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"Sports Quote of the Day"
"When you have confidence, you can have a lot of fun. And when you have fun, you can do amazing things." ~ Joe Namath, Retired Professional NFL Quarterback and Actor
TRENDING: Six Points: Sunday's Bourbonnais Bears bullets. (See the football section for Bears news and NFL updates). TRENDING: What a difference a year makes: Blackhawks sign goaltender Collin Delia. (See the hockey section for Blackhawks updates and NHL news).
TRENDING: Breaking News: MLB Trade Deadline: Cubs reportedly land Justin Wilson and Alex Avila from Tigers; Matt Davidson's first career walk-off HR propels White Sox past Indians. (See the baseball section for Cubs and White Sox updates).
TRENDING: Vegas beats Hoffman in playoff to defend RBC title; M.H. Lee tops Webb after wild week at Ladies Scottish; Langer cruises to 10th senior major title. (See the golf section for PGA news and tournament updates).
TRENDING: Kyle Busch nudges Kevin Harvick out of the way, holds on to break 36-race winless streak at Pocono; Ryan Preece wins Xfinity Series U.S. Cellular 250 at Iowa in overtime finish; Christopher Bell wins Truck race at Pocono. (See the NASCAR section for NASCAR news and racing updates).
TRENDING: Amid recent drama, David Accam doesn't start, but still scores in Fire loss; USWNT storms back from 3-1 down, beats Brazil 4-3. See the soccer section for Fire news and worldwide soccer updates).
TRENDING: New members of Baseball Hall of Fame inducted into Cooperstown, July 30, 2017. (See the last article on this blog for Baseball Hall of Fame inductee information)
Bear Down Chicago Bears!!!!! Six Points: Sunday's Bourbonnais Bears bullets.
By Chris Boden
(Photo/USA TODAY)
Good/Bad I: Defensive backs had four interceptions. But the quarterbacks and receivers were the victims. Prince Amukamara picked off a Mike Glennon-to-Deonte Thompson hookup. Mark Sanchez was victimized by DeAndre Houston-Carson and Kyle Fuller (the latter an attempt to Kevin White). Those three were in 7-on-7, or strictly wideout vs. defensive back isolation matchups. Mitch Trubisky had an 11-on-11 target to Rueben Randle intercepted by rookie Eddie Jackson.
Without Lamarr Houston, Bears have a problem.
By Chris Boden
(Photo/AP)
On the first day of training camp, before the Bears even took the field for practice in Bourbonnais, Pernell McPhee was placed on the physically unable to perform list. Just two days later, we learned the self-proclaimed “violent” outside linebacker who was supposed to be the prized free agent signing of Ryan Pace’s first offseason as Bears GM, had arthroscopic surgery to “clean out” whatever had built up in his right knee between reporting day and minicamp in June. That came after offseason labrum surgery. Which came after surgery on his left knee last offseason.
“No, I’m not worried about that,” the seven-year veteran said after Friday’s practice in Bourbonnais. “In the NFL, there’s 31 other teams. If it doesn’t work out for one team, I’m sure there’s something else that’ll happen.”
Houston’s been in Chicago for three years. The second was great, with eight sacks readjusting to outside linebacker in a 3-4 scheme, which he had a taste of with the Oakland Raiders. The first and third seasons with the Bears were lousy, tearing an ACL in both knees, limiting him to just ten games, including only two last season. Those knee injuries added to the thinking his time at Halas Hall wouldn’t last much longer.
“It was rough but adversity breeds success in my mind so I believe it was all for the better," Houston said.
Houston blocked out the noise as he went through a long rehab for the second time in three years.
“This is a competitive league and anytime you get hurt, there’s always the 'next man up' theory," Houston said. "So you can’t really focus on whether it’s about you being missed. It’s more about the team being successful.”
Now the Bears have to consider themselves lucky to have Houston. And hope the injury bug doesn't bite him again, or Floyd, or Young, or Dan Skuta or Sam Acho before the games start to count. Houston was brought in by former Bears GM Phil Emery in 2014 after an 8-8 season under Marc Trestman. His first ACL injury on his first Bears sack during a blowout road loss to the New England Patriots was almost emblematic of that chaotic, at times embarrassing, season.
“It’s much different now,” Houston says entering year three under John Fox, despite the 9-23 record. “We have a more cohesive locker room. Guys are excited to be here, they want to play football, they want to win. You can feel the vibe around the building. Everybody’s really into what we’re doing and how we’re doing it, and I think that’s going to make us a much better football team."
Houston now looks to flash back, performance-wise, to 2015, in his first season under Vic Fangio, and most of a defensive staff that seems to have the minds and architects in place. Now it’s a matter of having the right talent, and keeping it as healthy as possible, despite the ominous start with McPhee.
“We have to put in the work to show our identity and what we want that to be. Right now (it’s early) we don’t have an identity," Houston said. "We’re working and we’re going to find one before camp is out. I think we’re all excited about that and putting our best foot forward doing it. I think that’s something we have to earn. We have to work to build it and we’re going to keep on punching away.
“Thankfully we have the same defense and same coaches so I can get right back in this defense and get rolling again. Just to be around practice, be around the guys, the coaches, I’m very grateful for it and very excited about it. I’m not really worried about proving what I can do. I’ve got the same coaches, they know what I can do. Right now I’m thinking of getting thru the process, making steady progress and getting back out on the field and playing hard."
The quest for interceptions: Will Bears' secondary makeover pay off with more picks?
By Vinnie Duber
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
Ryan Pace was busy this offseason boosting the Bears. At least he hopes the additions he’s made will end up classified as upgrades.
Last season, it was the team’s jaw-dropping lack of interceptions, only eight on the campaign, a number better than just one other NFL team (Jacksonville Jaguars) and one which came as a shock to those who remember the turnover-heavy heyday of Lovie Smith’s old defenses. It was a big enough problem to ignore the fact that the pass-defense numbers weren’t all bad: The Bears ranked seventh in the NFL with just 225 passing yards allowed per game.
To rectify that situation, there are three new starters in that secondary, all bringing with them some veteran experience. Prince Amukamara and Marcus Cooper are the new projected starters at cornerback, and it’s hoped that newly acquired safety Quintin Demps will anchor the unit after he came away with six interceptions last season with the Houston Texans.
The new-starter count could even reach four if someone beats out Adrian Amos for the starting spot at safety next to Demps. Eddie Jackson, a fourth-round draft pick out of Alabama, is one of a few candidates, along with Amos, who started 14 games last season. Deon Bush (six starts in 2016) and Harold Jones-Quartey (12 starts) are in the mix, too.
But will it all pay off? Will all those offseason investments, be they in the form of dollars or draft choices, do what Pace & Co. want them to do?
“Last year is done,” Demps said Thursday. “So we’re moving forward. I’m going forward with today. Today we looked good. We’re all young — I mean, I consider myself young, too, but the guys are young and we’re just trying to stack days up, get better each and every day.”
Last season, Demps had just two fewer interceptions than the Bears did as a team, so by signing him, the Bears hoped to fill a very particular need. Of course, there’s plenty more value to a guy who’s been to six postseasons, including each of the last two down in Houston.
“Quintin Demps, he’s a veteran guy who had a heck of a year getting the football,” Bears defensive backs coach Ed Donatell said Friday. “We were below our standard getting the ball last year, so we needed to bring somebody in who has found it, and he’s found it recently. He’s good, he brings a veteran calmness to our secondary, which is important.”
The big question, though, is who will line up next to Demps when the regular season starts.
Injuries and inconsistencies forced a few names into starting safety roles last season. With one of the spots on lockdown with the signing of Demps, the other has become one of the most talked-about battles of camp.
Amos obviously has the carryover from 2016, when he started all but two games, and Donatell said he sees a new drive in the third-year man out of Penn State.
“He’s kind of rededicated himself. I see a little hungrier guy right now who’s very focused, so look for good things to happen with him,” Donatell said. “He’s been a good tackler for us and a tough guy. He wants to improve his ball production.”
But those displeased with the Bears teams of years past are hoping to see a new name in that spot. Jackson, bringing the experience of playing for Nick Saban in college football’s most dominant program, has many supporters, but will he be healthy enough to catch up? He didn’t participate in OTAs while still recovering from the broken leg he suffered in the middle of last season.
“Eddie Jackson, he’s working through an injury, he was, and now he’s finally full right here,” Donatell said. “He came out of as high-level football you can play in college football, and he’s been in all those big games and he’s been coached in a really good program. So that will help him transition here. So far he’s primed. When he gets his shots, time will tell in preseason. We’ll see what he’s got.”
Donatell talked about big-picture type things he and the other Bears coaches need to see at this point in a preseason position battle, such as mastery of the system and showing competitive spirit.
But with that safety position and the three others in the secondary, the Bears would like to see something that they didn’t see too much of last season: interceptions. Demps can help, but it needs to be a secondary-wide improvement, as Demps himself spoke about.
“You’ve got to have a turnover circuit, it’s got to be part of your resume,” he said. “You’ve got to work on it. In practice it’d be stripping the ball, it ain’t all about interceptions, you’ve got to work at getting the ball out and then running to the ball and flying around, and it’ll come to you.
“I don’t think turnovers come by one guy. It’s the unit, they come as a unit. We’ve got to communicate, we’ve got to do our job, we’ve got to fly to the ball. Then they’re going to come to us, not just me but then to everybody. We’ve got to spread it around.”
That’s the goal during camp, the preseason and the regular season. And it might eventually be the measure of whether this secondary makeover was a success.
How 'bout them Chicago Blackhawks? What a difference a year makes: Blackhawks sign goaltender Collin Delia.
By Mark Strotman
(Photo/USA TODAY)
One year ago Collin Delia had just wrapped up his first Blackhawks prospect camp, hoping to improve off a sophomore season at Merrimack College where he struggled in net.
After playing well in limited ice time as a freshman, Delia became the full-time starter for the Warriors as a sophomore. But he had his growing pains in a new role, going just 8-12-6 while allowing 2.96 GAA. That number ranked 12th of 15 in the Hockey East League, and his .889 save percentage ranked dead last.
But Delia's struggles as a sophomore were non-existent as he returned to Merrimack for his junior season. He rose from the bottom to the top of the conference in save percentage (.927) and ranked third in GAA (2.15). His GAA ranked 14th in the nation and his save percentage ranked 9th nationally.
He recorded three shutouts (he had none as a sophomore), including a 33-save performance in a 2-0 road victory over Wisconsin, and was named a Hockey East Third Team All-Star.
The Blackhawks clearly noticed his improvements as a junior as he arrived last week for his second round of Blackhawks prospect camp.
