CS&T/AllsportsAmerica Wednesday Sports News Updaye, 07/19/2017.

Chicago Sports & Travel Inc./AllsportsAmerica

"America's Finest Sports Fan Travel Club, May We Plan An Event Or Sports Travel For You?"

We offer: Select opportunities, For your convenience, At "Very Rare but Super Fair" pricing

Because it's all about you!!!

"Sports Quote of the Day"

"Your goals are the road maps that guide you and show you what is possible for your life." ~ Les Brown,  Motivational Speaker, Author, Radio DJ, Former Television Host, and Former Politician

TRENDING: Bears training camp preview: 3 burning questions for the quarterbacks. (See the football section for Bears news and NFL updates).

TRENDING: Why Brian Campbell knew it was time to retire from NHL. (See the hockey section for Blackhawks updates and NHL news).

TRENDING: Armed With A Young Roster, Hoiberg Ready To Hit The Ground Running. (See the basketball section for Bulls news and NBA updates).

TRENDING: Jon Lester and Jose Quintana give Cubs a one-two punch for this pennant race and beyond; White Sox pull off another king-sized trade, shipping Todd Frazier, David Robertson and Tommy Kahnle to Yankees. (See the baseball section for Cubs and White Sox updates).

TRENDING: "The Open" Championship 2017 - Preview. (See the golf section for PGA news and tournament updates).

TRENDING: NASCAR Power Rankings: Truex keeps the top spot after Hamlin's win. (See the NASCAR section for NASCAR news and racing updates).

TRENDING: Johan Kappelhof's MLS All-Star selection not the biggest thing to happen to him in the past week; USMNT-El Salvador preview: Come together, right now. (See the soccer section for Fire news and worldwide soccer updates).

Bears Down Chicago Bears!!!!! Bears training camp preview: 3 burning questions for the quarterbacks.

By JJ Stankevitz

(Photo/USA TODAY Sports Images)

1. When will Mitch Trubisky start his first game?

This will be the central question surrounding the Bears until a date is set for the Quarterback Who Was Promised to start. Will it be this year’s season opener? Unlikely, given the constant reassurances that this is Mike Glennon’s year. Could it be sometime in the middle or end of the season? Probably, if Trubisky picks up Dowell Loggains’ offense quickly and the Bears’ offense is mired in mediocrity. Could it be in 2018? Likely, unless Glennon shows something he didn’t with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and earns a chance to stick around for the second year of his three-year contract. The Bears’ ideal scenario is to give Trubisky plenty of time to develop, so when he does become the team’s starting quarterback, he can immediately thrive. That’s why the Bears committed to at least one year and as many as three years of Glennon a month and a half before drafting their quarterback of the future. 

“I’ve made a lot of progress,” Trubisky said back in June. “I’d say I’m getting better every day. I’m getting a little bit more comfortable every day. I’m studying a lot. I’ve put in more work on this playbook than I’ve put into anything in my life. And yeah, it’s coming along great. I’m getting more and more comfortable. I’ve seen strides in different areas every day.”

2. Who’s the backup?

This is a separate question from the first one, even if the answer to it is Trubisky. There are a couple of mitigating factors here heading into training camp — first, the knee injury Mark Sanchez suffered during OTAs, and second, the fact Trubisky as of Monday afternoon still has yet to sign a contract. Sanchez is expected to be ready for the beginning of training camp, and there haven’t been any alarm bells going off about Trubisky yet with still over a week until the Bears’ first practice in Bourbonnais. But who the team’s backup will be on Sept. 10 is a fascinating question: If it’s Trubisky, does that mean the coaching staff feels he’s ready to start? Or if it’s Sanchez (or Connor Shaw, for that matter), does that mean Trubisky may not see game action until November or December at the earliest? 

“A lot has been made of our quarterback situation, whether it’s Mike Glennon, Mark Sanchez or even Mitch Trubisky,” coach John Fox said. “The only guy there that was here a year ago was Connor Shaw. We need to get those guys caught up but we’ve got good competition between guys that are good teammates, good people and they are working very, very hard.”

3. What do the Bears have in Mike Glennon?

Let’s put this another way: What if Glennon turns out to be a solid, productive quarterback? It's unlikely a guy who’s only thrown 11 passes since the end of the 2014 season and who wasn’t able to hang on to his job — twice — with bad Tampa Bay teams could be an upper-echelon quarterback, but what if he roughly mirrors Andy Dalton with a low interception total and high completion percentage on a six-win team? Does that earn Glennon another opportunity to start with the Bears, or do they still move on from him after the season to clear the path for Trubisky? This would be a good problem for the Bears to have, of course. On the flip side, how much rope does Glennon get if his numbers are similar to the ones he had in Tampa Bay (59.4 completion percentage, 30 TDs, 15 INTs in 630 passing attempts) and the Bears struggle early in the season? If Glennon gets benched, then we go right back to trying to answer both questions No. 1 and No. 2 here. But the way the Bears have presented their quarterbacks, the Glennon question needs to be figured out before we get any answers about Trubisky.

"I’m here, this is my year, and the meetings are geared around me,” Glennon said. “Am I going to help Mitch as much as I can? Definitely. I’m going to be a great teammate. But my job is to win football games for the Chicago Bears. And that’s where my head’s at.”

Bears training camp preview: 3 burning questions for the running backs.

By Chris Boden

(Photo/AP)

1. Can Jordan Howard get to the Starting Gate healthy?

By now, there’s no question the franchise’s all-time leading rookie rusher can do it. And after the fifth-rounder answered some durability questions last season, the last thing the Bears need is Howard to be banged-up or unavailable heading into a brutal first month of the season. If the Bears are to compete against the likes of the Falcons, Buccaneers, Steelers and Packers, they’ll need their ball-control game to be effective behind the league’s second-leading rusher last season. The humble star spent the offseason trying to get even better, from eye surgery, to finding ways to get through the second level and outrun defenders.

“Just improving on the little things, my conditioning, my weight, catching passes,” Howard said at last month’s minicamp. “And looking for ways to finish runs better. I feel like I’m in much better shape than I was at this time last year, a little more toned-up.”

2. Spark from Sparty

Jeremy Langford entered last season as the starter following an impressive rookie season of his own, looking like the heir to Matt Forte as he split time with the veteran. But after 28 carries the first two games, the Michigan State product injured an ankle in Week 3 at Dallas after gaining 31 yards on only three carries. He was never the same once he came back, totaling just 31 carries for 84 yards. He remained out of team work during minicamp last month, working out individually on the side in an effort to be full-go for Bourbonnais. Howard took the ball and ran with his opportunity once Langford went down. But it’s not reasonable for him to carry the entire workload once the season begins, unless Dowell Loggains is asking for trouble. Langford returning to his rookie form will help.

3. The 3 C’s

That’s Tarik Cohen, Benny Cunningham and Ka'Deem Carey. Carey heads into his fourth season, having bought into special teams roles and being fearless charging into opposing defenders, even pancaking a few in his time here. But unless he finds a way to make himself a core performer on Teams, or if Howard, Langford, Cohen, or Cunningham suffers an injury, one doubts the Bears would enter the season with five running backs, especially if they decide to keep a fullback around. Cohen provides his unique skillset as the “human joystick” third down threat and potential as a returner. The latter is what Cunningham’s built his career upon, and has a similar build as Carey.

“I think it’ll play a key role and benefit me,” the 5-foot-6, 179-pound Cohen said of his stature and waterbug-like moves being a part of the offense. “The linemen are going to be bigger and it’ll be really hard for defenders to see behind my linemen. I didn’t necessarily want to be bigger (growing up), but I wanted to beat the bigger kids.”

Bears rival report: Are the Packers any more vulnerable?

By Chris Boden

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

The short answer to the above headline is "no." Great quarterbacks overcome so much, and Aaron Rodgers is still there.

The Bears are well-versed in both aspects of that last statement, since they haven't had a quarterback who capable of putting a team on his shoulders to overcome blemishes, and the fact facing No. 12 in green and gold is more exasperating than facing the No. 4 who preceded him.

Now, Rodgers has an even more dangerous arsenal in adding ex-Bears tight end Martellus Bennett to a mix that includes a couple of guys who combined to catch 26 touchdown passes in Jordy Nelson (now two years removed from his torn ACL) and Davante Adams. And the commitment to Ty Montgomery as the starting running back is strong (after especially victimizing the Bears in averaging six yards a carry in a stop-gap role last season).

That doesn't mean there aren't things in the back of Packers' fans minds that are disconcerting.  Defensive Coordinator Dom Capers is the favorite punching bag, yet remains on the job after ranking 22nd in total yards, although top ten against the run.

So here's a couple of areas of concern as they head to camp next week:

Dom's DB's: More specifically, his "CB's." For the second time in three years, general manager Ted Thompson used his top two draft picks on cornerbacks. That doesn't mean the investment two years ago won't pan out, as Damarious Randall and Quinten Rollins were just banged up a year ago. If they stay relatively healthy this year, along with the drafting of Washington's Kevin King and the reacquisition of Davon House, it could turn around. They're still young. But it helps to have one of the best safety tandems in the league to work with as well in Morgan Burnett and HaHa Clinton-Dix. Second-round pick Josh Jones is listed as a safety, but is expected to be used in a hybrid role in the box as situations dictate. Clay Matthews is 31 and has been sidelined by and fought through injuries for much of the past five years, and as the Packers try to move him around more, they'll need a handful of young "LB's" to step up. The Packers have selected four linebackers in the third or fourth rounds over the past two drafts.

Getting their guards up: Perhaps no quarterback in the league is more elusive, and better at buying time, in the pocket than Rodgers. That helps a lot. Since the Packers convened at camp a year ago, two Pro Bowl guards have departed to division rivals in Josh Sitton (Bears) and T.J. Lang (Lions). Center now belongs strictly to Corey Linsley after JC Tretter left in free agency. Undrafted Lane Taylor held up fairly well replacing Sitton a year ago. They'll look to 12-year veteran Jahri Evans (former All-Pro with the Saints) or career backup Don Barclay to hold down the right guard spot.

