picks.
The Indy 500 takes place on Sunday, May 28th at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, with a start time of 12:20 pm Eastern on ABC.
Indy 500 Odds
Scott Dixon 5-1
Will Power 8-1
Fernando Alonso 8-1
Helio Castroneves 10-1
Juan Pablo Montoya 11-1
Tony Kanaan 12-1
Marco Andretti 12-1
Ryan Hunter-Reay 12-1
Josef Newgarden 14-1
Simon Pagenaud 14-1
Takuma Sato 15-1
Ed Carpenter 15-1
James Hinchcliffe 20-1
Alexander Rossi 20-1
Graham Rahal 40-1
JR Hildebrand 40-1
Charlie Kimball 45-1
Carlos Munoz 50-1
Mikhail Aleshin 80-1
Max Chilton 100-1
Oriol Servia 100-1
Jack Harvey 120-1
Field 15-1
Top Contenders
The only three drivers listed at single-digit odds are Dixon, Power and Alonso. Dixon is the obvious choice as he starts on the pole and is a former winner but Power is having a good season, as he is 5th in the standings. Alonso is the wild card in the race, as he is coming over from Formula One to race in the Indy 500. Alonso has had a great career in F1 and he is not without a chance to win on Sunday. Alonso is looking to become the first F1 world champion to win the race since Jacques Villeneuve.
2017 Indy 500 Field
Row 1
Scott Dixon, #9, Chip Ganassi Racing, Honda, 232.164 mph
Ed Carpenter, #20, Ed Carpenter Racing, Chevrolet, 231.664 mph
Alexander Rossi, #98, Andretti Herta Autosport, Honda, 231.487 mph
Row 2
Takuma Sato, #26, Andretti Autosport, Honda, 231.365 mph
Fernando Alonso (R), #29, Andretti Autosport, Honda, 231.300 mph
JR Hildebrand, #21, Ed Carpenter Racing, Chevrolet, 230.889 mph
Row 3
Tony Kanaan, #10, Chip Ganassi Racing, Honda, 230.828 mph
Marco Andretti, #27, Andretti Autosport, Honda, 230.474 mph
Will Power, #12, Team Penske, Chevrolet, 230.200 mph
Row 4
Ryan Hunter-Reay, #28, Andretti Autosport, Honda, 231.442 mph
Ed Jones (R), #19, Dale Coyne Racing, Honda, 230.578 mph
Oriol Servia, #16, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, Honda, 230.309 mph
Row 5
Mikhail Aleshin, #7, Schmidt Peterson Motorsports, Honda, 230.271 mph
Graham Rahal, #15, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, Honda, 230.253 mph
Max Chilton, #8, Chip Ganassi Racing, Honda, 230.068 mph
Row 6
Charlie Kimball, #83, Chip Ganassi Racing, Honda, 229.956 mph
James Hinchcliffe, #5, Schmidt Peterson Motorsports, Honda, 229.860 mph
Juan Pablo Montoya, #22, Team Penske, Chevrolet, 229.565 mph
Row 7
Helio Castroneves, #3, Team Penske, Chevrolet, 229.515 mph
Jay Howard, #77, Schmidt Peterson Motorsports, Honda, 229.414 mph
Sage Karam, #24, Dreyer and Reinbold Racing, Chevrolet, 229.380 mph
Row 8
Josef Newgarden, #2, Team Penske, Chevrolet, 228.501 mph
Simon Pagenaud, #1, Team Penske, Chevrolet, 228.093 mph
Carlos Munoz, #14, AJ Foyt Enterprises, Chevrolet, 227.921 mph
Row 9
Gabby Chaves, #88, Harding Racing, Chevrolet, 226.921 mph
Conor Daly, #4, AJ Foyt Enterprises, Chevrolet, 226.439 mph
Jack Harvey (R), #50, Andretti Autosport, Honda, 225.742 mph
Row 10
Pippa Mann, #63, Dale Coyne Racing, Honda, 225.008 mph
Spencer Pigot, #11, Juncos Racing, Chevrolet, 224.052 mph
Buddy Lazier, #44, Lazier Partners Racing, Chevrolet, 223.417 mph
Row 11
Sebastian Saavedra, #17, Juncos Racing, Chevrolet, 221.142 mph
Zach Veach (R), #40, AJ Foyt Enterprises, Chevrolet, 221.081 mph
James Davison, #18, Dale Coyne Racing, Honda, No qualifying speed
Note: (R) Indianapolis 500 rookie. Speeds are 4-lap average speeds.
