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"Sports Quote of the Day"
"Great performers - in sports, the arts, business, or whatever field - have undertaken massive amounts of training. And when that training is complete... they train some more, and harder than they expect to perform. Why? Training builds confidence and ensures peak performance." ~ Brandon Webb, Former Retired Major League Baseball Player
TRENDING: What you need to know from Mitch Trubisky’s near-perfect Thursday night. What's Your Take? (See the football section for Bears news and NFL updates).
TRENDING: Ian Cole weighs in on what went wrong for Blackhawks and chances of a Penguins three-peat. (See the hockey section for Blackhawks updates and NHL news).
TRENDING: The rebuilding Bulls won't play on Christmas Day for the first time since 2009. (See the basketball section for Bulls news and NBA updates).
TRENDING: Anthony Rizzo knows how Cubs have to respond now: ‘This isn’t my first rodeo’; Moncada's heroics deliver sweep of 'Stros. (See the baseball section for Cubs and White Sox updates).
TRENDING: Kisner, Olesen share lead at PGA Championship. (See the golf section for PGA news and tournament updates).
TRENDING: Weekend NASCAR schedule for Michigan (Cup, Trucks) and Mid-Ohio (Xfinity). (See the NASCAR section for NASCAR news and racing updates).
TRENDING: Fire trade to add defensive depth, but mostly stand pat on trade deadline day; USA huge climbers in latest FIFA world rankings. (See the soccer section for Fire news and worldwide soccer updates).
Bear Down Chicago Bears!!!!! One preseason game won't blow up Bears' depth chart, but boy was Mitch Trubisky's coming-out party fun.
By Vinnie Duber
(Photo/USA TODAY)
Who knew you could have this much fun watching football in August?
At the outset of a season most prognosticators have predicted will go poorly for the Bears, the buzz rapidly soared to peak levels Thursday night. That’s thanks to Mitch Trubisky, the No. 2 overall draft pick and the guy Ryan Pace’s front office hopes will be quarterbacking for a very long time on the shores of Lake Michigan.
Here’s the thing, though: They probably didn’t plan for Trubisky to be quarterbacking quite so soon.
Thursday night was supposed to be the first dip in the water for Trubisky as the one-day heir to Mike Glennon, the high-priced free agent signed this offseason when Trubisky was just a gleam in Pace’s eye. Instead, the preseason debut against the Denver Broncos was Trubisky’s coming-out party.
After Glennon failed to exorcise memories of his predecessor, Jay Cutler, by throwing a pick six on his second pass of the game, Trubisky led three straight scoring drives. He completed a touchdown pass to a wide-open Victor Cruz and nearly made it two scoring tosses with a completion to Rueben Randle that left the Bears a half a yard shy of the goal line. Benny Cunningham punched it in to make it back-to-back touchdown drives for Trubisky’s offense, and a field goal was the result of the next march down the field. Even the last drive of the game, after the Broncos took a late lead, was dramatic, with Trubisky & Co. marching to just outside the red zone before time ran out.
Trubisky, who completed his first 10 passes, finished 18-for-25 for 166 yards and a touchdown. And no interceptions.
Sports talk radio hosts around the city couldn’t have written this any better. Here comes the quarterback controversy.
Of course, it’s all hyperbole for the time being. Fantasy, really, and speculation at best. One exhibition game into Trubisky’s career — against a bunch of defensive reserves, it should be noted — won’t blow up the depth chart. It won’t unseat Glennon from the starting job. It also won’t be the be-all-end-all definition of Trubisky’s play. There will be three more preseason games in which the rook sees action — the Bears want you to remember that.
“Our depth chart is not going to change after one game, in particular after a preseason game,” head coach John Fox said after the game. “You have to look at a lot of different things. We aren’t going to change a lot after one game.”
“It’s all preseason stuff,” Cruz said. “There’s still room for growth and to get better and things like that. But he’s got a good body of film tonight to hang his hat on and be proud of and to build from. I think that’s the biggest thing is letting him know, hey, there’s a lot more learning to do, there’s a lot more things that we need to get better at, all of us as a unit and we just gotta take it one day at a time. But it’s a good start for him.”
Not long ago, in the very early days of training camp, the Bears talked in terms of Trubisky’s upcoming season as a redshirt year, one whole 16-game season’s worth of clipboard duty for the guy who will someday take over. There’s maturation, development and so much more on the docket for Trubisky. He can’t possibly be ready to go this quickly, right?
But boy did he look a whole lot better than Glennon on Thursday night.
Glennon had that hideous interception into triple coverage. He was constantly throwing to blanketed receivers. He stood in the pocket like a statue. And he had a ball snapped over his head that ensued to cartoonishly bounce around the field before ending up a recovered fumble by the Broncos. All of that, obviously, wasn’t all Glennon’s fault. The Broncos’ first-team defense was better than the Bears’ first-team offense, something that would’ve surprised no one before the game started.
“Obviously not the start we wanted at all,” Glennon said. “I didn’t necessarily play well, but it’s early in the preseason. We’re still a month out, a lot to improve on. I’m looking forward to getting back to work.
“I don’t think we need to (overanalyze) a first preseason game or one quarter of it. Was it what we wanted? Absolutely not. It was one quarter of the first preseason game. It’s definitely fixable.”
Trubisky, though, was a completely different sight to behold. After Mark Sanchez — also still ahead of Trubisky on the depth chart, by the way — helmed a pair of forgettable series, Trubisky took over and flashed mobility, found open receivers, established a nice connection with Deonte Thompson and most importantly produced points.
“I appreciate the amount of reps I got,” Trubisky said. “I think that’s what I need at this point. The more situations I can go over, the more reps I can get, it’ll help me to improve my game and continue to get better and better. I just wanted to show what I could do tonight, and luckily I was able to get a lot of reps to really get comfortable.”
“We were going crazy on the sideline,” running back Tarik Cohen said. “I didn’t want him to get an incompletion. I was hyped for him. He was 10-for-10, and I was like ‘Oh yeah, he’s about to go perfect the whole game.’ His passer rating would be, like, 158.3. I was keeping stats for him. And then I don’t want to hype him too much when he comes to the sideline, so I gave him like a slight dap like, ‘You’re doing good out there.’”
Just like Glennon shouldn’t be blamed for all the first-team offense’s failings, Trubisky shouldn’t be dubbed the sole reason his unit performed so well. But you didn’t need to be football’s greatest mind to recognize that one guy had a great night and the other guy didn’t.
As Fox said, you could tell why Trubisky was the No. 2 pick in the draft. Maybe Trubisky showed fans Thursday why Pace made that much-debated draft-day trade. Maybe they’re finally on board.
“I’ve been watching him for two months,” Fox said, asked if he was as surprised as everyone else by Trubisky’s performance. “And then I watched probably another three months of college tape. Obviously, we picked him where we picked him because we felt pretty good about his abilities.”
As mentioned, and as Fox spoke to, one preseason game isn’t going to have dramatic effects on the Bears’ depth chart. No matter how much every Bears fan on Twitter and every radio host in the city is already clamoring for Trubisky’s ascent, the plan likely won’t change too much — yet. Glennon will be given plenty of opportunity to right the ship. Trubisky will be given plenty of time to develop.
But there was something Thursday that was just different. It was football in August, but it was must-see TV. Trubisky turned a narrative of patience into one of immediacy. And while there’s very little chance he’ll trot out on the team’s first drive against the Atlanta Falcons in a month to open the regular season, Trubisky showed what he could one day bring to the Bears.
And it was pretty damn fun to watch.
What you need to know from Mitch Trubisky’s near-perfect Thursday night. What's Your Take?
By JJ Stankevitz
(Photo/AP)
1. Mitch Trubisky was magnificent, but…
So, who’s ready to read way too much into preseason stats? After Mike Glennon struggled (more on that in a bit) and a brief, inconspicuous interlude from Mark Sanchez, Mitch Trubisky took over at the second quarter two-minute warning with the ball at midfield…and promptly marched the Bears into the end zone, completing all four of his passes. In just one series, Trubisky threw for more yards (24) than Glennon did in four (20), and his two-yard touchdown to Victor Cruz sent the Bears into halftime with some positivity.
