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"Sports Quote of the Day"
"We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope." ~ Martin Luther King, Jr., Baptist Minister and Civil Rights Leader
TRENDING: Can the Bears win 'Nervous Season'? Heading into summer, it's good vibrations for John Fox and the Bears bunch. Floyd feeling good, ready to play. (See the football section for Bears news and NFL updates).
TRENDING: Blackhawks release lists of protected and unprotected players ahead of NHL's expansion draft. NHL salary cap going up, but how much does it help the Blackhawks? (See the hockey section for Blackhawks updates and NHL news).
TRENDING: Celtics trade adds intrigue to Bulls, or does it? (It's all about the possible trade?). (See the basketball section for Bulls news and NBA updates).
TRENDING: Anthony Rizzo really does love batting leadoff: Smacks another homer as part of three-hit day in Cubs' win. Blue Jays spoil James Shields' return in White Sox loss. Put your Cubs and White Sox knowledge to the test. (See the baseball section for Cubs and White Sox updates).
TRENDING: Anthony Rizzo really does love batting leadoff: Smacks another homer as part of three-hit day in Cubs' win. Blue Jays spoil James Shields' return in White Sox loss. Put your Cubs and White Sox knowledge to the test. (See the baseball section for Cubs and White Sox updates).
TRENDING: Koepka cruises to first major at U.S. Open. Erin Hills victor will be first $2M major winner. Henderson beats Lexi, Wie to win Meijer LPGA Classic. (See the golf section for PGA news and tournament updates).
TRENDING: Kyle Larson holds off Chase Elliott to capture FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan. Denny Hamlin beats William Byron in Michigan Xfinity race in narrow finish. John Hunter Nemechek gets first Truck win of year with Gateway victory. (See the NASCAR section for NASCAR news and racing updates).
TRENDING: Kyle Larson holds off Chase Elliott to capture FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan. Denny Hamlin beats William Byron in Michigan Xfinity race in narrow finish. John Hunter Nemechek gets first Truck win of year with Gateway victory. (See the NASCAR section for NASCAR news and racing updates).
TRENDING: Fire hold on to hand New England its first home loss. Report links Jakub Blaszczykowski to the Fire, but could it happen? (See the soccer section for Fire news and worldwide soccer updates).
Bear Down Chicago Bears!!!!! Can the Bears win 'Nervous Season'?
By Chris Boden
(Photo/USA Today)
Why?
After all, the same could be said from the end of a team’s season in the winter until it reconvenes in the spring for non-supervised workouts. But this time of year comes after the OTAs and minicamps, when work has been put in, steps taken, progress, hopefully, made. It’s the six-week vacation written into the collective bargaining agreement six years ago in which players are on their own, required to stay away from the team facilities until it’s time to report to training camp in late July.
The nervousness comes with all the free time to enjoy as they see fit, unsupervised, potentially letting their physical conditioning slip. Or, in a worst-case scenario, their judgment.
All John Fox and other coaches can do after the final minicamp workout is ask them to be smart.
“After embarking on a lot of these over the years, you see a lot – I don’t wanna say see everything,” Fox said after Thursday’s Halas Hall farewell to his roster. “Hopefully they make good decisions, and we’re trusting they take good care of themselves and come back in great shape.”
More recent examples of the opposite include the Giants’ Jason Pierre-Paul-Paul’s fireworks accident two years ago and the Packers’ Andrew Quarless discharging a firearm in a Miami parking garage that same Fourth of July night. The most heinous was the late Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez, who eventually was arrested and charged with murder for a 2013 incident in Boston.
“I think a lot of it’s trust, whether it’s the guy next to you, a guy at your position. Under the new CBA this is what it is, they go away for six weeks,” Fox added. “I think you have to have that trust that they know they’re wearing the same (Bears) name on their back, and to be accountable and dependable to each other. Knock on wood, we haven’t have a lot of 'situations,' and hopefully that’ll be the case when they report back.”
Among the things we know in the early stages of this time for the Bears is Sam Acho already being off on his annual trek with his parents and others to Nigeria to help poverty-stricken natives with medical needs.
Fellow linebacker Jerrell Freeman has spent this first weekend of football freedom helping spread the game abroad, back in his CFL roots in Regina, Saskatchewan for an NFL Play 60 event.
And rookie quarterback Mitchell Trubisky has already shared social media posts of a return home to Ohio to visit his family before heading back to Chapel Hill to visit his coaches and others at North Carolina. We trust the Camry is holding up.
This is the lone breather for those rookies for the first time in about 10 months. From heading to their training camps prior to their final collegiate season last summer, it’s been a non-stop whirlwind of pre-draft interviews and workouts, to rookie minicamps, to formal workouts with their new teams. They’ll squeeze every bit of rest they can before the Bears’ class checks into Lake Forest again a week before reporting to Bourbonnais July 26th.
Veterans have a better sense of what they need to do to balance physical maintenance with relaxation, but it’s still an inexact science.
“I think there’s definitely a fine line to it,” said wide receiver Markus Wheaton. “You wanna come in as 'in shape' as possible, but at the same time you want to rest your body. I think that’s something everybody tries to continue to find throughout their career.”
The new challenge for the former Steeler (who just got cleared for unlimited activity after last season’s shoulder surgery) is not forgetting what he’s learned in a new playbook, while building his knowledge even further. Still, there’s nothing quite like the rapid-fire call by a quarterback and trotting to the line of scrimmage with an assignment in mind.
“Going over the plays at home isn’t hearing it in the huddle,” he said. “ Obviously we’ll go home and continue to study, but when you hear it in the huddle a few times you gotta get used to it again and get back on it for sure.”
And the same goes for that signal-caller, who tries to be the offense’s MegaBrain, and hopes to convince a few of the wideouts to reconvene during this time on their own for an informal workout or two. Rust never sleeps.
“It’s more football than not,” Mike Glennon said about managing this month and a half. “There’s a lot to get ready for both mentally and physically. Make sure you’re in great shape, getting your body ready for the season. It’s a long season, 17 weeks, it’s long. As far as mentally, continue to study the playbook, continue to learn opponent defenses. There’s a lot to do mentally while relaxing, and just getting your mind right getting ready for the season.”
While hoping all his teammates keep their bosses’ nerves at ease.
Heading into summer, it's good vibrations for John Fox and the Bears bunch.
.
(Photo/Associated Press)
It might’ve been more relevant if the Bears entered their six-week summer break in a collectively sour mood, but for a team coming off a 3-13 season, some semblance of positivity is encouraging.
John Fox’s decision, for the second consecutive year, to cancel the final practice of veteran minicamp on Thursday fueled some of the good vibes going around Halas Hall over the last few weeks. But there’s a sort of cautious optimism running through the Bears with an eye on reuniting in Bourbonnais at the end of July.
“(The players) feel it,” Fox said. “I know as a staff, the personnel department, the building here at Halas, we feel it. We’ve got way more competition, guys that were ‘starters’ before. It’s going to be challenging and that’s what you want to build and create. I think we’re the furthest along that we’ve been, at least in our tenure here.”
OTAs and veteran minicamp were the Bears’ first opportunity to see how their offseason additions — of which there were plenty — would compete, even if it was in a non-padded setting.
The wide receiver group was the most competitive, with three free agent additions (Victor Cruz, Kendall Wright, Markus Wheaton) and a former first-round pick returning from an injury (Kevin White). But every other position — including quarterback, excluding Mike Glennon — had some level of competition in it, too.
“We have a deep group at tight ends, deep group at running backs and then mixing the receivers in,” Glennon said. “We can give a lot of different looks. I think we can create some matchup problems with some of the guys we have.”
This era of good feelings may or may not mean anything for training camp and the 2017 season — getting, and staying, healthy will probably mean the most for this team. But the Bears could use some positivity after last year, and seem to have found it during May and June.
“I’m working with the quote-unquote second and third stringers,” linebacker Jerrell Freeman said. “It doesn’t matter. We’re in there with everybody just making sure that we’re able to communicate. That everybody sees everything the same. So I mean it’s that working together. We’re getting better everyday.”
Bears begin their summer break.
By Eli Kaberon
Bears Head Coach John Fox (Photo/chicagobears.com)
Bears players had perfect attendance during organized team activities and minicamp the past 12 weeks, with every player showing up to each workout they were expected at. To show their appreciation for those efforts, the team's coaches reciprocated with a gift every player was looking for – an early vacation.
After stretching and a light workout on Thursday morning in anticipation of the final scheduled practice of veteran minicamp, coach John Fox gathered the players and told them the offseason program was officially over. Players cheered and celebrated on their way back to the locker room, ready for six weeks off before training camp begins in July at Olivet Nazarene University in Bourbonnais.
"We shortened up our final day of minicamp and offseason, because our players deserved it," Fox said. "We had great participation in involuntary workouts, great participation and great effort. And that was their reward today. So they're off into their break and trust me, they'll be ready when they come back and report."
Over the past three months, Fox and his staff have been working on improving the depth of the Chicago roster. Along with the draft choices and free agent signings that have been added to the team since the final snap of the 2016 regular season, coaches are confident that many players that were with the team a year ago can continue to show improvement. The upgraded depth gives Fox a belief the team is further along at this point of the calendar than either of the clubs he coached the previous two years.