Last year the Blackhawks signed Alexandre Fortin out of prospect camp. As Insider Tracey Myers wrote last week, Fortin could force his way onto the Blackhawks roster this summer.
Tommy Wingels on 'cloud nine' getting to suit up for hometown Blackhawks.
By Tracey Myers
(Photo/AP)
Tommy Wingels remembers his Chicago youth hockey days. A native of Wilmette, Wingels said the leagues were pretty good then but nothing like the opportunities area kids have to play hockey here now.
Count Wingels among those who wasn’t sure he’d make it. But he did, and on July 1 he made a childhood dream come true when he signed a one-year deal with the Blackhawks. Wingels was elated when Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman and coach Joel Quenneville called him about his potential signing. The details of those calls? Well, those are a little sketchy.
“I don’t even remember half the stuff they said to me because you’re on cloud nine and you’re saying, ‘Yeah, when can we sign and where?’” Wingels said at the Blackhawks convention on Saturday. “My wife commented on how big of a smile I had [walking] off our porch and back into the living room. It was very exciting.”
As a kid growing up in the Chicago area, Wingels played plenty of travel hockey. He watched the Blackhawks when he could, trying to catch what games were on television at that time. But the thought of playing in the NHL, let alone suiting up for the Blackhawks someday, wasn’t in his mind at that time.
“I wouldn’t say until the middle of high school did I ever think playing professional hockey was a possibility,” Wingels said. “Coming into high school you think college might be one [possibility]. But not until then did I ever talk about it or think about it.”
Wingels said he talked to a good deal of teams in 2006, the first year he was eligible for the NHL Draft, but he wasn’t selected that summer or the next. It wasn’t until the 2008 NHL Entry Draft that former Blackhawks defenseman/now San Jose general manager Doug Wilson picked Wingels, then playing for Miami University, in the sixth round. Wingels was a steady presence for five-plus seasons with the Sharks, putting up career numbers in goals (16), assists (22) and points (38) in the 2013-14 season. Wingels is forever grateful to Wilson for the opportunity.
“He’s the No. 1 reason why I’ve had an NHL career,” Wingels said. “[He had] the confidence to draft me and he was extremely patient in developing me through my years at Miami. He’s one of the best guys I’ve met in the game and I’ve enjoyed all the interactions we’ve had with him. He’s a guy I’ll definitely keep in touch with while I’m here and for many years.”
On the ice, Wingels should help the Blackhawks’ penalty kill and add some necessary grit – “bring in some sandpaper, finish checks and at the same time chip in some goals, all kind of things I think [Quenneville] and Stan expect me to bring here,” he said. Wingels has gone on long postseason runs (2016 Stanley Cup final with the Sharks and the 2017 Eastern Conference final with the Ottawa Senators), and he can be another veteran voice and presence for the Blackhawks’ young players.
“Your star players will lead and be the best players that they are. But for a young guy coming up on the third or fourth line sometimes it’s tough for those guys to relate to the star players, not because what the star players do but they’re guys who are up and down and they’re guys who have different roles. [I’ll] be a part of that group who can help transition the young players, who can play a similar role to some of those other players and be a sounding board for guys as well. I’m 29 now. I feel young but somehow I’ve become a veteran. So I’ll just try to help out any way I can.”
As excited as Wingels is to be home, he said his family may be more so. His parents, Bob and Karen, get to spend more time with Wingels’ 1 ½-year old daughter. The Wingels are close to Scott Darling’s family, and know from the Darlings how great it was to have their son play here.
Wingels grew up wondering how far hockey would take him. Now it’s bringing him back home.
“It didn’t take long to decide this is where we want to be. My wife is extremely happy – she lived here a couple of years out of college and knows the city very well – and I have a ton of friends here with my family being from here,” Wingels said. “It’s going to be a fun year for us and I can’t wait to get started.”
Just Another Chicago Bulls Session..... No news is good news?!?!?!?!
CS&T/AA Editorial Staff
Very rarely does it happen that we don't have any news on a Chicago sports team but that is where we are today. The Chicago Bulls ownership and management personnel are busy trying to right the ship by reorganizing and coming up with a plan that will bring the Bulls back to a very high competitive level. When Bulls news breaks, we will be the first to bring it to you. Stay tuned for further updates.
CUBS: Breaking News: MLB Trade Deadline: Cubs reportedly land Justin Wilson and Alex Avila from Tigers.
By Matt Snyder
They send a pair of infield prospects to the Tigers in the deal.
The Cubs acquired lefty reliever Justin Wilson and catcher Alex Avila from the Tigers in exchange for third baseman Jeimer Candelario and minor-league shortstop/third baseman Isaac Paredes, multiple reports indicate -- including Jon Morosi of MLB.com and every Cubs beat reporter. The assumption is that the teams are waiting until Monday morning to officially announce the deal.
Wilson, 29, is in the midst of a great season for the Tigers. He took over as closer and has saved 13 games in 15 tries with a 2.68 ERA, 0.94 WHIP and 55 strikeouts against 16 walks in 40 1/3 innings.
Where Wilson fits in the Cubs' bullpen is a fun topic. Wade Davis remains the closer, but Maddon has a bevy of guys he employs in late-inning, high-leverage situations, including Carl Edwards Jr., Pedro Strop, Koji Uehara, Hector Rondon and lefty Brian Duensing. Mike Montgomery is a lefty like Duensing and Wilson, but he remains the long guy. Justin Grimm may be in trouble of being designated for assignment here, as he's the likely guy squeezed out the presence of Wilson.
The look of the Cubs' bullpen was already strong. The stable currently boasts a 3.34 bullpen ERA, which is good for fourth (tied with the Yankees, actually) in the majors, trailing only the Indians, Dodgers and Red Sox. Now it's better.
In looking ahead at the upside, a back-end trio of Davis, Wilson and Edwards with Uehara as the change-of-pace guy, Duensing as a guy only needed to get out lefties, Montgomery as the long man and Strop and Rondon still available is top notch.
Keep in mind that fellow NL contenders like the Dodgers and Nationals were reportedly also vying for Wilson, so getting him is also a victory in keeping him away from teams the Cubs are planning to face in the playoffs.
Even more bonus for the Cubs is that Wilson isn't hitting free agency until after 2018. If Wade Davis walks in free agency -- which seems the likely scenario -- the Cubs could shift Wilson to the closer role for next season.
Avila, 30, is hitting .274/.394/.475 with 11 doubles, 11 homers and 32 RBI in 264 plate appearances this season. Youngster Willson Contreras is firmly entrenched as the starting catcher, so Avila will presumably be used in order to rest Contreras. Keep in mind that Contreras can handle left field, too, if the Cubs wanted to use him out there with Avila behind the plate. Rookie Victor Caratini will be sent back to the minors to make room for Avila.
Candelario, 23, is a career .136/.240/.250 hitter in 50 major-league plate appearances. He's hitting .266/.361/.507 with 27 doubles, three triples and 12 homers in 81 games for Triple-A Iowa this season. He's considered a high-upside prospect and was ranked as the number 96 prospect in baseball heading into the year by MLB.com.
Candelario can play first base or third base. With the Tigers, he'll also have a shot at DH. While a prospect many like, he was pretty expendable for the Cubs, given that Anthony Rizzo and Kris Bryant are blocking him for the foreseeable future. He's currently blocked in Detroit, too, by Miguel Cabrera, Nick Castellanos and Victor Martinez, but the Tigers are rebuilding, so stockpiling younger assets regardless of position is a good move.
Paredes is an 18-year-old shortstop and third baseman currently playing in Class A. Through 91 games, he's hitting .261/.341/.399 with 25 doubles, seven home runs, 49 RBI, 49 runs and two stolen bases. He's certainly projectable, but far away from the majors. Again, this makes sense for both sides.
This might feel like a playoff atmosphere, but Cubs aren’t pushing it with Anthony Rizzo’s sore back.
CUBS: Breaking News: MLB Trade Deadline: Cubs reportedly land Justin Wilson and Alex Avila from Tigers.
By Matt Snyder
They send a pair of infield prospects to the Tigers in the deal.
The Cubs acquired lefty reliever Justin Wilson and catcher Alex Avila from the Tigers in exchange for third baseman Jeimer Candelario and minor-league shortstop/third baseman Isaac Paredes, multiple reports indicate -- including Jon Morosi of MLB.com and every Cubs beat reporter. The assumption is that the teams are waiting until Monday morning to officially announce the deal.
Wilson, 29, is in the midst of a great season for the Tigers. He took over as closer and has saved 13 games in 15 tries with a 2.68 ERA, 0.94 WHIP and 55 strikeouts against 16 walks in 40 1/3 innings.
Where Wilson fits in the Cubs' bullpen is a fun topic. Wade Davis remains the closer, but Maddon has a bevy of guys he employs in late-inning, high-leverage situations, including Carl Edwards Jr., Pedro Strop, Koji Uehara, Hector Rondon and lefty Brian Duensing. Mike Montgomery is a lefty like Duensing and Wilson, but he remains the long guy. Justin Grimm may be in trouble of being designated for assignment here, as he's the likely guy squeezed out the presence of Wilson.
The look of the Cubs' bullpen was already strong. The stable currently boasts a 3.34 bullpen ERA, which is good for fourth (tied with the Yankees, actually) in the majors, trailing only the Indians, Dodgers and Red Sox. Now it's better.
In looking ahead at the upside, a back-end trio of Davis, Wilson and Edwards with Uehara as the change-of-pace guy, Duensing as a guy only needed to get out lefties, Montgomery as the long man and Strop and Rondon still available is top notch.
Keep in mind that fellow NL contenders like the Dodgers and Nationals were reportedly also vying for Wilson, so getting him is also a victory in keeping him away from teams the Cubs are planning to face in the playoffs.
Even more bonus for the Cubs is that Wilson isn't hitting free agency until after 2018. If Wade Davis walks in free agency -- which seems the likely scenario -- the Cubs could shift Wilson to the closer role for next season.
Avila, 30, is hitting .274/.394/.475 with 11 doubles, 11 homers and 32 RBI in 264 plate appearances this season. Youngster Willson Contreras is firmly entrenched as the starting catcher, so Avila will presumably be used in order to rest Contreras. Keep in mind that Contreras can handle left field, too, if the Cubs wanted to use him out there with Avila behind the plate. Rookie Victor Caratini will be sent back to the minors to make room for Avila.
Candelario, 23, is a career .136/.240/.250 hitter in 50 major-league plate appearances. He's hitting .266/.361/.507 with 27 doubles, three triples and 12 homers in 81 games for Triple-A Iowa this season. He's considered a high-upside prospect and was ranked as the number 96 prospect in baseball heading into the year by MLB.com.
