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"Sports Quote of the Day"
"It is our attitude at the beginning of a difficult task which, more than anything else, will affect its successful outcome." ~ William James, Philosopher, Psychologist and Pragmatist
TRENDING: The wait is over: Bears sign Mitch Trubisky. (See the football section for Bears news and NFL updates).
TRENDING: Why Blackhawks prospects are already buying what Rockford coach Jeremy Colliton is selling. (See the hockey section for Blackhawks updates and NHL news).
TRENDING: SportsTalk Live Podcast: Are Bulls considering re-signing Derrick Rose? What's Your Take? (See the basketball section for Bulls news and NBA updates).
TRENDING: That escalated quickly: Cubs just a game back of Brewers, could be in first place as soon as this weekend; Yoan Moncada's first White Sox game had same 'special' feeling as MLB debut. (See the baseball section for Cubs and White Sox updates).
TRENDING: Spieth, Koepka and Kuchar share Open lead; Piller leads Women's Open champ by 1. (See the golf section for PGA news and tournament updates).
TRENDING: This weekend’s NASCAR racing schedule at Indianapolis Motor Speedway; Alex Bowman to take over Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s No. 88 car in 2018. (See the NASCAR section for NASCAR news and racing updates).
TRENDING: Why the next two weeks are crucial in MLS' Eastern Conference race. (See the soccer section for Fire news and worldwide soccer updates).
Bear Down Chicago Bears!!!!! The wait is over: Bears sign Mitch Trubisky.
TRENDING: Spieth, Koepka and Kuchar share Open lead; Piller leads Women's Open champ by 1. (See the golf section for PGA news and tournament updates).
TRENDING: This weekend’s NASCAR racing schedule at Indianapolis Motor Speedway; Alex Bowman to take over Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s No. 88 car in 2018. (See the NASCAR section for NASCAR news and racing updates).
TRENDING: Why the next two weeks are crucial in MLS' Eastern Conference race. (See the soccer section for Fire news and worldwide soccer updates).
Bear Down Chicago Bears!!!!! The wait is over: Bears sign Mitch Trubisky.
By JJ Stankevitz
(Photo/Associated Press)
Mitch Trubisky said all along he wasn't worried about signing a contract and that he would have something completed before training camp. On Wednesday, the No. 2 overall pick officially stuck to his word.
The Bears announced Wednesday -- the day Bears rookies report to Halas Hall -- that Trubisky signed a contract. Trubisky had to be signed to a contract to participate in training camp, which begins next week in Bourbonnais.
"That's not really for me to worry about," Trubisky said in early June. "I'm going to be out here at practice everyday. My agent and the Bears organization is going to handle that. But I'm not really sure how that stuff works. I'm here to play football, I'm not worried about contracts."
A Trubisky holdout was always unlikely given both sides' desire to get the North Carolina alum into training camp from Day 1. With his contract signed, Trubisky will have an opportunity to develop in the month and a half separating the start of training camp from the Bears' season opener Sept. 10 against the Atlanta Falcons.
Trubisky wasn't the last first-round quarterback to sign, too. Patrick Mahomes, the 10th overall pick, has yet to sign with Kansas City. And Mahomes is one of six first-round picks who have yet to sign along with Solomon Thomas (No. 3, San Francisco), Corey Davis (No. 5, Tennessee), Jamal Adams (No. 6, New York Jets), Gareon Conley (No. 24, Oakland) and Jabril Peppers (No. 25, Cleveland).
Bears training camp preview: 3 burning questions for tight ends.
By JJ Stankevitz
(Photo/USA TODAY)
1. Will Zach Miller make the 53-man roster?
Miller didn’t play a single down from 2012-14, and has missed seven games in two seasons with the Bears, but he’s been productive when on the field: 110 targets, 81 receptions, 925 yards and nine touchdowns. But the Bears signed Dion Sims to an $18 million contract and then drafted Adam Shaheen in the second round of the draft, moves that seemingly put Miller in a precarious position heading into Bourbonnais. Not helping Miller’s case is the Lisfranc fracture he suffered last November, which kept him sidelined through OTAs and veteran minicamp in May and June. He’d be a valuable player for the Bears to keep around, but at the same time, training camp could be a perfect storm for Miller to be among the cuts.
“They’re going to cutting it close for training camp,” coach John Fox said of Miller (and Danny Trevathan) in June. “But right now they’re right on target and that’s kind of what we expected all offseason.”
2. What can we expect from Adam Shaheen?
Shaheen was among the bright spots during May and June, hardly looking like someone who played his college ball at Division II Ashland while going against NFL defenders. But those were just shorts-and-helmets practices without any contact, so it’d be premature to project anything about Shaheen off of them. The real test for Shaheen will be when he puts the pads on in Bourbonnais and gets his first experience with the physicality of the NFL after a few years of being head and shoulders — literally — above his competition in college. It’s unlikely Shaheen will live up to his “Baby Gronk” hype in Year 1, but if he handles training camp well, he could be a valuable red zone asset for Mike Glennon as a rookie.
“You don’t know until you put the pads on,” Shaheen said. “That’s what I’m excited for.”
3. How productive can this unit be?
Between Sims — who had a career high four touchdowns last year with the Miami Dolphins — and Shaheen, the Bears have two new, big targets for an offense that tied for 24th in the NFL with 19 passing touchdowns a year ago. If Miller sticks around, this group would have enviable depth. But even if he doesn’t, the Bears liked what they saw from Brown last year (16 receptions, 124 yards, 1 TD in six games). There are fewer questions about the tight ends heading into training camp than the receivers, and it wouldn’t be surprising if Glennon leans on this unit, especially early in the season.
Bears training camp preview: 3 burning questions for the wide receivers.
By Chris Boden
By Chris Boden
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
1. Kevin White
Need we say more? Okay, we will. Or ... maybe not. You guys are already familiar with the career numbers for the 2015 seventh overall draft pick: Four games played. 28 games missed. 19 catches. 187 yards. Zero touchdowns. Two serious injuries and surgeries on his left fibula. Oh, and he’ll be working with three new quarterbacks and a third wide receivers coach in as many years. That. Is. A. Lot.
“It’s got to happen now,” White said in June of a potential Bears career crossroads season. “I’ve got to turn it up. So to me, year three, it’s time.”
2. Who gets hot in the slot?
If Cam Meredith and White get through the preseason healthy (and with the Bears the past two seasons, a big “if”), the position battle turns to playing time in the slot, where Eddie Royal was supposed to be the answer in the Ryan Pace/John Fox regime. Ex-Pittsburgh Steeler Markus Wheaton was given the sweetest contract of a free agent trip (two years, $11 million, six million guaranteed) and has the most speed. Kendall Wright excelled with a 94-catch season with the Tennessee Titans under Dowell Loggains in 2013, until gradually sinking further into the doghouse. And Victor Cruz has the tape — two great seasons with the New York Giants. But the second of those was five years ago for the now-30-year-old, and he played a total of six games in injury-plagued 2014 and 2015 seasons. If this trio all proves something, and deserving of roster spots, that may only leave Josh Bellamy (who’s proven value on special teams) as the sixth receiver, along with White and Meredith.
"The more routes I run, the more I build a rapport with Mike [Glennon] and get myself out there learning the plays," Cruz said after his signing, "I think I have that potential to be the guy you saw a few years ago.
"We’ve got a lot of guys who are looking for opportunity," said Wheaton. "A lot of guys that are hungry and have something to prove."
3. An unexpected, immediate-impact surprise?
Deonte Thompson had 22 catches when pressed into action last season, and has a history with new wide receivers coach Zach Azzanni at Florida (2010), but now has competition after a year and a half as the primary kickoff returner. Rueben Randle had a 71-catch season three years ago with the Giants, helping them offset the loss of Cruz, but must overcome a “lazy” reputation after not hooking on with a team at all last season. Daniel Braverman was All-Bourbonnais a year ago, but the seventh-round rookie (and "future Wes Welker") got into only three December games, with zero catches. Wheaton-Warrenville South product Titus Davis (older brother of Titans' 2017 first-round pick Corey Davis) is only 24 and "retired" from New York Jets camp a year ago. A darkhorse (perhaps only for the practice squad) could be undrafted rookie Tanner Gentry, who has size (6-foot-2) and a catch radius after leading the NCAA with 49 deep target throws (22 receptions) from potential top 2018 draft pick Josh Allen at Wyoming last season.
How 'bout them Chicago Blackhawks? Why Blackhawks prospects are already buying what Rockford coach Jeremy Colliton is selling.
By Tracey Myers
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
Luke Johnson has gotten a few chances to talk to Rockford head coach Jeremy Colliton, and he likes what the new coach is selling.
“He seems like a knowledgeable guy about the game,” said Johnson, who played 73 games with the IceHogs last season. “He’s a younger guy and his career wasn’t too long ago. That’s always nice having a younger coach that can kind of relate to us a little bit more. I’m looking forward to getting going with him and working with him.”
They’ve gotten to work together some already at the Blackhawks’ development camp this week, where Colliton has started to see who may be making up the IceHogs’ roster in a few months. The 32-year-old Colliton was a player himself not too long ago, and that connection has meant a smaller gap between he and his future players.
“I guess it’s another way to relate to them, another way to try and get the message across that they need to hear to get better,” Colliton said. “I’ve been in their shoes, I’ve been in their position and so hopefully that allows me to get that message across… whether it’s part of their game or what they’re doing off ice or how they approach things. There are so many things that can help them become Blackhawks. Getting that message across in different ways is a benefit.”
Colliton was among the coaches working with a group of prospects on Wednesday afternoon. Several of the players in that group either played some in Rockford last season (including Johnson and Matheson Iacopelli) or are headed there for the first time this fall. At the same time Colliton is learning himself, getting integrated in the Blackhawks’ way of doing things.
“Right from the first interview there’s been a discussion on how the Blackhawks want to play, and it fits well with how I see the game and how we played in Mora,” said Colliton of the team he coached in Sweden prior to returning to the states. “Whether it’s new guys as first-year pros or guys who have been there before, we have to continue to play at a high pace, have the puck as much as possible and play that up-tempo style that’s given the organization so much success.”
The fact that Colliton isn’t far removed from the game himself has already helped him connect with his soon-to-be IceHogs players. The other connection is the desire to win, which is there regardless of age gap.
“I’ve always paid attention to what I thought was important to win. As a competitor, nothing better than winning. As a player it was a big priority for me and when you become a coach it’s the same thing. You do whatever you can to help the team win and help the players learn what it takes to be successful individually,” Colliton said. “If you start there, they’re receptive to your message.”
Why Blackhawks fans might want to tap the brakes on Alex DeBrincat.
By Tracey Myers
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
This is public service announcement regarding Alex DeBrincat and his potential this season with the Blackhawks:
Tap the brakes.
We’ve relayed this address a few times the past few seasons, most notably with Teuvo Teravainen as people eagerly anticipated his professional debut. We’re pretty sure when he was recalled for the first time, exultant trumpets played faintly in the background. But it bears repeating now with DeBrincat, who might or might not do fantastic things right out of training camp.
