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"Sports Quote of the Day"
"You can have all the talent in the world, but without determination, you won't get very far." ~ Malorie Blackman, Writer of Literature and Television Drama for Children
"You can have all the talent in the world, but without determination, you won't get very far." ~ Malorie Blackman, Writer of Literature and Television Drama for Children
TRENDING: Bourbonnais bummer: Why Mitch Trubisky could be sidelined at start of training camp. (See the football section for Bears news and NFL updates).
TRENDING: Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews will soon no longer have the NHL's highest cap hits. (See the hockey section for Blackhawks updates and NHL news).
TRENDING: Improving Cristiano Felicio glad to continue developing with Bulls. (See the basketball section for Bulls news and NBA updates).
TRENDING: Theo delivers trade-deadline reality check: No one player from the outside will fix Cubs; Matt Davidson tied for second-most White Sox rookie homers before All-Star Game. (See the baseball section for Cubs and White Sox updates).
TRENDING: Munoz (61) leads Love by two at Greenbrier Classic. (See the golf section for PGA news and tournament updates).
TRENDING: NASCAR weekend schedule at Kentucky for Trucks, Xfinity & Cup. (See the NASCAR section for NASCAR news and racing updates).
TRENDING: Fire endure late onslaught to hold on for a draw in Portland. (See the soccer section for Fire news and worldwide soccer updates).
TRENDING: 'Let's do it again': Horn dares Pacquiao for rematch. What's Your Take? (Please read the last article on this blog and share your thoughts with us. We love hearing from you).
TRENDING: 'Let's do it again': Horn dares Pacquiao for rematch. What's Your Take? (Please read the last article on this blog and share your thoughts with us. We love hearing from you).
Bear Down Chicago Bears!!!!! Bourbonnais bummer: Why Mitch Trubisky could be sidelined at start of training camp.
By Chris Boden
As much as Bears top draft pick Mitch Trubisky says he'll be on the field as part of the first training camp practice three weeks from Thursday, he and his agents know this is a business.
Bruce and Ryan Tollner will not let their client take the field in Bourbonnais without a deal in place, even if they let it slide during organized team activities and minicamp last month. It's great the kid says he'll be there, deal or not, but they won't let it happen without being signed, sealed and delivered.
It's important to note that the Tollners have represented the last two No. 2 two overall picks, who've also happened to be quarterbacks. Back in 2015, Marcus Mariota was their man and things got a little dicey before he eventually signed a four-year, $24 million contract that included nearly $16 million guaranteed. The Titans historically didn't include offset language in their deals for first-rounders, but agreed to a partial offset in this case as the day of reckoning neared. Offset language allows teams to only pay the portion of the original contract if, in the worst-case scenario, the player is such a bust that they cut him but is signed elsewhere. Any new deal would offset or negate the fourth-year salary of his original rookie contract from what he's paid by his new team. He'd be basically earning what the new team pays, not the money from his original contract plus the salary from his new team.
Last year, the Tollners and Carson Wentz accepted offset language, as did Jared Goff with the Rams. In the end, Wentz signed a four-year deal worth approximately $27 million, about $17-1/2 million guaranteed.
Based on that math, the Bears are probably looking at a four-year investment worth $28-30 million, and upwards of $18 million or more guaranteed. The offset language, the i's dotted and the t's crossed, factor into whether the kid's promises to be on the field July 27 become a reality.
Why the Bears defense wants more responsibility in 2017.
By Chris Boden
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
As much as Bears top draft pick Mitch Trubisky says he'll be on the field as part of the first training camp practice three weeks from Thursday, he and his agents know this is a business.
Bruce and Ryan Tollner will not let their client take the field in Bourbonnais without a deal in place, even if they let it slide during organized team activities and minicamp last month. It's great the kid says he'll be there, deal or not, but they won't let it happen without being signed, sealed and delivered.
It's important to note that the Tollners have represented the last two No. 2 two overall picks, who've also happened to be quarterbacks. Back in 2015, Marcus Mariota was their man and things got a little dicey before he eventually signed a four-year, $24 million contract that included nearly $16 million guaranteed. The Titans historically didn't include offset language in their deals for first-rounders, but agreed to a partial offset in this case as the day of reckoning neared. Offset language allows teams to only pay the portion of the original contract if, in the worst-case scenario, the player is such a bust that they cut him but is signed elsewhere. Any new deal would offset or negate the fourth-year salary of his original rookie contract from what he's paid by his new team. He'd be basically earning what the new team pays, not the money from his original contract plus the salary from his new team.
Last year, the Tollners and Carson Wentz accepted offset language, as did Jared Goff with the Rams. In the end, Wentz signed a four-year deal worth approximately $27 million, about $17-1/2 million guaranteed.
Based on that math, the Bears are probably looking at a four-year investment worth $28-30 million, and upwards of $18 million or more guaranteed. The offset language, the i's dotted and the t's crossed, factor into whether the kid's promises to be on the field July 27 become a reality.
Why the Bears defense wants more responsibility in 2017.
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
The Bears’ defense is collectively still figuring out what it can be in 2017, but there’s been an underlying current of optimism flowing from Vic Fangio’s group this spring and summer.
This is a group that is confident it can be better than the injury-addled bunch that finished 24th in scoring defense and 22nd in Football Outsiders’ DVOA in 2016.
This is a group that is confident it can be better than the injury-addled bunch that finished 24th in scoring defense and 22nd in Football Outsiders’ DVOA in 2016.
Perhaps it’s because the defense looks less a rebuilding project — after all, safety Eddie Jackson was the only draft pick on that side of the ball — and more a veteran-heavy bunch that may not have any standouts, but could have the pieces to bond into a reliable unit.
“We want all the responsibility, we want to be in there with two minutes on the clock, I want you to punt the ball and let us try to stop this and end the game,” defensive end Akiem Hicks said last month. “I feel like we take a lot of responsibility on ourselves and that’s just our mindset.”
Consider the years of experience of the bigger-name free agents the Bears signed in the offseason: Nine (Quintin Demps), six (Prince Amukamara), five (John Jenkins and Jaye Howard) and four (Marcus Cooper). There are plenty of been-there-done-that guys on this defense, and while that doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll be successful, having a sizable group of veterans probably fed that optimism that should carry over to training camp.
Having Leonard Floyd make significant strides in Year 2 as a pro remains hugely important, as does the overall health of the defense and its ability to generate more turnovers.
“Strengths are everywhere,” linebacker Jerrell Freeman said. “The strengths are knowing and understanding what everybody is doing and then being able to play fast. The pass rush is going to help. The DBs, we’ve got some good new DBs back there. So we’re just able to fly around out there. Being able to fly around is our biggest strength. We’ve got a lot of speed out there. So we can have some fun.”
Bears Talk Podcast: Jim Miller shares how he'd manage Glennon, Trubisky, QB competition.
By #BearsTalk
(Photo/USA TODAY)
In this episode of the Bears Talk Podcast, Chris Boden is joined by his post game partner and former Bears quarterback, Jim Miller. Jim shares his thoughts on starting QB Mike Glennon and rookie backup Mitch Trubisky. He also explains what needs to happen before he'd let Trubisky take the field.
Plus, Trubisky told the media he's confident the Bears can make the playoffs this season. Hear his comments, and Kevin White's reaction to his confidence.
Finally, Chris and Jim preview the NFC North rival Detroit Lions.
Listen to the latest BearsTalk Podcast here.
How 'bout them Chicago Blackhawks? Moving forward, who are the Blackhawks' center options?
By Tracey Myers
(Photo/USA TODAY)
The inevitable happened on Sunday, when the Blackhawks traded Marcus Kruger to the Vegas Golden Knights, who then traded him to the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday.
While Kruger is headed to a new team full of former teammates, the Blackhawks have to figure out how to move forward at center. Outside of a few appearances on the second line, Kruger had been the Blackhawks’ reliable fourth-line center for the last few seasons. Now his absence, coupled with Blackhawks not extending Dennis Rasmussen a qualifying offer, leaves the Blackhawks with vacancies down the middle.
As of now, it looks like the Blackhawks may have to revert back to an old habit: taking guys who are more familiar at wing and putting them at center. Hey, look at the roster right now; not a lot of true centers remaining. Anyway, let’s look at the current options.
Tanner Kero
This is an easy choice for one of the bottom two lines. Kero made a good impression on the team last season, and as Denis Rasmussen’s stock fell, Kero’s rose. As with a few other Blackhawks, the faceoff numbers were decent but could be better (he won 44.4 percent of his draws last season).