Candelario can play first base or third base. With the Tigers, he'll also have a shot at DH. While a prospect many like, he was pretty expendable for the Cubs, given that Anthony Rizzo and Kris Bryant are blocking him for the foreseeable future. He's currently blocked in Detroit, too, by Miguel Cabrera, Nick Castellanos and Victor Martinez, but the Tigers are rebuilding, so stockpiling younger assets regardless of position is a good move.
Paredes is an 18-year-old shortstop and third baseman currently playing in Class A. Through 91 games, he's hitting .261/.341/.399 with 25 doubles, seven home runs, 49 RBI, 49 runs and two stolen bases. He's certainly projectable, but far away from the majors. Again, this makes sense for both sides.
This might feel like a playoff atmosphere, but Cubs aren’t pushing it with Anthony Rizzo’s sore back.
By Patrick Mooney
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
As much as it felt like a playoff atmosphere this weekend at Miller Park – three sellout crowds, Cubs fans booing Ryan Braun, two one-run games in a tight division race – it’s still only the end of July.
“There’s no reason to push him right now,” manager Joe Maddon said before Sunday’s 4-2 win gave the Cubs a 2.5-game lead in the National League Central. "After the game last night, (he was) a little bit stiff and sore. We’ve had it before with him, so day off tomorrow, hopefully by Tuesday. And if not, more than likely by Wednesday, but we want to call it ‘day to day’ right now.”
Backup rookie catcher Victor Caratini – who began his professional career as an infielder in the Atlanta Braves organization and played some first base within the Cubs system – started in place of Rizzo and made his first career big-league home run the game-winner in the seventh inning.
This is essentially a recurring issue for Rizzo, who dealt with a sore back in spring training and has managed it throughout the season with the training staff. He had back problems last season and at least as far back as 2014.
“This is different, but we’ve had this a few times this year where it just kind of grabs,” said Rizzo, who felt something on Saturday during his first on-deck swing. “It’s been grabbing and we’ve controlled it. This was just a little more extreme.”
“That’s why it didn’t surprise me,” Maddon said. “I wasn’t overtly concerned about it. He is smart enough to know when it’s time to not push it. That’s pretty much the message I got.
“We’re just going to let it calm down a little bit.”
Joe Maddon’s not-so-subtle message to Javier Baez as Cubs try to recreate a championship offense.
By Patrick Mooney
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
Joe Maddon rarely criticizes his players in public and almost always spins in a positive direction, especially after brutal losses, elevating manager-speak with his verbal flourishes and attention-loving personality.
Maddon doubled down on Sunday morning, sending a not-so-subtle message to Javier Baez and the other young hitters, knowing that the Brewers in July is nothing like the possibility of facing Max Scherzer twice in a five-game playoff series against the Washington Nationals.
“I was upset,” Maddon said. “We can’t expect to win the World Series again this year and have those kind of at-bats. We can’t. That’s a bad process. It’s a bad method.”
Message received? A starting lineup that didn’t feature Baez, Kyle Schwarber or Ian Happ responded during a sharp 4-2 win where the Cubs strung together four straight two-out hits off Brewers starter Zach Davies in a two-run sixth inning and later got homers from Victor Caratini (417 feet to the batter’s eye) and Kris Bryant (off the left-field foul pole).
Coincidence? The day after Baez went 0-for-5 with three strikeouts, Maddon didn’t rearrange his infield for his best defender and started a backup rookie catcher at first base while Anthony Rizzo rested a sore upper back.
Maddon said he wanted better outfield defense (Albert Almora Jr.) for starting pitcher John Lackey. Maddon said he would ride a hot hand with a professional hitter (Jon Jay) and kept day-game-after-night-game planning in mind.
“I know it’s just one game,” Maddon said, “but it’s happened a couple times recently, and I just want us to get away from that method right now. It starts with the coaches. It filters into the players. We’ve been nurturing this mindset. The second half’s been good. I don’t want us to fall backward.
“That’s my biggest concern. I thought we were making great strides in regard to opposite-field, situational hitting, moving the baseball, putting pressure on the defense. When you get to the latter part of the year, when you get to the playoffs, you’re facing good pitching all the time. And you got to go out there and be prepared for that.
“You got to force pitchers to get us out in the strike zone and not outside of the strike zone. That, to me, is the championship-caliber offensive mentality.”
Imagine the Los Angeles Dodgers adding Yu Darvish before the July 31 trade deadline and pairing him with a healthy Clayton Kershaw, Rich Hill’s curveball and an array of bullpen options in front of lights-out closer Kenley Jansen.
Maddon insisted the message wasn’t directed at Baez, who showed so much growth during last year’s playoffs, when he became the National League Championship Series co-MVP as the Cubs stormed back to eliminate the Dodgers.
“It’s directed at the whole team,” Maddon said. “Again, we need to force the other pitchers to get us out in the strike zone and not be so amenable.
“It’s a contagious method both ways. And I don’t want to see us back into that trap of giving away easy outs. I don’t want that. I want us to be tough outs. I want us to see pitches, use the whole field, et cetera, et cetera, so the message is for everybody.”
Baez is still young (24) and extremely productive as an elite defender with 13 homers and a .767 OPS. The Cubs understand his swing and personality will lead to boom-and-bust periods. This is someone with untapped potential – who has already accumulated more than 2,500 at-bats in pro ball and played parts of four seasons in the big leagues.
“Listen, he’s been there before,” Maddon said, “and then he hits the ball in the upper deck, like the other day. I just know he’s got so much ability in right-center also, and I want him to utilize that.
“The same with Happ – you’ve seen the ball go to left-center a lot hard. I just want us to continue to nurture utilizing the whole field, making the pitcher get us out within the strike zone and not expanding so much.”
Where Happ made his big-league debut in the middle of May – and Schwarber got demoted to Triple-A Iowa this summer – Baez has been in the Cubs organization since 2011.
Maddon can write off last week’s 0-for-5 with five strikeouts against the White Sox as Javi Being Javi. But the manager also wasn’t all that impressed with that ball Baez launched on Friday night off ex-White Sox reliever Anthony Swarzak.
“Pitchers throw homers more than hitters hit ‘em,” Maddon said. “My point is, you can do that once in a while if the pitcher makes a mistake. But for the most part, major-league pitchers are able to throw the ball where they want to.
“And if you’re constantly just trying to do one thing – and that would be on the pull side – you’re really playing into their hands or their trap. And more often than not, they’re going to make the pitch that you can’t do that with.
“The more you do that, the less you’re going to see your happy pitch.”
How Jason Heyward is key to Cubs offense that must change or ‘we’re not going anywhere’.
By Patrick Mooney
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
The Cubs could live with the worst offensive season in Jason Heyward’s career during the best year in franchise history. A team on a 103-win pace in a division race it would win by 17.5 games could cover for the guy with the biggest contract in franchise history. The offense would be a bonus from a Gold Glove defender and the clubhouse leader who would give the rain-delay speech during a World Series Game 7.
This already doesn’t feel like July, another sellout on Saturday night and the largest crowd at Miller Park this season. Heyward screamed and raised his right arm as he rounded first base in the 11th inning, watching a Jared Hughes slider fly 401 feet and ricochet off the Toyota sign and into the bullpen in right-center field for the go-ahead home run. All around the stadium, Cub fans raised W flags after another 2-1 game that lasted 4 hours and 5 minutes.
“Listen, we needed that,” manager Joe Maddon said afterward. “We were not piecing anything together. We struck out 17 times twice in a week or whatever and win two games? We got to check with Elias on that bad boy.
“We got to do a much better job. I am disappointed in that – the lack of contact, the lack of adjustments. We have to get better with that, or we’re not going anywhere offensively.”
Heyward’s adjustments and reworked mechanics have been well documented since spring training. That swing made it eight home runs – or one more than he had in Year 1 of that $184 million megadeal – even while spending almost a month on the disabled list this season with two different injuries.
Heyward’s .715 OPS is still 38 points below the league average – but 84 points higher than last year’s career low – and the spectacular catches in right field, the alert way he runs the bases and subtle leadership qualities combine to make him an extremely valuable player at this moment.
“We’re just paying a lot of attention to detail,” Heyward said of a Cubs team that is 12-3 since the All-Star break and now up 1.5 games in the division. “You are trying to win it again. Other teams get better. Other teams prepare for you. And other teams adjust to you, so you got to respect the game in that sense. But we’re doing the best we can every day to find ways to win.”
Like striking out 17 times and using six different relievers who combined to allow one hit across six scoreless innings? That’s Cub?
“A lot of times, young hitters are confused,” Maddon said. “It’s not just about getting hits. A lot of times, it’s about not making an out, keeping the conga line moving. You have to have that thought before you go in there. There’s a couple guys that walk up there, and I know that their thought process is good in advance. Others are just up there swinging, trying to get hits.”
The Cubs have scored three runs in 20 innings and split two games so far this weekend while showcasing their big trade-deadline addition (Jose Quintana) and last year’s World Series Game 7 starter (Kyle Hendricks) – and the Brewers countering with a 31st-round pick drafted out of Harvard (Brent Suter) and a guy with a 5.22 ERA (Junior Guerra).
“We have to be more disciplined at the plate and not help pitchers out so much,” Maddon said. “You got to force them to get us out in the strike zone more. We’re not forcing them into the zone. We’re permitting them to go outside the zone to get us out. We have to stop doing that.”
For the example – of how to separate offense from defense, stay patient, not lose your cool and keep working at the craft – the Cubs will need to follow Heyward.
“We can all say we want to come through hitting and that’s a no-brainer,” Heyward said. “But you’re going to face good pitching, especially when you’re facing a familiar team, playing in the same division, tight race there. Pitching and defense is going to be huge.
“It’s not August yet. It’s just one game at a time. We’ll look up and see what happens at the end of the year. We know where we want to be on our last game played. And all we can control is tomorrow’s game."
Why Maddon believes Theo will keep Cubs’ World Series core intact at trade deadline.
By Patrick Mooney
(Photo/USA TODAY)
Theo Epstein made his bones with the gutsy four-team deal that shipped Boston Red Sox icon Nomar Garciaparra to the Cubs at the 2004 trade deadline. If Theo – in the middle of his second full season as Boston’s general manager – could trade “Nomah” – off a Red Sox team that was 11 games over .500 – then no one should be considered untouchable.
But Garciaparra wasn’t Epstein’s guy – the Red Sox drafted him while Theo was still a Yale University student/Baltimore Orioles intern – and would become a free agent after that season. There were concerns about up-the-middle defense, the injury history and clubhouse chemistry.