This warning, however, comes not only because DeBrincat might not be ready for the grand stage play-wise. It’s also because the Blackhawks might not have room for him.
Take a look at CapFriendly.com for the Blackhawks’ current situation: As they enter the fall they’re roughly $35,000 over the $75 million salary cap, but it’s not so much about money as it is the roster setup. There are 22 players currently listed on the Blackhawk’s CapFriendly roster, but only five defensemen. Also, of the 14 forwards listed, only one could be sent to Rockford without going through waivers (Nick Schmaltz).
So if there’s no room for DeBrincat, don’t be surprised.
Still, it’s going to be interesting to see what DeBrincat does at training camp this fall. You understand why the hype is there. DeBrincat is coming off three stellar seasons with the Erie Otters, with whom he had 127 points (65 goals, 62 assists) last season. DeBrincat is hopeful that a strong training camp could lead to opportunity, but he understands it might not be right away.
“I’m confident in my abilities,” DeBrincat said. “But they have a plan for me and I’ll do whatever they want me to do. I’ll stick with their plan.”
But the Blackhawks will take the slow-and steady approach with him as they did with past younger players. He’s only 19 years old, so there’s no need to rush his development. Playing time in the American Hockey League could be very beneficial for him as he makes the jump from the OHL to the pros. As former Otters coach Kris Knoblauch said earlier this summer, dealing with bigger and stronger players at this level is going to be the toughest hurdle for DeBrincat.
“It’s not that he’s afraid; he’s very good at battles. But just playing against the opposition, against five strong, fast players and just finding out how much time he has, where the room is,” Knoblauch said in early June. “One-on-one battles in our league, there are strong guys and he does fairly well. But when you have a unit of guys, it makes the game a little more difficult.”
DeBrincat will have his time with the Blackhawks. It just might not be right away, and for several reasons, including the current roster setup. So let’s tap the brakes. For now, anyway.
Boston University coach predicts breakout year for Blackhawks prospect Chad Krys.
By Tracey Myers
(Photo/AP)
Chad Krys was like any other freshman college hockey player last season. He had his ups and downs and improved as the season continued. In a few months the Blackhawks prospect will be heading to Boston University for his sophomore year, and his coach believes he can be one of college’s best defensemen next season.
“Now that he’s comfortable and knows what’s expected of him, I don’t want to put too much pressure on him but I think he can have a breakout year,” said Boston Terriers coach David Quinn. “He’s played a lot of hockey, and I really think he has the elite talent, the work ethic continues to improve and his conditioning really improved.”
Krys, the Blackhawks’ second-round selection (45th overall) in the 2016 NHL Draft, is working toward that at this week’s Blackhawks prospect camp. Krys was part of what Quinn said was the youngest team in the country last season. The Terriers, who had nine freshmen in their lineup, fell to Minnesota-Duluth in the West Regional last March.
Even through the ups and downs, the lessons were valuable.
“Like coach Quinn said, our biggest problem was our immaturity but we couldn’t help that. We were all 18 and 19 years old. But I think it’ll be good for us having a lot of guys coming back and being returning players,” said Krys, who added the accelerated learning curve should help, too. “Going through that with everyone, especially in my class, there were a lot of us in a similar situation, trying to get to the next level. So I think we experienced a lot of team things.”
As a freshman, Krys had five goals and six assists in 39 games for the Terriers. He said he focused on trying to improve his overall defense last season, and Quinn said he took steps forward in that department.
“He’s always been a really good, gifted player and had the puck an awful lot. But most kids as they climb the hockey ladder, they haven’t had to defend a lot because they’ve had the puck a lot. At the higher level you have to play both ends of the rink,” Quinn said. “He had better defense, particularly off the rush and he did a better job down low defending. He also did a better job getting involved offensively.”
Considering Quinn’s outlook of Krys, it’s no surprise he’s pegging the young defenseman to be one of the Terriers’ leaders next season and beyond. Krys has an affable personality — at the 2016 NHL Draft he brought his GoPro and interviewed Alex DeBrincat, who was selected six picks prior to Krys. That, combined with his play make him a strong potential leader. Krys is fine with being that guy.
“That first year you’re a freshman and you’re just trying to find your way,” he said. “The second year I want to be more dynamic and more of a go-to guy for the team.”
All the potential is there for Krys to have a strong future with the Blackhawks – “I’d be more surprised if he didn’t play than he did. He’s a legit prospect,” Quinn said. Until then, his coach feels Krys is on the cusp of having a big season with Boston.
“The jump to college hockey’s big, and he’s feeling his way through it. He had a good first half but a better second half,” Quinn said. “There’s no reason he shouldn’t be one of the better defensemen in all of college hockey.”
Just Another Chicago Bulls Session..... SportsTalk Live Podcast: Are Bulls considering re-signing Derrick Rose? What's Your Take?
“Now that he’s comfortable and knows what’s expected of him, I don’t want to put too much pressure on him but I think he can have a breakout year,” said Boston Terriers coach David Quinn. “He’s played a lot of hockey, and I really think he has the elite talent, the work ethic continues to improve and his conditioning really improved.”
Krys, the Blackhawks’ second-round selection (45th overall) in the 2016 NHL Draft, is working toward that at this week’s Blackhawks prospect camp. Krys was part of what Quinn said was the youngest team in the country last season. The Terriers, who had nine freshmen in their lineup, fell to Minnesota-Duluth in the West Regional last March.
Even through the ups and downs, the lessons were valuable.
“Like coach Quinn said, our biggest problem was our immaturity but we couldn’t help that. We were all 18 and 19 years old. But I think it’ll be good for us having a lot of guys coming back and being returning players,” said Krys, who added the accelerated learning curve should help, too. “Going through that with everyone, especially in my class, there were a lot of us in a similar situation, trying to get to the next level. So I think we experienced a lot of team things.”
As a freshman, Krys had five goals and six assists in 39 games for the Terriers. He said he focused on trying to improve his overall defense last season, and Quinn said he took steps forward in that department.
“He’s always been a really good, gifted player and had the puck an awful lot. But most kids as they climb the hockey ladder, they haven’t had to defend a lot because they’ve had the puck a lot. At the higher level you have to play both ends of the rink,” Quinn said. “He had better defense, particularly off the rush and he did a better job down low defending. He also did a better job getting involved offensively.”
Considering Quinn’s outlook of Krys, it’s no surprise he’s pegging the young defenseman to be one of the Terriers’ leaders next season and beyond. Krys has an affable personality — at the 2016 NHL Draft he brought his GoPro and interviewed Alex DeBrincat, who was selected six picks prior to Krys. That, combined with his play make him a strong potential leader. Krys is fine with being that guy.
“That first year you’re a freshman and you’re just trying to find your way,” he said. “The second year I want to be more dynamic and more of a go-to guy for the team.”
All the potential is there for Krys to have a strong future with the Blackhawks – “I’d be more surprised if he didn’t play than he did. He’s a legit prospect,” Quinn said. Until then, his coach feels Krys is on the cusp of having a big season with Boston.
“The jump to college hockey’s big, and he’s feeling his way through it. He had a good first half but a better second half,” Quinn said. “There’s no reason he shouldn’t be one of the better defensemen in all of college hockey.”
Just Another Chicago Bulls Session..... SportsTalk Live Podcast: Are Bulls considering re-signing Derrick Rose? What's Your Take?
By CSN Staff
(Photo/USA TODAY)
On the latest edition of the SportsTalk Live Podcast, Mark Schanowski is joined by Mark Lazerus (Chicago Sun-Times), Jordan Bernfield and Anthony Herron.
The panel talks Yoan Moncada's debut and which White Sox prospect will be next.
The Cubs are now just one game behind the Brewers, are they officially back?
Finally, could the Bulls actually be considering re-signing Derrick Rose?
Listen to the SportsTalk Live Podcas there.
Chicago Sports & Travel, Inc./AllsportsAmerica Opinion: Resign, we hope not. Does Gar/Pax remember the last time around? Pay with part time play. Let's see if the dynamic duo have learned anything. Good luck with this!!!!! We really don't believe that they would consider this however, we would love to hear your thoughts and what's your take? Please take a moment and go to the comment section at the bottom of this blog and share your thoughts with us. We can't wait to hear from you.
Thanks in advance for your time, consideration and opinions.
The Chicago Sports & Travel, Inc./AllsportsAmerica Editorial Staff.
Ping-pong balls everywhere: Where do the Bulls rank among projected lottery teams?
By Mark Strotman
(Photo/AP)
When your team is no longer in playoff contention it's always a good time to look forward. The Bulls finally have a direction after trading Jimmy Butler on draft night and will go to a youth movement to build the talent pool back up. And with free agency pretty much wrapped up (although Derrick Rose is making noise) it's time to look at where Fred Hoiberg's group stands among the teams looking for the most ping-pong balls on Lottery night next May.
The numbers in parentheses are the projected over-under win totals in Las Vegas:
Brooklyn Nets (20.5 wins)
The good news? Brooklyn had an excellent offseason. The bad news? It's going to take way more than one good string of moves to fix this mess. In dealing Brook Lopez and a first-round pick for D'Angelo Russell, the Nets gave away their best player for one with a bright future. Drafting Jarrett Allen was another solid move, but he's barely 19 and is more of a project than anything right now. Taking on DeMarre Carroll's and Timofey Mozgov's contracts provide them more talent, but neither should get much playing time during the youth movement. It may be tough for this team to get to 20 wins.
Phoenix Suns (25.5 wins)
There might not be a better young core in the Western Conference than in Phoenix. With Devin Booker, Marquese Chriss, Dragan Bender and Josh Jackson (all lottery picks) leading the way, there's optimism about the Suns' future. It just might not lead to many victories in 2017-18. Bender is 19 and the others are 20, and veterans Eric Bledsoe and Tyson Chandler are prime trade candidates. Phoenix is going somewhere, but expect them to pick in the top 3 a year from now.
Chicago Bulls (28.5 wins)
It's difficult right now to project how many wins the Bulls will tally. Restricted free agent Nikola Mirotic is still unsigned, and there are questions about whether Dwyane Wade will be bought out at some point during the season. Zach LaVine's timetable on returning from ACL surgery is still unknown, and the Bulls will take a cautious approach in bringing him back. Robin Lopez could also be dealt at some point. The young guns are going to get all the run they can handle, helping the rebuild while not doing much in the win department.
Sacramento Kings (30.5 wins)
The Kings went 8-17 after dealing DeMarcus Cousins, which projects to a 26-win season over an 82-game span. The good news is Scott Perry made this roster a whole lot better before leaving for the Knicks. Drafting De'Aaron Fox, Justin Jackson, Harry Giles and Frank Mason III, and signing George Hill, Vince Carter and Zach Randolph has this roster looking as deep as it's been in quite some time. They're in the West, which makes things more difficult, but they're a good bet to make serious improvement in 2017.