What we saw from Trubisky during that two-minute stretch wasn’t any different than what we’ve seen during practice in Bourbonnais — the athleticism, arm strength and accuracy all showed up at Soldier Field Thursday night. And it continued into the second half.
The Bears scored their first possession of the second half — Trubisky nearly threw a touchdown to Rueben Randle, who was tackled just shy of the goal line — and after his first two drives, he was 9/9 for 74 yards with a quarterback rating of 138 (his QB rating actually went down after completing his 10th of 10 passes, a nine-yard gain).
Trubisky’s evening was breathtaking, but he’s had an up-and-down training camp in which he hasn’t been able to string good days together. Perhaps Thursday night can propel him to starting rolling good practices, which — if he’s able to do that — could mean he’ll enter the season as the Bears’ backup, instead of staying where he is now at No. 3 on the depth chart.
Still, here’s what Trubisky, earlier this week, said he hoped to accomplish from his first preseason game.
“Just play great situational football, control the game,” Trubisky said. “Each time I’m in there with my teammates just show command at the line of scrimmage, drive the ball down the field, be efficient, pick up first downs and hopefully finish in the end zone a couple times. It’s all about taking care of the football, going out there having fun and doing my job.”
Mission accomplished.
2. Mike Glennon didn't help his narrative.
Throwing a pick-six on his first series as the Bears’ QB1 and ending his day with a quarterback rating of 0.0 was a pretty rough first impression for Mike Glennon. The Bears’ offense didn’t have any spark while he was quarterbacking it, outside of a handful of electric carries from Tarik Cohen. And Glennon couldn’t connect with Cam Meredith on a deep ball when it looked like the Berwyn native had separated a bit down the sideline.
Thursday was a stark reminder that, while Glennon remains in line to be the Bears’ starting quarterback Sept. 10, he still has plenty of developing to do. Glennon’s had both good and bad days since the Bears reported to training camp in late July, but this one was about as awful as possible and came on a much grander stage. How he — and his teammates — respond from it over the next few days of practice will be interesting to watch.
3. The defense showed some positive signs.
Maybe a little lost in the Glennon disappointment/Trubisky hype was that Vic Fangio’s defense had a solid day. Leonard Floyd sacked Broncos quarterback Trevor Siemian on the Bears’ first defensive snap of the game, and we saw big plays from Bryce Callahan and Jonathan Bullard as well. It wasn’t until Isaiah McKenzie embarrassed the Bears’ third/fourth-string secondary midway through the fourth quarter that Denver’s offense scored a touchdown.
While reading into one preseason game is, of course, dangerous and foolish, a thought here: Some key players on that side of the ball have noted that they’re playing faster with a better knowledge of Fangio’s system. Defensive end Akiem Hicks is one of those second-year guys (as are Floyd and Bullard) in the defense, who explained the year-to-year improvement earlier this week.
“Through the things that we installed last year and being able to see those things again, you get just a little bit faster at them,” Hicks said. “You don’t have to look for as many keys. You say to yourself — OK, I got this. Now I see that, let’s go, rather than scanning the whole field. I think that happens when you’re in a scheme for more than a year, going into our second year.”
Chicago Sports & Travel, Inc./AllsportsAmerica Take: First, let's all take a breath and remember this was the first preseason game. Really, no game planning and nothing to see except the players' conditioning, ability to play together, understanding of the schemes, playbook and determination of drive and desire to make the team. Obviously, the defense has made some great improvement, however, strength and conditioning must be stressed to prevent a reoccurrence of last year horrific injuries.
Second, Glennon must play within himself and manage the game. We've had a gunslinger at quarterback before and look where we went. How many playoffs did we go to? On the interception, there was a wide receiver running across the field on the under route, wide open and he was completely missed. I know things move fast but just follow your progressions. Glennon does have some potential, he just needs to slow down and play within himself. Mark Sanchez has something to offer also as a positive influence and mentor for Mitch Trubisky, he has a calming effect and a lot of experience to share.
Let's not blow Trubisky's first performance out of proportion. He has a lot of talent and desire which is a good thing. Realistically, his pro football knowledge is limited. He very rarely played under center in college. The pro game is tremendously faster than the college game. When he plays against a first level defense, say the Patriots, Steelers, Seahawks, Ravens, etc., they will disguise the defense and he will have no idea where they're coming from. Granted, he's smart, athletic, and talented but he has a lot to learn. I hate to say this because I know how much everyone dislikes Green Bay, but they groomed Aaron Rogers right. The let him watch, observe, take notes and keep stats until he understood the game. They taught him to win instead of frustrating him, damaging his confidence and programming him to lose. Will the Bears take this diamond in the rough and polish him or just bow to expediency and just throw him in there and hope to catch lightning in a bottle?
It should also be noted that the Bears have a lot of young, aggressive, talented players that can be molded into winners. They don't know that they're losers and the coaching staff must do all that they can to instill winning in them. There's a core of savvy veterans that are also hungry to win. The front office and coaching staff have removed all of the old attitudes so the only way left to go is up. They have some good pieces, let's teach them and get them to play together. it's all about attitude. 8-8 or better would be an excellent start this year and you know what, IT CAN BE DONE.
That's our story and we're sticking to it. After reading this, what do you think? What's your take? Please take a moment and go to the comment section at the bottom of this blog and share your thoughts with us. We love hearing from you and can't wait to hear what you have to say. As always, we thank you in advance for your time, consideration and comments.
Marion P. Jelks, Chicago Sports & Travel, Inc./AllsportsAmerica Editorial Director.
How Mike Glennon gained the trust of the Bears, and why that matters.
By JJ Stankevitz
(Photo/USA TODAY)
Ask just about any member of the Bears offense about Mike Glennon, and you’ll get this answer before anything else: He’s a great leader.
Quarterbacks, of course, are expected to be leaders. It'd be weird if the player with the most communication responsibilities — and who touches the ball the most — wasn’t.
But consider the path Glennon took to get to Chicago: Benched twice with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, first to Josh McCown and second to No. 1 overall pick Jameis Winston. After the Bucs grabbed Winston in the 2015 draft, Glennon only threw 11 regular season passes before signing with the Bears. That’s a long time to sit on the bench and not have many leadership responsibilities, let alone on-field ones.
Glennon, though, came to Halas Hall in March without a shred of timidity about commanding the Bears’ offense. The drafting of Mitch Trubisky with the team's highest pick in decades didn’t change Glennon’s outlook, either.
And because of that steady approach, the 6-foot-7 quarterback with a 5-13 career record will roll into his first preseason game with the Bears Thursday night against the Denver Broncos with his whole team behind him.
“He was a leader from Day 1, and not just training camp,” wide receiver Kendall Wright said. “OTAs, regular workouts, he’s been that guy. He’s meant for it.”
Glennon is new to everyone in Bourbonnais apart from Zach Miller, who spent a short amount of time with the Bucs in 2013 (Miller was cut in late August that year). Even then, Miller saw Glennon in the nascent stages of his NFL career. The point is: No players really knew what to expect from him.
Victor Cruz came to the Bears after spending six seasons with Eli Manning, a two-time Super Bowl winner with 108 career victories. So when Cruz showed up at Halas Hall this spring, he knew what he was looking for out of his new quarterback.
“A lot of guys, especially myself, haven't seen him that much aside from some preseason and being in Tampa and things like that,” Cruz said. “I wanted to see what his command was like, can he command an offensive huddle, how he talks to us, how he communicates, what he wants from his receiving corps, his offense in general.
“He's done a great job. I think he's concise. He's clear about what he wants, how he wants it run. And he's able to apply what he wants on the field and talks us through it.”
This is where the idea of leadership matters: The Bears’ offensive players have developed a strong trust in Glennon. That comes through when the team is breaking the huddle, or when Glennon — as he did Monday early in practice — sees something he doesn’t like and communicates a clear this-isn’t-good-enough message.
“Even down to the way he recites the play to us prior to us breaking the huddle, there’s something about that that really gives us a good sense of confidence,” offensive lineman Kyle Long said.
“If it’s not right, he won’t sugarcoat anything with you,” Wright said. “If it’s wrong, it’s wrong. He’s a guy who’s going to tell you exactly how he wants it, how it should look and he goes out there and does it. … You want (a quarterback) to be a straight-up and real with you as possible. I think Mike is doing that and I think guys are listening to him.”
