Chicago Sports & Travel Inc./AllsportsAmerica
"America's Finest Sports Fan Travel Club, May We Plan An Event Or Sports Travel For You?"
We offer: Select opportunities, For your convenience, At "Very Rare but Super Fair" pricing
Because it's all about you!!!
"Sports Quote of the Day"
"If you're successful in what you do over a period of time, you'll start approaching records, but that's not what you're playing for. You're playing to challenge and be challenged." ~ Lou Brock, Former Professional Major League Baseball Player
TRENDING: You won't believe what NFL scouts are saying about Bears rookie QB Mitch Trubisky. (See the football section for Bears news and NFL updates).
TRENDING: World Championship Update: Panarin still rolling, Schmaltz returns. (See the hockey section for Blackhawks updates and NHL news).
TRENDING: World Championship Update: Panarin still rolling, Schmaltz returns. (See the hockey section for Blackhawks updates and NHL news).
TRENDING: Why Hamidou Diallo could be the splash the Bulls are looking for. (See the basketball section for Bulls news and NBA updates).
TRENDING: Looking like he belongs, Ian Happ sparks Cubs in win over Reds. White Sox rally to force extras, but lose to Angels in strangest game. (See the baseball section for Cubs and White Sox updates).
TRENDING: Power Rankings: 2017 AT&T Byron Nelson. (See the golf section for PGA news and tournament updates).
TRENDING: NASCAR examining what to do about teams failing inspection. (See the NASCAR section for NASCAR news and racing updates).
TRENDING: Preview: Fire try to extend home unbeaten run Wednesday against Colorado. (See the soccer section for Fire news and worldwide soccer updates).
Bear Down Chicago Bears!!!!! Mitchell Trubisky is drawing rave reviews after first minicamp.
By Frank Schwab
Mitch Trubisky had a “great camp” according to Bears coach John Fox. (Photo/AP)
While it seems like the NFL world is in agreement that the Chicago Bears somehow made an unforgivable error by moving up one spot to draft quarterback Mitchell Trubisky, there doesn’t seem to be any buyer’s remorse from the Bears.
Trubisky was the story of the NFL draft after the Bears moved up from No. 3 to No. 2, giving up a couple third-round picks and a fourth, to take the North Carolina quarterback. That move has been mocked endlessly by most, though that criticism assumes Trubisky wasn’t worth the pick. We don’t know that yet.
The reviews from the Bears’ first minicamp were good. Most mentioned Trubisky’s plus arm strength and accuracy. Bears coach John Fox said Trubisky had a “great camp,” while reminding everyone he was just a few weeks into his pro career.
“You’ve got to get him up to speed in your offense,” Fox said. “A guy, regardless of position, has to get comfortable on what to do and how to do it, then cut loose and play.”
The thing about the Trubisky pick is nobody can rule out that general manager Ryan Pace was absolutely correct in his evaluation that he’s a future franchise quarterback. Pace isn’t on an island in his love for Trubisky. An NFL personnel director compared Trubisky to Aaron Rodgers. Everyone seemed to agree he was worth a top 10-12 pick, so it isn’t that far off to take him second. And CSN Chicago had a couple very interesting quotes from NFL scouts last week about Trubisky”
“Two AFC scouts revealed that they had the highest grade on Trubisky that they’d had on any quarterback over the past six years. That means: higher than Jameis Winston; higher than Marcus Mariota; higher than Cam Newton; higher than Russell Wilson; higher than Andrew Luck; higher than Derek Carr; higher than Carson Wentz.”
Wow. If that wasn’t enough …
The fact is, if general manager Ryan Pace was right (and if these scouts who spoke to CSN Chicago are too) and Trubisky is that good, the price to get him is fine. In 1992, Green Bay Packers general manager Ron Wolf gave up a first-round pick for a 1991 second-round pick named Brett Favre, who was 0-for-5 in his rookie season. Had that happened in today’s environment, Wolf would have been excoriated for the deal in the moment. Nobody would tell you after seeing Favre’s career play out that Wolf overpaid. Nobody will care in a few years about those mid-round picks the Bears gave up for Trubisky if he’s as good as Pace believes. We’ll see.
It’s likely that Trubisky will need some time to develop, because he didn’t play much at North Carolina. That’s why it’s a good thing the Bears have Mike Glennon as a buffer, albeit an expensive one. The final verdict on Trubisky probably won’t come this year, and it certainly shouldn’t be made a few weeks after the draft.
The Bears’ belief in Trubisky will be a fascinating story line over the next few years. He’s off to a good start, at least.
You won't believe what NFL scouts are saying about Bears rookie QB Mitch Trubisky.
By #BearsTalk
“The evaluation of one NFC regional scouting team was that “Trubisky is an almost perfect quarterback prospect” and that ‘the Bears should count their lucky stars he only started 13 games because if he was a two-year starter, he goes 1/1 [overall No. 1] without hesitation.”Wow again.
The fact is, if general manager Ryan Pace was right (and if these scouts who spoke to CSN Chicago are too) and Trubisky is that good, the price to get him is fine. In 1992, Green Bay Packers general manager Ron Wolf gave up a first-round pick for a 1991 second-round pick named Brett Favre, who was 0-for-5 in his rookie season. Had that happened in today’s environment, Wolf would have been excoriated for the deal in the moment. Nobody would tell you after seeing Favre’s career play out that Wolf overpaid. Nobody will care in a few years about those mid-round picks the Bears gave up for Trubisky if he’s as good as Pace believes. We’ll see.
It’s likely that Trubisky will need some time to develop, because he didn’t play much at North Carolina. That’s why it’s a good thing the Bears have Mike Glennon as a buffer, albeit an expensive one. The final verdict on Trubisky probably won’t come this year, and it certainly shouldn’t be made a few weeks after the draft.
The Bears’ belief in Trubisky will be a fascinating story line over the next few years. He’s off to a good start, at least.
You won't believe what NFL scouts are saying about Bears rookie QB Mitch Trubisky.
By #BearsTalk
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
The verdict on what kind of quarterback Mitchell Trubisky will become is far from decided. He's only had a handful of practices at Bears minicamp, and it could be an entire year before he sees significant playing time under center in game action.
CSN Insider John "Moon" Mullin spoke with two AFC scouts who not only believe Trubisky was worth the No. 2 pick, but perhaps more than that:
Bears could have a top 10 defense in 2017.
CSN Insider John "Moon" Mullin spoke with two AFC scouts who not only believe Trubisky was worth the No. 2 pick, but perhaps more than that:
Two AFC scouts revealed that they had the highest grade on Trubisky that they’d had on any quarterback over the past six years. That means: higher than Jameis Winston; higher than Marcus Mariota; higher than Cam Newton; higher than Russell Wilson; higher than Andrew Luck; higher than Derek Carr; higher than Carson Wentz.One of the primary knocks on Trubisky during the pre-draft process was that he only started one year (and 13 games) during his time with the Tar Heels. One NFC scouting team believes that worked in the Bears' favor:
The evaluation of one NFC regional scouting team was that “Trubisky is an almost perfect quarterback prospect” and that 'the Bears should count their lucky stars he only started 13 games because if he was a two-year starter, he goes 1/1 [overall No. 1] without hesitation.”We'll have to wait and see what kind of quarterback Trubisky becomes, but it's tough not to get excited reading quotes like these.
Bears could have a top 10 defense in 2017.
By Nate Fischer
(Photo/Chicago Bears)
The Chicago Bears defense showed a lot of promise in 2016. With cornerstone players like Akiem Hicks and Leonard Floyd emerging and young players showing promise such as Cre’von Leblanc, Nick Kwiatkowski, and Deiondre’ Hall, they have a lot of young pieces. If all goes well, they could blossom into a top 10 defense in 2017.
Many Bears fans are excited to see how the cornerback position will play out. Prince Amukamara, Marcus Cooper, Bryce Callahan and Kyle Fuller will all fight for starting roles. Cre’Von Leblanc and Bryce Callahan will also battle it out for the slot role. Just like many Bears fans, I am shocked that Ryan Pace did not pick up any corners in the draft. However, that shows how confident that Ryan Pace is in his coaching staff and his defensive backs.
I think that Prince Amukamara can evolve into one of the better cover corners in this league under Vic Fangio. Amukamara has often been overshadowed by other corners such as Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and Jalen Ramsey, but he has quietly been an effective corner year after year. He is coming off a down year with the Jaguars, recording no interceptions and only 46 tackles, but the upside is clearly there.
I think that Prince Amukamara can evolve into one of the better cover corners in this league under Vic Fangio. Amukamara has often been overshadowed by other corners such as Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and Jalen Ramsey, but he has quietly been an effective corner year after year. He is coming off a down year with the Jaguars, recording no interceptions and only 46 tackles, but the upside is clearly there.
Marcus Cooper won over the hearts of Bears fans by writing a letter to organization shortly after being signed. Cooper is the corner that arguably has the biggest upside of them all. Cooper intrigues me because he has played alongside Patrick Peterson. Cre’Von Leblanc went through many hot and cold streaks throughout the season. If he can become a more consistent player, he can play the slot role for years to come.
In terms of safeties, I think that Quentin Demps and Eddie Jackson end up starting this year. Adrian Amos can become a better player after learning from Demps, but I think Jackson will take his starting spot. Expect Jackson to play centerfield and have a very impactful first year.
The Bears’ starting front-seven is among the best in the league. Our starting defensive line of Eddie Goldman, Jaye Howard, and Akiem Hicks is amazing. Eddie Goldman shows a lot of upside, but has been injured often. Jaye Howard is awesome at run stopping and his contracted was structured greatly. Also, Akiem Hicks had a breakout year last year. I would highly recommend that Pace lock up Akiem Hicks before he hits the open market and his price goes up.
Chicago’s stellar pass rush includes Pernell McPhee, Leonard Floyd, Willie Young, and Lamarr Houston. This pass rush is set up to be dangerously effective, and they should be able to keep people fresh with ample depth. Finally, our inside linebackers should be solid with Jerrell Freeman and Danny Trevathan. Along with those two, we have second-year player Nick Kwiatkowski who could blossom into a starter in a few years.
All in all, Bears fans should be excited because a defense that made a lot of strides last year should continue to improve under coach Vic Fangio.
Note: The post Bears could have a top 10 defense in 2017 appeared first on Cover32.
Peter King tells you the most interesting Bears storyline for this summer.
By CSN Staff
Peter King tells you the most interesting Bears storyline for this summer.
By CSN Staff
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
King wrote Monday that he thinks the Bears' second-round pick, tight end Adam Shaheen, is a more intriguing storyline than Trubisky, the team's first-round pick.
King said he thinks Mike Glennon will get a good chance to be the Bears' starting quarterback over Trubisky but indicated Shaheen might have more of an impact right away.
Here's what King wrote:
I think one of the most interesting storylines of the summer camp season is going to be at Bears camp — and not necessarily how quickly Mitchell Trubisky can start a game. (I expect Mike Glennon to get a fair shot at keeping the quarterback job for the year.) But it's the Division II tight end, Adam Shaheen. He’s 6-foot-6 and 277 pounds, and the book on him coming out of Ashland (Ohio) College was that he's nimble.
While that doesn't provide much in the way of analysis on exactly what Shaheen will do with the Bears — nimbleness alone not always translating to NFL success — it does give fans another rookie to pay attention to besides just the one under center.
Ranking Bears rookies based on expected impact this season.
By #BearsTalk
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
The Bears figure to have a number of rookies get significant playing time in 2017.
CSN Chicago's Chris Boden ranked the Bears' rookie class based on how much impact he expects them to make. Watch the video above to see what Boden says about the top five.
5. Jordan Morgan, OL, fifth round pick
Boden's take: "He might be on the practice squad all year long. The Bears right now at least have good depth on the offensive line. I don't see him contributing much this year."
4. Mitch Trubisky, QB, No. 2 overall pick
Boden's take: "It's not out of the question (that he contributes). As good as he looked at rookie minicamp, this is a long-range project. There's a lot for him to learn."
3. Tarik Cohen, RB, fourth round pick
Boden's take: "The Darren Sproles comp could make an impact, especially on third downs. He's going to have to pick up 10 pounds or so if he wants anything more than that."