The Packers always seem to find a way to make things work, thanks to Rodgers and his weapons. If for some reason they don't in 2017, it'll likely be for the reasons above.

How 'bout them Chicago Blackhawks? Why Brian Campbell knew it was time to retire from NHL.

By Tracey Myers

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

Brian Campbell had barely sat down at his retirement presser when his eyes started to water. It wouldn’t take long for the tears to come, even though he told teammates he wouldn’t cry. After 17 seasons, this was really it.

Campbell met with the media on Tuesday, one day after he announced his retirement from the NHL. While he’s leaving the Blackhawks as a player he’s joining them in the front office, as special advisor in business and hockey relations. With his family — wife Lauren, daughters Harper and Everley and parents Ed and Lorna— in attendance, an emotional Campbell talked about leaving the game.

“I didn’t solicit any offers. I talked to some teams. I just didn’t think it was fair, if I wasn’t going to play, to do that to anyone and just try to start negotiating with teams,” Campbell said. “I’ve been thinking about [retirement] for a while. At the end of the season, I didn’t know if I was ready to do it anymore. So that was only fair. But I will say July 1 was tough, a tough day. There’ve been some tough days. But I think we’re happy with our decision.”

Blackhawks president John McDonough said Campbell called him about six weeks ago and mentioned he was contemplating retirement. The two talked of the possibility of Campbell staying with the Blackhawks in some capacity.

“I wanted to give him the requisite amount of time because it’s a tough decision. Seventeen years, four-time All-Star ... and the timing had to be right. He kept talking to me about the importance of his family and didn’t want to leave Chicago, so I tossed it back and I said once you are firm on your decision, give me a call. When he called me back, I said the door is wide open.”

Leaving the game is bittersweet. Campbell wasn’t going to be returning to the Blackhawks as a player; the team told him they were moving in a different direction on defense, and he appreciated the Blackhawks letting him know with plenty of time. Campbell gets to stay in Chicago and with the Blackhawks front office. But saying goodbye to his playing days was nevertheless difficult.

“I don’t think I’d want to retire any other way but a Blackhawk. It was fun. I had a blast. There were a lot of nights after games, I was with my buddies. That was the best part of all of that,” Campbell said. “It wasn’t fun pulling off the jersey [in April], that’s for sure. These are just thoughts I’ve had for a while now. I feel like this is the time for me to step away.”

Can prospect Alexandre Fortin force his way onto Blackhawks roster this fall?

By Tracey Myers

(Photo/USA TODAY)

When Alexandre Fortin went to Blackhawks training camp last season he picked up where he left off in development camp, impressing brass and earning a three-year, entry-level contract. He was still only 19, though, so despite an outstanding camp he went back to the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.

He hopes to have the same performance this fall and see where it takes him. As the Blackhawks roster stands right now, however, there may not be any room for him on the big club.

Fortin had sports hernia surgery three weeks ago, so he’s only participating in off-ice workouts at this week’s development camp. But he said he’ll be ready for training camp in September, and he hopes some added weight and strength help him be as good, or better than he was last September.

“I worked a lot this year to improve what I had to improve,” said Fortin, who believes he is NHL ready. “I think we had some problems during the season and I got injured. But I just have to stay focused and know I have to work hard. I’m excited for September.”

Last year Fortin didn’t return to his junior team until October. Part of that was a statement on how well Fortin played. The Blackhawks were also trying to figure out their lineup and there was a real chance of him staying – even if it was for a nine-game look so as not to burn the first year of his entry-level deal. With the Blackhawks signing several forwards on July 1, that opening may not be there this season, at least at the start.

Still, be it with the Blackhawks or the Rockford IceHogs, Fortin is ready to take the next step. He’s gained 20 pounds – “my mom said it’s natural, but I did it,” he said. Adding size is good but Fortin doesn’t want to lose the speed that was so evident last fall. Fortin said it hasn’t hampered his speed thus far.

“A little bit faster, a little bit faster,” he said. “With my surgery, I’ll be ready and I’ll be like, if I can say 100 percent. You know it’s when you play with injuries it’s always a bit harder and more pressure on yourself. But I’m pretty happy that it will now be good and I will be 100 percent on my hockey.”

Fortin made a great first impression on the Blackhawks last season. Whether there’s a chance for him to make the roster in October or later down the line, he’d like to make the same impression this fall.

“[Expectations are the] same as last year,” he said. “I’ll just try to do my best and be ready to play as well as I can to hopefully help the team, and we’ll see after.”

Hockey in the blood: Hawks prospect Beau Starrett trying to live out dream.

By Tracey Myers

(Photo/Cornell Hockey)

For Beau Starrett, there are a few good reasons to be one of four brothers who grew up playing hockey: the competition was right under the same roof and you never had to go far to assemble a pickup game.

“We had a goalie, a defenseman and two forwards. Almost a full starting lineup,” the Blackhawks prospect said. “My dad paves roads and highways for a living, so we have a nice big, sealed, coated driveway. We used to get out there all the time to play some 2-on-2 street hockey. We get along well, like to hoot and holler at each other but we had a blast with it and pushed each other.”

Two of Beau’s brothers, Pete and Troy, entered the business world following their collegiate hockey careers at Harvard and Babson College, respectively. His other brother, Shane, a goaltender out of the Air Force Academy, signed with the Edmonton Oilers in April. As for Beau, he’ll keep working toward that degree, but becoming a professional hockey player is still the No. 1 goal.

“Obviously the sky’s the limit,” said Starrett, who’s attending his fourth Blackhawks development camp. “Everyone here is here for the same job and competing for that one spot to make the Blackhawks. You do the best in our organization to get that job.”

Starrett is used to the competition from those pickup games with his brothers. The same goes for the pro-hockey inspiration. Starrett would love nothing more than to one day face his brother Shane, who was undrafted and coming off a stellar sophomore season with the Air Force Academy (26-6-4) when the Oilers signed him to a two-year, entry-level deal this spring.

“He’s a goalie, so it was always fun to test him and see how good he is. He took the road less traveled; going to Air Force, you definitely don’t see players from that program signing pro contracts. We’re best friends. We push each other, and I’m so proud of him to have signed a deal with Edmonton,” Beau said. “It’s definitely be a huge dream for me and my parents to maybe play against him in the NHL one day. We’ll see how that goes and who my parents would root for in that game.”

This fall Beau Starrett will enter his junior year at Cornell. Off the ice, he’s a communication major with a business minor – “I like to say I’m pretty versatile in the classroom,” he said. Asked what part of his game he’s improved most on the ice, Starrett said the mental side of it. He credited Dave Marks, the Blackhawks’ mental skills coach, for a lot of his progress.

“Starting from Christmas on I improved the mental part of my game. It definitely carried over on the ice. take for granted,” he said. “You can work out and bench press all you want, but it starts with the mental part of the game. I tip my cap to Dave Marks. I feel very confident out there, I feel good.”

Starrett has been motivated by his brothers all his life. Two have found post-college success in business world while another is pursuing his NHL dream. Beau wants to be the next one making a career on the ice.

“I was skating at 2, being the youngest of four. As far as I can remember I’ve been on the ice and it’s always been a dream to play in the NHL,” he said. “I chose to develop as a player. Each year I want to get better and pursue my dream.”

Just Another Chicago Bulls Session..... Armed With A Young Roster, Hoiberg Ready To Hit The Ground Running.

By Sam Smith

(Photo/chicagobulls.com)

"Competing every night we go on the floor. That will be the judge of what we do; that’s what it’s about.”

Perhaps no one coaching in the NBA the last two seasons has been asked to do more with less than Fred Hoiberg.

Hoiberg inherited a team that was expected to contend, yet was, effectively, breaking down and being broken up, injuries to Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah and Pau Gasol’s impending free agency all but dooming any chances for the team in Hoiberg’s rookie coaching season.

Hoiberg then was charged with a transition, a team with 10 new players, more under 25 years old rotation players than all but four NBA teams, combined with declining veterans like Dwyane Wade and Rajon Rondo. Thus the reality of the transition reflected elapse more than strategy. Despite rampant predictions of missing the playoffs and fewer than 40 wins, the Bulls came on strong to make the playoffs last season and almost pulled off an upset of top seeded Boston.

Now with Las Vegas summer camp a memory, Hoiberg is just being asked to do less.

Which goes against who he is and has been.

It’s also the thankless and near impossible job of coaching an NBA team that is rebuilding while retaining your dignity and credibility. Lose because that gives the organization greater odds of adding top talent, which eventually can make your job easier? But what sort of competitor who reaches the NBA can accept and sign onto apathetic defeat?

And then how do you explain that to your players, who are starting careers whose success, effectively, is measured by victories and personal achievement?

“Competiveness was the reason I survived 10 years in the league,” notes Hoiberg of his role playing career with the Pacers and Bulls. “It certainly wasn’t because I was a great athlete. It was because I was a competitor, always the first guy in the gym and trying to outwork people. The same thing applies as a coach. You have to put the time in, draw up the game plans that give your team a chance to win, and as the season went on and our group came together, I thought we performed very well.

Especially at the end of the season.

“Just don’t change who you are as far as your competitive nature,” Hoiberg says. “Something we will continue to do is compete. I’m still getting to know our players and once we get healthy we’ll see how it is. You always look back at the end of the year and try to evaluate your performance and try to get better every year.

“I am excited about this season; I really am. I’m excited about coaching this young group and hopefully growing with them and getting these guys to go out and compete every night when they step on the floor."  