In addition to an upgraded roster, Fox has made changes to how the team is managed. With his third offseason program with the Bears now completed, the head coach is confident that his influence is making an impact with players.
"I think some continuity helps," Fox said. "Hopefully we've built some more depth and guys that understand our systems better, understand our culture better. And it takes players in that locker room to really carry that through - not just coaches. I feel good about where we are."
Fox said that he's currently the most encouraged about the team that he's been in his tenure with the Bears, thanks in large part to the effort and performance of the players during OTA's. The perfect attendance at practices the players aren't contractually required to attend shows that the guys on the roster really have a passion for football. It also displays that there will be serious competition for several spots once the team begins training camp in July, which is exactly what the coaching staff wants to see.
"I feel good about the vibe they have and you know the relationships they're starting to build already and for a younger team it's great," Fox said.
"I think really throughout our whole team, you know regardless of the position, I think we've created a lot more competition," the coach added. "You know whether they were a starter a year ago or not, a lot of times people talk to coaches but players know better than us about competition. They see it, they feel it, I think that's a lot of the reason why we had the participation we did and the effort we get."
The offseason program also helped raise the level of the teams play. The new players mixed with the returning talent give Fox an optimism as the Bears enter vacation, the calm before the storm of 2017 training camp and season begin.
"I think just that we're improving," said Fox. "Guys are playing faster. They're executing better. Individual assignments. This is the ultimate team game, 11 guys doing it right and doing it together. That's really the key in all three phases, in offense, defense and special teams. So we've got some young guys we played with last year who are another year better and more comfortable with what we're doing. So we'll plug in some new guys as well this year, with the draft class. And I've been impressed really with all those areas this offseason."
Floyd feeling good, ready to play. (A big key on defense for the 2017 success of the Bears).
By Eli Kaberon
"I'm just more used to things," Floyd said. "Everything was new to me last year. I'm just way more comfortable being out there with the play calls and getting out my assignments to the other guys on the field. I'm just way more comfortable."
Floyd's improvement stems from his greater mental understanding of what is expected of him by teammates and coaches. It also originates from how he's feeling. Various injuries hampered Floyd as a rookie. Those affected him into the offseason and will alter how he approaches his play moving forward.
Floyd started all 12 games he played in as a rookie, and when he was on the field, he played well. His seven sacks were third among rookies, and he also recorded a safety and strip-sack touchdown. Keeping on weight was a challenge for Floyd last season, but he said that he's stronger this year and feels better practicing in the extreme heat.
Teammates have taken notice that Floyd has improved both the mental and physical part of his game. Inside linebacker
"That guy is going to be good for a while," Freeman said of Floyd's potential. "That first step as a pass rusher. He really likes to listen. He's not a prima donna out there. He's absorbing everything out there still. I ask him questions on how he sees things. Know what I mean? It's good to have a guy out there who's so willing to learn and willing to do what it takes to be that big-time player."
Head coach John Fox said that based on his experience, players take a huge jump forward from their rookie to second seasons. Rookies tend to think, while veterans are able to just react and play. Fox says he believes that the linebacker is ready to take a big step because of where he is both mentally and physically.
Floyd agrees that he's due for a big year. He said the difference between where he is as a player in 2017 compared to a season ago is, "night and day."
But Floyd also doesn't want to put the pressure of expectations on himself. By feeling better both mentally and physically, he is hopeful things will take care of themselves.
By Tracey Myers
(Photo/USA TODAY)
The list of Blackhawks protected from the expansion draft was revealed Sunday morning, and it comes as no surprise that there weren’t really any surprises on it.
The Blackhawks went the 7-3-1 route with their protected players: Forwards Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Marian Hossa, Artem Anisimov, Richard Panik, Ryan Hartman and Tomas Jurco were protected, as were defensemen Brent Seabrook, Duncan Keith and Niklas Hjalmarsson and goaltender Corey Crawford.
When it came to protected players, much of the Blackhawks’ situation was easy to figure out due to their contract situations. Any player with a current/continuing no-movement clause was exempt, and eight of the Blackhawks’ 11 protected players have one (Toews, Kane, Hossa, Anisimov, Keith, Seabrook, Hjalmarsson and Crawford).
Hartman is coming off a great rookie season during which he recorded 19 goals and 12 assists, and considering that work the Blackhawks were going to do what was necessary to protect him. They also wanted to protect Panik, whose new two-year deal ($2.8 million cap hit per season) kicks in this fall. Panik set career highs in goals (22), assists (22) and points (44) last season.
As for Jurco, when the Blackhawks acquired him in February, general manager Stan Bowman said, “We’ll be patient with him, but we really think there’s a good fit there, looking at his skills and the style of hockey we play.” Jurco was in and out of the lineup as the regular season ended and did not play in the Blackhawks’ four playoff games.
Artemi Panarin, by the way, was exempt from expansion draft exposure. The same goes for Nick Schmaltz.
Those Blackhawks exposed to the expansion draft include forwards Marcus Kruger, Jordin Tootoo, defensemen Trevor van Riemsdyk and Michal Rozsival and goaltender Jeff Glass.
Frank Seravalli of TSN reported weeks ago that it’s possible the Vegas Golden Knights end up with both Kruger and van Riemsdyk.
NHL salary cap going up, but how much does it help the Blackhawks?
By Tracey Myers
The NHL salary cap appears to be going up a little for the 2017-18 season, but the Blackhawks will still have financial concerns.
Chris Johnston of Sportsnet.ca was one of several to report that the 2017-18 cap will be $75 million. It was $73 million last season.
As for the Blackhawks, even with the new cap at $75 million they’re still more than $2.5 million in the red thanks in part to performance bonuses. If the possibility of Marcus Kruger going to the Vegas Golden Knights comes to fruition, the Blackhawks would shed his $3.08 million cap hit. That wouldn’t leave much wiggle room for a team that’s still needing, among other things, a backup goaltender.
The Blackhawks have a few things to figure out over the next few weeks. On Sunday we found out who they’re going to protect and who they’ll expose; Kruger and Trevor van Riemsdyk were in the latter group, as expected. On Friday the Blackhawks will be hosting the NHL Draft, where they’ll make some decisions on their future. But it’s another offseason in which the Blackhawks’ have a money problem, and the small cap increase doesn’t alleviate that.
Just Another Chicago Bulls Session..... Bulls Talk Podcast: How a Sixers-Celtics trade could impact Jimmy Butler, Bulls.
By #BullsTalk
(Photo/USA TODAY)
On an abbreviated Bulls Talk Podcast, Insider Vincent Goodwill and Kevin Anderson discuss the impact of a possible Sixers-Celtics blockbuster trade and if it makes a potential deal for Jimmy Butler more likely. Vincent also gives his prediction for any deal for Butler and if he’ll be a member of the Bulls after the draft.
Listen to the latest Bulls Talk Podcast right here.
More Sprculation: Celtics trade adds intrigue to Bulls, or does it? (It's all about the possible trade?).
By Vincent Goodwill
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
The NBA Draft is days away and a wild, potentially franchise-changing week could be ahead for the Chicago Bulls.
Rumors will swirl.
Names—big names—will be thrown around and there could either be an explosion of activity where star players will change addresses, creating a potential shift in conference hierarchies.
Or, nothing will happen and the status quo will remain so.
The Boston Celtics have observers of the Bulls on high alert, perhaps for natural reasons due to their affection for Jimmy Butler. Trading the No. 1 pick to Philadelphia for the No. 3 selection caused more than a few ripples league-wide, as the Celtics acquired more future assets in the form of draft picks.
In next year’s draft, they have their own pick, Brooklyn’s first-round pick and the Lakers’ first-round pick, if it falls between No. 2-5, according to The Vertical. For the Celtics, they’re passing up on Washington’s Markelle Fultz to maybe take Kansas’ Josh Jackson, a player many believe is the best prospect in the draft.
But trading away for the chance to draft Fultz is a risk Celtics GM Danny Ainge is willing to take—and it’s calculated risks that’s gotten him to this point, with assets on top of assets along with cap space and a roster that advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals last month.
Many have drawn a straight line from the Celtics’ activity to the Bulls, as they have coveted Butler since Butler has ascended to stardom. In theory the Celtics have assets the Bulls would want to jumpstart a rebuild—multiple draft picks and existing talent they could ask for.
The more assets the Celtics have, the more assets the Bulls would ask for in a potential deal. But many around the Bulls don’t believe Ainge will even come calling before draft night, sources tell CSNChicago.com. The Celtics have enough to put a competitive team on the floor as is without having to add a player of Butler’s caliber. They have their eyes on Jazz free agent swingman Gordon Hayward and their trade of the first pick cleared enough cap savings to offer Hayward a max contract this July, as they’ll likely compete with the Jazz and Miami Heat as top suitors.
Butler made an All-NBA team this season, while Hayward did not, but the difference between the two may not be so vast for the Celtics to mortgage their future to acquire Butler over Hayward, if it comes to that.
And Ainge has worked hard to stockpile these assets; would he cash them in for a star in Butler or Pacers swingman Paul George as opposed to waiting on a megastar to hit the market?