2. Eddie Jackson, S, fourth round pick
Boden's take: "He could potentially be a starting safety." "If not... Eddie Jackson could have an impact in the return game."
1. Adam Shaheen, TE, second round pick
Boden's take: "You can't teach his size. Even though he still has a little work to do in terms fluidity and moving in football situations, he's going to be a red zone target."
CSN Chicago's Chris Boden ranked the Bears' rookie class based on how much impact he expects them to make. Watch the video above to see what Boden says about the top five.
5. Jordan Morgan, OL, fifth round pick
Boden's take: "He might be on the practice squad all year long. The Bears right now at least have good depth on the offensive line. I don't see him contributing much this year."
4. Mitch Trubisky, QB, No. 2 overall pick
Boden's take: "It's not out of the question (that he contributes). As good as he looked at rookie minicamp, this is a long-range project. There's a lot for him to learn."
3. Tarik Cohen, RB, fourth round pick
Boden's take: "The Darren Sproles comp could make an impact, especially on third downs. He's going to have to pick up 10 pounds or so if he wants anything more than that."
2. Eddie Jackson, S, fourth round pick
Boden's take: "He could potentially be a starting safety." "If not... Eddie Jackson could have an impact in the return game."
1. Adam Shaheen, TE, second round pick
Boden's take: "You can't teach his size. Even though he still has a little work to do in terms fluidity and moving in football situations, he's going to be a red zone target."
How 'bout them Chicago Blackhawks? World Championship Update: Panarin still rolling, Schmaltz returns.
By Austin Miller
(Photo/chicagoblackhawks.com)
When Canada's Nathan MacKinnon tallied three assists in the Canadians' 5-0 victory over Norway on Monday in Paris, Artemi Panarin was temporarily displaced atop the scoring leaderboard of the IIHF World Championship. Later that evening in Cologne, Panarin ensured his absence would not be a prolonged one. Panarin matched MacKinnon's assist total in Russia's dominant performance against Latvia, and moved two points clear of MacKinnon at the top of the leaderboard.
After sitting out a pair of contests last week, Nick Schmaltz returned to action for the United States in the Americans' 5-3 win over Latvia on Saturday. Schmaltz assisted on Nick Bjugstad's second period goal which started the rally in the red, white and blue's come from behind victory. Trevor van Riemsdyk finished +2 for the game in 15:32 of ice time.
The Americans followed up their win over Latvia by defeating Slovakia 6-1 on Sunday. Both Schmaltz and van Riemsdyk saw action as the Americans moved to 5-1 in the tournament. Earlier today, Team USA defeated Russia 5-3 to take the top spot in Group A ahead of the knockout round.
In other news from Group A, Marcus Kruger and Sweden moved to 4-1-1 in the tournament on Sunday, beating Denmark 4-2. Kruger collected an assist on Sweden's first goal. The helper was Kruger's second of the tournament. Kruger played just 4:26 as Sweden closed out the group stage with a 4-2 win against Slovakia. Swededn will open up the knockout round on Thursday against Switzerland.
In Group B action on Sunday, the Czech Republic defeated France 5-2, with Michal Kempny assisting on Michal Repik's third period goal. Kempny registered one shot on goal in 15:56 of ice time during the Czech Republic's 3-1 loss to Switzerland today. The Czechs advanced to the knockout round and play their quarterfinal on Thursday.
In Group B action on Sunday, the Czech Republic defeated France 5-2, with Michal Kempny assisting on Michal Repik's third period goal. Kempny registered one shot on goal in 15:56 of ice time during the Czech Republic's 3-1 loss to Switzerland today. The Czechs advanced to the knockout round and play their quarterfinal on Thursday.
Prospect Report: Blackhawks well-represented at Memorial Cup.
By Emerald Gao
The tournament will open with six round-robin games between Friday, May 19, and Wednesday, May 24, with three teams emerging; if necessary, a tie-breaker will be played on May 25. A semifinal game will be held on Friday, May 26, and the tournament will wrap up on Sunday, May 28, with the championship final. Full schedule can be found here.
Just Another Chicago Bulls Session..... Why Hamidou Diallo could be the splash the Bulls are looking for.
By Emerald Gao
(Photo/chicagoblackhawks.com)
The 2017 Memorial Cup, which begins Friday in Windsor, Ontario, is a paradise for junior hockey fans and scouts alike -- an annual 10-day tournament that pits three Canadian Hockey League champions against a host squad, all vying to be crowned the best team in Canada. While keeping an eye on draft-eligible players, the Blackhawks will also monitor the progress of their four prospects taking part in the tournament this year, all of whom are under contract, a rarity for the club. Highlighted by 2016 second-round pick Alex DeBrincat, the team's three representatives are competing for three of the four teams in contention.
- DeBrincat paced the Erie Otters with a career-high, league-leading 38 points in 22 playoff games en route to the Ontario Hockey League title. The Otters, making their second championship series appearance in the past three seasons, needed five games to dispatch the Mississauga Steelheads and clinch the J. Ross Robertson Cup for the second time in franchise history. DeBrincat posted four goals and three assists over the five tilts; his 11 shots on goal in Game 2 on May 7 (a 3-2 win) tied a career best for both the regular season and playoffs.
- Graham Knott, the Blackhawks' 2015 second-round pick, landed in Memorial Cup host city Windsor via early-season trade, amassing 35 points in 45 games after the move. The 20-year-old added two goals and two helpers during the playoffs as the Spitfires dropped out in the first round after a seven-game series against London; Knott scored his first career playoff game-winner in Game 4. Windsor, back-to-back Memorial Cup champions in 2009 and 2010, will try to ride their hometown advantage to their third CHL title.
- The QMJHL champion Saint John Sea Dogs feature two Blackhawks prospects on a deep, talented roster: 2016 fourth-round pick Nathan Noel and free-agent signing Matthew Highmore. Noel netted 50 points in 52 regular-season games for the Sea Dogs and added nine points in 18 playoff outings; Highmore led Saint John with 89 points in 64 regular-season games and tallied a postseason career-best 24 points in 18 games. Saint John is seeking their second Memorial Cup in franchise history after claiming the title in 2011.
The tournament will open with six round-robin games between Friday, May 19, and Wednesday, May 24, with three teams emerging; if necessary, a tie-breaker will be played on May 25. A semifinal game will be held on Friday, May 26, and the tournament will wrap up on Sunday, May 28, with the championship final. Full schedule can be found here.
Just Another Chicago Bulls Session..... Why Hamidou Diallo could be the splash the Bulls are looking for.
By Mark Strotman
(Photo/AP)
A mini-NBA Combine broke out on March 24 in Memphis. It came in the form of a Sweet 16 showdown between Kentucky and UCLA. The two teams squared off in a matchup littered with NBA talent, including six players who may hear their names called in the first round of next month's draft.
Kentucky was led by De'Aaron Fox's career-high 39 points, while SEC Player of the Year Malik Monk added 21 points. Bam Adebayo, Kentucky's interior presence, was quiet in 37 minutes, as was his counterpart in UCLA's Ike Anigbogu. Likely top-3 pick Lonzo Ball scored 10 points and power forward T.J. Leaf added 17 points and seven rebounds in the Bruins' 86-75 loss.
While the NBA showcase played out that Friday evening - Kentucky's Isaiah Briscoe is a potential second round pick, and UCLA's Aaron Holiday and Thomas Welsh have pro futures - a quiet, slender 6-foot-5 guard sat tucked away on the end of the Wildcats bench. Five-star prospect Hamidou Diallo didn't play in that Sweet 16 matchup. He didn't play before it, either, and he watched from the bench during the Wildcats' Elite Eight loss to North Carolina two days later.
His story is as unique as his game. He's the NBA Draft's biggest mystery, and maybe its most intriguing. And if he pans out the way some believe he can, he could also wind up being one of the draft's best.
"I think everybody has a different route to the NBA," he said at last week's combine. "We can sit here and talk about a lot of people's route to the NBA, but it's whatever best suits them."
Diallo graduated high school early in the spring of 2016, which made him eligible for the 2017 NBA Draft. He enrolled at Putnam Science Academy, a prep school in Connecticut. He played his last game in late December before enrolling at Kentucky for the spring semester, choosing the Wildcats over Connecticut. In January he practiced and traveled with the team but chose not to play.
Diallo said his decision not to play was to allow his Kentucky teammates to maintain the chemistry that had pushed them to a 13-2 record by the time he enrolled, but it also helped the 18-year-old maintain the same mystique that has NBA executives so intrigued now.
Still, his decision to attend Kentucky had its benefits. He was able to work with a coaching staff that annually churns out the most NBA prospects of any school in the country and practice against some of the top pro prospects.
"He's extremely strong. He's a great defender," said Fox, expected to be a top-10 pick next month. "When he was guarding us, when people always ask, 'What was harder: practices or the games?' It was the practices for me."
Added teammate Isaiah Briscoe: "He's a competitor. We're from the same area (New York). You've got to have that heart and competitive spirit to be on the court. He's a competitor. He's got that fight in him. That'll carry on at the next level."
Fox admitted that Diallo will need to shoot better from beyond the arc - he was a 26 percent 3-point shooter at Putnam - at the next level. Whether he improved on his outside jumper in his three months at Kentucky was not on display during last week's NBA Draft Combine.
Diallo, who has not hired an agent and could still return to Lexington, opted against performing any of the shooting drills or participating in the 5-on-5 games. Again, he created mystique about his game. Much of that decision came from his head coach, John Calipari, who has seen 21 of his players drafted in the first round since 2010.
"Just being advised by one of the people that's really been through it more than anybody else, what that guy says I have to trust 100 percent," Diallo said. "Because I feel like he's been through more than anyone I know."
The decision seems to have worked, at least for now. Diallo's strong showing in the physical testing drills and his meetings with 10 teams - including the Bulls - have allowed his draft stock to rise. It's not unlike the rise of Thon Maker, who became the first preps-to-pro jump since the NBA instituted its one-and-done rule. Maker was considered a borderline first-round talent, also sat out the shooting drills and scrimmages at the combine, and wound up going No. 7 to Milwaukee last June following impressive workouts.
"They don't know. Well, don't show them," Calipari said, speaking to a group of reporters on Thursday. "They all like you without watching you? Good. The more you don't play, the more they like you, the more they're impressed."
Calipari's latest recruiting class features six players ranked in Rivals' top 31, five of whom are listed as five-star recruits. They could also still add Mo Bamba, the No. 2 player in the class, and CBT ranked the Wildcats No. 5 in their preseason top 25 rankings.
Diallo would almost certainly improve his draft stock in a 2018 class that figures to be less top-heavy than the loaded 2017 draft, and the allure of playing for a national title contender (instead of watching one from the bench) is enticing.
"I got a text from almost all the guys today telling me, 'Hey, man, go out there and kill it. Do it for your family,'" Diallo said Thursday at the Combine. "I love those (incoming recruits) like my brothers. At the end of the day I have to do what's right for me and my family."
That decision is looming. While Diallo has until June 12 to withdraw his name from the draft and return to Kentucky, he'll likely receive feedback on where he might go long before then thanks to more team interviews and workouts. If he does keep his name in the draft, there's a team that plays nearly 400 miles north that should consider taking the mystery man who hasn't played a game in nearly five months.
Bulls general manager Gar Forman's quote about the Bulls wanting to get "younger and more athletic" in the wake of trading Derrick Rose last season hasn't exactly panned out. The Bulls signed aging veterans Dwyane Wade and Rajon Rondo, drafted a 22-year-old Denzel Valentine and only have Cameron Payne to show for an uninspiring haul at the trade deadline in February.
Assuming Forman's vision to "start changing the culture of the team," as he said in June, remains, Diallo checks just about every box. He won't turn 19 until the end of July, making him one of the youngest players in this year's class (and the second youngest first-round prospect, behind UCLA's Anigbogu). Diallo's athleticism speaks for itself. His 44.5-inch vertical was the second highest recorded jump in NBA Combine history, his 2.79-second shuttle run was second fastest and his 3/4 court sprint was third fastest. His "worst" test was his lane agility, and he finished 10th fastest among the 54 participants.