Nick Schmaltz
Schmaltz’s true position is center, and he did pretty well when Artem Anisimov was injured last season. But overall he looked more comfortable as a wing. He, Jonathan Toews and Richard Panik found a good deal of success together last season, but with Brandon Saad back in the fold, Schmaltz will move. At the NHL Draft, coach Joel Quenneville said Schmaltz will get another chance to play with Patrick Kane, this time at left wing. But with the shortages at center now, you wonder if Schmaltz is back in the middle. If so, he’s another one who needs work at faceoffs.
Tommy Wingels
The Blackhawks acquired the versatile forward on July 1, and while he’s played some center he’s more likely to stay on the wing. As general manager Stan Bowman said, the Blackhawks wanted more right-handed shots and players able to take faceoffs, and Wingels’ fills both of those needs. But as far as playing center full time, Wingels probably won’t be that guy.
Patrick Sharp
No, no, no, no, no and one more time, no. Yes, oh-never-forget-the-2010-Cup-run Twitter, we know he centered the team that postseason. It’s not his natural spot, he’s better at left wing, so leave him there. That said, given his past center work Sharp can help on faceoffs and the Blackhawks will take every bit of that. But keep him at left wing.
Laurent Dauphin
The Blackhawks acquired him as part of the deal that sent Niklas Hjalmarsson to the Arizona Coyotes. He doesn’t have much NHL experience – he played in 32 career games with the Coyotes – but Dauphin said playing in the AHL last year, “helped me and I think I’m more ready now than ever to play in the NHL.” If he has a good camp, he could get an opportunity.
By Charlie Roumeliotis
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
Beginning in 2018-19, Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews will no longer have the highest cap hits in the NHL.
The pair of Blackhawks superstars inked identical eight-year, $84 million contracts that kicked in during the 2015-16 season, with their annual average value of $10.5 million being the highest among all players. Until Wednesday when it was announced in Edmonton that captain Connor McDavid agreed to an eight-year extension worth $100 million, which comes out to a $12.5 million AAV.
The 20-year-old All-Star had a historic sophomore campaign with the Oilers by becoming the third-youngest player (Sidney Crosby and Wayne Gretzky) in league history to win the NHL's scoring title and Hart Trophy for MVP. He also helped the franchise snap a 10-year playoff drought.
McDavid's new deal will take up 16.7 percent of the current $75 million cap ceiling; the maximum allowed by the Collective Bargaining Agreement is 20 percent. For comparison, when Kane and Toews signed their megadeals, they took up 15.2 percent each.
Montreal's Carey Price will also pull even with Kane and Toews starting in 2018-19 after recently signing the largest contract by a goaltender, an eight-year, $84 million deal with a $10.5 million cap hit.
Just Another Chicago Bulls Session..... Improving Cristiano Felicio glad to continue developing with Bulls.
By Vincent Goodwill
(Photo/USA TODAY)
Cristiano Felicio first earned minutes two seasons ago as an unheralded big man with a soft voice, quick feet and soft hands that spoke volumes more than a low-toned voice.
Now he carries the same low-toned voice and is still low-key but has become enough of a commodity for the Bulls to reward him with a four-year contract worth $32 million, a deal reached in the opening hours of free agency.
As painful as this new direction the Bulls are traveling in expects to be, a decision on bringing back Felicio was as much a no-brainer for the Bulls as Felicio’s answer to what he’ll do with a pay increase that rises to $8 million annually from roughly $875,000 last season.
“I'm planning on getting my mom a house, and after that I'm not sure what I'm going to do with the money,” Felicio said on a conference call with media Thursday afternoon.
“It feels great. Since I got here, I thought the Bulls had a great organization and they've worked with me since Day 1 and they wanted me to continue to be here and working and putting the Bulls jersey on. So for me it was great to sign with them again because I'm very happy here and I'm glad that I'm coming back.”
Assuming the Bulls don’t unload starting center Robin Lopez, Felicio will continue his progression as a dependable rebounder and finisher around the rim, as he averaged 11 points and 11 rebounds per 36 minutes. With the raw numbers, Felicio averaged nearly 4.8 points and 4.7 rebounds in 15.8 minutes as a roller to the rim on pick and rolls.
Now he says he hopes to improve on his midrange game as the Bulls hope to employ Fred Hoiberg’s wide-open system next season. Wins and losses won’t matter as much as player development and with Felicio turning 25 on Friday, he believes he’ll progress as quickly in the seasons to come as he has in the first two years in Chicago.
“For sure I was surprised. Because like I said when I got here, nobody knew me,” Felicio said. “And for the first six, seven months I was just working, staying on the court trying to improve my game. So to be able to end the first season the way I did, for sure, was eye-opening to me for what I could do in the future.”
He had his best games of the year when the 2015-16 season wound down and the road was cleared with Joakim Noah out with injury and Pau Gasol headed for free agency.
Considering he came from Pouso Alegre, Brazil, not exactly a basketball hotbed for NBA prospects, the positive reinforcement was necessary.
“Everyone who's been with me since the beginning knows how hard I worked, how many "nos" I got in the beginning of my career, how hard it was for me to get to this point,” Felicio said. “Even when people doubted me, I tried not to listen to it and just keep working, keep improving.
“Now I've been here for a year or two, and to get this contract now is a blessing because I have been working since I was like 13. I've had really bad moments and moments when I thought I wasn't going to be able to go anywhere in the back of my head. My mom helped me throughout everything. My family was with me. And to be here now, coming from a city where sports is not even a big thing, it's unreal.”
Now he’s one of Hoiberg’s dependables, as the Bulls will have only a few holdovers from last season and still are engaged in contract negotiations with Nikola Mirotic, a fellow restricted free agent with whom Felicio shares an agent.
“Yeah, for sure they're going in a new direction,” Felicio said. “We have a lot of young guys, a lot of guys that are hard workers and I know a few of them from my last two years here. I'm sure it's going in a great direction. Not a lot of people are putting faith in us, but if we keep working, when the season starts I'm sure we'll have pretty good season.”
Guest list: Bulls announce 13 players waking up in Vegas for summer league.
By #BullsTalk
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
Although the rebuild has been the talk of the town lately, let's not forget that the Bulls are reigning summer league champs.
Defending their rather meaningless crown, however, takes a backseat to other storylines as play begins in Vegas this week.
The highest intrigue item is catching a first glance at young question marks that could be part of the Bulls' core for years to come. Among them, Kris Dunn and Lauri Markkanen - two highly touted pieces acquired in the Jimmy Butler blockbuster - will be making their Bulls' debut in Sin City, the team announced Wednesday.
Here's a look at the full roster:
Brady Heslip, G
The Baylor product is known as a sharpshooter, especially from beyond the arc. Now 27, he's averaged 18.5 points and connected on 43 percent over the course of his G- (formerly known as D-) League career.
Antonio Blakeney, G
Blakeney was a top prospect coming out of high school. The 20-year-old was named a 2015 McDonald's All-American and chose to take his talents to LSU to play alongside Ben Simmons. Unlike Simmons, who was selected No. 1 in the 2016 NBA Draft, Blakeney went undrafted in this year's event. The guard averaged 12.6 points for the Tigers last season.
Ryan Arcidiacono, G
One can only hope Arcidiacono brings Jim Nantz's tie to Vegas. The guard was given the oddly egotistical gift after starring on the NCAA champion Villanova squad in 2016. He signed with the Spurs after that dream run and spent the duration with their Austin affiliate.
Paul Zipser, F
Zipser came on strong near the end of last year, even getting run in the Bulls' first-round loss to the Boston Celtics. He averaged 5.5 points on 40 percent shooting in Fred Hoiberg's offense.
Dejan Todorovic, F
The 23-year-old Serbian played for Bilbao in Spain last season. Todorovic came off the bench for Bilbao, averaging just over 5 points per game and made 3-pointers at a 37 percent clip.
Cameron Payne, G
Payne didn't make any impact after coming over from Oklahoma City in a midseason trade, but with Rajon Rondo out of the picture, the 22-year-old will have more opportunities.
Lauri Markkanen, F
The Arizona product has been touted as a big that can immediately stretch the floor. That's a skill the Bulls covet considering they ranked 25th in 3-point shooting.
Chris Walker, F
Another former McDonald's All-American, Walker went undrafted out of Florida in 2015. He spent last year with the Rio Grande Vipers, the Houston Rockets' development team.
Kris Dunn, G
Dunn's rookie woes have been well chronicled. He shot under 40 percent and - different from many other lottery picks - is already 23. The Bulls are high on him, though, and we'll catch a glimpse at his game in Vegas.