Indiana Pacers (31.5 wins)
Like the Bulls, the Pacers began their rebuilding phase after dealing a star in Paul George. Indiana grabbed an established two-way guard in Victor Oladipo (25 years old) and 21-year-old Domantas Sabonis, Potential trade candidates are Thaddeus Young, Darren Collison and Bojan Bogdanovic. Myles Turner is a budding star, while young players in T.J. Leaf, Ike Anigbogu and Glenn Robinson III will get plenty of playing time. Those four matchups against the Bulls could loom large as far as the Lottery balls are concerned.
Los Angeles Lakers (32.5 wins)
It looks like the Lakers hit on both their first-round draft picks, as Lonzo Ball and Kyle Kuzma had monster Summer Leagues. Add Brook Lopez, who was outstanding last season, to a talented young core and it appears the Lakers are trending in the right direction. It wouldn't be surprising to see Los Angeles compete for a playoff spot. Plus, the Lakers have no incentive to tank, as their first-round pick in 2018 will go to Philadelphia or Boston. Expect them to move past the Bulls in the win total.
New York Knicks (32.5 wins)
Not sure about this one. It still seems there's a good chance Carmelo Anthony gets dealt, and depending on what they get back in a deal their second best player (behind Kristaps Porzingis) will be $71 million man Tim Hardaway Jr. They won 31 games a year ago, and it's hard to imagine they're better without Anthony, regardless of how inefficient he's become.
Atlanta Hawks (34.5 wins)
No team in the league took a bigger hit from where they were a year ago to now than the Hawks. After winning 43 wins and earning the No. 5 seed in the East, Atlanta lost Paul Millsap and Tim Hardaway Jr. to free agency and traded Dwight Howard. Essentially it's Dennis Schroder, Kent Bazemore and a ton of question marks. Taurean Prince, DeAndre' Bembry and rookie John Collins are a good core, but this is going to be an ugly season in the ATL.
Dallas Mavericks (34.5 wins)
We'll go ahead and assume restricted free agent Nerlens Noel returns. So, too, is Dirk Nowitzki back for another year, and the Mavs look like they have a steal in rookie Dennis Smith Jr. They've entered a rebuild, which owner Mark Cuban admitted, but their talent across the board might be enough to get them to the 33 wins they had a year ago. Playing in the West makes it more difficult to project, but they should tally more wins than the Bulls simply on their talent pool.
Orlando Magic (34.5 wins)
This Las Vegas win total is a little confusing. Orlando made nice moves in the offseason, drafting Jonathan Isaac and signing Jonathon Simmons. But that's about it, and the Magic were lucky to win 29 games a year ago. True, they're in a depleted Eastern Conference but it's hard to see Frank Vogel turning around the franchise this quickly. That being said, their young players (Elfrid Payton, Nikola Vucevic, Mario Hezonja and Aaron Gordon) have NBA experience, so maybe they make a jump and it results in wins.
Jimmy Butler on first game back in Chicago: 'I’m just gonna try to score like five points'.
By Dan Santaromita
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
Longform podcast interviews are good for getting honest answers out of notable guests.
Bill Simmons got former Bulls wing Jimmy Butler to open up about a wide range of topics in an hour-plus interview on The Bill Simmons Podcast. Butler said plenty of interesting things about his time with and exit from the Bulls.
Bill Simmons got former Bulls wing Jimmy Butler to open up about a wide range of topics in an hour-plus interview on The Bill Simmons Podcast. Butler said plenty of interesting things about his time with and exit from the Bulls.
For starters, Butler opened up about how his draft day trade went down from his perspective. He said he was in Paris, playing cards with Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade and Gabrielle Union.
“It was a great game of spades,” Butler said.
Butler recalled a comical reaction to his agent calling him in the middle of the game to let him know a move to Minnesota was likely.
“I said ‘OK, cool, I’m going to get back to my spades game’ because once again I can’t control that,” Butler said.
Butler said he had an exit interview with Gar Forman and John Paxson after the Bulls were knocked out of the playoffs. After the meeting, Butler explained that he wasn’t sure what direction the team would go in, either to build around Butler or go through a rebuild.
“I have nothing against anybody on that team, anybody in that organization, but they were so stuck on not building around me, but maybe building with me as they would say, or going young, a rebuild,” he said. “It was one or the other, but I just wanted to know. Was it clear when I left that meeting what we were going to do? No.”
Butler did eventually start to think that he would get traded from Chicago. He turned to Anthony for his experience in being traded.
Anthony is back in trade rumors again and while Butler wouldn’t say anything about Melo’s latest rumors, he did say he asked Anthony about going through the trade process.
“It was new to me,” Butler said. “It was shocking at first, but then it settled in. It was like it’s a business. You can’t act like you didn’t know eventually that this was going to happen. I may not have known that it was going to happen that day, but I knew I wasn’t going to be there.”
Butler is now reunited in Minnesota with former Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau and former Bulls teammate Taj Gibson. Simmons asked Butler if Thibodeau sleeps more than three hours. Butler's response: “No way.”
Butler’s return date to Chicago isn’t yet set with the NBA schedule set to come out in August. Simmons asked Butler about what his return to the United Center could be like.
“I’m just gonna try to score like five points in my first game back,” Butler said. "That’s all I need.”
While that answer doesn't really explain why he said he will try to score only five points, Butler thinks the Chicago crowd will give him some love. He was adamant that he wouldn’t cry though. That will be tested during the highlight reel the Bulls are likely to play for him in his return.
Butler also said he has no bad blood with owner Jerry Reinsdorf. Reinsdorf called him after the trade and Butler said he respected him for that.
“The ownership was phenomenal when I was there… as in great people,” Butler said. “(He) was always doing everything in the community, which means so much to me.
“They always put everybody in a position to be successful when it came to in that community and just being really great people and wanting it to be a family-like atmosphere.”
Butler also said he’s the best at dominoes, for whatever that’s worth.
CUBS: That escalated quickly: Cubs just a game back of Brewers, could be in first place as soon as this weekend.
CUBS: That escalated quickly: Cubs just a game back of Brewers, could be in first place as soon as this weekend.
By Vinnie Duber
(Photo/USA TODAY)
To quote the great Ron Burgundy: That escalated quickly.
Don't look now, but the Cubs are just a game out of first place in the National League Central standings and could take over first place sometime this weekend.
While the Cubs have been on their post All-Star break tear, winners of all six of their games since the Midsummer Classic, the first-place Milwaukee Brewers have been on a simultaneous skid, losers of their last five games.
Because of all that, the standings have tightened dramatically. What was a five and a half game difference between the Cubs and Brewers at the break is now just a one-game gap.
It goes up and down the standings, too, as the Pittsburgh Pirates — who completed a four-game sweep of the Brewers on Thursday afternoon — are just three games back. The St. Louis Cardinals, who start a weekend series with the Cubs at Wrigley Field on Friday, are just four and a half games back of the Brewers.
Given how hot the Cubs are right now, a move into first place sometime in the next couple days wouldn't be surprising in the least.
The Cubs have scored a whopping 44 runs during their six-game win streak, an average of more than seven runs a game. That stretch has also seen 16 home runs off Cubs bats.
The Cardinals roll into Wrigley losers of back-to-back games and four of their last seven since the All-Star break. Meanwhile, the Brewers travel for a three-game weekend set against the Philadelphia Phillies, the team with the worst record in baseball, and the Pirates pay a visit to the Colorado Rockies, a 56-win team that scored 18 runs in a Wednesday win over the San Diego Padres.
If you were hoping for a fun race in the Central in the second half of the season, it seems your wish has come true. As for those fans waiting around for the Cubs to finally move into first place, where they haven't been since June 6, you might soon get your wish, too.
Joe Maddon's prime-time message: 'Help or die'.
By Patrick Mooney
(Photo/USA TODAY)
Joe Maddon gave an unforgettable shout-out to his blue-collar hometown during his first press conference as Cubs manager at The Cubby Bear, promising to buy the first round of drinks at the bar opposite the Wrigley Field marquee.
Maddon dropped the microphone for a moment, and then picked it back up to make a final announcement before exiting stage left: “That’s a shot and a beer! That’s the Hazleton way!”
The faded city from Pennsylvania’s coal-mining region that Cubs fans first heard about in November 2014 – and became a go-to reference point during so many of Maddon’s daily media sessions – will get a national spotlight on NBC News’ “Sunday Night with Megyn Kelly.”
NBC correspondent Harry Smith shadowed Maddon and traveled to Hazleton for a magazine-style piece that will air Sunday at 6 p.m., just before the Cubs play the rival St. Louis Cardinals at Wrigley Field.
Maddon – who has visited the White House twice within the last six-plus months and sat down with Charlie Rose while the team was in New York in June – wants a focus on his Hazleton Integration Project and how that community organization is creating educational opportunities and trying to help the next wave of immigrants assimilate.
“They’re going to save our town,” Maddon tells NBC. “You have two options right here. Either you get on board and help us as we’re moving this thing along or you’re going to die. And when you die and go away, then you’re going to get out of the way. You’re not going to be part of the problem anymore. So, it’s either help or die.”
This is becoming Willson Contreras' team, whether or not Cubs add Alex Avila or another veteran catcher.
By Patrick Mooney
(Photo/USA TODAY)
This is slowly becoming more like Willson Contreras’ team, whether or not the Cubs add a veteran catcher like Alex Avila before the July 31 trade deadline. Yadier Molina took the in-game, All-Star photo of Nelson Cruz and Joe West, but Contreras is coming for moments like that, too.
In a Cubs clubhouse filled with calm, serious young players who were fast-tracked to Wrigleyville, Contreras is the one who got left exposed in the Rule 5 draft at the 2014 winter meetings and spent parts of eight seasons in the minors before making his big-league debut.
As much as the Cubs needed that ice-cold demeanor from guys like Kris Bryant and Addison Russell to end the 108-year hex, they will use Contreras’ fire to try to win the World Series again.
“I feel like I’m in the heart of the team,” Contreras said. “I’m behind the plate. I just want to play with my energy, no matter if I hit or not. We need that energy for the second half. And it’s going to be there.”
The Cubs flipped a switch after the All-Star break, sweeping the Baltimore Orioles and Atlanta Braves and moving to within one game of the Milwaukee Brewers, their play screaming at Theo Epstein’s front office to keep buying. Contreras caught the first 45 innings of that six-game winning streak where the rotation finally clicked and hit .409 (9-for-22) with two homers, three doubles and seven RBIs on that road trip.
Contreras is a power source when a 49-45 team talks about going on a run and the defending World Series champs point to all this room to grow in the future. The model will be staring at Contreras this weekend at Wrigley Field when the Cubs try to keep the St. Louis Cardinals down (46-49) and give their front office something to think about (sell?) between now and July 31.
“We look at Yadier Molina,” catching/strategy coach Mike Borzello said. “We know that he’s just an intelligent baseball player. I always try to remind Willson: 'That’s what we’re trying to accomplish, making you not only a threat offensively and defensively, but with your mind.'
“He’s always listening. He wants to learn. He plays with high intensity, high emotion. I always challenge him to be a smart player. That’s the best compliment you can get.”