Diallo is far from a finished product, and has said he's open to spending time in the D-League to work on his game. While the Bulls certainly could use immediate help, that strategy has landed them Valentine and Doug McDermott in two of the previous three drafts. In between they nabbed Bobby Portis, who fell to No. 22 despite being a potential lottery pick.
Diallo even checks the box on a Bulls need; assuming Rondo, Nikola Mirotic and Cristiano Felicio return, the Bulls' biggest need will be at wing behind Jimmy Butler and Wade (a surplus of point guards makes that position a slightly smaller need, despite the talent deficiency there).
There's a boom-or-bust feel to Diallo's NBA prospects, but most of that stems from there being so little footage of him. The Bulls clearly liked him enough to sit him down, and it seems likely he'll have a workout in Chicago. If he's there at No. 16, and the Bulls really are looking to get younger and more athletic and make a real splash, there isn't a better realistic package of the two in this class than the mystery man from Lexington.
"I can see my dreams getting closer and closer," he said. "I'm just trying to stay level headed and be a great listener. Follow your heart and do what you want to do at the end of the day."
Bulls Talk Podcast: Who will the Bulls take with the 16th pick in the draft?
By #BullsTalk
(Photo/USA TODAY)
On the May 15, 2017, edition of the Bulls Talk Podcast, Mark Schanowski, Kendall Gill and Mark Strotman discuss the NBA combine in Chicago and if it’s smart that many of the top prospects skip the event.
They also go over likely options for the Bulls with the 16th overall pick and what Kendall’s combine experience was like in 1990.
Plus, the latest on Phil Jackson’s Carmelo Anthony comments and James Harden’s disappearance in the western conference semis. Finally, Kendall tells us the dirtiest player he ever played against.
Listen to the full episode at this link,
They also go over likely options for the Bulls with the 16th overall pick and what Kendall’s combine experience was like in 1990.
Plus, the latest on Phil Jackson’s Carmelo Anthony comments and James Harden’s disappearance in the western conference semis. Finally, Kendall tells us the dirtiest player he ever played against.
Listen to the full episode at this link,
CUBS: Looking like he belongs, Ian Happ sparks Cubs in win over Reds.
By Patrick Mooney
(Photo/AP)
Within two years of getting drafted, Ian Happ hit cleanup and started in center field for the defending World Series champs at Wrigley Field. The Cubs didn’t necessarily envision this scenario — adding Happ to a .500-ish team in the middle of May — but there might be no turning back now.
“He’s already in tomorrow,” manager Joe Maddon said late Tuesday night after bringing a glass of Big Smooth red wine into the interview room to celebrate his 1,000th win as a big-league manager. “That wasn’t difficult.”
Happ is making it harder on team president Theo Epstein and general manager Jed Hoyer to stick with the original plan of using him as a short-term replacement while multiple Cubs rested and recovered.
Happ helped spark the Cubs during a 9-5 victory over the Cincinnati Reds, driving a 74-mph Bronson Arroyo pitch into the left-field bleachers for his second home run in three games since his promotion from Triple-A Iowa over the weekend.
“When you call someone up, you always have plans in pencil,” Epstein said. “Nothing’s ever written in ink. He’s feeling great at the plate right now. He tends to be streaky, so when he’s on a hot streak, it gets really hot and it lasts a long time.
“He’s got a great temperament. He seems comfortable up there already. I think spring training really helped him. His defensive instincts have improved tremendously from where he was in college. He looks more comfortable at a number of positions now, and that allows us to find a spot in the lineup for him more consistently, especially when guys are banged up.”
A patient switch-hitter, Happ also drew two walks against the Reds and showcased his defensive versatility by moving over to left field — ideal qualities for a Maddon player and the front office that selected him out of the University of Cincinnati with the ninth overall pick in 2015.
“For me, being disciplined, swinging at strikes, swinging at pitches I can do damage on is part of the game,” said Happ, who’s gone 4-for-10 with a double, those two homers, four RBI, three runs scored and three walks during this audition. “Especially in that situation, first time being in Wrigley bumping like that, I felt good about the way I handled it. I felt good about the way I saw the baseball.”
The Cubs are starting to get healthy, with Kris Bryant returning to the lineup after getting the weekend off while dealing with an upper respiratory infection and early signs of pneumonia. Jason Heyward (sprained right finger) went through his normal pregame routine and hopes to be activated from the disabled list soon. Jon Jay (back spasms) is feeling better, while Ben Zobrist doesn’t expect his stiff back to develop into a DL situation.
All those issues opened the door for Happ, but Epstein didn’t sound ready to close it yet.
“We’ll just play it by ear, do the appropriate thing for the team and for Ian’s development,” Epstein said. “We weren’t anticipating an extremely long-term stay. But we’re going to read and react based on how he plays and what’s going on with the other guys and their health.”
SportsTalk Live Podcast: Jed Hoyer discusses state of the Cubs.
By CSN Staff
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
In the latest SportsTalk Live Podcast, the panel is at Wrigley Field. Jesse Rogers (ESPNChicago.com), Mark Grote (670 The Score) and Sahadev Sharma (The Athletic) join Kap to talk about the Cubs’ struggles and Kyle Schwarber’s position in the lineup.
Plus, general manager Jed Hoyer drops by to talk about the state of the team. And former Cubs manager Jim Riggleman talks Cubs and Sammy Sosa’s future with the organization.
Listen here for the latest episode of the SportsTalk Live Podcast.
Plus, general manager Jed Hoyer drops by to talk about the state of the team. And former Cubs manager Jim Riggleman talks Cubs and Sammy Sosa’s future with the organization.
Listen here for the latest episode of the SportsTalk Live Podcast.
White Sox rally to force extras, but lose to Angels in strangest game.
By Dan Hayes
(Photo/USA TODAY)
The White Sox lost the strangest game on Tuesday night.
Having rallied from three down to pull ahead late on a Tim Anderson home run, the White Sox couldn’t hang on in 11 innings. A pair of bloop hits and Albert Pujols’ game-winning single to deep center lifted the Los Angeles Angels to a 7-6 victory over the White Sox in front of 36,089 at Angel Stadium. Anderson’s homer with two outs in the 11th put the White Sox ahead but David Robertson couldn’t hold the lead. The White Sox have lost eight of 10 and dropped to 17-20 overall.
Anderson had a triumphant return to the White Sox lineup on Tuesday night.
Playing for the first time since he attended the funeral of his best friend this weekend, Anderson’s 11th-inning solo home run off Yusmeiro Petit put the White Sox in line for a stunning victory that included a three-run rally in the ninth. But the Angels wouldn’t give in.
Ben Revere’s pinch-hit bloop single set up Cameron Maybin’s game-tying, bloop double to left field. Robertson then walked Mike Trout intentionally to load the bases for Pujols, who ripped a deep drive to center. Leury Garcia couldn’t handle the ball (it would have gone for a game-winning sac fly no matter) and the White Sox lost.
The White Sox scored three times in the ninth inning off David Hernandez to send the game to extra innings.
J.C. Ramirez threw seven strong innings against the White Sox, limiting them to two runs and five hits. The lone offense against Ramirez arrived in the sixth inning with the White Sox down three. Yolmer Sanchez followed a Leury Garcia single with a two-run blast to right that got the White Sox within 3-2. The single extended Garcia’s hit streak to nine games.
But the White Sox otherwise struggled and trailed by three heading into the ninth. Melky Cabrera and Jose Abreu singled off Hernandez to start the rally. Avisail Garcia nearly homered but settled for an RBI double, which led to Todd Frazier’s must-be-seen-to-be-believed game-tying hit. Frazier’s multi-hopper to the right side somehow avoided the glove of first baseman Luis Valbuena and scooted through the infield for a two-run single, that included a fantastic slide by Avisail Garcia at the plate. The White Sox brought the winning run to third base but couldn’t forge ahead as pinch-runner Willy Garcia was easily thrown out at home on Tyler Saladino’s safety squeeze attempt.
White Sox starting pitcher Derek Holland managed to salvage six innings even though he put himself in difficult spots throughout. The left-hander was in trouble in the first, third and fourth innings. Even so, Holland minimized the damage.
Pujols singled in two runs in the third inning to put Los Angeles ahead 2-0. Maybin, who tied a career high with four hits, singled in a run with two outs in the fourth.
Holland allowed three earned runs and seven hits with two walks in six innings. He struck out five.
The White Sox bullpen found trouble of its own in the seventh inning. Maybin doubled off Gregory Infante with one out and the White Sox elected to intentionally walk Trout. Infante then walked Pujols to load the bases, which brought on Dan Jennings. Jennings walked Valbuena on four pitches to force in a run. Irate by plate umpire Tripp Gibson’s strike zone, pitching coach Don Cooper was ejected. Jefry Marte also singled in a run off Chris Beck to give Los Angeles a 5-2 lead.
Mike Pelfrey falters again as three Angels homers bury White Sox. (Monday night's game, 05/15/2017).
By Dan Hayes
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
Rick Renteria didn’t shy away from the blame for Monday night’s loss to the Los Angeles Angels.
The White Sox manager could see that his starting pitcher, Mike Pelfrey, had begun to wear down in the fifth inning. Ahead by three runs, Renteria had the pieces in place to make a move to try and keep his team in the lead. But instead of listening to his instincts, Renteria went with his heart and stayed with Pelfrey.
Six pitches later, the lead had vanished. Fifth-inning home runs by Kole Calhoun and Mike Trout off Pelfrey gave the Angels everything they needed to send the White Sox to a 5-3 loss in front of 29,445 at Angel Stadium. The White Sox, who opened a 10-game road trip at Anaheim, have lost seven of their last nine games.
“I thought Pelf gave us a nice four-plus innings,” Renteria said. “Really, he gave us enough to do what we needed to do. I had those guys out there ready to pick him up, and I didn’t. I went against my better judgment. We had (Dan Jennings) ready for Calhoun, and we had our righty ready. So that’s not any of their faults but mine. At least it would have given us a better chance. I couldn’t guarantee that the outcome would have been what we wanted, but I think the matchups would have been better, and pretty much that’s it.”
Most of Pelfrey’s starts have gone exactly the same way. He looks outstanding through his first three or four innings before he struggles in the middle. Pelfrey entered Monday’s start with a .200 average against in his first two trips the lineup (13-for-65).
Pelfrey followed that format to a T on Monday as he retired the side in order in the first, third and fourth innings. He allowed a pair of runners with one out in the second inning but pitched out of the jam.
Pelfrey’s strong start allowed the White Sox a chance to get ahead by three runs. Jose Abreu blasted a two-run homer in the fourth inning, and Tyler Saladino tripled in a run in the fifth.
The White Sox manager could see that his starting pitcher, Mike Pelfrey, had begun to wear down in the fifth inning. Ahead by three runs, Renteria had the pieces in place to make a move to try and keep his team in the lead. But instead of listening to his instincts, Renteria went with his heart and stayed with Pelfrey.
Six pitches later, the lead had vanished. Fifth-inning home runs by Kole Calhoun and Mike Trout off Pelfrey gave the Angels everything they needed to send the White Sox to a 5-3 loss in front of 29,445 at Angel Stadium. The White Sox, who opened a 10-game road trip at Anaheim, have lost seven of their last nine games.
“I thought Pelf gave us a nice four-plus innings,” Renteria said. “Really, he gave us enough to do what we needed to do. I had those guys out there ready to pick him up, and I didn’t. I went against my better judgment. We had (Dan Jennings) ready for Calhoun, and we had our righty ready. So that’s not any of their faults but mine. At least it would have given us a better chance. I couldn’t guarantee that the outcome would have been what we wanted, but I think the matchups would have been better, and pretty much that’s it.”
Most of Pelfrey’s starts have gone exactly the same way. He looks outstanding through his first three or four innings before he struggles in the middle. Pelfrey entered Monday’s start with a .200 average against in his first two trips the lineup (13-for-65).
Pelfrey followed that format to a T on Monday as he retired the side in order in the first, third and fourth innings. He allowed a pair of runners with one out in the second inning but pitched out of the jam.
Pelfrey’s strong start allowed the White Sox a chance to get ahead by three runs. Jose Abreu blasted a two-run homer in the fourth inning, and Tyler Saladino tripled in a run in the fifth.