Amida Brimah, C
The 7-footer played four years at Connecticut, shooting near 60 percent in all of his seasons. He's also a rarity in the sense that he shoots fairly well from the line.
Denzel Valentine, G
Although he was pitched as a guy who could contribute right away, Valentine's rookie season was a disappointment. He shot 35 percent in 51 games. Not ideal.
Jerrelle Benimon, F
Benimon has bounced around from the G League to China in his professional career. In college, he didn't break into the rotation at Georgetown and ultimately transferred to Towson.
Nikola Jovanovic, C/F
Another shooting big, Jovanovic played his college ball at USC. He eclipsed 45 percent from 3 last season in the G League.
CUBS: Theo delivers trade-deadline reality check: No one player from the outside will fix Cubs.
By Patrick Mooney
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
“Oh my God,” Cubs manager Joe Maddon said, dropping into his seat in the Wrigley Field interview room after Thursday’s 11-2 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers. “Honestly, there’s not a whole lot to talk about. That game goes in the trash can as quickly as any game you’ve ever played.”
What about this entire season? Too soon? Probably, but team president Theo Epstein sent the message loud and clear before the first-place Brewers absolutely blitzed the defending World Series champs, opening up a 4.5-game lead in the National League Central and showing the system-wide issues with a 42-43 team.
Even in welcoming back favorite son Kyle Schwarber from Triple-A Iowa, Epstein sounded a little cranky. Maybe it was a combination of the sweltering heat inside a home dugout packed with reporters, the TV guy who kept poking him with a microphone and versions of the same questions about the inconsistent Cubs.
“Look, if we can improve the club through trade, we will,” Epstein said. “But our biggest fixes are inside the clubhouse. This is a team that’s largely the same club that won 200 games, averaged 100 wins a year over the last two years.
“There’s not a player that we realistically can bring in from the outside that’s going to spur us to play at that level.
“We’re going to get to a point of playing at that level because of the guys who are here. And of course, we’re going to work hard and do what we can for the club. It might happen. It may not happen. But the biggest fixes rest in the talented players that we have.”
Translation: Figure it out, Joe. The players can’t count on the trade-deadline “boost” Jon Lester just talked about on the Fourth of July. Don’t waste your time making fantasy-baseball trades on Twitter.
If anything, Epstein’s front office might look to buy low on raw talent and plan for the future, the way they did last year with Mike Montgomery, who walked off the mound on Thursday afternoon with runners on the corners and one out in the third inning and the Cubs already down 5-0.
You heard more boos when lefty reliever Jack Leathersich walked three straight batters – including pitcher Zach Davies – to force in the sixth and seventh runs. You heard sarcastic cheers from the crowd of 41,576 when Leathersich struck out Jesus Aguilar to end the inning, the Cubs now trailing 9-0.
The week after dumping Miguel Montero for his critical comments/over-the-top honesty – and summoning Victor Caratini from Iowa – Epstein was noncommittal about adding an experienced catcher.
“Maybe, if the right veteran guy is out there, sure,” Epstein said. “We also really like the way Caratini handled his first start and we look forward to him getting the opportunity to play a little bit more, too.
“But if the right guy is out there, and the right trade is out there, sure. If not, I’m pretty confident in what Victor brings to the table. He carries himself more like a veteran than a typical rookie catcher with how calm he is behind the plate.”
The Cubs had long admired Jonathan Lucroy, but never felt like Milwaukee would deal him to a division rival, and it’s not clear how much they’re interested now that the Texas Rangers have put him on the trading block. Detroit Tigers catcher Alex Avila sounds like the more realistic target in any Justin Verlander speculation.
“You can’t put too much stock in rumors,” Epstein said. “Every player out there on a team that isn’t in first place will come up in a rumor. Sometimes there’s something to it. Sometimes there’s not. You guys can do your own analysis.”
This is the takeaway that would have sounded unthinkable in spring training: A season that began with talk about the Cubs becoming a dynasty could become more and more about player development and gearing up for 2018, even while staying in the NL Central race.
“That’s probably where the greatest improvements will come,” Epstein said, “the talent that rests inside our clubhouse, inside of the players who are wearing Cubs uniforms right now.
“We’ll do what we can to augment that. There’s not going to be a fundamental shift in the player personnel that we have. We like our club. We don’t like the way we’ve played to date.”
He's Back: Kyle Schwarber makes his return to Chicago.
By Tony Andracki
(Photo/AP)
The Schwarbs is back in Chicago.
The Cubs recalled Kyle Schwarber from Triple-A Iowa early Thursday morning.
The left-handed slugger was sent down to the minors on June 22 after struggling to the tune of a .171 batting average (the lowest among qualified big-league hitters) and .673 OPS in 64 games.
Schwarber was sent down to regain confidence and fine-tune his swing so he could get back to doing damage on fastballs.
Think it's safe to say Schwarber accomplished that goal.
After a few days off to clear his head, Schwarber reported to Iowa and mashed, hitting four homers and driving in nine runs in 11 games to go with a .343/.477/.714 slash line (1.192 OPS). Schwarber walked eight times against 12 strikeouts.
Schwarber could be the July boost this Cubs team needs as his bat changes the landscape of this lineup, especially if he can help bring stability to the leadoff spot.
It's also worth noting Schwarber dealt with some bad luck this season, as his .193 batting average on balls in play (BABIP) illustrates.
In a corresponding move, the Cubs placed John Lackey on the 10-day disabled list with plantar fasciitis in his right foot. The team had already moved around their rotation to give Lackey some extra rest and with the four-day All-Star Break coming up next week, Lackey may not even miss a start.
Why Cubs believe Kyle Schwarber is ready to do damage again: 'I'm not a pouter'.
By Patrick Mooney
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
In some ways, it felt like Kyle Schwarber never left.
Schwarber’s image loomed in New Era advertisements on the Wrigley Field video boards, the team store at the stadium’s Waveland Avenue entrance and on the side of Clark Street Sports. Schwarber Watch ran for multiple news cycles during his 11-game sabbatical with Triple-A Iowa.
The Cubs remained the same underachieving team: 36-35 on June 21 when Schwarber was told to take a few days off to decompress before reporting to Des Moines — and 42-42 when he walked back through the clubhouse on Thursday at 10:15 a.m.
Wearing jeans, cowboy boots and a camouflage hat, Schwarber dropped his backpack at his locker, where more than a dozen media types loitered, waiting around for the optimistic sound bites. Schwarber gave Ben Zobrist a bear hug and playfully punched Willson Contreras in the stomach, all smiles around guys who wouldn’t have that World Series ring without him.
“I’m not a pouter,” Schwarber said with a laugh before a makeup game against the first-place Milwaukee Brewers. “I’m pretty dang confident in myself. I’ve overcome a lot of different things.
“I feel like that was a really big learning experience for me. Now knowing what I have to do to get back — if things start going wrong again, whatever it is — I feel really confident.”
The doubts still crept in as Schwarber stunningly withered from playoff legend the last two Octobers (and part of November) into one of the worst hitters in the big leagues this season (.171 average, .673 OPS) for a majorly disappointing team.
“When the guys look up at the scoreboard, you see all these numbers,” manager Joe Maddon said. “It’s impactful when you see your number being so low and you want to get it back by next Wednesday. And it’s not going to be done by next Wednesday, so you start trying to do more and more and more, where it’s really appropriate to try and do less.
“‘Try easier’ is a really good phrase. It’s really difficult to get highly competitive young players to try easier at times. But that’s exactly what he needs to do.”
Where the Cubs completely overhauled Jason Heyward’s swing during the offseason, team president Theo Epstein framed Schwarber’s program as “more about a reset for him than it was a rebuilding.”
“Everything got a little bit too big for me,” Schwarber said, talking specifically about his mechanics and not the post-World Series victory lap and all the off-the-field attention the 2016 Cubs have enjoyed. “Just my moves and everything like that.
“It wasn’t drastic. It was just being able to focus on some little things. I was just missing my pitch. It’s being able to shorten things down and now get back on my pitch. It’s feeling good.”
Schwarber didn’t just lose all this talent overnight, the skills that made him the No. 4 overall pick in the 2014 draft, a monster hitter for a 97-win team in 2015 and the World Series X-factor coming back from major knee surgery. The Cubs also realize that a good run with Iowa — 12-for-35 with four homers and eight walks — won’t suddenly change everything back to the way it was.
