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"Sports Quote of the Day"
“You cannot tailor-make the situations in life but you can tailor-make the attitudes to fit those situations.” ~ Zig Ziglar, Author, Salesman and Motivational Speaker
TRENDING: Bears: Two sleepers to make the Pro Bowl next year. (See the football section for Bears news and NFL updates).
TRENDING: Blackhawks Q&A: Moving high-priced contracts, preventing concussions and more. (See the hockey section for Blackhawks updates and NHL news).
TRENDING: Ben Zobrist breaks down the 2017 Cubs so far. White Sox lose fourth straight, drop series opener to Twins. (See the baseball section for Cubs and White Sox updates).
TRENDING: Conditions at Sawgrass far different than last year. Tee times, pairings: 2017 Players Championship, Rounds 1-2. (See the golf section for PGA news and tournament updates).
TRENDING: Bump & Run: Who is next driver to snap long winless drought? (See the NASCAR section for NASCAR news and racing updates).
TRENDING: Nine likely to take on Always Dreaming in Preakness. (See the last article on this blog for Thoroughbred Racing News and Preakness updates).
Bear Down Chicago Bears!!!!! Harbaugh to Bears? Don’t bet on it.
(Photo/muzul.com)
Barring an unlikely turnaround, it’s likely that John Fox will not be the coach of the Chicago Bears in 2018. Even though the 2017 season hasn’t even started yet, some fans are looking at possible replacements.
A common candidate has been Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh. And why wouldn’t he be? He used to play for the Bears, so he has the ties to the franchise. Plus, many believe him to be the best coach in all of college football.
A recent rumor emerged regarding Harbaugh’s interest in the Bears over Twitter recently:
"Interesting rumor about the
CBJ
@ChicagoBearJew"
Whether or not this rumor has any truth remains to be seen. However, even if Harbaugh is consulting with Chicago’s front office, don’t get your hopes up.
Harbaugh loves Michigan, and Michigan loves him back. He has created a culture there unlike any other in college football. He has turned the Wolverines back into a powerhouse. The one thing he hasn’t done, though, is win a national championship. It’s unlikely that he will even consider leaving until he leads Michigan to a championship victory.
Even if Michigan ends up winning a “natty” this year, it’s highly unlikely that Harbaugh would leave for the NFL just yet. Money will likely play a big part in that. He is currently making $9 million per year at Michigan. The most an NFL head coach will be making this year is $8 million (Pete Carroll and Sean Payton). Unless the Bears offer him big money right away, he would likely have to settle for a pay cut.
Looking at these factors, Michigan seems like a much more attractive landing spot for Harbaugh than Chicago. Sure, there’s a chance that he does end up the head coach of the Bears, but those odds are astronomically low. It’s fun to dream, but will Jim Harbaugh realistically become the head coach of the Chicago Bears?
Don’t bet on it.
Note: The post Harbaugh to Bears? Don’t bet on it appeared first on Cover32.
How many picks do Bears have in 2018 draft?
By Larry Mayer
I know that part of the deal to trade up to the second pick to get Mitch Trubisky cost the Bears a draft pick next year. In trading down in the second round, I thought a pick was gained next year. Is that correct, and if so, how many picks do the Bears have in the 2018 draft?
Rob A., Albuquerque, New Mexico
You are correct on both counts; the Bears traded a 2018 third-round pick as part of the package to move up to take quarterback Mitch Trubisky with the second pick in the draft. And they received a 2018 fourth-round selection in moving down in the second round before choosing tight end
I know the Bears have said that Mitch Trubisky will spend the year being groomed behind
Pete L., Wheaton, Illinois
A Bears quarterback has started all 16 games only twice in the last 21 seasons. Rex Grossman accomplished the feat in 2006 when the Bears reached the Super Bowl and Jay Cutler matched the achievement in his first year with the team in 2009. In 13 of those seasons, the backup made at least three starts. And in seven of those years, at least three different quarterbacks started games.
I’ve recently seen some available wide receivers and cornerbacks. Are the Bears considering any of them? For example, Victor Cruz could be a deep threat and a complementary player for
Mark S.
Bears general manager Ryan Pace is always looking to upgrade the roster across the board, but I don’t see him specifically targeting those positions in particular because he addressed them in free agency by signing receivers Markus Wheaton,
Bears: Two sleepers to make the Pro Bowl next year.
By Jake Bennett
(Photo/Cover 32/yahoosports.com)
We are just four months away from the 2017 NFL season. It appears that the Chicago Bears staff has full trust in their wide receivers and cornerbacks, as they did not make any big splashes in free agency or the draft at either position.
Here is my bold prediction on what I see the top player at both respective positions doing this year.
Prince Amukamara
The Bears made it known that they trust their current cornerbacks when they decided to pass on one of the deepest cornerback classes in quite some time. Although most may think it could be another year of abysmal secondary play, I believe that Amukamara could return to his past form in Vic Fangio’s defense. He has what some would consider an injury problem, as he only played a full season once. However, if Amukamara can stay healthy, he can be an effective cover corner. I think that, with Fangio’s teaching, he could blossom to be one of the better corners in this league. If he plays well this year, then the Bears shouldn’t hesitate to sign him to a long-term deal.
Stat Prediction
Amukamara will come away with three forced fumbles, 17 passes defended and seven interceptions. He will play a huge role on defense, and will become the No. 1 corner the Bears have been looking for since Charles Tillman left.
Cameron Meredith
Meredith proved he could play well in 2016 – he topped 100 receiving yards four times last year. He also snagged in four touchdowns and 66 total receptions. The fact that makes this even more impressive is that he did so with three different quarterbacks throwing the ball. This shows that multiple quarterbacks trusted him, and that should help him with Mike Glennon or Mitch Trubisky next year.
I expect Meredith to have a Terrelle Pryor-type season and really break out. It also doesn’t hurt to mention that Meredith only played in 14 games last year. In the first three games of the season, he only appeared in 14 plays. Meredith started showing how promising he could be near the end of the year. He compiled 31 receptions, 439 yards and two touchdowns between Weeks 13 and 17. Meredith has a full season to be No. 1 receiver this year, so his numbers could skyrocket.
Stat Prediction
I look for Meredith to have over 1,200 yards receiving, 81 receptions and 10 touchdowns. I see him making it to his first Pro Bowl. This will make the Bears tag him as a restricted free agent or give him a decent extension.
I don’t expect to see any Alshon Jeffery-like scenarios out of Meredith, because I feel Meredith actually wants to be in Chicago. Expect Pace to give Meredith what he wants if he indeed becomes a Pro Bowler.
Note: The post Two sleepers to make the Pro Bowl next year appeared first on Cover32.
How 'bout them Chicago Blackhawks? Panarin impressing at World Championship.
By Austin Miller
(Photo/chicagoblackhawks.com)
They don't give out an "MVP of the first weekend" at the IIHF World Championship, but If they did, Artemi Panarin might run away with it.
Panarin followed up his shootout goal against Sweden last Friday with a pair of four-point performances -- against Italy on Saturday and Germany Monday. The Russians tallied six power-play goals in their 10-1 thrashing of the Italians, and Panarin had a hand in four of them, scoring two and assisting on two more. Then, against the host country, Panarian collected a quartet of assists in Russia's 6-3 win.
Those performances give Panarin nine points through the first three games of the tournament, two ahead of a trio of Canadians with seven points each. Panarian will look to continue his torrid run when Russia returns to action on Thursday against a Denmark squad that currently sits at the bottom of Group A.
For Team USA, forward Nick Schmaltz tallied a pair of assists in a 7-2 victory over Denmark on Sunday. Monday against Sweden, Schmaltz left the game after taking a hit early in the first period and did not return to action in the Americans' 4-3 win. Defenseman Trevor van Riemsdyk saw action in both games, recording a shot on goal against Denmark and playing 10:56 against Sweden.
Marcus Kruger and Sweden defeated Germany 7-2 on Saturday, with Kruger picking up an assist on Linus Omark's go-ahead goal in the second period. In the loss to the U.S. Monday, Kruger won four faceoffs and registered two shots on goal. Kruger and the Swedes will look to bounce back on Thursday when they face a Latvia squad that has remained undefeated through two games.
Meanwhile in Paris, Michal Kempny and the Czech Republic picked up a pair of victories against Belarus and Finland. Kempny notched the final goal in the Czechs' 6-1 victory over Belarus and spent 21:09 on the ice in a 4-3 comeback win against Finland. The Czech Republic will next take the ice on Thursday against Norway.
Marcus Kruger and Sweden defeated Germany 7-2 on Saturday, with Kruger picking up an assist on Linus Omark's go-ahead goal in the second period. In the loss to the U.S. Monday, Kruger won four faceoffs and registered two shots on goal. Kruger and the Swedes will look to bounce back on Thursday when they face a Latvia squad that has remained undefeated through two games.
Meanwhile in Paris, Michal Kempny and the Czech Republic picked up a pair of victories against Belarus and Finland. Kempny notched the final goal in the Czechs' 6-1 victory over Belarus and spent 21:09 on the ice in a 4-3 comeback win against Finland. The Czech Republic will next take the ice on Thursday against Norway.
Blackhawks Q&A: Moving high-priced contracts, preventing concussions and more.
By Chris Hine
The Blackhawks' Artemi Panarin (Photo/Chicago Tribune)
The Blackhawks have already made some significant changes after the Predators swept them in the first round of the playoffs. They fired assistant coach Mike Kitchen and Rockford coach Ted Dent. They also traded backup goaltender Scott Darling to the Hurricanes, who signed Darling to a four-year deal.
What is more likely, someone with a no-movement clause gets traded or (Artemi) Panarin gets traded? — @nenterline
Considering Bowman said the Blackhawks' main problem in their series against the Predators was scoring goals, I don’t see Bowman dealing a player who has scored 61 goals combined in his first two NHL seasons. That kind of goal scoring isn’t easy to find. So to answer your question, I think it’s more likely a player with a no-movement clause gets traded.
The most popular question was who from the den of Hawks high-priced contracts will be moved? It’s a tough question to answer right now. The easiest contract to move would be center Marcus Kruger, who is making nearly $3.1 million per season through 2018-19. He doesn’t have a no-movement clause and there’s a chance the Vegas Golden Knights will pick him up in the expansion draft. Given Panarin’s extension, I don’t expect Kruger back on the Hawks next season.
The easiest of the remaining contracts to move would be defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson. Hjalmarsson has a limited no-movement clause in which he would have to submit a list of 10 teams the Hawks could trade him to. And Hjalmarsson would command a large return since he’s 29 and carries a reasonable salary of $4.1 million. It would depend on the return, but I’m not sure trading Hjalmarsson is the answer for the Hawks. I’ve also heard center Artem Anisimov’s name thrown around as someone who the Hawks might deal, but Anisimov has a full no-movement clause and the Hawks would have to get him to waive that in order to deal him. Ever since the day he signed his extension, Hawks fans have been trying to figure out a way to get Brent Seabrook’s contract off the books. I don’t see that happening right now, even if, say, the Maple Leafs were looking for someone like Seabrook. That would be a logical fit if the Hawks tried to trade Seabrook somewhere, but a lot would have to happen for a deal like that to get done, including getting Seabrook to waive his no-movement clause.
Can the Blackhawks do a “Penguins” and turn the lull into another run at supremacy? Or are the (cap) numbers just too much. — @KFord1957
I wrote about this subject back in March before the Penguins and Hawks faced each other — how the two teams are alike. Right now, it seems like the Hawks are where the Penguins were a couple seasons ago — trying to figure out their way amid a roster full of large cap hits. Both teams need production from young, cheap talent – and they need their stars to play like stars — if they’re going to win. Well, the last two seasons, the Penguins have cracked the formula. The Hawks are still trying.