All the positives about Glennon’s leadership, though, have yet to be tested during a game. What happens if the Glendon-led offense stalls? What if he struggles to be productive and calls for Mitch Trubisky to replace him get noisier?
The best trait Glennon could have to answer those questions, at least from a leadership standpoint, is that his style is genuine to his personality. He hasn’t had to force leadership out of himself after being given an eight-figure contract and command of the Bears’ offense.
“I’m not, like, one of those big rah-rah guys, just kind of straightforward,” Glennon said. “Mainly let my actions do the talking but occasionally I have to speak up and fix something, or whatever it might be.”
That’s exactly the approach Miller hoped to see from Glennon.
“Be you, everything else will take care of itself,” Miller said. “When you get into trying to do too much, I think it’ll come off as a little phony, a little fake, and guys will see that. but that’s not the situation.”
Back in early March, before the Bears signed Glennon and drafted Trubisky, both coach John Fox and general manager Ryan Pace said they were looking for a quarterback who could “raise all boats” — i.e., make everyone around him better. Surely that didn’t mean signing a quarterback without a winning track record, right?
Glennon, the guy with five wins and 13 losses as a starter, has turned out to be someone who — at least during OTAs and training camp — has had that boat-raising ability.
Whether that translates to success in the regular season is still a question that needs to be answered. But from a leadership standpoint, Glennon has so far done everything the Bears hoped to get out of their quarterback in 2017.
Said Fox: “There's guys that when the chips are down, they're in that huddle and you've got 70,000 people staring at you and lord only knows how many more on television, they're able to motivate and inspire their teammates."
How 'bout them Chicago Blackhawks? Ian Cole weighs in on what went wrong for Blackhawks and chances of a Penguins three-peat.
By Charlie Roumeliotis
(Photo/AP)
Ian Cole is well familiar with the Blackhawks and the success they have experienced over the last decade.
Like the rest of the hockey community, Cole was shocked to see the Blackhawks get ousted in four games during their first-round series against the eventual Western Conference champion Nashville Predators. But he also understands how taxing it is to play deep into the playoffs on an annual basis, especially when three of them have ended with parades in late June.
"It was definitely surprising because of the caliber players that they have and how good they've been for so long," Cole said at the Chicago Hockey Charity Classic in Geneva last weekend. "But you certainly can sympathize with the fatigue that builds up after playing that many games for that long. How many? Six, seven, eight years now where they've played a lot of hockey.
"Then again, you saw the run that Nashville went on, how well they were playing and they were a buzzsaw for sure. They went through a lot of teams that people didn't give them a chance on. You come up against a hot team, maybe you don't play your best, even for a team like the Hawks you can lose."
While there are a combination of reasons for the Blackhawks' quick exit, one of them may also be attributed to the big gap between the core veterans that have won multiple Stanley Cups and the first- and second-year players with little-to-no playoff experience.
There was no in between. It wasn't noticeable in the regular season, but it certainly showed in the postseason when the stars weren't at their best.
Coming together and being associated as one unit will be key for the Blackhawks returning to glory, and Patrick Kane training with Ryan Hartman and Vinnie Hinostroza in Chicago this summer is a great step towards wanting to make that happen.
"Experience helps for sure," Cole said. "I don't think that it's something you want to overlook, but at the same time the guys that were there that didn't have that playoff experience certainly contributed during the regular season, were very, very good hockey players and are very good hockey players, and will continue to be very good hockey players in the future.
"I think their future is really bright. Last year was a hiccup for a really, really good hockey team. I think next year they'll be right back at it. I can't see any other outcome in that."
The Penguins went through a similar situation when they reached the Stanley Cup Final in 2008, won it in 2009, and followed that up by winning only one playoff series over the next three seasons.
A big part of the culture change is when Mike Sullivan took over as head coach in December of 2015. He helped lead the Penguins to two Stanley Cups in an 18-month span, and became just the second head coach in league history to win back-to-back titles in his first two seasons with a franchise.
Rewind a few months back though, and it was actually his third straight year of getting a ring. Sullivan served as a player development coach for the Blackhawks during the 2014-15 Stanley Cup campaign, where he studied individual players and the team as a whole.
Being a behind-the-scenes coach for a championship-winning organization was important for Sullivan's coaching career, and he hasn't been shy about carrying over many of the lessons he learned in his brief stint with the Blackhawks to Pittsburgh.
"He certainly speaks to our defensemen about Duncan Keith and what he does, and Brent Seabrook and what he does, and seeing them close up and how they perform and play in certain situations," Cole said of Sullivan. "He can certainly relate those to us. And it's not anything that you can't find out watching video. There are no secrets, but when you do have that personal experience, you can certainly draw from that and he does.
"A team that has had as much success as the Blackhawks, I think you'd be foolish to not try to learn from what they've done to be successful. And I'm sure teams will try to learn from what we did when we were successful."
Finally getting back on the ice last week to prepare for the upcoming season after another shortened summer, Cole and the Penguins have turned the page and are looking to do something no team has accomplished since the early 1980s: a three-peat.
"It's actually funny, because as soon as we won the second one, people were saying, 'Let's go for three!'" Cole said. "There are some short summers and there's a lot of built up fatigue. You can definitely feel it from the second year of the playoffs as opposed to the first year. There's a lot more fatigue and you certainly hit that wall a lot quicker. ... But it's just one of those things that you have to battle through.
"You're paid to win hockey games and you ultimately want to win the Stanley Cup every single year. Any goal short of that is a mistake. So that's going to be our goal."
But is it actually realistic?
"People said that back-to-back wasn't necessarily realistic based on the history of it," Cole said. "We would love to make it happen. If there's a team that could do it, I think it's us. We all want to make it happen, we all want to go down in the history books that can win three, heck four, go match the Islanders. Can it happen? Who knows. But we're certainly going to try."
Just Another Chicago Bulls Session..... The rebuilding Bulls won't play on Christmas Day for the first time since 2009.
By Mark Strotman
(Photo/USA TODAY)
You won't need to schedule Christmas Day mass or dinner around the Bulls this year.
For the first time since 2009 the Bulls won't play on Christmas, a stark reality that this year's team is in for a long season.
For the first time since 2009 the Bulls won't play on Christmas, a stark reality that this year's team is in for a long season.
The Bulls are 13-8 all-time on Christmas Day, and had won three of their last four games on the holiday.
But an offseason that saw Jimmy Butler dealt to the Timberwolves and Rajon Rondo leave in free agency meant little room available on national TV, despite the Bulls touting the league's third biggest TV market. Here's a look back at the Bulls' history on Christmas Day.
It also, of course, means for now that Dwyane Wade won't be playing on Christmas. Wade ranks second on the all-time Christmas Day scoring list and had played on each of the last eight Christmases. If he isn't bought out (more likely) or traded (less likely), he'll have the day to himself for the first time since 2009.
Here's the complete Christmas Day schedule (central time):
76ers at Knicks
Cavaliers at Warriors
Wizards at Celtics
Rockets at Thunder
Timberwolves at Lakers
Bulls Talk Podcast: Why reporters shouldn't stick to sports.
By CSN Staff
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
On a packed edition of the Bulls Talk podcast, ESPN host and reporter Cassidy Hubbarth joins Kevin Anderson to talk about her career, Chicago roots, and love of the Bulls.
Cassidy also discusses her Northwestern pride, and why reporters can no longer "stick to sports."
Mark Schanowski also sits down with Cristiano FelÃcio.
Listen to the full podcast here.
CUBS: Anthony Rizzo knows how Cubs have to respond now: ‘This isn’t my first rodeo’.
By Patrick Mooney
(Photo/USA TODAY)
Anthony Rizzo isn’t so much the leader of the Cubs as he’s a good dude who came along with the right attitude for this team at the right time. A franchise burdened by history needed guys to play loose, without constantly feeling that weight of 1908 on their shoulders. A young team responded to someone who had been there during the lost years, reminding them to have fun and stay relaxed.
Most of all – in a bottom-line business – this is a Silver Slugger/Gold Glove first baseman in position for his third straight 30-homer, 100-RBI season. Rizzo attacked his weaknesses, overhauling his swing, making adjustments against left-handed pitchers and choking up with two strikes. The kind of growth the Cubs are still waiting to see from some of their other 20-something hitters.