“His body language is more typical of what we’ve seen,” Epstein said. “When he’s right, he’s kind of stalking the pitcher from the on-deck circle. He controls the at-bat from the batter’s box. And that’s what we’ve seen down there.
“Obviously, it’s baseball. You’re not necessarily going to see results right away and that’s not what we’re asking of him. Just a consistent approach and maintaining confidence and a positive attitude — which he has right now — and we know the results will come eventually.”
The Cubs are running out of buttons to push and levers to pull here, once again hoping “The Legend of Schwarber” can help save them, the way he delivered in the 2015 playoffs and an epic World Series.
“He’s a big part of our culture here,” Maddon said. “He’s a highly accountable young man. He knew he needed it. He was probably kind of expecting it in advance. It was probably somewhat of a relief, just being able to do that, so you could go there, away from the maddening crowd, and attempt to get yourself back together.”
WHITE SOX: Matt Davidson tied for second-most White Sox rookie homers before All-Star Game.
By Dan Hayes“His body language is more typical of what we’ve seen,” Epstein said. “When he’s right, he’s kind of stalking the pitcher from the on-deck circle. He controls the at-bat from the batter’s box. And that’s what we’ve seen down there.
“Obviously, it’s baseball. You’re not necessarily going to see results right away and that’s not what we’re asking of him. Just a consistent approach and maintaining confidence and a positive attitude — which he has right now — and we know the results will come eventually.”
The Cubs are running out of buttons to push and levers to pull here, once again hoping “The Legend of Schwarber” can help save them, the way he delivered in the 2015 playoffs and an epic World Series.
“He’s a big part of our culture here,” Maddon said. “He’s a highly accountable young man. He knew he needed it. He was probably kind of expecting it in advance. It was probably somewhat of a relief, just being able to do that, so you could go there, away from the maddening crowd, and attempt to get yourself back together.”
WHITE SOX: Matt Davidson tied for second-most White Sox rookie homers before All-Star Game.
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
Matt Davidson’s home run total continues to pile up as he smacked his 18th round-tripper in Wednesday’s 7-2 White Sox loss to Oakland.
The designated hitter/third baseman is now tied for the second-most home runs by a White Sox rookie before the All-Star break in club history. Davidson is tied with Ron Kittle (1983), Carlos May (1969) and Zeke Bonura (1934). Jose Abreu’s 29 homers in 2014 is the club’s all-time mark for homers before the break.
It’s an encouraging sign for Davidson, who has experienced his share of ups and downs over the course of the season. He has struck out in 41.1 percent of his plate appearances and is on pace to go over the 200 mark. But Davidson’s .519 slugging percentage has him ranked around 50th among hitters with at least 100 plate appearances.
Davidson said he’s satisfied with what he’s accomplished so far.
“Definitely,” Davidson said. “I have plenty of stuff to work on still. I'm happy to be where I'm at so far, but there's still plenty of stuff to work on."
Baby brother all grown up: Yolmer Sanchez's confidence has spilled onto field.
By Dan Hayes
(Photo/AP)
Yolmer Sanchez finally understands his limitations as a player. He has a better sense for what he can and can’t do on the field.
An improved grasp of his abilities seems to have made quite a difference. Both Sanchez and the White Sox think that development is key to the second baseman’s growth. Now in his fourth season, Sanchez has taken an important step forward in establishing himself as a major leaguer. With three games left before the All-Star break, Sanchez has produced a career-best 1.2 f-Wins Above Replacement in 2017.
“His confidence has really blossomed from last year to this year,” said third-base coach and former farm director Nick Capra. “He’s always had the talent and ability to play up here. But I’m not sure he was sure of himself at the time. He’s played with a lot more confidence and he looks like he’s sure of himself now.”
Sanchez, 25, has never been short on confidence, especially in the clubhouse. He’s upbeat, energetic and always joking with teammates.
The second baseman has no shame, either, which often leads to humorously awkward interactions with teammates during their media sessions.
There are the uncomfortable hugs he delivers. Those are usually accompanied by congratulations for accomplishments. And Sanchez always seems to have time to ask a fake interview question or two.
He’s like the kid brother who never leaves his sibling’s side.
“He’s always been like that,” outfielder Avisail Garcia said. “He’s always joking around.
“Wow. He’s never quiet though. It’s fine. It’s good. That’s something you want to have in the dugout and the clubhouse.”
That persona has carried over to the field this season. Sanchez — who changed his name from Carlos to Yolmer (his real name and the one his wife yells when she’s angry — has had plenty of moments since he first arrived in the majors in the summer of 2014. This year those instances have been more consistent.
Sanchez is hitting .268/.331/.397 with 19 extra-base hits in 267 plate appearances. He also has accounted for 5 Defensive Runs Saved at second base, according to fangraphs.com, and has an Ultimate Zone Rating of 2.6. Sanchez thinks it’s a byproduct of experience and knowing how to stay collected.
“Be patient and when you get the opportunity to show what you can do, don’t try to do too much,” Sanchez said. “Don’t try to do things you can’t do. I just try to do my job. They know what type of player I am … when I got here I tried to hit a homer every time. Right now I know I can hit a homer, but I’m not going to hit 30 homers a year. I learned what kind of player I am and what I can do for my team, my teammates and what ways I can help most.”
Much like teammate Melky Cabrera, Sanchez thinks the enthusiasm he brings to the park every day is a good thing for the club. Sanchez looks up to Cabrera, who constantly has teammates laughing in an attempt to keep things loose. Sanchez said he never wants to allow himself to think he’s tired and tries to bring endless energy.
That’s why in years past you’ve seen him rocking Adam Eaton like a baby in the dugout. Or perhaps you’ve caught his faux-territorial arguments with Jose Abreu on easy pop ups (hint: the much larger first baseman wins every time).
“If you say ‘I’m tired,’ in your mind you’re going to be tired,” Sanchez said. “Just try to have fun every day and bring a lot of energy.
“Every day is like my first day. I enjoy every single day I come to the ballpark. When you work hard for something and you get it, you’re excited, you try to enjoy it. I have it every time when I get to the ballpark. I love coming here, playing with my teammates and having fun. Nothing has changed from Day One I got the big leagues.”
White Sox designate former top prospect for assignment.
By Scott Krinch
(Photo/USA TODAY)
Maybe a third team will be the charm for a pitcher who was once one of MLB's top prospects.
The White Sox designated pitcher Michael Ynoa for assignment on Thursday afternoon, becoming the second team that has parted ways with the once promising prospect.
Ynoa, 25, had a 5.90 ERA and 1.724 WHIP with 22 walks in 29 innings with the White Sox this season.
In two seasons with the White Sox, Ynoa had a 2-0 record with a 4.42 ERA and 1.475 WHIP. Ynoa was acquired by the White Sox in 2014 along with Jeff Samardzija from the Oakland Athletics for Marcus Semien, Josh Phegley, Chris Bassitt and Rangel Ravelo.
Ynoa originally signed with the A's in 2008 for a then-record $4.25 million. He was ranked by Baseball Prospectus as the No. 20 prospect in 2009.
In a corresponding roster move, the White Sox reinstated closer David Robertson from the paternity list.
Golf: I got a club for that..... Munoz (61) leads Love by two at Greenbrier Classic.
Associated Press
(Photo/Golf Channel Digital)
Davis Love III can still get some solid work done in a PGA Tour event.
Heading into the World Golf Hall of Fame in September, the 53-year-old Love shot a 7-under 63 on Thursday in The Greenbrier Classic, leaving him two strokes behind first-round leader Sebastian Munoz.
Love is looking for his first win since the 2015 Wyndham Championship, which made him the third-oldest winner in PGA Tour history. He would be the oldest if he wins in West Virginia.
Slowed this year by a bad back and a broken collarbone sustained in a January snowboarding accident in Sun Valley, Idaho, Love took advantage of a course softened by overnight rain for his best round of the season. He birdied four of his first five holes in the morning round on Old White, the course that was reconstructed after deadly floods forced the cancellation of last year's tournament.
His son, Davis Love IV, also is in the field, receiving a sponsor exemption. It's the second time they are playing the same tournament; the other was the RSM Classic two years ago. The elder Love served as his son's caddie in the U.S. Open last month.
''I've been working real hard the last couple of weeks on trying to fix my swing to kind of swing around a stiff back and a stiff hip,'' the elder Love said. ''I've given up on hitting it a long way. I'm just saying I've got to hit it straight, and this is the perfect golf course for me to get it in the fairway. A lot of hard work is kind of starting to pay off.''