It’s easy to fantasize but it’s clear Ainge is taking the long play here, wanting to be in prime position to take over the East when LeBron James declines, retires or departs to Los Angeles, as has been rumored.
Make no mistake, the Bulls front office has long been transparent about their so-called commitment to Butler and are certainly testing their star’s patience and sanity with the recent strategy of trying to develop some of their younger players as opposed to going after proven players.
And the possibility of selecting in the top five of the draft for the next couple years would be intriguing to a front office that’s stated the difficulty in selecting in the middle of the first round and finding productive players.
A trade of Butler will likely make things murkier for Dwyane Wade’s future, as he has until June 27 to decide whether he’ll take a $24 million payday or hit free agency and a player of his stature probably wouldn’t want to be around for a scaled-down rebuild with no anchor.
But who knows if the Bulls have an actual desire to trade Butler, as players of his caliber are hard to come by and consistently drafting high doesn’t guarantee anything in the way of the future—anyone with a rudimentary knowledge of the NBA knows that.
So the Bulls must be very careful as to how they proceed for the rest of the week, if they’re at all bothered by the noise. If nothing else, they know how Ainge operates and he’s loving every second of this pre-draft madness.
Whether the Bulls stay calm or idle, it can appear to look the same way but they know there’s a possibility the phone may ring in the next four days.
But just because it rings, it doesn’t mean the Bulls have to kowtow or that they will; the status quo may not be sexy but it may be prudent.
CUBS: Anthony Rizzo really does love batting leadoff: Smacks another homer as part of three-hit day in Cubs' win.
By CSN Staff
(Photo/USA TODAY)
It's true what they say: Anthony does love batting leadoff.
Anthony Rizzo kept the leadoff magic going Sunday, getting three hits, scoring three runs and driving in two with a seventh-inning home run that broke the game open and allowed the Cubs to cruise to a 7-1 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park.
Rizzo has absolutely mashed in five games as the team's leadoff hitter, 9-for-22 with two doubles, three homers, eight RBIs and six runs scored.
Sunday he got things started again, doubling on the game's first pitch — he's got a single, a double, a walk and two homers in five plate appearances to leadoff games — and scored two batters later on Willson Contreras' double.
Contreras drove in two more with another double in the third inning to make it 3-0, and Javy Baez scored on a Jon Jay base hit in the fourth to make it 4-0. Rizzo's two-run shot in the seventh took a tight 4-1 affair to a five-run ballgame, and Ian Happ extended that lead with a solo homer in the ninth, his third homer in his last five games.
John Lackey picked up the win, throwing well in a bounce-back performance. He allowed just one run on just two hits in his six innings of work. This follows back-to-back losses against the Miami Marlins and New York Mets in which he surrendered a combined nine runs in 11 innings.
The Cubs returned to .500 with the win, bringing their record to 34-34. They come back to Wrigley Field for a three-game set with the San Diego Padres before hitting the road again.
Pop quiz: Put your Cubs and White Sox knowledge to the test.
By CSN Staff
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
With the NBA Finals and Stanley Cup playoffs behind us, the baseball season is in full swing.
Here in Chicago that means there’s just as much to watch as ever. But how well do you actually know the Cubs and White Sox? These 10 questions will put even the most dedicated fan to the test. All stats as of June 17, 2017 at 7 p.m.
*NOTE: Answers at the bottom.
1. Which pitcher has the most innings pitched this season?
Jake Arrieta
Miguel Gonzalez
Derek Holland
John Lackey
Jon Lester
Jose Quintana
2. Who has the most hits this season?
Jose Abreu
Kris Bryant
Melky Cabrera
Avisail Garcia
Jason Heyward
Anthony Rizzo
3. Which team has hit more homers at home this season?
4. Who has the highest K/9 this season (minimum 10 appearances)?
Wade Davis
Carl Edwards Jr.
Justin Grimm
Nate Jones
Tommy Kahnle
David Robertson
5. Who leads the Cubs in holds this season?
Brian Duensing
Carl Edwards Jr.
Hector Rondon
Pedro Strop
Koji Uehara
6. Name four of the seven prospects the White Sox received in the Adam Eaton and Chris Sale trades.
7. Who’s made the most appearances in CF for the Cubs this season?
Albert Almora Jr.
Ian Happ
Jason Heyward
Jon Jay
Ben Zobrist
8. Outside of pitcher and catcher, Ben Zobrist has appeared at every position on the field this season except for two spots. Name them.
9. Who uses Frank Sinatra for their walkup music?
Matt Davidson
Todd Frazier
Leury Garcia
Anthony Rizzo
Addison Russell
Ben Zobrist
10. Which team has retired the most numbers?
ANSWERS:
Which pitcher has the most innings pitched?
Jon Lester – 83.1
Jose Quintana – 81.2
Miguel Gonzalez – 78.2
John Lackey – 75.1
Derek Holland – 73.2
Jake Arrieta – 73
Jon Lester is a horse and betting against him when it comes to IP is crazy.
Who has the most hits?
Avisail Garcia – 84
Jose Abreu – 77
Melky Cabrera – 71
Kris Bryant – 62
Anthony Rizzo – 61
Jason Heyward – 50
While the Cubs offense has dominated headlines the past few years, Avi Garcia has seemingly hit everything over the plate this year. Abreu is also quietly putting together a very consistent approach at the plate.
Which team has hit more homers at home?
Cubs: 51 in 35 games
White Sox: 27 in 27 games
The Friendly Confines have been very friendly to the Cubs. The White Sox on the other hand seem to only eat their Wheaties on the road.
Who has the highest K/9 this season (minimum 10 appearances)?
Tommy Kahnle – 15.25
David Robertson – 13.14
Wade Davis – 12.73
Carl Edwards Jr. – 12.65
Nate Jones – 11.57
Justin Grimm – 11.28
With a fastball that can touch 100-mph and a wipeout changeup, Kahnle has had a career year this season, thanks in part to his improved control.
Who leads the Cubs in holds?
Koji Uehara – 8
Carl Edwards Jr. – 7
Hector Rondon – 7
Pedro Strop – 7
Brian Duensing – 2
Although there wasn’t much fanfare when the Cubs signed Uehara to bolster their pen, the 42-year-old has been one of their most dependable relievers posting a 2.70 ERA and a 0.86 WHIP.
6. Name four of the seven prospects the White Sox received in the Adam Eaton and Chris Sale trades.
Lucas Giolito, Reynaldo Lopez and Dane Dunning from the Nationals.
Yoan Moncada, Michael Kopech, Luis Alexander Basabe and Victor Diaz from the Red Sox.
Who’s made the most appearances in CF for the Cubs this season?
Albert Almora Jr. – 40 games
Jon Jay – 18 games
Ian Happ – 17 games
Jason Heyward – 10 games
Ben Zobrist – 0 games
With Dexter Fowler gone, Almora Jr. has made many impressive plays at CF, but Joe Maddon has rotated several guys at the position.
8. Outside of pitcher and catcher, Ben Zobrist has appeared at every position on the field this season except for two spots. Name them.
3B and CF
Who uses Frank Sinatra for their walkup music?
Todd “The ToddFather” Frazier. We think “Fly Me to the Moon” is the absolutely perfect song for the big bopper from Jersey.
Which team has retired the most numbers?
White Sox – 10: Nellie Fox (2), Harold Baines (3), Luke Appling (4), Minnie Minoso (9), Luis Aparicio (11), Paul Konerko (14), Ted Lyons (16), Billy Pierce (19), Frank Thomas (35), Carlton Fisk (72) ... and Mark Buehrle is set to have his number retired June 24th.
Cubs – 5: Ron Santo (10), Ernie Banks (14), Ryne Sandberg (23), Billy Williams (26), Fergie Jenkins and Greg Maddux (31)
How’d you do?
If you got all 10 right, we underestimated your knowledge — or made the questions too easy.
Seven, eight or nine right? You definitely watch a lot of baseball.
Four, five or six? We bet you’re devoted to one of the teams.
Three or fewer? We get it, we miss hockey and basketball too. But don’t worry, then NFL season is right around the corner!
WHITE SOX: Blue Jays spoil James Shields' return in White Sox loss.
By Dan Hayes
(Photo/USA TODAY)
James Shields and the White Sox appeared to have everything under control on Sunday afternoon.
Then Toronto Blue Jays finally arrived.
Shields pitched well into the sixth inning in his first start in two months, but an offensive explosion helped the Blue Jays avoid a series sweep. Russell Martin and Kendrys Morales both homered late as Toronto sent the White Sox to a 7-3 loss in front of 46,599 at the Rogers Centre.
“One through nine you can’t take anything off,” Shields said. “They’ve got a good lineup over there. Just trying to mix up my pitches, my location, trying to get first-pitch outs. For the most part I was doing that. The last inning I needed to bear down right there but pretty good overall.”
Ironic that after he allowed a fair amount of loud outs in the previous two innings that it was a dinker that sent Shields to a no decision. Shields was efficient and stayed out of trouble for much of his first start since April 16. He worked off the outside edge to many of Toronto’s right-handed hitters, which allowed him to avoid trouble much of the way. Shields stranded a pair in the first inning and two more in the fourth after he allowed a pair of deep fly balls outs to Jose Bautista and Morales.