But if you look at the Penguins in the last two seasons, they have been getting the production they have paid for in the playoffs from their big money players such as Sidney Crosby, Phil Kessel and Evgeni Malkin. The Hawks have had three combined goals from Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane in their last two playoff series – and Toews’ goal came when the Hawks were all but eliminated in Game 4 against the Predators. If the Hawks’ core played like the high-priced players they are in the playoffs, maybe the Hawks are still playing right now. They were too inconsistent against the Blues a season ago and they just didn’t show up this season against the Predators. That goes beyond Toews and Kane, too.
Your thoughts on any hurt Blackhawks during the first round of the playoffs? Jonathan Toews? Artem Anisimov? — @Spartangal
Toews was certainly hinting that he wasn’t 100 percent during the playoffs and overall it was a rough year health-wise for Toews, who was playing through a back injury for the early part of the season that eventually caused him to miss time in November and December. But in his post-playoff media session, Toews didn’t say anything specific was ailing him against the Predators but he was not the Toews Hawks fans are used to seeing. Along those lines, Toews said he is going to re-evaluate how he is attacking this summer when it comes to off-ice workouts and training.
As for Anisimov, he was clearly limited by a high-ankle sprain he suffered on March 14. It turned to be as bad an injury as fans feared the night Anisimov crumpled to the ice in Montreal. I also think a right hand injury hampered Ryan Hartman more than he was letting on. He wasn’t himself against the Predators either and was trying to play through an injury late in the season.
In light of what happened to the Penguins' Sidney Crosby, what else can the NHL do to prevent concussions? — @sofia3293
First, they can ban fighting and take out the league-sanctioned element of the game where guys whack each other in the head. That would be a start. I never bought into the idea that fighting was a way for hockey to police itself. If the NFL doesn’t have to stop its games to allow players to throw fists around every week, then hockey can do it too.
My big issue with the NHL isn’t so much in concussion prevention, it’s in the diagnosis and treatment of concussions. Only this season, the NHL instituted neutral concussion observers who monitor every game for potential head injuries. They have the power to remove players from a game. But that process failed miserably when Corey Crawford took a Shea Weber slap shot to the head, appeared stunned by the shot and stayed in the game.
The decision on when a player can return to play after suffering a concussion should be out of the hands of teams entirely and in the hands of independent neurologists. There’s too much conflict of interest in allowing team doctors and athletic training staffs to determine when a player is ready to return from a concussion. A player’s inclination is to play through any injury and if he only feels minor symptoms of a concussion, he is going to want to get out there. He may even hide the symptoms or lie about them. That’s why it’s essential for this decision to be out of hands of teams, to remove the conflict of interest. In documents unsealed in ongoing concussion lawsuit against the NHL, the Hawks were accused by one unnamed team doctor of rushing Martin Havlat back to play too early following a concussion in the 2009 playoffs. But this problem extends beyond the Hawks to the rest of the NHL. It’s a problem of the game’s culture and until the NHL is willing to upset some of its old guard and current players by instituting pragmatic policies like that, it’s not going to get better.
Nick Schmaltz suffers apparent injury in USA's preliminary round matchup against Sweden.
By Charles Roumeliotis
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
Nick Schmaltz has had a solid showing at the IIHF World Championship so far, but he was knocked out of Monday's preliminary round matchup against Sweden early after suffering an apparent injury.
On the very first shift of the game, Swedish forward Gabriel Landeskog delivered a heavy, late hit on Schmaltz, who stayed down for a bit before needing some assistance from the official getting back to the bench. He did not return.
The Colorado Avalanche captain was not penalized for the hit, and it's unclear whether he'll face any discipline from the IIHF.
USA coach Jeff Blashill told reporters after the game that he did not have an immediate update on Schmaltz's status.
The 21-year-old Blackhawks forward recorded two assists and a plus-3 rating in the team's first two games, and also scored a goal in the lone exhibition contest. He started Monday's game at right wing on the second line with Dylan Larkin and Brock Nelson.
USA went on to win 4-3, overcoming three one-goal deficits to do it.
USA returns to action tonight against Italy.
Just Another Chicago Bulls Session..... Bulls Talk Podcast: Would Bulls have swept Celtics if Rondo was healthy?
(Photo/USA TODAY)
On the latest edition of the Bulls Talk Podcast, Mark Schanowski, Kendall Gill and Kevin Anderson discuss Rajon Rondo’s comments on TNT that the Bulls would have swept the Celtics if he would have stayed healthy. They also discuss what to expect from the Bulls next year if Rondo returns.
Also, Vincent Goodwill joins Mark to preview the draft combine this week in Chicago and what the Bulls should look for with the 16th overall pick.
And Mark, Kendall and Kevin also discuss LeBron James’ dominance and if either the Celtics or Wizards have a chance in the Eastern Conference Finals.
Take a listen below:
Also, Vincent Goodwill joins Mark to preview the draft combine this week in Chicago and what the Bulls should look for with the 16th overall pick.
And Mark, Kendall and Kevin also discuss LeBron James’ dominance and if either the Celtics or Wizards have a chance in the Eastern Conference Finals.
Take a listen below:
https://audioboom.com/channel/bulls-talk-podcast
CUBS: Rockies rough up Cubs in doubleheader opener. (1st game, 05/09/2017).
Associated Press
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
Antonio Senzatela picked a good day not to have his best stuff.
His offense had his back and gave him some breathing room.
Ryan Hanigan hit a two-out, bases-clearing bloop single as part of a six-run third inning, Mark Reynolds homered for a fourth straight game and the Colorado Rockies beat the Chicago Cubs 10-4 on Tuesday in a day-night doubleheader opener.
Reynolds also added two RBI singles as every player in the starting lineup, including Senzatela, had a hit for the NL West-leading Rockies.
Senzatela (5-1) wrestled with his command over six innings but wiggled out of several tough spots to keep the damage to just two runs. The hard-throwing rookie had three walks and four strikeouts.
"There's some resiliency where he hung in there and got through it when he's probably not pitching how we've seen him overall," manager Bud Black said.
Even with his usually pinpoint accuracy a little off, Senzatela, the NL rookie of the month for April, never shied away from Kris Bryant & Co.
"He's not pitching scared, whether he's got his command or not," Hanigan said. "He's not trying to nibble. He's going after guys."
Jake Arrieta (4-2) couldn't find his groove and was removed after 3 2/3 innings - his shortest start since 2012. He surrendered nine hits and nine runs, but just five were earned.
"There were too many hittable pitches left in the middle of the plate," Arrieta said. "The bottom line was I didn't do my job."
The Cubs got a good night's rest when Monday's game was rained out. They arrived in town earlier that day after an 18-inning loss to the New York Yankees that lasted 6 hours, 5 minutes. The team needed a little break, even if it meant playing two on Tuesday.
"Just different when you have that swimming feeling in your cranium. It's difficult to focus," said manager Joe Maddon, whose team lost its fourth straight.
Arrieta and the Cubs were undone by a mistake-filled third inning. A damaging play was an error on shortstop Javier Baez, who threw the ball away trying to get DJ LeMahieu crossing from second to third on a grounder.
There was another costly play too, when Albert Almora Jr. started back on a shallow blooper by Hanigan, forcing left fielder Kyle Schwarber to race after it. But the ball just eluded Schwarber's reach, and the bases cleared.
"As soon as I hit it, thought it was an out," Hanigan said. "When I saw him full sprint at it, I was like, `Oh, maybe there's a chance there.' It worked out."
Trainer's Room
Cubs: OF Jason Heyward (sore knuckle on right hand) is eligible to come off the 10-day disabled list on May 16. "I'd be surprised if it's any longer than that," Maddon said.
Rockies: C Tom Murphy (fractured right forearm) is "getting closer," manager Bud Black said. "He's starting to do some things with his arm that he hadn't been able to do before, range of motion."
Omaha, Omaha
Maddon had a chance to visit with former Broncos QB Peyton Manning on Monday. He even invited Manning to spring training sometime. Maddon's one regret?
"Should've asked him about `Omaha,'" Maddon said in reference to the word Manning used to call out at the line of scrimmage. "I had my opportunity to ask about Omaha and I screwed up."
Reinforcements
The Cubs and Rockies were to each add a 26th player for the second game. The Cubs planned to bring up infielder Jeimer Candelario from Triple-A Iowa and the Rockies right-hander Jeff Hoffman from Triple-A Albuquerque.
This & That
Usually at third, Kris Bryant started in right field. ... Two of Chicago's runs scored on groundouts. ... Ian Desmond, Trevor Story and LeMahieu each had two hits.
Up Next
RHP John Lackey (2-3, 5.14 ERA) will start the nightcap for Chicago and LHP Kyle Freeland (3-1, 2.65) goes for Colorado.
John Lackey dominant as Cubs bounce back for blowout win in Game 2 vs. Rockies. (2nd game, 05/09/2017).
Associated Press
His offense had his back and gave him some breathing room.
Ryan Hanigan hit a two-out, bases-clearing bloop single as part of a six-run third inning, Mark Reynolds homered for a fourth straight game and the Colorado Rockies beat the Chicago Cubs 10-4 on Tuesday in a day-night doubleheader opener.
Reynolds also added two RBI singles as every player in the starting lineup, including Senzatela, had a hit for the NL West-leading Rockies.
Senzatela (5-1) wrestled with his command over six innings but wiggled out of several tough spots to keep the damage to just two runs. The hard-throwing rookie had three walks and four strikeouts.
"There's some resiliency where he hung in there and got through it when he's probably not pitching how we've seen him overall," manager Bud Black said.
Even with his usually pinpoint accuracy a little off, Senzatela, the NL rookie of the month for April, never shied away from Kris Bryant & Co.
"He's not pitching scared, whether he's got his command or not," Hanigan said. "He's not trying to nibble. He's going after guys."
Jake Arrieta (4-2) couldn't find his groove and was removed after 3 2/3 innings - his shortest start since 2012. He surrendered nine hits and nine runs, but just five were earned.
"There were too many hittable pitches left in the middle of the plate," Arrieta said. "The bottom line was I didn't do my job."
The Cubs got a good night's rest when Monday's game was rained out. They arrived in town earlier that day after an 18-inning loss to the New York Yankees that lasted 6 hours, 5 minutes. The team needed a little break, even if it meant playing two on Tuesday.
"Just different when you have that swimming feeling in your cranium. It's difficult to focus," said manager Joe Maddon, whose team lost its fourth straight.
Arrieta and the Cubs were undone by a mistake-filled third inning. A damaging play was an error on shortstop Javier Baez, who threw the ball away trying to get DJ LeMahieu crossing from second to third on a grounder.
There was another costly play too, when Albert Almora Jr. started back on a shallow blooper by Hanigan, forcing left fielder Kyle Schwarber to race after it. But the ball just eluded Schwarber's reach, and the bases cleared.
"As soon as I hit it, thought it was an out," Hanigan said. "When I saw him full sprint at it, I was like, `Oh, maybe there's a chance there.' It worked out."
Trainer's Room
Cubs: OF Jason Heyward (sore knuckle on right hand) is eligible to come off the 10-day disabled list on May 16. "I'd be surprised if it's any longer than that," Maddon said.
Rockies: C Tom Murphy (fractured right forearm) is "getting closer," manager Bud Black said. "He's starting to do some things with his arm that he hadn't been able to do before, range of motion."
Omaha, Omaha
Maddon had a chance to visit with former Broncos QB Peyton Manning on Monday. He even invited Manning to spring training sometime. Maddon's one regret?
"Should've asked him about `Omaha,'" Maddon said in reference to the word Manning used to call out at the line of scrimmage. "I had my opportunity to ask about Omaha and I screwed up."