After a disappointing first half where it looked like the vaunted pitching infrastructure might collapse — and veteran catcher Miguel Montero went on an epic rant that could have foretold a divided clubhouse in the second half — Contreras seemed to be in the middle of everything.
With Contreras behind the plate, Jake Arrieta began his salary drive toward a megadeal, Jose Quintana dazzled in his Cubs debut, Jon Lester recovered from the worst start of his career and John Lackey pitched well enough to delay any awkward conversations about going home to Texas instead of going to the bullpen.
“It was never tough,” said Arrieta, who has chopped his ERA from 5.44 to 4.17 since the middle of May. “It was just a matter of him getting to understand what we like to do as starters.
“He’s learned really quickly. He’s a tremendous athlete back there. I’m very confident that I can bury a curveball, or I can throw a changeup in the dirt, and I know that guy’s going to block it, even with a guy on first or second base. There’s not a ton of guys around the league that you can feel that much confidence in.
“Willson’s been great, and he’s only going to get better.”
Quintana, who breezed through seven scoreless innings against the Orioles (12 strikeouts, zero walks) after that blockbuster trade with the White Sox, gave this review of Contreras: “We were on the same page really quick, believe me. We talked before the game about how we want to go, how we want to call our pitches. He called a really good game, and I appreciate that.”
The Cubs will still be looking for a more-PC version of Montero, whether it’s someone like Avila, who works for his dad, Detroit Tigers general manager Al Avila, or circling back to an old target like Texas Rangers catcher Jonathan Lucroy (essentially off-limits to a division rival when the Brewers shopped him last summer). Dropping Montero in late June forced Victor Caratini up from Triple-A Iowa, making Contreras the senior catcher with a World Series ring at the age of 25.
“It’s almost like a quarterback in the NFL — there’s so much for them to absorb,” manager Joe Maddon said. “When you come from the minors to the major leagues as a catcher, most of the time in the minor leagues, you’re just developing physical abilities, physical tools, blocking, footwork, throwing, maybe pitcher/catcher relationship.
“But understanding the calling of a game — it’s hard to really develop that on the minor-league level. You have the manager, then maybe a pitching coach and there’s a lot going on. You don’t have that time to put into the game plan or to sit down and talk to this guy. It’s a little bit more superficial. I don’t mean that in a disparaging way — it’s just the way it is.”
Whatever the Cubs do next, it will be with the idea of preserving Contreras in mind. Of the six big-league catchers qualified for the batting title, only two other catchers — World Series winners Buster Posey (.917) and Salvador Perez (.824) — have a higher OPS than Contreras (.822) so far this season. Among National League catchers, Contreras also has the most errors (13) and runners thrown out (19). Outside of Bryzzo, Contreras has the highest WAR (2.6) on the team.
If you think Contreras is emotional, energetic and entertaining now, just imagine what he will be like when he really knows what he’s doing.
“He asks all the right questions,” said Borzello, who won four World Series rings as a New York Yankees staffer. “We go over every game, and between every inning, we talk. We’re working in the right direction. I think he wants it as much as anyone I’ve ever been around.”
Cubs Talk Podcast: State of Cubs-Cardinals rivalry and what lies ahead.
By CSN Staff
(Photo/USA TODAY)
St. Louis Cardinals beat writer Derrick Goold stops by to chat with CSN's Patrick Mooney about the landscape of the Cubs-Cardinals rivalry and preview the weekend series at Wrigley Field on the latest Cubs Talk Podcast.
Later, Double-A Tennessee broadcaster Mick Gillespie joins the podcast to chat with Mooney about what prospects the Cubs have left in the farm system.
Also, how pitcher Dillon Maples could make an impact on the big league club as soon as this year.
Check out the entire podcast here.
WHITE SOX: Yoan Moncada's first White Sox game had same 'special' feeling as MLB debut.
By Dan Hayes
(Photo/USA TODAY)
First came the roar from the home crowd. Then a bunch of fans in the first deck beyond third base stood to watch Yoan Moncada. The patient approach surfaced next.
Moncada made his White Sox debut on Wednesday night and although it didn’t feature any highlight reel moments, there were plenty of good signs. Moncada drew a walk in his first plate appearance and also lined out hard to center field in his last. The rookie second baseman went 0-for-2 as the White Sox lost 9-1 to the Los Angeles Dodgers at Guaranteed Rate Field.
“It was fun to watch him come in,” pitcher Carlos Rodon said. “I saw him in Triple-A for a while, he’s a great talent. It’s good to have some good defense. That first at-bat was obviously really good. Fought it back to 3-2, got that walk. Two good swings.”
“It was cool. It got very loud when he came up to the plate, as we expected. That was fun to watch.”
The hype and energy surrounding the arrival of baseball’s top prospect was easy to detect.
The amount of media members on hand to document Moncada’s first game was akin to an Opening Day crowd. Every camera was aimed on Moncada, who flew in from Rochester, N.Y. earlier in the day to join the White Sox.
News of Moncada’s promotion at 11 p.m. Tuesday boosted the announced crowd of 24,907 by 5,000 fans, according to the team. Fans arrived early, some in Moncada White Sox No. 10 jerseys direct from China, while others brought Twinkies, the second baseman’s favorite snack food. Moncada spotted some of those bearing the sugary snacks when he stepped out of the home dugout and onto the field about 45 minutes before first pitch. Moncada, a former teammate of Jose Abreu’s in Cuba, received a loud ovation as he started to stretch.
“I was excited with the way the fans treated me and how they were cheering me,” Moncada said through an interpreter. “I was really happy in that at-bat and excited because all that atmosphere and the excitement in the ballpark.”
The rumble was even louder when Moncada stepped in for his first Major League plate appearance since he played for the Boston Red Sox last September. Though he quickly fell behind in the count 0-2 against Dodgers starter Kenta Maeda, Moncada never wavered. He took several closes pitches, fouled off two more, and drew a nine-pitch walk.
“He had some nice at-bats,” manager Rick Renteria said. “Obviously worked a walk. Hit two balls well. He looked very comfortable. Turned a nice double play. I think he didn’t look overwhelmed. I think he ended his first day here with us as well as you could have it be. I know he didn’t get any hits but I thought he had some pretty good at-bats.”
Moncada’s second trip resulted in a groundout to first base. He fell behind 0-2 once again before working the count even. Moncada then ripped an 88-mph from Maeda down the right-field line only to have it go foul by several feet before grounding out on the next pitch.
Moncada got ahead 2-0 in the count in his final plate appearance as he faced reliever Ross Strippling. He produced an easy, fluid swing on the 2-0 pitch and ripped a 93-mph fastball for a line drive but it found the glove of center fielder Joc Pederson. The ball exited Moncada’s bat at 102.5 mph, which normally results in a hit 62.5 percent of the time, according to baseballsavant.com.
“I felt good,” Moncada said. “I think that I executed my plan. I didn't get any hits but I hit the ball hard and I executed my plan.”
“I made my debut last year but this one was special, it had kind of the same feeling for me.”
Trayce Thompson reflects upon 'two of the best months of my life' with White Sox.
By Dan Hayes
(Photo/USA TODAY)
While many of the faces in the White Sox clubhouse may be relatively unfamiliar to fans, Trayce Thompson remembers them all.
Even with Chris Sale, Adam Eaton, Jose Quintana, David Robertson, Todd Frazier and Tommy Kahnle gone, Thompson sees a lot of old friends in the White Sox clubhouse. A member of the organization from 2009-15, Thompson said his first trip back to Guaranteed Rate Field since he was traded has brought back a lot of good memories. Traded in the three-team deal that brought Frazier to the White Sox, Thompson started in center field for the Los Angeles Dodgers and hit ninth on Wednesday night.
“I won’t call him Yolmer,” Thompson said. “I played with Carlos (Sanchez) at every level. I played with Tim (Anderson) at Birmingham briefly. Tim’s an amazing kid, one of my favorites I’ve ever played with. Kevan Smith is one of my really close friends. I’ve known Matt Davidson longer than any guy on that team because we grew up in the same area. Me and (David Holmberg) were drafted together. We pretty much did everything together when we first got drafted. I’m glad to see all those guys. Luis Sierra, I know he’s one of the coaches … I lived with him when I was here.”
“It makes me happy, brings back a lot of good memories being here. And I’m happy to see a lot of my good friends that I played with kind of get an opportunity to play here a lot. It’s been fun for me to kind of follow them.”
A second-round pick by the White Sox in the 2009 draft, Thompson bloomed when he finally got his chance in the majors. Thompson arrived late in the 2015 season and slashed .295/.363/.533 with five home runs and 16 RBIs in 135 plate appearances.
“I had two of the best months of my life here,” Thompson said. “Some of the most fun baseball I’ve ever played in my life.”
It’s nearly a lifetime ago in terms of where the White Sox have been. Thompson’s White Sox manager, Robin Ventura, stepped down at the end of the 2016 season. Sale and Eaton were dealt in December, which has begun a team-driven exodus of talent.
Back problems limited Thompson to 80 games for the Dodgers in 2016, though he still managed to belt 13 home runs. Thompson said his back has been fine since March, although it requires constant maintenance. After spending much of the season at Triple-A, Thompson rejoined the Dodgers in late June and splits playing time in the outfield.
“It’s pretty special to be a part of this team,” Thompson said.
He also enjoys that some of his old teammates have moved on — and into great situations, too. For those still here, Thompson likes the opportunity his homegrown teammates have started to receive.
“It’s far different than what I became accustomed to going to big league camp,” Thompson said. “But I’m happy for Chris Sale to get an opportunity to play with a good team in Boston and happy for Q now. They’ve moved on to good teams and I’m happy for them. I’m happy for all the guys here now who have an opportunity to play. I know they’re obviously trying to win, but they’re kind of allowing the homegrown guys an opportunity, which I’m happy to see. It’s definitely a different feel.”
Why Adam Engel came up with his unique batting stance, and how he's tweaked it since.
By JJ Stankevitz
(Photo/OSA TODAY Photo Images)
Adam Engel stepped into the batter’s box for his first major league at-bat in May armed with a batting stance that, to say the least, wasn’t conventional.
Engel’s hands were pushed far away from his body and were level with his head. His bat pointed straight up in the air, and his right (back) arm was raised above his left (front) one. On first glance, you had to wonder — how can that be comfortable?
“That’s something that I probably wouldn’t coach a little kid to do,” Engel said.
But there was a well-thought-out method to Engel’s stance. He used the word “tension” in describing what he was trying to avoid by thrusting his hands high and away from his body. And as White Sox hitting coach Todd Steverson noted, nobody does anything well when they’re tight.
“The closer I get my hands to my body, I tend to grab the bat a little harder, which causes a chain reaction I don’t want,” Engel said. “As long as my hands get to where I want them before I start swinging, that’s the goal.”