Toronto nearly broke through in the fifth with a bunch of hard contact, including an RBI single by Kevin Pillar to cut the White Sox lead to 3-1. But Yolmer Sanchez made a nice stop up the middle to take a hit away from Bautista and end the inning.
Shields then quickly retired the first two men in the sixth inning before Troy Tulowitzki reached base with a dribbler up the third-base line that somehow stayed fair long enough to hit the base. Shields worked away to Martin but he got enough of a 1-1 cut-fastball to sneak it over the center-field fence for a game-tying, two-run homer.
“I didn’t think it was going to get out,” White Sox manager Rick Renteria said. “I thought Willy (Garcia) had a nice read on it. It looked like it hit the top of the wall. (Shields) gave us a nice outing. …
“He did a very, very good job of keeping us there.”
Shields had hoped to go deeper into the game for a starting staff that is starved for length. White Sox pitchers have produced only five quality starts in the team’s last 26 games. But aside from that, Shields said he felt good in taking the mound after the first disabled list-stint of his career.
“In between innings I was telling the umpire at second base I need to slow myself down a little bit,” Shields said. “Being in the league as long as I have, I still got excited out there. So I was trying to be real methodical with my rhythm. It felt good to be out there.
“I wanted to go deeper in the game. Obviously, 3-1 ballgame, you’ve got to get that out. I got two outs quick in the sixth right there. I’ve got to bear down and get the out.”
The White Sox bullpen struggled to record outs.
Ryan Goins’ two-out RBI triple off Anthony Swarzak put the Blue Jays ahead 4-3 in the sixth. They tacked on three more runs in the seventh inning, including a massive, 460-foot, two-run homer by Morales off Dan Jennings.
The White Sox finally broke through against J.A. Happ in the fifth inning. Sanchez had the third of three consecutive singles to make it 1-0. Jose Abreu’s two-out, two-run single past Tulowitzki gave them a three-run lead. But Happ avoided further damage with a strikeout of Avisail Garcia, one of nine K’s on the day for the veteran left-hander.
“We kept trying to grind. Shieldsy was containing them good up to the homer,” Renteria said. “We were battling when Swarzy came in and we didn't get the result we wanted. I don't think you can put your head down, we won a series.”
James Shields activated, Miguel Gonzalez to DL as White Sox gain one starting pitcher and lose another.
By CSN Staff
(Photo/USA TODAY)
James Shields is finally back for the White Sox, but as one starting pitcher came off the disabled list, another went on it.
Shields was activated after a lengthy injury recovery ahead of Sunday's game against the Toronto Blue Jays, in which he's scheduled to make his first start since April 16. In a corresponding move, the White Sox sent Miguel Gonzalez to the 10-day DL with A/C joint inflammation in his right shoulder.
Shields has only made three starts this season, all of them quite good. He allowed just three runs — one run in each start — in 16.2 innings back in April, striking out 16 hitters in those three games.
But Shields went on the disabled list on April 21 with a strained right lat and hit a few snags in his recovery, keeping him there for nearly two months.
Gonzalez had a nice start to the campaign and boasted a 2.00 ERA after four starts, but things have gone poorly since. His ERA on the season ballooned to 5.49 after an ugly outing this past Wednesday, when he yielded eight runs in five innings in a loss to Baltimore Orioles.
In his last nine starts, Gonzalez is 1-8 with a 7.36 ERA.
What Carlos Rodon still needs to accomplish before he returns to White Sox.
By Dan Hayes
(Photo/USA TODAY)
Carlos Rodon is almost back with the White Sox save for a few items that still remain on his checklist.
The White Sox received another good round of reports about Rodon after he made his third rehab start on Saturday night. Rodon pitched for Triple-A Charlotte and allowed three earned runs and seven hits in 5 2/3 innings. He walked one batter and struck out one.
Rodon is likely to make one more rehab start before the White Sox determine the next step, which would appear to be pitching in the majors barring a setback. After clearing a number of physical hurdles along the way, Rodon appears to have reached the fine-tuning point of his rehab assignment.
“The biggest thing for all of us right now that we’re really happy with is he’s healthy,” manager Rick Renteria said. “We want him to use his breaking ball a little more down there, mix in all of his pitches, so he when he does join us he’s fully capable of doing what he did in the past.”
The White Sox hoped Rodon could provide them with 32 starts and 200 innings this season until he was slowed down late in spring training. He started the season on the disabled list with bursitis in his left shoulder and was transferred to the 60-day DL in early May around the same time that he finally moved back onto the mound. Rodon has since made steady progress, including throwing a simulated game in front of Renteria, Rick Hahn and Don Cooper when the club was in Arizona last month. He made his first rehab start on June 11.
Rodon’s return would be significant for a White Sox rotation that has seen four injuries this season. The group entered Sunday with quality starts in only five of its last 25 games.
“He felt good,” Renteria said. “He physically felt good. He’s still a little elevated, threw more strikes. He is really close. Hopefully he continues to work on attacking the zone, getting his pitch count up and his innings up, and we’ll see him here I’m sure down the road after everybody is comfortable with where he’s at.”
Golf: I got a club for that..... Koepka cruises to first major at U.S. Open.
(Photo/Getty Images)
Amid a crowded leaderboard and facing difficult conditions, Brooks Koepka barely broke a sweat en route to winning the U.S. Open.
Koepka had six birdies during a final-round 67 that turned a one-shot deficit into a four-shot win over Brian Harman and Hideki Matsuyama. It is Koepka’s second career PGA Tour victory, and at age 27 he is now a major champion.
"It's unbelievable. I don't know what to say right now," Koepka said. "To do it here, where I played the 2011 U.S. Amateur, is really special. it was a real team effort."
With winds gusting upwards of 30 mph at the start of the day, Koepka birdied each of his first two holes to move to the top of the standings. He added a lengthy birdie on No. 8 and despite a three-putt bogey on No. 10 he maintained at least a share of the lead across the entire back nine.
Koepka broke out of a tie with Harman with a birdie on No. 14, the first of three straight birdies that essentially put the tournament on ice. Koepka’s 16-under total matches Rory McIlroy’s record score in relation to par from the 2011 U.S. Open at Congressional, and he is now the seventh straight first-time major champ dating back to Jason Day’s win at the 2015 PGA.
"I knew where I stood. I was just trying to get it as low as I could," Koepka said. "It was something I thought was important, just to keep the pedal down."
Koepka’s lone prior win came at the 2015 Waste Management Phoenix Open, but he has been a perennial contender in majors. This is Koepka’s eighth straight finish of T-21 or better in majors, including a T-4 finish at last year’s PGA Championship. He has now finished T-18 or better each of the last four years at the U.S. Open.
"What I've done this week is amazing," Koepka said. "To win the same tournament as some of the names on this trophy, it's unbelievable."
Tommy Fleetwood finished alone in fourth place, while Rickie Fowler was among a group tied for fifth at 10 under.
Erin Hills victor will be first $2M major winner.
By Will Gray
(Photo/Golf Channel Digital)
To the victor go the spoils.
This year’s U.S. Open purse ballooned to a record $12 million, and the winner at Erin Hills will walk away with a whopping $2.16 million, up from $1.8 million last year. It will be the first time that a player receives more than $2 million for winning a major, as Sergio Garcia got $1.98 at this year’s Masters.
Jimmy Walker’s PGA win last year earned him $1.8 million while Henrik Stenson took home just under $1.6 million for winning The Open.
This week’s runner-up, while denied the other benefits that come with winning a major, will still leave Wisconsin with just under $1.3 million – which is more than the $1.26 million Angel Cabrera received for winning at Oakmont in 2007.
Each of the 76 pros who missed the cut will still receive $10,000, while 68th place – last among those who made the cut – will make $22,729. Everyone finishing inside the top 24 will make at least $105,000.
Here’s a look at the total prize breakdown for the top 10 on the final leaderboard at Erin Hills:
Winner: $2,160,000
2nd – $1,296,000
3rd – $804,023
4th – $563,642
5th – $469,460
6th – $416,263
7th – $375,278
8th – $336,106
9th – $304,188
10th – $279,403
Thomas sets U.S. Open record with 9-under 63.
(Photo/Golf Channel Digital)
Justin Thomas buried a 8-foot eagle putt at the last Saturday at Erin Hills to make U.S. Open history with a 9-under-par 63.
His 9-under total is one shot better than any single round ever posted in the 117 years of the championship. (Click here for highlights)
His 63 equals the championship – and that recorded in any major – record.
The previous best U.S. Open score in relation to par was Johnny Miller's final-round, 8-under 63 at Oakmont in 1973. Miller told Golf Channel, following Thomas' performance: "Nine under is an unbelievable score even for a regular PGA Tour event, let alone an event with the pressure of the U.S. Open. Justin's a streaky player, he's a lot like me, I was a streaky player. He has four wins already in his career with two of them kicking off 2017. This just adds to the fabulous year he's having."
It adds to a remarkable year of scoring marks for Thomas, who became the youngest player to shoot 59 in a PGA Tour event at the Sony Open, where he also set the Tour’s 72-hole scoring record (253) winning that event.
Thomas said he wasn’t completely aware of the history he was making as he stepped over his last putt Saturday at Erin Hills.