Reinforcements
The Cubs and Rockies were to each add a 26th player for the second game. The Cubs planned to bring up infielder Jeimer Candelario from Triple-A Iowa and the Rockies right-hander Jeff Hoffman from Triple-A Albuquerque.
This & That
Usually at third, Kris Bryant started in right field. ... Two of Chicago's runs scored on groundouts. ... Ian Desmond, Trevor Story and LeMahieu each had two hits.
Up Next
RHP John Lackey (2-3, 5.14 ERA) will start the nightcap for Chicago and LHP Kyle Freeland (3-1, 2.65) goes for Colorado.
John Lackey dominant as Cubs bounce back for blowout win in Game 2 vs. Rockies. (2nd game, 05/09/2017).
Associated Press
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
John Lackey struck out 10 over seven scoreless innings and added an RBI single, helping the Cubs stop a four-game skid by beating the Colorado Rockies 8-1 on Tuesday for a day-night doubleheader split.
Lackey allowed just four singles, a sharp contrast to his previous start at Coors Field, when he surrendered 10 runs on June 8, 2015.
In the first game, the Rockies cruised past Jake Arrieta in a 10-4 win.
Kyle Freeland had one bad stretch in the nightcap. He allowed five runs, three earned, and four hits — all in a second inning that was compounded by two errors. The rookie left-hander finished with four walks and six strikeouts over six innings.
The Cubs figure to sleep well after another exhausting night. They arrived in Denver early Monday after an 18-inning loss to the New York Yankees that lasted more than six hours. A rainout Monday gave them a brief break but meant playing two on Tuesday.
Jeimer Candelario was called up from Triple-A Iowa to serve as the 26th player for the second game. He ignited the second by starting the inning off with a sharp single. In all, the Cubs sent 11 batters to the plate and took advantage of errors by shortstop Trevor Story and second baseman DJ LeMahieu. Freeland didn't help his cause by walking three, including Candelario with two outs and the bases loaded.
Candelario also made a nifty backhanded play at third in the fourth to prevent a run. He's definitely caught the attention of manager Joe Maddon, especially his .340 average with Iowa.
"He's tearing up Triple-A. That's what you have to do to be a big leaguer," Maddon said. "He just needs to keep doing what he's doing."
Ben Zobrist breaks down the 2017 Cubs so far.
By Patrick Mooney
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
Just as the Cubs invested $155 million in Jon Lester to stabilize their pitching staff, Ben Zobrist has absolutely been the right player at the right time on the hitting side, setting an example with his patient approach, taking pressure off the rest of the lineup and driving away with a 50th anniversary edition convertible Camaro for his World Series MVP performance.
Zobrist commands respect in the clubhouse as a self-made player with an unselfish attitude who will turn 36 later this month and hasn’t slowed down yet. It’s hard to find a Cub with better big-picture perspective, given his roots in downstate Illinois, long journey from undrafted to All-Star, history with manager Joe Maddon and collection of World Series rings.
Zobrist doesn’t buy the target-is-bigger theory for the defending champs. It’s the new normal for a marquee team that went into Tuesday’s doubleheader against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field at 16-15 and in third place in the National League Central.
“It was pretty big last year as it was because of the moves in the offseason,” Zobrist said. “Everybody knows across the league how good we are, obviously, after watching last year. We’re kind of ‘the team’ to beat.
“If they’re going to beat any team – or say that they had a good series – they’re going to try to beat us. I think we’re getting everybody’s best. I felt like we were getting that in June last year, though.”
Zobrist has a unique ability to break down the team without overreacting or sugarcoating. He can criticize without making it personal and give context without making excuses.
As the Cubs faded last year – losing 15 of their last 20 games before the All-Star break – Zobrist explained the impact of a brutal schedule and how teams are “gunning for us” and suggested that trying to hit a Max Scherzer fastball 500 feet might not be a good idea.
When players started grumbling and second-guessing Maddon’s spring-training approach after the Cubs clinched the division title, Zobrist acknowledged the clubhouse frustration in a routine-oriented game and then pointed to the overall goal of staying fresh for October.
Even if the Cincinnati Reds and Milwaukee Brewers have made strides in their rebuilding programs, how much faith do you have in those small-market teams playing .500 through September, much less adding at the trade deadline and winning 85-plus games?
The Cubs possess the high-end talent and big-game experience to win playoff series, but a big idea behind this roster is having the redundancies and versatility to withstand the 162-game marathon.
“We were exhausted,” Zobrist said, after playing 24 games in 24 days last summer. “But everybody it seemed like was throwing their best games and we were just kind of getting everybody’s best for that middle of the season. As the year wore on and everybody got tired, it was harder to keep pace with us, because we were just so deep.
“We’ve started this year a little bit – obviously – more tired than we were last year and these other teams are all geared up to play us. And it’s just taken us longer to kind of get it going and really answer the bell, so to speak.”
The pitching is an immediate concern and a long-term issue. Brett Anderson is on the disabled list again with an 8.18 ERA and Jake Arrieta and John Lackey are positioned to become free agents after this season. The Theo Epstein regime is still waiting to produce an impact homegrown pitcher.
But right now it’s hard to find a team more heavily and as successfully invested in offense. All the answers for this lineup will eventually have to come from within.
The Cubs have already played 13 one-run games, four that went into extra innings and five that ended in walk-off fashion. The Cubs have so far played only three games in a stadium with a roof (Miller Park) and zero in a warm-weather city. The first-pitch temperature at Wrigley Field has been 50 degrees or below 11 times through 16 home games.
“It’s tough to get bats going in any of that,” Zobrist said. “I think some of that’s just getting in the flow, kind of getting the feel of a new season.
“We’ll score a lot of runs (as) everybody gets hot. ‘KB’ (Kris Bryant) now is getting hot. (Anthony) Rizzo is going to get hot. All of us are going to get hot. And when it happens, it’s going to be scary how many runs we score.”
Cubs trade Matt Szczur to Padres in exchange for minor league pitcher Justin Hancock.
By CSN Staff
After getting designated for assignment over the weekend, Matt Szczur has a new home.
The Cubs traded the outfielder Monday to the San Diego Padres in exchange for minor league pitcher Justin Hancock.
While the Cubs loved having Szczur around and praised his credentials as a great teammate, it was not easy finding playing time for the 27-year-old former fifth-round pick. Joe Maddon called the decision to designate Szczur, who was out of minor league options, "excruciating" after Saturday's game.
Szczur appeared in 202 games for the Cubs over four seasons, posting a .243 batting average while hitting eight home runs and driving in 40 runs. This season, he had four hits in 19 at-bats with a trio of RBIs.
He posted this farewell message to his social-media accounts:
Hancock, meanwhile, has yet to make his major league debut. He's pitched in 116 minor league games, 90 of which have been starts, since being drafted by the Padres in the ninth round of the 2011 draft. In his career, he has a 24-29 record with a 3.91 ERA.
This season, Hancock has made 10 relief appearances with Double-A San Antonio and posted a 6.23 ERA.
White Sox lose fourth straight, drop series opener to Twins.
By Dan Hayes
(Photo/USA TODAY)
Tuesday night’s contest is one of those painful times general manager Rick Hahn promised would come.
A rebuild often includes some ugly moments that drive fans mad. Normally, they come in bunches, too.
What can make it even more frustrating is when a familiar face comes back to do some damage. Hector Santiago played that role yet again on Tuesday as he shut down his old teammates, who were looking to bounce back from their worst series of the season after a surprising start.
Santiago and the Minnesota Twins were too much as the White Sox dropped their fourth straight with a 7-2 loss in front of 14,498 at Guaranteed Rate Field. Mike Pelfrey took the loss for the White Sox, who dropped to 15-16.
“We’ve got to put everything together,” third baseman Todd Frazier said. “We’ve got the energy, but it seems like right now we’re not clicking on all cylinders.”
Pelfrey looked good early against the Twins, the team he pitched for from 2013-15. Making his fourth start of the season for the White Sox, Pelfrey retired the first eight batters he faced and nine of the first 10.
The White Sox took advantage and spotted Pelfrey a 2-0 lead with a pair of RBI singles in the bottom of the third inning. But the lead was gone in an instant as Minnesota rallied for three quick runs in the fourth.
Jorge Polanco led off with a single, stole second and scored on a Max Kepler RBI single. Kenny Vargas then turned around a 92-mph sinker from Pelfrey and deposited it into the right-field bleachers, the two-run shot exiting his bat at 115 mph to give Minnesota a 3-2 lead.
“It’s never good to give up three, but especially after we score two,” Pelfrey said. “I’m pretty disappointed in myself for that. That kills the team. That’s not good.”
“I don’t think we ever gave up in Baltimore and kept fighting and had some close games. That’s a good team, a really good team.
“Tonight, I’ll take the blame for that. These guys gave me a lead and I gave it right back. That can be demoralizing and that’s my fault.”
A replacement for the injured James Shields, Pelfrey’s output began to rapidly slow down. While he recorded two more outs, the right-hander exited with two runners aboard after he walked Kepler in the fifth inning.
Dan Jennings retired Vargas to end the threat.
But it was the third time in four starts that Pelfrey hasn’t completed five innings.
The outing left too much work for a banged up bullpen, which is missing Nate Jones, Zach Putnam and Jake Petricka. Jennings, who appeared for the 15th time in 31 games, allowed three earned runs and three hits in 2/3 of an inning as the Twins began to pull away. Minnesota had six hits in seven at-bats to start the top of the sixth against Jennings and Chris Beck, scoring four times to make it 7-2.
That was more than the White Sox offense could match.
For the sixth time in nine games, the White Sox scored fewer than three runs. An offense that appears to be woefully short on on-base percentage has scored three or fewer runs in 17 of its 31 games.
The White Sox appeared to have found the elixir to solve Santiago’s dominance against them. Omar Narvaez walked with one out in the third inning and singles by Willy Garcia and Tyler Saladino made it a 1-0 game. Jose Abreu then continued his hot streak with an RBI single to right to make it 2-0.
But Santiago, who entered 4-1 with a 1.40 ERA against his former team, settled down. He worked around three hits and five walks to limit the White Sox to two earned runs in 6 2/3 innings.
Were that not enough, the White Sox threw in a pair of outfield errors for good measure on consecutive plays. Avisail Garcia overran the two-run single of Ehire Adrianza in the sixth inning, which allowed the batter to reach second base. Adrianza then scored on Byron Buxton’s RBI single that made it 6-2. Willy Garcia made an error on that one, which allowed Buxton to move into scoring position. He then scored easily on Joe Mauer’s RBI single.
“We couldn’t minimize their damage as they continued to tack on runs and we weren’t able to respond,” manager Rick Renteria said. “It’s that simple.
“When you’re trying to establish a way of playing the game of baseball, of which they’ve kind of taken hold of it -- we’ll move forward and we can’t get too high or too low. You’re right, this is four in a row. As far as this one, it’s done.”
Rick Hahn on White Sox prospect Yoan Moncada: 'We're not going to rush this'.
By Dan Hayes
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
Yoan Moncada has done what the White Sox have asked and he’s going to have to continue to do it a little bit longer.
The super prospect is in the midst of a fantastic run at Triple-A Charlotte in which he has reduced his strikeout rate and shown defensive improvement. But even as the date nears in Moncada could be promoted without losing a year of service time it appears he’ll remain with the Knights. General manager Rick Hahn said Tuesday that the White Sox are very pleased with the efforts of the top-ranked prospect in baseball. He also noted the club intends to make sure Moncada is sufficiently prepared for when he finally gets the call.
“He’s shown a fair amount of progress in each of those areas that we’ve asked of him,” Hahn said. “That said, we want to see that over an extended period of time. It’s awfully important to not lose sight of the fact this is a 21-year-old player, one who was not playing two years ago as of right now. It’s a guy who has fewer than 325 or so plate appearances above A-ball.