Munoz, a 24-year-old Colombian, was boosted by five birdies on the back nine for a 61.
Defending champion Danny Lee was at 64 along with David Lingmerth, Ben Martin, rookie Xander Schauffele, and Canadians Graham DeLaet and Nick Taylor.
Players were allowed to lift and clean their golf balls in the fairway because of the wet conditions. It took a full year after the June 2016 floods that killed 23 statewide to get Old White back to playing conditions.
''To get anything back in order out there would've been an incredible feat,'' Love said. ''But what they did with the renovation, to take really, really good golf course with a lot of history and make it even better, the redesign is incredible. The players are just raving about it.''
Munoz is looking for his first top 10. His best finish is a tie for 27th at the Texas Open.
The PGA Tour rookie was 6 under through 10 holes. He missed a short birdie putt on the par-5 12th and bogeyed the par-4 13th after his approach shot found the greenside rough. He then took charge with birdies on the next four holes.
Phil Mickelson shot 67 in his first tournament since parting ways with his caddie of 25 years, Jim ''Bones'' Mackay. Mickelson's brother, Tim Mickelson, is his caddie for the rest of the year.
''I think any time you have a change of environment it brings about a new energy,'' Phil Mickelson said. ''But more than that, Tim is one my favorite people to be around. We really had a lot of fun together today.''
Mickelson missed the cut in his three other Greenbrier Classic appearances and he hit some erratic shots Thursday, including striking a fan in the head on his approach to the par-4 11th.
Lingmerth is looking to atone for a collapse last week in the Quicken Loans Invitational. The Swede led after each of the first three rounds but shot 3 over in each round on the weekend to tie for fifth, along with Martin.
''I'm not going to dwell on it too much,'' Lingmerth said. ''A nice little start today. I didn't really have my best stuff. I never really got into trouble. I gave myself a couple of opportunities.''
Love turns back the clock, fires 63 at Greenbrier.
By Will Gray
(Photo/Golf Channel Digital)
Don't try telling Davis Love III that the PGA Tour is a young man's game.
Love surprised many of his peers when he won the 2015 Wyndham Championship at age 51, and he is again near the top of the leaderboard after a bogey-free 63 to open The Greenbrier Classic. He's two strokes behind Sebastian Munoz, and Love's 63 was five shots lower than his previous best round this season.
Love got out of the gates quickly on the newly-renovated Old White TPC, with birdies on four of his first five holes after a flurry of accurate approach shots. He grabbed a share of the lead with a 30-foot make on No. 14, then chipped in for birdie from in front of the green on the par-5 17th to become the first player to reach 7 under par.
The 53-year-old has only made 13 of 24 cuts since his Wyndham victory while battling injuries, and he hasn't cracked the top 40 in 18 months. But that drought could end this week on a course where Love tied for ninth in 2013.
"I've been working really hard the last couple weeks on trying to fix my swing to kind of swing around a stiff back and stiff hip," Love told reporters. "I put a lot of time into hitting balls and trying to get back to hitting it solid. I've given up on hitting it a long way. I'm just saying, 'I've just got to hit it straight.' This is a perfect golf course for me."
Love has not played since missing the cut at the FedEx St. Jude Classic, and the last time he was on-site at a tournament was as a caddie for his son, Dru, at the U.S. Open. Dru is in the field this week in West Virginia, but he trails his father by 11 shots after opening with a 74.
As for the elder Love, he enjoyed seeing some of his recent efforts pay dividends on the scorecard as he seeks what would be his 22nd career win.
"Yesterday when I finished the pro-am, even though it was kind of drizzling rain, I went and chipped a bunch out of the rough, chipped a bunch out of these tight lies," Love said. "I told my caddie after I chipped in on 17, that was that half-hour, 45 minutes last night of putting in a little bit more time and getting some confidence. I've been working hard, and hopefully the rest of the summer it's going to pay off."
Rahm shoots 65, trails by 1 at Irish Open.
By Will Gray
(Photo/Golf Channel Digital)
Many players in this week's DDF Irish Open are seeing Portstewart Golf Club for the first time. But for Jon Rahm, it's simply business as usual.
Rahm has feasted all year against elite competition while often playing courses for the first time. That trend continued Thursday when the Spaniard fired a 7-under 65 alongside tournament host Rory McIlroy to sit just one shot behind the lead set by American Daniel Im.
Rahm got off to a fast start, playing his first seven holes in 4 under. He ultimately carded six birdies and an eagle against just one bogey, including three birdies in a row on Nos. 13-15 to equal the scores shot earlier in the day by Englishmen Oliver Fisher and Matthew Southgate.
"I could not have dreamed of a better start. Three perfect shots, made a birdie and that got the confidence going," Rahm told RTE Sport. "Luckily for me I made a couple of really good putts on the front nine, and I gained a lot of confidence going into the back nine and was able to finish it off."
Rahm's notoriously quick temper was on full display during missed cuts at both the Memorial and U.S. Open, but he appeared to turn things around last week during a T-10 finish at the HNA French Open. That marked Rahm's eighth worldwide top-10 finish of the year, a run that was highlighted by his win at Torrey Pines and also included runner-up finishes at the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play and Dean & DeLuca Invitational.
'Intent' the anchoring get-out-of-jail-free card.
By Brandel Chamblee
(Photo/Golf Channel Digital)
When describing the proper way to avoid being in violation of the anchoring ban (Rule 14-1b), USGA executive director Mike Davis said, “All you have to do is this [hold the club away from your body] where you control the whole club with your hands. So, long and belly putters are still legal – so long as you don’t anchor them.”
Anchoring, as we all know (and as the USGA knows, with the exception of one word) is when the club, or the gripping hand, or a part of the forearm is held against the body, relieving the player from making a free swing by restricting the movement of the club as if it were physically attached to the player’s body and thereby providing extra support and stability for the stroke.
Anchoring is NOT deemed to have happened when and if a player holds the club, or the gripping hand, or a part of the forearm against the body, relieving the player from making a free swing by restricting the movement of the club as if it were physically attached to the player’s body and thereby providing extra support and stability for the stroke … if the player, regardless of having done all of the above, merely states that it was not their “intent” to have done so. That it was not their “intent” to have anchored.
Intent is the get-out-of-jail-free card for both the player and those who are meant to police the player.
It appears as if the USGA and the R&A, anticipating a clog of calls about the club or the gripping hand or part of the forearm accidentally or otherwise brushing against or settling upon one’s shirt, added the stipulation that there must be intent for the rule to have been violated. They thereby exempted themselves from all adjudicating, in effect saying that while we wrote the rule, we will not interpret the rule.
It appears that the governing bodies in an attempt to soften the blow of taking the long putters away from the world of bad-back and flinch-afflicted golfers, at the very least provided a loophole and at the very worst abdicated the throne of governance.
The rule should be rewritten to state that there must be a clear separation between the club, the gripping hand and all parts of the forearm, from the body. That in the case of any part of the club, the gripping hand or the forearm brushing against one’s shirt in the course of the stroke, it will be reviewed by the committee, for the randomness of its nature and for the potential benefit of the contact.
The loophole being closed and the message being sent, while accidents may happen from time to time, there will be little leeway.
I’ll assume none of that will happen, and that the rule will stand as written, which does provide a loophole for those – and there is no way to gild this lily – that have the lack of character to take advantage of it.
A few years ago I was practicing in Scottsdale, Ariz., at the TPC and was talking to a couple of past-their-prime touring pros, Gibby Gilbert and Butch Baird. The conversation came around to Arnold Palmer and his legacy, which is a hard thing to quantify – kind of like the spirit of the game or sportsmanship, they are far easier understood in example than they are articulated.
Gibby said that once he and the King were playing in a tournament and Arnold pointed to an imperfection on the green and wanted to know if Gibby thought it was a ball mark, meaning something that could be repaired, or just an imperfection, meaning something that couldn’t be repaired. Gibby said, “I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt." Arnold looked at him as if he had called his honor into question, and then sternly said, “I don’t want the damned benefit of the doubt, I want to know what you think."
Point being, Palmer wasn’t going to settle for anything that wasn’t above reproach. He’d much rather have putted over a hole in the green than have a hole in his reputation. That story exemplifies the spirit of the game and is part of Palmer's legacy.
Sports is about entertainment, but at its best it also communicates values. Palmer, like many others in the game, never lost sight of that fact. Stories like this are a big part of golf, and they are what is meant when one says of someone that they embody the spirit of the game. Which is why I cannot believe what I am seeing on PGA Tour Champions, with regard to the putting strokes of Bernhard Langer and Scott McCarron.