“I was just trying to get to 63, because that is the magic number,” Thomas said. “I had no idea about [the record] in relation to par.”
Fowler still without as another wins first major.
By Will Gray
(Photo/Golf Channel Digital)
A major trophy went to a first-time winner for the seventh straight time, but Rickie Fowler remains on the outside looking in.
“It was a tough day out there,” Fowler said. “I know it was probably a little less wind than the guys saw this morning, but it still wasn’t easy. I mean, wind was affecting putts quite a bit, and it was tough to get things going.”
Fowler opened with a lengthy birdie on the first hole, but he missed a 6-footer on the next hole that proved to be one of his better chances on the day. He made only one other birdie the rest of the way until a two-putt birdie on No. 18, by which time his title chances were long gone.
“I definitely did make some good putts out there to keep things going, but I also made a couple bogeys that I really couldn’t afford being a couple back at the time,” he said. “I wish I would have been able to give myself a few more looks out there today and make a few more birdies.”
Fowler was Ryder Cup teammates with Koepka, Dustin Johnson and Jimmy Walker last fall, and he has watched as each experienced a major breakthrough over the last 53 weeks. Fowler’s finish this week was his sixth career top-5 in majors, likely strengthening his grip on the unwanted title of best player without a major title, but he sees plenty of positives to take from his week in Wisconsin.
“I feel like golf-wise I’m playing at the highest level,” he said. “If you look at the negatives too much, I mean, you’re going to be stuck doing that the whole time. You have to measure success in different ways, not just by winning, just because that doesn’t happen a whole lot. I think Tiger had the best winning percentage of all time at 30 percent, and you’re lucky to even sniff close to 10 (percent).
“You kind of have to say, ‘Hey, it’s a major.’ We played well this week. I felt like I did a lot of good things, especially in the first round, executing my game plan.”
Henderson beats Lexi, Wie to win Meijer LPGA Classic.
By Associated Press
(Photo/www.thestar.com)
Brooke Henderson made it a special Father's Day.
With father and coach Dave Henderson and other family members watching, the 19-year-old Canadian won the Meijer LPGA Classic on Sunday for her fourth LPGA tour title, holding off Michelle Wie and Lexi Thompson by two strokes in cool, windy conditions.
''It was just like the perfect day,'' she said. ''My dad is my coach, he's a great father to both my sister (caddie Brittany) and I, and he's one of our best friends. He's with us all the time, and he gave me a lot of lines early in the week that I didn't know, that I wouldn't normally take without him there. But he said, 'If you want to win and you want to contend, you need to take these lines off the tee.'
''I did that and I had an advantage over the rest of the field all four days. So this win, I say it's for him, but it really is for him because I probably wouldn't have done it without him.''
''I did that and I had an advantage over the rest of the field all four days. So this win, I say it's for him, but it really is for him because I probably wouldn't have done it without him.''
Henderson closed with a 66 on the Blythefield layout that was reduced to a par of 69 – the fifth hole was played as a par 3 instead of a par 5 – the final two rounds because of flooding.
Wie finished with a 65, and Thompson had a 69.
Henderson finished at 17-under 263 and earned $300,000. She led after each of the first two rounds, shooting 63-67 at a par of 71, and had a 67 on Saturday to drop a stroke behind Thompson.
Henderson won twice last year, taking the KPMG Women's PGA Championship for her first major, and successfully defending her title in the Cambia Portland Classic.
Henderson had three birdies in a bogey-free round. She birdied Nos. 7 and 8, while Thompson faltered.
''I missed a short one on 10, which I would have liked to have, but then I made a great birdie on No. 11,'' Henderson said. ''I had zero bogeys on a day like today where it was super windy. And any day on Sunday, there's that little bit of extra pressure and you're in contention so you want to play really well so you might push a few more shots than you would like.''
Thompson was 1 over on the first five holes with two bogeys.
Thompson hit one of the longest drives of the day on No. 9, put her approach shot within 20 feet and made the birdie putt to tie for the lead. But she bogeyed No. 10 to fall out of the lead.
''I hit my driver great the whole day, so that was definitely a positive,'' Thompson said. ''I didn't roll the putter that well today. It is what it is. I hit two great last putts. I almost made the two long ones.''
Wie shared the lead early in the round and wound up with five birdies and no bogeys.
''It was tough out there,'' Wie said. ''The wind just started blowing and it was just interesting. Some spots are really wet, some spots are dry, but overall I felt like I played good this week and I'm happy about it.''
Su Oh (64), Madelene Sagstrom (65) and Moriya Jutanugarn (66) tied for fourth at 14 under.
Second-ranked Lydia Ko had a 68 to tie for 10th at 12-under. Top-ranked Ariya Jutanugarn, coming off a playoff victory last week in Canada over Thompson and In Gee Chun, had a 69 to for 22nd at 9 under.
NASCAR: Kyle Larson holds off Chase Elliott to capture FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan.
By Jerry Bonkowski
(Photo/Getty Images)
Talk about bookending: Kyle Larson started the race weekend by being fastest in practice, then qualified No. 1 and went on to win Sunday’s FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan International Speedway.
Larson has now won the last two Cup races at MIS, having scored his first career Cup win there last August.
Sunday’s win is the third career win for Larson, who won earlier this year at Fontana. That means Larson has won the last three races at NASCAR’s two 2-mile speedways.
Larson led a race-high 96 of 200 laps. The win also put him back into first place in the NASCAR Cup standings, overtaking Martin Truex Jr. Larson now leads Truex by five points.
“For us to withstand a few restarts there at the end with some tough competitors was pretty important,” Larson said in victory lane to FS1. “Cool to win it and a great Father’s Day present for myself, too.”
For the third consecutive race at MIS, Chase Elliott finished runner-up.
“From where we started the day to where we ended up, I was real proud of our effort,” Elliott told FS1. “I’m happy we could have a solid day, put ourselves into position … had a couple opportunities to get the lead, but unfortunately it didn’t work out. We’ll move on … and try to get ’em next week.”
Joey Logano finished third, his best finish since his April 30 win at Richmond. In five races between Richmond and Michigan, Logano hadn’t finished higher than 21st.
Denny Hamlin finished fourth, followed by Larson’s teammate, Jamie McMurray. Sixth through 10th were Martin Truex Jr., Kyle Busch, Ricky Stenhouse, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Jimmie Johnson
Truex won both Stage 1 and 2, giving him 10 stage wins for the season. Kyle Busch is second with four stage wins.
HOW LARSON WON: On the final restart with five laps to go, Larson bumped fenders with Denny Hamlin going into Turn 1, regained the lead and then sailed away to victory lane. He also had the most dominant car of the day, leading almost half of the race.
WHO ELSE HAD A GOOD RACE: Joey Logano broke his five-race run of poor performances with a third-place finish. Likewise for Dale Earnhardt Jr., who finished ninth to earn his third top-10 finish of the season.
WHO HAD A BAD RACE: Danica Patrick finished last in the 37-car field, but it was not her fault. She was involved in a late-race crash after Bubba Wallace ran into the rear of Daniel Suarez, who slammed into Patrick. Her Ford hit hard on the inside wall.
NOTABLE: Ryan Sieg finished 33rd in his first NASCAR Cup race. … Darrell Wallace Jr. finished 19th in his second career Cup race. … Trevor Bayne finished 17th and made a quick getaway as his wife is expected to give birth to the couple’s second child on Monday.
QUOTE OF THE RACE: “We’ve been so close to so many other wins. This is our second Cup win of the year, but we’ve had (five) second-place finishes. All in all a good season so far and we’ll continue to keep building on what we’ve got.” – Race winner Kyle Larson.
WHAT’S NEXT: The series goes west June 25 at Sonoma Raceway for the Toyota/Save Mart 350, the first of two road-course races.
Kyle Larson moves atop points standings, but Martin Truex Jr. increases playoff lead.
By Nate Ryan
(Photo/Brian Lawdermilk/Getty Images)
Kyle Larson retook the Cup points lead from Martin Truex Jr. with his victory Sunday at Michigan International Speedway, but the Chip Ganassi Racing driver lost ground to Truex in another important category.
Truex, who finished sixth and dropped five points behind Larson, increased his series-leading playoff points total to 20 with two stage wins at Michigan. He is five points ahead of Jimmie Johnson and seven in front of Larson in the playoff standings. Those points will carry through the first nine races of the playoffs.
Truex has a series-high 10 stage victories this season, four more than second-ranked Kyle Busch.
The regular-season champion will be awarded 15 playoff points (five more than the runner-up), so Larson still can gain ground on Truex by maintaining the points lead through the first 26 races.
Click here for the points standings after Sunday’s race at Michigan.
Denny Hamlin beats William Byron in Michigan Xfinity race in narrow finish.
By Daniel McFadin
(Photo/www.zimbio.com)
Denny Hamlin edged William Byron by 12-thousandths of a second in the closest Xfinity Series finish at Michigan International Speedway.
Byron had led at the white flag of the Irish Hills 250 after a restart with two laps to go. Hamlin caught Byron on the backstretch and the two battled all the way to the finish line.
The previous closest margin of victory – 0.192 – was in in August 2000 when Todd Bodine beat Michael Waltrip.
It is Hamlin’s 16th Xfinity win. The finish was setup by a Matt Tifft spin with five laps to go.