But Pelfrey couldn’t sustain. He said a series of full counts earlier in the game (Pelfrey threw 74 pitches through four innings) finally caught up to him in the fifth. Pelfrey issued one-out walks to Cam Maybin and Danny Espinosa. Martin Maldonado followed with a deep drive to left, but Melky Cabrera tracked it down for the second out.
With Jennings warm in the bullpen, Renteria opted to leave Pelfrey in to face Calhoun, who was 0-for-2. Calhoun ripped a 1-0 fastball out to right for a game-tying, three-run shot. Four pitches later, Trout hammered a 1-2 changeup to put Los Angeles ahead.
Batters facing Pelfrey the third time through the lineup are now 9-for-12 this season.
“You want to get that guy through it,” Renteria said. “All season long we've done the opposite, not worried about the individual, more worried about the team. Bottom line today is I went against the team concept and did something for the player. And it bit us in the butt. These guys have been playing very, very hard. There is no way to clean that up, no way to make an excuse. None whatsoever. Everybody should be extremely upset. I'm upset. Tomorrow is another day.”
Pelfrey wasn’t pleased with himself, either.
He took no solace in the fact he kept the Angels in check for four innings. He exited after the Trout homer having allowed four earned runs, three hits and walking three in 4.2 innings.
Neither Pelfrey nor rookie Dylan Covey has completed six innings in a start this season. It’s one reason the White Sox promoted reliever Gregory Infante on Monday, to help with the workload. Infante pitched a scoreless inning and struck out one. The team could carry an eight-man bullpen into the foreseeable future, Renteria said.
“Pretty frustrated,” Pelfrey said. “Pretty disappointed. Pretty tough to swallow after getting the 3-0 lead and giving it right back. It sucks. It sucks.
“I thought I was 3-2 on everybody and a lot of pitches and killed the bullpen again, which sucks. You can’t get deep in the game when you’re 3-2 on everybody. Pitches rack up pretty fast. Pretty crappy all the way and disappointing. I really don’t know what to say.”
Golf: I got a club for that..... Power Rankings: 2017 AT&T Byron Nelson.
(Photo/Golf Channel Digital)
The 2017 fantasy golf season heads west this week, as the focus of the golf world shifts to the Lone Star State for the AT&T Byron Nelson. A field of 156 players will tackle TPC Four Seasons Resort at Las Colinas, which has hosted this event since 1983.
Be sure to join the all-new Golf Channel Fantasy Challenge to compete for prizes and form your own leagues, and log on to www.playfantasygolf.com to submit your picks for this week's event.
Sergio Garcia won this event last year in a playoff over Brooks Koepka. Here are 10 players to watch in Irving:
1. Brooks Koepka: Perhaps it's a slight stretch to rank Koepka ahead of the current world No. 1, but Koepka held the 54-hole lead last year en route to a playoff loss and his bomb-and-gouge game has found a home at this event. After a slow start to the year, Koepka has now quietly compiled five straight top-20 finishes including a T-16 finish last week at TPC Sawgrass.
2. Dustin Johnson: Johnson didn't really factor last week, but he still left Ponte Vedra Beach with a T-12 finish to continue his current run of impressive results. Johnson has cracked 70 in 11 of his last 12 rounds at this event and finished inside the top 20 in six straight starts in Dallas, a run that dates back to 2009.
3. Sergio Garcia: The defending champ returns to Irving equipped with a green jacket and will make just his second start since his major breakthrough. While a Sunday 78 dropped him into a tie for 30th last week, Garcia played well for large stretches last week and should once again be able to thrive on the Four Seasons layout.
4. Jordan Spieth: The local favorite finished T-16 here as a 16-year-old amateur making his PGA Tour debut in 2010, but he hasn't bettered that result since. Spieth was in the mix through 54 holes last year before a final-round 74, and he should be able to contend this week despite missing the cut at The Players for the third straight year.
5. Charley Hoffman: Hoffman is perhaps more well-known for his strong run of form in San Antonio, but his Dallas track record isn't too shabby. The veteran has finished T-12 or better in each of his last three appearances, with four top-10 finishes dating back to 2006. He was a runner-up at Bay Hill and cracked the top 30 at both the Masters and Players.
6. Jason Day: The Aussie returns to the site of his first PGA Tour win back in 2010, but it's now been more than a year since he lifted a trophy of any kind. Day plummeted down the standings with a final-round 80 at TPC Sawgrass, and this will be his first start in Dallas since 2013. The confidence that took him to world No. 1 last year appears to be lacking.
7. Matt Kuchar: Kuchar hasn't won in more than three years, but he's been a regular contender at this event. He finished one shot out of a playoff last year, T-7 in 2014 and has four top-15 finishes over his last six appearances. Kuchar used Sunday charges to move up the standings recently at both the Masters (T-4) and RBC Heritage (T-11).
8. Jason Dufner: Dufner earned the second of four career wins at this event back in 2012, and he has cracked the top 25 in four of his last six appearances. The former PGA champ has been a top-25 machine in recent months, with seven such results in his last 10 starts dating back to the CareerBuilder Challenge in January.
9. Ryan Palmer: Palmer is a DFW resident with plenty of experience in this neck of the woods, with three top-10 finishes here since 2011. That includes a runner-up finish six years ago, and Palmer currently ranks eighth on Tour in strokes gained tee-to-green and had a run of three straight top-11 finishes interrupted by a missed cut last week.
10. Kevin Tway: Tway didn't qualify for the Players, which may have been the only way to slow him down. His recent run includes a T-3 finish at Valero, third-place showing at Zurich alongside Kelly Kraft and a T-5 finish at Wells Fargo. Tway is in the midst of some of the best golf of his career and now ranks 23rd on Tour in strokes gained off-the-tee.
Spieth wants to win the Nelson before it moves.
By Ryan Reiterman
(Photo/Golf Channel Digital)
Jordan Spieth’s “Hello, world” moment came seven years ago at the AT&T Byron Nelson when he finished T-16 as a junior in high school.
He would like to add one more special memory this week at TPC Four Seasons Las Colinas.
All of the past champions have their names inscribed on a wall behind the statue of Byron Nelson that sits near the first tee, and Spieth wants to add his name to the list before the tournament moves 23 miles south next year to Trinity Forest, a new Bill Coore-Ben Crenshaw design where Spieth is a member.
“It's a very special place for our family and friends,” Spieth said Tuesday of Las Colinas. “It's very bittersweet. Obviously fantastic memories and looking forward to creating new ones this week and hopefully the best ones yet.”
Spieth was born and raised in Dallas and attended the Nelson with his family as a kid. He burst onto the national scene with his first of two U.S. Junior Amateur wins in 2009. He received a sponsor’s invite to the Nelson the following year, and quickly became a household name with rounds of 68-69-67-72. He came within four strokes of the lead before fading to a T-16 finish in his PGA Tour debut.
Amazingly, it’s still Spieth’s best result in six starts at the Nelson, but the two-time major champion hopes that will change this week.
All of the past champions have their names inscribed on a wall behind the statue of Byron Nelson that sits near the first tee, and Spieth wants to add his name to the list before the tournament moves 23 miles south next year to Trinity Forest, a new Bill Coore-Ben Crenshaw design where Spieth is a member.
“It's a very special place for our family and friends,” Spieth said Tuesday of Las Colinas. “It's very bittersweet. Obviously fantastic memories and looking forward to creating new ones this week and hopefully the best ones yet.”
Spieth was born and raised in Dallas and attended the Nelson with his family as a kid. He burst onto the national scene with his first of two U.S. Junior Amateur wins in 2009. He received a sponsor’s invite to the Nelson the following year, and quickly became a household name with rounds of 68-69-67-72. He came within four strokes of the lead before fading to a T-16 finish in his PGA Tour debut.
Amazingly, it’s still Spieth’s best result in six starts at the Nelson, but the two-time major champion hopes that will change this week.
He’s coming off a missed cut at The Players Championship, but Spieth’s confidence is still high despite failing to make the weekend at TPC Sawgrass for the third straight year. He won his ninth PGA Tour title earlier this year at Pebble Beach and has recorded three other top-10 finishes.
“I hit the ball phenomenal and putting was great leading in,” Spieth said. “My one bad day of the week was Thursday striking the ball and I recognized what it was, I couldn't fix it in time for the round and then I fixed that on Friday, but then I just didn't get any of the putts to go.”
Spieth desperately wants to end his winless streak this week at the Nelson, but he has learned not to put any extra pressure on himself.
“I think that was more of a question when I was an amateur and then the first couple of years on Tour,” said Spieth of the added pressure of his hometown event. At this point, this is my seventh time. It's bizarre. Just feels like somewhat of another Byron to me.
“It's still a really fun week that I've learned to enjoy more than put that pressure on myself and even when I've been in contention, I've learned to enjoy having that with everybody around and it's helped me just have a better time this week.”
Spieth is also having fun at home. Not only is he sleeping in his own bed, but Spieth is hosting several house guests. Fellow #SB2K16 and #SB2K17 alum Smylie Kaufman, as well as former Texas teammates Kramer Hickok and Alex Moon are all staying at casa de Spieth. Hickok received a sponsor’s invite and Moon qualified for the tournament on Monday with a 7-under 65.
“Looking forward to a strong performance by our house this week,” Spieth joked.
After a game of pool basketball Monday, Spieth said things will be pretty low key at his house the rest of the week.
“It's more just eating dinner and if we see each other, ‘What time are you off? What time are you getting up?’ Nothing out of the ordinary,” he said.
Not surprising since the host has some unfinished business.
“I really would like to get my name there by Byron's statue after coming out and looking at all those names for so many years,” Spieth said.
No. 1 ranking on the line with top 3 in Kingsmill field.
By Randall Mell
“I hit the ball phenomenal and putting was great leading in,” Spieth said. “My one bad day of the week was Thursday striking the ball and I recognized what it was, I couldn't fix it in time for the round and then I fixed that on Friday, but then I just didn't get any of the putts to go.”
Spieth desperately wants to end his winless streak this week at the Nelson, but he has learned not to put any extra pressure on himself.
“I think that was more of a question when I was an amateur and then the first couple of years on Tour,” said Spieth of the added pressure of his hometown event. At this point, this is my seventh time. It's bizarre. Just feels like somewhat of another Byron to me.
“It's still a really fun week that I've learned to enjoy more than put that pressure on myself and even when I've been in contention, I've learned to enjoy having that with everybody around and it's helped me just have a better time this week.”
Spieth is also having fun at home. Not only is he sleeping in his own bed, but Spieth is hosting several house guests. Fellow #SB2K16 and #SB2K17 alum Smylie Kaufman, as well as former Texas teammates Kramer Hickok and Alex Moon are all staying at casa de Spieth. Hickok received a sponsor’s invite and Moon qualified for the tournament on Monday with a 7-under 65.
“Looking forward to a strong performance by our house this week,” Spieth joked.
After a game of pool basketball Monday, Spieth said things will be pretty low key at his house the rest of the week.
“It's more just eating dinner and if we see each other, ‘What time are you off? What time are you getting up?’ Nothing out of the ordinary,” he said.
Not surprising since the host has some unfinished business.
“I really would like to get my name there by Byron's statue after coming out and looking at all those names for so many years,” Spieth said.
No. 1 ranking on the line with top 3 in Kingsmill field.
By Randall Mell
(Photo/Golf Channel Digital)
The Rolex Women’s World Rankings are tightening at the top.
No. 1 Lydia Ko, No. 2 So Yeon Ryu and No. 3 Ariya Jutanugarn are separated by just .249 points.
All three are in the field this week, and any of the three could leave Sunday with the top ranking.
The exact scenarios will depend on the final strength-of-field ranking.
“It's been like that the last few months,” Jutanugarn said. “Right now, honestly, I feel like when I’ve focused on that, it’s made me feel worse. So I try to not think about that.”
Ko has reigned at No. 1 for the last 82 consecutive weeks, for 101 weeks overall.
This week’s field includes the top six players in the world rankings, 13 of the top 15.
No. 1 Lydia Ko, No. 2 So Yeon Ryu and No. 3 Ariya Jutanugarn are separated by just .249 points.
All three are in the field this week, and any of the three could leave Sunday with the top ranking.
The exact scenarios will depend on the final strength-of-field ranking.