Fred Hoiberg

There’s perhaps no NBA coach who has drawn a shorter straw or has had more unrealistic expectations, and thus the ensuing criticism for not meeting them. Whatever they were.

First, Hoiberg inherits a team that was a rocket ship on reentry. Merely looking for a soft landing. Exploration and adventure was over. Then Rose fractures his face and is nearly blinded 30 minutes into the first practice. And there, again, will be only bodies to recover in yet a third consecutive season of injury updates. Before long Noah is gone for the season, perhaps more formality, as the free agency acquisition of Gasol sentenced Noah to a unhappy reserve role. That season, eight of the top 11 players in the rotation missed at least 10 games with injuries.

Welcome to the NBA, Fred.

Gasol by then had moved on mentally to his free agency options, and all three were soon gone.

The replacement, albeit more a place holder for what would come next, was one more chance to compete while contemplating. But Wade, as it turned out, had little left and the friction between he and Rondo never abated as much as each insisted it could or would. Fingers were pointed regularly, veterans at one another, the community at the coach.

Enjoying it so far, Fred? 

It became obvious to pretty much everyone there no longer was a path anywhere but down, the aging Wade declaring his desire for his paycheck, Rondo insistent his career remained as a significant starter, Jimmy Butler caught in the middle trying to please everyone. The hopes that near miraculously began with those ping pong balls and Rose in 2008 were finally ready to be buried. Like with a death, it takes time to accept and move on. The Bulls championship hopes died that sunny April day in 2008 when Rose came down the wrong way. Darkness set in long before sunset.

It took five years to accept and mourn. Finally, it’s time to move on.

So in his third season, Hoiberg gets his third completely different roster and plan, this one perhaps even more confusing because it strikes at the core values of professional athletes.

Management has staked out the future, and the community has apparently agreed as it has with various similar construction projects around the city. There will be delays and frustration, but eventually there should be a superior road to be traversed and enjoyed.

It’s just an ugly job breaking it down and putting that new pavement in place.

Though the workers have no less pride of accomplishment than those who get to enjoy the final product.

So it comes to Hoiberg again to get the best out of the talent on the roster. When, well, many from outside apparently won’t seem to mind if they are not all that great. After all, it’s just starting and the faces there often are not the ones who get to finish the job.

There are challenges to (differing rosters every year),” Hoiberg points out. “When I was at Iowa State I had a new group pretty much every year because I took so many transfers. Every team had a different dynamic to it with different guys and skill sets. I played traditionally two of those years because I had a traditional point guard. I played a couple of years where I had a point forward initiate my offense. So it’s all about trying to figure out your roster and trying to put them on the floor in spots where they can be successful.

I do have some experience with that, but there are challenges, no doubt about that.”

Often overlooked is that Hoiberg is an innovative offensive coach. Unfortunately, a lot of his players have overlooked that as well in tending to retreat into their personal comfort zones. So, do what? Bench Rose, Butler, Wade, Gasol? He did bench Rondo, and that didn’t go so well.

So now Hoiberg finally gets a lump of sporting clay to mold. It’s easy to say he should have told Wade to run more or maybe Gasol to challenge the pick and roll more. Or maybe Rose and Butler to pass more. But when five championships, an MVP and multiple All-Star games and not caring much for that guy is your answer, well, it’s not so simple.

Wade’s still around, though in what role or for how long is unclear. But even with Wade, it is clear that it’s now about the guys who have done nothing but get here.

“This is a group with which we should be able to have some more movement, especially when (Zach) LaVine gets healthy,” said Hoiberg. “I’m excited to space the floor with shooting. (Lauri) Markkanen has shown the ability to shoot at the front line position. Those kinds of guys are difficult to prepare for when you have front court players to make a shot and make a play. As Markkanen progresses and gets stronger, he’ll be a guy who can do both of those things. I’m excited about that. When LaVine gets healthy (February, 2017 ACL surgery), there are so many things he can do with that athleticism and the way he shoots it as easy as he does.

“We had two completely separate identities with our two groups last year,” Hoiberg noted. “With our first group we ran a lot of short pick and roll and tried to beat teams up in the paint and we did a pretty good job of that with Taj (Gibson) and Robin (Lopez, the latter also returning). The second group was more a spacing group. The thing the trade (of Gibson and Doug McDermott) did was it allowed us to play the same way with both groups. And we should be able to do that with the makeup of our team now. It’s always easier if you can play the same way with your first and second units.”

If you mention tank with Hoiberg, it better be about your study of Shermans or your septic. Hoiberg knows the narrative is now about obtaining more talent through the draft, but the job of coaches and players is to win games. Hoiberg is comfortable with that.

“Whatever the makeup of your team is you cannot go in and talk to your team about low expectations. The biggest thing is we are going to go in and talk about going out and competing every night and going out there trying to win basketball games. That is the goal of what we are trying to do. We’re going to be as young a team as there is in the league." 

Fred Hoiberg

“We played a lot of young guys last year,” Hoiberg noted. “But we also do have some guys with experience. The biggest thing is going out there and competing and playing hard every single time you step on the floor. I think if we do that the way the league is we’ll have a chance to hopefully put ourselves in a position to win. The hard part is closing games with an inexperienced group. But I’m confident our team is going to compete every time we take the floor. Go out and compete and if you do good things will happen.”

That’s also the important lesson that gets lost with teams supposedly playing out seasons for high draft picks. The Bulls in the Butler trade acquired three players who could be part of their significant core moving forward. When you lose regularly, and don’t seem to care otherwise, players can accept losing and become losers. Hoiberg understands that. The term “culture” is thrown around NBA locker rooms like dirty socks. It’s needed, and often change is good.

“We’ve got young players who hopefully are going to go out and compete and play the right way,” said Hoiberg. “If they do, that is what we are building. We’ve got a young group of guys to play hard. We have five first and second year players who played a lot of minutes last year. Bobby (Portis) and Cris (Felicio) are going into their third year and got valuable experience and now we are adding to that with more young players. You are trying to see which ones are going to be there and make sense for the future, the guys who are going to go out and play the right way, how we want to play and continue to build this thing. But you are not going to look at this and say we want to go out and lose X amount of games; we can’t approach it that way. We have to go out and hopefully give ourselves a chance.”

Though Hoiberg also understands no coach looks much better than his talent. Hoiberg is inured to the scrutiny that adheres to community and media frustration. It’s reminiscent of something Richard Nixon once said, as only he would, “I don’t mind if they examine me with a microscope. But not with a proctoscope.”

Hoiberg has retained an easy manner despite the scrutiny and still likes to joke with reporters. I’ve rarely seen him even testy with media and he still uses first names when addressing most, which is uncommon. He’s generally been a much better person than his critics.

So Hoiberg sat intently during the week or so of Summer League watching, figuring, perhaps hoping. Kris Dunn had to bail out early. Cameron Payne followed. Markkanen showed progress and then sat a pair of games, and perhaps Hoiberg found some scoring in Antonio Blakeney. LaVine stopped in for a few days and assured everyone he would be ready to go sooner than expected. Though no one was making predictions this time. They’ll let him heal. And get to 110 percent, as the players like to say.

And maybe this doesn’t take as long as it often does given some of the more mature young talent and perhaps LeBron leaving the Eastern Conference after this season. That was the big talk among team executives in Las Vegas while fans taking the short drive over from Los Angeles swooned about Lonzo Ball. There are all sort of possibilities.

“A big part of last season was developing young players, which I think we did a good job of,” said Hoiberg. “We played as many young players as any team in the league. We wanted to make the playoffs and we accomplished that and we played our best basketball at the end of the season when it mattered most.

“Now it’s about those young players who are back and experienced the playoffs taking the next step,” said Hoiberg. “It’s going to be important for some of these guys to emerge as leaders. Wade and Lopez are two of the elder statesman of the team, but now it’s important for those guys to take a back seat. They’ve (young guys) got to take that next step now and I think we have some guys who will do that. With all the young players you are going to have inconsistencies. We’re going to have that this year, but it’s all about going out and competing. That’s where the real frustration was last season. There were nights where we didn’t lay it all out there on the floor and those are the things that bother you as a coach.

“The thing we are trying to instill,” said Hoiberg, “is going out and competing every night we go on the floor. That will be the judge of what we do; that’s what it’s about.”

Chicago Sports & Travel Inc./AllsportsAmerica Opinion: It is very difficult to play in the NBA with an NCAA team. There must be a mixture of positive veteran leadership to work with the young players so that they can learn from experience and veteran knowledge. There is absolutely no evidence of this happening. Good luck with this Gar/Pax/Hoiberg.

We’re going to be awful and directionless for a while. Taken from SBNation.com/fanpost.

By slowmotion

Nixon said the most important thing in the world is a deep knowledge of history. Without it you are doomed to repeat the same mistakes over and over again.

If you were too young to see the Bulls' first implosion under Krause, the similarities are pretty astonishing.

Our picks are going to be conservative and low ceiling, because it makes the FO look the least dumb. Playing not to lose will never allow you to win.

Also their picks will never be based on any amount of analysis or logic. Their decision making will be impulsive instead of well researched. Their draft picks will be completely reactive based on what other teams are doing. You should know ahead of time what you're going to do in the draft. I honestly think the Bulls try to "figure it out" during their two minute window.

The Bulls LOVE to take picks that drop on the board, seeing value rather than questioning why so many other teams are passing in the first place.

Eventually we'll stockpile a team of mediocre players and be happy to be a fun team to watch again, bottom out because there is no actual structure or plan to team building, and repeat unless something crazy happens and we get busted over the head with a random lotto ball.

GarPax are bad at not only drafting but everything, the only thing in question is how much they're hamstrung by JR, and how much is them just being awful at their jobs.

If you can't spot the sucker at the table, it's probably you.

Bulls Talk Podcast: Summer League and Mirotic's contract mistake.