Rizzo has shown the ability to carry a team, that when he gets hot, it seems like the rest of the lineup can feel it. Willson Contreras had become that guy – until he felt something in his right hamstring during Wednesday’s painful loss to the San Francisco Giants at AT&T Park. Whatever comes out of Thursday’s MRI in the Phoenix area, you know Rizzo will be the same guy on Friday when he goes back to work.
“This isn’t my first rodeo,” Rizzo said. “I’ve had guys go down around me. Guys get traded. It’s part of the game. I’m not going to change who I am, my approach. I’m going to stay within myself. That’s the only thing you can do. You start pressing, you’re going to find yourself in a bad spot.”
Contreras emerging as a legitimate cleanup hitter – combined with the Jose Quintana trade, a roster getting closer to full strength and the refreshed feeling from a mini-vacation – explains the Cubs winning 13 of their first 16 games after the All-Star break leading up to the July 31 trade deadline.
But the defending World Series champs have since lost three consecutive series to two likely playoff teams – the Arizona Diamondbacks and Washington Nationals – and an organization that might wind up with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 draft.
The National League Central opened on Thursday with four teams separated by less than four games, with the Cubs getting a day off in the desert before this weekend’s three-game series against the Diamondbacks at Chase Field.
“We’re losing games we got to win,” Rizzo said. “That’s it. There’s really nothing more to it. You just got to win baseball games.”
Doing that consistently becomes so much harder without Contreras, the young catcher who had put up 10 of his 21 homers and a 1.080 OPS since the All-Star break.
But there was nothing easy about how the Cubs avoided an elimination game against Johnny Cueto and Madison Bumgarner last October, survived a 21-inning scoreless drought against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL Championship Series and beat the Cleveland Indians in an epic World Series Game 7.
“What can you do?” Rizzo said. “It’s part of the game. Guys get hurt. You got to be ready for it. Obviously, you don’t want someone in the middle of your order – especially the year he’s having – to go down. It’s upsetting for him, and for us, too. But we got to keep playing baseball.”
Why Cubs believe in Alex Avila when Willson Contreras goes down.
By Patrick Mooney
(Photo/AP)
Standing in the corner of AT&T Park’s visiting clubhouse, Alex Avila projected a sense of calm and spoke in a deep voice, reminding reporters that the first-place Cubs were still in a great position, even if they had just lost their most valuable player.
But whatever Thursday’s MRI on that hamstring reveals, Contreras hobbling off the field shouldn’t be the end scene for the defending World Series champs. A mediocre division is still up for grabs. The reigning National League MVP is still in the middle of this lineup. The rotation revolves around Cy Young Award-caliber pitchers. And Avila is an accomplished catcher from a proud baseball family with high-level experience.
“We just got to pick up the slack,” Avila said. “I’m not sure how long, but that’s part of the game. Unfortunately, you play hard and sometimes you get hurt, and you have to deal with injuries.”
Before Avila’s dad, Al, the Detroit Tigers general manager, packaged him with lefty reliever Justin Wilson in a deal before the July 31 deadline, the Cubs looked into a group of catchers and figured they would only need someone to play once, maybe twice a week.
“It’s a luxury,” pitcher Kyle Hendricks said. “It’s a good thing we got him now. He’s solid back there.”
The Cubs had questions about Avila’s defense and how well he would work within their system. But a creative front office that prides itself on being thorough can also overanalyze things at times, talking with the Tigers for about a month before finalizing a deal that essentially cost them a talented Triple-A player (Jeimer Candelario) who didn’t fit into their plans and struggled during his brief appearances in the big leagues.
Avila worked with Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer during Cy Young Award seasons in Detroit and caught Chris Sale and Jose Quintana last year with the White Sox. Avila made the American League All-Star team in 2011, the beginning of a run where the Tigers won four straight division titles and he played in eight postseason series.
“I’ve caught most of the guys already and I feel comfortable with most of them already,” Avila said. “It usually doesn’t take me too long to feel pretty comfortable with a pitcher back there, as far as receiving. Overall – as far as the game-planning and everything like that – it’s been not that much different than I’m used to. It’s been a smooth transition.”
The most pressing issue for Avila will be establishing a working relationship with Jon Lester, who had personal catcher David Ross around to help minimize his throwing issues during the first two seasons of his $155 million megadeal.
Contreras didn’t know all the emotional buttons to push with Lester, but he did have a rocket arm that controlled the running game. That will be a storyline during Lester’s closely watched start against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Saturday at Chase Field.
“The biggest thing now is going to be Jonny Lester, the involvement with the new catcher,” manager Joe Maddon said. “That’s going to be the difference. I have a lot of faith. I’ve liked what Alex has done so far, watching him and watching his method behind the plate. He’s actually thrown the ball really well, too. There’s a lot to like there.”
In the middle of his first full season in the big leagues, Contreras emerged as the hitter other teams really needed to be careful with. Avila’s production is more matchup-driven as a left-handed hitter who kills right-handed pitching, putting up 11 homers and an .869 overall OPS in 77 games with the Tigers this season.
Avila is new here, but he grew up in this business and instinctively understands the next-man-up attitude when something like this happens to a dynamic player like Contreras.
“He’s a huge part of our team,” Avila said. “Hopefully, he gets back as quickly as possible. We’ll just have to figure out how to pick up the slack from here throughout the lineup and find a way to get some runs across the board and get a little consistency on the offensive side.”
Why is Joe Maddon still harping on bad defense and waiting for Cubs to play with more focus?
By Patrick Mooney
(Photo/USA TODAY)
There is no way around this: The Cubs can’t expect to beat a Madison Bumgarner in the playoffs – and the type of team the San Francisco Giants used to be – without sharpening their entire game.
That is assuming the Cubs regroup and outlast a mediocre division after heart-and-soul catcher Willson Contreras suffered what could be a devastating hamstring injury during Wednesday’s 3-1 loss at AT&T Park. The Cubs already had trouble seeing the finish line in Addison Russell’s recovery from a strained right foot and don’t expect their All-Star shortstop to be ready to return when he’s eligible to come off the disabled list this weekend.
But injuries alone can’t explain away why the Cubs haven’t looked locked in defensively. It’s been the point of emphasis. Joe Maddon’s research into year-after effects led him to the Seattle Mariners and how Lou Piniella’s teams dropped from 116 wins in 2001 to 93 the next season and regressed on defense.
Whether or not this told the entire story about the Mariners, it sounded good and made sense to Maddon, who unveiled his slogan at Cubs Convention in January: “If we catch the ball and pitch the ball like we did last year, we shall ‘D-peat.’”
Right on cue in spring training, the “D-peat” T-shirts rolled off the assembly line and into the clubhouse. Now it’s the middle of August and a manager who rarely criticizes his players is still harping on defense and frustrated with the sloppy errors and mental lapses.
“I don’t know why,” Maddon said. “The work’s the same. The guys are the same. To me, defense is a lot of just being here, being present tense, being right in this moment.
“Not letting previous at-bats or moments creep into the thought process. So maybe in some awkward way, maybe our focus just isn’t as finely tuned on defense. There’s no way for me to gauge that.”
Knowing why and gauging that are part of the manager’s job description, but defense was supposed to be the constant for the defending World Series champs that would help bail out a pitching staff stressed from back-to-back playoff runs and take pressure off the young hitters in the lineup.
“I did not expect what we did last year, because that was like above and beyond,” Maddon said. “I do expect us to be really good at this. And to this point, I don’t know where we rank in a lot of different efficiencies – or deficiencies. But just the eyeball test – we haven’t been as good.”
The Cubs actually rank third in the majors in defensive efficiency, but that’s still a steep drop from maybe being the best defensive team in baseball history.
Maddon definitely sounded annoyed after Tuesday’s night loss to a last-place team, watching a Javier Baez error help set up Buster Posey’s three-run homer and Ian Happ failing to stop a ball that skipped underneath his glove and created an insurance run.
Happ is a rookie without a natural position – and it’s not fair to compare anyone at second base to Baez – but the little things add up eventually. The Giants began to manufacture the go-ahead run in the seventh inning on Wednesday afternoon when Happ couldn’t make a diving, game-changing play on Denard Span’s infield single. It’s a sign of how many moving parts the Cubs are dealing with – and that shifting players around the field and playing to Maddon’s love of versatility won’t automatically create the next Ben Zobrist.