Since arriving in the majors two months ago, though, Engel has lowered his hands and dropped his back elbow. Here’s the difference in his stances between his first career hit (May 27) and his first career home run (June 25)
And almost a month later, Engel's gradually brought his hands lower:
For a rookie, tinkering with hand placement can be hazardous. But Engel’s batting stance has been a work in progress for a while now, as evidenced by what it was back in spring training of 2016:
Even during spring training in 2017, Engel’s stance was closer to what it was in 2016 than what it was when he made his major league debut:
But here’s the point Steverson made about all those tweaks and changes: As long as it helps Engel get the barrel of his bat to the point of contact, who cares how it looks before the swing?
“At the point of contact, 99.9 percent of every hitter looks the same,” Steverson said. “… How you get it done is based upon timing and your inner functions. But can I get it to here on time is what it’s all about. There’s many myriad ways of doing that. You’re not going to teach somebody to do that because there’s not their functions.
“… You got guys (in basketball) taking free throws different — did it go in the bucket or did it not go in the bucket? It’s kind of the same way with hitting. Can I get the barrel to the point of contact or can I not get the barrel to the point. And that’s the end of the story.”
The 25-year-old Engel is still trying to find his way through his first major league season, hitting .233 with a .317 on-base percentage and a below-average .650 OPS. But he’s had some sporadic positive results, like his four-hit game against the Minnesota Twins June 22.
There’s a fine line between finding a batting stance and hand placement that you’re comfortable with and tinkering too much, especially for a player as green as Engel. But he’ll continue to put in the work trying to find something that will yield consistent success — and that may mean another batting stance that sticks out.
“it’s just pregame work, watch a lot of video on the starter before the games and then try to work all my work pregame, batting practice, swings in the cage, try to have a mindset that I’m going to have in the game,” Engel said. “Work on the mindset, and then when I step in the box, it’s as close to practice as it can be.”
Golf: I got a club for that..... Spieth, Koepka and Kuchar share Open lead.
By Jay Coffin
(Photo/Golf Channel Digital)
It is bunched at the top of the leaderboard after the first round of the 146th Open and some of those names are ones you’d expect to be there. Here’s a closer look at how it all went down Thursday at Royal Birkdale:
Leaderboard: Jordan Spieth (-5), Brooks Koepka (-5), Matt Kuchar (-5), Paul Casey (-4), Charl Schwartzel (-4), Ian Poulter (-3), Justin Thomas (-3), Richard Bland (-3), Austin Connelly (-3), Charley Hoffman (-3), Rafa Cabrera Bello (-3).
What it means: Spieth shot his 65 early, Koepka matched it a couple hours later, then Kuchar did the same later in the afternoon. All three were equally impressive and weather was fair for everyone most of the day, something that doesn’t often happen at The Open. While it’s great to jump out to such a great start for these three, and anyone else within striking distance, everyone in the field knows that the weather in Round 2 is going to be utterly putrid. So don’t let the Day 1 scores fool you, it’s going to get ugly quick and the next three days are going to be extremely trying.
Round of the day: On this day all 65s were created equal but Spieth’s was the most memorable. He only hit five fairways, but his iron-play and putting both were spectacular. Midway through the round (at 3 under after nine holes) Spieth started to have that strut that you may remember from his two-win major championship season of two years ago. He may not win, but it’s hard to imagine a scenario where he won’t be in the hunt on Sunday.
Best of the rest: Keep in mind that this was Koepka’s first competitive round in a month, since he hoisted the U.S. Open trophy at Erin Hills. He made par on the first seven holes but got hot with birdies on Nos. 11, 12 and 13, then eagled the par-5 17th. Kuchar was 5 under on the front nine (shot 29) and then parred each of the last nine holes.
Biggest disappointment: It was going to be Rory McIlroy, until he birdied three of his last four holes to shoot 71. Instead, the (dis)honor goes to Masters champion Sergio Garcia. He was just 2 over late in the round with two par 5s left but he bogeyed the par-5 15th and then made double bogey on the par-4 16th. Birdies on the final two holes softened the blow a little but still, an opening 73 for one of The Open favorites was just not good enough in decent conditions.
Shot of the day: Charley Hoffman blew his opening tee shot right, then holed it for an eagle on the par-4 first hole. It was the first eagle on the first hole at Royal Birkdale since stats first were recorded in 1983. He made late bogeys on Nos. 16 and 17, but still shot 3-under 67.
Quote of the day: “I’d call it a top-five probably, major round that I’ve played. Maybe fifth or sixth, something like that. There are scores that I’ve shot that were closer to par that were better given what I needed to do. But I couldn’t have done much better today.” – Spieth
Caddie J.P. to Rory: 'What the f--- are you doing?'
By Ryan Lavner
(Photo/Golf Channel Digital)
Rory McIlroy was hoping for one round – even one moment – to turn around his recent slump.
It might have come Thursday at The Open, thanks to a pep talk from his caddie, J.P. Fitzgerald.
Four over par after his first five holes at Royal Birkdale, Fitzgerald turned to McIlroy on the sixth tee and said: “You’re Rory McIlroy, what the f--- are you doing?”
McIlroy shrugged off the comment at the time – “I mumbled and said, ‘Whatever’” – but looking back, it was the exchange that kick-started his round.
“Thankfully he’s not had to do it too often,” McIlroy said. “He’s never afraid to do it. I feel today it helped a lot more than at other times because I needed something. It wasn’t that I could look within myself. I was trying to. But J.P. kept me positive out there, so that was very much appreciated.”
After going out in 39, McIlroy birdied four of his last eight holes to salvage a 1-over 71 and sit just six shots off the lead.
“Thankfully I showed the character today to bounce back and hang tough when I needed to,” he said.
McIlroy had missed three of his last four cuts heading into The Open, and he looked dreadful again Thursday.
In stepped Fitzgerald.
“It definitely helped,” McIlroy said. “It kept me positive. So he did a great job.”
Piller leads Women's Open champ by 1.
By Associated Press
(Photo/Golf Channel Digital)
Gerina Piller shot an 8-under 63 on Thursday in the Marathon Classic to take a one-stroke lead over U.S. Women's Open champion Sung Hyun Park and Peiyun Chien.
''Got off to a good start and got the putts rolling,'' Piller said. ''To be honest, my ball-striking didn't feel as great coming into this weekend, and the week after a major it's always tough just because you're so exhausted mentally. I just went out there and really trusted what I had and just brought it together. My game feels really good right now.''
Park, the South Korean player who won her first major title last week at Trump National in New Jersey, had seven birdies in a bogey-free round.
''My feeling today was so awesome,'' Park said. ''It was a good start after the major championship, winning. First of all, I need to focus more on the Marathon Classic and want to keep my happiness behind from now on.''
Chien, an LPGA rookie from Taiwan, had eight birdies and a bogey.
''The golf course is narrow,'' Chien said. ''It's very tough first shot because you need to play a cut or little draw a lot, not just hit it straight. ... I changed my playing because I'm always thinking the swing on the golf course, so today I just played freely, tried to find some feeling and play.''
Kelly Shon, Aditi Ashok and In-Kyung Kim shot 65, Angel Yin and Sandra Changkija followed at 66, and U.S. Solheim Cup players Lexi Thompson, Brittany Lincicome and Alison Lee topped the group at 67.
Stacy Lewis, her U.S. Women's Open chances ruined by a third-round meltdown, had a 69.
Canadian Brooke Henderson shot 70.
Lydia Ko, winless since her victory last year at Highland Meadows, had a 73. She had three bogeys and one birdie.
''When you're not hitting the ball fantastic, it's not going to be the greatest score,'' Ko said. ''But there's always tomorrow. Hopefully, I'll be able to get a few things better for tomorrow's round.''
Piller is trying to not get too far ahead of herself.
''Tomorrow is a different day, and I'll just kind of do the same thing as I did today, go out there and take one shot at a time, as cliche as it sounds,'' Piller said. ''But you're not going to win it on Thursday, Friday or Saturday, so it's going to take all four rounds.''
NASCAR: This weekend’s NASCAR racing schedule at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
By Jerry Bonkowski
(Photo/Getty Images)
NASCAR returns to Indianapolis Motor Speedway this weekend with Saturday’s Lilly Diabetes 250 and Sunday’s main event, the Brantley Gilbert Big Machine Brickyard 400.
The legendary 2.5-mile oval has played host to the Monster Energy Cup Series since 1994 and the Xfinity Series since 2012.
The legendary 2.5-mile oval has played host to the Monster Energy Cup Series since 1994 and the Xfinity Series since 2012.
As NASCAR returns to the home of the Indianapolis 500, there’s a bit of an anomaly to consider.
Kyle Busch comes into this weekend seeking his first NASCAR Cup win since his triumph in last year’s Brickyard 400.
But wait, there’s more:
* Busch actually has won the last two Brickyard 400s.
* Busch also has won the last two Xfinity Series races – and three of the last four – at IMS.
* That means Busch comes into this weekend riding a four-race winning streak at Indy.
* Busch has also won the last two Xfinity races on the 2017 season schedule (Kentucky two weeks ago and last Saturday at New Hampshire).
Here’s the weekend schedule at IMS:
(All times Eastern)
FRIDAY, JULY 21
9:30 a.m. – 7 p.m. – Xfinity garage open
1 – 1:55 p.m. – First Xfinity practice (NBC Sports App)
3 – 3:55 p.m. – Final Xfinity practice (NBC Sports App)
SATURDAY, JULY 22
6:30 a.m. – 10:30 p.m. – Cup garage open
9 – 9:55 a.m. – Cup first practice (CNBC)
9 a.m. – Xfinity garage open
11 – 11:55 a.m.—Final Cup practice (CNBC)
12:45 p.m. – Xfinity qualifying (single vehicle/two rounds) (NBCSN)
2:15 p.m. – Xfinity driver/crew chief meeting
3 p.m. – Xfinity driver introductions
3:30 p.m. – Lilly Diabetes 250 Xfinity race (100 laps, 250 miles) (NBCSN, IMS Radio/PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
6:15 p.m. – Cup qualifying (multi-vehicle, three rounds) (NBCSN, IMS Radio/PRN)
SUNDAY, JULY 23
9 a.m. – Cup garage open
12:30 p.m. – Driver/crew chief meeting
1:50 p.m. – Cup driver introductions
2:30 p.m. – Brantley Gilbert Big Machine Brickyard 400 (160 laps, 400 miles) (NBC, IMS Radio/ PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
Alex Bowman to take over Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s No. 88 car in 2018.
By Dustin Long
Alex Bowman, once told by a doctor that he couldn’t race for eight weeks after a severe crash but returned in half that time, saw his patience for sitting out this NASCAR season rewarded Thursday when Hendrick Motorsports announced that the 24-year-old will take over Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s Cup ride next season.
“Ever since I was a kid, racing is all I’ve wanted to do,” Bowman said in a release from Hendrick Motorsports. “I’ve had so many people believe in me along the way. My family has sacrificed a lot and always been behind me. I would never have this chance without the support of Dale and everyone involved with the No. 88 team. To be part of Hendrick Motorsports and for Mr. (Rick) Hendrick to have this confidence in me, it’s just amazing.’’
Hendrick Motorsports also announced Thursday that Nationwide signed a one-year extension and will sponsor the car for 19 races. Axalta returns and will be the primary sponsor for 15 races, an increase of two from this season.