Indy Car Predictions
The Indy 500 has become a total crapshoot in recent years, as it was Alexander Rossi winning last year, Montoya two years ago and Hunter-Reay three years ago. It used to be you could just take Castroneves or Franchitti and do well but those days are over. I will take Dixon as my top choice and Newgarden as my longshot.
Note: Please follow the odds updates as they are subject to change.
SOCCER: Still streaking: Fire beat Dallas for fourth straight win.
By Dan Santaromita
(Photo/USA TODAY)
The tough test the Chicago Fire was supposed to receive Thursday didn’t exactly materialize the way it looked on paper, but the Fire still picked up a fourth straight win.
The Fire were leading after a frantic first 10 minutes and rode out a subdued second half to pick up a 2-1 win against an FC Dallas team, which sat six players who have started a majority of the team’s matches.
Nemanja Nikolic scored his 11th goal of the season, adding to his league lead, and it took less than three minutes to get it. Nikolic redirected Brandon Vincent’s cross from the left into the far post for an early Fire lead. Vincent and Nikolic connected for a similar goal eight days ago against Colorado.
Dallas (5-2-4, 19 points) didn’t take long to respond. In the sixth minute, Joao Meira scuffed a clearance and then Johan Kappelhof’s attempted clearance was blocked right into the path of Roland Lamah who tapped the ball in.
The crazy start continued with David Accam cutting in on his right foot from the left wing and scoring with a shot from outside the box to give the Fire (7-3-3, 24 points) the lead again. The ball skipped under the arms of Dallas goalkeeper Chris Seitz.
After that wild start neither team managed a shot on target until Arturo Alvarez fired a shot at Seitz in the 89th minute. Nikolic had a penalty kick saved in the final minute of added time.
With another game against Houston on Sunday, Dallas manager Oscar Pareja elected to sit a number of regulars. Kellyn Acosta, Walker Zimmerman and leading goal-scorer Maxi Urruti are among Dallas’ best players and were not included in the Dallas matchday roster. Michael Barrios, Maynor Figueroa and Hernan Grana also have started a majority of Dallas’ matches this season and did not start on Thursday. Barrios did enter in the 74th minute.
The Fire now have the second-best record in MLS after finishing a stretch of four games in 13 days with a 4-0 record. The Fire next play June 4 at Orlando.
How Nelson Rodriguez views the Fire's player development.
By Dan Santaromita
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
Player development is one of the evergreen topics in American soccer.
Participation numbers and interest in the sport are not problems, but talent at the top level still lags behind the top countries in the world. Therefore, for several years, a missing link has been player development.
Chicago Fire general manager Nelson Rodriguez has shaken a few things up at the club in that regard. During Rodriguez’s tenure, which is still less than two years old, he has hired a new academy director (Cedric Cattenoy), changed USL affiliates (St. Louis to Tulsa) and seen the club lose its PDL team.
Rodriguez addressed each topic when talking with reporters on Tuesday.
Rodriguez began the hour-long Q&A session by mentioning the Fire Juniors program as a feeder system into the academy and highlighting the fact that seven academy players have been called into national team camps this year. He name-dropped 16-year-old Nicholas Slonina, an Addison product who was with U.S. Soccer’s residency program in Bradenton, Fla.
“I think as we look at the academy right now, we see at our younger age levels, we feel we have at least a half dozen very promising players,” Rodriguez said. “Now they have to go through puberty, they have to continue to develop, but at the moment… I feel that our younger age groups have some really talented players.”
Mauricio Pineda, a homegrown prospect who completed his freshman season at North Carolina in the fall, is currently training with the Fire. Coach Veljko Paunovic stayed after training on Tuesday to work more with Pineda. Pineda is one of a few Fire prospects who could sign next winter, but Rodriguez said not to expect any to sign before then.
“Our approach to signing homegrown guys is one where we put a lot of responsibility on the family,” Rodriguez said. “What do they want? What might they prefer? I also believe that there are a lot of college soccer environments that are very, very good and that guys can still get better in college. I know that’s counter to just about what everyone else thinks.
“We’ve got a fair number of players at Indiana University and I think coach Todd Yeagley and his staff do a great job there. I think whenever those young men are ready to come out and if we can reach agreement, they’ll be well prepared for us. Whether that’s early or after their senior year.”
Defenders Grant Lillard and Andrew Gutman are two Fire prospects at Indiana. Lillard is heading into his senior year in the fall while Gutman will be a junior.
Rodriguez also referenced North Carolina and Michigan State as schools where the Fire have prospects. In addition to Pineda, Cameron Lindley also completed his freshman year at UNC and received a number of honors and awards from his first college season. At Michigan State, Ryan Sierakowski is a Fire academy product who was first-team All-Big Ten as a sophomore after scoring nine goals and tallying five assists.