“(Byron) did a great job,” Hamlin told Fox Sports 1. “I knew he had a really good car during that last long run we had, he was about to pass me. He’s done a great job. … I wanted to race him clean. I wasn’t going to turn him or anything like that. I stayed below him and it got him a little bit loose through (Turn) 1 and 2. That allowed me to get into position. Then into Turn 3, we both got sideways. He slid up enough to let just let me get to the right rear. It was just enough to drag race by him.”
For Byron, it’s the best career finish for the JR Motorsports rookie and his third top five of the season.
“We were so close, it really hurts to be that close and not win,” Byron told Fox Sports 1.
“(Hamlin) got the side-draft off of me off of (Turn) 4 and that’s the run he need to the line. Just couldn’t quite get enough to get back to him … It hurts, but we’ll get one soon.”
Filling out the top five was Byron, Elliott Sadler, Brad Keselowski and Kyle Busch.
Stage 1 winner: Brad Keselowski
Stage 2 winner: Elliot Sadler
WHO HAD A GOOD DAY: Pole-sitter Kyle Busch bounced back from a Lap 1 accident to finish fifth in his fourth Xfinity of the year … Elliott Sadler finished third for his best result at Michigan in 13 starts … Ty Dillon finished sixth to tie his best result of the year … Paul Menard finished seventh for his first top-10 finish in three Xfinity starts this season.
WHO HAD A BAD DAY: Michael Annett, Ben Kennedy, JJ Yeley and Brandon Jones were in a Lap 38 wreck at the start of Stage 2 that began when Jones got loose on the backstretch. Annett, Kennedy and Yeley were eliminated from the race. Jones bounced back to finish ninth … Justin Allgaier finished 16th in his first finish outside the top 15 since Atlanta.
NOTABLE: Denny Hamlin is the 10th different driver to win a Xfinity race this season … Joe Gibbs Racing has four wins with three different drivers.
WHAT’S NEXT: American Ethanol E15 250 at Iowa Speedway at 8:30 p.m. ET on June 24 on Fox Sports 1
Elliott Sadler retakes Xfinity points lead after Michigan.
By Daniel McFadin
(Photo/Getty Images)
After a stage win and a race finish of third, Elliott Sadler retook the Xfinity Series points lead following the Irish Hills 250 at Michigan International Speedway.
Sadler entered the race trailing Justin Allgaier, his JR Motorsports teammate, by one point. Sadler now has a 21-point advantage over Allgaier, who finished 16th in the race.
The top five is completed by William Byron (-72), Daniel Hemric (-121) and Brennan Poole (-134).
Click here for the full points standings.
John Hunter Nemechek gets first Truck win of year with Gateway victory.
By Daniel McFadin
(Photo/www.jayski.com)
John Hunter Nemechek led the final six laps following a restart with eight to go to win the Camping World Truck Series’ race at Gateway Motorsports Park.
NEMCO Motorsports is the first non-Kyle Busch Motorsports or GMS Racing team to win this year.
The win comes after Nemechek entered the race with no laps led despite two top-five finishes. Outside those two races, Nemechek had finished 21st or worse in every other race.
“It’s definitely an emotional win,” a tearful Nemechek told Fox Sports 1. “All the hard work that goes in, everyone’s worked their tails off. We haven’t had the best luck this year.
Getting into victory lane when we needed to, God is great, I can’t thank him enough. I knew all the hard work would pay off. This is an awesome Father’s Day present for dad here and team owner (Joe Nemechek).”
Nemechek later said, “Not knowing how many more races we’re going to get to this year, this definitely means a lot.”
Joe Nemechek said only half the team’s races for this season had sponsorship and that there was doubt whether the No. 8 Chevrolet would be able to go to the next race at Iowa Speedway.
“I hate to see John Hunter go through that, he has so much talent,” Joe Nemechek told FS1. “He’s going to be a Cup champion one of these days. Right now, we’re just trying to get to the next race. He is tough. As far as driving the racecar is one thing, but when you deal with all the financial part of it just to figure out how to keep going, that makes it hard on a young kid. … That was his will tonight. We got the truck close, but he was on it.”
Chase Briscoe, who led a race high 88 laps, finished second for the second week in a row. The rookie was one of two drivers who pit during the final caution for tires, leading to a frantic charge through the field.
The top five was completed by Chase Briscoe, Johnny Sauter, Matt Crafton and Grant Enfinger.
Stage 1 winner: John Hunter Nemechek
Stage 2 winner: Chase Briscoe
WHO HAD A GOOD NIGHT: Christopher Bell was in second on the last lap, but contact with Briscoe cut his left rear tire and sent him to sixth. … Matt Crafton earned just his second top five of the year …. Ryan Truex finished seventh for his sixth top 10 in a row … Grant Enfinger earned his third top five of the year.
WHO HAD A BAD NIGHT: The 11 trucks that failed to finish due to some sort of mechanical failure … Todd Gilliland earned his second DNF in as many starts after a transmission problem on Lap 114 … Jennifer Jo Cobb failed to start after the team discovered a hole in her radiator on the starting grid and was unable to make repairs. … Josh Reaume brought out the only caution outside of the stage endings. His No. 50 truck stalled on pit road with 12 laps to go.
NOTABLE: The No. 02 of Austin Hill failed front heights in post-race inspection. Any penalties will be announced later in the week.
QUOTE OF THE NIGHT: “Those guys just took two tires and I was on no tires and we had a lot of laps on them right side tires and we were just done. You win some, you lose some and everybody is upset but at the same time they knew we were here tonight.” – Matt Crafton after finishing fourth.
WHAT’S NEXT: The Iowa 200 at Iowa Speedway at 8:30 p.m. ET on June 23 on Fox Sports 1.
Johnny Sauter keeps Truck points lead as John Hunter Nemechek qualifies for playoffs.
By Daniel McFadin
(Photo/Getty Images)
Johnny Sauter continues to lead the Camping World Truck Series standings after finishing third in Saturday’s race at Gateway Motorsports Park.
Sauter has a 38-point lead over Christopher Bell through eight races.
Completing the top five is Matt Crafton (-62), Chase Briscoe (-69) and Ben Rhodes (-99).
With his win, John Hunter Nemechek qualified for the playoffs. He is now ninth in the standings and has six playoff points after he also won Stage 1.
Click here to see the full points report.
SOCCER: Fire hold on to hand New England its first home loss.
By Dan Santaromita
(Photo/USA TODAY)
The evolution of the Chicago Fire from doormat to championship contender took another big step on Saturday.
The Fire beat the New England Revolution 2-1 at Gillette Stadium with goals from Nemanja Nikolic and Luis Solignac.
It’s an impressive win because New England (5-6-5, 20 points) is a playoff contender which was undefeated at home.
The Fire (9-3-4, 31 points) took the lead in the 18th minute with Nemanja Nikolic getting behind New England’s defense and finishing his own rebound.
Both teams had chances in an open first half, but the Fire maintained control and added the second goal after a series of nice passes before Solignac finished it off in the 61st minute.
The Fire also won without David Accam, who was not even among the list of substitutes. With Accam out, Juninho stepped into the starting lineup and Bastian Schweinsteiger played a different role than his typical central midfield spot. Schweinsteiger played as a central defender, a bit of a sweeper/libero role, between Johan Kappelhof and Joao Meira.
New England adjusted at halftime, switching formations with forward Juan Agudelo replacing midfielder Scott Caldwell. The Revs had most of the possession in the second half and scored with a goal from Antonio Mlinar Delamea in the 70th minute. Schweinsteiger moved back to midfield soon after the goal when Jonathan Campbell entered the match and became the third central defender.
It was an all-out onslaught on the Fire’s goal in the final 15 minutes, but New England missed chance after chance that seemed destined to be the equalizing goal. The Revs finished with 24 shots, 18 of which came in the second half.
“Wins like this, suffering a little bit, but taking the three points is really important for the spirit of the group as well,” Solignac said on the CSN broadcast after the match.
The Fire are now unbeaten in nine straight games across all competitions and have matched last season’s point total with still a majority of the season remaining.
Report links Jakub Blaszczykowski to the Fire, but could it happen?
By Dan Santaromita
(Photo/AP)
The Chicago Fire are on a winning run and Bastian Schweinsteiger's signing has broken the stigma that the club wasn't willing to spend big money.
So now when the Fire are named in rumors and reports, things are looked at with a more serious glance than in previous years.
The latest report is a fairly juicy one by MLS standards. A report out of Poland, picked up by NBC Sports, connected the Fire with Polish national teamer and Wolfsburg right winger/right back Jakub Blaszczykowski.
The Fire reportedly went after Blaszczykowski last summer, but he stayed in the Bundesliga and moved from Borussia Dortmund to Wolfsburg with a 5 million Euro transfer fee.
The 31-year-old has 90 caps for Poland and, even if he is past his prime, his resume and age indicate he would likely still be successful in MLS. The question is how would the Fire get him.
Blaszczykowski would likely require a high MLS salary. The Fire are full in designated player spots (Schweinsteiger, Nemanja Nikolic, David Accam) and are already using Targeted Allocation Money, the league's often confusing salary cap resource which can allow for mid-to-high six-figure salaries without a player counting as a DP, on Johan Kappelhof, Michael de Leeuw and Juninho.