Bowman was among the favorites for Earnhardt’s ride because he drove 10 races in the No. 88 car last year while Earnhardt recovered from concussion symptoms. Bowman won a pole at Phoenix Raceway and had three top-10 finishes.
His performance last year earned praise from within Hendrick Motorsports.
“Alex impressed the heck out of us last year with his talent, poise and professionalism,” said car owner Rick Hendrick, in a statement from the team. “He stepped up in a very demanding situation and showed that he can run with the best and compete for wins. His ability to stay focused through it all, and the way he’s handled himself since then, has shown a lot of character. (Crew chief Greg Ives) and the team loved working with Alex, and that dynamic will get even better with more time together.
Earnhardt, who is in his final full-time season racing Cup, endorsed Bowman as the next driver of the No. 88 Chevrolet on Periscope in May.
“Alex Bowman in the 88 car next year, is that what you want?’’ Earnhardt said on Periscope a day after the All-Star Race. “That would be pretty awesome. Alex in the 88. That sounds good to me. He earned it last year. He ran real good.”
“Alex Bowman in the 88 car next year, is that what you want?’’ Earnhardt said on Periscope a day after the All-Star Race. “That would be pretty awesome. Alex in the 88. That sounds good to me. He earned it last year. He ran real good.”
Bowman’s hire adds another young driver to the Cup series — which already features nearly one-fifth of the starting lineup age 25 or younger.
His path to this ride comes in an unusual way. Rarely do drivers sitting out for an extended period of time get quality rides, let alone join one of the sport’s top organizations.
Bowman, who signed with Hendrick Motorsports in Oct. 2016, has only raced in the Clash in February — earning that spot for his pole at Phoenix last year — and a Camping World Truck race in March at Atlanta Motor Speedway. His primary duty has been as driver in the Chevrolet simulator and driving Chevrolet’s car at NASCAR-allowed tests.
His work in the Chevy simulator has been praised by his future teammates.
“We put a lot on him now,” Jimmie Johnson said last weekend at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. “I think he’d be a great fit to come in that car from a wide variety of angles.”
Bowman made his debut in the No. 88 car last July at New Hampshire after having run 71 Cup races for BK Racing and Tommy Baldwin Racing from 2014-15.
“When I look at how he stepped in seamlessly, it was really impressive for me,” Johnson said of Bowman’s performance in the No. 88 last year. “He handled the pressure, won a pole, was up there duking it out for race wins, had a heated moment or two with some of the veterans and wasn’t rattled.
“We all watched him evolve. You drive for a lower level team and unfortunately, people’s opinion about you can change. That cloud or stigma was there for a while, and he had a chance to reset the deck when he drove the 88. I think he’s plenty capable. He’s been a great teammate. He knows our system.”
While Bowman is most noted for running 10 races last year for Earnhardt, he has been tied to Earnhardt since 2014.
Bowman ran two Xfinity races for JR Motorsports in 2014 and returned to run nine races for the organization in 2016.
Bowman’s path to this point has been one full of gambles in a sport where few succeed. His father put a second mortgage on the home to fund Bowman’s racing and saw his used car dealership close during the economic downturn.
Bowman’s racing started when his father got him a quarter midget at age 7. Bowman went on to collect nine quarter-midget national championships before he moved to race midgets.
He was the USAC National Midget Rookie of the Year in 2009 but a crash the next year at the dirt track at Las Vegas Motor Speedway put his season in jeopardy. His midget tumbled several times. He cracked ribs, broke his collarbones and damaged blood vessels in his eyes. He was unable to see for three days because his eyes were swollen shut. When his vision returned, it was blurry. Eventually his vision returned.
Even with both arms in a sling, he wanted to race as soon as possible. Told it would be eight weeks at the earliest, Bowman said he had a race in three weeks. Bowman returned in four weeks.
He’s been focused on racing since — even with the decision to turn down rides this year to be aligned with Hendrick Motorsports even though there wasn’t a ride for him.
Beginning next year, he’ll be out of the simulator and back on the track.
“The No. 88 team is such a great group of people,’’ Bowman said in a release from the team. “I know we can pick up where we left off last year, and I truly believe we can win races and contend for a championship. I’m excited to build on the relationship with Nationwide and all of our partners. It means the world that they have faith in me, and I’m thankful to have them on my side. Now I just want to go win.”
Matt Crafton captures Eldora Dirt Derby with late surge.
Matt Crafton captures Eldora Dirt Derby with late surge.
By Nate Ryan
(Photo/nbcsports.com)
Matt Crafton picked a fine time for his first victory on a dirt track.
The two-time Camping World Truck Series champion took the lead with 16 laps remaining and ended a yearlong winless drought with a victory Wednesday night at Eldora Speedway.
“This definitely wasn’t the one that I thought was going to put us in the playoffs, without a doubt,” Crafton said. “I was looking to come in here and have a top five – a good solid top-five run. Kept searching and finally found something at the end.”
Crafton seized first from runner-up Stewart Friesen, who started on the pole position and led a race-high 93 of 150 laps in the Eldora Dirt Derby. Chase Briscoe was third, followed by Grant Enfinger and John Hunter Nemechek.
It snapped a 27-race winless streak for Crafton, who hadn’t won since May 21, 2016 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. It was the 14th career victory for the ThorSport Racing driver, who has finished in the top 10 in all five races at Eldora (though Wednesday was his first top five here).
It was only the 15th career start for Friesen, who has struggled in his first full-time season racing in the trucks. He had finished outside the top 25 six times in the first 10 races and withdrawn from two events.
“It would have been super important,” the Canadian veteran of dirt Modifieds and the World of Outlaws series said of breaking through for a NASCAR win. “The first seven races probably are the most frustrating I ever have been a part of in my life. To run good and be in the top five is good, I just wanted to close it out. It’s a little bit of a silver lining but not much.”
The Canadian continued a trend in which dirt-track veterans have excelled against the truck regulars on the half-mile clay oval, but some said Eldora raced differently.
Briscoe, another sprint car veteran, said the bottom groove worked well enough that drivers weren’t as on the edge of out of control and sliding off the corners.
“There wasn’t as much of a cushion you had to hustle,” Briscoe said. “That’s where the dirt guy has an advantage over the non-dirt guys.”
Crafton has turned himself into a “dirt guy,” investing his own money in running a Modified on dirt tracks this year. He rebuilt a car with his father earlier this year and studied the nuances of running up against the wall.
“It helped a lot,” he said. “Just learning what the track does. In the years past, I didn’t know what I was looking at to be totally honest. Just kept studying and kept studying.
“Since I was a kid, I always heard about Eldora and watching the guys the last few years put the thing on the fence. I came committed to run the top and give up the bottom. I’m going to run the top when it matters. It’s one of the greatest wins I’ve had because it’s something so out of the ordinary.”
STAGE WINNERS: Crafton won a caution-plagued first stage. Friesen was in front at the end of the second stage.
HOW CRAFTON WON: His No. 88 Toyota avoided a multitude of wrecks that collected more than a dozen drivers in the field, powering past Friesen on the outside lane.
WHO ELSE HAD A GOOD RACE: Christopher Bell, who won here in 2015 and finished second last year, rebounded to finish ninth after sustaining heavy-right side damage from losing control of his No. 4 Toyota off the third turn on the 36th lap. “We had the truck to win, and I made a mistake that cost us,” Bell said. … Bobby Pierce, who led a race-high 102 laps last year and was the 2015 runner-up to Bell, placed sixth despite being involved in two crashes in the first 20 laps (after also wrecking during a qualifying heat).
WHO HAD A BAD RACE: Ben Rhodes finished a season-worst 29th after getting caught in a wreck on Lap 43. … Rookie Kaz Grala was 31st after a wreck near the end of the first stage.
NOTABLE: Bell and Pierce had combined to lead 247 of 300 laps in the past two races at Eldora but led 22 on Wednesday. … The race was slowed by 10 cautions for 59 laps (just off the record of 61 yellow-flag laps for 13 cautions in 2015).
QUOTE OF THE RACE: “It should be called the demolition derby not the dirt derby because our truck is destroyed.” – Rhodes, who was involved in a wreck near the beginning of the second stage.
WHAT’S NEXT: The Overton’s 150 will take place July 29 at Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pennsylvania.
Truck series standings after Eldora.
(Photo/nbcsports.com)
Johnny Sauter hung on to the Camping World Truck Series points lead despite a rough Wednesday night at Eldora Speedway.
Sauter finished a season-worst 23rd at Eldora, snapping a streak of nine consecutive top-10 finishes.
He has a seven-point lead on Christopher Bell, who rebounded to finish ninth after sustaining heavy damage in an early wreck.
Click here for the truck series points standings.
SOCCER: Why the next two weeks are crucial in MLS' Eastern Conference race.
By Dan Santaromita
(Photo/USA TODAY)
As Major League Soccer teams return from the Gold Cup break this week, the Chicago Fire are tied for the best record in the league.
The Fire’s 11-3-5 record, good for 38 points, has virtually assured the team of a playoff spot with nearly half the season still to play. Sports Club Stats has MLS playoff odds, which give the Fire and Toronto FC both a 99.9 percent chance of making the postseason.
So if the Fire’s baseline goal of making the playoffs is a near certainty at this point, what’s next? The Fire will want to strive for a first-round bye by getting one of the top two spots in the Eastern Conference. The Fire and Toronto are currently five points ahead of third-place New York City FC. Those two teams play tonight in The Bronx before the Fire head to Yankee Stadium to take on NYCFC on Saturday.
“We have to see how they play, obviously against Toronto, another direct opponent in our quest for the top of our conference,” Fire coach Veljko Paunovic said on Tuesday. “We’ll see how they do, how they’re going to play. We’ll see also what lineup they will play and that’s a good opportunity for us. We also know that that result is going to impact for sure their approach against us on Saturday.”
NYCFC could either fall out of the race or jump right into the thick of it in the next two weeks. Even after hosting both Toronto and the Fire in a four-day span, the David Villa-led team heads to Canada for another meeting with Toronto FC on July 30.
A look at the remaining schedule for the top three teams in the Eastern Conference standings shows the Fire may have the toughest road ahead. The table below shows how many games each team has at home and away as well as total games vs. teams currently in playoff spots and away games against those current playoff teams.
| Home games | Away games | Playoff teams | At playoff teams | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fire | 7 | 8 | 7 | 5 |
| Toronto | 8 | 7 | 6 | 3 |
| NYCFC | 8 | 7 | 8 | 2 |
The Fire have one fewer home game than Toronto and New York, but the real difference is in those away playoff games. The Fire have five such contests remaining (at NYCFC, at West-leading Sporting Kansas City, at Columbus, at San Jose and the season finale at Houston) and are 0-2-3 in those games so far this year.
Toronto has trips to Yankee Stadium and Toyota Park still on its schedule, but only one other road game against a playoff team. That's in Atlanta, the team that sits in fourth in the conference. TFC's disadvantage is that the Reds will be without Jozy Altidore and Michael Bradley presumably for both of the key meetings with NYCFC while those two are competing in the Gold Cup knockout stage.