In past years, some of these prospects would play for the Fire’s PDL (Premier Development League) team. The PDL serves as a summer league for college players. Last year, then Fire assistant coach Logan Pause led that group and Lillard, Gutman, Pineda and Lindley were on that team. The Fire do not have a PDL team this year.
“My opinion, the PDL system was not conducive to good player development,” Rodriguez said. “There were too many games in too short of a period, not enough training, not enough rest. Very similar to truncated college seasons.”
He doesn’t think there is a missing link in the Fire’s player development pipeline now without a PDL team.
“I’m not worried that there’s a gap because the reality is guys like Mauricio Pineda and other guys we invite, if they accept, can train with our first team in the summer,” Rodriguez said. "Now the gap would be games, but our staff is good about intrasquad and if we could find games for them through arranging them with an outside opponent, we would. A few more games would help, but I’ll sacrifice that for those players having an experience with Juninho and Dax (McCarty) and Nemanja (Nikolic) and Basti (Schweinsteiger) and Arturo (Alvarez) and Pauno. I think that’s a better learning environment for them.”
FA Cup: Three key battles between Arsenal, Chelsea.
By Daniel Karell
(Photo/Getty Images)
The FA Cup final usually brings out terrific entertainment for the fans, and this Saturday’s finale should be no different.
When Arsenal and Chelsea take the field at Wembley Stadium, it will be the last chance this season for some of the Premier League’s stars such as Eden Hazard and Diego Costa for Chelsea and Alexis Sanchez and Mezut Ozil for Arsenal to bring glory to their club.
The match features two teams heading in different directions. Chelsea, the Premier League champions are in the ascendency after a one-year hiatus out of European competition, while Arsenal finished outside the top-four places in the Premier League for the first time in 20 years under manager Arsene Wenger.
In addition, there’s plenty of other storylines to watch on the field, from whether it’s Costa, Sanchez and Ozil’s potential last matches with their respective teams to how Arsenal will deal without two of its three regular centerbacks they’ve used this season.
Here’s a look at three key battles on the field ahead of the FA Cup final:
Arsenal’s centerbacks vs. Diego Costa
Diego Costa may be a thorn in Chelsea’s side off the field when it comes to the constant speculation of a move away from Stamford Bridge, but on the field this season he’s been brilliant. Costa scored 20 goals in the Premier League and another goal in FA Cup action, and he contributes off the ball as well, drawing the defense in towards him while opening up space for teammates including Hazard and Willian.
Heading into Saturday, it’s unclear who on Arsenal will be tasked with marking Costa. Laurent Koscielny was issued a straight red card in Arsenal’s 3-1 win over Everton and will miss the FA Cup final due to suspension while fellow centerback Gabriel left the field on a stretcher after suffering a knee injury. In addition, Shkodran Mustafi is still recovering from a concussion and is a doubt for Saturday.
That leaves Wenger with just Per Mertesacker and Rob Holding as healthy centerbacks, which could force Wenger to revert back to his usual four-man backline from the more recent three-man backline that’s been used.
Regardless of who Arsenal put out there, expect Costa to be at his best, attempting to physically dominate his opponent and get under their skin.
Nemanja Matic and N'Golo Kante vs. Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez
Arsenal are at their best when they play through the middle of the field before finding runners out wide, setting up crossing attempts into the middle or perhaps another chance to play through the lines in the center of the field.
Standing in Arsenal’s playmaking duo of Mezut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez’s way are Nemanja Matic and N’Golo Kante. Kante, as Riyad Mahrez saw last year, does so much of the dirty work defensively that he allows his teammates including Matic and Hazard to bomb forward and either create or finish goal-scoring opportunities.
Kante will have his hands full dealing with Ozil and Sanchez in midfield, and Matic may need to sit a bit deeper to cut off the passing lanes, potentially taking him out of Chelsea’s counter attack.
Eden Hazard vs. Hector Bellerin
For all the speed that Hazard possesses on the ball, there’s at least one player on Arsenal who can keep stride pace-for-pace.
With Hazard likely lining up on the left wing, Arsenal’s right wing back Hector Bellerin will likely face Hazard up one-on-one at both ends of the field, setting up a fun encounter. With Bellerin’s speed and ability to track back, he may be open to a few 40-yard springs into space down the right wing, knowing that Hazard probably won’t be in hot pursuit.
But if Bellerin doesn’t end up with the ball and there’s an Arsenal turnover, Hazard on his own or against a centerback on the left wing could be a nightmare for Arsenal to deal with.