By CSN Staff

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

On the latest BullsTalk podcast, Mark Schanowski, Vincent Goodwill and Kendall Gill discuss an underwhelming summer league for the Bulls young core.  

What expectations should fans have for Kris Dunn and Cameron Payne? The guys break down Lauri Markkanen’s performance and if the Bulls possibly made a mistake in drafting for need over talent.

Listen to the full episode at this link.

CUBS: Contreras, Lackey power Cubs past Braves, 5-1.

By George Henry

(AP Photo/John Bazemore)

Willson Contreras hit a three-run homer, John Lackey earned his first win in a month and the Chicago Cubs won their fifth straight game with a 5-1 victory over the Atlanta Braves on Tuesday night.

Rain delayed the start of the game for 2 hours, 30 minutes.

The defending World Series champion Cubs moved three games over .500 for the first time since winning at Miami on June 6. Chicago is 2 1/2 games behind NL Central-leading Milwaukee.

The Cubs went up 4-1 in the third on Javier Baez's 11th homer and Contreras' 13th homer, a three-run shot . Chicago led 5-1 in the sixth on Ben Zobrist's groundout.

Lackey (6-9) came off the disabled list to allow one run, five hits and two walks in five innings. He struck out one. The 38-year-old showed no ill effects from plantar fasciitis in his right foot and won for the first time since June 18 at Pittsburgh, a stretch of four starts.

The Braves have dropped two straight after sweeping three games from Arizona.

Atlanta began the night 18-11 since June 2, tied with Houston for the second-best record in the majors. But the Braves' offense mostly sputtered against Lackey, getting only a solo homer from Nick Markakis in the second.

It was the 25th homer allowed by Lackey, most in the NL.

Sean Newcomb (1-5) lost his third straight start, allowing five runs, eight hits and three walks in 5 1/3 innings. The left-hander struck out five.

SOARING AND SLIDING

Contreras has hit safely in 11 of his last 13 games and has a .380 average with four homers over that stretch. ... Cubs RF Jason Heyward went 2 for 4 and is hitting .409 over his last seven games. ... Newcomb posted a 1.48 ERA over his first four career starts, but the rookie has a 12.79 ERA over his last three. .. Brian Duensing, Pedro Strop, Carl Edwards Jr. and Hector Rondon pitched the last four innings as Chicago's bullpen lowered its ERA four points to 3.30, second-best in the majors. ... Despite his homer, Markakis is hitting .205 since June 22.

DARK HORIZONS

In their first season at SunTrust Park, the Braves have hosted 11 weather delays in 47 home games.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Cubs: RHP Kyle Hendricks, on the disabled list with tendinitis in his right hand, told reporters that he's ready to return to the rotation after throwing five perfect innings in a rehab start Monday at Double-A Tennessee. Manager Joe Maddon said Hendricks will stay with the team and make his next start early next week, though Maddon has yet to decide what game.

Braves: Manager Brian Snitker said RHP Arodys Vizcaino will come off the disabled list Wednesday. Vizcaino, sidelined for two weeks with a strained right index finger, is 3-2 with a 3.28 ERA this year and has 21 saves in 30 career chances.

UP NEXT

Cubs: LHP Mike Montgomery (1-6) will make his eighth start and face Atlanta for the first time in his career. He is 1-3 with a 5.77 ERA as a starter.

Braves: RHP R.A. Dickey (6-5) will make his 19th start and face the Cubs for the third time. He is 0-1 with a 7.27 ERA in two career starts against Chicago.

Jon Lester and Jose Quintana give Cubs a one-two punch for this pennant race and beyond.

By Patrick Mooney

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

A media scrum that began with Theo Epstein’s classic “Ask wetbutt” response to what the Cubs do next ended with the team president laughing as he concluded a long answer on the Jose Quintana/Jon Lester comparison: “I think Jose’s got him on throwing to first base.”

“And Jon’s got him on throwing the cutter, so I think they’re probably even,” Epstein said after literally knocking on the bench in the visiting dugout at Oriole Park at Camden Yards.

A Cubs team that at times has seemed too quiet came out firing one-liners after the All-Star break, hitting bombs all over the stadium and onto Eutaw Street, sweeping the Orioles and feeling the bounce from that blockbuster trade with the White Sox.

For some of the same reasons that the Cubs invested $155 million in Lester, Epstein sacrificed top prospects Eloy Jimenez and Dylan Cease to get another All-Star lefty who can anchor the rotation through 2020.  

“There are some similarities in their delivery, their effort levels and how clean their arms work,” Epstein said. “And – knock on wood – how clean their injury histories have been, how consistent they’ve been.

“They manipulate the baseball a little bit differently. Jon obviously cuts the ball a lot more than Quintana does. But, yeah, they’re pretty good comps. They’re right next to each other on the most valuable pitchers (rankings) the last three, four years in baseball.

“Lefties with great deliveries – repeatable deliveries – excellent command, the ability to get soft contact and miss a bat now and then, and not beat themselves.”

The Cubs purposely gave Lester some extra rest coming out of the All-Star break and will start him against Julio Teheran and the Atlanta Braves on Monday night at the new SunTrust Park. The hope is that will help Lester recover from the worst outing of his career – giving up 10 runs and getting two outs in an ugly loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates that ended the first half – and a workload that includes nine playoff series across the last four years.  

Teheran actually tops the “Similarity Scores” on Quintana’s Baseball-Reference page, a top-10 list that also includes Dallas Keuchel, Chris Archer, Marco Estrada and Yu Darvish.

“We’re completely different pitchers,” Lester said. “I think people want to compare because we’re left-handed. I don’t like putting two people together. We’re all different. We all go about things a different way. I know he’s a very solid, good pitcher and has been doing it for a while.

“The thing I respect, obviously, is his ability to take the ball every five days. He pitches 200 innings and goes about his business the right way. As far as the other stuff on the field, I don’t like pigeonholing people.”

Lester is five years older than Quintana, who at 28 already has four consecutive seasons with 32 or 33 starts on his resume (while playing for White Sox teams that averaged almost 90 losses a year). Between 2013 and 2016, Lester (18.3) and Quintana (18.1) rank sixth and seventh in terms of pitcher WAR on the FanGraphs database, trailing only Clayton Kershaw, Max Scherzer, Chris Sale, David Price and Corey Kluber.

The history of nine-figure megadeals for pitchers shows Lester should crash at some point. But there are also reasons to believe that Quintana could rise while pitching in the National League with a Gold Glove-level defense behind him and Bryzzo Souvenir Co. generating more offense.

First impression: Quintana looked extremely comfortable in a pennant race, putting up seven scoreless innings, 12 strikeouts and zero walks in his Cubs debut. The Cubs believe they’ve found the one-two punch that can get them back to October, year after year. Left unsaid: Your move, Brewers.

“Well, Jon is the best left-hander in the league,” Quintana said, “and now he’s my teammate, so that’s an honor for me. I’m real excited. I can’t wait to work with him and learn with him and help this team (show) what we can do.”

Kyle Hendricks perfect in rehab start.

By CSN Staff

(Photo/csncuicago.com)

More help is on the way for the Cubs' rotation.

Jose Quintana arrived and had one of the best starts of his career in his Cubs debut on Sunday. Now, Kyle Hendricks is nearing a return and appears to be in good form already.
Hendricks made his second rehab start with AA Tennessee on Monday and was perfect. He retired all 15 batters in five innings of work and struck out three. He also got five flyouts, five groundouts, a line out and a pop up.

Last week, Hendricks gave up a run in 3 1/3 innings and threw 45 pitches. This time out, Hendricks totaled 63 pitches, 43 of which were strikes.

Duane Underwood Jr. came on in relief of Hendricks and took the perfect game into the ninth before giving up a single with one out. After giving up the no-hitter, Underwood later gave up the lead and the Smokies needed a run in the bottom half of the ninth to win 3-2.

Hendricks has been out since June 4 with right hand tendinitis. His seemingly imminent return, coupled with Quintana's recent arrival, could force some tough decisions in the Cubs' rotation.

The message the Cubs sent in not trading Kyle Schwarber. 

By Patrick Mooney

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

After a World Series that almost turned him into a cartoon character — and a roller-coaster beginning to this Cubs season — Kyle Schwarber went to Disney World with his girlfriend to escape during the All-Star break.

Schwarber still “briefly” heard about a rumor that linked him to the Detroit Tigers in a possible deal for All-Star pitcher Michael Fulmer — last season’s American League Rookie of the Year — before Cubs president Theo Epstein made top prospect Eloy Jimenez the centerpiece to the blockbuster Jose Quintana trade with the White Sox.

“After last year,” Schwarber said, “it’s just eyewash until it really happens.”

That’s when Epstein made Schwarber untouchable in trade talks, reassuring the player privately and sending a clear message through the media. Even as Schwarber recovered from season-ending surgery (cough) and the New York Yankees dangled Aroldis Chapman and Andrew Miller as the final pieces to end the 108-year drought.

“That stuff doesn’t really take a big effect on me,” Schwarber said. “From experiencing it last year — whenever that came up — it was just like in one ear and out the other.

“I know that the game of baseball is crazy. It does a lot of things to you. Trust me, I know.”

Schwarber laughed at that line in the middle of a season where he’s hitting .177 with 14 home runs and thinking about a .000 mental reset after getting demoted to Triple-A Iowa in late June, the Cubs hoping his explosive left-handed power and gung-ho personality can reenergize the lineup and the clubhouse.

“I just take it day to day,” Schwarber said. “I can’t worry about things I can’t control. The only thing I can control is when I’m in the box, and when I’m playing defense. And worry about my teammates — that’s the biggest thing that I can do. I want to be out there every day, cheering this team on and contributing with this team and getting back to the ultimate goal.”