Epstein now has three World Series titles on his resume, total control over baseball operations at Wrigley Field and a team built with his exact specifications in mind.
Trying to land another big-ticket pitcher, would Epstein break up this championship core within the final 48 hours before the July 31 trade deadline?
“I’d be surprised, based on my conversations,” manager Joe Maddon said Saturday at Miller Park, where it almost felt like a home game as the Cubs battled the Milwaukee Brewers for first place in the National League Central. “We like our guys. We like our team.”
Epstein has repeatedly signaled that he believes in this group and isn’t looking to move major-league assets this summer, which would presumably make the Cubs and their thinned-out farm system an unlikely match for Oakland A’s right-hander Sonny Gray.
But you also assumed the White Sox would never trade Jose Quintana to the Cubs until Epstein executed that deal during the All-Star break – and then explained that it should be interpreted as a vote of confidence in the players already within the clubhouse.
“I think we have all the ingredients that we need right here,” Maddon said. “There’s also some dudes in Triple-A. They can still help, too. So whatever the boys decide, I’m fine with it.
“But I don’t necessarily see a subtraction among the position-player group, or with anybody that’s here, really. I’d be surprised if the addition came through subtraction here.”
It’s also worth remembering Epstein’s investment strategy in hitters over pitchers in the draft, through trades and on the free-agent market, how the Cubs spent $155 million on Jon Lester and gave up two top prospects for Quintana because the left-handers are in some ways mirror images of each other with clean deliveries and long track records of durability.
Gray began this season on the disabled list with a strained lat muscle – after a strained trapezius muscle and a strained right forearm limited him to 22 starts last year (5-11, 5.69 ERA). Gray has been repeatedly linked to the New York Yankees, a franchise with deeper prospect resources and a greater sense of urgency to land a starting pitcher.
The Cubs are trying to add a veteran backup catcher – someone like A.J. Ellis – and Maddon has made the case for acquiring a high-leverage reliever for the stretch run. But Epstein won’t have to mortgage the future to make that happen.
“Again, they’re still really young,” Maddon said. “Regardless of some of the struggles some of the guys are having right now, over the next two years, they’re going to come back in the plus column. No doubt in my mind. No doubt in my mind. You got to be patient sometimes.
“You got to work through some thin moments, especially with youthful players, because they’re going to mess it up. You’re not going to be able to nail it down – 162 games on an annual basis – without any bumps. You’re not. It’s just impossible to do that.”
The Cubs used a first-round pick on Ian Happ in 2015 with the idea that a college hitter could be fast-tracked and flipped for pitching later. But Happ debuted in the middle of May and emerged as a middle-of-the-order force and a better-than-advertised defender all over the field.
Javier Baez is the NLCS co-MVP who stopped being mentioned in trade rumors when Major League Baseball opened an investigation into All-Star shortstop Addison Russell’s domestic situation. World Series legend Kyle Schwarber is hitting under .200 and trying to get back into the flow after his detour to Triple-A Iowa.
The Cubs are looking all the way through 2021 – not just at the end of this October.
“The work ethic’s good, they care, they’re timely,” Maddon said. “All that stuff I love, so I’ve expected the waves and the rollercoaster. But long term – as these guys continue understanding the game better here – they’re going to keep getting better.”
WHITE SOX: Matt Davidson's first career walk-off HR propels White Sox past Indians.
By Paul Roumeliotis
(Photo/USA TODAY)
Matt Davidson snapped the White Sox five-game losing streak by doing something the team hadn't done in more than two years.
In the bottom of the ninth of Sunday’s series finale against the Cleveland Indians, Davidson smacked a two-run homer to end the game in walk-off fashion for the White Sox for the first time since July 7, 2015 when Adam Eaton did so against the Toronto Blue Jays.
It was the first walk-off of Davidson’s major league career, and it ended in a Gatorade bath at home plate.
“It was really cool," he said after the White Sox 3-1 win. "It was my first time doing that. I was trying to drive him in. It’s been a rough go for us, so to get that feeling and get that win was huge for us."
Davidson has a knack for hitting homers. He has only three hits in his last 26 at-bats but all three have left the ballpark—one of which was the longest at Wrigley Field during the Crosstown Classic.
The 26-year-old slugger increased his home run total to 21, which leads the team.
“With it being my rookie season, I’m pretty excited about it," Davidson said of his season so far. "But I still have a lot of work to do. I’m learning every day. I’ve had highs and lows, and I’m just trying to be more consistent with my approach."
Though he leads his team in homers, he also has struck out a team-high 124 times this season, and that’s something he's looking to improve on.
"My biggest hole is swinging at balls, and when I do that, obviously anybody isn’t going to be successful with that," Davidson said. "I’m just trying to play with different approaches and try to get the ball in the zone consistently. When the ball is in the zone, usually I’m pretty good. But when I’m swinging out, I really don’t give myself a chance. So that’s what I’m working on.”
The White Sox rebuilding process took away another key member of the clubhouse, with news that Melky Cabrera was traded to the Kansas City Royals prior to Sunday's game.
But with that comes an opportunity for someone like Davidson, who’s looking to take advantage of his playing time and helping fill that void.
"All of us have great opportunities here,” Davidson said. “We have a great leader with Rick here, and he’s preaching to us all the time about what we need to do and what we’re doing for the future. What’s going to make the future successful is us doing the right thing right now and focusing on that. It is going to be hard. It’s going to be tough.
"These last two months are going to be tough for us, but we’re going to be up for it. The staff is going to be up for it, and everyone in this building and on that field is going to be up for it. We’re ready to take the challenge. We know it’s not going to be easy, but we’re here and we get to play Major League Baseball every day and get that opportunity and we’re excited about it."
Frustrated Derek Holland disappointed by 'unprofessional' umpire.
By Dan Hayes
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
The frustration Derek Holland has felt the past two months boiled over on Friday night in a rant against plate umpire Bill Welke after the White Sox fell 9-3 to the Cleveland Indians.
Holland said he was particularly upset with how the crew chief flinched as if he would call a strike in the top of the fourth inning (it was called a ball) and then informed the pitcher he intended to show him up for the response to the no-call.
Down a run with two on and one out, Holland threw what appeared to be a strike to Brandon Guyer on the first pitch. Holland and Welke both reacted after the pitch, which brought White Sox manager Rick Renteria out of the dugout to have a discussion with Welke. Holland allowed a run in a fourth inning further delayed by a Don Cooper visit to the mound. Cooper also spoke with Welke on the way out. Holland was knocked out after he yielded four more runs in the fifth inning. The left-hander has a 9.46 ERA over his last 10 starts and said the combination of Welke’s actions and the frustration of losing set him off. The White Sox have lost 13 of 14 overall and dropped to 39-61.
“The thing that really stands out I think and is disappointing is the way that I got shown up by the umpire,” Holland said. “I didn’t say anything. I kept my voice as calm as possible. I thought it was unprofessional to basically walk out and tell me he was going to show me up. I didn’t do anything and the only thing I said was, ‘Don’t flinch like that. You can’t do that. It’s showing me that’s a strike.’
“The way he handled it was very unprofessional, coming out. It stands out as those guys aren’t accountable for some of those things. We get charged for the wins and losses, the strikeouts, the walks, everything, and we have to face that.
“I felt it was very disrespectful. You’re supposed to be professional about it. I get it if I raised my voice or showing him attitude. I definitely did not. I did not deserve that. I’ve always been nice to him. I’ve always gone up to every single one of them. Always asking ‘where have you got that pitch?’ because I have to adjust to them. As a pitcher we’re supposed to execute our pitches, adjust to what they do. I just feel that was a huge let down, unfortunately for me, and I’m the one who suffers from that.”
Holland continued a season-long trend by the rotation of not getting deep into games. The team’s starters have completed seven innings only nine times in 100 contests this season. Last season the White Sox have 50 starts of at least seven innings.
White Sox starters have a 5.09 ERA overall. The team’s 528 1/3 innings are the third-fewest in the majors. Only the rotations of the Cincinnati Reds (511) and the Miami Marlins (517) have fewer innings pitched this season than the White Sox.
“I have to pitch better,” Holland said. “We have 20 straight games. I have to be able to go the distance a little bit longer than I have. That’s what’s frustrating. The way I pitched tonight was unacceptable on my part. I have to do a better job. I’ve got to go longer than that. We’re using our bullpen too hard.
“My execution is what killed me. That’s what takes me out of the game. I’m frustrated with the way I’m pitching. I have to do better. This is killing our bullpen. If I’m going to point fingers, I’d rather point them at me. I’ve killed that bullpen for the past few starts and I have to step my s--- up. This is unacceptable. Sorry for cursing.”
Follow-Up: Rick Renteria defends Derek Holland’s comments toward umpire: ‘He has the right to feel how he feels’.
By Paul Roumeliotis
(Photo/AP)
Rick Renteria didn’t have a problem with Derek Holland’s comments after Friday’s game.
The White Sox southpaw was critical of home plate umpire Bill Welke in a particular incident that happened during Friday night’s 9-3 loss to the Cleveland Indians.
Holland called Welke “unprofessional” and felt he was “very disrespected” after Holland flinched during a called ball, which he thought was a strike, in the top of the fourth inning. It occurred on the first pitch of Brandon Guyer's at-bat. Welke took off his mask and went out to the pitcher's mound to talk to Holland, which also prompted Renteria to leave the dugout and have a discussion.
Renteria didn’t hear Holland’s remarks in his postgame interview, but when a media member informed him of them, the White Sox manager defended his pitcher.
“I think if Dutch felt that way, he has the right to feel how he feels,” Renteria said of Holland. “All I know is I saw someone going out toward my player in what I perceived to be quite an aggressive manner. I went out there to try to keep my player in the game.
"Listen, there was a lot of extended respect along that conversation that we were having as we were walking back. So it was not something that was as adversarial as you might think. It was more two men at that point talking about trying to calm that situation down, let's continue to go about doing our business.”
It's no secret Holland has had his fair share of struggles. In his last 10 outings, Holland has a 9.46 ERA. The White Sox lost all nine of those 10 games.
After his outing on Friday, which he allowed six earned runs on nine hits and five walks, Holland took much of the blame, saying "I have to step my s--- up."
Once again, Renteria defended that, too.
“Every man has the right to stand up for what he believes,” Renteria said. “And I think every man has the right to speak out and express his opinion. I don't think that anybody has the right to bemoan anybody for saying what they believe, to believe what they were expressing to be accurate. If he says what he says and he felt strongly what he was talking about he's my player. Absolutely.”
Golf: I got a club for that..... Vegas beats Hoffman in playoff to defend RBC title.