“It's been like that the last few months,” Jutanugarn said. “Right now, honestly, I feel like when I’ve focused on that, it’s made me feel worse. So I try to not think about that.”
Ko has reigned at No. 1 for the last 82 consecutive weeks, for 101 weeks overall.
This week’s field includes the top six players in the world rankings, 13 of the top 15.
NASCAR: Power Rankings: Brad Keselowski's Kansas rebound keeps him at the top.
By Nick Bromberg
But thanks to the race’s 15 caution flags, Keselowski was able to get back on the lead lap. And then he had a little bit of luck. As Kurt Busch and Jimmie Johnson got together right after a restart, Keselowski sailed to their outside. And then he sailed to the outside again around Kevin Harvick and Ryan Blaney on the race’s final run.
“Every time we started to pass cars and cycle up to the front, we had some kind of issue, which was a real bummer to not be able to showcase the strength that we had,” Keselowski said. “Towards the end we were able to get some runs and make the most of it, and I think we went from probably 20th with 100 to go to second, which was a pretty big climb in the sport. That’s something to be proud of, but I kind of feel like I would have liked to have seen if it would have just played out normal, and I think we might have had a shot at him.
2. Martin Truex Jr. (LW: 11): Saturday’s victory was redemption of sorts for Truex. In 2012, he dominated the Kansas spring race, leading 173 of the race’s 267 laps. But he was passed by Denny Hamlin with 31 laps to go and finished second.
In 2016, he was just as good, leading 172 of the 267 laps. But a lug nut got hung on the team’s final scheduled stop and he ended up finishing 14th.
There would be no bad break this year. Maybe the key was to lead fewer laps. Truex led 104 laps Saturday night and passed Ryan Blaney with a masterful restart move on the third-to-last restart of the race. Afterward, Truex called his second win of the season “sweet redemption.”
“You don’t forget those days that ones got away or you screwed up and gave one away or anything like that,” Truex said. “You never forget those things. They always stick with you. Definitely last year was probably the biggest heart breaker to have the craziest thing happen that you could ever imagine, and eight‑second lead just gone and wherever ‑‑ I don’t remember where we finished because it was so heartbreaking.”
3. Kyle Larson (LW: 3): Larson’s freakish consistency is continuing. He didn’t have the outright speed that others had Saturday night but he stayed near the front of the field and ended up finishing sixth. It was his second sixth-place finish of the season and, oddly enough, he hasn’t finished between second and sixth so far this season.
4. Kevin Harvick (LW: 7): A lug nut flew through Harvick’s window on a pit stop and fell to the floor of the car beneath his feet. No big deal, right? Well, Harvick remarked on his radio that it was the first time a lug nut had gotten into the cockpit and it was apparently pretty hot after it was taken off the car.
Harvick also went a lap down after he had to make an unscheduled pit stop because of a tire problem. But he came back and finished third.
5. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (LW: 4): Stenhouse followed the first win of his career with an 11th-place finish. He’s 13th in the points standings and just 15 points behind Ryan Blaney in 11th.
6. Jamie McMurray (LW: 6): McMurray’s consistency isn’t being outdone by Larson’s. His eighth-place finish was his seventh top-10 finish of the season. Larson also has seven top-10s, though he’s got five top fives to McMurray’s one. But Jamie Mac is now fifth in the points and it’s going to take a collapse of crazy proportions for him to miss out on the playoffs.
7. Jimmie Johnson (LW: 7): Jimmie Johnson’s night might have been more impressive than Keselowski’s if he wouldn’t have collided with Kurt Busch. After missing qualifying because of inspection issues, Johnson started at the back of the pack. He was quickly in the top 10 and finished the first segment in sixth.
A flat tire caused a caution and an unscheduled pit stop in the second segment, but Johnson was on the charge again and made it back inside the top 10 with relative ease. He was probably going to finish around fifth until he collided with Busch and Denny Hamlin on lap 264. And if there would have been 20 laps remaining instead of two after that crash, Johnson could have finished in the top 15.
He ended up 24th.
8. Kyle Busch (LW: 10): Busch used the word “mediocre” in his post-race interview on Fox to describe the speed of his car. He finished fifth and won the first stage.
“It seems like our mediocre days are top five days which is good but we just don’t have the speed to be first,” Busch said. “We just don’t have that dominant speed to be up there and be up there all day.”
And he’s right. The car tailed off as the sun set and Busch didn’t have one of the fastest cars at the end of the race. And he’s also right to be a bit frustrated. Joe Gibbs Racing hasn’t won yet, though he’s seventh in the standings.
9. Clint Bowyer (LW: 8): Bowyer is 10th in the standings, just eight points behind Busch. He finished ninth on Saturday after a roller coaster day himself. Bowyer has the fourth-best average finish in the Cup Series, but he’s outside the top five because he’s got far fewer stage points than anyone else in the top 10. Bowyer has 28 stage points through the first 11 races. No other driver in the top 10 has less than 62.
10. Joey Logano (LW: 5): Logano would be 33 points behind Bowyer in the standings without stage points. In NASCAR’s new format, Logano is three points ahead of Bowyer in the standings. That gap is because Logano has collected 64 stage points this season.
11. Ryan Blaney (LW: NR): While we’re on the topic of stage points, only Larson, Truex, Keselowski and Chase Elliott have scored more stage points than Blaney has this year. But he’s back in 11th in the standings because his average finish is 19th. And that’s after his fourth on Saturday night.
12. Chase Elliott (LW: 9): The damage Elliott suffered to the right front of his car was quite remarkable given the low speed of his pit road collision with Michael McDowell. That damage ruined Elliott’s day and he ended up finishing 29th.
Lucky Dog: Daniel Suarez finished seventh, his best finish of the season.
The DNF: Ryan Newman finished last thanks to an oil pump problem.
Dropped out: Denny Hamlin
Fourth stage added to Coca-Cola 600.
By Nick Bromberg
The race format for the May 28 Coca-Cola 600 is changing two weeks before the race.
NASCAR announced Monday that the longest race of the season would have four stages. As part of sweeping changes to its points system and race formats, NASCAR added three stages to all races in 2017. Because the 600 is 100 miles longer than any other race, it gets a fourth stage.
Why this decision wasn’t made when NASCAR announced the stage lengths is anyone’s guess. But NASCAR changing things on the fly has become an accepted practice at this point.
In the three-stage format, the race was divided into 100, 100 and 200 lap stages. With the addition of the fourth stage, all stages will be 100 laps.
The addition of the extra stage also means another playoff point will be up for grabs. Drivers who win any of the first two stages in a race in the regular season are awarded a bonus point to use in the playoffs. Right now, Martin Truex Jr. leads the Cup Series with five stage wins through the first 11 races of the season. With his two race wins he would start the playoffs with 15 extra points to carry through the first three rounds.
NASCAR examining what to do about teams failing inspection.
By Dustin Long
(Photo by Sarah Crabill/Getty Images)
NASCAR is looking into what else it should do after more than a fourth of the field failed make a qualifying attempt last weekend at Kansas Speedway because teams could not pass inspection, a senior NASCAR official told SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
Eleven cars failed to get through inspection in time to make a qualifying attempt at Kansas. Among those who did not make a qualifying attempt were Jimmie Johnson, Clint Bowyer, Kasey Kahne, Erik Jones and Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Last month at Texas Motor Speedway, nine cars did not make a qualifying attempt because they could not pass inspection.
Scott Miller, NASCAR senior vice president of competition, told “The Morning Drive’’ on Monday that NASCAR will examine the issue.
“It’s not a great situation for the competitors,’’ he said. “It’s certainly not a great situation for us or the fans or the broadcast partners. We know we can’t keep having those situations come up.
“Right now the rear steer of the race cars is a real hot topic, is a real performance metric for the teams. We have a rear-end spec and a tolerance that rear-end housing can be put in the car. More often than not what we’re seeing when people struggle, they’re building the rear end housing to the tolerance and then they have no room to actually move it around in the car and make it meet the numbers.
“It’s a bit of a learning process. We certainly have some meetings this week on how we kind of move forward. I’m not sure if we have more penalties. Right now it’s not good for anybody but there’s not a lot of consequence to it, other than the teams not getting out there.’’
Asked about how some competitors claim they pass the Laser Inspection on one attempt but don’t pass it another time, Miller told SiriusXM NASCAR Radio:
“It’s hard to explain, it would take an hour to kind of go through all the technical things about the process, but it is conceivable if they’re .01 of a degree to the good that the next time they’ll be .01 of a degree outside of the good.
“Every piece of measurement equipment has a tolerance that it can work in and they seem to think that this thing should be absolute when no measuring equipment is absolute. It’s just one of those things. They’re trying to get to the edge. We’re trying to make sure we have a level playing field.’’
Bump & Run: What to do about the All-Star Race?
By NBC Sports
SOCCER: Preview: Fire try to extend home unbeaten run Wednesday against Colorado.
NBC Sports’ Nate Ryan, Dustin Long, Jerry Bonkowski and Daniel McFadin tackle this week’s topics as NASCAR heads toward the All-Star Race:
Is the All-Star Race still necessary on the Cup schedule since the same drivers are competing against each other every race?
Nate Ryan: It’s a fair question given that Cup races have adopted an All Star-type aesthetic with stage racing this season. I think there still is a purpose for an All-Star event in NASCAR, but there need to be hard questions asked about defining its objective and making aggressive moves in accordance with that.
Dustin Long: It is necessary if the purpose is to use it as a way to test ideas that could be transferred to points races, much like double-file restarts with lead-lap cars in both rows, the idea of stage racing or the use of a softer tire. If NASCAR goes away from that notion, then it would be better to replace the All-Star race with another points race or make it an open weekend.
Jerry Bonkowski: After more than 35 years, the All-Star Race remains a very viable and vibrant tradition that fans still love to attend or watch on TV. But it may need some revitalization going forward. How to revitalize it and draw even more interest is a fine line to balance. Most importantly — if changes do occur, keep them in place for several years to come. Fans oftentimes get confused when the race format changes from year to year.
Daniel McFadin: The Cup season is really long, so having one weekend devoted to a race just for fun, money and sometimes testing new aero packages is a welcome respite in the march from February to November. The second half of the season could use one as well.
What change would you make to the All-Star Race?
Nate Ryan: Rotate the venue, have fun with the personalities and take major chances with the competition. My feelings haven’t changed much since writing this three years ago: https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nascar/2014/05/15/nascar-sprint-all-star-race-failings-improvement-suggestions/9142915/
Dustin Long: Move it. If it’s going to stay in Charlotte, take it off the weekend and run it the Thursday night before the Coca-Cola 600 instead of Cup qualifying. The challenge in changing sites is that it is an event at an Speedway Motorsports Inc. track, so moving it would create an issue for SMI in terms of loss revenue. Until that matter gets resolved, the event will stay in Charlotte. However, I do like Jeff Burton’s idea of moving it to a short track like South Boston or someplace NASCAR used to run years ago.
Jerry Bonkowski: Would it be wise to move the race around from track to track each year, giving other facilities the opportunity to see what kind of show they can put on? Would perhaps two 20-car heat races to determine a final race of 20 for the $1 million prize be better than the Open or the fan vote? Heck, let’s shake it up even more and maybe run part of the race on Charlotte Motor Speedway’s road course, similar to this past weekend’s IndyCar Grand Prix.
Daniel McFadin: Take it on the road. The 1.5-mile tracks – and increasingly the night races at them – are the least popular venues in the sport. Hold the All-Star Race under the lights at Martinsville, Bristol or maybe even a track the Cup Series has never been to. If NASCAR wants to get back to its roots, taking its high profile exhibition race to a famous short track could do wonders. It’s worked for the Truck Series at Eldora. If you really want to have fun, throw the rulebook out on All-Star Weekend. No inspections at all (aside from lug nuts). Let the engineers go crazy and see who wins.
What’s been a surprise to you about this season so far?
Nate Ryan: That Joe Gibbs Racing doesn’t have a victory this late for the first time since 2007. It isn’t a surprise so much that a team’s performance is cyclical as much as it is that it’s been that long since JGR went winless this deep into the season. JGR seemed less competitive throughout much of the 2014 season than this year, so there shouldn’t be any reason to panic. Its depth and the success of Furniture Row Racing ensure that the team will get things sorted.