Jimenez is only 20 years old and still waiting for his first at-bat at the Double-A level, so it’s not like he would have taken Schwarber’s spot in a crowded corner-outfield rotation anytime soon.

But Jason Heyward is a Gold Glove defender with a $184 million contract that runs through 2023. World Series MVP Ben Zobrist has two more seasons left on his $56 million deal. The Cubs have viewed Albert Almora Jr. as their center fielder of the future (but don’t want to play him every day now). Ian Happ might have gone from trade chip to core player with his 13 home runs and the defensive versatility shown during a strong rookie season.

“Look, I think we’ve done no shortage of things to demonstrate our faith in Schwaber over the years,” Epstein said, explaining the Quintana deal. “I’d read that this particular transaction is a show of faith in the group as a whole.

“(Schwarber’s) a significant part of the group. But we like our position-player group. Right now, we’re doing the best we can to juggle and get enough at-bats for guys. If we thought less of this position-player group as a whole — with Schwarber a big part of it — it would have been harder to trade Eloy.

“It’s not as if there’s no scenario in which we could have found a spot for (Eloy) to play. That’s not the case. But we think this group’s going to be here and be together for years to come. It allowed us to entertain the notion of trading (Eloy) if the right deal for a pitcher came along.”

There will be more rumors before the July 31 trade deadline, but nothing should seem quite as daunting or unnerving as recovering from what first looked like a potential career-threatening knee injury, or storming back from a 3-1 deficit in the World Series.

The decision could be “buy, buy, buy” if the Cubs keep playing like this, winning their first four games out of the All-Star break, climbing above .500 and heading into Tuesday night only 3.5 games behind the first-place Milwaukee Brewers.

“Nothing’s ever going to be easy,” Schwarber said. “It’s not just going to be handed to us. We got to play better baseball. As I know from last year, nothing’s given to you. You got to work your butt off to get what you get. This group that we have here is very, very, very capable of getting back to where we want to be.

“I wouldn’t want to go out with any other baseball team and compete. These guys are one of a kind and we know what we got here. It’s not a panic time. But we know what we need to do.”

White Sox pull off another king-sized trade, shipping Todd Frazier, David Robertson and Tommy Kahnle to Yankees. 

By Vinnie Duber

(Photo/USA TODAY)

Rick Hahn keeps rolling.

The White Sox made another huge move Tuesday night, shipping third baseman Todd Frazier and relief pitchers David Robertson and Tommy Kahnle to the New York Yankees in exchange for a four-player package highlighted by outfielder Blake Rutherford, who's ranked as the No. 30 prospect in baseball.

In addition to Rutherford, the White Sox landed big league relief pitcher Tyler Clippard, minor league pitcher Ian Clarkin (No. 19 prospect in Yankees' system) and minor league outfielder Tito Polo.

“We made the determination that bundling these three players together was the best way to maximize our return on any transaction,” Hahn said in the announcement. “We felt this trade with the Yankees brought back the most quality as opposed to spreading our assets across multiple deals.

“Blake Rutherford is a player who has been high on our evaluation list since he was taken as a first-round choice by the Yankees as an amateur. Clarkin gives us another highly rated first-round selection (33rd overall) from the draft, Polo is a Class-AA outfielder who has shown he can get on base, and Clippard provides us with a veteran bullpen option for the remainder of this season.”

The multi-player swap follows last week's blockbuster trade of starting pitcher Jose Quintana to the Cubs, a deal that brought back that organization's top two prospects. Rutherford was ranked as the third-best prospect in the Yankees' organization.

Frazier, Robertson and Kahnle were all expected to be trade candidates this July as the last-place White Sox were believed to further bolster their farm system as their rebuild rolls on.

The move, while not as rewarding as previous trades for Chris Sale, Adam Eaton and Quintana, echoes those deals and adds yet another highly ranked prospect to what is now a jaw-dropping list. With the addition of Rutherford, the White Sox now own six of the top 30 prospects on MLB Pipeline's list and 10 of the top 68.

While Hahn has pulled off two massive midseason trades in six days, he still might not be finished. Relief pitcher Anthony Swarzak and outfielder Melky Cabrera could still be used as trade chips to further bolster the system.

Yoan Moncada called up to the bigs to make his White Sox debut.

 
By Dan Hayes

(Photo/USA TODAY)

The most oft-asked question by White Sox fans finally has an answer: Yoan Moncada will make his team debut on Wednesday.

Baseball's top prospect will join the White Sox on Wednesday after the trade of Todd Frazier, David Robertson and Tommy Kahnle to the New York Yankees created roster spots on the 25-man roster. White Sox general manager Rick Hahn confirmed the promotion during the press conference for the trade after the White Sox lost 1-0 to the Dodgers on Tuesday.

"We are bringing him here to continue the development that needs to take place in Chicago," Hahn said. "He still has some work to do. He’s obviously still very young. But we feel that he’s ready for that next challenge that comes at the big league level."

The main player acquired for Chris Sale, Moncada was hitting .282/.377/.447 with 12 home runs, 36 RBIs and 17 stolen bases in 361 plate appearances at Triple-A Charlotte.

"There’s going to be growing pains here," Hahn said. "He’s not a finished product. I don’t suspect any of these players as they make their debut here in the coming months and years, no matter how highly anticipated they may be, there’s still going to be an element of development that’s going to happen in Chicago. The thought is it’s time for Yoan to get that opportunity to take that next step."

Moncada's arrival has been a hot topic since he was acquired last December along with Michael Kopech, outfielder Luis Basabe and pitcher Victor Diaz.

The second baseman starred in spring training and rolled it over into the regular season. He was named the team's minor league player of the month in April and later earned a spot in the Triple-A All-Star Game. But Moncada forfeited his All-Star spot to appear in the All-Star Futures Game last Sunday. It's the second straight year in which Moncada was in the Futures Game.

"This is a process," Moncada said through an interpreter when asked about being promoted. "I'm just getting ready for when the team decides to make that call. I will be ready for that call. I feel ready."

The White Sox delayed that call until now. Not only had they received good play at the major league level from Yolmer Sanchez, the White Sox also wanted to give Moncada more time to develop. One focus has been on Moncada's strikeout-rate, which still stands at 28 percent as he's whiffed 100 times this season. Moncada also hasn't been as strong at the plate since he returned from a thumb injury in late May. But, he feels like he's been able to shake off some of that rust.

"It's not something where I'm feeling pain in my thumb or something, but you have to regain your rhythm and your confidence," Moncada said.

White Sox Talk Podcast: Eloy Jimenez wants 'to be one of the best players in baseball'.

By #WhiteSoxTalk

(Photo/USA TODAY)

The White Sox centerpiece in the Jose Quintana trade, Eloy Jimenez, came on the podcast to talk with Chuck Garfien about what it was like being traded from the Cubs to the White Sox, his approach as a hitter and why he wants to be as good as Miguel Cabrera and Mike Trout. He explains how he learned English, why it's important to him, and how far away he thinks he is from playing in the major leagues.

Then Garfien speaks with Jimenez' new manager, Willie Harris who is the skipper for the Winston-Salem Dash. Harris talks about his impressions of Jimenez, as well as some of the White Sox top prospects he manages: Zack Collins, Dane Dunning, Luis Basabe and Alec Hansen. Later, CSN's Chris Kamka joins the podcast to talk about the latest Todd Frazier trade rumors. Did a medical issue with a Red Sox prospect stall a possible Frazier trade to Boston? That and more on this edition of the White Sox Talk Podcast. 

Check out the entire podcast here.

Paul Konerko is a big Tim Anderson fan.

By CSN Staff

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

Consider Paul Konerko a fan of the White Sox rebuild. 

The South Side legend attended the team's charity golf outing on Monday and shared his excitement over the team's direction. But it's one player in particular who stands out to the former first baseman. 

"I'm a big Tim Anderson fan," Konerko said. "He's going to have a long career here."

That may come as a surprise to some Sox fans who have watched the 24-year-old shortstop spiral into somewhat of a sophomore slump. 

Anderson leads the MLB with 21 errors, already seven more than he had in 98 games last season. At the plate, he's producing a .241/.266/.368 slash line, down from .283/.306/.432 in his rookie campaign. 

Konerko, though, doesn't seem worried about his stats. Instead, he's been encouraged by Anderson's relaxed, mature approach to the game. 

"I just like the way he goes about his business," Konerko said. "I just think he's very calm, cool and kinda steady. I would like to see him be a guy that is here for a long time. I just like his get-up out there. I like the way he carries himself."

While Rick Hahn has flashed his unflinching approach to trades, Konerko thinks Anderson could be a mainstay with the club. 

"He has the feeling of a keeper that you kind of want to build a team around," Konerko said. 

That's a big vote of confidence for a young shortstop in his first season of a six-year deal.

Golf: I got a club for that..... "The Open" Championship 2017 - Preview.         

You Tube

The 2017 Open Championship will be the 146th Open Championship, held 20–23 July 2017 at Royal Birkdale Golf Club in Southport, England. It will be the 10th Open Championship played at Royal Birkdale. The 2017 Open... wikipedia.org 

• Location: Royal Birkdale Golf Club, Southport, England
• Organized by: The Royal and Ancient Golf Club
• Par: 70
• Length: 7,173 yds. (6,559 m)
• Field: 156 players
• Prize fund: £7.9 million ($10.2 million)
• Network: NBC
• 2016 winner: Henrik Stenson

2017 Open Championship: All groups, tee-off times for 146th Open Championship.

The Sports Exchange

Jordan Spieth and defending British Open champion Henrik Stenson will open the 146th edition of the Open Championship on Thursday at Royal Birkdale in the same group with Players champion Si Woo Kim.

Mark O'Meara, who won the Open in 1998, is first to the tee at 6:35 a.m. local time.

Spieth's group hits the tee box at 9:47 a.m. (4:47 a.m. ET).