When Arsenal and Chelsea take the field at Wembley Stadium, it will be the last chance this season for some of the Premier League’s stars such as Eden Hazard and Diego Costa for Chelsea and Alexis Sanchez and Mezut Ozil for Arsenal to bring glory to their club.
The match features two teams heading in different directions. Chelsea, the Premier League champions are in the ascendency after a one-year hiatus out of European competition, while Arsenal finished outside the top-four places in the Premier League for the first time in 20 years under manager Arsene Wenger.
In addition, there’s plenty of other storylines to watch on the field, from whether it’s Costa, Sanchez and Ozil’s potential last matches with their respective teams to how Arsenal will deal without two of its three regular centerbacks they’ve used this season.
Here’s a look at three key battles on the field ahead of the FA Cup final:
Arsenal’s centerbacks vs. Diego Costa
Diego Costa may be a thorn in Chelsea’s side off the field when it comes to the constant speculation of a move away from Stamford Bridge, but on the field this season he’s been brilliant. Costa scored 20 goals in the Premier League and another goal in FA Cup action, and he contributes off the ball as well, drawing the defense in towards him while opening up space for teammates including Hazard and Willian.
Heading into Saturday, it’s unclear who on Arsenal will be tasked with marking Costa. Laurent Koscielny was issued a straight red card in Arsenal’s 3-1 win over Everton and will miss the FA Cup final due to suspension while fellow centerback Gabriel left the field on a stretcher after suffering a knee injury. In addition, Shkodran Mustafi is still recovering from a concussion and is a doubt for Saturday.
That leaves Wenger with just Per Mertesacker and Rob Holding as healthy centerbacks, which could force Wenger to revert back to his usual four-man backline from the more recent three-man backline that’s been used.
Regardless of who Arsenal put out there, expect Costa to be at his best, attempting to physically dominate his opponent and get under their skin.
Nemanja Matic and N'Golo Kante vs. Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez
Arsenal are at their best when they play through the middle of the field before finding runners out wide, setting up crossing attempts into the middle or perhaps another chance to play through the lines in the center of the field.
Standing in Arsenal’s playmaking duo of Mezut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez’s way are Nemanja Matic and N’Golo Kante. Kante, as Riyad Mahrez saw last year, does so much of the dirty work defensively that he allows his teammates including Matic and Hazard to bomb forward and either create or finish goal-scoring opportunities.
Kante will have his hands full dealing with Ozil and Sanchez in midfield, and Matic may need to sit a bit deeper to cut off the passing lanes, potentially taking him out of Chelsea’s counter attack.
Eden Hazard vs. Hector Bellerin
For all the speed that Hazard possesses on the ball, there’s at least one player on Arsenal who can keep stride pace-for-pace.
With Hazard likely lining up on the left wing, Arsenal’s right wing back Hector Bellerin will likely face Hazard up one-on-one at both ends of the field, setting up a fun encounter. With Bellerin’s speed and ability to track back, he may be open to a few 40-yard springs into space down the right wing, knowing that Hazard probably won’t be in hot pursuit.
But if Bellerin doesn’t end up with the ball and there’s an Arsenal turnover, Hazard on his own or against a centerback on the left wing could be a nightmare for Arsenal to deal with.
Europa League final: Man United too tough for Ajax, qualify for UCL.
By Andy Edwards
(Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)
Though it may have required a minor detour in the journey to the intended destination, Jose Mourinho’s first season as Manchester United manager ultimately reached the promised land: qualification for next season’s UEFA Champions League.
Once it became clear that Man United’s season was unlikely to result in a top-four finish in the Premier League (they eventually wound up sixth), Mourinho put every Mancunian egg into the Europa League basket, and it paid off on Wednesday, as United topped Ajax, 2-0, in the Europa League final inside the Friends Arena in Stockholm, Sweden.
Paul Pogba put United 1-0 ahead after just 18 minutes (WATCH HERE), benefitting from a wicked deflection off a defender’s shin, and Mourinho’s famously rigid, organized midfield and defensive structure frustrated a young Ajax side (a starting lineup with an average age of just under 23 years old) that reached the final on the back of a free-flowing, attacking tidal wave.
Down just a goal, Ajax needed little more than a moment of brilliance from any number of rising stars sure to fetch massive transfer fees and land big-money contracts elsewhere in Europe, in the not-so-distant future.
That hope lasted less than 180 seconds into the second half, though, as Henrikh Mkhitaryan doubled the lead, thanks to some unbelievably quick reflexes and a tidy overhead kick from three yards out. Ajax would manage just two shots on goal all night (four for United).