So we think the world of his talent and future and we think he is responding to the challenges we put ahead of him, but we’re not going to rush this.”
The team’s fanbase is gripped with Yoansanity. Moncadamania is peaking on the South Side.
But if Moncada’s current play hasn’t changed the team’s thinking, the fan factor isn’t likely to budge it, either.
Over his last 16 games, Moncada is hitting .385/.446/.585 with three home runs and seven RBIs and 16 runs scored. Moncada also has reduced his strikeout rate to 21.6 percent with 16 whiffs in his last 74 plate appearances after 18 in his first 55. The defensive improvements have come along nicely, too, particularly in turning double plays and more aggressive angles to the ball.
With May 14 fast approaching -- the date at which the team wouldn’t surrender a year of service time by promoting Moncada -- there’s been hope the White Sox might promote the second baseman. But Hahn doesn’t sound like someone on the verge of unleashing the team’s most-hyped prospect on the fanbase.
“We think the world of his talent and future and we think he is responding to the challenges we put ahead of him, but we’re not going to rush this,” Hahn said. “As satisfying as it may be for all of us to see him out there even tonight at the big league level because it gives you that shot in the arm and shows there is progress in the rebuild, it’s not in the long term interest of Yoan Moncada or the club. He’ll be here when he answers all the questions we have for him with the developmental standpoint at the minor league level. He’s done a good job, but there is a benefit to letting him answer all of those and continue the repetitions at that level until that next stage takes place at this level.”
Rick Hahn expects 'robust' bidding process for Cuban free agent Luis Robert.
By Dan Hayes
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
All the conditions in place would suggest Luis Robert is in for a significant payday when he’s eligible to sign on May 20.
The Cuban free agent is well-positioned for a big signing bonus as the final international free agent made eligible under the rules of the old Collective Bargaining Agreement. As such, Robert can sign for any amount, with all teams except for the White Sox merely paying a luxury tax matching the amount that they exceed their signing bonus pools. The White Sox would not only have to pay that same tax, they’d have to forfeit the ability to sign any international player over $300,000 for the next two years -- something most of their competitors have already done. With those teams having already reached that threshold, and given Robert’s talent and experience, White Sox general manager Rick Hahn thinks the price tag will end up high.
Hahn sidestepped how involved the White Sox would be in the process even though they’ve reportedly been intricately so the past few months. The team not only has reportedly had constant contact with Robert, both Hahn and Kenny Williams attended a private workout for the outfielder last week.
“It’s going to be robust,” Hahn said. “I’m always optimistic. It’s much easier to go about life that way.
“Look it’s going to be robust bidding and we’ll see how it unfolds in the coming weeks.”
Some believe if Robert were available in the amateur draft he could go as high as the first overall pick. Most believe that at the least he would be a high first-round selection. A combination of Robert’s talent and the harsher rules that go into effect after the current CBA expires has Hahn expecting a bidding war. While Hahn avoiding any public commitment of the team’s involvement, it’s expected that the White Sox will make a strong push for the outfielder. The addition of Robert is critical for a team looking to add as much young, controllable talent as possible. Adding Robert would be akin to a second first-round draft pick for the White Sox, who only in December began their first rebuild in 20 years.
“He’s an extremely talented young man who is going to have an impact on whatever organization he winds up joining and given the fact the collective bargaining agreement changes how these players are treated here these few weeks this is really the last opportunity for certain clubs to exercise strictly their financial might in order to receive such a talent,” Hahn said. “I expect there will be robust bidding on this player.”
The Cuban free agent is well-positioned for a big signing bonus as the final international free agent made eligible under the rules of the old Collective Bargaining Agreement. As such, Robert can sign for any amount, with all teams except for the White Sox merely paying a luxury tax matching the amount that they exceed their signing bonus pools. The White Sox would not only have to pay that same tax, they’d have to forfeit the ability to sign any international player over $300,000 for the next two years -- something most of their competitors have already done. With those teams having already reached that threshold, and given Robert’s talent and experience, White Sox general manager Rick Hahn thinks the price tag will end up high.
Hahn sidestepped how involved the White Sox would be in the process even though they’ve reportedly been intricately so the past few months. The team not only has reportedly had constant contact with Robert, both Hahn and Kenny Williams attended a private workout for the outfielder last week.
“It’s going to be robust,” Hahn said. “I’m always optimistic. It’s much easier to go about life that way.
“Look it’s going to be robust bidding and we’ll see how it unfolds in the coming weeks.”
Some believe if Robert were available in the amateur draft he could go as high as the first overall pick. Most believe that at the least he would be a high first-round selection. A combination of Robert’s talent and the harsher rules that go into effect after the current CBA expires has Hahn expecting a bidding war. While Hahn avoiding any public commitment of the team’s involvement, it’s expected that the White Sox will make a strong push for the outfielder. The addition of Robert is critical for a team looking to add as much young, controllable talent as possible. Adding Robert would be akin to a second first-round draft pick for the White Sox, who only in December began their first rebuild in 20 years.
“He’s an extremely talented young man who is going to have an impact on whatever organization he winds up joining and given the fact the collective bargaining agreement changes how these players are treated here these few weeks this is really the last opportunity for certain clubs to exercise strictly their financial might in order to receive such a talent,” Hahn said. “I expect there will be robust bidding on this player.”
Golf: I got a club for that..... Power rankings: The Players Championship.
By Ryan Ballengee
The best non-major tournament of the year is here, with The Players Championship once again emanating from TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida.
Jason Day defends in a field that includes another 47 of Day’s fellow top-50 players, competing on a course that favors no particular style of play but rewards great golf with one of the game’s richest winner’s checks and a trophy growing in prestige.
Here are our top five players for this week:
1. Rory McIlroy – McIlroy has an excellent record at TPC Sawgrass, not finishing out of the top 12 in the last four years. However, he’s been off since the Masters and will be playing new sticks this week.
2. Dustin Johnson – You have to put Johnson up high on the list. He’s gone 1-1-1-T2. But his Sawgrass record is modest. He makes cuts but doesn’t have a top 10.
3. Jon Rahm – This is perhaps a little premature to rank to Rahm so highly on this kind of stage, but he’s been an absolute stud in 20 professional starts. His only stumble in the last two months has been on Sunday at the Masters.
4. Sergio Garcia – Garcia is returning to golf after his Masters win and celebrating for a month. Celebrate forever, Sergio. However, Garcia has a great Sawgrass record, including a 2008 win. He loves it here.
5. Jordan Spieth – Spieth’s schedule has been light since the Masters, making a nice charge with Ryan Palmer at the Zurich. Fell apart on Sunday at Augusta, but he’s been pretty spiffy all year.
Conditions at Sawgrass far different than last year.
By Rex Hoggard
(Photo/Golf Channel Digital)
By many accounts, TPC Sawgrass’ Stadium Course is in the best condition it’s been in years, groomed to agronomic perfection by a particularly warm winter in north Florida and a few architectural nip/tucks.
Twelve months removed from one of the most comical – or cruel depending on one’s point of view – chapters in the tournament’s history, it doesn’t even seem like the same layout to many who played Round 3 at last year’s Players Championship.
James Hahn shutters when he recalls that Saturday at the 2016 Players when winds gusted to 20 mph and the course’s greens took on a brownish hue and the rigid consistency of a pool table.
“I’m going to say unfair,” Hahn said when asked about the greens on Day 3 at the ’16 Players. “They were the fastest and with certain pin locations, if you are expecting the greens to be 15 [on the Stimpmeter] you can’t put them in the same pin locations we’ve had for the last 20 years.”
Like many of his Tour frat brothers, Hahn wasn’t happy with the conditions. Unfair, unplayable, unbearable, pick your poison, everybody had something to say about the Stadium Course.
Sawgrass played to a 75.59 stroke average that fateful day which was the third highest single-round total last season and highest for a non-major.
Tour officials prepared the greens for Saturday’s round the same as they had all week by double cutting and double rolling them, but were caught off guard by the wind and unexpectedly low humidity.
The result was a round that quickly turned into a free-for-all.
Kevin Streelman three-putted his first hole from 18 feet on his way to an 80; as did Steve Wheatcroft to kickoff a round of 79, and Hahn thought his 27 footer for birdie at his first hole (No. 10) was a perfect chance to get off to a good start before he raced that attempt by 9 feet.
Hahn was paired with Ken Duke that black Saturday and Duke remembers Hahn and Jon Curran, who were on opposite sides of the hole, both about the same distance, essentially trade places with their first attempts at the group’s first hole.
“They both three-putted right out of the gate, and you’re thinking, ‘Oh boy,’” Duke said.
Hahn wanted to be angry with the PGA Tour staff for a poor setup that embarrassed the players, but he kept watching Duke roll in putt after putt on his way to a 7-under 65, which was by far the day’s best and more than 10 strokes better than the field average.
“It was the most impressive round I’ve seen in my life, he not only hit it close, he was making 18, 20 footers that had 2 or 3 feet of break and he was jarring them. His speed, if he didn’t make the putt his ball would roll by 5 or 6 feet at times,” Hahn said. “He knew it was going in the hole, but for me I was always worried about the second putt.”
Duke took just 24 putts on Day 3, made one bogey (at No. 11) and was 16-of-17 on putts from 10 feet and in. It was a clinic within a competitive catastrophe.
“I hit it in the right spot where you could make putts,” Duke said. “I got ahold of the speed of the greens early, and that was the difference.”
What Duke lacks in hyperbole he makes up for with his southern simplicity, but his take on that surreal Saturday really doesn’t do it justice.
No one was immune to greens that most say were faster than Augusta National’s, faster than even Oakmont during the U.S. Open.
“My caddie [James Edmondson] kept telling me, ‘Hit it softer,’” Ryan Palmer recalled, “ and I’m like, ‘I’m trying.’”
Eventual champion Jason Day needed 32 putts on Day 3 on his way to a 73 and a tie for third that week in total putts.
“It was miserable,” said Hudson Swafford, who recalled running his chip at his first hole 4 feet by the hole. “And then I watched Freddie Jacobson, who is a notoriously good putter, almost putt it off the green from 12 feet and I was like, wow. It was comical.”
Golf is hard, but this was something bordering on cruel and unusual.
For Hahn, the tipping point came at the sixth hole and a 3-footer for birdie that he estimated had about a half foot of break, which he missed on the low side and that rolled out 5 feet. To this day, the California-Berkeley graduate still doesn’t know how he could have made that putt.
“For perfect [Dave] Pelz speed, 17 inches past the hole, where would you putt that putt? What would the line be?” Hahn said. “I couldn’t do the math on it because I’ve never really thought about greens like that other than it just being illegal.”
The greens may not have been illegal, but most agree they were wrong. Wrong for everyone, that is, except Duke.
Twelve months removed from one of the most comical – or cruel depending on one’s point of view – chapters in the tournament’s history, it doesn’t even seem like the same layout to many who played Round 3 at last year’s Players Championship.
James Hahn shutters when he recalls that Saturday at the 2016 Players when winds gusted to 20 mph and the course’s greens took on a brownish hue and the rigid consistency of a pool table.
“I’m going to say unfair,” Hahn said when asked about the greens on Day 3 at the ’16 Players. “They were the fastest and with certain pin locations, if you are expecting the greens to be 15 [on the Stimpmeter] you can’t put them in the same pin locations we’ve had for the last 20 years.”
Like many of his Tour frat brothers, Hahn wasn’t happy with the conditions. Unfair, unplayable, unbearable, pick your poison, everybody had something to say about the Stadium Course.
Sawgrass played to a 75.59 stroke average that fateful day which was the third highest single-round total last season and highest for a non-major.
Tour officials prepared the greens for Saturday’s round the same as they had all week by double cutting and double rolling them, but were caught off guard by the wind and unexpectedly low humidity.