Masters champion Sergio Garcia and Jason Day are joined by Zach Johnson, the 2015 Open winner, and Rory McIlroy is in a group with World No. 1-ranked Dustin Johnson and Charl Schwartzel.

All times local:

6:35 a.m. - Mark O'Meara,  Chris Wood,  Ryan Moore

6:46 -  Phachara Khongwatmai,  Maverick McNealy (a),  Stuart Manley

6:57 - Stewart Cink, Sandy Lyle, Jeunghun Wang

7:08 - Paul Broadhurst,  Thongchai Jaidee, Roberto Castro

7:19 -  Tom Lehman, Byeong Hun An,  Darren Fichardt

7:30 - Soren Kjeldsen,  Billy Horschel, Danny Willett

7:41 - Matthew Fitzpatrick,  Steve Stricker,  Emiliano Grillo

7:52 - Jason Dufner,  Branden Grace, Bryson DeChambeau

8:03 -  Alex Noren, Russell Knox,  Ian Poulter

8:14 - David Duval,  Prayad Marksaeng, KT Kim

8:25 -  Younghan Song, David Horsey,  Dylan Frittelli

8:36 -  Mike Lorenzo-Vera,  Charles Howell III,  Shiv Kapur

8:47 -  Russell Henley,  Fabrizio Zanotti, Peter Uihlein

9:03 -  Alexander Levy,  Brendan Steele, Webb Simpson

9:14 -  Wesley Bryan,  Anirban Lahiri,  Alfie Plant (a)

9:25 -  Darren Clarke,  Gary Woodland, Harry Ellis (a)

9:36 -  Padraig Harrington, Pat Perez, Thomas Pieters

9:47 -  Henrik Stenson,  Si-Woo Kim, Jordan Spieth 

9:58 -  Louis Oosthuizen, Justin Rose, Justin Thomas

10:09 - Brooks Koepka,  Hideki Matsuyama, Tommy Fleetwood

10:20 -  JB Holmes, Brandt Snedeker,  Shane Lowry

10:31 -  Richard Bland,  Shaun Norris, Luca Cianchetti  (a)

10:42 -  Yikeun Chang,  Chan Kim,  Mark Foster

10:53 -  Sung-Hoon Kang,  Tony Finau,  Matthieu Pavon

11:04 -  Alexander Bjork, Joe Dean,  Robert Streb

11:15 -  Robert Dinwiddie,  Julian Suri,  Adam Hodkinson

11:36 -  Andrew Johnston, Adam Hadwin, Todd Hamilton

11:47 -  John Daly,  Adam Bland, Connor Syme (a)

11:58 -  William McGirt, Toby Tree, Jamie Lovemark

12:09 p.m. -  Matthew Griffin, Austin Connelly,  Matthew Southgate

12:20 - Cameron Smith, Bill Haas,  Callum Shinkwin

12:31 - Michael Hendry,  Brian Harman, Martin Laird

12:42 - Ernie Els, Ross Fisher, Bernd Wiesberger

12:53 -   Tyrrell Hatton, Martin Kaymer, Aaron Baddeley

1:04 -  Zach Johson, Jason Day, Sergio Garcia

1:15 - Andy Sullivan, Joost Luiten, David Lipsky

1:26 -  Rickie Fowler, Adam Scott, Paul Casey

1:37 -  Matt Kuchar, Richie Ramsay, Ryan Fox

1:48 -  Kevin Kisner, Charley Hoffman, David Drysdale

2:04 -   Jimmy Walker, Hideto Tanihara,  Thorbjorn Olesen

2:15 -  Jhonattan Vegas, Brandon Stone, Sean O'Hair

2:26 -  Daniel Berger,  Pablo  Larrazaba,  Yuta Ikeda

2:37 -  Paul Lawrie, Kevin Chappell,  Yusaku Miyazato

2:48  -  Rory McIlroy, Dustin Johnson, Charl Schwartzel

2:59 - Jon Rahm, Patrick Reed, Lee Westwood

3:10 - Phil Mickelson, Francesco Molinari, Marc Leishman

3:21 - Scott Hend, Rafael Cabrera-Bello, Bubba Watson

3:32 - Paul Waring, Kyle Stanley,  Kevin Na

3:43 -  Giwhan Kim, Xander Schauffele, Andrew Dodt

3:54 -  Haotong Li, Kent Bulle, Haydn McCullen

4:05 -   Jbe Kruger, Nick McCarthy, Ashley Hall

4:16 -  Ryan McCarthy,  Laurie Canter, Sebastian Munoz

D. Johnson, Spieth betting co-favorites for Open.

By Will Gray

(Photo/Golf Channel Digital)

As The Open week begins, there are two names sharing the top spot on the betting sheet in Las Vegas.

Dustin Johnson opened at 10/1 and has been the betting favorite at the Westgate Las Vegas Superbook since odds were first set following the U.S. Open, but he now shares co-favorite honors with Jordan Spieth at 12/1. Neither of the two men have played in the last three weeks, and they are followed by a trio of players at 15/1 that includes Jon Rahm, Sergio Garcia and Rickie Fowler.

Here's a look at odds on some of the top players in the field this week at Royal Birkdale, with opening-round action now just three days away:

12/1: Dustin Johnson, Jordan Spieth

15/1: Jon Rahm, Sergio Garcia, Rickie Fowler

20/1: Hideki Matsuyama, Rory McIlroy, Justin Rose, Tommy Fleetwood

25/1: Jason Day, Henrik Stenson

30/1: Adam Scott, Brooks Koepka, Phil Mickelson, Paul Casey

40/1: Justin Thomas, Louis Oosthuizen, Thomas Pieters, Alex Noren

50/1: Marc Leishman, Branden Grace

60/1: Patrick Reed, Daniel Berger, Padraig Harrington, Shane Lowry, Matt Kuchar, Brandt Snedeker, Lee Westwood, Rafael Cabrera-Bello, Ian Poulter

80/1: Martin Kaymer, Matthew Fitzpatrick, Zach Johnson, Tyrrell Hatton, Charl Schwartzel, Francesco Molinari, Andy Sullivan

100/1: Ross Fisher, Kevin Kisner, Jason Dufner, Chris Wood, Bernd Wiesberger

125/1: Bill Haas, Peter Uihlein, J.B. Holmes, Russell Henley, Brian Harman, Charley
Hoffman, Steve Stricker, Thorbjorn Olesen, Andrew Johnston, Bryson DeChambeau

150/1: Bubba Watson, Si Woo Kim, Adam Hadwin, Kevin Chappell, Martin Laird, Hideto Tanihara, Byeong-Hun An, Jimmy Walker, Russell Knox, Emiliano Grillo, Brendan Steele, Tony Finau, Soren Kjeldsen, Kyle Stanley, Charles Howell III, Xander Schauffele, Ryan Fox

NASCAR Power Rankings: Truex keeps the top spot after Hamlin's win.

By Nick Bromberg

1. Martin Truex Jr. (LW: 1): The Truex Jr. playoff point train churns on. After winning the first stage Sunday at New Hampshire, Truex has 29 guaranteed playoff points to use when the playoffs begin in September.

And he also gained another five provisional playoff points with Kyle Larson’s inspection penalty last week. The regular season champion gets 15 playoff points, and the penalty moved Truex into first in the standings ahead of Larson. That means that Truex is sitting on a possible 44 playoff points with seven races to go before the postseason. Can he get to 50?

Truex finished third on Sunday.

2. Kyle Larson (LW: 2): If Larson’s team is blatantly pushing things in the inspection process, it may not be a terrible strategy. Wouldn’t you want to deal with a points penalty and find out where the line is when it comes to certain mechanical and engineering tweaks in the regular season than in the postseason?

But at the same time, the No. 42 team can be inviting extra scrutiny on themselves by failing inspection so often. If you count being unable to get through pre-qualifying inspection at Kentucky as a failure, that’s three inspection failures in eight days. That’s probably a little overboard.

“I think with how fast we’ve been running and all that, NASCAR has kept a closer eye on our team in particular,” Larson said after finishing second on Sunday. “What was going on with the shark fin [after qualifying on Friday] wasn’t anything different really than the other teams tinker with, just trying to maximize their aero performance in their cars. We just got in trouble for it, so had to go to the back.

“Obviously I don’t think it really affected us, which is a good thing, because the little stuff that we got in trouble for so far hasn’t seemed to affect the performance. Just got to keep working hard on the areas of our race car that are legal and find some more speed that way.”

3. Denny Hamlin (LW: 9): Hamlin makes a six-spot jump in Power Rankings because of his win.

While it’s pretty indisputable that Joe Gibbs Racing hasn’t had the speed relative to the rest of the field in 2017 that it’s had over the past two seasons, it’s not like the team has been in a massive slump. Three of its four drivers are in the top 11 in the points standings and Hamlin and Kyle Busch are both in the top five.

All things considered, wasn’t JGR due for a bit of regression after winning 33 percent of the races over the past two seasons? And anyway, Jimmie Johnson’s 2016 is perfect proof that your summer speed isn’t indicative of your playoff performance. Just ask Hamlin, who entered the 2016 playoffs on an incredible run of top-10 finishes.

4. Kevin Harvick (LW: 5): Harvick finished fifth and said it was a great weekend and his team did a great job. But he also remarked, “We know we need to come back with more speed for the playoffs.”

That’s a fair assessment. Toyota teams led 290 of 301 laps and clearly had an advantage over the rest of the field.

5. Kyle Busch (LW: 3): Busch should have been the Joe Gibbs Racing car that won on Sunday. Instead, he sped on pit road during his final two pit stops and finished 12th.

The two speeding penalties conveniently fit the narrative that Busch hasn’t been able to close out races this season. While it’s true that he’s winless, saying Busch has had a hard time closing the deal this season is a bit of a stretch. And it’s an argument that will disappear entirely if Busch gets a third-straight win at Indianapolis on Sunday.