When the anchored-putting ban went into effect in January 2016, putting techniques and lives changed. Adam Scott, Keegan Bradley, Webb Simpson, Carl Pettersson and Tim Clark, much heralded and documented anchored putters on the PGA Tour, all saw their putting statistics fall off significantly, either in 2015 in anticipation of the ban, or in 2016, where they ranked 129th, 183rd, 177th, 135th and 186th, respectively, when the ban went into effect. Their world ranks dropped. The frequency of them contending in tournaments and major tournaments all but stopped.
Meanwhile on the PGA Tour Champions, Langer did not alter his long putter anchored (looking) putting technique, except to say he was moving the butt end away from his body after making practice strokes with it touching his body. While sometimes the move away from the body was noticeable, it was mostly negligible, and mostly appeared to be touching, at the very least his shirt and often, it was suggested, his body. McCarron, similarly, went about his business. While others on the PGA Tour Champions who had anchored, more noticeably changed their styles, McCarron's and Langer's strokes and statistics appeared unaffected.
Unlike Scott, Bradley, Simpson, Pettersson and Clark, whose strokes and statistics changed for the worse, Langer's and MacCarron’s have improved post ban. In 2015 Langer averaged 1.716 strokes per green in regulation (this is the dominant putting stat on the PGA Tour Champions). In 2016 he averaged 1.715 and won four times and in 2017 he is averaging 1.696, is ranked third in putting, has won three times and is first on the money list.
McCarron, who only turned 50 mid-2015, averaged 1.771 strokes per green in regulation in 2016. He is currently ranked fifth in putting, averaging 1.723 strokes per green in regulation and is fourth on the money list. (Click here to listen to McCarron discuss his putting style)
Is it just coincidence that they alone appeared to have, without difficulty, transitioned to non-anchored techniques and that they are also the only two who have not obviously changed their techniques? Perhaps. And if one is to use their unique success as evidence that they are still anchoring, it would be circumstantial at best, if it wasn’t for the video showing Langer’s hand clearly touching his body during the U.S. Senior Open (video above). When questioned later, Langer said that those who would question him clearly do not know what they are talking about and that he had no intent to anchor. (Click here to listen to Langer discuss his putting style)
Both Langer and McCarron not only maintain that they have no intent to anchor, they maintain that they are not anchoring. Both of those claims may very well be true, but anyone who has watched either of them putt and then zoomed into the point where, as the USGA's Davis suggested, there is meant to be some separation between the top grip hand and the body, knows that in most instances that space is hard, if impossible to find.
I have great respect for Langer and McCarron and have enjoyed watching them play over the years, both as a fellow competitor and as a commentator. But for the life of me, I cannot understand why they would risk even the hint of suspicion when it comes to the nature of how they play this game.
Like Palmer, they should consider how what they are doing on the golf course is viewed by others and strive to be above reproach.
NASCAR weekend schedule at Kentucky for Trucks, Xfinity & Cup.
By Dustin Long
McCarron, who only turned 50 mid-2015, averaged 1.771 strokes per green in regulation in 2016. He is currently ranked fifth in putting, averaging 1.723 strokes per green in regulation and is fourth on the money list. (Click here to listen to McCarron discuss his putting style)
Is it just coincidence that they alone appeared to have, without difficulty, transitioned to non-anchored techniques and that they are also the only two who have not obviously changed their techniques? Perhaps. And if one is to use their unique success as evidence that they are still anchoring, it would be circumstantial at best, if it wasn’t for the video showing Langer’s hand clearly touching his body during the U.S. Senior Open (video above). When questioned later, Langer said that those who would question him clearly do not know what they are talking about and that he had no intent to anchor. (Click here to listen to Langer discuss his putting style)
Both Langer and McCarron not only maintain that they have no intent to anchor, they maintain that they are not anchoring. Both of those claims may very well be true, but anyone who has watched either of them putt and then zoomed into the point where, as the USGA's Davis suggested, there is meant to be some separation between the top grip hand and the body, knows that in most instances that space is hard, if impossible to find.
I have great respect for Langer and McCarron and have enjoyed watching them play over the years, both as a fellow competitor and as a commentator. But for the life of me, I cannot understand why they would risk even the hint of suspicion when it comes to the nature of how they play this game.
Like Palmer, they should consider how what they are doing on the golf course is viewed by others and strive to be above reproach.
NASCAR weekend schedule at Kentucky for Trucks, Xfinity & Cup.
By Dustin Long
Photo/Getty Images)
FRIDAY, JULY 7
7:30 a.m. – 10 p.m. — Cup garage open
10 – 11:55 a.m. — Cup practice (streamed on NBC Sports app)
11 a.m. — Xfinity garage opens
1 – 2:25 p.m. — Final Cup practice (NBCSN)
4:30 p.m. — Xfinity qualifying (NBCSN)
5:45 p.m. — Xfinity driver/crew chief meeting
6:15 p.m. — Cup qualifying, multi-vehicle/three rounds (NBCSN, PRN)
7:30 p.m. — Xfinity driver introductions
8 p.m. — Alsco 300 Xfinity race, 200 laps/300 miles (NBCSN, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
SATURDAY, JULY 8
1 p.m. — Cup garage opens
5:30 p.m. — Cup driver/crew chief meeting
6:50 p.m. — Cup driver introductions
7:30 p.m. — Quaker State 400 Cup race, 267 laps/400.5 miles (NBCSN, PRN Siri
NASCAR Power Rankings: What happens when the top 6 drivers are in crashes?
By Nick Bromberg
1. Kyle Busch (LW: 3): Every driver in last week’s top six was involved in a crash during Saturday night’s race at Daytona. Since Busch finished 20th — and was the only driver in the top six to finish in the top 20 — he gets to move to the top spot by default.
If you have any better ideas as to who to put here, feel free to offer them up. But given the way the race unfolded, Busch became our default choice. Busch spun on lap 72, but was able to continue with a damaged car and got his lap back twice.
NASCAR Power Rankings: What happens when the top 6 drivers are in crashes?
By Nick Bromberg
1. Kyle Busch (LW: 3): Every driver in last week’s top six was involved in a crash during Saturday night’s race at Daytona. Since Busch finished 20th — and was the only driver in the top six to finish in the top 20 — he gets to move to the top spot by default.
If you have any better ideas as to who to put here, feel free to offer them up. But given the way the race unfolded, Busch became our default choice. Busch spun on lap 72, but was able to continue with a damaged car and got his lap back twice.
2. Kyle Larson (LW: 2): It’s a minor miracle that Larson’s car didn’t take off any more than it did when he got airborne with less than 10 laps to go. It appears the hood flaps on his car played a role in keeping the car from lifting up higher, as did the fact that a car didn’t go under Larson’s and catapult him into the air either.
Larson finished 29th, and kept his points lead over Martin Truex Jr.
3. Kevin Harvick (LW: 1): Harvick’s flat tire caused a big crash on lap 107. He lost a tire coming off turn 2 and the accident collected cars driven by Dale Earnhardt Jr. and others.
“It just blew out right in the middle of the corner,” Harvick said. “I hate to wreck half the field. That’s a part of what we do.”
4. Chase Elliott (LW: 5): Maybe we should put Elliott higher given he somehow finished the race after being in two incidents.
He was involved in a lap 99 crash and went skidding through the backstretch infield. Somewhat incredibly, the splitter wasn’t ripped off the front of his car after digging through the soggy turf.
And then on the overtime finish, Elliott went skidding again as the field headed to turn 1. A caution wasn’t called for that incident — he kept going — and Elliott ended up 22nd, one lap down.
5. Martin Truex Jr. (LW: 4): Truex was caught up in a crash that started on lap 72 when Kyle Busch spun.
“I just tried to slow down, but you know you get hit from behind, you hit the guy in front of you – there’s nothing you can do,” Truex said. “When you’re going 190 something and everybody stops in front of you, it’s kind of hard to do anything.”
Because of Larson’s troubles, Truex is down just 18 points in the standings. The battle between the two for the top spot before the end of the regular season should be a riveting one. And worth five playoff points to the winner.
6. Jimmie Johnson (LW: 7): Johnson took the lead on lap 103 and it was easy to wonder if it was going to be a race where he swoops in and takes a win after not leading through the first half of the race.
That didn’t happen. Johnson finished 12th and never led again after leading from laps 103-106.
7. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (LW: NR): Stenhouse’s win at Daytona means it’s the third-straight year that a driver has won the May Talladega race and the July Daytona race. Dale Earnhardt Jr. did it in 2015 while Brad Keselowski did it last year.