Dustin Long: Overlooked by the discussion of Joe Gibbs Racing still winless is that Kevin Harvick remains winless. He’s had at least one win by the season’s fourth race since joining Stewart-Haas Racing in 2014. Also, other than Kurt Busch’s Daytona 500 victory, Stewart-Haas Racing is winless. Yes, Stewart-Haas Racing faced challenges with the switch to Ford in the offseason but did many think that the only victory that organization would have would be due to a last-lap pass because the leader ran out of fuel?
Jerry Bonkowski: Several surprises, actually. First, Dale Earnhardt Jr.‘s decision to retire at season’s end. Second, Joe Gibbs Racing’s drivers have yet to reach victory lane. Third, how quickly and readily drivers have adapted to the new stages format. Lastly, Kyle Busch continues to be fast enough to win, but he’s still winless since last July’s Brickyard 400. What has JGR done with the real Kyle Busch, and who is the imposter in the No. 18?
Daniel McFadin: When I woke up the morning of April 25 to an email saying Dale Earnhardt Jr. was going to retire. Also, Earnhardt only being able to finish in the top 10 once through 11 races.
SOCCER: Preview: Fire try to extend home unbeaten run Wednesday against Colorado.
By Dan Santaromita
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
The Chicago Fire didn’t have much time to enjoy Saturday’s big win against Seattle.
Four days after beating the defending champs in front of a sellout crowd, the Fire host the Colorado Rapids. CSN+ has the live coverage beginning Wednesday at 7 p.m. with Fire Pregame Live.
The Fire’s undefeated home record will be on the line against a Rapids team which is 0-4 on the road. Colorado is coming off its second win of the season, a 3-0 win against San Jose which snapped a five-game losing streak. Colorado (2-6-1, 7 points) enters with the lowest point total in the league.
“Colorado is in need of points,” coach Veljko Paunovic said. “Defensively they are tough and also have experienced players and players in attack who can be decisive.”
The Rapids have given up 12 goals, fifth fewest in the league, but have scored just eight, fewest in the league.
The Fire (4-3-3, 15 points) have lost to Colorado the last two seasons.
“They have some good players, really quality players, strong,” winger David Accam said. “They will give us a tough game. I remember playing them here my first year and we lost. I don’t want to lose them again.”
The game continues the Fire’s stretch of four games in 13 days. The Fire started the stretch with a win against Seattle and will continue it at D.C. United on Saturday. The finale is a home match against Dallas the following Thursday.
The short rest and future tight schedule could call for more squad rotation and will test the team’s depth. Goalkeeper Jorge Bava is still out with a head injury that kept him out Saturday as well and Michael Harrington is listed as questionable due to illness. Juninho, who missed the Seattle game with a sprained ankle, is not listed on the injury report and could return to the lineup.
“We now have the stretch of four games in two weeks where we have to give some guys some rest,” Paunovic said after the Seattle match. “Other guys we have to push them until we have that small break that we will have after the game against Dallas.”
This will also be a chance to find out how fit Bastian Schweinsteiger is. The 32-year-old German midfielder has started every match since joining the Fire, but even admitted a few weeks ago that he was playing at 70 percent fitness. Will he be able to start all four matches in this stretch?
“I’d love to play every single second so I hope I can play every minute,” Schweinsteiger said last week. “I am actually looking forward (to it). I love to play games. I mean training sessions are always good, but I think every player likes to play games and matches and that’s why I am actually happy about it.”
Paunovic didn’t give anything away in regards to Schweinsteiger’s playing time during this busy period.
Either way, the Fire will be expected to win against the Rapids, something which hasn’t been true often for the Fire in recent years. The Fire are 4-0-1 at home and playing the team at the bottom of the MLS standings.
“We want to win every home game,” Accam said. “We want to win every game, but when you lose at home you lose your pride and I don’t want to lose my pride. We need every game at home. It’s huge for us.”
Chicago Fire vs. Colorado Rapids
Where: Toyota Park, Bridgeview, Ill.
TV: CSN+
When: Coverage begins at 7 p.m. with Fire Pregame Live
Chicago Fire vs. Colorado Rapids
Where: Toyota Park, Bridgeview, Ill.
TV: CSN+
When: Coverage begins at 7 p.m. with Fire Pregame Live
Records: Fire (4-3-3, 15 points), Rapids (2-6-1, 7 points)
Premier League Preview: Southampton vs. Manchester United.
Bu Nicholas Mendola
(Photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images)
It’s an EFL Cup Final rematch at St. Mary’s on Wednesday, when Manchester United will look for season sweep of Southampton (Watch live at 2:45 p.m. ET on NBCSN and online via NBCSports.com).
Southampton sits eighth in the Premier League table, and controls its own destiny with this being a match-in-hand on two of the three teams which can still finish eighth. Claude Puel knows his future may at stake, and will want to take every chance to end with positive impressions.
Meanwhile, United knows it will finish in sixth place in the league. Jose Mourinho may hand several youngsters playing time, with names like Joel Pereira, Axel Tuanzebe, Demi Mitchell and Scott McTominay possibilities.
“I have to build some teams with the minimum of conditions to fight for a result,” Mourinho said. “We lost against Arsenal 2-0 and we fought for the result. We lost 2-1 [at Spurs] and we fought for the result.”The match is one week before United faces Ajax in Sweden for the UEFA Europa League crown and a place in next season’s UEFA Champions League.
What they’re saying
Southampton chairman Ralph Krueger on Puel in an exclusive with JPW: “Claude has been a part of everything that has happened this year. It is really going to be the players or however else, it is up to football to give us the final grade and then we will see how we go forward.”
Man Utd’s Marcus Rashford on playing its best: “”We’ve got to keep fighting till the end. As individuals, the way we’re made at this club is we want to win every game, no matter what game it is and what circumstances we’re in. It’s going to be the same approach until the end of the season.”
Prediction
Saints hopes of finishing strong at home in back-to-back St. Mary’s tilts will be met by United players hoping to impress Mourinho. Could be a lot of fun here with a 2-2 draw.
Arsenal’s Top Four scenarios; Wenger reacts to win.
By Nicholas Mendola
(AP Photo/Matt Dunham)
Arsene Wenger says he’s entered a final week of the Premier League season like this “many times”, with important positional standing on the line.
Given the tumult at the Emirates Stadium, it’s difficult not to smirk at that suggestion from the long-tenured boss. Wenger has faced criticism all year and his red-hot Gunners still have kept themselves in the mix to finish in the Top Four yet again.
Wenger, 67, saw his club win again on Tuesday, beating Sunderland 2-0 for a fourth-straight win. That stretch has seen the Gunners allow just a single goal and control the proceedings against all comers.
Arsenal needs a win on Sunday versus Everton, plus:
— A draw or loss from Liverpool versus Middlesbrough
or
— A Man City loss -and- a five-goal flip in differential between the sides.
Wenger admitted that his club’s tremendous form is actually a bit frustrating given how late it’s come in the season:
Wenger points out that Arsenal has more points this season (72) than it did when the Gunners finished second in the Premier League last year (71).
Given the tumult at the Emirates Stadium, it’s difficult not to smirk at that suggestion from the long-tenured boss. Wenger has faced criticism all year and his red-hot Gunners still have kept themselves in the mix to finish in the Top Four yet again.
Wenger, 67, saw his club win again on Tuesday, beating Sunderland 2-0 for a fourth-straight win. That stretch has seen the Gunners allow just a single goal and control the proceedings against all comers.
Arsenal needs a win on Sunday versus Everton, plus:
— A draw or loss from Liverpool versus Middlesbrough
or
— A Man City loss -and- a five-goal flip in differential between the sides.
Wenger admitted that his club’s tremendous form is actually a bit frustrating given how late it’s come in the season:
“Yes of course. We had a different patch after the Bayern game because it was difficult for us to recover for this, but on the other hand it was a good mental test for the team and we responded in a good way because that’s all we can do.”“We had plenty of shots on goal but we needed to be patient. Their keeper kept them in the game. We missed some good chances and we were frustrated at halftime not to lose all our nerves and keep our composure.”
Wenger points out that Arsenal has more points this season (72) than it did when the Gunners finished second in the Premier League last year (71).
Reading defeats Fulham, one win from the Premier League.
By Nicholas Mendola
(Photo by Ben Hoskins/Getty Images)
Jaap Stam’s first foray into management is going very well.
The Reading boss has his club one win from the Premier League after a Yann Kermorgant penalty lifted the Royals to a 1-0 second leg win over Fulham in the Championship playoff semifinal at the Madejski Stadium on Tuesday.
Stam played for Manchester United, Ajax, AC Milan, Lazio, and PSV Eindhoven, so promotion campaigns aren’t old hat for him, but Reading has won better than 54 percent of its matches with him in charge.
The Royals will face either Sheffield Wednesday or Huddersfield Town at Wembley Stadium on May 29 in the “Richest Game in Football.” Here’s Stam on Reading:
The Reading boss has his club one win from the Premier League after a Yann Kermorgant penalty lifted the Royals to a 1-0 second leg win over Fulham in the Championship playoff semifinal at the Madejski Stadium on Tuesday.
Stam played for Manchester United, Ajax, AC Milan, Lazio, and PSV Eindhoven, so promotion campaigns aren’t old hat for him, but Reading has won better than 54 percent of its matches with him in charge.
The Royals will face either Sheffield Wednesday or Huddersfield Town at Wembley Stadium on May 29 in the “Richest Game in Football.” Here’s Stam on Reading:
“It’s great to work with a club that’s got a lot of potential and with players willing to work really hard to get somewhere.
“To get this result today – against a very good team by the way – I’m very happy with that.
“Fulham have got a lot of threats. In the first half, we did quite well. In the second half, we started well. Then they’re controlling the game and we needed to defend. We needed to dig in.”Could Stam be managing against his former club in the Premier League next season?
Man City 3-1 West Brom: Pep’s men unbeaten in seven.
By Nicholas Mendola
A standard Pep Guardiola performance saw Manchester City essentially ensure UEFA Champions League qualification with a 3-1 win over West Bromwich Albion at the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday.
Gabiel Jesus, Kevin De Bruyne, and Yaya Toure helped City to a three-goal lead before Hal Robson-Kanu spoiled Wily Caballero’s clean sheet in the 87th minute.
Man City now has a three-point lead on fifth-place Arsenal, and holds a five-goal advantage in goal difference. A win or draw Sunday guarantee a places, as would anything but a big defeat and wins from Liverpool and Arsenal.
Once angling for sixth or seventh, West Brom is in ninth and could finish as low as 12th with a loss at Swansea City on Championship Sunday.
De Bruyne cued Jesus up for a tap-in to open the scoring in the 27th minute, then lashed a shot home from outside the 18 to double the advantage two minutes later.
Next up was Toure, who traded passes with Sergio Aguero before capping Man City’s scoring in the 57th minute.
Arsenal 2-0 Sunderland: Gunners take Top Four hopes to Sunday.
By Nicholas Mendola
Dominant Arsenal left it late but took care of business in dispatching Sunderland 2-0 at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday.
Alexis Sanchez scored from close range in the 72nd and 81st minutes to help the Gunners to 72 points on the season.
The fifth place Gunners are a point back of Liverpool and three behind Manchester City entering Championship Sunday.
The loss ensures Sunderland will finish dead last in Premier League.
Arsenal must now hope to beat Everton on Sunday and have Liverpool drop points against Middlesbrough.
It was a game that could’ve easily been five or six-nil, but was kept scoreless into the 72nd minute thanks to more outstanding goalkeeping from Sunderland’s Jordan Pickford.
Sanchez broke through when he tapped in Mesut Ozil’s pass, then doubled the advantage when Olivier Giroud cut the ball back for another doorstep finish.
Real Madrid done rotating players as it goes for Spanish title.
Associated Press
There is no more rest for Cristiano Ronaldo and his teammates.
Zinedine Zidane is done rotating his squad and will use Ronaldo and the rest of the regular starters when Madrid plays at Celta Vigo with a chance to regain the Spanish league lead and move into position to clinch its first title in five years.