“Think of how many games has Happ even played at second,” Zobrist said. “He needs to at least have some time there to get his feet wet and kind of get that feel. He’s been playing a lot more outfield than the infield. And Javy hasn’t played shortstop as much. He played some, but to start playing it every day like he has been since Addie’s been on the DL is different for him, too.
“Maybe there’s a little something there where you got a couple guys that haven’t played as much up the middle together.
“All I can tell you from my perspective is: I know that those guys are doing as much – if not more – work now than they had been earlier in the season, or last year for that matter, as far as Javy’s concerned. It’s definitely not a lack of work or effort.”
The margin for error is so thin when Bumgarner is at full strength and shutting down the Cubs for seven innings (except for the first-pitch fastball Albert Almora Jr. drove over the left-center-field wall for a solo home run). But the Cubs already understand how it works and what it takes in October.
“I want us to make the routine play more routinely,” Maddon said. “Not even the spectacular play – I’m just talking about the routine stuff. Play catch. And if we make the great play, I’ll take it.
“It’s a mental thing where you just have to raise your mental focus out there to make sure that it doesn’t happen, because we have to catch the ball.
“All that stuff is interrelated. When we make mistakes that we shouldn’t make, I start counting pitches that we’re now throwing that we shouldn’t have to throw otherwise. That’s what really concerns me."
WHITE SOX: Moncada's heroics deliver sweep of 'Stros.
By Fabian Ardaya and Scott Merkin
(Photo/USA TODAY)
Yoan Moncada played hero in Chicago for the first time with a game-tying blast in the ninth and followed it up with a walk-off single, giving the White Sox their second series sweep of the season as they knocked off the Astros, 3-2, in 11 innings at Guaranteed Rate Field on Thursday.
Moncada -- the top prospect in baseball according to MLBPipeline.com -- tied the ballgame in the ninth with a one-out, opposite-field homer off Houston closer Ken Giles. The ball, which traveled 374 feet according to Statcast™, was Moncada's second homer as a member of the White Sox and was just Giles' third blown save of the season in 25 attempts. The 98.7-mph fastball that Moncada took deep was the second-hardest pitch that's been hit for a homer by a White Sox hitter this season behind Todd Frazier's blast against a 99.3-mph heater on June 8. Moncada added to the legend of the night, singling home Leury Garcia in the 11th to give the White Sox the win.
The comeback spoiled a brilliant performance from Astros right-hander Brad Peacock, who pitched into the seventh inning for the first time since July 18. The right-hander, who now has a 3.46 ERA as a starter, relied heavily on his slider and threw it on 43 of his 93 pitches, drawing eight swings-and-misses on it. He was efficient while pitching to contact, allowing just three batted balls with exit velocities of 100 mph or more, according to Statcast™. It provided to be a much-needed salve for an Astros rotation that entered Thursday ranking 26th in the Majors with a 5.76 ERA since the All-Star break. In that span, the first-place Astros are just 11-13.
Carlos Rodon was brilliant once again for the White Sox, picking up strong momentum after once again facing a top-tier opponent. Each of the last five teams he's faced -- the Dodgers, Cubs, Indians, Red Sox and now Astros -- have been in first place in their respective divisions. With Rodon allowing a pair of runs and striking out four over a career-high-tying eight innings Thursday, he's now allowed nine earned runs and struck out 35 batters over his last four starts (26 1/3 innings).
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Costly E-9: The White Sox got off to a great start in the 11th, as Garcia singled past Jose Altuve into right field to get the rally going. Josh Reddick bobbled the ball in right field, and Garcia broke for second base after a slight hesitation and reached safely. That set up Moncada, who singled into right to win it.
Walking the tightrope: Astros reliever Luke Gregerson ran into some trouble up 2-1 in the eighth inning after Avisail Garcia and Nicky Delmonico reached on an infield single and an error from Astros catcher Juan Centeno to put a pair on with no one out. Each got into scoring position, but Gregerson got out of the jam by striking out Yolmer Sanchez and Tim Anderson and getting pinch-hitter Alen Hanson to ground out to first with the bases loaded.
Adam Engel's 'outstanding' catch helps White Sox snap six-game losing streak. (Tuesday's game, 08/09/2107).
By Dan Hayes
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
Unlike last week, Adam Engel had an opportunity to “work the wall” on Tuesday night and he wound up with a candidate for catch of the year.
A strong defender, the White Sox outfielder turned in his best play of the season when he used his foot to boost himself into the air to rob Brian McCann of a home run. The play was the biggest highlight of an 8-5 White Sox victory over the Houston Astros and one of the top catches manager Rick Renteria said he’s seen in his career. Engel also singled and drove in a run as the White Sox snapped a six-game losing streak.
“It was outstanding,” Renteria said. “The catch that Engel made was probably … top one. Great catch, went up the wall, brought it back.
“I think top one this year. And probably a top 10, if you had to say, it’s got to be up there. That’s a pretty good catch. That’s a great catch.”
The White Sox held a 6-3 advantage in the top of the fourth inning when McCann stepped in against starting pitcher Derek Holland. Holland (three earned runs over 5 2/3 innings) thought McCann’s drive on 1-1 knuckle curve would wind up 30 rows deep off the bat. But Engel had a bead on the drive the entire way and pushed off the wall with his left foot, soaring with his arm outstretched to haul the ball in for the out.
“That's one of the greatest catches I've ever seen to go out there and rob McCann,” Holland said. “As soon as I gave it up I thought for sure it was gone.”
Engel’s most recent encounter with the wall let him know he had a chance at that play and — perhaps more important — that he was clear for takeoff. The rookie tried to track down a Josh Donaldson homer in the first inning of a July 31 contest only to have a full-speed collision with the fence post that prevented him from playing the next day.
Whereas he was shaded toward left-center on the Donaldson homer, Engel was more straight up for McCann and therefore knew he had a shot.
“I think I was able to get back to the fence a little quicker,” Engel said. “The other night I was playing in the other gap so I wasn’t able to get to the wall in time and maneuver the wall like I wanted to and also there was a pole. Tonight, I was able to get back there and work the wall.”
The only thing that Engel didn’t know was if he had hung onto the ball. Engel said it hit in a part of the glove that allows the ball to shoot out on occasion. But Engel knew he’d held on when Avisail Garcia threw both his arms up in celebration of the grab.
Back behind the plate, catcher Kevan Smith — who doubled, homered, walked twice and had four RBIs — watched the entire play unfold. He saw the reactions of Holland and Garcia as well as everyone on the bench. Smith enjoyed his perspective of the play and also wasn’t surprised by it having seen Engel, a plus-defender, make similar grabs over the years.
“If you took a second, you saw every player with their hands up — and the whole bench,” Smith said. “It was a pretty cool feeling on my end, so far away from it. I can't imagine how Avi felt or how Adam felt. But that is going to go down as one of the best catches in a long time. But it doesn't surprise me. I've seen him do it in the minors. He's done that a lot.”
Golf: I got a club for that..... Kisner, Olesen share lead at PGA Championship.
(Photo/Golf Channel Digital)
Kevin Kisner and Thorbjorn Olesen lead the way at the PGA Championship at Quail Hollow, where a host of big names lurk just behind them. Here's where things stand through 18 holes at the year's final major:
Leaderboard: Thorbjorn Olesen (-4), Kevin Kisner (-4), Grayson Murray (-3), Gary Woodland (-3), Brooks Koepka (-3), Chris Stroud (-3), D.A. Points (-3), Tony Finau (-2), Jim Herman (-2), Patrick Reed (-2), Paul Casey (-2), Bud Cauley (-2), Rickie Fowler (-2), Brian Harman (-2)
What it means: Soft fairways and firm greens made for difficult scoring conditions on Day 1, as only 24 of the 156 players in the field broke 70, and plenty of big names turned in big scores. Olesen and Kisner are on top but the names that will grab the majority of the attention are Koepka, Reed, Fowler, Hideki Matsuyama, Jason Day, Dustin Johnson and Jon Rahm, who are all under par and in the early mix. A bit further down the board, Rory McIlroy and Jordan Spieth both signed for 1-over 71, as the former looks to win his third PGA and the latter looks to complete the career Grand Slam.