Neither driver won the fall Talladega race that season, but Junior came damn close in 2015 in the chaos that was the Talladega finish that season. Stenhouse is going to be the favorite at Talladega, whether he’s still in the playoffs or not.
“You know, not waiting another year and getting [a second career win] in the same year is really important for us,” Stenhouse said. “I think it’s something that after you win the first one, it was awesome for a week, but then somebody else wins the next week, so it makes you want to continue to win and get back up here in the media center, get back in victory lane, and get everybody talking about your team.”
8. Brad Keselowski (LW: 6): Keselowski somehow spun 3.5 times and didn’t hit anything or anyone while he was involved in the wreck with Harvick, Junior and others.
But Keselowski went spinning after contact in the crash. And that contact caused some damage to the rear axle of the car. Keselowski tried to continue on but ended up parking the car after causing a caution of his own (because of the damage) a handful of laps later.
9. Clint Bowyer (LW: 11): Daytona was Bowyer’s second-straight second-place finish.
While that’s clearly a sign of optimism for the team, Bowyer still doesn’t have much wiggle room in terms of making the playoffs on points. Joey Logano, the first driver out of the playoffs as of now, is just 27 points behind Bowyer. And if Matt Kenseth or Logano win before Bowyer does, that cut line to get into the playoffs gets perilously closer.
10. Jamie McMurray (LW: 8): McMurray’s was involved in the lap 72 crash but still soldiered on.
“So we had probably the best plate car tonight that we have had in four or five years,” McMurray said after the race. “We got caught up in that wreck and obviously it killed a lot of speed in the car.”
But McMurray still had some pretty good speed even with a damaged car. While he ultimately finished 14th, he was near the front of the field with a beat up machine in the latter stages of the race.
11. Ryan Blaney (LW: 9): Blaney was involved in the accident that included Larson’s car getting some air. He finished 26th.
12. Denny Hamlin (LW: NR): Hamlin gets the tossup for the final spot in Power Rankings despite finishing 24th. He’s still ninth in the points standings and 56 points ahead of the cut line to make the playoffs.
Lucky Dog: Paul Menard finished third and Michael McDowell finished fourth.
The DNF: Pick a driver, any driver. We’ll go with Cole Whitt and Ryan Sieg, who each had to quit the race less than 10 laps in because of engine problems.
Kyle Larson continues to sizzle, wins 6th consecutive sprint car race.
By Dustin Long
(Photo by Chris Trotman/Getty Images)
Another night, another sprint car win for Kyle Larson.
The NASCAR Cup points series leader scored his sixth consecutive victory in a sprint car on Tuesday night, winning the Pennsylvania Speedweek race at Grandview Speedway in Bechtelsville, Pennsylvania.
Former Truck series driver Rico Abreu was 10th. Kasey Kahne placed 13th.
Larson’s streak started when he won a World of Outlaws race June 13 at Eagle (Nebraska) Raceway. He followed it with wins in the All-Star Circuit of Champions race June 19 at Wayne County Speedway and June 20 at Sharon Speedway during Ohio Sprint Speedweek.
He won Sunday at Path Valley Speedway in Spring Run, Pennsylvania, and Monday at Lincoln Speedway in Abbosttsown, Pennsylvania, during Pennsylvania Speedweek.
Larson will race Wednesday at Hagerstown Speedway in Hagerstown, Maryland before heading to Kentucky for Saturday night’s Cup race at Kentucky Speedway.
SOCCER: Fire endure late onslaught to hold on for a draw in Portland.
By Dan Santaromita
(Photo/USA TODAY)
The Chicago Fire may be looking forward to the upcoming Gold Cup break.
The Fire played to a 2-2 draw in Portland on Wednesday without Dax McCarty and Bastian Schweinsteiger and lost Matt Polster to an injury in the first half. The Fire’s next game is July 22 at New York City FC while Major League Soccer takes a break for the group stage of the Gold Cup.
Schweinsteiger didn’t travel with the team after suffering a hip injury in the first half against Vancouver. Polster suffered a right leg injury just shy of 30 minutes into the game and was subbed out soon after. McCarty remains with the U.S. for the Gold Cup, which starts Saturday for the Americans.
Despite that, the Fire (11-3-5, 38 points) had a lead in the second half and still earned a road point against a playoff team.
Portland took the lead via a Fanendo Adi penalty kick after Juninho was called for a handball in the box. The Fire leveled things a few minutes later when Arturo Alvarez put in a cross from the right wing that wound up in the net.
Nemanja Nikolic was initially credited with the goal after crashing in front, but after replay, and Nikolic’s own admission, the goal was later changed to Alvarez. Nikolic still has a league-leading 16 goals, but was denied No. 17.
“I need to say the first goal is for Arturo,” Nikolic said in the halftime interview on CSN Chicago. “I don’t touch that ball. Anyway I think that my movement disturbed the goalkeeper.”
Brandon Vincent later gave the Fire the lead in the 61st minute. It was his first career MLS goal.
"I didn't know what to do with myself," Vincent said on the postgame interview on CSN Chicago. "I'm just glad it went in. It was a great ball from (Alvarez) and I was in a good place. Great team effort."
Sebastian Blanco got the tying goal for Portland nine minutes later. Portland pushed for the winning goal, racking up 24 shots and nine on target, but settled for the home draw.
The Fire are now tied on points with Toronto FC after the Reds won 3-1 at Orlando earlier on Wednesday.
2017 Gold Cup: Group B Preview.
By Daniel Karell
(Photo/Getty Images)
Group B includes one of the tournament favorites, the U.S. Men’s National Team, along with Panama, Martinique and Nicaragua.
Here’s what you need to know ahead of the start of the tournament:
Group B
United States
How it qualified: Automatic qualification as tournament hosts.
FIFA ranking: 23
Star player: Omar Gonzalez – While Bruce Arena is resting the European-based players and some of the veteran starters for the USMNT, Omar Gonzalez comes off a terrific season with Pachuca as well as strong performances with the USMNT in World Cup qualifying to help lead the U.S. at the 2017 Gold Cup.
One to watch: Kellyn Acosta – This may be obvious, especially after his goal against Ghana and his performance alongside Michael Bradley at Mexico in the Estadio Azteca, but Acosta has a chance to have a breakout summer with the national team and solidify his place in the starting lineup for the 2018 World Cup. Another to keep an eye on is 21-year-old centerback Matt Miazga.
Manager: Bruce Arena – Back for his second time in charge, Arena is set to test the U.S. depth in the first tournament of his second spell with U.S. Soccer.
Chance of winning group: 75% – The U.S. should easily finish in the top two of the group and if it defeats Panama in the USMNT’s opening match on June 8, the schedule sets up well for the U.S. to cruise to win the group.
Panama
How it qualified: Runners-up at the 2017 Copa Centroamericana.
FIFA ranking: 59
Star player: Anibal Godoy – The holding midfielder has been a real boost to the San Jose Earthquakes since signing in MLS in 2015. He’s scored five goals in 48 games and is difficult to play through in the center of the park.
One to watch: Ismael Diaz – The 20-year-old forward impressed European scouts enough at the 2015 Under-20 World Cup (as an 18-year-old) to earn a move to FC Porto, where he’s spent the last two seasons playing for the reserve squad. While he could be changing clubs this summer, the Gold Cup is a great opportunity for him to prove himself against top regional competition.
Manager: Hernan Dario Gomez – El Bolillo has been in charge of Panama since 2014, shortly after the nation missed out on qualifying for the 2014 World Cup. Gomez has only lost two games in the past 8 months, including a pair of draws against Mexico and the U.S.
Chance of winning group: 15% – It all depends on the opener against the USMNT. If Panama can pull out an unexpected win as well as take care of business against Martinique and Nicaragua, it will win the group.
Martinique
How it qualified: Fourth place at the 2017 Caribbean Cup
FIFA ranking: Not a member of FIFA
Star player: Kévin Parsemain – The veteran striker has scored boatloads of goals for the French overseas territory, and even spent a season with the Seattle Sounders, though he missed nearly the entire campaign with a torn ACL.
One to watch: Jordy Delem – The current Seattle Sounder has looked strong and pacey down the right side of the field for the club. He spent the 2016 season with Sounders 2 before making the jump to MLS this season.
Manager: Louis Marianne. The veteran Frenchman is back in charge of Les Matinino. Fun fact. Former USMNT defender David Regis, a native of Martinique, is the general manager of the national team.