By Will Gray
(Photo/Golf Channel Digital)
For the second straight year, Jhonattan Vegas mounted a final-round comeback to capture the title at the RBC Canadian Open. Here's how things ended up this time around at Glen Abbey, where Vegas had to go an extra hole to edge Charley Hoffman:
Leaderboard: Jhonattan Vegas (-21, won on first extra hole), Charley Hoffman (-21), Ian Poulter (-20), Gary Woodland (-19)
What it means: Vegas began Sunday three shots behind Hoffman, but he raced up the standings with six birdies over his first 11 holes. He appeared in position to win in regulation until he was unable to birdie the par-5 18th despite having a wedge in for his second shot. That opened the door for Hoffman, who birdied 16 and 18 to force a playoff, but Vegas retained the trophy with a tap-in birdie on the first extra hole.
Round of the day: Poulter made his tournament debut this week, but there's reason to think he'll return to Glen Abbey after closing with an 8-under 64 to take third-place honors. Poulter was bogey-free and closed with four birdies over his final seven holes, including a 47-foot bomb on No. 12. It's his second close call of the season after his runner-up at The Players Championship which secured his card for next season.
Best of the rest: Vegas needed a final-round 64 to win last year, but this time a closing 65 was good enough to force a playoff. Vegas made the turn in 5-under 30, including three birdies in a row on Nos. 5-7, and added three more birdies on the back nine while dropping only a single shot. He then clinched the trophy with a birdie on his 19th hole of the day.
Biggest disappointment: Hoffman started the day with a one-shot lead, and he appeared on cruise control after opening with a pair of birdies. But while others piled up birdies, Hoffman stalled out while playing Nos. 3-15 in even par. A pair of closing birdies gave him a shot at passing Vegas, but it turned into another near-miss for a player who also blew a final-round lead at Bay Hill earlier this season.
Shot of the day: With Hoffman already in trouble, Vegas hit a deft pitch from behind the 18th green that rolled up to within a few inches of the hole. It gave him a stress-free birdie, and the subsequent tap-in meant he'll return to Glen Abbey as defending champ once again in 2018.
M.H. Lee tops Webb after wild week at Ladies Scottish.
By Randall Mell
(Photo/Golf Channel Digital)
The weather blew more than bone-chilling wind and sideways rain into four days of the Aberdeen Asset Management Ladies Scottish Open.
It blew in some crazy storylines.
How about Mi Hyang Lee winning Sunday after showing up at the start of the week in a bit of a panic when she got off the plane in Glasgow and discovered her clubs didn’t arrive with her?
How about Hall of Famer Karrie Webb skillfully avoiding all the bunkers around Dundonald Links through 70 holes until finding a pot bunker at the 17th hole on Sunday? She was so stymied she had to play out backwards, setting up a double bogey. It would lead to her undoing after building a two-shot lead with three holes to play.
And how about Webb’s frustration not knowing if she needed a birdie or an eagle at the last to force a playoff with Lee?
Because . . .
“There was no leaderboard at the 18th,” Webb said. “It’s pretty bad to not have a leaderboard at the last.”
For Lee, who said she also didn’t know where she stood closing out with birdie at the last, playing in front of Webb, there was no denying her brilliant ball striking.
The 24-year-old South Korean played fabulously through tough weekend conditions. Though Lee didn’t see the heaviest of the rain at Saturday’s end, nobody escaped the brutish cold and hard winds that day brought.
Tied for 39th at 4-over par at the beginning of the weekend, Lee rallied from nine shots back to win her second LPGA title. She did it with a 68 on Saturday and a 66 on Sunday to finish one shot ahead of Webb and Mi Jung Hur.
Nobody else shot in the 60s both Saturday and Sunday.
“Big confidence from this win,” Lee said. “Gets me ready for the British Open next week.”
Lee will join the women’s best at Kingsbarns just outside St. Andrews for the Ricoh Women’s British Open.
Lee’s excited about the fact that she’ll have her own clubs for the entire week as she bids to win her first major.
Lee flew from Boston to Iceland to Glasgow before the Ladies Scottish.
“I always wanted to see Iceland,” Lee said.
The downside was that her golf clubs spent way too much time in Iceland. They didn’t make Lee’s flight.
Lee said she had no idea where her ball was going during her Tuesday practice round in the high winds that she played with rental clubs featuring irons with regular shafts, instead of the stiff shafts she is accustomed to.
“My ball was flying everywhere,” Lee said.
Lee’s clubs showed up Wednesday, and she got to play nine holes in the pro-am with them, but only after a player withdrew, opening a pro-am spot for her.
Remarkably, Lee said this was just her third time playing in Scotland. She looked as if she grew up playing these tough conditions. In fact, Lee said she did learn to play in the wind after moving near the Incheon airport in South Korea when she was about 13. She said the wind always seems to blow hard off the Yellow Sea.
“It was like playing island golf,” Lee said.
Webb, 42, looked as if she was going to sew up her 42nd LPGA title - her first in three years - when she chipped in for eagle at the 14th to go two ahead of Lee. But Webb bogeyed the 16th, then ultimately lost the event after hitting her drive into a pot bunker at the 17th.
“I bent down, picked my tee up, thought I hit a perfect drive there,” Webb said.
Webb thought she “knotted” her 3-wood into position to set up birdie, but her caddie, Johnny Scott, delivered the bad news.
“He said it kicked into the bunker,” Webb said. “I have no idea how it did that.”
With Lee making birdie in front of her, Webb found herself two shots back at the last tee, but she said she didn’t know where she stood there.
There is a jumbo-sized TV screen at the 18th green, where the scoreboard was occasionally shown, along with live TV action and graphics, but there is no fixed leaderboard there.
Needing to make eagle, Webb knocked her second shot into the left greenside bunker. Webb said she didn’t know if she needed to make eagle or birdie when she set up over the bunker shot.
“That’s frustrating, to not know what you need to do,” Webb said.
Asked about the lack of a full-time scoreboard at the 18th, a tournament staffer said there were walking scorekeepers with each group who could have relayed Lee’s score to Webb. Blasting out of the greenside bunker, Webb ended up 8 feet short and holed the birdie putt.
In the end, Lee finished strongest, and it makes her a player to watch again this week at the Ricoh Women’s British Open.
Langer cruises to 10th senior major title.
By Will Gray
(Photo/Golf Channel Digital)
Another major, another trophy for Bernhard Langer.
Langer shot a 1-over 72 in the final round at Royal Porthcawl to win The Senior Open by three shots over Corey Pavin. It's a record 10th senior major title for the 59-year-old German, and his third of the year.
Langer also won the Regions Tradition and Senior PGA Championship in May, and his recent run of dominance now includes five wins over the last 10 majors contested on PGA Tour Champions. It's also Langer's third Senior Open title, having won in 2010 at Carnoustie and also in 2014 at Royal Porthcawl when he beat the field by a whopping 13 shots.
With the win, Langer will receive a spot in The Open in 2018 at Carnoustie.
Langer joins Tom Watson and Gary Player as the only three-time winners of The Senior Open. Player's wins all came before the tournament was designated as a major in 2003, which meant that there was some controversy over whether Langer's ninth major at the Senior PGA truly made him the most decorate major champion of the over-50 circuit. But now that he has added title No. 10, Langer stands alone one month before turning 60.
Fred Couples finished among a tie for third at even par, four shots behind Langer. Miguel Angel Jimenez finished in a tie for 11th at 3 over, while David Frost finished alone in 13th place despite opening with rounds of 81-74 amid blustery conditions in Wales.
NASCAR: Kyle Busch nudges Kevin Harvick out of the way, holds on to break 36-race winless streak at Pocono.
By Jerry Bonkowski
(Photo/www.racechaseonline.com)
Kyle Busch has tried everything he could to break his 36-race winless streak, which dated back to last season’s Brickyard 400 triumph.
But when it came down to it, it was a simple, slight nudge by Busch to push Kevin Harvick out of the way with 16 laps remaining to break the winless streak in Sunday’s Overton’s 400 at Pocono Raceway.
“Finally, eh?” Busch said over his team radio shortly after crossing the finish line.
Harvick had moved to the front of the field and passed Denny Hamlin on Lap 144 when, moments later, Busch nudged him aside just before the start-finish line to retake the lead.
Busch started the race from the pole and led 74 of the 160 scheduled laps, finishing with nearly a six-second margin of victory. The win was the 39th of his NASCAR Cup career.
“Never thought this day would happen,” Busch told NBCSN on the frontstretch after taking the checkered flag from the flag stand. “Such an awesome race car. We’ve been fighting all year long and weren’t sure why or what was next. This is something I’ve been waiting for a long, long time.”
The outcome marked two significant milestones:
- It was the 100th NASCAR Cup win for Toyota. And it was the 400th overall NASCAR win for Toyota (100 for Cup, 135 for Xfinity and 165 for Trucks)
- It also was Busch’s first career NASCAR Cup win at the Tricky Triangle, leaving just one track on the circuit (Charlotte Motor Speedway) that Busch has yet to win a Cup race at.
However, there was one slight negative to Busch’s win: NASCAR officials informed him in victory lane that he had one loose lug nut on his car, which means the team will likely face a $10,000 fine in the next few days. The No. 6 of Trevor Bayne and No. 17 of Ricky Stenhouse Jr. were also found to have loose lug nuts in post-race inspection.
Harvick finished second, followed by Martin Truex Jr., Denny Hamlin and Brad Keselowski.
The race didn’t even reach one completed lap when a major wreck occurred involving entering Turn 3. Matt Kenseth appeared to get loose, with several cars wrecking behind trying to avoid him, including Austin Dillon, Danica Patrick, Paul Menard, Matt DiBenedetto, Chris Buescher, Aric Almirola and Michael McDowell.
Almirola and DiBenedetto saw their day come to a quick end due to irreparable damage to their Ford Fusions.
“It’s frustrating we couldn’t make even one lap,” Almirola told NBCSN.
STAGE WINNERS: Kyle Busch won Stage 1 (his eighth of the season and fourth consecutive stage win over the last 3 races), while Clint Bowyer captured Stage 2, his first stage win of the season.
WHO ELSE HAD A GOOD RACE: Even with being forced out of the way, Kevin Harvick still held on to a strong runner-up finish. … Clint Bowyer finished sixth and earned his first stage win of the season (won Stage 2). Bowyer has now earned four top-seven finishes in his last six starts.
WHO HAD A BAD RACE: Aric Almirola (finished 38th) and Matt DiBenedetto (37th) didn’t even finish one lap before their respective days ended early, being involved in a multi-car wreck entering Turn 3 on the opening lap. … Jimmie Johnson’s day ended after 57 laps when he bounced off teammate Kasey Kahne’s car and backed the No. 48 into the outside wall. … A drivetrain issue left Kyle Larson with a 33rd place finish.