Round of the day: A four-time European Tour winner who earlier this year partnered with fellow Dane Lucas Bjerregaard to win the inaugural GolfSixes, Olesen made six birdies, including one at the difficult home hole, to make it to 4-under 67. Kisner captured his second PGA Tour title earlier this year at Colonial, and just like Olesen, he made six birdies including his final one at 18 to get in the clubhouse at minus-4.
Best of the rest: Murray, Woodland, Koepka, Stroud and Points all turned in 3-under 67. Of the group, only Stroud, the winner of last weeks' Barracuda Championship and the last man in the field, stayed bogey-free.
Biggest disappointments: Five-time major winner and 2005 PGA champion Phil Mickelson floundered with a birdieless 8-over 79. Other notables to struggle on Day 1 included Quail Hollow member Webb Simpson (+5), Matthew Fitzpatrick (+5), Justin Rose (+5), Bubba Watson (+6), Thomas Pieters (+8), Si Woo Kim (+8), and defending champion Jimmy Walker (+10). Kim, The Players champion, withdrew after his round, citing a back injury.
Shot of the day: There’s been some commentary amongst players about the design and the firmness of the fourth green, but Joost Luiten found out how to stop the ball from bouncing over the green by bouncing it into the cup. Luiten holed his tee shot from 184 at the par-3 for an ace.
Quote of the day: "[My ball striking] was good today. If it stays that way - I can't putt any worse than I did today. The score won't be any higher than it was today if I'm driving the ball like today." - Spieth
Quail Hollow: Firm, fast greens exasperate players.
By Ryan Lavner
(Photo/Golf Channel Digital)
No, this isn’t the Quail Hollow of old, the bomber’s paradise that served up 20-under winning scores and back-nine shootouts.
Only 24 of the 156 players broke par Thursday on a day that should have been ideal for scoring, with temperatures in the mid-80s and little wind. The best score in the first round of the PGA Championship was 4-under 67, the first time since 2008 that no player in this event opened with a round of 5 under or better.
An ambitious 90-day renovation last spring has turned Quail Hollow into a decidedly more exacting test. There’s a 524-yard opener. There’s a par 3, No. 4, that no one besides Joost Luiten (who made an ace) enjoys. And there are fast, firm greens – thanks, SubAir – that require equal parts luck and skill to navigate.
“We joked about it today,” said Bud Cauley, who shot 69. “It’s amazing how much more difficult you can make a place when you suck the moisture out of the greens.”
Rory McIlroy has played some of the best golf of his career here, winning twice and posting a 61 and 62 along the way. But no one in the field will even sniff those numbers this week. Not with the 6,700-yard venue playing even longer because of the rain-softened fairways. Not with the new Bermuda rough that swallows errant shots.
Not with the re-grassed greens rejecting even the highest-spinning shots.
“The greens are as firm as I’ve ever seen at a PGA Championship,” said McIlroy, who shot 72.
McIlroy played in the afternoon, alongside Rickie Fowler (69) and Jon Rahm (70), when the grain in the greens was even more exaggerated, making it even trickier to hole putts. Some players compared the green speeds to Augusta – only with more subtle slopes throughout.
"We just kind of tap it," said Rahm, "and hope it stops by the hole."
“These greens are the fastest greens I’ve ever played,” said Brooks Koepka, who shot 68, “and the thing is, they’re only going to get faster and firmer.”
Faster greens lead to more tentative putting, but firmer greens lead to exasperation, that good shots aren’t necessarily rewarded. Rahm pointed to Fowler’s approach into 18, a high, soft cut that landed pin high and still released 15 feet past.
“It’s hard to play golf like that,” Rahm said, “especially with the holes as difficult as they are right now.”
This was to be expected, of course. The Wells Fargo event produced an average winning score of 14 under over the past decade, but almost everyone agreed that the player hoisting the Wanamaker Trophy on Sunday will have finished single digits under par.
Does it feel as though a U.S. Open will break out here?
McIlroy wasn’t about to go that far.
The fairways are still generous. The penalty for a wayward drive isn’t as severe. There are still opportunities to score.
“But the greens are as firm as a U.S. Open,” he said.
Rain is in the forecast for the next three days. Given the way Quail Hollow played Thursday, it will be a welcome sight.
Opposite-field winners shine on Day 1 at PGA.
By Will Gray
(Photo/Golf Channel Digital)
Winning an opposite-field event on the PGA Tour carries most of the normal perks of lifting a trophy: a two-year exemption, a spot in Maui and plenty of congratulations from your peers.
The one notable caveat, of course, is that it doesn’t include an invite to the Masters. But it does afford a spot in the PGA Championship, and the three opposite-field winners this year took full advantage during the opening round at Quail Hollow.
Chris Stroud, Grayson Murray, and D.A. Points all qualified via their respective wins at the Barracuda Championship, Barbasol Championship and Puerto Rico Open. They also each opened with rounds of 3-under 68 to sit just one shot off the lead.
It’s a return to a friendly venue for Points, who was a member of the playoff at the 2012 Wells Fargo Championship that also included Rory McIlroy and was won by Rickie Fowler. The veteran has missed each of his last three cuts but he birdied three of his first six holes Thursday and never looked back.
“I managed it well today,” Points said. “Maybe didn’t have my greatest stuff off the tee, but my iron play was solid and my short game, my touch was good.”
Murray salvaged a mediocre rookie campaign with his one-shot win last month in Alabama, and he hit the tournament’s opening tee shot at 7:20 a.m. ET. A native of nearby Raleigh, Murray hadn’t seen Quail Hollow before this week but birdied three of the four par-3s during his opening round.
“This course is very tough. I played about as good as I could,” Murray said. “I had some putts that could have dropped, but that’s how golf is. I’m very pleased with the round today.”
Stroud was the last man to qualify for this week’s field, earning his first career win in a playoff Sunday in Reno after 289 starts. The win led to a logistical nightmare, as he and his caddie had to drive two hours to Sacramento to catch a red-eye flight to Atlanta before arriving on-site Monday, running on fumes.
Stroud estimated he has received more than 1,400 texts since his breakthrough triumph, and after answering each and every one he still had enough time to prep for his fifth start in as many weeks. What’s more, he turned in the only bogey-free score of the day.
“Today was one of the easiest rounds,” Stroud said. “Obviously I’m playing well. I’m swinging it nicely and putting it well. That has a lot to do with it. It’s a deep confidence that I have.”
Spieth, McIlroy struggle, but stay in PGA contention.
By Will Gray
(Photo/Golf Channel Digital)
The two men entered the week as heavy favorites, and they left Quail Hollow after the opening round with matching over-par scores.
But on a day where scoring at the PGA Championship more closely resembled that of a U.S. Open, all is not yet lost for Jordan Spieth and Rory McIlroy.
The two have shared the pre-tournament spotlight, with Spieth gunning for the final leg of the career Grand Slam and McIlroy returning to a course upon which he has feasted like no other. While they both flashed the form needed to lift the Wanamaker Trophy at various points Thursday, they each signed for a 1-over 72 that left them five shots behind Thorbjorn Olesen and Kevin Kisner.
For Spieth, the issue came surprisingly on the greens. After rolling in, what seemed like, miles of putts over his last three starts, Spieth didn’t make anything over 6 feet all day. The recently-renovated Bermuda greens vexed many players in the field, and even one of the PGA Tour’s best putters was not immune.
“I can’t putt any worse than I did today,” Spieth said. “The score won’t be any higher than it was today if I’m driving the ball like I did today.”
McIlroy was also flummoxed from short range, missing everything outside 6 feet, but his problems extended to the tee as well. The Ulsterman bogeyed each of the first three par-3s he faced Thursday, and after clawing his way to 2 under for the round suffered a costly double bogey on the drivable par-4 14th after hooking his tee shot into the water and flubbing a chip.
“Played that stretch of holes, 13, 14, 15, in 3 over,” McIlroy said. “So if I just could have had that three-hole stretch back, but I think other than that I played nicely. Did what I needed to do.”
It was an oddly positive refrain to hear from a top-ranked player coming off an over-par round. The PGA has traditionally been a place where excitement is built one birdie at a time, and by week’s end the leaderboard is awash with red figures. This tournament hasn’t crowned a winner who failed to break par in the first round since Y.E. Yang in 2009.