Not only did Mourinho deliver Champions League qualification, alongside a European trophy, United also claimed the EFL Cup back in February. With the allure of UCL football next season, expect another busy (and expensive) summer of spending at Old Trafford.
Liverpool, Leicester City headline Premier League Asia Trophy.
By Daniel Karell
(Photo/Getty Images)
The Premier League is coming this summer to Hong Kong.
The territory in Southeast China will host the 2017 Premier League Asia Trophy, featuring Liverpool, Leicester City, West Bromwich Albion and Crystal Palace. The tournament will take place from July 19-22, with all games taking place at the 40,000-seat Hong Kong Stadium.
“We are very excited to be returning to Hong Kong this summer for the Premier League Asia Trophy,” Premier League Executive Chairman Richard Scudamore said in a statement. “We know from previous visits that fans in Hong Kong, and across the region, are passionate supporters of our clubs.”
This summer’s edition of the biennial tournament is the first to feature four Premier League teams. In the past, an Asian All-Star XI or a local club would be the fourth team to take part. By bringing a fourth team over, the Premier League is increasing the opportunity for Premier League fans to have a chance to see more of the league’s stars up close and in person.
For Liverpool, it will be the start of a busy season that will include UEFA Champions League action for the first time since 2015.
NCAAFB: ESPN announces some Week 1 kickoff times; Florida State-Alabama in primetime.
By Nick Bromberg
Deondre Francois and Florida State will help open Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. (Photo/Getty)
You can start making your Labor Day weekend plans around the college football schedule.
ESPN announced times for some of Week 1’s biggest games, including Florida State vs. Alabama in Atlanta. Unsurprisingly, that game between the top two teams in our way-too-early top 25 will kick off Saturday, Sept. 2 at 8 p.m. on ABC. LSU’s game in Houston vs. BYU will kick off at 9:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.
Ohio State and Indiana open the ESPN season on Thursday, Aug. 31. The two Big Ten teams will kick off at 8 p.m. ET.
Ohio State hosts Oklahoma a week later on Saturday, Sept. 9 and that game will be at 7:30 p.m. on ABC.
Here is the full schedule ESPN released Thursday. The rankings listed below are not from either the 2017 AP poll or the coaches poll. Those rankings haven’t been released yet.
As NCAA zeroes in on college football staff sizes, survey shows inconsistencies.
By Dennis Dodd
There may well be legislation coming soon in an attempt to rein in off-field program assistants.
Notre Dame has the largest football staff in the country, according to an NCAA survey obtained exclusively by CBS Sports.
Now for some perspective: Notre Dame's number – obtained via a preliminary look at the NCAA's next big dig down on outsized college football ambitions -- should definitely be taken with a grain of salt.
"Six or seven grains of salt," said Bob Bowlsby, chairman of the NCAA Oversight Committee that will have first crack at recommending staff size limitations.
The Irish have a combined 45 on-field coaches, strength coaches, graduate assistants and support staff, according to the survey distributed to the NCAA Council last month. Notre Dame is followed closely in the top five by Texas (44), Georgia (42), Auburn (41) and Michigan (40).
However, the NCAA told CBS Sports the methodology to measure the staff sizes of 127 FBS schools in 2016 came from mere website research.
There has been an outcry from coaches and reformers about staff sizes as they relate to competitive advantage. Bowlsby said last month staff size would be one of two up-front issues to get a comprehensive look by his committee this year.
At one point on a conference call last month, Bowlsby made reference to unnamed program that had 97 staff members.
Bowlsby and NCAA Council chair Jim Phillips stressed the preliminary nature of the survey numbers. That suggests the survey -- besides being way early in the process -- is at best incomplete and sometimes inaccurate.
It is largely perceived in coaching circles that Alabama, not Notre Dame, has the largest staff. In the survey, Alabama is credited with a total staff size of 31. According to the survey, that would tie Missouri and Ole Miss for sixth in the SEC and tie for 28th nationally.
The Crimson Tide are credited with just one strength and conditioning staff member. A quick check of Alabama's own website shows the program employs the NCAA maximum five strength coaches.
"We've got some work to be done," said Bowlsby while commenting on the survey's preliminary results.
Schools are allowed a maximum of nine on-field coaches, those five strength coaches and four graduate assistants. However, in recent years, support staff members have grown to include so-called analysts, consultants, player relations and player personnel types -- even volunteers.
Support staff aren't allowed to have interaction with players on the field for practice or games.
The number of those added support staff is not capped. In fact, some argue that the NCAA should limit staff size even as they try to determine whether such a restriction can be legally instituted.
"You got it," said Phillips, also Northwestern's athletic director. "Maybe you can't limit [it], but the idea is that's how we've structured ourselves in the past. That's why we don't have seven assistant basketball coaches."