NOTABLE: It’s been so long since Busch won a Cup race that he made a slight faux pas in victory lane. During his NBCSN interview, he said, “This is Toyota’s 100th Sprint Cup, uh, Monster Energy win. This is the first time I’ve been doing this (since Monster took over for Sprint as series entitlement sponsor this season), so I need a break.”
QUOTE OF THE DAY: “It’s been a frustrating year but an awesome day today.” – Race winner Kyle Busch.
WHAT’S NEXT: I Love New York 355 at The Glen; Sunday, August 6, 3 p.m. ET, Watkins Glen International.
With Kyle Busch win, Chase Elliott highest driver in Cup points without win.
By Daniel McFadin
(Photo/www.sportingnews.com)
Kyle Busch finally clinched a spot in the Cup Series playoffs by winning Sunday’s race at Pocono Raceway.
That makes 13 drivers who have qualified for the playoffs off wins.
With five races to go in the regular season Martin Truex Jr. leads the standings over Kyle Larson (-85), Kevin Harvick (-97), Busch (-100) and Brad Keselowski (-174).
With Busch’s win, that leaves three spots left for drivers to possibly get into the playoffs on points.
The highest driver in the standings without a win is Chase Elliott, who is seventh and 207 points back from Truex.
He is followed by Jamie McMurray, Matt Kenseth and Clint Bowyer, who are all winless.
Click here for the points standings.
Ryan Preece wins Xfinity Series U.S. Cellular 250 at Iowa in overtime finish.
By Daniel McFadin
(Photo/accesswdun.com)
The biggest gamble of Ryan Preece‘s career paid off.
The 26-year-old fended off teammate Kyle Benjamin in a two-lap overtime finish to win the U.S. Cellular 250 at Iowa Speedway, claiming his first career Xfinity Series win.
A modified star in the Northeast, Preece’s victory came in the second of a two-race deal with Joe Gibbs Racing. After running the entire series last year with a lower-budget team, Preece used his sponsorship money for the two races with JGR this year.
“I don’t even know what to say, ” an emotional Preece told NBC before thanking all those who made his two-race stint in the No. 20 possible. “I’m so lost for words right now. I don’t even know what to say. This is what emotion is, I can tell you that. I thought this race would never end, that’s for sure. But man, nothing’s going to beat today.”
Preece took the lead for good on a Lap 177 restart. He had to fend off his challengers on two late restarts, the final one caused by a spin from JGR teammate Matt Tifft with four laps to go.
Benjamin who was in his fourth scheduled Xfinity race with JGR, could only pull even with Preece on the restarts before Preece’s car pulled cleared.
“I think our car was better on the long run there,” Benjamin told NBC. “I didn’t want to see the caution. … I was real surprised at the fire-off speed we had.”
Preece, who never finished better than 10th in his 36 Xfinity races before this season, finished in the top two of both of his races with JGR – he placed second at New Hampshire two weeks ago. On Saturday, Preece led a race-high 141 laps
Scott, who retired from full-time NASCAR racing after last year, was making his first start of the year in the No. 3 for Richard Childress Racing. He challenged for the lead on the next-to-last restart, hoping for his first career win in 209 starts.
“I came out with one goal and that was to win and gave it a good shot,” Scott told NBC. “We weren’t very good in the second segment, but we made a big adjustment at the end of Segment 2. From then on, I knew if we could battle back from the loss of track position and it came down to a long run that we had a shot. The restarts at the end were not what I wanted to see I thought, but it ended up working to our advantage. It was fun. It was fun to be back out there. Congrats to Ryan Preece.”
STAGE 1 WINNER: Ryan Prece
STAGE 2 WINNER: Justin Allgaier
WHO HAD A GOOD DAY: J.J. Yeley finished sixth in the first race since the passing of TriStar Motorsports owner Mark Smith earlier in the week. It is Yeley’s first top-10 finish of the season and his first since October 2016 at Kansas Speedway … Daniel Hemric bounced back from an unscheduled pit stop in Stage 1 to finish seventh … Blake Koch placed eighth for his first top 10 since Bristol in April. It’s his second of the year.
WHO HAD A BAD DAY: Justin Allgaier led 106 laps but was the only leader to stay out during the first round of pits stops in the final stage. Without a timely caution, Allgaier was forced to pit for fuel under green just a few laps before a caution. He finished 20th, two laps down … Michael Annett had an ignition box problem during pit stop following the end of Stage 2 and finished 33rd … Rookie Spencer Gallagher brought out the second caution due to an accident on Lap 171 when he lost a tire and hit the Turn 4 wall. He finished 37th … In his second start of the year, Sam Hornish Jr. lost a tire and crashed exiting Turn 4 on Lap 231, he finished 34th.
NOTABLE: Four different drivers have won in the Xfinity Series for Joe Gibbs Racing this year: Kyle Busch, Erik Jones, Denny Hamlin and Ryan Preece.
QUOTE OF THE DAY: “What I’m going to take away from this is I did it. I proved it to myself and this is awesome,” winner Ryan Preece.
WHAT’S NEXT: Zippo 200 at Watkins Glen International at 2 p.m. ET on Aug. 5 on NBCSN.
Elliott Sadler continues to lead Xfinity standings after Iowa.
By Daniel McFadin
(Photo/www.zimbio.com)
Elliott Sadler left Iowa Speedway still holding the Xfinity Series points standings.
With a 54-point lead over JR Motorsports teammate William Byron, Sadler has led the points after all but two races this season. His current stretch dates back to the June 17 race at Michigan.
Completing the top five are Justin Allgaier (-143), Brennan Poole (-189) and Daniel Hemric (-219).
Click here for the points standings.
Christopher Bell wins Truck race at Pocono.
By Dustin Long
Bell’s fourth win of the season made up for a miserable day for Kyle Busch Motorsports that saw Kyle Busch and Noah Gragson eliminated in separate crashes in the 60-lap race.
Busch saw his chances of winning end on Lap 36 when he was hit in the right rear by Justin Haley, who won Friday’s ARCA race, and hit the wall in the tunnel turn.
Stage 1 winner: Kyle Busch
Stage 2 winner: Kyle Busch
How Christopher Bell won: He withstood a duel with John Hunter Nemechek with 10 laps to go. Once Bell got by with six laps to go, he pulled away.
Who had a good race: Pole-sitter Ben Rhodes tied his career high with a runner-up finish. … Ryan Truex just missed his career-best finish, placing third. … John Hunter Nemechek fell to fourth in the final laps but it was his fourth top-10 finish in the last five races. Johnny Sauter, who started at the rear because of unapproved adjustments, finished fifth.
Who had a bad race: Noah Gragson was penalized a lap for pitting outside the box on Lap 16. His race ended with a crash on Lap 40 when he was the victim of circumstances.
Notable: Christopher Bell has won three of the last six races.
Quote of the race: “That was my bad. I feel bad for ruining Kyle’s race,” Justin Haley told Fox Sports of his incident with Kyle Busch.
Next: The series races Aug. 12 at Michigan International Speedway.
Christopher Bell takes Truck Series points lead after Pocono win.
By Daniel McFadin
With a 54-point lead over JR Motorsports teammate William Byron, Sadler has led the points after all but two races this season. His current stretch dates back to the June 17 race at Michigan.
Completing the top five are Justin Allgaier (-143), Brennan Poole (-189) and Daniel Hemric (-219).
Click here for the points standings.
Christopher Bell wins Truck race at Pocono.
By Dustin Long
(Photo/Getty Images)
Christopher Bell passed John Hunter Nemechek for the lead with six laps left and went on to win Saturday’s Overton’s 150 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Pocono Raceway. Bell took the points lead from Johnny Sauter with the victory.
Bell’s fourth win of the season made up for a miserable day for Kyle Busch Motorsports that saw Kyle Busch and Noah Gragson eliminated in separate crashes in the 60-lap race.
Busch saw his chances of winning end on Lap 36 when he was hit in the right rear by Justin Haley, who won Friday’s ARCA race, and hit the wall in the tunnel turn.
Stage 1 winner: Kyle Busch
Stage 2 winner: Kyle Busch
How Christopher Bell won: He withstood a duel with John Hunter Nemechek with 10 laps to go. Once Bell got by with six laps to go, he pulled away.
Who had a good race: Pole-sitter Ben Rhodes tied his career high with a runner-up finish. … Ryan Truex just missed his career-best finish, placing third. … John Hunter Nemechek fell to fourth in the final laps but it was his fourth top-10 finish in the last five races. Johnny Sauter, who started at the rear because of unapproved adjustments, finished fifth.
Who had a bad race: Noah Gragson was penalized a lap for pitting outside the box on Lap 16. His race ended with a crash on Lap 40 when he was the victim of circumstances.
Notable: Christopher Bell has won three of the last six races.
Quote of the race: “That was my bad. I feel bad for ruining Kyle’s race,” Justin Haley told Fox Sports of his incident with Kyle Busch.
Next: The series races Aug. 12 at Michigan International Speedway.
Christopher Bell takes Truck Series points lead after Pocono win.
By Daniel McFadin
(Photo/Getty Images)
Christopher Bell assumed the Camping World Truck Series points lead after winning Saturday’s race at Pocono Raceway.
Bell, claiming his fourth win of the year, knocked off Johnny Sauter from the top spot.
The Kyle Busch Motorsports driver has an 18-point lead over Sauter, who has only one win this season. Bell last led the points after his win at Atlanta in March.
Completing the top five is Chase Briscoe (-58), Matt Crafton (-64) and John Hunter Nemechek (-132).
Click here for the points standings.
SOCCER: Amid recent drama, David Accam doesn't start, but still scores in Fire loss.
By Dan Santaromita
Bell, claiming his fourth win of the year, knocked off Johnny Sauter from the top spot.
The Kyle Busch Motorsports driver has an 18-point lead over Sauter, who has only one win this season. Bell last led the points after his win at Atlanta in March.
Completing the top five is Chase Briscoe (-58), Matt Crafton (-64) and John Hunter Nemechek (-132).
Click here for the points standings.
SOCCER: Amid recent drama, David Accam doesn't start, but still scores in Fire loss.
By Dan Santaromita
(Photo/USA TODAY)
After venting his frustration at not being selected to the MLS All-Stars by coach Veljko Paunovic, David Accam remained in the spotlight on Saturday.
The Chicago Fire’s Ghanaian winger didn’t start for the second straight match. For the second straight match he came off the bench and scored. Also for the second straight match, Accam’s goal brought the Fire to back within one, but was the final goal of the game in a loss.