A win or a draw in the match postponed from February because of bad weather will move Madrid past Barcelona into first place going into the weekend’s final round of matches. Both teams have 87 points, but the Catalan club leads on the head-to-head tiebreaker. Madrid plays at mid-table Malaga on Sunday, while Barcelona finishes its season against eighth-place Eibar on the same day.
“We are prepared,” Zidane said Tuesday. “We have two matches to play, two finals, and then it’s all over in the league. Everybody is doing very well physically and wishing that the game starts as soon as possible. We are thinking positively and we will give everything we have.”
Zidane had been rotating the squad the last few months as Madrid also played the decisive stages of the Champions League. Its latest game in the European competition was against Atletico Madrid in the semifinals last week, when it advanced to the final on June 3.
Zidane kept regular starters such as Karim Benzema, Casemiro and Luka Modric out of the starting lineup against Sevilla on Sunday, when Madrid won 4-1. Ronaldo was in that match, scoring two goals, and he is also going to play on Wednesday in Vigo. The star forward hadn’t played in an away match for Madrid since March, against Athletic Bilbao. He was rested in the team’s following four away matches in the league.
“Cristiano will be with us,” Zidane said.
The game against Celta was originally scheduled to be played on Feb. 5 but was postponed because heavy winds damaged the roof of the Balaidos Stadium, making it unsafe for players and spectators. Vigo authorities at the time accused Madrid of improperly pressuring to play the game despite the security concerns, and the club had to officially respond by saying that it would never want to put the fans’ safety at risk.
Madrid wanted to avoid playing Celta so late in the season. There were no other dates to play the match because Celta was participating in the Europa League and Madrid in the Champions League.
Celta, which made it to the semifinals of the Europa League, eliminated Madrid in the quarterfinals of the Copa del Rey after winning 2-1 at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium and drawing 2-2 at the Balaidos in January. The team is currently 13th in the Spanish league standings.
“It will be a difficult game because Celta has a good team. It’s going to be complicated, just like it was against Sevilla and like it will be against Malaga,” Zidane said. “I expect to face the same Celta team as always.”
Madrid hasn’t won the league since 2012 and is trying to avoid its longest title drought since 1981-85. It’s longest winless streak since then was when Barcelona won four in a row from 1991-94.
Barcelona is trying to win the league title for the third straight time.
NCAAFB: Nick Saban, other SEC coaches on board with new redshirt proposal.
By Nicholas Mendola
(Photo/twitter.com)
A standard Pep Guardiola performance saw Manchester City essentially ensure UEFA Champions League qualification with a 3-1 win over West Bromwich Albion at the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday.
Gabiel Jesus, Kevin De Bruyne, and Yaya Toure helped City to a three-goal lead before Hal Robson-Kanu spoiled Wily Caballero’s clean sheet in the 87th minute.
Man City now has a three-point lead on fifth-place Arsenal, and holds a five-goal advantage in goal difference. A win or draw Sunday guarantee a places, as would anything but a big defeat and wins from Liverpool and Arsenal.
Once angling for sixth or seventh, West Brom is in ninth and could finish as low as 12th with a loss at Swansea City on Championship Sunday.
De Bruyne cued Jesus up for a tap-in to open the scoring in the 27th minute, then lashed a shot home from outside the 18 to double the advantage two minutes later.
Next up was Toure, who traded passes with Sergio Aguero before capping Man City’s scoring in the 57th minute.
Arsenal 2-0 Sunderland: Gunners take Top Four hopes to Sunday.
By Nicholas Mendola
Dominant Arsenal left it late but took care of business in dispatching Sunderland 2-0 at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday.
Alexis Sanchez scored from close range in the 72nd and 81st minutes to help the Gunners to 72 points on the season.
The fifth place Gunners are a point back of Liverpool and three behind Manchester City entering Championship Sunday.
The loss ensures Sunderland will finish dead last in Premier League.
Arsenal must now hope to beat Everton on Sunday and have Liverpool drop points against Middlesbrough.
It was a game that could’ve easily been five or six-nil, but was kept scoreless into the 72nd minute thanks to more outstanding goalkeeping from Sunderland’s Jordan Pickford.
Sanchez broke through when he tapped in Mesut Ozil’s pass, then doubled the advantage when Olivier Giroud cut the ball back for another doorstep finish.
Real Madrid done rotating players as it goes for Spanish title.
Associated Press
(Photo/Getty Images)
There is no more rest for Cristiano Ronaldo and his teammates.
Zinedine Zidane is done rotating his squad and will use Ronaldo and the rest of the regular starters when Madrid plays at Celta Vigo with a chance to regain the Spanish league lead and move into position to clinch its first title in five years.
A win or a draw in the match postponed from February because of bad weather will move Madrid past Barcelona into first place going into the weekend’s final round of matches. Both teams have 87 points, but the Catalan club leads on the head-to-head tiebreaker. Madrid plays at mid-table Malaga on Sunday, while Barcelona finishes its season against eighth-place Eibar on the same day.
“We are prepared,” Zidane said Tuesday. “We have two matches to play, two finals, and then it’s all over in the league. Everybody is doing very well physically and wishing that the game starts as soon as possible. We are thinking positively and we will give everything we have.”
Zidane had been rotating the squad the last few months as Madrid also played the decisive stages of the Champions League. Its latest game in the European competition was against Atletico Madrid in the semifinals last week, when it advanced to the final on June 3.
Zidane kept regular starters such as Karim Benzema, Casemiro and Luka Modric out of the starting lineup against Sevilla on Sunday, when Madrid won 4-1. Ronaldo was in that match, scoring two goals, and he is also going to play on Wednesday in Vigo. The star forward hadn’t played in an away match for Madrid since March, against Athletic Bilbao. He was rested in the team’s following four away matches in the league.
“Cristiano will be with us,” Zidane said.
The game against Celta was originally scheduled to be played on Feb. 5 but was postponed because heavy winds damaged the roof of the Balaidos Stadium, making it unsafe for players and spectators. Vigo authorities at the time accused Madrid of improperly pressuring to play the game despite the security concerns, and the club had to officially respond by saying that it would never want to put the fans’ safety at risk.
Madrid wanted to avoid playing Celta so late in the season. There were no other dates to play the match because Celta was participating in the Europa League and Madrid in the Champions League.
Celta, which made it to the semifinals of the Europa League, eliminated Madrid in the quarterfinals of the Copa del Rey after winning 2-1 at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium and drawing 2-2 at the Balaidos in January. The team is currently 13th in the Spanish league standings.
“It will be a difficult game because Celta has a good team. It’s going to be complicated, just like it was against Sevilla and like it will be against Malaga,” Zidane said. “I expect to face the same Celta team as always.”
Madrid hasn’t won the league since 2012 and is trying to avoid its longest title drought since 1981-85. It’s longest winless streak since then was when Barcelona won four in a row from 1991-94.
Barcelona is trying to win the league title for the third straight time.
NCAAFB: Nick Saban, other SEC coaches on board with new redshirt proposal.
By Sam Cooper
Nick Saban and a host of other SEC coaches voiced support for a new redshirt rule proposal. (Photo/AP)
There’s a rule proposal coming down the pike that would allow players to play in up to four games during a season while still preserving their redshirt.
Fox Sports reported last week that the American Football Coaches Association plans to send the idea to the NCAA. Many coaches have already come out in favor of the proposal and it was a big topic of conversation on Monday’s SEC coaches teleconference. Most of the coaches asked had positive things to say, including Alabama’s Nick Saban.
In particular, Saban pointed out how beneficial the rule could be for the development of his players on the field.
“I absolutely would be in favor of that. One of the most difficult things for players is they can’t play at all when they’re freshmen to be able to gain a redshirt year,” Saban said. “They all want to play. This would give them an opportunity to play some and would actually enhance their development to some degree. With the numbers we have right now and the number of games we’re playing, you might be able to play a few more players in some of those games. That would help other players on your team as well.”
Saban also pointed to a few other sticking points coaches have had with the redshirting process. A player may be put into a game briefly — as little as a few plays — before it’s determined he is probably not ready to play at that level. When that happens, a coach has burned a player’s redshirt before realizing that he simply was not ready. The proposal would be a great thing for the player.
“You eliminate some of these things where a guy plays for five plays in a game, and you got to appeal to get his year back because you either made a mistake putting him in the game or you thought he was going to play more and he didn’t,” Saban said.
Other coaches, like Mississippi State’s Dan Mullen, said the rule would be a big boost for a team that has issues with injuries. If a team is thin at a position and a redshirting player has shown promise in practice over the course of the year, he can help his team without losing a year.
“There might be a guy that you might like to play, but he’s not quite developed. He’s not quite ready, for whatever reason. But as the season goes on, at the end of his freshman year, you say ‘This guy could be ready. He could take some reps off another guy.’ You should be able to do that,” Mullen said.
Other coaches like South Carolina’s Will Muschamp, LSU’s Ed Orgeron, Kentucky’s Mark Stoops and Ole Miss’ Hugh Freeze also voiced their support.
Florida coach Jim McElwain actually took it a step further. He believes players should have five years of eligibility.
“Why not just let them play? Give them the five years of eligibility and call it the way it is,” McElwain said.
All that said, there are many more hurdles to clear before the proposal could come to fruition.
First up, the newly formed Division I Football Competition Committee, chaired by Arizona State AD Ray Anderson, will discuss the proposal at its May 16 meeting. If they’re on board, they forward the proposal to Division I’s Football Oversight Committee, chaired by Bowlsby. That committee could then formally sponsor legislation to be considered by the larger Division I Council, with the possibility of going up for vote at January’s NCAA convention.
This won’t be the last time we talk about this one.
NCAABKB: It's creativity, not money, that stands in way of paying NCAA athletes.
By Nancy Armour
The conferences led by Jim Delany of the Big Ten (left) and Larry Scott of the Pac-12 (right) have done as much or more for their athletes as any. But they still share the wealth more.(Photo: Walt Mancini, AP)
There are two, very simple truths in college athletics: Athletes are not being fairly compensated for the value they bring to their schools and conferences or the revenue that follows, and there is more than enough money to correct that.
The question is how to bridge that divide. Given the obscene amounts of money being paid to some conference commissioners and coaches, it’s no longer a question that can go unanswered.
Cutting checks to the players is a non-starter, for reasons too numerous to mention, and that stance is unlikely to change anytime soon. But there are other ways to compensate these athletes in a way everyone can find agreeable, largely by expanding benefits they already get.
Pay for athletes’ families to accompany them on recruiting visits. Provide health care beyond graduation. Open a 15-year window during which athletes can return to finish their degrees or earn additional ones, be it at the bachelor or advanced level.
Pay bonuses upon graduation, the highest going to those who complete their degrees within the six-year span the NCAA and federal government use to determine graduation rates. And, yes, let the players profit off their names, images and likenesses.
Now, before anyone starts squawking, let’s dispense with the notion that Division I athletes are the amateurs of the quaint old days. They’re not.
The NCAA limits in-season practice to 20 hours a week. But when you factor in time spent in the weight room, studying film, with trainers or doing anything else related to their sport, it is more like 32 hours or more, according to a 2011 NCAA survey.
When Nick Saban can clear $11 million, as he will this year, or Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany gets a $20 million bonus, it’s not hard to do the math and realize those kind of payouts are only possible because the athletes are little more than indentured servants.
Yes, they get an education for their trouble — though how much that education is worth varies greatly depending on the school, the sport, the self-interests of their coaches and, in fairness, the priorities of some of the athletes themselves.
Evening the balance sheet is not only the fair thing to do, it’s fast becoming the only thing to do. Either the NCAA, schools and conferences get together to fix this, or it will be done for them by the courts or a player revolt.
“I don’t think anyone necessarily wants that, but players increasingly see the voice they have and the potential power they have,” said Jon Solomon, a longtime college sports reporter who is now editorial director for The Aspen Institute’s Sports and Society Program.
The biggest question is always how to pay for this so it doesn’t gut non-revenue sports or smaller schools' athletic budgets. The solution is actually quite simple: Take a percentage of the College Football Playoff payout and TV contracts for the NCAA basketball tournaments, and put it in a fund for expanded benefits.
Solomon has estimated that taking 4.4% just from last year’s CFP payout would equal $19.3 million. Consider that the NCAA will get more than $760 million this year from CBS and Turner for the men’s basketball tournament, and you can see how this all adds up.