In other words, if the Fire have interest in Blaszczykowski again this summer, it would likely mean another player would have to move first.
There has been question about the long-term future of Accam. Fire general manager Nelson Rodriguez has said there were offers from foreign clubs for Accam last summer, but the Fire turned them down. Rodriguez also admitted that the team has broken off contract extension talks, which took place during last season, until after this season ends. The Fire have an option on Accam for 2018.
"I will not be surprised that there will invariably be some offers in the summer window," Rodriguez said on May 23. "We have not received any as of yet, but just knowing that we had them last year, knowing that he’s playing even better, that he’s in the prime ages, we have an expectation that something will come.”
To sell Accam in the middle of the Fire's best season in years would be a bold move, even if it came with the addition of Blaszczykowski.
As far as rumors go, Blaszczykowski makes sense due to the large Polish population in Chicago, but other dominoes would have to fall in place first before the move is possible.
Portugal 2-2 Mexico: Late goals leave sides level.
By Kyle Bonn
(Photo/Getty Images)
Mexico looked positive in the opening 20 minutes, with Portugal holding the majority of possession but Juan Carlos Osorio’s squad looking up to the task.
There was a big moment after 20 minutes, as it appeared Pepe had scored on the volley after Cristiano Ronaldo hit the post, but after the goal was initially given, the referee asked for a video review, with VAR available in the tournament. After a quick video review, replay showed four Portuguese players offside on the initial delivery into the box, and the goal was wiped off. The call was correct, and the replay review was lightning quick.
Nevertheless, the moment sparked Portugal, and they began to grow into the ascendency. Moments after Memo Ochoa was forced to make a brilliant save, tipping the ball over the bar after it was headed by his own defender Carlos Salcedo, Portugal pounced. Ronaldo did the hard work to carry the ball into the box and cut between three defenders, and he laid off for Ricardo Quaresma who was completely unmarked on the other end of the net. The Besiktas made no mistake, touching past Ochoa and then tapping into the back of the net for a 1-0 lead.
Once they grabbed the lead, however, Portugal’s cutting edge was lost. Mexico had a moment before halftime to pull back level, but while Carlos Vela’s cross met the head of Chicharito, the Bayer Leverkusen striker couldn’t do much with it, only weakly touching it into the waiting arms of Rui Patricio on the hop.
He would atone for the mistake moments later, bringing Mexico back even. Raul Jiminez sent the ball into the box, and a terrible whiff by Portugal defender Raphael Guerrero saw the ball drop to Carlos Vela, who whipped it back into the box for Chicharito who crashed home a header to equalize the score at 1-1.
The Mexican frontman had yet another chance right on the stroke of halftime, but he slipped trying to shoot and sent the ball into the clouds.
After the break, both teams looked to play with less attacking intent, and there were few attempts on net until the final minutes when Portugal began to pour men forward. With five minutes remaining, the Euro champions had their best chance to break the deadlock, as Andre Silva headed on net, but Ochoa was there to keep him out.
Mexico couldn’t see out the point, however, and Portugal seemingly grabbed a winner. Seconds after the Ochoa save, substitute Gelson Martins burst down the right edge of the box, and while his cross cannoned off Hector Herrera, it fell to Cedric Soares. His attempt on net clipped Herrera and deflected into the back of the net for a 2-1 lead.
But again, the lead wouldn’t last long for Portugal. A Mexico corner in the 92nd minute fell to the head of Hector Moreno, and he buried the chance, beating Jose Fonte in the air.
With the late pair of goals, the points were shared, and both teams finished looking up at Russia who leads Group A.
Cameroon 0-2 Chile: Vidal, VAR the stars.
By Nicholas Mendola
(AP Photo/Ivan Sekretarev)
Eduardo Vargas darted onto a through ball in what looked like a perfectly-timed run.
VAR thought differently.
The Video Assistant Referee pulled back Vargas’ opening goal for Chile in a decision that seemed anything but conclusive, but substitute Alexis Sanchez found Arturo Vidal for a second-half winner over Cameroon at Otkrytiye Arena in Moscow.
Chile goes atop the 2017 Confederations Cup’s Group A before Australia and Germany meet Monday in Sochi. Cameroon is fourth.
Chile was the better side in the first half, and Vargas hit the woodwork in the first minute before the pulled back goal.
Cameroon backstop Fabrice Ondoa came up with several big saves for the CAF side.
The second half saw Cameroon on the front foot for a 20-25 minutes, and manager Juan Antonio Pizzi called upon dinged-up Arsenal striker Alexis Sanchez for the final 20 minutes.
And Sanchez did deliver, literally, sending a swooping ball for Vidal to head home with 10 minutes to play.
Chile nearly saw a second goal pulled back by VAR, as Alexis Sanchez’s breakaway run that led to Vargas depositing a rebound was very close to being offside.
Juicy rumor: Ronaldo, Morata for De Gea, $234 million.
By Nicholas Mendola
Photo by Gonzalo Arroyo Moreno/Getty Images
The rumors regarding Cristiano Ronaldo’s future are going to be inescapable and in many cases insufferable, but there’s little debating the juicy nature of this particular apple.
There are only so many clubs who can handle his contract and the transfer fee, but interest in a return to Manchester United has been a two-way street for some time now.
Ronaldo seems ready to start down that road, according to reports, and one coming out of Italy via Tuttosport says United may have a massive idea to bring him “home” to Old Trafford.
In order to obtain both the 32-year-old’s services and those of Real teammate Alvaro Morata, United is reportedly ready to offer the following to Madrid:
- $234 million
- David De Gea
Not a bad haul for the Meringues, who have reaped the rewards of spending on Ronaldo back in 2009 for the then 24-year-old. Ronaldo has only gone onto score 406 goals for Real. Pretty overrated (massive eye roll).
Why would Real include Morata in the deal? That’s what makes the rumor a bit goofy, though perhaps La Liga’s champions know they can land Kylian Mbappe from Monaco or another high profile player? Let’s face it, they can land just about anyone.
NCAAFB: The most difficult college football schedules in 2017.
By Tom Fornelli
These five schools have what look to be the toughest schedules in the country this season.
Back in May, I went through every schedule in the Power Five conferences, as well as the American Athletic Conference, to determine which teams will be playing the most difficult schedules in the 2017 season. I did more than just look at a schedule and say "oh that's hard" or "that's easy." My rankings are based on math, using the same formula I've used to compile my Fornelli 50 and Bottom 25 rankings here on CBS Sports.
After publishing the rankings for each conference, there was a common question showing up in my Twitter mentions and my inbox: which schools had the most demanding schedules overall?
Well, I do like to give the marvelous people of the internet what they ask for, so in this week's Friday Five I've decided to rank the five most difficult schedules in the 2017 season. Now, there's something you should all know before we get into it, and it's that there are quite a few Big Ten teams represented here.
The reasoning for this is simple. While the SEC and ACC may be stronger conferences overall, every team in the Big Ten plays nine conference games, while the ACC and SEC play only eight. Furthermore, no Big Ten team plays a team from the FCS this year. Meanwhile, every team in the SEC does, and most ACC teams do. That matters when compiling the numbers.
So be forewarned that there's a lot of Big Ten coming your way here.
Most Difficult Schedules
After publishing the rankings for each conference, there was a common question showing up in my Twitter mentions and my inbox: which schools had the most demanding schedules overall?
Well, I do like to give the marvelous people of the internet what they ask for, so in this week's Friday Five I've decided to rank the five most difficult schedules in the 2017 season. Now, there's something you should all know before we get into it, and it's that there are quite a few Big Ten teams represented here.
The reasoning for this is simple. While the SEC and ACC may be stronger conferences overall, every team in the Big Ten plays nine conference games, while the ACC and SEC play only eight. Furthermore, no Big Ten team plays a team from the FCS this year. Meanwhile, every team in the SEC does, and most ACC teams do. That matters when compiling the numbers.
So be forewarned that there's a lot of Big Ten coming your way here.
Most Difficult Schedules
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Mike Gundy's Oklahoma State Cowboys teams have won at least 10 games in five of the last seven seasons. If they're to make it six in eight, it will not be easy. While the nonconference schedule may not strike you as a gauntlet, Tulsa Golden Hurricane is coming off a 10-win season of its own, and a road trip to face Pittsburgh Panthers won't be easy. In conference play, the Cowboys only have four road games, but they include Texas Tech Red Raiders , Texas Longhorns and West Virginia Mountaineers in back-to-back weeks, and finally Iowa State Cyclones . Between those final three road games is Oklahoma Sooners in Stillwater as well. That will be a difficult stretch.
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| 4 |  |
Lovie Smith's second season at Illinois Fighting Illini will begin with a home game against Ball State Cardinals , a game his team should win. After that, the rest of the noncom incudes Western Kentucky (22 wins the last two season) and a road trip to South Florida Bulls (18 wins the last two years). If there's good news, it's that both of those schools have new coaches in 2017, so the transition may be rough on them. Conference play provides Illinois some relief in that they draw both Rutgers Scarlet Knights and Indiana Hoosiers from the East, but their third East opponent is Ohio State Buckeyes in Columbus. Complicating matters is the fact that some of what you'd consider Illinois most "winnable" conference games will come on the road against Iowa Hawkeyes , Minnesota Golden Gophers and Purdue Boilermakers . Meanwhile, both Nebraska Cornhuskers and Wisconsin Badgers come to Champaign.