But with forecasted rain staying away, the sub-air system sucked any remaining moisture right out of the ground at Quail Hollow. What resulted was a long layout with thick, penal Bermuda rough and greens that ranged from “dicey” to “absurd” depending on who you asked.
It added up to an unusually jam-packed leaderboard, as no player shot 5 under or better in the opening round of a PGA for the first time since Oakland Hills in 2008. It also means that Spieth and McIlroy remain firmly in contention heading into a pivotal second round.
That particular fact was not lost on the two-time PGA champ.
“I can see a low one out there. It’s just a matter of not shooting yourself in the foot too often like I did today,” McIlroy said. “I’m only five behind. Four under is the best score out there, and it’s a tough golf course. I shoot something in the 60s tomorrow, move right up there. So yeah, I’m in it.”
None of Spieth’s 11 career Tour wins have included over-par openers, but he at least gave himself a chance to break that trend with his closing stretch. While it wasn’t on the level of his salvage at Royal Birkdale, Spieth was 3 over and already at risk of a missed cut after a three-putt bogey on the sixth hole, his 15th of the day.
Just as caddie Michael Greller intervened with a pep talk during the final round of The Open, Spieth again credited Greller for offering some timely encouragement before heading to the next tee.
“When we were at 3 over, he said, ‘Grind these last few. You had a chance to win Augusta and we were in worse position at this point.’” Spieth said. “And he was spot-on.”
Spieth responded with birdies on each of the next two holes to not only return to the fringe of contention but escape with a bit of momentum on a day when big names like Sergio Garcia, Justin Rose and Phil Mickelson essentially saw their title chances come to an abrupt end.
Sure, there were loose shots and missed opportunities, more than either would have preferred. But despite their respective stumbles, Spieth and McIlroy each enter the second round equipped with a realistic chance to win.
And after starting in the black, a chance is more than either could have hoped for.
“We’re still looking at single digits winning this tournament, I imagine, and potentially 6 under, something like that,” Spieth said. “Somebody could really get it going, but if that doesn’t happen then it’s definitely single digits.”
NASCAR: Weekend NASCAR schedule for Michigan (Cup, Trucks) and Mid-Ohio (Xfinity).
By Jerry Bonkowski
(Photo/Getty Images)
NASCAR has another split weekend with the Cup and Truck Series at Michigan International Speedway, while the Xfinity Series will race at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.
Kyle Larson has won the last two Cup races at MIS: his first career Cup win last August and again in June. He goes for another win Sunday.
As for the Truck Series, which races Saturday at MIS, Brett Moffitt earned his first career series win there last year.
And the Xfinity Series takes part in its second straight road course race Saturday – and part of three road course events in a four-race stretch (also Road America on Aug. 26).
This will be the fifth Xfinity race held at Mid-Ohio. Justin Marks won last year’s race, preceded by wins from A.J. Allmendinger (2013), Chris Buescher (2014) and Regan Smith (2015).
Here’s the weekend schedule at Michigan and Mid-Ohio:
(All times Eastern)
FRIDAY, AUGUST 11, (At MICHIGAN)
9 a.m. – 6:30 p.m. – Cup garage open
11 a.m. – 6:30 p.m. – Truck garage open
11:30 a.m. – 12:55 p.m. – Cup practice (NBCSN, Motor Racing Network)
1 – 1:55 p.m. – Truck practice (Fox Sports 1)
3 – 3:55 p.m. – Final Truck practice (FS1)
5:05 p.m. – Cup qualifying (multi-vehicle, three rounds) (NBCSN, MRN)
FRIDAY, AUGUST 11, (At MID-OHIO)
11:30 a.m. – 7 p.m. – Xfinity garage open
2 – 2:55 p.m. – Xfinity practice (NBC Sports App)
4 – 4:55 p.m. – Final Xfinity practice (NBC Sports App)
SATURDAY, AUGUST 12, (At MICHIGAN)
6 a.m. – Truck garage open
7 a.m. – 4 p.m. – Cup garage open
8:30 – 9:25 p.m. – Cup practice (CNBC, MRN)
9:30 a.m. – Truck qualifying (single vehicle, two rounds) (FS1)
11:15 a.m. – Truck driver/crew chief meeting
11:30 a.m. – 12:20 p.m. – Final Cup practice (NBC Sports App, MRN)
12:30 p.m. – Truck driver introductions
1 p.m. – LTI Printing 200 Truck race (100 laps, 200 miles) (FS1, MRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
SATURDAY, AUGUST 12, (At MID-OHIO)
8 a.m. – Xfinity garage open
12 p.m. – Xfinity qualifying (multi-vehicle, two rounds) (CNBC)
2:15 p.m. – Xfinity driver/crew chief meeting
3 p.m. – Xfinity driver introductions
3:30 p.m. – Mid-Ohio Challenge Xfinity race (75 laps, 169.35 miles) (NBCSN, MRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
SUNDAY, AUGUST 13, (At Michigan)
9:30 a.m. – Cup garage open
1 p.m. – Cup driver/crew chief meeting
2:20 p.m. – Cup driver introductions
3 p.m. – Pure Michigan 400 (200 laps, 400 miles) (NBCSN, MRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
Long: Sign of the times – Young drivers are in, veterans are on their way out.
By Dustin Long
(Photo/nbcsports.com)
Whether 19-year-old William Byron is ready for Cup doesn’t matter. He’ll be there next year for Hendrick Motorsports because he fills a need.
He’s young, talented and less expensive than a veteran driver.
So Kasey Kahne is out and Byron is in. That’s not the only such move for next season. Rookie Erik Jones will replace former Cup champion Matt Kenseth at Joe Gibbs Racing. Alex Bowman takes over Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s ride at Hendrick Motorsports.
Those mirror other moves made in the last few years, creating a seismic shift in the driver lineup — one that hadn’t been seen in nearly half a century.
With Byron’s move to Cup, there will be at least eight drivers 25 and under who are expected take the green flag in next year’s Daytona 500.
They are (with age they’ll be for next year’s 500):
William Byron (age 20)
Erik Jones (21)
Chase Elliott (22)
Ryan Blaney (24)
Alex Bowman (24)
Chris Buescher (25)
Ty Dillon (25)
Kyle Larson (25)
Only this year’s race with 11 drivers age 25 and under and last year’s race at nine have had more young drivers in the field than next year’s race looks to have. The record could be equaled or topped next year with 24-year-old Darrell Wallace Jr., looking for a ride and the possibility that smaller teams may go with young drivers. Nearly half the field for next year’s 500 could feature drivers in their 20s.
This shift toward youth has built since 2014 when there were eight drivers age 25 and under in the Daytona 500 starting lineup. The last time there had been so many young drivers in the “Great American Race” was 1962. That race saw 24-year-old Richard Petty finish second and 22-year-old Cale Yarborough place last in the 48-car field.
The latest changes come as young drivers replace veterans partly because of economics. It’s a shift for car owners, who responded during the recession a decade ago by cutting driver development programs and hiring veterans for lower salaries. The chance to run in Cup ended for many drivers. Those that did run, had little luck. Only one Cup Rookie of the Year from 2008-12 remains in the series (Joey Logano).
Now, as the sport goes through what some refer to as a correction, sponsors are cutting back more. Less money to teams means less money for drivers. Young racers are significantly cheaper.
“You’ve got a lot of young guys coming in being offered and accepting contracts that are a fifth to a tenth of what veterans are getting paid,’’ Earnhardt said last weekend at Watkins Glen International. “That’s money that can go into the team, you know? These sponsors aren’t giving teams the money that they used to. So, the owners and everybody’s got to take a little cut. Everybody’s got to dial it back.’’
Furniture Row Racing car owner Barney Visser puts it more succinctly: “I would think that there are going to be a lot of jets sold (by drivers). The money just won’t support what some of these guys have been making. The sponsorship just won’t carry it right now.”
Even for as talented as the new generation is, it’s taken them time to succeed for various reasons. Ty Dillon, Bowman, Elliott and Jones have yet to win a Cup race. Buescher won in his 27th career start. Blaney scored his first victory in his 68th series start. Larson didn’t win until his 100th series start. Austin Dillon’s first win came in his 133rd series start.