The Division I basketball limit is three full-time assistants. The NCAA approved a 10th full-time, on-field football assistant coach last month. That move goes into effect in January.
"Sure you can [limit staff sizes]," said Todd Berry, executive director of American Football Coaches Association. "… There is a concern, rightfully so, in relation to litigation. The NCAA is apprehensive as anyone would be."
The survey lists staff in five categories: on-field coaches, strength and conditioning, graduate assistants, football operations and off-field/recruiting.
The first three categories are considered static numbers limited by the NCAA. It's the last two categories -- football ops and off field/recruiting -- that are unlimited.
Using just those support staff numbers, Georgia (23) is No. 1 in the survey, followed by Clemson (22), Michigan (22), Texas (22) and Alabama (20).
Notre Dame is credited with 19 support staffers.
"I guess it's a paranoia that we all have, that somebody else is doing something that I am allowed to and everybody else is allowed to do," Nick Saban told reporters last month, "but you choose to do it."
Texas coach Tom Herman earlier this month detailed for reporters his 17-person support staff: "four grad assistants, four quality control guys, three in operations, one as our director of players development, three full-time in recruiting, three full-time in creative media."
Texas has the largest athletic budget in the country at more than $160 million.
"Limits should not penalize the schools that might be able to generate more revenue and afford staffs like that," Herman said. "At some point it gets a little bit ridiculous."
Wyoming coach Craig Bohl said there was a general movement among coaches a few years ago to cap staff sizes at 25.
"I don't think that's going to be a realistic number now," Bohl said. "I think my point is just make sure that the coaching number is the same, the number of guys who can leave campus is the same.
"Outside of that, whoever has resources to do whatever they can do is fine."
Phillips was asked if programs could even be compelled to turn in the staff size information to the NCAA.
"I think it's going to be paramount that people are brutally honest about how many individuals they have working with the sport of football," he said. "If people want to cover up and tell half truths about what their staff size really is doesn't help us get to a good place for everybody."
Among Group of Five conferences, Temple and Houston were tops at 30 total staff members. Tulane and Toledo (28) as well as Troy, Boise and Western Kentucky (27) followed.
Not surprisingly, there is a clear delineation between average staff sizes of the Power Five and Group of Five.
NCAABKB: No Kentucky vs. Kansas as SEC/Big 12 Challenge matchups released.
By Dennis Dodd
There may well be legislation coming soon in an attempt to rein in off-field program assistants.
Notre Dame has the largest football staff in the country, according to an NCAA survey obtained exclusively by CBS Sports.
Now for some perspective: Notre Dame's number – obtained via a preliminary look at the NCAA's next big dig down on outsized college football ambitions -- should definitely be taken with a grain of salt.
"Six or seven grains of salt," said Bob Bowlsby, chairman of the NCAA Oversight Committee that will have first crack at recommending staff size limitations.
The Irish have a combined 45 on-field coaches, strength coaches, graduate assistants and support staff, according to the survey distributed to the NCAA Council last month. Notre Dame is followed closely in the top five by Texas (44), Georgia (42), Auburn (41) and Michigan (40).
However, the NCAA told CBS Sports the methodology to measure the staff sizes of 127 FBS schools in 2016 came from mere website research.
There has been an outcry from coaches and reformers about staff sizes as they relate to competitive advantage. Bowlsby said last month staff size would be one of two up-front issues to get a comprehensive look by his committee this year.
At one point on a conference call last month, Bowlsby made reference to unnamed program that had 97 staff members.
Bowlsby and NCAA Council chair Jim Phillips stressed the preliminary nature of the survey numbers. That suggests the survey -- besides being way early in the process -- is at best incomplete and sometimes inaccurate.
It is largely perceived in coaching circles that Alabama, not Notre Dame, has the largest staff. In the survey, Alabama is credited with a total staff size of 31. According to the survey, that would tie Missouri and Ole Miss for sixth in the SEC and tie for 28th nationally.
The Crimson Tide are credited with just one strength and conditioning staff member. A quick check of Alabama's own website shows the program employs the NCAA maximum five strength coaches.
"We've got some work to be done," said Bowlsby while commenting on the survey's preliminary results.
Schools are allowed a maximum of nine on-field coaches, those five strength coaches and four graduate assistants. However, in recent years, support staff members have grown to include so-called analysts, consultants, player relations and player personnel types -- even volunteers.
Support staff aren't allowed to have interaction with players on the field for practice or games.
The number of those added support staff is not capped. In fact, some argue that the NCAA should limit staff size even as they try to determine whether such a restriction can be legally instituted.