The Chicago Fire’s Ghanaian winger didn’t start for the second straight match. For the second straight match he came off the bench and scored. Also for the second straight match, Accam’s goal brought the Fire to back within one, but was the final goal of the game in a loss.
The Fire lost 3-2 at Sporting Kansas City.
A report from Ives Galarcep, which followed up on a CSN Chicago story about Accam’s disappointment in not being selected for the All-Star Game by Paunovic, said Accam has asked the Fire to let him leave by accepting one of the recently submitted offers for him.
With all that in mind, seeing Accam listed among the substitutes instead of the starting lineup before Saturday’s game raised some eyebrows that the report could be accurate.
By the time Accam entered in the 55th minute the Fire were already trailing 3-1. His goal made for a tense finish. Nemanja Nikolic’s header in the 85th minute, which came from an Accam cross, was as close as the Fire came to getting a tying goal. Only a save from Tim Melia denied Nikolic.
With Accam not starting, Juninho filled in as an extra midfielder alongside Bastian Schweinsteiger and the returning Dax McCarty. Patrick Doody got the start at left back with Brandon Vincent still out with a quad injury. That was Doody’s first appearance for the Fire since 2015.
Sporting KC (9-4-9, 36 points) took the lead in the 23rd minute when a Daniel Salloi shot deflected off Schweinsteiger’s calf and gave goalkeeper Matt Lampson no chance. Five minutes later, a Matt Polster cross caused an own goal after Matt Besler sliced an attempted clearance back into his own net.
KC regained the lead just before halftime when Benny Feilhaber bicycle kicked a rebound from point blank range into the goal. Latif Blessing doubled the lead early in the second half.
The Fire (11-5-5, 38 points) have lost consecutive games for the second time this season.
After finishing this road trip with a 0-2-1 record, the Fire return home next Saturday against the New England Revolution.
Fire GM Nelson Rodriguez still 'searching' for potential summer additions.
By Dan Santaromita
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
The summer transfer window in Major League Soccer has been open for a couple weeks and the Chicago Fire may make a couple moves before it closes on August 9.
Those moves may not necessarily affect the regular starting lineup, but Fire general manager Nelson Rodriguez said on Friday that they continue to seek out options to add depth to the team’s defense and that they may need another goalkeeper with Jorge Bava possibly being out for the season.
Those moves may not necessarily affect the regular starting lineup, but Fire general manager Nelson Rodriguez said on Friday that they continue to seek out options to add depth to the team’s defense and that they may need another goalkeeper with Jorge Bava possibly being out for the season.
Bava, a 35 year-old from Uruguay who joined the Fire in January, has been out with what the club is calling left elbow tendinitis. He started the first eight matches of the season, but lost his starting job to Matt Lampson in May. He hasn’t been available as a sub since he was the backup June 4 in Orlando. Bava has been limited in training recently while wearing a brace on his left arm.
Rodriguez said Bava will go on the disabled list. While he is on the disabled list, he would not take up an international spot but would still count against the team’s salary cap.
“If he ends up needing surgery, which I think is likely, then his season will likely be lost and that international spot will open up, but there’s no budget room,” Rodriguez said.
Rodriguez added that if Bava is out for the season that will “require us to consider looking for another goalkeeper.” The Fire have two others on the roster in Lampson and rookie Stefan Cleveland, who hasn’t played for the Fire and has made only one appearance for USL affiliate Tulsa.
Slightly further up the field, defensive depth is something Rodriguez mentioned the team needed more of back in May. There are still only three centerbacks on the roster in Johan Kappelhof, Joao Meira and Jonathan Campbell. A significant injury to any of those three would significantly hamper Veljko Paunovic’s options and flexibility, especially considering his tendency to use all three on the field in a tactical shift on occasion.
Justin Bilyeu, a 23-year-old former New York Red Bulls defender and former college teammate of Fire defender Matt Polster, has been training with the Fire for the past couple weeks. Bilyeu spent most of the past two seasons with the Red Bulls’ USL team before being waived on June 28. In addition, Cuban left back Jorge Corrales, who is currently a Tulsa player, was in training with the Fire this week, but is set to return to Tulsa for the Roughnecks’ next match on Monday.
“We have brought a couple players in on trial this week,” Rodriguez said of the pursuit of defensive depth. “We’ve spoken to a couple teams within the league. We continue to follow some targets, but we have not settled on a specific player to pursue. I don’t think we have yet felt comfortable with what we have in the pipeline, but we’ll keep searching.”
Rodriguez said the team is also looking at improving the midfield, but believes they are “pretty set” at forward. He wouldn’t comment on the rumors of Colombian playmaker Juan Quintero. The latest on that front is a tweet from Taylor Twellman saying the deal isn’t dead even though Quintero extended his loan with Colombian club DIM.
With the Fire sitting in second place in MLS, Rodriguez admitted his three-year plan for the team has been “accelerated a bit.” Rodriguez has a chance to put the cherry on top of a roster that has proven to be one of the best in the league to this point in the season. Is there more urgency to try to boost a team that appears to be a championship contender?
“There’s always a temptation to think ‘Oh man, we’re right there and if we get this piece it will just push us over the top.’ We remind ourselves all the time to refer back to our plan, to look at the opportunity to try to calculate what the knock on effects, positive and negative may be for the future, because ultimately we want to keep this good thing going for a run and a run isn’t one season.
“If something makes sense to us when you think it fits into the development of that championship program, we’ll do it. Just as we’ve been unable to add that backline depth all year long, we won’t do something just to check a box on a list. We’ll only do it if we think it makes sense in the overall context of what we’re trying to achieve.”
USWNT storms back from 3-1 down, beats Brazil 4-3.
By Associated Press
(Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images)
Julie Ertz came in off the bench and scored in the 89th minute and the United States overcame a late three-goal deficit to beat Brazil 4-3 on Sunday night in the Tournament of Nations.
The United States was in danger of losing for the fourth time this year before the three-goal flurry in about nine minutes.
The United States was in danger of losing for the fourth time this year before the three-goal flurry in about nine minutes.
Two minutes after Brazil’s Andressinha scored on a free kick in the 78th minute for her second goal of the game, Christen Press countered to make it 3-2.
Press fed Megan Rapinoe for a spectacular running blast that tied it in the 85th minute, and Ertz put the Americans ahead four minutes later. Ertz is using her married name after playing as Julie Johnston.
The United States was coming off a 1-0 loss to Australia in the team’s Tournament of Nations opener in Seattle on Thursday night.
The United States was coming off a 1-0 loss to Australia in the team’s Tournament of Nations opener in Seattle on Thursday night.
Barcelona top Real Madrid, 3-2, in Miami’s El Clasico.
By Andy Edwards
(AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
Round 1 of the 2017-18 El Clasico rivalry favored Barcelona, courtesy of goals scored by Lionel Messi, Ivan Rakitic and Gerard Pique, who knocked off Real Madrid in the two sides’ preseason friendly in Miami, Fla., on Saturday.
Just as quickly as Messi made it 1-0, Rakitic made it 2-0, in the 7th minute. Luis Suarez touched Neymar’s cross past himself to the waiting Croatian, whose first-time, perfectly placed shot beat Keylor Navas with ease.
Seven minutes later, Mateo Kovacic pulled Madrid back to within a goal. The 23-year-old Croatian slalomed past three defenders 25 yards out, squared himself to the goal and fired past Jasper Cillessen, who had no chance at making the save.
Nine minutes before halftime, Marco Asensio drew Madrid back onto level terms with a confident finish to complete a lightning-quick, three-on-two counter. Karim Benzema played the decoy as Asensio and Kovacic played the ball back and forth before Asensio slammed it home with Cillessen sent to his right and the shot to his left.
Barca’s winner came five minutes into the second half, when Neymar’s free kick found a completely unmarked Pique at the top of the six-yard box. The finish was textbook as the 10,000 times he’s done it in training, and that was that — a 3-2 victory for Barca in the first “Clasico” played on foreign soil in 35 years.
NCAAFB: Poking holes in Nick Saban's suggestion for a revamped college football schedule.
By Tom Fornelli
Saban has thoughts on conference schedules, changing bowl requirements and expanding the playoff.
Alabama coach Nick Saban has provided a lot of suggestions for improving college football over the years, and he isn't afraid to share them when the opportunity arises.
His latest idea would change the way regular seasons work, and in his opinion, make the sport a lot more appealing to fans.
"We should play all teams in the Power Five conferences," said Saban in an interview with ESPN. "If we did that, then if we were going to have bowl games, we should do the bowl games just like we do in the NCAA basketball tournament -- not by record but by some kind of power rating that gets you in a bowl game. If we did that, people would be a little less interested in maybe bowl games and more interested in expanding the playoff."
These remarks aren't the first time Saban has brought up the suggestion of Power Five teams only playing other teams from the Power Five. He's mentioned that idea a few times in the past, but he gets into some new ground with his idea for bowl games. An idea he would expand upon in greater detail.
Saban wants to get rid of the six-win requirement altogether.
"You eliminate the six wins to get in a bowl game, and now you can have a different kind of scheduling that is more fan interest, more good games, bring out the better quality team," said Saban. "Whether you expand the playoff or have a system where it's like now -- we take the top 12 teams and decide what bowl game they go to -- just take them all.
"In this scenario, there would be more opportunity to play more teams in your league, as well as to have more games that people would be interested in. We all play three or four games a year now that nobody's really interested in. We'd have more good games, more public interest, more fan interest, better TV."
Saban also once again broached the subject of expanding conference play, even mentioning the idea of the SEC playing 10 conference games per season, and then two nonconference games against teams from other Power Five conferences. His overall point is that if schools don't need to win six games to qualify for a bowl, they won't feel the need to schedule easy wins against FCS opponents and certain Group of Five teams.
Now, there is one of Saban's ideas that I like. I've always been a proponent of conferences playing larger conference schedules. The fact that the Big Ten, Big 12 and Pac-12 already play nine-game schedules is something I support, and I wish the SEC and ACC would follow suit. I'd be all for expanding that to 10 games.
After that, there are a few things I don't like, or I'm at least not sure about.
I'm good with conferences expanding schedules, but the idea of only playing other Power Five teams concerns me a bit. I'd love that there would be so many more "big games," but I also worry about what those games would do to the Group of Five conferences.
I understand that these conferences and schools aren't as popular as most of the schools in the Power Five, but they're also one of the aspects of college football that make it special and unique. I think you'd do irreparable damage to those schools if you did not allow them to play Power Five opponents, and I'm not sure they'd be financially solvent in the long run without the ability to do so.