6. Chase Elliott (LW: 4): Elliott finished a spot ahead of Busch in 11th. Because Hamlin won the race, he fell to sixth in the points standings.

Compared to a year ago, 11th is a pretty damn good finish. At this time last year, Elliott was in the midst of a summer swoon that dropped him from sixth to 13th in the points standings.

7. Clint Bowyer (LW: 7): While Matt Kenseth is clearly a beneficiary of Joey Logano’s New Hampshire misfortune, Bowyer is right there with him. Bowyer finished seventh and is two points ahead of Kenseth, who occupies the final spot in the playoffs on points. Logano, meanwhile, is now 54 points behind Bowyer.

8. Jimmie Johnson (LW: 8): Johnson officially started Sunday’s race in second but was the first driver to take the green flag.

Yeah, that was a penalty. Johnson had to serve a pass-through penalty for jumping the start of the race and finished 10th.

“I forgot all about that,” Johnson said of the rule. “I guess I just got it wrong at the start. I went off the flag and forgot that the pole sitter has to be the first one to the stripe; so I’ll take the responsibility on that one.”

9. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (LW: 6): Stenhouse Jr. finished 14th after some contact with Austin Dillon early in the race that caused Dillon to spin.

10. Brad Keselowski (LW: 12): Keselowski finished ninth after losing track position early because of a faulty jack on a pit stop. He called the finish “reasonable.” It was his third top-10 finish in eight races. In that span, he’s finished outside the top 30 four times.

11. Jamie McMurray (LW: 10): McMurray started fourth but finished 17th. He dropped 24 points to race-winner Denny Hamlin, which allowed Hamlin to jump him in the standings.

12. Matt Kenseth (LW: NR): Kenseth finished fourth after taking two tires on the final pit stops of the race. Had Kenseth taken four tires from the lead when the caution came out he might have won the race. But 12 other cars might have taken two tires as well. Because he was the leader during the final caution, Kenseth and crew chief Jason Ratcliff weren’t in an enviable position.

Lucky Dog: Daniel Suarez finished sixth and is now just 23 points behind fellow rookie Erik Jones.

The DNF: That goes to Jones, who was knocked out of the race after contact on pit road led to a flat tire.

Dropped Out: Ryan Blaney

New NASCAR President addresses start times for Cup races.

By Dustin Long

(Photo/Getty Images)

The debate of when a Monster Energy Cup race should begin reignited this weekend on social media after some complaints by those in the sport and a response Monday by new NASCAR President Brent Dewar.

Sunday’s Cup race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway marked the first of five consecutive races that have listed start times of 3 p.m. ET.

Clint Bowyer posted a tweet shortly after Sunday’s race that simply read “3:00 starts suck!”

Samantha Busch, wife of Kyle Busch, tweeted Sunday that she was not a fan of later
start times but asked what fans thought.

Dewar, promoted to NASCAR president last week from his role as chief operating officer, addressed the matter Monday on “The Morning Drive’’ when asked about possible changes to the schedule beyond 2018.

Dewar mentioned that the schedule was an example of collaboration with NASCAR’s partners, which includes TV networks, and noted that “there were tradeoffs that we needed to make both for broadcast, tracks, teams, etc.

“We did some later start times this year and some in the industry have not liked that, but it was important to interact with our West Coast audience,’’ Dewar said on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. “Still our largest audience is California, and 1 o’clock starts is too early for them on the West Coast. So we’re trying to find the right balance of that. But yes, I think you’ll see more innovation to make it a win-win for the industry. We will do it together as an industry. It won’t be unilateral on NASCAR’s part.’’

Last year, 12 of the 36 Cup points races had start times listed as 1 or 1:30 p.m. ET. This year, there are three such races.

Last year, five Cup points races had start times listed as 3 or 3:30 p.m. ET. This year, there are 13 such races.

The remaining Cup races scheduled to start before 3 p.m. ET are all in the playoffs:

(All times listed are Eastern)

Sept. 24 — New Hampshire … 2 p.m.

Oct. 1 — Dover … 2 p.m.

Oct. 8 — Charlotte … 2 p.m.

Oct. 15 — Talladega … 2 p.m.

Oct. 29 — Martinsville … 1 p.m.

Nov. 5 — Texas … 2 p.m.

Nov. 12 — Phoenix … 2:30 p.m.

Nov. 19 — Homestead … 2:30 p.m.

Cup Playoff Grid: Denny Hamlin becomes 11th driver to qualify for Cup postseason.

By Daniel McFadin

(Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)

After repeat winners at Daytona and Kentucky, Denny Hamlin became the latest driver to win his way into the Cup Series playoffs Sunday at New Hampshire.

Hamlin, with his first victory of the season, is the 11th driver to clinch a spot in the 16-car field for the playoffs.

He would be the 12th if not for Joey Logano‘s Richmond win being encumbered due to an inspection failure.

If the postseason began this weekend, the drivers getting into the 16-car field on points would be Kyle Busch, Chase Elliott, Jamie McMurray, Clint Bowyer and Matt Kenseth.

With his win, Hamlin has seven playoff points. That puts him eighth on the playoff grid among those who have clenched a playoff spot. He is ahead of Kurt Busch (five playoff points), Ryan Newman (five) and Austin Dillon (five).

In the graphic below, drivers in green are in the playoffs on wins. Drivers in yellow would be in on points and drivers in orange would not make the playoffs.



SOCCER: Johan Kappelhof's MLS All-Star selection not the biggest thing to happen to him in the past week.

By Dan Santaromita

(Photo/Getty Images)

Johan Kappelhof is having an eventful week.

The Chicago Fire defender got named to the MLS All-Star Team on Tuesday, but that wasn’t even close to the most important thing to happen to him in the past few days. While the Fire were still on break, Kappelhof got married on Saturday back home in Amsterdam.

“It was a special week for me,” Kappelhof said. “It was a stressful week, but it was a beautiful day. I’m happy that I’m a married man now and I’m back to play again.”

Kappelhof got 10 days off in total, taking advantage of a league-wide break for the group stage of the Gold Cup. With the hectic week behind him, Kappelhof is happy to return to normalcy, although he did joke that he now has to figure out if he should take his ring off or cover it when he plays.

“It feels good to be back, to do what I love to do, to play soccer,” Kappelhof said. “I’m used to that. I’m not used to getting married so this was a great day for me, but I’m happy to be back on the training pitch.”

Not long after returning to Chicago, Kappelhof got more good news. When he arrived to training Tuesday morning, Kappelhof received word that he was picked for the All-Star Game along with teammate Dax McCarty.

“It was a surprise for me,” Kappelhof said. “I’m very excited and very thankful for the coaching staff who elected me for the game. I will give everything to give that back to them.”

Fire coach Veljko Paunovic is coaching the team and made 11 selections in addition to the Fan XI vote. Nemanja Nikolic and Bastian Schweinsteiger were included on the Fan XI. Kappelhof and McCarty joined as selections by Paunovic to give the Fire four picks, more than any other team.

“Dax and Johan will help us balance the team, be more competitive,” Paunovic said. “It’s obviously a great achievement for two of them, very happy for them, very happy also for our club where we are now. I think that this is the first time since a long time ago that we have four All-Star players, which is also another achievement.”

McCarty is the only Fire All-Star who has been selected before. He was also an All-Star in 2015.

David Accam was not included on the roster despite being top five in both goals scored and assists, the only player in the league who can make that claim. The full roster is available here.

The All-Star Game will take place at Soldier Field in Chicago. The MLS All-Stars will play Real Madrid on Aug. 2.

USMNT-El Salvador preview: Come together, right now.

By Nicholas Mendola

(AP Photo/Rick Bowmer, File)

The United States men’s national team is now reinforced with plenty of CONCACAF experience, and should find itself in the knockout rounds come 11 p.m. ET Wednesday.

That’s two hours after kick-off against El Salvador, and the plucky Cuscatlecos are back in the quarterfinals for the third time in four tournaments.

This is a match that will be more about Michael Bradley and his fellow U.S. call-ups gelling with the gents who led the Group B triumph over the past 10 days.

It also gives Clint Dempsey a good chance to draw level and perhaps pass Landon Donovan for most goals in USMNT history. Dempsey’s 56 are one shy of Donovan’s 57 (in 23 less matches).

El Salvador got here by beating Curacao and drawing Jamaica after a 3-1 loss to Mexico, who was also carrying a B Team, so this is a significant step up in class for El Salvador.

The visitors bring four U.S. based players in San Jose Earthquakes midfielder Darwin Ceren, Reno 1868 midfielder Junior Burgos, and New York Cosmos pair Richard Menjivar and captain Andres Flores.

Especially dangerous on the counter, something Arena doesn’t quite expect on Wednesday, forwards Nelson Bonilla and Rodolfo Zelaya have 33 goals in 83 caps.

Experience won’t be a problem for the United States, who added 486 caps to the lineup with the additions of Tim Howard, Clint Dempsey, Jozy Altidore, and Michael Bradley (Uncapped Jesse Gonzalez and 17-times capped Darlington Nagbe also joined the fray).

If Arena opts for the lineup suggested by our own Joe Prince-Wright, we’d expect a three or four goal win for the Yanks. If he continues to use Graham Zusi at right back, it could be a little closer as the Sporting KC man has left a lot of space for attackers in this year’s tournament (again, not his fault).

The sides last met in the 2013 Gold Cup, when the Yanks posted a 5-1 win behind a goal and three assists from Donovan (Mix Diskerud, Clarence Goodson, Joe Corona, and Eddie Johnson also scored).

While that score line is unusually disparate, the Yanks have never lost to El Salvador. There’s almost zero chance that happens on Wednesday.

STREAM: Schedule for Premier League Asia Trophy.