"You got it," said Phillips, also Northwestern's athletic director. "Maybe you can't limit [it], but the idea is that's how we've structured ourselves in the past. That's why we don't have seven assistant basketball coaches."
The Division I basketball limit is three full-time assistants. The NCAA approved a 10th full-time, on-field football assistant coach last month. That move goes into effect in January.
"Sure you can [limit staff sizes]," said Todd Berry, executive director of American Football Coaches Association. "… There is a concern, rightfully so, in relation to litigation. The NCAA is apprehensive as anyone would be."
The survey lists staff in five categories: on-field coaches, strength and conditioning, graduate assistants, football operations and off-field/recruiting.
The first three categories are considered static numbers limited by the NCAA. It's the last two categories -- football ops and off field/recruiting -- that are unlimited.
Using just those support staff numbers, Georgia (23) is No. 1 in the survey, followed by Clemson (22), Michigan (22), Texas (22) and Alabama (20).
Notre Dame is credited with 19 support staffers.
"I guess it's a paranoia that we all have, that somebody else is doing something that I am allowed to and everybody else is allowed to do," Nick Saban told reporters last month, "but you choose to do it."
Texas coach Tom Herman earlier this month detailed for reporters his 17-person support staff: "four grad assistants, four quality control guys, three in operations, one as our director of players development, three full-time in recruiting, three full-time in creative media."
Texas has the largest athletic budget in the country at more than $160 million.
"Limits should not penalize the schools that might be able to generate more revenue and afford staffs like that," Herman said. "At some point it gets a little bit ridiculous."
Wyoming coach Craig Bohl said there was a general movement among coaches a few years ago to cap staff sizes at 25.
"I don't think that's going to be a realistic number now," Bohl said. "I think my point is just make sure that the coaching number is the same, the number of guys who can leave campus is the same.
"Outside of that, whoever has resources to do whatever they can do is fine."
Phillips was asked if programs could even be compelled to turn in the staff size information to the NCAA.
"I think it's going to be paramount that people are brutally honest about how many individuals they have working with the sport of football," he said. "If people want to cover up and tell half truths about what their staff size really is doesn't help us get to a good place for everybody."
Among Group of Five conferences, Temple and Houston were tops at 30 total staff members. Tulane and Toledo (28) as well as Troy, Boise and Western Kentucky (27) followed.
Not surprisingly, there is a clear delineation between average staff sizes of the Power Five and Group of Five.
Conference
|
Average Staff Size (per NCAA survey)
|
|---|---|
| Big Ten | 31.6 |
| SEC | 31.5 |
| ACC | 29.0 |
| Big 12 | 28.8 |
| Pac-12 | 28.6 |
| American | 25.0 |
| MAC | 21.5 |
| Conference USA | 21.0 |
| Sun Belt | 20.9 |
| Mountain West | 20.3 |
NCAABKB: No Kentucky vs. Kansas as SEC/Big 12 Challenge matchups released.
By Rob Dauster
(Photo/Justin Berl/Getty Images)
The matchups for the SEC/Big 12 Challenge were released on Thursday morning. All the games will be played on Saturday, January 27th, and there are some pretty enticing matchups involved here.
It’s worth noting: Kentucky and Kansas will not be playing each other in the Challenge this year. That’s because they are playing in the Champions Classic this season, which means that we’ll get Kentucky and John Calipari making the trip up to Morgantown to take on Bob Huggins and the Mountaineers, a game that will have an overabundance of defense, physicality, athleticism, turnovers and missed shots.
It will be ugly, but it will be fun.
Kansas will host former Big 12 member Texas A&M, a team that is going to sneak up on some people with Robert Williams back in the fold and, finally, with a point guard on the roster.
Other notables:
– Florida is a top ten team in the NBC Sports Preseason Top 25 while Baylor sits at No. 25.
– Alabama is a preseason top 25 team while Oklahoma, who struggled last season to replace Buddy Hield, will show off why Lon Kruger is one of the most underrated coaches in the business.
– Missouri was not selected. They finished at the bottom of the SEC last season but they added Michael Porter Jr., a preseason first team NBC Sports All-American.
Here are all the matchups:
It’s worth noting: Kentucky and Kansas will not be playing each other in the Challenge this year. That’s because they are playing in the Champions Classic this season, which means that we’ll get Kentucky and John Calipari making the trip up to Morgantown to take on Bob Huggins and the Mountaineers, a game that will have an overabundance of defense, physicality, athleticism, turnovers and missed shots.
It will be ugly, but it will be fun.
Kansas will host former Big 12 member Texas A&M, a team that is going to sneak up on some people with Robert Williams back in the fold and, finally, with a point guard on the roster.