New York has two meetings, both one home and away, against the Fire and Toronto. In addition, NYCFC hosts three of the Western Conference's best teams in Sporting KC, Portland and Houston in September. With ground to make up in the standings, David Villa and Co. will need to do well in those games against the Fire and Toronto to fight for a first-round playoff bye and perhaps a long-shot run at the Supporters' Shield.
Regardless of what lies further ahead, the next two weeks should go a long way to shaping the race at the top of the Eastern Conference when the final stretch of the season approaches.
Back from Tulsa, Joey Calistri returns to Fire with more confidence.
By Dan Santaromita
(Photo/USA TODAY)
While the Chicago Fire was having a breakout season in MLS, Joey Calistri was helping the Tulsa Roughnecks have a breakout season of their own in the USL.
Calistri, a homegrown midfielder from Deerfield who made 14 appearances as a rookie with the Fire last year, has been on loan with Tulsa since the start of the season and has helped the Roughnecks go from having the worst record in the league in 2016 to being in a playoff spot currently. Calistri made 16 appearances, 13 of which were starts, and totaled five goals and two assists.
The Fire recalled Calistri this week and he was back in training. The 23-year-old could be another attacking option off the bench for the Fire.
“I always knew that if I played well enough hopefully I would get a shot to come back, but they just called me up and said we’re flying you back so I didn’t ask so many questions,” Calistri said on Tuesday.
Calistri racked up 1,235 minutes, which is nearly four times the total he got with the Fire last season (348). He was a regular starter while primarily playing as an attacker on the right side.
“I was able to get consistent 90 minutes every week, which is huge for fitness, for confidence, for everything and getting a couple goals out there helps the confidence,” Calistri said.
The Northwestern product said rosters aren’t as deep in the USL, but praised the level of play overall. He noted that the intensity is high because the players are trying to earn a spot in MLS.
On top of getting a confidence boost and gaining experience, Calistri said he was trying to work on his play near the goal.
“The thing I wanted to improve was creating goals and creating chances for other guys,” Calistri said. “I think my distribution was something that got a lot better out there and I was able to calm down more in the final third, find the final pass and do a lot better with that.”
Now that he’s back with the Fire, Calistri is hoping to make a bigger impact than he did last year. Fire general manager Nelson Rodriguez noted in May how important it was for Calistri to get more playing time.
“I think this extended playing time has been very good for him,” Rodriguez said. “He’s proven to be what he was in our academy and what he was at Northwestern, which is a guy who finds a way to score goals and menace defenses.”
Calistri doesn’t know what his role will be with the Fire this year. He said coach Veljko Paunovic hasn’t communicated any specifics yet. Calistri doesn’t even know if the Fire intend to keep him around all year or send him back to Tulsa at some point.
One thing he does know about the Fire is that the team is very different from a year ago. Calistri was able to watch every game the Fire played and noticed the changes within the team.
“The thing I noticed was how calm we were on the ball,” he said. “I think that was probably the biggest difference I noticed. When we knocked the ball around the back there was a purpose and there was an identity to who we were. We didn’t just pass the ball around because we didn’t have options. We did that to stretch the other team out and then from then we were able to find pockets and little spaces behind.”
As Calistri came back from loan, defender Patrick Doody went on loan to Saint Louis FC, the Fire's previous USL affiliate. Doody, another homegrown player, has played there on loan each of the past two years. Doody hasn’t made an appearance for the Fire since his rookie year in 2015.
Bruce Arena must change tactics to win Gold Cup.
By Kyle Bonn
(Photo/Getty Images)
If last night’s 2-0 “win” over El Salvador proved anything to USMNT fans, it’s that Bruce Arena has plenty of work to do if the United States is to seriously challenge for the 2017 Gold Cup title.
Lowly El Salvador has beaten one CONCACAF opponent in its last 10 tries. That victory came over Curaçao. Nevertheless, the United States struggled to deal with the Central American nation, as El Salvador sported multiple stretches of good pressure, and the U.S. back line was unbelievably lucky to come out with a clean sheet they did not deserve.
Given the performance, Bruce Arena has only one option going forward. With the B Team he’s put together on the current 23-man roster, the USMNT manager cannot stick to his usual 4-4-2 formation. He must adapt.
With a significantly worse defensive line than the U.S. is used to, Michael Bradley is unable to play by himself in a central defensive midfield role as he did against El Salvador. With just Bradley and Darlington Nagbe in the middle of the pitch, the United States sported a gaping hole down the center, begging their quarterfinal opponent to counter up the gut, which they did to great effect.
Arena knew the U.S. strength was down the flanks, and that’s where he chose to attack. You can see by the halftime touch map that the United States chose to move the ball up the edge, particularly the left with Justin Morrow and Gyasi Zardes.
Arena knew his midfield was thin, and attacked accordingly. Nevertheless, defensively it failed to hold up. Without the more superior John Brooks, Geoff Cameron, and DeAndre Yedlin behind them, a midfield pair of Bradley and Nagbe just isn’t enough to cut down the counter-attack.
So what is Bruce Arena to do? Change his tactics; it’s the only option. Instead of his favored 4-4-2, he must change to a 4-2-3-1. While that cuts down on room for more attacking players, it allows Bradley to partner with Kellyn Acosta in the midfield hole. In front of the pair can either be Clint Dempsey or Darlington Nagbe in the ACM role depending how Arena plans to attack. That leaves Jozy Altidore alone up front, and while that’s less than ideal for a striker who plays better with a partner, it’s the necessary sacrifice that must be made so the U.S. midfield isn’t carved up like a Thanksgiving turkey by the better attacking teams left in the Gold Cup.
Bruce Arena’s preferred tactics may work with better players on the first-choice USMNT roster, but with a significantly downgraded selection at his disposal, especially along the defensive line, the United States coach must adjust his tactics against Costa Rica and likely Mexico to even have a chance.
Three things from the USMNT’s 2-0 win over El Salvador.
By Nicholas Mendola
(Photo/AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
The United States of America is not winning the Gold Cup.
At least that’s not how things look despite Bruce Arena’s much-needed call-ups of Michael Bradley, Jozy Altidore, Tim Howard, Darlington Nagbe, and Clint Dempsey.
Don’t let the clean sheet fool you: The defense was a mess again, the finishing was off, and any other remaining team in the tournament would’ve dismissed the U.S. at the quarterfinals given the same chances.
Agree or disagree, read on…
Back line blues
Tim Howard bailed out Eric Lichaj for a miserable early giveaway, but the play was far from an aberration for the Yanks’ defense.
Lichaj, solid in his first match of the tournament, struggled with giveaways in this one. Center backs Omar Gonzalez and Matt Hedges were caught out of position and sometimes out of the camera, with the former’s missed clearance of a cross nearly allowing El Salvador back into the game in the 63rd minute.
With this roster and Costa Rica on the other side Saturday, Hedges probably needs to slide back onto the bench and Gonzalez needs to be paired with his World Cup mate Matt Besler. We’d still like to see more from Matt Miazga, but unsure a semifinal against the team that got your last coach fired is the spot for a relative rookie.
Now what does Arena do with the fullbacks? Neither Lichaj nor Morrow shone in defense, but Graham Zusi has been very poor and Jorge Villafana is yet to put forth a complete performance in this tournament. Looking back to the Martinique charade, defense is slated to send the Yanks away from the Gold Cup without a title and probably without a Final. Find a fix, Bruce.
The roster changes were needed
While it wasn’t Clint Dempsey’s best night, he provided a key assist and made sure that each of the five roster changes — third string goalkeeper Jesse Gonzalez is six — showed why Arena made the changes after the group stage (though who he sent home, *cough* Kelyn Rowe *cough*, remains up for debate).
Michael Bradley is simply the best option in the center of the park right now, and showed that the captain is still the man even if Dax McCarty is a fine backup. Darlington Nagbe was clean on the ball as usual, Tim Howard made an early calming stop of a horrible Lichaj giveaway, and Jozy Altidore showed that he remains the player to game plan for if you’re a CONCACAF team. While only Howard and Bradley will really love their games, all five will be necessary to a Gold Cup Final run.
Adjustments haven’t been great
Maybe Arena doesn’t have the options he needs to show “master tactician” status, and his work is far from the biggest team problem, but the second half was a problem.
UEFA Champions League: Celtic, Legia Warsaw advance.
By Nicholas Mendola
(Photo by Charles McQuillan/Getty Images)
We’re one round of matches away from finding out who will face Liverpool, Sevilla, Napoli, Hoffenheim, and Sporting CP in the playoff round of the 2017-18 UEFA Champions League.
The unbeaten Scottish champions battered Linfield 4-0 to win 6-0 on aggregate, with Scott Sinclair scoring twice in the second leg.
Joining Celtic in the second qualifying round is Legia Warsaw, who cruised 9-0 on aggregate over Finland’s IFK Mariehamm.
Familiar UCL names BATE Borisov, Copenhagen, and APOEL Nicosia also won, while Sweden’s Malmo was bounced by Macedonian side Vardar.
Third qualifying round
Nice vs. Ajax
Club Brugge vs. Istanbul Basaksehir
AEK Athens vs. CSKA Moscow
Dynamo Kyiv vs. Young Boys
Steaua Bucuresti vs. Viktoria Plzen
Slavia Parague vs. BATE Borisov
Astana vs. Legia Warsaw
Maribor vs. FH
Copenhagen vs. Vardar
Celtic vs. Rosenborg
Hapoel Be’er Sheva vs. Ludogorets Razgrad
Vittorul Costanta vs. APOEL Nicosia
Red Bull Salzburg vs. Rijeka
Qarabag vs. Sheriff Tiraspol
Partizan Belgrade vs. Olympiacos
Three things to look for in Manchester derby in Houston.
By Joe Prince-Wright
(Photo/Getty Images)
Manchester City and Manchester United square off in Houston, Texas on Thursday in what will be the first-ever Manchester derby played outside of the UK.
It will also be an occasion for both clubs to pay tribute to the victims of the Manchester Bombing attack in May with both teams to display the “worker bee” logo on their shirts for the game.
Here’s a quick look at three intriguing storylines heading into the game.
New kids on the block
This will be our first chance to see Kyle Walker, Ederson and Bernardo Silva in Man City shirts as Pep’s team kick off their preseason games. Walker is a big upgrade on City’s previous full back options and his pace and power will give them a new dynamic and balance. Ederson is now the go-to goalkeeper for Guardiola, even though he said Claudio Bravo will stick around and Bernando Silva is a true luxury player capable of slotting in wherever needed in attack. All three will have plenty to prove with big price-tags hanging around their necks, but perhaps Ederson is the most intriguing because the goalkeeper position has been a huge problem area for City and we know what to expect from Walker and Silva. First impressions can shape your future at a club and Ederson will be well aware of that.