The result was a round that quickly turned into a free-for-all.
Kevin Streelman three-putted his first hole from 18 feet on his way to an 80; as did Steve Wheatcroft to kickoff a round of 79, and Hahn thought his 27 footer for birdie at his first hole (No. 10) was a perfect chance to get off to a good start before he raced that attempt by 9 feet.
Hahn was paired with Ken Duke that black Saturday and Duke remembers Hahn and Jon Curran, who were on opposite sides of the hole, both about the same distance, essentially trade places with their first attempts at the group’s first hole.
“They both three-putted right out of the gate, and you’re thinking, ‘Oh boy,’” Duke said.
Hahn wanted to be angry with the PGA Tour staff for a poor setup that embarrassed the players, but he kept watching Duke roll in putt after putt on his way to a 7-under 65, which was by far the day’s best and more than 10 strokes better than the field average.
“It was the most impressive round I’ve seen in my life, he not only hit it close, he was making 18, 20 footers that had 2 or 3 feet of break and he was jarring them. His speed, if he didn’t make the putt his ball would roll by 5 or 6 feet at times,” Hahn said. “He knew it was going in the hole, but for me I was always worried about the second putt.”
Duke took just 24 putts on Day 3, made one bogey (at No. 11) and was 16-of-17 on putts from 10 feet and in. It was a clinic within a competitive catastrophe.
“I hit it in the right spot where you could make putts,” Duke said. “I got ahold of the speed of the greens early, and that was the difference.”
What Duke lacks in hyperbole he makes up for with his southern simplicity, but his take on that surreal Saturday really doesn’t do it justice.
No one was immune to greens that most say were faster than Augusta National’s, faster than even Oakmont during the U.S. Open.
“My caddie [James Edmondson] kept telling me, ‘Hit it softer,’” Ryan Palmer recalled, “ and I’m like, ‘I’m trying.’”
Eventual champion Jason Day needed 32 putts on Day 3 on his way to a 73 and a tie for third that week in total putts.
“It was miserable,” said Hudson Swafford, who recalled running his chip at his first hole 4 feet by the hole. “And then I watched Freddie Jacobson, who is a notoriously good putter, almost putt it off the green from 12 feet and I was like, wow. It was comical.”
Golf is hard, but this was something bordering on cruel and unusual.
For Hahn, the tipping point came at the sixth hole and a 3-footer for birdie that he estimated had about a half foot of break, which he missed on the low side and that rolled out 5 feet. To this day, the California-Berkeley graduate still doesn’t know how he could have made that putt.
“For perfect [Dave] Pelz speed, 17 inches past the hole, where would you putt that putt? What would the line be?” Hahn said. “I couldn’t do the math on it because I’ve never really thought about greens like that other than it just being illegal.”
The greens may not have been illegal, but most agree they were wrong. Wrong for everyone, that is, except Duke.
Tee times, pairings: 2017 Players Championship, Rounds 1-2.
By Brentley Romine
(Photo/Getty Images)
Here are the tee times and pairings for the first two rounds of The Players Championship on Thursday and Friday at TPC Sawgrass’ Players Stadium Course in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.:
(Note: all times Eastern)
Thursday (Off No. 1) / Friday (Off No. 10)
7:10 a.m. / 12:35 p.m.: Zac Blair, Tyrone Van Aswegen, Blayne Barber
7:21 a.m. / 12:46 p.m.: Kevin Streelman, Lucas Glover, Louis Oosthuizen
7:32 a.m. / 12:57 p.m.: Kyle Stanley, Jason Kokrak, Patrick Cantlay
7:43 a.m. / 1:08 p.m.: Brian Harman, Russell Knox, Jhonattan Vegas
7:54 a.m. / 1:19 p.m.: Hudson Swafford, Brendan Steele, J.B. Holmes
8:05 a.m. / 1:30 p.m.: Cameron Smith, Vaughn Taylor, Keegan Bradley
8:16 a.m. / 1:41 p.m.: Tony Finau, Troy Merritt, Gary Woodland
8:27 a.m. / 1:52 p.m.: Greg Chalmers, Graeme McDowell, Emiliano Grillo
8:38 a.m. / 2:03 p.m.: Pat Perez, Cody Gribble, William McGirt
8:49 a.m. / 2:14 p.m.: Marc Leishman, James Hahn, Matt Every
9:00 a.m. / 2:25 p.m.: Kyle Reifers, Harold Varner III, Bernd Wiesberger
9:11 a.m. / 2:36 p.m.: Ben Crane, Graham DeLaet, Grayson Murray
12:35 p.m. / 7:10 a.m.: Martin Laird, Chez Reavie, Shawn Stefani
12:46 p.m. / 7:21 a.m.: Roberto Castro, Patrick Rodgers, Michael Kim
12:57 p.m. / 7:32 a.m.: Scott Brown, Ross Fisher, Matthew Fitzpatrick
1:08 p.m. / 7:43 a.m.: Danny Willett, Shane Lowry, Bill Haas
1:19 p.m. / 7:54 a.m.: Patrick Reed, Bubba Watson, Brooks Koepka
1:30 p.m. / 8:05 a.m.: Jon Rahm, Justin Rose, Martin Kaymer
1:41 p.m. / 8:16 a.m.: Sergio Garcia, Adam Scott, Matt Kuchar
1:52 p.m. / 8:27 a.m.: Dustin Johnson, Justin Thomas, Rory McIlroy
2:03 p.m. / 8:38 a.m.: Mackenzie Hughes, Jim Herman, K.J. Choi
2:14 p.m. / 8:49 a.m.: Charl Schwartzel, Smylie Kaufman, Ernie Els
2:25 p.m. / 9:00 a.m.: John Huh, Jamie Lovemark, Rafa Cabrera Bello
2:36 p.m. / 9:11 a.m.: Freddie Jacobson, Chad Campbell, Ricky Barnes
Thursday (Off No. 10) / Friday (Off No. 1)
7:10 a.m. / 12:35 p.m.: Jason Bohn, Daniel Summerhays, Francesco Molinari
7:21 a.m. / 12:46 p.m.: Harris English, Bernhard Langer, Derek Fathauer
7:32 a.m. / 12:57 p.m.: Bryce Molder, Kevin Na, Mark Hubbard
7:43 a.m. / 1:08 p.m.: Aaron Baddeley, Fabian Gomez, David Lingmerth
7:54 a.m. / 1:19 p.m.: Jim Furyk, Billy Horschel, Vijay Singh
8:05 a.m. / 1:30 p.m.: Jimmy Walker, Zach Johnson, Paul Casey
8:16 a.m. / 1:41 p.m.: Rickie Fowler, Henrik Stenson, Jason Day
8:27 a.m. / 1:52 p.m.: Jordan Spieth, Hideki Matsuyama, Phil Mickelson
8:38 a.m. / 2:03 p.m.: Adam Hadwin, Luke Donald, Alex Noren
8:49 a.m. / 2:14 p.m.: Si Woo Kim, Daniel Berger, Branden Grace
9:00 a.m. / 2:25 p.m.: Sean O’Hair, Ryan Palmer, Yuta Ikeda
9:11 a.m. / 2:36 p.m.: Ian Poulter, Cameron Tringale, Tommy Fleetwood
12:35 p.m. / 7:10 a.m.: Seung-Yul Noh, Sung Kang
12:46 p.m. / 7:21 a.m.: Boo Weekley, Robert Garrigus, David Hearn
12:57 p.m. / 7:32 a.m.: Lee Westwood, Patton Kizzire, Andrew Loupe
1:08 p.m. / 7:43 a.m.: D.A. Points, Ryan Moore, Chris Kirk
1:19 p.m. / 7:54 a.m.: Kevin Chappell, Billy Hurley III, Brian Stuard
1:30 p.m. / 8:05 a.m.: Jonas Blixt, Brian Gay, Tyrrell Hatton
1:41 p.m. / 8:16 a.m.: Danny Lee, Robert Streb, Ben Martin
1:52 p.m. / 8:27 a.m.: Russell Henley, Rod Pampling, Kevin Kisner
2:03 p.m. / 8:38 a.m.: Peter Malnati, Webb Simpson, Steve Stricker
2:14 p.m. / 8:49 a.m.: Jason Dufner, Scott Piercy, Alex Cejka
2:25 p.m. / 9:00 a.m.: Wesley Bryan, Charley Hoffman, David Toms
2:36 p.m. / 9:11 a.m.: Johnson Wagner, Spencer Levin, Luke List
2:47 p.m. / 9:22 a.m.: Jerry Kelly, Anirban Lahiri, Brett Stegmaier
NASCAR: Power Rankings: Win puts Ricky Stenhouse Jr. in the top five.
By Nick Bromberg
1. Brad Keselowski (LW: 1): There always seems to be a driver or three who is involved in a big crash at Talladega and fights back for a top-10 finish. Keselowski and Kurt Busch were those two drivers.
Bump & Run: Who is next driver to snap long winless drought?
By Nick Bromberg
1. Brad Keselowski (LW: 1): There always seems to be a driver or three who is involved in a big crash at Talladega and fights back for a top-10 finish. Keselowski and Kurt Busch were those two drivers.
Busch sustained right front damage — similar to the damage he had on his car when he won the Daytona 500 — while Keselowski got a flat tire and some front end damage as he attempted to slow down enough to avoid the wreck.
Before getting shuffled back in the field and caught in the 18-car pileup, Keselowski was a mainstay at the front of the field and led 31 laps.
2. Jimmie Johnson (LW: 3): Johnson finished a spot behind Keselowski in 8th. Since he won the spring race at Talladega in 2011, Johnson has just three top-10 finishes and has finished outside the top 20 on six different occasions. Yeah, Talladega isn’t Johnson’s best track.
Johnson could’ve had a better finish too. he was in position for a potential top five off turn 2 on the final lap but ended up getting shuffled back a bit after Jamie McMurray’s banzai three-wide pass.
“You just don’t know where they are going to go and you are busy looking in mirrors and out the windshield and I’m trying to see where the leader is and all that kind of stuff,” Johnson said. “Just a brave, but good move to thread the needle by [McMurray] there.”
3. Kyle Larson (LW: 4): Larson had an eventful race. He hit the wall early and subsequently had a flat tire that NASCAR threw a caution for. He ended up finishing 12th and extended his points lead to a whopping 54 points over Martin Truex Jr.
Larson now has twice as many points (428) as Kasey Kahne, the driver in 18th place in the standings. It’s a gap far larger in number and ratio than what 2016 points leader Kevin Harvick had after Talladega. Harvick, who had 351 points through 10 races, was up 133 points on 20th place.
4. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (LW: 8): A Talladega win means a four-spot jump for Stenhouse, who’s suddenly getting a lot more praise and acclaim since visiting victory lane on Sunday.
And that makes sense; in a sport searching for new stars, Stenhouse winning for the first time for a team that’s struggled over the past few seasons is a big deal. But Stenhouse was being praised for his driving skill by people in NASCAR for a while. After Johnson’s 2014 win at Texas, his crew chief had this to say about Stenhouse, who finished 23rd:
“I’ll tell you what, Ricky Stenhouse can really drive a race car,” Knaus said. “That car was sideways coming off [turn 4]”
5. Joey Logano (LW: 2): Logano led six laps and finished 25th after getting caught up in the 18-car pileup.
““I saw [Chase Elliott] tank-slapping it down the backstretch,” Logano said. “I was hoping he’d turn to the left when he started spinning, but he went up the race track and I was just sitting there in the outside lane saying, ‘Oh, I’m gonna be the first one there and I can’t get away from him.’ So we got into the crash, unfortunately.”
6. Jamie McMurray (LW: 9): Let’s just all marvel at that move McMurray made.
That could have epically backfired — and given the win to Kyle Busch — but McMurray’s aggressiveness paid off and he finished second.