By Joe Prince -Wright

(Photo/Getty Images)

This week the Premier League Asia Trophy gets underway in Hong Kong with Liverpool, Leicester City, Crystal Palace and West Bromwich Albion all taking part.

[ LIVE: Stream PL Asia Trophy here ] 

The tournament will see two semifinals on Wednesday, with the winners then facing off in the final on Saturday and the losers contesting the third-place match.

So, all four teams will get to play four games at Hong Kong Stadium as they continue their preparations for the 2017-18 season.

Click on the link above to watch the games live, while below is the schedule for the tournament.

2017 Premier League Asia Trophy schedule

Wednesday, July 19

Leicester City vs. West Brom – 6 a.m. ET

Liverpool vs. Crystal Palace – 8:30 a.m. ET

Saturday, July 22

Third-place match – 6 a.m. ET

Final – 8:30 a.m. ET

NCAAFB: Hot Seat Rankings: Five college football coaches with their jobs on the line in 2017.

By Dennis Dodd

(Graphic illustration by Michael Meredith)

Some familiar -- and big -- names are at the top of the Hot Seat Rankings entering the season.

Call it one of the coldest hot seats in years.

When Bob Stoops stepped down in early June, it marked the 22nd coaching change since 2016. That's a total of 48 changes the last two seasons, which is 37.5 percent of FBS.

Yes, a lot of guys have been fired. That also means there are still a whole heck of a lot still enjoying honeymoons. Almost half of the FBS (63 coaches) are going into their first, second or third year.

If it seems like this season's hot seats aren't plentiful at the onset, well, you're right.

Rating	What it means	Coaches
5	Win or be fired	2
4	Start improving now	4
3	Pressure is mounting	15
2	All good ... for now	31
1	Safe and secure	66
0	Untouchable	12

Take heart, though. There's still plenty to lose -- er, play for. Just check out these Power Five coaches on the hottest of seats entering 2017. And click here for a list of all 130 FBS coaches and where they rate on the hot seat.

Brian Kelly, Notre Dame (5)

BK called out his quarterback for going to the NFL, had to replace both coordinators and, oh yeah, went 4-8. Even worse, Kelly was actually disappointed he got a vote of confidence from athletic director Jack Swarbrick.  In the same season Kelly had his highest-drafted quarterback (Deshone Kizer, second round), he also posted the worst record of his career.

For whatever reason, it's not working right now at ND. I'm not sure 6-6 saves Kelly at this point, especially with an expensive Notre Dame Stadium renovation set to come online.

Kevin Sumlin, Texas A&M (5)

Wash, rinse, repeat 8-5. Sumlin has posted that mark three years in a row. Worse, his teams always start fast and finish slow. The Ags are a combined 16-0 to start since 2014, 8-15 the rest of the way.

With a newly renovated Kyle Field and its 100,000-plus seats needing to be filled, the pressure is on.

Todd Graham, Arizona State (4)

Athletic director Ray Anderson sent a clear message by not extending Graham's contract. Coming off consecutive losing seasons, Graham cannot tell his 2018 recruiting class he will be their coach when they are seniors in 2021. Both coordinators have been replaced, too.

Rich Rodriguez, Arizona (4)

It's never a sign combination when the guy who hired you leaves for Alabama. Such is the case for Rich Rod, who watched AD Greg Byrne depart for Tuscaloosa. Yes, there was irony in that move. Rodriguez reportedly took the Alabama job in late 2006 before getting cold feet. Bama's "second choice" is still running the show.

Never thought I'd see this: Rodriguez, one of the godfathers of the modern spread offense, needs some help at quarterback.

Kliff Kingsbury, Texas Tech (4)

Kingsbury is runway model handsome, but as a head coach? Well, it's been ugly lately. The dichotomy is maddening. Kingsbury's offense lead the country. His defense is the worst in the country. Or at least that's the way it was in 2016.

Overall, Kingsbury is 24-26. He hasn't lived up to the hype that followed him from Texas A&M and Houston.

Check out the Hot Seat Rankings for all 130 FBS coaches here.

SEC interest in 14-week schedule could move college football seasons up one week.

By Barrett Sallee

SEC commissioner Greg Sankey discussed the possibility of an adjusted schedule at SEC Media Days.

If you haven't prepared your college football viewing schedule for the 2017 season yet, and are focusing on Labor Day Weekend to welcome college football back to the sporting world, you might want to look at a full schedule. 

Things get cranked up a little sooner than normal.

Five FBS games will take place the week before on Aug. 26, headlined by Stanford and Rice's trip to Australia, and South Florida's season-opener against San Jose State.

Are those novelty games or signs of things to come?

The NCAA announced last month that it's examining the possibility of a standardized 14-week college football schedule that would, during most years, move opening weekend up one week. The exceptions would be when Labor Day itself fall on Sept. 1 or 2. In those cases, the schedule already is 14 weeks.

SEC commissioner Greg Sankey addressed the possibility during his "State of the SEC" speech that opened up the 2017 edition of SEC Media Days on Monday afternoon.

"There's not opposition here to a 14-week season," Sankey said. "There's curiosity and interest."

The idea was discussed at the conference's spring meetings in May and June. During those discussions, coaches, administrators and presidents mutually agreed on what questions and concerns they have about accelerating the season.

"We don't want to see practice begin even earlier in the summer," Sankey said. "It moves back this year a few days because of the health and safety changes introduced. There's also an interest in keeping the number of preparatory practice opportunities. The number is 29 right now, and we'll do the math at the podium for you. Not all of our programs use those 29 opportunities, but all were clear that they wanted that flexibility if the situation dictated that that was appropriate to be used.

"We're open to those ideas. We're open to a 14-week season, but we want to be very
careful about not moving the standard for football practice even earlier into the summer."

The football rules committee will meet in February to discuss the possibility further with one of its primary focuses being to ensure that the goals of the student athletes are met without putting them at risk both academically and from a health standpoint.

If camps get cranked up earlier, players could be finishing up summer semesters when things get started up and limit their opportunities to go home between semester breaks and take advantage of the few chances they get to unwind.

From the health standpoint, it's a double-edged sword.

An expanded season with two built-in bye weeks would put less strain on student-athletes during the season, but if it comes at the expense of a fall camp session that is condensed due to the stated goal of keeping the camp window relatively intact, is that really a net positive?

For the fans, though, it'd be great. And the SEC expressing interest -- rather than opposition -- to the idea could go a long way to potentially making it happen.

The slate of games on Aug. 26 will provide a nice little appetizer to the college football feast the following weekend. College football's decision-makers will decide over the next seven months whether it should become a full meal.

NCAABKB: Maui Invitational 2017 bracket: Wichita State, Notre Dame headline tournament.

By Kyle Boone

Michigan, Marquette, California, LSU and VCU are also in the 34th annual field.

We already knew the teams involved in the 2017 Maui Jim Maui Invitational, and now we know the matchups.

On Tuesday, the Invitational announced the top half of the bracket will feature matchups between Marquette and VCU, and Wichita State facing California. The bottom half of the bracket will showcase Notre Dame against local Chaminade, and Michigan squaring off against LSU and its new-look program under head coach Will Wade, who left VCU this offseason and could wind up playing his former team if the chips fall right.

Here's a look at the bracket of the three-day tournament, which will take place Nov. 20-22 at the Lahaina Civic Center on the island of Maui.

(Photo/Twitter.com)

On paper, Wichita State should be considered the favorite to win the bracket. The Shockers return Conner Frankamp, Shaquille Morris, Zach Brown and Rashard Kelly for their senior seasons, and will likely enter the 2017 season as a top-five team in national polls. Gregg Marshall has enjoyed his greatest successes with veteran-heavy rosters, and his projected starting five next season will feature four seniors as well as an up-and-coming sophomore in Landry Shamet.

Notre Dame also projects to be a major player in the tournament, and if it's one thing we've learned, it's not to pencil Mike Brey's team as an underdog. Coming off a 26-win season, the Fighting Irish also boast an experienced starting five -- headlined by senior point guard Matt Farrell and potential national player of the year candidate Bonzie Colson, who likely would have been selected in the NBA Draft had he declared early.

Of the two projected top-20 teams, the Shockers have the more clear path to the title game, with Michigan providing a good road block in the way of the Irish and their hopes to march to the championship.

Last season, the veteran-laden North Carolina Tar Heels blew away the competition by taking the invitational crown in a 71-56 victory against Wisconsin in the title game.

Lucky Whitehead’s dog is back safely.

By Darin Gantt

(Photo/Getty)

If only all the Cowboys problems were resolved this easily.

It appears that wide receiver Lucky Whitehead has his dog back, after he said it was stolen and held for ransom.

Via ESPN.com, Whitehead posted a short video of his dog early Tuesday morning on Snapchat, saying: “Look who made it home safely!!! “THANKS EVERYONE.””

Whitehead said the dognappers initially asked for $10,000 for the return of his dog Blitz, and it’s unclear how he got the dog back.

The important thing is Lucky Whitehead’s dog is back which can only mean today will be a cornucopia of happy news.

2017 Stage 13 Tour de France Summary

You Tube

On This Date in Sports History: Today is Wednesday, July 19, 2017.

Memoriesofhistory.com

1909 - The first unassisted triple play in major league baseball was made by Cleveland Indians shortstop Neal Ball in a game against Boston.

1909 - Cy Young earned his 500th career victory.

1960 - Juan Marichal of the San Francisco Giants became the first pitcher to get a one-hitter in his major league debut.

1966 - At the Astrodome, the first major league game to be played totally on artificial turf took place. Prior to this game, the outfield had consisted of painted dirt and the infield was covered with artificial turf.

******************************************************************

Please let us hear your opinion on the above articles and pass them on to any other diehard fans that you think might be interested. But most of all, remember, Chicago Sports & Travel, Inc./AllsportsAmerica wants you.