Other notables:
– Florida is a top ten team in the NBC Sports Preseason Top 25 while Baylor sits at No. 25.
– Alabama is a preseason top 25 team while Oklahoma, who struggled last season to replace Buddy Hield, will show off why Lon Kruger is one of the most underrated coaches in the business.
– Missouri was not selected. They finished at the bottom of the SEC last season but they added Michael Porter Jr., a preseason first team NBC Sports All-American.
Here are all the matchups:
- Baylor at Florida
- Tennessee at Iowa State
- Texas A&M at Kansas
- Georgia at Kansas State
- Oklahoma at Alabama
- Oklahoma State at Arkansas
- TCU at Vanderbilt
- Mississippi at Texas
- Texas Tech at South Carolina
- Kentucky at West Virginia
Bruce Arians explains why he's 'happy' overtime has been cut to 10 minutes. What's Your Take?
By Ryan Wilson
(Photo/cbssports.com)
The Cardinals coach isn't alone in thinking the overtime rules change isn't a big deal.
If the initial reaction is any indication, people hate the NFL's decision to reduce overtime from 15 to 10 minutes. The most common complaints: A 10-minute overtime would lead to more ties, and possibly an unfair advantage for the team that gets the ball first, should they grind out an eight- or nine-minute opening drive that ends in a field goal, leaving only seconds for their opponent to mount a response.
As always, there are exceptions and in the case of the new overtime rule, we'd like to introduce you to Bruce Arians. The Cardinals coach fully embraces the change and is happy to call out those whining about the possible unintended consequences.
"Will it lead to more ties? Hell, who knows?" Arians told the Cardinals website. "We'll call the game a little differently. But I'm happy with it."
He continued: "People are worried about 10-minute drives. I don't know if I've ever seen a 10-minute drive. I guess there have been a couple. If you get the ball ran on you for 10 minutes, you deserve to lose anyway."
Arians wasn't alone; here's Redskins coach Jay Gruden's response to the new overtime rule: "Who cares?"
Meanwhile, the league is selling the change as a way to make the game safer.
"This rule is not intended to make the game better," NFL Competition Committee chairman Rich McKay told PFT Live. "It's intended to deal with what we think are some consequences that we've seen in the last couple years from a health and safety standpoint that we're not comfortable with. We're not comfortable with the idea that you could play a Sunday night game or Sunday afternoon at 4 game, go into overtime, play 15 minutes, pick up an additional 18 to 20 snaps, and then potentially play a Thursday night game. It bothered us when we talked to coaches, one in particular, he said, 'We didn't practice. We were worn out, we didn't practice and we came to a Thursday night game.' That made us uncomfortable."
McKay added: "Could we get one more tie a year? Maybe. Do we want that? No. The bottom line on the rule is we're going to do it for player safety, not necessarily to make the game better."
The Chicago Sports & Travel Inc./AllsportsAmerica Editorial Staff.
On This Date in Sports History: Today is Friday, May 26, 2017
Memoriesofhistory.com
1896 - In Manhattan Beach, NY, the first American intercollegiate bicycle race was held.
1917 - Walt Cruise hit the first home run out of Braves Field.
1923 - The first Le Mans Grand Prix d'Endurance began. The race was won by Andre Lagache and Rene Leonard. The race ended the next day.
1925 - Ty Cobb became the first major league baseball player to collect 1,000 extra-base hits.
1980 - Steve Carlton (Philadelphia Phillies) became the first National League player to record 6 1-hitters.
1988 - The Edmonton Oilers won their fourth NHL Stanley Cup in five seasons. They swept the series 4 games to 0 against the Boston Bruins.
1990 - The Philadelphia Phillies retired Mike Schmidt's number 20.
1917 - Walt Cruise hit the first home run out of Braves Field.
1923 - The first Le Mans Grand Prix d'Endurance began. The race was won by Andre Lagache and Rene Leonard. The race ended the next day.
1925 - Ty Cobb became the first major league baseball player to collect 1,000 extra-base hits.
1980 - Steve Carlton (Philadelphia Phillies) became the first National League player to record 6 1-hitters.
1988 - The Edmonton Oilers won their fourth NHL Stanley Cup in five seasons. They swept the series 4 games to 0 against the Boston Bruins.
1990 - The Philadelphia Phillies retired Mike Schmidt's number 20.
****************************************************************
Please let us hear your opinion on the above articles and pass them on to any other diehard fans that you think might be interested. But most of all, remember, Chicago Sports & Travel, Inc./AllsportsAmerica wants you.
No comments:
Post a Comment