Kompany vs. Lukaku
One big man against another, there’s no love lost between Belgium teammates Vincent Kompany and Romelu Lukaku. This battle will set the tone for the upcoming clashes this season and it is a pivotal one. Kompany can handle Lukaku’s power and aerial ability, but can he handle his pace in-behind? If United can set Lukaku free, there are still doubts over Kompany’s fitness and if the 31-year-old has lost a yard of pace over the years. A supreme defender, Kompany knows this is a massive year for him to stay fit as he will try to lead City to PL glory and then Belgium to World Cup glory next summer with Lukaku by his side. On Thursday in Houston it should be a titanic battle if they come up against one another.
3-4-3 system from United?
I spoke with Man United’s utility man Daley Blind earlier this week and he told me that preparations for a 3-4-3 system is going well. When this alternate formation is deployed, Blind will likely slot in as the left-sided center back with Eric Bailly and Victor Lindelof alongside him. Mourinho usually keeps it simple and plays a 4-2-3-1 formation, but now is the time to experiment and given the recent success of teams playing with wing-backs (Chelsea for most of last season, then Spurs and Arsenal towards the end) why not see if his team can do it?
United have been working on it in training and have already played that way against LA Galaxy in preseason. With United’s fans urging them to be more attack-minded, maybe Mourinho, like Wenger, could change his ways. If United do play wing-backs it will be interesting to see how City’s attackers cope with having to track back and having players in the space they’d usually roam free in.
NCAAFB: Ole Miss head coach Hugh Freeze resigns after discovery of phone calls to escort service.
By Kevin McGuire
(Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
Forget about Hugh Freeze being on the hot seat in Oxford. He won’t even be coaching a single game for the Rebels this fall.
Hugh Freeze resigned from his position as head coach at Ole Miss suddenly on Thursday evening, just a week after SEC Media Days. The resignation is effective immediately, and the school has announced co-offensive coordinator and offensive line coach Matt Luke will take over the head coaching responsibilities for the upcoming season as the interim head coach. It should be expected Ole Miss will conduct a search for a new full-time head coach as soon as possible, but an official hire being made before the start of the season remains in question.
The resignation comes after the school discovered a phone call to an escort service coming from his school-issued cell phone. And it apparently was not an accidental wrong number either.
According to a report from Mark Schlabach of ESPN.com, Ole Miss reviewed phone records tied to Freeze as far back as 2012. Earlier in the day, USA Today reporter Dan Wolken reported Freeze had made a phone call to the number associated with a female escort service. The phone call in the report occurred in January of 2016. How many phone calls were discovered by Ole Miss is at this time unknown. Once confronted with the phone numbers by Bjork, Freeze is said to have offered his resignation. Whether he voluntarily offered to resign or if he was pushed to resign by the school may never be known for sure, but given the heat on Freeze already following recent headlines it may be pretty easy to see how this all played out behind closed doors.
It has been a troublesome summer for Freeze. Just last week, he was targeted in a lawsuit filed by former Ole Miss head coach Houston Nutt, and Freeze has had to deny any members of his staff knowingly violated any NCAA rules following an investigation into the program. Freeze was previously targeted in a lawsuit filed by the stepdad of former Ole Miss player Laremy Tunsil just months after the NCAA discovered 13 violations against the Ole Miss program under the leadership of Freeze last year.
In five seasons at Ole Miss, Freeze was 39-25 and coached Ole Miss to a 2-1 record in postseason bowl games. Along the way, he recruited some of the best classes in school history, although how he and his staff managed to do so has been the subject of plenty of scrutinies and the findings continue to come together to suggest foul play was used. Calls to escort services will not help that look at all. Before being hired at Ole Miss, Freeze coached Arkansas State to a 19-3 record in 2011.
Luke, an Ole Miss alum from the Class of 2000, joined the Ole Miss coaching staff in 2012 with Freeze.
Jim Harbaugh: NCAA rules changes make 'all of the sense in the world'.
By Brandon Folsom
University of Michigan head football coach Jim Harbaugh leads his Wolverines through drills during their last practice at Stadio dei Marmi in Rome on Saturday, April 29, 2017.(Photo: Romain Blanquart, Detroit Free Press)
Gone are two-a-day, full-contact practices; Harbaugh also says his preseason dreams of playing QB in big games have "already begun"
Earlier this year, the NCAA created an early signing date in December to coincide with the one already in place in February.
But that wasn't the only rules change that could impact the college football schedule over the course of a school year.
Gone are two-a-day, full-contact practices, and now student-athletes are allowed to take one day off a week. Teams can begin camp a week earlier to counteract the loss of future practice time.
Michigan has already planned how it'll accommodate the new rules into its schedule.
"From a necessity, you have to adjust the practice schedule, so it's all been adjusted," U-M coach Jim Harbaugh said Monday at Al Glick Field House. "The schedule has all been made, and practices have all been planned out. All the rules that's a necessity to be put into the schedule have been put in, so there's new time demands – 14 additional days off during the school year, which all have been planned for. ... All new rules have been implemented."
The rule changes make sense. Scaling back practices allows players to rest and heal, and it continues the sport's shift to focusing on player safety over getting extra practice reps.
"I think it's very good, very common sense," Harbaugh said. "I don't think there's any industry anymore that's not getting a day off or having two-a-days or three-a-days. Pilots don't do it. Resident surgeons don't do sleep deprivations anymore, even the military. It just makes sense that there should be a day given off per week, and it makes all of the sense in the world to me."
U-M kicks off the season against Florida in the Advocare Classic on Sept. 2 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Harbaugh said his nightly preseason dreams of him playing quarterback in big games have "already begun. I'm just champing at the bit, ready to go."
The only question is are the Wolverines ready as well?
"That's the question, yeah," Harbaugh continued. "We start practice Monday, July 31, and training has been going well, as our guys continue preparations to get started.
"All deep breaths have been taken. Now it's time to train and get ready to prepare for the season."
NCAABKB: Actually, there should be 69 teams in the NCAA Tournament.
By Russell Steinberg
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(Photo/David Wallace-USA TODAY Sports)
ESPN Bracketologist Joe Lunardi shared a bold plan Thursday morning when he proposed the NCAA Tournament expand to 72 teams.
Before you poo-poo the idea, give it a read. His reasoning is strong and his explanation on how it can work is feasible.
And it got me thinking...what is the ideal number for NCAA Tournament teams?
The easy answer is 64, because that’s the perfect bracket. Every team needs to play six games to win. It’s clean. It’s easy.
It’s also outdated. The expansion to 64 teams came in 1985, during an era where there were far fewer Division I schools competing. In fact, there are 69 more schools in Division I today than there were in 1985. With so much more competition, it would be far more difficult now to qualify as an at-large in a 64-team tournament than it was back then.
So no, we are not going back.
After careful consideration and some quick math, I’ve determined the NCAA Tournament should consist of 69 teams.
Here’s why...
When the field last expanded from 64 to 68 teams in 2011, there were 345 Division I schools in the 31 conferences that were awarded an automatic bid (the Great West champion did not get one). That left 37 available at-large bids for 314 teams — so about 11.8 percent of at-large-eligible teams reached the tournament.
Just six years later, the landscape of college basketball has changed. The Big East split to form the American Athletic Conference, taking another automatic bid with it. The number of at-large bids shrunk by one. At the same time, six more schools have entered the Division I ranks, and starting next season, they will all be eligible for the NCAA Tournament.
So even if you ignore the growing gap between the haves (Power 5/Big East) and have nots (everyone else) of college basketball, it has become more difficult for the little guys to make the NCAA Tournament. Simply by #math, there’s more competition.
You can make a reasonable argument that the math should make it easier for mid-majors to make it in order to compensate for that. But let’s not get too radical just yet. We can revisit in a few years if necessary. Cal Baptist and North Alabama are about to transition to Division I, but Savannah State is about to leave. I would not be surprised if more smaller schools followed, concluding that the cost of big-time athletics far outweighs the potential for reward.
So let’s keep that same 2011 ratio for now and agree to never shrink the field and only expand as necessary. 11.8 percent. One at-large bid for every (approximately) 8.4 teams.
351 current teams. 32 automatic bids. 319 at-large-eligible teams. 11.8 percent is 37.6. Assume there will be a couple teams not eligible due to APR sanctions. Round down. 69.
There should be 69 teams in the NCAA Tournament.
Hand out byes however you want.
69 teams.
69.
Adam Silver on sports gambling: “My sense is the law will change in the next few years”.
By Kurt Helin
(Photo/nbcsports)
This isn’t new ground for NBA Commissioner Adam Silver. He has called legalized sports gambling in the United States “inevitable” and advocated in the New York Times for the federal government to put in a framework to control it. He’s not been shy about telling the heads of the other major sports leagues what he sees coming. Mark Cuban has Silver’s back on this one.
The commissioners of the four major sports were all on hand for a panel called “GameChangers: Creating the Future of Sports” in New York on Wednesday, and Silver’s position hasn’t changed, reports ESPN.
“My sense is the law will change in the next few years in the United States,” Silver said when asked about gambling.
He also stressed the importance of in-game wagering to fan engagement, noting, “People want to bet throughout the game … It results in enormous additional engagement with the fans.”I’m not sure about “the next few years” timeline. I would rather be forced to watch The Emoji Movie than try to predict what the current Congress will do, but with its current conservative makeup legalizing sports betting seems unlikely.
But in the next decade or two… it feels like Silver may be right. The Supreme Court is taking up the case of whether the federal government can block states — in this case, New Jersey specifically — from allowing sports gambling. That could open the door for other states to follow. Governments state and federal will not see it as a moral issue so much as a new revenue generator — they can tax it. So it will happen. Eventually.
With that Silver is right, professional sports leagues need to be prepared for that reality. The NBA seems to be out in front of that, ready to ride the wave when it crests. For now, they are just paddling around waiting for the right wave to ride.
2017 Stage 18 Tour de France Summary
On This Date in Sports History: Today is Friday, July 21, 2017.
Memoriesofhistory.com
1931 - The Reno Race Track inaugurated the daily double in the U.S.
1957 - Althea Gibson became the first black woman to win a major U.S. tennis title when she won the Women’s National clay-court singles competition.
1968 - Arnold Palmer became the first golfer to make a million dollars in career earnings after he tied for second place at the PGA Championship.
1998 - Chinese gymnast Sang Lan, 17, was paralyzed after a fall while practicing for the women's vault competition at the Goodwill Games in New York. Spinal surgery 4 days later failed to restore sensation below her upper chest.
2006 - Alex Rodriguez (New York Yankees) collected his 2,000th career hit and became the youngest player to reach the 450 home run mark.
1957 - Althea Gibson became the first black woman to win a major U.S. tennis title when she won the Women’s National clay-court singles competition.
1968 - Arnold Palmer became the first golfer to make a million dollars in career earnings after he tied for second place at the PGA Championship.
1998 - Chinese gymnast Sang Lan, 17, was paralyzed after a fall while practicing for the women's vault competition at the Goodwill Games in New York. Spinal surgery 4 days later failed to restore sensation below her upper chest.
2006 - Alex Rodriguez (New York Yankees) collected his 2,000th career hit and became the youngest player to reach the 450 home run mark.
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