Chance of winning group: 5% – Martinique’s inexperienced squad at this level should keep them from advancing, but we’ve seen surprises before and perhaps they can stun the U.S. or Panama.
Nicaragua
How it qualified: won a two-game playoff, 4-3 on aggregate over Haiti in a battle between the fifth-place teams from the 2017 Caribbean Cup and the 2017 Copa Centroamericana.
FIFA ranking: 100
Star player: Juan Barrera – The 28-year-old winger, who in 2015 became the first Nicaraguan-born player to sign for a European club, has had a long and illustrious career with the national team and is leading La Azul y Blanco to the Gold Cup for the first time since 2009.
One to watch: Daniel Cadena – Cadena is a Spanish-born midfielder who currently plays in Iceland and played for a time as a youngster for Real Betis.
Manager: Henry Duarte – The veteran Costa Rican has been Nicaragua manager since December 2014 and by qualifying for the 2017 Gold Cup, he’s led the nation to just its second regional tournament.
Chances of winning group: 5% – Like Martinique, Nicaragua’s overall inexperience at the international level should make for easy wins for the U.S. and Panama, but perhaps Juan Barrera and co. and produce a national moment folks will talk about for years to come.
NCAAFB: Central and collaborative replay continues to spread in college football.
By Kevin McGuire
(Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
College football tends to see trends spread once proven to be successful. The latest trend may just be collaborative instant replay.
A year after watching the ACC and SEC operate with a centralized instant replay headquarters, the Big 12 and Pac-12 are working to have a similar setup for the 2017 season. With that being the case, it appears collaborative and/or centralized instant replay will continue to be the way of life around college football in 2017 and beyond.
Andrea Adelson of ESPN polled representatives from all of the conferences for their thoughts on collaborative instant replay, and the feedback continues to be positive, even though there is no NCAA-wide uniformity on the process at this time. The Big 12 could have used a central replay system in place last season to make the correct call at the end of the Oklahoma State-Central Michigan game, but the unfortunate blown result for the Cowboys helped the push for an improved instant replay system move forward for the Big 12 (the Big 12 did punish the officials involved with a suspension).
“Because here’s the ultimate bottom line: Get the play right,” Big 12 coordinator of officials Walt Anderson said.
The ACC, Big 12, Pac-12, and SEC all have a central replay office. The Big 12 and Pac-12 have worked in the offseason to improve their instant replay headquarters. The Sun Belt will have access to utilize the SEC’s command center. The Big Ten has not centralized its replay system at this time, but will continue to allow an on-field official to discuss the instant replays in question with the instant replay booth in the stadium.
With all of the technology made available to us today, and with the resources available due to so much media coverage of the game today, there is absolutely no excuse not to have a central replay system in place in college football between every conference.
NCAABKB: The future is bright for USC basketball, Andy Enfield.
By Rob Dauster
(Photo/Grant Halverson/Getty Images)
Has anyone in college basketball had a better offseason than Andy Enfield?
USC’s head coach was the clear-cut winner during the drama of the early entry deadline, as he had five players with NBA potential make the decision to return to school for at least one more season — Chimezie Metu, Bennie Boatwright, De’anthony Melton, Elijah Stewart and Jordan McLaughlin.
That’s good.
That’s one of the reason that the Trojans are considered a potential top ten team and the biggest threat to challenge Arizona in the Pac-12.
Alone, that would have been a great summer for Enfield. We’ve been saying for two years that USC is “a year away” and it looks like that year has finally arrived.
And then last week happened.
The Trojans landed commitments from three four-star prospects in the span of seven days. First, it was J’Raan Brooks, a top 60 power forward from Seattle, that made the pledge to Enfield and company. Then it was Taeshon Cherry, a 6-foot-9 small forward that is ranked 30th in Rivals top 100 but is a five-star prospect according to a couple of the other major scouting services. Then on Sunday it was Kevin Porter Jr., a top 50 shooting guard and another Seattle product.
And just like that, USC has, essentially, their entire recruiting class for the 2018 season filled.
They’re probably not done yet, not when it seems fairly likely at least one of Metu, Boatwright and Melton will be gone after this season, but this is an enviable spot to be in: A potential top ten team with a veteran core and a full recruiting class in place before the July 4th holiday.
I tried to tell you hiring Enfield would be worth the gamble.
That’s good.
That’s one of the reason that the Trojans are considered a potential top ten team and the biggest threat to challenge Arizona in the Pac-12.
Alone, that would have been a great summer for Enfield. We’ve been saying for two years that USC is “a year away” and it looks like that year has finally arrived.
And then last week happened.
The Trojans landed commitments from three four-star prospects in the span of seven days. First, it was J’Raan Brooks, a top 60 power forward from Seattle, that made the pledge to Enfield and company. Then it was Taeshon Cherry, a 6-foot-9 small forward that is ranked 30th in Rivals top 100 but is a five-star prospect according to a couple of the other major scouting services. Then on Sunday it was Kevin Porter Jr., a top 50 shooting guard and another Seattle product.
And just like that, USC has, essentially, their entire recruiting class for the 2018 season filled.
They’re probably not done yet, not when it seems fairly likely at least one of Metu, Boatwright and Melton will be gone after this season, but this is an enviable spot to be in: A potential top ten team with a veteran core and a full recruiting class in place before the July 4th holiday.
I tried to tell you hiring Enfield would be worth the gamble.
By Vince Rugari
Manny Pacquiao of the Philippines lost his WBO welterweight title to Jeff Horn on Saturday in Brisbane, Australia, but he was a big hit with ESPN’s boxing fans. (Photo/Getty Images)
Jeff Horn has dared Manny Pacquiao to activate his rematch clause as the Filipino great continues to protest against his WBO welterweight championship defeat.
Pacquiao has backed calls from a Philippines government department for a full review into what he described as an "unfair" unanimous decision against him in Sunday's 'Battle of Brisbane.'
Horn, meanwhile, is continuing to celebrate his famous victory and was treated to a ticker tape parade on Thursday, with thousands lining Brisbane's Queen St Mall to catch a glimpse of the country's newest sporting hero.
The 29-year-old former schoolteacher was presented with the keys to the city by Brisbane Lord Mayor Graham Quirk and members of his entourage were formally honored in front of an adoring crowd which regularly broke into 'Hornet' chants.
Horn said he was blissfully unaware of how Pacquiao was feeling.
"I haven't been really paying too much attention to it," Horn told AAP.
"He said after the fight he was happy with the decision. He might be changing his mind. But I feel if he wants to do it again, let's do it again. The rematch clause is there for a reason."
He also strenuously denied accusations from Pacquiao, who was cut open twice in head clashes with Horn, that he was a dirty fighter.
"Those headbutts and things were very unintentional," Horn said.
"I could say the same thing about him. He's come in quickly and his head's clashed with mine. I think they're accidents and that's just boxing."
Pacquiao is yet to decide if he will fight on.
His long-time trainer Freddie Roach believes the 38-year-old's only two realistic options are to take up a rematch against Horn - most likely at Suncorp Stadium again - or retire from boxing to focus on his political career.
"Manny's obviously disappointed and it's probably sunk in that he's not the world champion and he's probably not happy about it," Horn's promoter Dean Lonergan told AAP.
"Like every human being, he's voicing an opinion. I've got no doubt he's being influenced by a number of other people.
"But there's only one way to sort it out and that's a rematch. Jeff Horn's willing, the city of Brisbane's willing, so is the state of Queensland.
"It's time to get it on."
Chicago Sports & Travel, Inc./AllsportsAmerica Take: This fight had a very controversial ending. We would love for some our diehard fight fan readers to give us their take on this fight. Please go to the comment section at the bottom of this blog and share your views with us. We love to hear the pro and con comments that you share with us. We look forward to hearing from you.
As always, we thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts with us. Let it rip!!!
The Chicago Sports & Travel, Inc./AllsportsAmerica Editorial Staff.
2017 Stage 6 Tour de France Summary
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Memoriesofhistory.com
1953 - The Dodgers set a major league record when they got a home run in their 24th consecutive game.
1964 - Shea Stadium hosted it's first and only All-Star game.
1985 - Boris Becker became the youngest, the first unseeded and the first German player to win the Wimbledon men's finals.
1990 - Martina Navratilova won a record ninth Wimbledon women's singles title.
2003 - In Florida, Darrell Armstrong (Orlando Magic) was arrested after being accused of fighting with a female police officer outside a nightclub. Armstrong was booked into the Orange County jail on charges of battery on a law-enforcement officer and resisting arrest without violence.
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