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| 3 |  |
Syracuse Orange will start the season with three rather simple nonconference games. It will play Central Connecticut State (I never realized Connecticut Huskies was even large enough to need directional schools), Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders , and Central Michigan Chippewas . Now, aside from the fact all three of those schools seem located near the center of their states, the only other thing they have in common is that they won't be too difficult. Unfortunately for Syracuse, the pain begins afterward: a road trip to LSU Tigers . After playing NC State Wolfpack on the road, there's a three-week stretch that includes home games against Pitt and Clemson Tigers and a road trip to Miami. The Orange then take a bye week before hitting the road to take on Florida State Seminoles . Following the Seminoles is a home game against Wake Forest Demon Deacons , which should be winnable, but the week after that it's a road trip to Louisville Cardinals . Reaching a bowl game will not be easy for Syracuse.
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| 2 |  |
Jeff Brohm's first season at Purdue will not be a simple one. The noncom includes a home game against Ohio Bobcats , but that game will come between a neutral site contest against Louisville in Indianapolis and a road trip down to Missouri Tigers . Conference play then begins with a home game against Michigan Wolverines . Are we having fun yet, Purdue? After that, the Boilermakers find themselves taking road trips to Wisconsin, Rutgers, Northwestern Wildcats and Iowa with home games against Minnesota, Nebraska, Illinois and Indiana sprinkled in between. There's a very real chance that Purdue could be a better team in 2017 yet still finish with a worse record than the 3-9 it posted last season.
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| 1 |  |
If Michigan State Spartans rebounds from an awful 3-9 record last year to compete in the Big Ten East this year, it will have earned it. The nonconference isn't murderous, but it's not simple, either. Bowling Green Falcons should be a win, and Western Michigan won't be easy, but there's some question as to how good the Broncos will be following so many key losses. Then there's Notre Dame Fighting Irish , which went 4-8 last season, but Notre Dame was a better team than its record reflected. Still, what does it for Michigan State is its Big Ten schedule. The Spartans not only have to play Ohio State, Michigan and Penn State Nittany Lions this season, but only Penn State will be coming to East Lansing. Also, five of Michigan State's Big Ten games will be on the road this season (it's the East's turn), and its cross-divisional draw avoids the West's heavyweights, but it still provides challenges in Iowa, Minnesota and Northwestern.
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NCAABKB: Follow-Up: Louisville to appeal NCAA’s ruling; Pitino: ‘We did not deserve any of this at all’.
In a press conference following the NCAA’s announcement that Rick Pitino will be suspended for five games and the program will be forced to vacate the 2013 national title, Louisville made one thing very clear: They believe that the punishment they received as “excessive”, and they are going to fight the NCAA’s rulings for as long as they can.
I’ve lost a lot of faith in the NCAA with what they just did,” Pitino said, adding later that, “I know the committee was sickened by this. So were we. But they made a very large mistake.”
“We did not deserve any of this at all.”
Louisville fans will have roughly three more months to wait on word on whether or not that appeal will be successful — Louisville has 15 days to file their appeal, the NCAA has 30 days to respond, Louisville will get 30 days to respond to the response and then the NCAA will have 15 days to make a final ruling.
The biggest issue here is that the NCAA has ruled that 108 games and 15 NCAA tournament wins from Dec. 2010 through July 2014, including the 2013 national title, will have to be vacated by Louisville. The rest of the punishments levied — four years of probation, a five-game suspension for Pitino, a handful of recruiting restrictions, the 2016 self-imposed postseason ban — are all either relatively minor or less than what many expected, but that banner will be coming down will be a big deal. No school has ever had a national title vacated.
The crux of Louisville’s appeal will center around the value of what was provided. The reason that games are being vacated is that the players involved — according to the NCAA, 15 recruits and three enrolled student-athletes — received impermissible benefits from a member of the coaching staff. They were, in the NCAA’s eyes, ineligible to play at that point.
According to the book published by Katina Powell, the self-proclaimed escort queen that provided the strippers and sex workers, roughly $10,000 changed hands during the four years that this was happening. From a monetary perspective, these benefits are relatively minor and, according to Chuck Smrt, had they been identified in real time, the restitution to keep the athletes eligible would have been made quickly. Louisville even argued in their response to the Notice of Allegations that the value of the benefits meant that these should be Level III, not Level I, violations.
The NCAA, however, determined that the lurid nature of what occurred — a member of the coaching staff paying for “adult entertainment and/or sex acts” for recruits, 7-10 of whom were under 18, and players — the dollar value of said entertainment.
Louisville may have a point, but it does not appear to be a point that the NCAA is going to be willing to concede on.
For the record: Statement from Scott Tompsett on behalf of Rick Pitino
The finding against Coach Pitino is one of the weakest I’ve ever seen against a head coach.
The original allegation was that Coach Pitino failed to monitor by not actively looking for and evaluating red flags. But throughout the entire investigation and the nearly twelve-hour hearing before the Committee on Infractions, not once did either the enforcement staff or the Committee ever identify a single red flag. And today’s decision does not mention the phrase “red flag” a single time.
Instead, the decision hinges on a vaguely-worded rationale about creating an environment in which the violations eventually occurred, alleged delegating of monitoring to assistant coaches and Coach Pitino’s failure to train Mr. McGee.
But the decision does not identify a single specific thing that Coach Pitino should have done, that he wasn’t already doing, that would have either prevented or detected the illicit activities. The secret and deliberately hidden illicit activities certainly did not occur because Coach Pitino did not properly train Mr. McGee.
Today’s decision breaks with established head coach control precedent and imposes a standard of strict liability.
Coach Pitino intends to exercise his right to appeal the finding and the penalty.
Holly Holm Knocks Out Bethe Correia with Head Kick.
MMA
(Photo/David McIntyre-USA TODAY Sports )
Former UFC women's bantamweight champion Holly Holm snapped a three-fight losing skid on Saturday by knocking out No. 11 ranked Bethe Correia in the Fight Night Singapore main event.
Both ladies were cautious in the early going, waiting on the other to initiate an exchange. It was a slow-paced fight that saw little action. In the second round, the referee encouraged the fighters to engage as the crowd grew increasingly restless inside the Singapore Indoor Stadium.
In the third round, a frustrated Correia urged Holm to come forward and exchange. Seconds later, she was knocked out on the cavas. Holm unleashed a left high kick reminiscent of the one that ended Ronda Rousey‘s reign atop the division. It impacted Correia's face and the Brazilian crumbled to the canvas. “The Preacher's Daughter” followed up with a left hand that finished the job.
“This fight I knew that she could make look messy and I heard a lot of boos from the first round, but what I wanted to do was make it look as clean as I could,” said Holm after the knockout win. “That was the goal. That was the plan, bait her into something and make a clean shot.”
Holm's win over Rousey at UFC 193 in November 2015 was the last time she tasted victory inside the Octagon. She didn't call anyone out, or indicate whether she'd compete at 135-pounds or 145-pounds in her next outing.
“I'm going to enjoy this night right now, enjoy the victory tonight. It's been a year and a half since I've been able to do a back flip in here,” she said.
On This Date in Sports History: Today is Wednesday, June 19, 2017.
Memoriesofhistory.com
1846 - The New York Knickerbocker Club played the New York Club in the first baseball game at the Elysian Field, Hoboken, NJ. It was the first organized baseball game.
1867 - In New York, the Belmont Stakes was run for the first time.
1942 - Paul Waner (Boston Braves) became the third National League player to get 3,000 hits.
1943 - The National Football League approved the merger of the Philadelphia Eagles and the Pittsburgh Steelers.
1972 - The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the anti-trust exemption that major league baseball uses was Constitutional. The court called upon the U.S. Congress to repeal the sport's special status.
1973 - Pete Rose (Cincinnati Reds) got his 2,000-career-hit.
1973 - Gordie Howe left the NHL to join his sons Mark and Marty in the WHA (World Hockey Association).
1986 - University of Maryland basketball star Len Bias died of a cocaine-induced seizure.
1999 - The Dallas Stars won their first NHL Stanley Cup by defeating the Buffalo Sabres in the third overtime of game six. The game actually ended on June 20th.
1867 - In New York, the Belmont Stakes was run for the first time.
1942 - Paul Waner (Boston Braves) became the third National League player to get 3,000 hits.
1943 - The National Football League approved the merger of the Philadelphia Eagles and the Pittsburgh Steelers.
1972 - The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the anti-trust exemption that major league baseball uses was Constitutional. The court called upon the U.S. Congress to repeal the sport's special status.
1973 - Pete Rose (Cincinnati Reds) got his 2,000-career-hit.
1973 - Gordie Howe left the NHL to join his sons Mark and Marty in the WHA (World Hockey Association).
1986 - University of Maryland basketball star Len Bias died of a cocaine-induced seizure.
1999 - The Dallas Stars won their first NHL Stanley Cup by defeating the Buffalo Sabres in the third overtime of game six. The game actually ended on June 20th.
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