It's also a reason I'm not really into Saban's idea of ditching the six-win requirement for bowl games. Yes, an immediate effect of dropping the rule would probably be schools being more willing to schedule tougher games. The not-so-immediate effects could cause a lot of problems, however.
First of all, even if they aren't as important to the general fan as they used to be, bowl games are still a reward for the players. Some more so than others, sure, but not every team can win a conference or play in the College Football Playoff. Bowl games give teams something for which to strive -- a reason to feel they've accomplished something. If you go to a full selection committee for bowl games than we're just going to see a lot of 5-7 and 4-8 Power Five teams chosen over more deserving Group of Five schools. Which, again, would do a lot of damage to football at the Group of Five level. That's just not something I'm interested in seeing happen.
As for Saban's idea to expand the playoff, I'm against that as well, and I always will be. It's not that I don't enjoy the idea of an eight-team playoff and the games it would create, it's that we're already asking these players to play 13 games a season with the bowls. Some teams play 14 if they have a conference championship game, too. Hell, to win a national title, teams have to play 15 games.
I'm not supporting the idea of asking them to play any more games than they already do.
His latest idea would change the way regular seasons work, and in his opinion, make the sport a lot more appealing to fans.
"We should play all teams in the Power Five conferences," said Saban in an interview with ESPN. "If we did that, then if we were going to have bowl games, we should do the bowl games just like we do in the NCAA basketball tournament -- not by record but by some kind of power rating that gets you in a bowl game. If we did that, people would be a little less interested in maybe bowl games and more interested in expanding the playoff."
These remarks aren't the first time Saban has brought up the suggestion of Power Five teams only playing other teams from the Power Five. He's mentioned that idea a few times in the past, but he gets into some new ground with his idea for bowl games. An idea he would expand upon in greater detail.
Saban wants to get rid of the six-win requirement altogether.
"You eliminate the six wins to get in a bowl game, and now you can have a different kind of scheduling that is more fan interest, more good games, bring out the better quality team," said Saban. "Whether you expand the playoff or have a system where it's like now -- we take the top 12 teams and decide what bowl game they go to -- just take them all.
"In this scenario, there would be more opportunity to play more teams in your league, as well as to have more games that people would be interested in. We all play three or four games a year now that nobody's really interested in. We'd have more good games, more public interest, more fan interest, better TV."
Saban also once again broached the subject of expanding conference play, even mentioning the idea of the SEC playing 10 conference games per season, and then two nonconference games against teams from other Power Five conferences. His overall point is that if schools don't need to win six games to qualify for a bowl, they won't feel the need to schedule easy wins against FCS opponents and certain Group of Five teams.
Now, there is one of Saban's ideas that I like. I've always been a proponent of conferences playing larger conference schedules. The fact that the Big Ten, Big 12 and Pac-12 already play nine-game schedules is something I support, and I wish the SEC and ACC would follow suit. I'd be all for expanding that to 10 games.
After that, there are a few things I don't like, or I'm at least not sure about.
I'm good with conferences expanding schedules, but the idea of only playing other Power Five teams concerns me a bit. I'd love that there would be so many more "big games," but I also worry about what those games would do to the Group of Five conferences.
I understand that these conferences and schools aren't as popular as most of the schools in the Power Five, but they're also one of the aspects of college football that make it special and unique. I think you'd do irreparable damage to those schools if you did not allow them to play Power Five opponents, and I'm not sure they'd be financially solvent in the long run without the ability to do so.
It's also a reason I'm not really into Saban's idea of ditching the six-win requirement for bowl games. Yes, an immediate effect of dropping the rule would probably be schools being more willing to schedule tougher games. The not-so-immediate effects could cause a lot of problems, however.
First of all, even if they aren't as important to the general fan as they used to be, bowl games are still a reward for the players. Some more so than others, sure, but not every team can win a conference or play in the College Football Playoff. Bowl games give teams something for which to strive -- a reason to feel they've accomplished something. If you go to a full selection committee for bowl games than we're just going to see a lot of 5-7 and 4-8 Power Five teams chosen over more deserving Group of Five schools. Which, again, would do a lot of damage to football at the Group of Five level. That's just not something I'm interested in seeing happen.
As for Saban's idea to expand the playoff, I'm against that as well, and I always will be. It's not that I don't enjoy the idea of an eight-team playoff and the games it would create, it's that we're already asking these players to play 13 games a season with the bowls. Some teams play 14 if they have a conference championship game, too. Hell, to win a national title, teams have to play 15 games.
I'm not supporting the idea of asking them to play any more games than they already do.
NCAABKB: ESPN BPI ranks Kentucky Wildcats 13th for 2017-18 college basketball season.
By Jeremy Chisenhall
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(Photo/Nelson Chenault-USA TODAY Sports)
ESPN has released a way-too-early initial BPI ranking, and it’s...well...interesting.
For starters, the BPI has Kentucky ranked No. 13, behind the likes of TCU (No. 9), Notre Dame (No. 4), and Louisville (No. 2).
The BPI is a strange ranking system, and that’s evidenced by the fact that Wichita State is the No. 1 team in the nation in this poll.
It’s all about continuity, experience, and breaking down both ends of the floor in the BPI rankings system. So, Wichita State’s returning players have a big impact, while Kentucky’s freshman-stocked lineup does them no favors in this system.
But at the end of the day, this ranking system generally isn’t all that accurate (they ranked the Gonzaga Bulldogs No. 1 at the end of last season, and North Carolina third, and now neither team is in the top 25).
You’d also think teams like Michigan State (17) and USC (43rd) would be higher on this list, being that they return off of their respective teams from last season.
You can read the rest of the rankings, with some explanation, here. Here is the entire top 25:
1 Wichita State
2 Louisville
3 Villanova
4 Notre Dame
5 Arizona
6 West Virginia
7 Purdue
8 Oklahoma
9 TCU
10 Kansas
11 Cincinnati
12 Virginia
13 Kentucky
14 Duke
15 Seton Hall
16 Saint Mary's
17 Michigan State
18 Texas Tech
19 Xavier
20 Alabama
21 Arkansas
22 Providence
23 Iowa
24 Auburn
25 Northwestern
Baseball Hall of Fame inductees in Cooperstown, July 30, 2017.
Excerpts from an article from Skylar Rolstad
I. Rodriguez (L), Jeff Bagwell (C) and Tim Raines (R). (Photo/Getty Images)
The former MLB players inducted this year were outfielder Tim Raines Sr., first baseman Jeff Bagwell and catcher Ivan Rodriguez. Former MLB commissioner Bud Selig and front office executive John Schuerholz were also being inducted.
1. Tim Raines Sr.
Raines saw early success with the Montreal Expos, where he finished top-10 in NL MVP voting three different times. He also won a Silver Slugger award in 1986 . After 13 years with the Expos, Raines was traded to the White Sox and later joined the Yankees. He won the 1996 and 1998 World Series as a Yankee.
Raines makes it to the Hall of Fame in his final year of eligibility. He appeared on 86 percent of ballots cast for this year's induction. Raines previously hovered around 50 percent of ballots over the last seven years. He'll enter the Hall of Fame as an Expo.
2. Jeff Bagwell
Outfielder Tim Raines was known as an outstanding hitter and base runner. The seven-time All-Star was MLB stolen base champion four times in his 23-year career. Percentage-wise, Raines is ranked the most successful base stealer in MLB history, and he is the only player in history to steal at least 70 bases in six straight seasons.
Raines saw early success with the Montreal Expos, where he finished top-10 in NL MVP voting three different times. He also won a Silver Slugger award in 1986 . After 13 years with the Expos, Raines was traded to the White Sox and later joined the Yankees. He won the 1996 and 1998 World Series as a Yankee.
Raines makes it to the Hall of Fame in his final year of eligibility. He appeared on 86 percent of ballots cast for this year's induction. Raines previously hovered around 50 percent of ballots over the last seven years. He'll enter the Hall of Fame as an Expo.
3. Ivan Rodriguez
"Pudge" Rodriguez is one of the most decorated catchers in major league history. The former Texas Rangers backstop has 13 All-Star nominations and 14 Gold Gloves, both of which are the most for any catcher in MLB history. The Puerto Rico native is entering the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility.
Retiring in 2012, Rodriguez turned a promising beginning as one of the best catcher prospects into a Hall of Fame career playing for the Rangers, Yankees, Tigers, Marlins, Astros and Nationals. He will enter the Hall of Fame as a Ranger.
Rodriguez was named AL MVP in the 1999 season, with a .332 batting average, 35 home runs and 133 RBIs for Texas. Rodriguez later helped the Florida Marlins to a World Series title in 2003.
4. John Schuerholz
Former Atlanta Braves and Kansas City Royals front office executive John Schuerholz will also be honored. Schuerholz spent nine seasons as general manager of the Royals and 26 years as Braves GM and president.
Schuerholz started his career with the Royals and eventually engineered a World Series-winning team in 1985. He left to become Braves GM in 1990 and won the 1995 World Series with Atlanta. Schuerholz transformed a poor Braves franchise into regular division winners in the years he spent as general manager.
5. Bud Selig
Allan "Bud" Selig was the ninth commissioner of MLB from 1998-2015. He is credited with guiding the league out of financial strife, and also faced the performance-enhancing drugs era.
Selig first involved himself in the major leagues when he held the largest amount of stock in his hometown Milwaukee Braves in 1963. The franchise later relocated to Atlanta, and Selig, then MLB's Executive Council Chairman, would become owner of the Milwaukee Brewers. Selig led negotiations with the player's union in the strike-shortened 1994 MLB season.
On This Date in Sports History: Today is Monday, July 31, 2017.
Memoriesofhistory.com
1932 - Enzo Ferrari retired from racing. In 1950 he launched a series of cars under his name.
1961 - The first tie in All-Star Game major league baseball history was recorded when it was stopped in the 9th inning due to rain at Boston's Fenway Park.
1981 - The seven-week baseball players’ strike came to an end when the players and owners agreed on the issue of free agent compensation.
2001 - Korey Stringer (Minnesota Vikings) collapsed during practice. The 27-year-old died the next day of multiple organ failure due to heatstroke.
1932 - Enzo Ferrari retired from racing. In 1950 he launched a series of cars under his name.
1961 - The first tie in All-Star Game major league baseball history was recorded when it was stopped in the 9th inning due to rain at Boston's Fenway Park.
1981 - The seven-week baseball players’ strike came to an end when the players and owners agreed on the issue of free agent compensation.
2001 - Korey Stringer (Minnesota Vikings) collapsed during practice. The 27-year-old died the next day of multiple organ failure due to heatstroke.
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