7. Kevin Harvick (LW: 5): Harvick finished 15th, which was pretty remarkable given that he sustained some pretty significant damage in the melee. He’s now finished both restrictor plate races in 2017 with cars that were pretty wounded.
“To have a car that can lead laps and run up front, this time we just happened to wreck up front,” Harvick said. “Solid performance from the team, just bad luck.”
8. Clint Bowyer (LW: 6): Bowyer had a strong car but dropped to the back in the second half of the race. He couldn’t get back to the front and ended up finishing 14th.
9. Chase Elliott (LW: 7): If you’ve been on social media since Sunday or watched any NASCAR programming, you’ve probably seen Elliott’s car riding along the top of the backstretch wall multiple times. He had a car capable of winning the race in the right circumstances. Instead, he was the victim of bump drafting gone bad at Talladega.
10. Kyle Busch (LW: NR): Busch was understandably unhappy after the race and made a reference to Saturday’s upcoming race at Kansas as one on a “real” track. Talladega had a good response to him.
We also imagine Busch would have considered Talladega a “real” track had he not been passed by Stenhouse Jr. either.
11. Martin Truex Jr. (LW: 10): Busch’s day could have been like Truex’s, which was ruined in the big accident.
“We got shuffled to the outside one time there and got in a bad spot and then they started wrecking,” Truex said. “It’s a shame, it’s the way it goes here. Unfortunately for us, it’s been a tough one to finish, but we did get stage points today so that’s a bonus and at least it’s better than running all day and crashing out and not getting anything.”
12. Denny Hamlin (LW: 11): Hamlin finished 11th in the No. 11 car. It’s the 12th time he’s finished 11th while driving the No. 11. If you’re wondering when the 11th time was, it was in the first 2015 race at Michigan. And Hamlin was 11th in Power Rankings last week. You are welcome for all this information.
Lucky Dog: Aric Almirola, though his fourth-place finish will come with a penalty later this week after the car failed inspection.
The DNF: Ryan Blaney, who got wrecked before the big pileup.
Dropped Out: Trevor Bayne
Bump & Run: Who is next driver to snap long winless drought?
By Dustin Long
(Photo by Brian Lawdermilk/Getty Images)
Dale Jarrett and Parker Kligerman, who appear on NASCAR America from 5:30 – 6:30 p.m. ET today, join Nate Ryan and Dustin Long, to answer this week’s questions.
This season has seen two drivers snap winless droughts of more than 90 races: Phoenix winner Ryan Newman (127-race winless drought) and Talladega winner Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (158-race drought). Who is next to win among drivers who have gone more than 90 starts without a Cup win? (* list below)
Parker Kligerman: Well the easiest answer here is Clint Bowyer. From the doldrums of outside top-30 equipment to now being a part of one of the top organizations in the sport, I can’t imagine a world in which Clint does not win. With that out of the way, I feel Austin Dillon could be a moderate shot of breaking a winless streak, but that may be better said as getting his first win. Lastly, Kasey Kahne is approaching 100 races winless at one of the largest, most successful race teams in the entire world. As Kyle Petty has said “Where is Kasey Kahne” I think Kasey has to be asking “Where is Victory Lane?”
Dale Jarrett: The two that I look at are Clint Bowyer and Jamie McMurray. I think they are both performing well enough that it can happen, pretty much any place and any time. I really give the edge to Jamie McMurray. I think that team and that organization right now, with the way Kyle Larson has performed and Jamie has too, he’s performed and continued to get better. If I look at the two restrictor-plate races to this point, I think he maybe had the fastest car. I think there’s a good chance that he might win Daytona or Talladega, but I think he might win even before then. Bowyer, I believe, is going to win before the year is out.
Nate Ryan: Jamie McMurray. If they were rerunning the final 10 laps of Talladega today, he might be ending this streak now. Kansas Speedway would mark a nice homecoming of sorts, too, for the Joplin, Missouri, native who is providing confirmation that points leader Kyle Larson’s success is indicative of across-the-board improvement at Chip Ganassi Racing.
A close second for the next first-place finisher is Clint Bowyer, then Austin Dillon, Kasey Kahne, Trevor Bayne and Aric Almirola.
Dustin Long: Jamie McMurray has shown more speed and more consistency and is a good bet to be the next among this group to end a winless drought. He has six top-10 finishes in the first 10 races. Now it’s just a matter of turning those into more top fives as teammate Kyle Larson has done.
* DRIVERS WINLESS IN AT LEAST THE LAST 90 CUP RACES
Reed Sorenson (271)
Landon Cassill (233)
Michael McDowell (223)
Paul Menard (206)
Danica Patrick (164)
Clint Bowyer (159)
David Ragan (144)
Trevor Bayne (138)
Austin Dillon (131)
Jamie McMurray (122)
Cole Whitt (122)
Aric Almirola (100 races)
AJ Allmendinger (96 races)
Kasey Kahne (93 races)
NASCAR competes on 1.5-mile tracks the rest of the month with Saturday’s race at Kansas Speedway and the following two weeks at Charlotte Motor Speedway for the All-Star Race and Coca-Cola 600. What driver(s) and/or team(s) will you be watching close the rest of the month?
Parker Kligerman: This is a tough one as there are so many I will be keeping a close eye on.
- First would have to be Joe Gibbs Racing and seeing if they can finally get into victory lane.
- Second would be Ganassi. I want to see if this race team can continue to display the raw speed that they have early in this season, as the races get hotter and the tracks shift toward 1.5 miles in length. This will be the litmus test if they are truly championship material.
- Lastly, our newest winners in Roush Fenway Racing. Can this race team continue to show performances that warrant them being a part of the playoffs in what feels like a generation ago when they were a lock for such a berth.
Dale Jarrett: I’m watching the drivers at Joe Gibbs Racing. What are they going to do? This has been their strong suit, especially over the six months at the end of 2015 and then all of last year, they performed at a high level at these types of tracks.
This is just in my mind thinking that it seems that they have been more to the conservative side with the skew and the rear end where others have been willing to take that chance, get their win and then maybe they back off a little from that. It just seems like they haven’t given that much to their drivers, and are they going to bite the bullet and say, ‘OK, this is what it is going to take, we’ve got to figure out a way to do this.’ I know they don’t like getting caught pushing the issue too much, but I really believe it’s going to take something like that. I’m going to keep my eye on them because Kansas and Charlotte are places that they perform well whenever their team is at their peak.
Nate Ryan: Joe Gibbs Racing. After Denny Hamlin predicted last week that Talladega would be his best chance at a win for “a few months” and identified 1.5-mile tracks as the team’s major Achilles’ heel, it naturally put some focus on how JGR does at the next three events and tracks that comprise two of the five 1.5-mile ovals in the playoffs (and two-thirds of the second round).
Kansas and Charlotte will serve as a barometer of how much teams need to improve their aerodynamics/horsepower combinations to be championship contenders four months from now.
Dustin Long: Naturally, Joe Gibbs Racing. I want to see how they perform, what kind of improvement they’ve shown on the 1.5-mile tracks. Another team I’ll keep an eye on is Hendrick Motorsports. Can Dale Earnhardt Jr. start to come back from his slow start? What about Kasey Kahne? Can Chase Elliott continue his strong runs on 1.5-mile tracks. Can Jimmie Johnson show more strength?
Fairgrounds Speedway promoter seeks to return NASCAR racing to Nashville.
By Dustin Long
The promoter of Fairgrounds Speedway in Nashville, Tennessee, is seeking a long-term agreement with the Metropolitan Board of Fair Commissioners to operate the .596-mile track in hopes of luring NASCAR regional and touring series events, according to The Tennessean.
The track once hosted NASCAR’s top series. The Cup series raced there from 1958-84. The Xfinity Series raced there in 1984, 1988-89 and 1995-2000. The Camping World Truck Series raced there from 1996-2000.
Among the track’s winners were Richard Petty, Darrell Waltrip, Dale Earnhardt and Geoff Bodine, who won the final Cup race there in July 1984.
Track promoter Tony Formosa stated in a column in April in The Tennessean that with a “five-year (agreement) or longer, we could restore this track to its glory days and again be an important economic driver to Nashville.” That would include seeking NASCAR-sanctioned races.
Monday’s story states that Formosa has had a contract to operate the facility since 2010 but it has been mostly year-to-year contracts.
The last NASCAR-sanctioned race at that track was a K&N Pro Series East race in 2008.
NASCAR issued a statement to the newspaper about the track.
“NASCAR has a long history in the Nashville area and our fans there are as passionate as any place we race,” the organization said in its statement. “NASCAR races are in demand, and we’re pleased with our current lineup of racetracks. Many of the discussions related to racing in Nashville have centered around the popular regional and touring series events.”
SOCCER: After always being on dominant teams, Bastian Schweinsteiger is adjusting to the parity of MLS.
By Dan Santaromita
(Photo/USA TODAY)
Parity is one of the defining characteristics of Major League Soccer, but Bastian Schweinsteiger's former teams knew nothing of parity.
Before joining the Chicago Fire, Bastian Schweinsteiger had only played for the biggest teams in the world. In his club career he started with Bayern Munich and later joined Manchester United. Both are in the top handful of clubs in terms of success, prestige and popularity. Throw in the German national team, which has made the last three semifinals in both the Euros and the World Cup, and Schweinsteiger is used to winning.
So now that Schweinsteiger is with the Fire in MLS, a league which doesn’t have any teams as dominant or as consistent as Bayern or Germany, it’s an adjustment in terms of expectations.
“Of course it’s something maybe new, but I knew it in advance that it’s not going to happen that we win every match,” Schweinsteiger said after training on Tuesday. “It’s a new team. We have to just work on our game style.”
Schweinsteiger was recently quoted as saying the difference in quality between MLS and his previous leagues is “huge.” That won’t surprise anyone familiar with MLS, but some of the quotes do standout.
“It can be frustrating on the pitch at times when things discussed [in the team meeting] are not implemented or when somebody loses a ball or just does not have an eye for the teammate,” Schweinsteiger said in the story on ESPNFC.
Schweinsteiger also said “too many balls are lost” during games. These statements have garnered national, and even global, headlines.
That may be worth fretting over if the statements weren’t universally agreed upon as accurate. MLS is not as good as the Premier League or the Bundesliga and the Fire are not Bayern Munich or Manchester United.
There is no cause for concern that Schweinsteiger is regretting his move or is causing a rift with his teammates. He says he is enjoying his new home and his new team. Fire midfielder Dax McCarty said on Tuesday that Schweinsteiger has “raised the level of our team significantly.”
Coach Veljko Paunovic has often talked about the character that Schweinsteiger brings to the team and said he wants Schweinsteiger to be a role model for the team.
“It’s very important to have the model, the player, the champion that can also help the team on and off the field where he can influence the guys with his work ethic, with his commitment, his experience obviously and charisma that he has,” Paunovic said. "He's a very charismatic guy and the smile, he is coming everyday with a smile to the practice and that gives the positive impact on the locker room and we also know that it’s not always just smiling, it’s (working) hard.”
The Fire went winless on a three-game road trip, finally getting a point in a draw at LA on Saturday. Schweinsteiger hasn’t had many three game winless runs in his career, but odds are he will see more this season.
“I would love to win matches, but last year I think Seattle around the first half of matches they were not so good and in the end they won,” Schweinsteiger said on Tuesday. “So it is possible, right? Our position is OK. I think of course we could have won against Montreal or LA so then it would be a little bit different. We are looking from match to match. I think that this is more important to focus on our game. It’s more important for me and when we work on our deficiencies, things which we are not doing well, when we work on that we will play better and have more victories and it will automatically come that we will be higher in the standings.”
Juventus 2-1 Monaco: Italians reach Champions League final.