If it’s still not enough, take 1% of the total compensation given to the Power Five and Group of Five commissioners. While we’re at it, take 1% from the 10 highest-paid coaches in football and men’s and women’s basketball, too.
Oh, and if a school builds one of those ostentatious athletic facilities, slap a 5% tax on the construction costs. If nothing else, maybe it will slow the arms race on the recruiting Taj Mahals.
Such a plan needs fine-tuning, obviously. Criteria to determine what medical claims are paid will have to be established. A 40-year-old former football player who needs a knee replacement would qualify, but what about the 35-year-old former basketball player who blows out his or her knee in a pickup game? Does the former sprinter who has stayed in shape get more consideration than the wrestler who now leads a sedentary lifestyle?
As for those names, images and likenesses, what would that cover? Could there be a scenario in which the schools or conferences partner with their athletes on, say, a video game? What role would there be for agents or financial advisers?
Thorny details, to be sure. But college athletics has no shortage of smart, creative people who can figure it out.
It’s already started. The Pac-12 now covers medical expenses for injured athletes for up to four years after they leave school. The Power Five conferences have explored expanding benefits to include, among other things, lifetime scholarships and financial support for recruits’ travel.
There are two, very simple truths in college athletics: Athletes are not being fairly compensated for the value they bring to their schools and conferences or the revenue that follows, and there is more than enough money to correct that.
The question is how to bridge that divide. Given the obscene amounts of money being paid to some conference commissioners and coaches, it’s no longer a question that can go unanswered.
Cutting checks to the players is a non-starter, for reasons too numerous to mention, and that stance is unlikely to change anytime soon. But there are other ways to compensate these athletes in a way everyone can find agreeable, largely by expanding benefits they already get.
Pay for athletes’ families to accompany them on recruiting visits. Provide health care beyond graduation. Open a 15-year window during which athletes can return to finish their degrees or earn additional ones, be it at the bachelor or advanced level.
Pay bonuses upon graduation, the highest going to those who complete their degrees within the six-year span the NCAA and federal government use to determine graduation rates. And, yes, let the players profit off their names, images and likenesses.
Now, before anyone starts squawking, let’s dispense with the notion that Division I athletes are the amateurs of the quaint old days. They’re not.
The NCAA limits in-season practice to 20 hours a week. But when you factor in time spent in the weight room, studying film, with trainers or doing anything else related to their sport, it is more like 32 hours or more, according to a 2011 NCAA survey.
When Nick Saban can clear $11 million, as he will this year, or Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany gets a $20 million bonus, it’s not hard to do the math and realize those kind of payouts are only possible because the athletes are little more than indentured servants.
Yes, they get an education for their trouble — though how much that education is worth varies greatly depending on the school, the sport, the self-interests of their coaches and, in fairness, the priorities of some of the athletes themselves.
Evening the balance sheet is not only the fair thing to do, it’s fast becoming the only thing to do. Either the NCAA, schools and conferences get together to fix this, or it will be done for them by the courts or a player revolt.
“I don’t think anyone necessarily wants that, but players increasingly see the voice they have and the potential power they have,” said Jon Solomon, a longtime college sports reporter who is now editorial director for The Aspen Institute’s Sports and Society Program.
The biggest question is always how to pay for this so it doesn’t gut non-revenue sports or smaller schools' athletic budgets. The solution is actually quite simple: Take a percentage of the College Football Playoff payout and TV contracts for the NCAA basketball tournaments, and put it in a fund for expanded benefits.
Solomon has estimated that taking 4.4% just from last year’s CFP payout would equal $19.3 million. Consider that the NCAA will get more than $760 million this year from CBS and Turner for the men’s basketball tournament, and you can see how this all adds up.
If it’s still not enough, take 1% of the total compensation given to the Power Five and Group of Five commissioners. While we’re at it, take 1% from the 10 highest-paid coaches in football and men’s and women’s basketball, too.
Oh, and if a school builds one of those ostentatious athletic facilities, slap a 5% tax on the construction costs. If nothing else, maybe it will slow the arms race on the recruiting Taj Mahals.
Such a plan needs fine-tuning, obviously. Criteria to determine what medical claims are paid will have to be established. A 40-year-old former football player who needs a knee replacement would qualify, but what about the 35-year-old former basketball player who blows out his or her knee in a pickup game? Does the former sprinter who has stayed in shape get more consideration than the wrestler who now leads a sedentary lifestyle?
As for those names, images and likenesses, what would that cover? Could there be a scenario in which the schools or conferences partner with their athletes on, say, a video game? What role would there be for agents or financial advisers?
Thorny details, to be sure. But college athletics has no shortage of smart, creative people who can figure it out.
It’s already started. The Pac-12 now covers medical expenses for injured athletes for up to four years after they leave school. The Power Five conferences have explored expanding benefits to include, among other things, lifetime scholarships and financial support for recruits’ travel.
The money is there to make college sports more equitable. Now it's a matter of finding the will and the way.
Revenge at the Preakness.
By Pat Forde
Classic Empire got roughed up in his trip at the Kentucky Derby. (Photo/Getty Images)
The tackroom at Casse Racing’s Churchill Downs barn No. 36 is an eclectic collection of cozy clutter.
There is a photo of Louisville backup guard David Levitch, a 2016 barn intern, on the wall. There is a large ceramic cat outfitted with jockey goggles, an odd talisman that apparently comes with its own unstated inside joke. Among the more recent additions are two green bumper stickers that read, “I Like Kentucky-Bred Classic Empire,” the traditional marketing vehicles of the state’s breeding industry that proliferate in the weeks before the Kentucky Derby.
There’s one other item of interest, tucked over behind the ceramic cat. It’s a Todd Pletcher bobblehead, a 2006 fan giveaway at Saratoga Race Course.
Norman Casse, who assists his father, Mark, in the operation of Casse Racing, has long admired Pletcher’s sprawling and wildly profitable thoroughbred training business. But on Saturday in Baltimore, respect is out and revenge is in. The Casses and Classic Empire will be bidding to end any hope Pletcher has of winning a Triple Crown with Kentucky Derby champion Always Dreaming.
If any horse has a chance of derailing Always Dreaming in the Preakness, the second leg of thoroughbred racing’s Triple Crown, it is Classic Empire. He finished fourth in the Derby, a triumph in its own right after the trauma the colt endured in that race.
In a start that was riddled with chaos, Classic Empire had the worst of it. He was body slammed on his right side by McCraken, who himself was swerving inside to avoid other veering horses.
“He got wiped out at the start,” Mark Casse said.
McCraken wasn’t finished bothering Classic Empire – a mile later he would drift into him at the top of the stretch as well. But the major damage was done early.
The collision a couple strides out of the gate destroyed any chance jockey Julien Leparoux had of placing Classic Empire near the forefront of the 20-horse field, leaving him in 13th place half a mile into the race, 12 lengths behind the leaders. It also left the colt with a lot of Churchill Downs mud kicked into his face, which might have been a factor in why Classic Empire couldn’t open his right eye the morning after the Derby. He came out of the race looking more like a beaten-down boxer than the 2-year-old champion thoroughbred.
That sort of racing luck usually is an invitation to finish somewhere near last, not fourth. Oftentimes it doesn’t take much for a 3-year-old to stop running hard, but Classic Empire never quit in the Derby slop.
“Classic Empire, he was pretty impressive,” said four-time Derby winner Bob Baffert. “For him to come back and finish fourth says a lot about what kind of horse he is.”
It says a lot about the horse that was established as the morning-line favorite to win the Derby. Classic Empire wound up going off at odds of 7-1, while Always Dreaming was the favorite at 9-2. Expect them to be the two top betting choices by far on Saturday, and expect an exciting duel if they both are on even footing this time around.
“He had a much tougher trip than the winner,” Norman Casse said. “From the very beginning, we were backed up against it. What a special horse he is to still run that well after that.
“It’s funny: He earned a lot more respect losing than he did winning the Arkansas Derby.”
Indeed, a lot of analysts were reluctant to buy Classic Empire’s Arkansas Derby win in April as proof that the colt was back to top form. It came after a frustrating winter, marked by an injury and a strange refusal to train, which seemingly put the Casses well behind in the conditioning race to be ready for the first Saturday in May.
Those concerns were real. Team Casse strayed a bit from the usual pre-Derby trainer bravado.
This is a sport where the “coaches” tend to speak in the opposite manner of their football and basketball counterparts – there is no poor-mouthing in horse racing, no talking down your team and building up the opponent. Every trainer says everything is going great in his barn in the days before a big race, even if it’s a damned lie.
The Casses certainly didn’t sound the alarm two weeks ago, but neither were they bragging. There were comments about simply appreciating having a horse in the Derby – not a lot of talk about winning the Derby.
“I knew he was doing well, but I know how hard it is to win that race,” Norman Casse said. “Everything has to go right all winter, and it didn’t for us. I thought we had a shot to win the Derby, but all along I thought we would win the Preakness. Now that he’s been in a real routine for two months, the real Classic Empire can show up.”
If Classic Empire was a bit behind on conditioning and seasoning, he should be closer to his peak form now. The goal with a talented 3-year-old is to hit that sweet spot on the first Saturday in May – but hitting it two weeks later could be a pretty good consolation prize.
The question is whether all the Derby adversity cost Classic Empire 8¾ lengths – the distance by which Always Dreaming beat him. If the racing luck evens out, is the fourth-place finisher good enough to turn the tables?
“Always Dreaming was a deserving winner of the race,” Norman Casse said. “All winter, he was the horse we were watching. We’re going to have to run our ‘A’ race to beat him, but we feel we have a legitimate chance of beating him on our best day.
“I can speak for Dad: We hope Always Dreaming has a great trip and we have a great trip, and we settle it on the racetrack. And hopefully it’s the start of a rivalry.”
The next-best thing to a Triple Crown bid is a pair of top 3-year-olds who split the first two legs and contest all three in the series – the Derby, the Preakness and the Belmont Stakes on June 10 in New York. If Team Casse turns the Derby tables and spoils Pletcher’s party in Baltimore, it still could set the stage for a compelling rubber match at the Belmont.
On This Date in Sports History: Today is Wednesday, May 17, 2017.
Memoriesofhistory.com
1927 - The Chicago Cubs beat the Boston Braves, 4-3, in 22 innings.
1953 - The New York Yankees and the Cleveland Indians set a record when they used 41 players in a game.
1968 - Frank Howard hit his 8th home run in 5 games.
1969 - Baltimore, Cleveland and Pittsburgh agreed to move from the NFL's NFC to the AFC.
1970 - Hank Aaron became the 9th player to get 3,000 hits.
1973 - Bobby Valentine broke his leg trying to prevent a Dick Green home run from going over the wall.
1973 - Joe Ferguson hit the 6,000th home run for the Los Angeles Dodgers.
1987 - Eric ‘Sleepy’ Floyd of the Golden State Warriors set a playoff record for points in a single quarter with 29.
1992 - Gary Carter (Montreal Expos) became the third player to play catcher in 2,000 games.
1998 - New York Yankees pitcher David Wells became the 13th player in modern major league baseball history to throw a perfect game.
1953 - The New York Yankees and the Cleveland Indians set a record when they used 41 players in a game.
1968 - Frank Howard hit his 8th home run in 5 games.
1969 - Baltimore, Cleveland and Pittsburgh agreed to move from the NFL's NFC to the AFC.
1970 - Hank Aaron became the 9th player to get 3,000 hits.
1973 - Bobby Valentine broke his leg trying to prevent a Dick Green home run from going over the wall.
1973 - Joe Ferguson hit the 6,000th home run for the Los Angeles Dodgers.
1987 - Eric ‘Sleepy’ Floyd of the Golden State Warriors set a playoff record for points in a single quarter with 29.
1992 - Gary Carter (Montreal Expos) became the third player to play catcher in 2,000 games.
1998 - New York Yankees pitcher David Wells became the 13th player in modern major league baseball history to throw a perfect game.
****************************************************************
Please let us hear your opinion on the above articles and pass them on to any other diehard fans that you think might be interested. But most of all, remember, Chicago Sports & Travel, Inc./AllsportsAmerica wants you.
No comments:
Post a Comment