By Kyle Bonn
(Photo/nbcsports.com)
Dani Alves and Mario Mandzukic sent Juventus into the Champions League final as the Italian giants eased by Monaco in a 90 minutes that seemed all too comfortable.
The Brazilian full-back was the real star, with a stunning volley and an assist as well.
Monaco was dangerous through the opening 20 minutes, and forced the Juventus defenders to make a few last-ditch clearances and tackles. Georgio Chiellini in particular was needed as he cleared it off the line after a shot got past Gianluigi Buffon.
Juventus would eventually gain control of the match past the 20-minute mark. Gonzalo Higuain had a big chance one-on-one with Danijel Subasic, but while his chip got past the Monaco goalkeeper, Kamil Glick was there to clear it off the line. Subasic then made a spectacular save on Mandzukic who got through.
Mandzukic would make amends just past the half-hour mark to put the two-legged tie away. The ball switched flanks from left to right, and eventually fell to Dani Alves. The Brazilian, who had both assists in the first leg, delivered yet another glittering cross to Mandzukic making a far-post run, and while the striker’s header was saved by Subasic, he roofed the rebound from point-blank range for the opening goal.
Moments later, Alves nearly had yet another assist, but his beautiful through ball to spring Higuain saw the referee’s flag correctly raised for offside.
Monaco, however, didn’t give in. Minutes before the halftime break, a superb cross from Benjamin Mendy nearly met the outstretched leg of Falcao, but Chiellini made a stunning tackle to turn the cross behind for a corner on a slide that would see most defenders end up with the ball in their own net.
The missed chance would loom large as Juventus end up down the other end with a second goal to well and truly put the match away. Paulo Dybala had a one-on-one chance saved well by Subasic, but on the ensuing corner, the goalkeeper’s punch fell to Alves who delivered a cracking one-time volley before the ball fell to ground that rippled the back of the net.
After the break, Monaco would eventually pull one back with 20 minutes to go as Kylian Mbappe’s close-range poke was the first goal conceded by Juventus in 689 Champions League minutes.
Things got physical as Glick stamped on an infuriated Higuain, while Mandzukic was the recipient of an elbow from substitute Fabinho.
Monaco had little else to offer as Juventus time-wasted expertly and the French club couldn’t stop fouling. The win for Juventus moves them into their ninth European final and their second in the last three seasons. Meanwhile, Monaco’s fabulous run comes to an end, stunted by the incredible Juventus defense and let down by their own porous back line.
Chelsea 3-0 Middlesbrough: One win separates Blues from PL glory.
By Matt Reed
(Photo/twitter.com)
The Blues are one win away from Premier League glory after a brilliant display at home on Monday, while their opponent will spend next season in England’s second-tier.
Chelsea handled Middlesbrough, 3-0, at Stamford Bridge after a trio of goal-scorers helped pace Antonio Conte‘s side to a comfortable victory, the team’s 27th of the 2016/17 campaign.
Meanwhile, the Boro will be playing Championship soccer in the fall after failing to pick up at least a point in Monday’s match. Steve Agnew‘s side sit on 28 points with two matches remaining and join Sunderland as two of the PL’s already-relegated sides.
Nemanja Matic put the game to bed in the 65th minute when the holding midfielder chested down a flick-cross from Cesc Fabregas inside the penalty area and proceeded to finish the chance.
Marcos Alonso scored 11 minutes from halftime after stretching near the Boro end line and blasting a near-post shot into the back of the net.
The Chelsea midfield tortured the Boro backline all day with their switching of field, and Cesc Fabregas linked up with his fellow Spaniard for the game’s first goal.
Diego Costa scored his 20th goal of the season in the 23rd minute after the striker controlled Fabregas’ through ball over the top of the Boro defense and finished between the legs of U.S. Men’s National Team goalkeeper Brad Guzan.
According to Opta Sports, Costa joins Didier Drogba and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink as the third Blues player to score 20-plus goals in multiple seasons for the club.
Chelsea continued its dominating performance after the halftime whistle, with Pedro coming close to making it 3-0 just seconds into the second stanza after clipping his shot off the crossbar.
The Blues nearly enjoyed a dream start when Alonso blasted a volley from a Fabregas cross, but Guzan made a tremendous save and pushed the ball onto the crossbar.
With three matches remaining, Chelsea now hold a seven-point lead over second-place Tottenham at the summit of England’s top flight. A victory on Friday against West Brom would clinch the PL title for the Blues.
Premier League permutations: Title, relegation can be sealed.
By Joe Prince-Wright
(Photo/Getty Images)
The Premier League title can be wrapped up on Friday. The final relegated side can be decided on Sunday. But the race for the top four is still well and truly on.
Heading into the penultimate weekend of the 2016-17 Premier League season there is plenty on the line as the business end of the season has well and truly arrived. And remember, there is a cool $2.59 million extra in prize money depending on how high you finish in the table so those teams battling away between eighth and 15th have plenty of incentive to flick off their flip flops and carry on trucking for the final few games.
Above you can scroll through the standings and the schedule, while below is what can be decided this weekend at both ends of the table.
Right, here we go.
Chelsea win the Premier League title IF
- They beat West Brom this Friday OR if Tottenham fail to better their result when they face Manchester United on Sunday
- They draw at Everton on Friday
- They draw at Bournemouth on Saturday
- They draw or win against Hull City on Sunday
- They lose at Crystal Palace on Sunday AND Swansea beat Sunderland on Sunday
NCAAFB: Know Your Enemy, Spring Edition: Illinois Fighting Illini.
By J.P. Scott
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(Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
Continuing with our series of previews of Iowa football’s 2017 opponents, it’s time to look at the Illinois Fighting Illini. Largely due to its proximity to several major metros, many people consider Illinois to be a sleeping giant. Now that they have a high-profile coach to recruit some of those areas, that giant may not be far from waking up.
2016 Synopsis
Lovie Smith’s first season at the helm in Champaign was — as many expected — a struggle. The Illini logged wins over Murray State, Rutgers and Michigan State, lost a squeaker to Purdue and were blown out in the rest of their games. They were also without arguably their best offensive player — wide receiver Mikey Dudek — for the entire season due to injury.
Who did they lose?
First and foremost, they lose quarterback Wes Lunt after what seemed like a nine-year collegiate career. They also lost defensive tackles Rob Bain and Chucky Clements as well as starting center Joe Spencer.
Additionally, linebacker Hardy Nickerson and defensive end Dawuane Smoot were the Illini’s best defenders. They’ll both likely be on NFL rosters in 2017.
Who do they return?
Quarterbacks Chayce Crouch and Jeff George Jr. both took snaps last season and provide the Illini with some experience at the position. The X-factor is JUCO transfer Dwayne Lawson, a 6’6, 230-pound dual threat quarterback with a rocket arm. He’s still working on some classes right now, but once he gets on campus, there’s a good chance he becomes the starter rather quickly.
The Illini also return Malik Turner and Mikey Dudek at wide receiver — two of the better wide-outs in the conference when healthy. Running back Reggie Corbin returns after putting up over 500 yards on the ground while splitting carries. He’ll be running behind a line that returns three starters and a fourth lineman who saw significant playing time.
On defense, Tre Watson and Julian Jones are a couple of capable linebackers, but the strength of the unit is the secondary, returning three starters. Stanley Green and Patrick Nelson make up a solid pair of safeties.
Why should Iowa be worried?
With or without Dwayne Lawson, the Illini passing game is going to present a problem for Iowa. If Dudek and Collins are both healthy, they are simply more talented than when the Hawkeyes are going to line up with in the secondary. The best way to slow that aerial attack will be to apply constant pressure up front, which requires tasking a front seven with limited depth.
Why should Iowa not be worried?
As is the case with many of the teams Iowa faces in 2017, the offensive line should be able to dominate the opposing defensive front. The D-line is the biggest question mark and concern for the Illini, and they’ll have a tough time slowing down Iowa’s run game. This could be another boring-yet-necessary offensive display in order to secure a win.
Key player for Illinois
Mikey Dudek — Season-ending injuries in back-to-back years have derailed what looked to be a promising career back in 2014. If Dudek returns to that form or anything close to it, he’ll change the dynamic of the Illini offense by adding a dependable mid-range target to complement Malik Turner as a deep threat.
Key player for Iowa
The Cornerbacks: Josh Jackson and Manny Rugamba — The two most experienced corners Iowa has will need to be up to the task of keeping up with a couple of very good receivers. If they spend the afternoon getting beat, Iowa will too. If they don’t, the Hawkeyes should be able to control the game.
Early signing period approved for December.
By Zach Barnett
(Photo/Getty Images)
The early signing period experiment in college football is officially happening.
The Collegiate Commissioners Association (CCA) on Monday rubber-stamped a change that has long been debated in the NCAA and AFCA by approving a 72-hour signing period from Dec. 20-22 of this year. The NCAA Division 1 Council approved the change among other items at its April meeting, but the CCA runs the National Letter of Intent program and, thus, controls the days prospects can sign.
The Collegiate Commissioners Association (CCA) on Monday rubber-stamped a change that has long been debated in the NCAA and AFCA by approving a 72-hour signing period from Dec. 20-22 of this year. The NCAA Division 1 Council approved the change among other items at its April meeting, but the CCA runs the National Letter of Intent program and, thus, controls the days prospects can sign.
It will be interesting to see how coaches and recruits react to the ability to end the recruiting process a month and a half ahead of the regular date. Players who thought they had a spot in their recruiting class may find that not to be the case, and coaches who thought they had players locked down may find themselves mistaken.
There’s also a chance we could all hate this.
Nevertheless, Signing Day will never be the same again.
NCAABKB: DePaul lands five-star point guard Tyger Campbell.
By Scott Phillips
(Photo/Joe Lopez/Nike)
DePaul made some major moves for the future on Monday as the program landed a commitment from five-star point guard Tyger Campbell.
The 6-foot-0 Campbell is regarded as a five-star prospect in the Class of 2019, but a source told NBCSports.com that Campbell is attempting to move up to the Class of 2018 to get to campus a year earlier.
Earlier on Monday, DePaul also landed a commitment from Northern Illinois graduate transfer Marin Maric, a big man who should come in and potentially start next season. Both of these commitments are tied together by DePaul hiring assistant coach Shane Heirman, the former head coach at La Lumiere, last week.
Both Maric and Campbell spent time at La Lumiere, as the Blue Demons have formed a recruiting pipeline to the defending high school national champions.
Campbell is DePaul’s second commitment in the Class of 2018–if he opts to reclassify–as he joins shooting guard John Diener.
Missouri Valley invites Valparaiso to replace Wichita State.
By Rob Dauster
(Photo/Steve Dykes/Getty Images)
The Missouri Valley Conference announced on Tuesday afternoon that the Presidents Council had unanimously voted to extend a membership invitation to Valparaiso.
Valpo has not yet announced whether they will be accepting the invitation, but the decision had reportedly been down to Murray State and Valparaiso, and Murray State announced earlier on Tuesday that they had not been accepted as a member of the MVC. According to a report from Paul Oren of the Northwest Indiana Times, Valpo’s beat writer, the Horizon League believes that Valpo will be headed out of the conference.
The Crusaders would be replacing Wichita State in the Valley. The Shockers, earlier this spring, accepted an invitation into the American Athletic Conference.
The Valley is expected to remain at just ten teams, according to a report from CBS Sports. There was speculation that the conference could expand to 11 or 12 teams, but that would seem to make it more difficult to reach the NCAA tournament, particularly if the second team to be added was a basketball program as strong as Murray State’s.
Valpo has a long and storied basketball tradition and is one of the better mid-major programs in the Midwest. They’re reached the NCAA tournament twice in the last five years and won five of the last six Horizon League regular season titles. The Crusaders will be in a bit of a rebuilding mode, however, as Alec Peters, arguably the best player in the history of the program, graduates this spring, a year after Bryce Drew, a former Valpo star, left the program to take over at Vanderbilt.
But as good as Valpo has been, it does not replace the loss of Wichita State, and they still are struggling to deal with the weight of losing Creighton to the Big East. The Valley is going to need a program like Northern Iowa or Illinois State to step up into that void.
As far as the Horizon League is concerned, that conference has also been mined for the best basketball programs. Remember, Butler, when they reached back-to-back national title games under Brad Stevens, did so as a member of the Horizon.
Valpo has not yet announced whether they will be accepting the invitation, but the decision had reportedly been down to Murray State and Valparaiso, and Murray State announced earlier on Tuesday that they had not been accepted as a member of the MVC. According to a report from Paul Oren of the Northwest Indiana Times, Valpo’s beat writer, the Horizon League believes that Valpo will be headed out of the conference.
The Crusaders would be replacing Wichita State in the Valley. The Shockers, earlier this spring, accepted an invitation into the American Athletic Conference.
The Valley is expected to remain at just ten teams, according to a report from CBS Sports. There was speculation that the conference could expand to 11 or 12 teams, but that would seem to make it more difficult to reach the NCAA tournament, particularly if the second team to be added was a basketball program as strong as Murray State’s.
Valpo has a long and storied basketball tradition and is one of the better mid-major programs in the Midwest. They’re reached the NCAA tournament twice in the last five years and won five of the last six Horizon League regular season titles. The Crusaders will be in a bit of a rebuilding mode, however, as Alec Peters, arguably the best player in the history of the program, graduates this spring, a year after Bryce Drew, a former Valpo star, left the program to take over at Vanderbilt.
But as good as Valpo has been, it does not replace the loss of Wichita State, and they still are struggling to deal with the weight of losing Creighton to the Big East. The Valley is going to need a program like Northern Iowa or Illinois State to step up into that void.
As far as the Horizon League is concerned, that conference has also been mined for the best basketball programs. Remember, Butler, when they reached back-to-back national title games under Brad Stevens, did so as a member of the Horizon.
Nine likely to take on Always Dreaming in Preakness.
By Jay Privman
Led by Always Dreaming, the Kentucky Derby winner, five horses from the Derby and five newcomers to the Triple Crown trail make up the prospective field for the Preakness Stakes on May 20 at Pimlico.
Always Dreaming, who has won four races in a row, will try to become the second Triple Crown winner in three years but only the second since 1978. As of Monday, a field of 10 was shaping up for the Preakness, with four of the 19 horses who futilely gave chase to Always Dreaming on Saturday at Churchill Downs back to try again.
Lookin At Lee (second in the Derby), Classic Empire (fourth), Gunnevera (seventh), and Hence (11th) will try again to beat Always Dreaming.
The five who did not run in the Derby but will try to capitalize on facing Derby horses coming back on just two weeks' rest are Cloud Computing, who was third in the Wood Memorial; Conquest Mo Money, who was second in the Arkansas Derby; Multiplier, the Illinois Derby winner; Royal Mo, who was third in the Santa Anita Derby; and Senior Investment, the winner of the Lexington Stakes.
Always Dreaming was scheduled to fly to Pimlico on Tuesday in the company of Royal Mo. Always Dreaming has won races this year at Tampa Bay Downs, Gulfstream, and now Churchill Downs, and has run well on fast tracks and the sea of slop he encountered Saturday. Pimlico will be the sixth track at which he has raced in seven starts.
Gunnevera will have a new rider, with Mike Smith taking over, trainer Antonio Sano said Monday. Javier Castellano had been the regular rider for Gunnevera, but Sano and his son Alex said Castellano asked to take off in order to try to obtain another mount, believed by the Sanos to be Cloud Computing, whose assignment has yet to be confirmed by trainer Chad Brown.
"We understand, we gave him permission; totally understand," said Alex Sano, who helps as a translator for his father. "We have given the ride to Mike Smith."
Smith rode Girvin in the Derby, finishing 13th. Girvin is bypassing the Preakness.
Antonio Sano said Gunnevera was scheduled to travel to Pimlico on Sunday from Churchill Downs.
Trainer Mark Casse and his son and assistant, Norm, were eager to try again with Classic Empire, who was clobbered at the start of the Derby. He is a notoriously fickle work horse, so running him right back is preferred, Norm Casse said.
"Going on to the Preakness is actually easier than breezing him," Norm Casse said. "He had a tough, tough trip. He's a very special horse."
Trainer Steve Asmussen will have two runners in the race, with Lookin At Lee and Hence. They are scheduled to fly to Baltimore on May 16.
Asmussen was gratified that Lookin At Lee got into the Derby. Lookin At Lee had been on the outside looking in until a week prior to the race.
"We wanted him to get that chance," Asmussen said. "He's spoiled us with the way he's handled everything."
Asmussen said he believed Hence did not get a fair run in the Derby owing to the amount of slop being kicked in his face.
"It wasn't that he didn't handle the track," Asmussen said. "He didn't handle what was thrown at him."
Conquest Mo Money was not nominated to the Triple Crown, and thus his owners will have to pay a $150,000 supplemental fee to be made eligible for the Preakness and the Belmont Stakes, the final leg of the Triple Crown, which is run on June 10. The money was due by entry day for the Preakness, May 17, but Pimlico officials at Churchill Downs on Sunday said they had already received payment.
Conquest Mo Money is at Prairie Meadows, where trainer Miguel Hernandez is currently based. Hernandez on Monday said Conquest Mo Money would work at Prairie Meadows on Friday before traveling over the weekend to Pimlico. Jorge Carreno, who has ridden Conquest Mo Money in all five of his starts, will have the mount in the Preakness, Hernandez said.
Royal Mo was entered in the Kentucky Derby but was ranked 21st based on points and earnings among the 22 entered in a field that has a maximum of 20 and thus was placed on the also-eligible list. He did not draw in.
Royal Mo worked an easy five furlongs in 1:05 at Churchill Downs on Sunday. At Belmont Park that morning, Cloud Computing went five furlongs in 1:00.20.
Both Multiplier and Senior Investment worked on Monday at Keeneland, with Multiplier timed going a half-mile in 50.60 seconds, while Senior Investment had the best work of the day among 18 going five furlongs, timed in 1:00.40.
Always Dreaming, who has won four races in a row, will try to become the second Triple Crown winner in three years but only the second since 1978. As of Monday, a field of 10 was shaping up for the Preakness, with four of the 19 horses who futilely gave chase to Always Dreaming on Saturday at Churchill Downs back to try again.
Lookin At Lee (second in the Derby), Classic Empire (fourth), Gunnevera (seventh), and Hence (11th) will try again to beat Always Dreaming.
The five who did not run in the Derby but will try to capitalize on facing Derby horses coming back on just two weeks' rest are Cloud Computing, who was third in the Wood Memorial; Conquest Mo Money, who was second in the Arkansas Derby; Multiplier, the Illinois Derby winner; Royal Mo, who was third in the Santa Anita Derby; and Senior Investment, the winner of the Lexington Stakes.
Always Dreaming was scheduled to fly to Pimlico on Tuesday in the company of Royal Mo. Always Dreaming has won races this year at Tampa Bay Downs, Gulfstream, and now Churchill Downs, and has run well on fast tracks and the sea of slop he encountered Saturday. Pimlico will be the sixth track at which he has raced in seven starts.
Gunnevera will have a new rider, with Mike Smith taking over, trainer Antonio Sano said Monday. Javier Castellano had been the regular rider for Gunnevera, but Sano and his son Alex said Castellano asked to take off in order to try to obtain another mount, believed by the Sanos to be Cloud Computing, whose assignment has yet to be confirmed by trainer Chad Brown.
"We understand, we gave him permission; totally understand," said Alex Sano, who helps as a translator for his father. "We have given the ride to Mike Smith."
Smith rode Girvin in the Derby, finishing 13th. Girvin is bypassing the Preakness.
Antonio Sano said Gunnevera was scheduled to travel to Pimlico on Sunday from Churchill Downs.
Trainer Mark Casse and his son and assistant, Norm, were eager to try again with Classic Empire, who was clobbered at the start of the Derby. He is a notoriously fickle work horse, so running him right back is preferred, Norm Casse said.
"Going on to the Preakness is actually easier than breezing him," Norm Casse said. "He had a tough, tough trip. He's a very special horse."
Trainer Steve Asmussen will have two runners in the race, with Lookin At Lee and Hence. They are scheduled to fly to Baltimore on May 16.
Asmussen was gratified that Lookin At Lee got into the Derby. Lookin At Lee had been on the outside looking in until a week prior to the race.
"We wanted him to get that chance," Asmussen said. "He's spoiled us with the way he's handled everything."
Asmussen said he believed Hence did not get a fair run in the Derby owing to the amount of slop being kicked in his face.
"It wasn't that he didn't handle the track," Asmussen said. "He didn't handle what was thrown at him."
Conquest Mo Money was not nominated to the Triple Crown, and thus his owners will have to pay a $150,000 supplemental fee to be made eligible for the Preakness and the Belmont Stakes, the final leg of the Triple Crown, which is run on June 10. The money was due by entry day for the Preakness, May 17, but Pimlico officials at Churchill Downs on Sunday said they had already received payment.
Conquest Mo Money is at Prairie Meadows, where trainer Miguel Hernandez is currently based. Hernandez on Monday said Conquest Mo Money would work at Prairie Meadows on Friday before traveling over the weekend to Pimlico. Jorge Carreno, who has ridden Conquest Mo Money in all five of his starts, will have the mount in the Preakness, Hernandez said.
Royal Mo worked an easy five furlongs in 1:05 at Churchill Downs on Sunday. At Belmont Park that morning, Cloud Computing went five furlongs in 1:00.20.
Both Multiplier and Senior Investment worked on Monday at Keeneland, with Multiplier timed going a half-mile in 50.60 seconds, while Senior Investment had the best work of the day among 18 going five furlongs, timed in 1:00.40.
On This Date in Sports History: Today is Wednesday, May 10, 2017.
Memoriesofhistory.com
Memoriesofhistory.com
1913 - The New York Yankees committed 8 errors against the Detroit Tigers. The Yankees won the game 10-9 in 10 innings.
1946 - The Boston Red Sox won their 15th straight game.
1967 - Hank Aaron hit an inside the park homerun.
1969 - The National and American Football Leagues announced their plans to merge for the 1970-71 season.
1970 - Bobby Orr (Boston Bruins) scored a goal to win Game 4, and the Stanley Cup, over the St. Louis Blues. A statue was later created by Harry Weber that depicted Orr flying through the air immediately after scoring the goal.
1979 - John McMullen became the CEO of the Houston Astros.
1997 - The Chicago Cubs got the 68th triple play in major league baseball history.
2001 - Peter Forsberg (Colorado Avalanche) had his spleen removed in an emergency operation. The operation took place just hours after the Avalanche eliminated the Los Angeles Kings in Game 7 of the Western Conference semifinals.
1946 - The Boston Red Sox won their 15th straight game.
1967 - Hank Aaron hit an inside the park homerun.
1969 - The National and American Football Leagues announced their plans to merge for the 1970-71 season.
1970 - Bobby Orr (Boston Bruins) scored a goal to win Game 4, and the Stanley Cup, over the St. Louis Blues. A statue was later created by Harry Weber that depicted Orr flying through the air immediately after scoring the goal.
1979 - John McMullen became the CEO of the Houston Astros.
1997 - The Chicago Cubs got the 68th triple play in major league baseball history.
2001 - Peter Forsberg (Colorado Avalanche) had his spleen removed in an emergency operation. The operation took place just hours after the Avalanche eliminated the Los Angeles Kings in Game 7 of the Western Conference semifinals.
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