“It’s just such a big step altogether that there’s nothing in the Truck or Xfinity Series I think that fully prepares you for what it takes to really be successful at the Cup level,’’ said Jones, whose best finish is third in 25 career Cup starts. “I think it’s been just really a whole year of relearning for me, not really relearning but just learning more about the Cup Series and what it takes and how to race these guys.’’
It’s not as much what happens on the track and what happens off it that has been an adjustment for Jones to Cup.
“You get to the Cup Series, your week is slammed, and you don’t really ever experience that when you’re in the Xfinity or the Truck Series,’’ Jones said. “I wish I would have learned to study and prepare more for the weekend because I never really did when I was in Xfinity and Truck. I just kind of learned more about that and still am trying to learn more about that as the year goes on.’’
That’s led to questions about Byron because of his lack of experience — even with the success he’s had. He ran 24 Truck races (winning seven) and he’s run 20 Xfinity races (three wins) so far.
“William, he has surprised us every time he gets in a car,’’ Hendrick said. “My goal is to not to let too much pressure be on him, to let him go out and have fun and learn and we’ll try to get better as an organization. We’ve got Jimmie Johnson … he will be a mentor to all three of them (Byron, Elliott and Bowman). We still have Jeff Gordon involved and Dale Earnhardt is going to be involved.
“They’ve got a lot of coaches. The main thing is just not putting too much pressure on them and let them go out and learn. If William continues to do what he’s done in every series he’s been in, he’ll adapt fine and he’ll learn. You might as well let him learn in what he’s going to be driving for years to come.’’
Chevrolet unveils Camaro ZL1 as new Cup Series model in 2018.
By Daniel McFadin
(Photo/Texas Motor Speedway tweet)
Chevrolet announced Thursday it will begin using a Camaro model in the NASCAR Cup Series next season.
The Camaro ZL1 will replace the SS. The Camaro SS has been used in the Xfinity Series since 2013.
GM made the announcement with Chevy team owners and drivers in Detroit at the GM Global Headquarters.
“The new Camaro ZL1 is a great-looking race car with a lot of heritage behind it, which will make it a big hit with fans,” Jimmie Johnson said in a press release. “And as someone who’s enjoyed the ZL1 on the street, I’m really looking forward to getting this new race car on the track.”
Chevrolet has raced the SS model in Cup since 2013 when it replaced the Impala. The move is being made because the SS will not be produced after this year.
While the Camaro ZL1 will make its competition debut in February at Speedweeks at Daytona International Speedway, it will be on-track this weekend as the pace car for the Cup Series’ Pure Michigan 400 at Michigan International Speedway.
The ZL1 name was originally used in the 1960s on a Chevrolet-developed all-aluminum racing engine used in road racing. In 1969, a few dealers used Chevrolet’s special-order system to get the ZL1 engine installed in 69 regular-production Camaros.
The 2018 Camaro ZL1 is powered by a 650-horsepower supercharged engine featuring a similar 90-degree V-8 configuration as the Cup racing engines.
SOCCER: Fire trade to add defensive depth, but mostly stand pat on trade deadline day.
(Photo/USA TODAY)
There were plenty of rumors, but no moves through the summer transfer window for the Chicago Fire.
That changed on the last day of the window being open. The Fire made a trade with the Vancouver Whitecaps on Wednesday to add defender Christian Dean. Going the other way, the Fire sent $50,000 of general allocation money to the Whitecaps with the potential for more depending on Dean’s appearances with the Fire.
If Dean, 24, makes 12 or more starts in 2018, the Fire will send another $50,000 of targeted allocation money to Vancouver. Vancouver also retained a percentage of any transfer fees the Fire may get by selling Dean to a team outside the league by 2020. Dean’s contract is guaranteed through 2018 with options for 2019 and 2020.
Centerback depth is something Fire general manager Nelson Rodriguez has said was something the team needed since early in the season. With Dean, the Fire now have four players at the position to go with Johan Kappelhof, Joao Meira and Jonathan Campbell. In the short term, it would be surprising to see him get much playing time without an injury to one of the three players on the roster.
Dean, 24, was the No. 3 pick in the 2014 draft after playing three years at Cal. He played nine times in his first two years with the Whitecaps, with four of those being starts. In 2016, Dean suffered a broken bone in his foot just before the start of the regular season and missed the whole year.
This season, Dean has made three starts for the Whitecaps and four more starts for the club’s USL team. For what it’s worth, in Dean’s three games this year, Vancouver played to a scoreless draw, a 3-2 loss and a 3-0 loss in which he was subbed out when it was 1-0 in the second half.
He started three of the first five Whitecaps matches before suffering another foot injury. The Whitecaps listed his injury as a stress reaction in the fifth metatarsal of his left foot suffered in training on April 25.
The Dean trade isn’t likely to be significant to the 2017 Fire’s chances of success in the playoffs, but depth is a welcome addition at a position the team was thin at. For the most part, the lack of big moves shows that Rodriguez and the Fire were more or less satisfied with where the roster stands.
“We always said that we work on our roster almost without stop,” coach Veljko Paunovic said after training on Wednesday.
The Fire had brought in some defenders to train with the team as trialists, but none of them stuck. Just under two weeks ago, Rodriguez said he didn’t feel “comfortable” with the options the team had as far as filling out that defensive depth. He also said they wouldn’t add a player “just to check a box on a list.”
“I think it’s very important in these moments that we remain disciplined,” Rodriguez said then. “We have spoken about and had a three-year plan that admittedly is accelerated a bit by our ability to be nimble and capture opportunities. But the other part of our plan is where we try to create a championship program and to have sustainability.”
Throughout the summer there had been rumors of the Fire chasing Colombian national team player Juan Quintero. That move broke down, for this transfer window at least, with Quintero extending his loan spell at Colombian club Independiente MedellÃn for six more months.
Rumors of David Accam’s exit were rampant throughout the last few weeks, but it appears more likely that he will stay through the end of the season. While the MLS trade and transfer window closed on Wednesday, that only restricts players coming into or moving within the league. The transfer window for much of Europe closes at the end of August, meaning Accam can still leave, though it appears less likely that will happen without the Fire being able to add another player in his place.
So while the addition of Dean does fill a need, the lack of other moves show that the Fire mostly stood pat with the team that is currently second in the Eastern Conference.
Fire reportedly set to sign another goalkeeper.
By Dan Santaromita
(Photo/USA TODAY)
The transfer window closed when Wednesday came to a close, but MLS teams still have time to sign players unattached to teams.
It appears the Chicago Fire may be set to make another move after trading for defender Christian Dean on the final day before the transfer window closed. ESPN's Herculez Gomez tweeted that the team is set to sign goalkeeper Richard Sanchez
Sanchez, 23, was born in California before moving to Texas and eventually playing for the well-respected FC Dallas academy. He signed with FCD as a homegrown player in February of 2011. Five months later he was the starting goalkeeper for the Under-17 Mexican team that won the U-17 World Cup in Mexico.
He did not make any appearances for Dallas and played on loan with the NASL Ft. Lauderdale Strikers in 2013. Sanchez moved to Mexican powerhouse Tigres in 2014, but didn't play for them either. His only appearances in Mexico came while on loan to second-tier team Tampico Madero.
At 23 and given his youth national team pedigree for Mexico it's reasonable to think there is some upside with Sanchez. However, his lack of professional playing time makes it uncertain what his role would be with the team. Gomez believes Sanchez could compete for the starting job.
The Fire's starting goalkeeper to start the season, Jorge Bava, had surgery on his elbow earlier this week and is likely out for the rest of the season. Matt Lampson has been the regular starting goalkeeper since May. Rookie Stefan Cleveland has been the backup since Bava got hurt.
Fire general manager Nelson Rodriguez said the team would look for a goalkeeper as a result of Bava's injury. He may have found his guy. If the move goes through, Sanchez is more likely to be a potential long-term option than someone who could challenge for the starting job this season.
USA huge climbers in latest FIFA world rankings.
By Joe Prince-Wright
The U.S. national team were the biggest climbers in the top 35 of the latest FIFA world rankings.
Released on Thursday the USMNT moved up nine places to 26th in the world as Bruce Arena’s positive impact, 2017 Gold Cup success, and a 14-game unbeaten run has seen the U.S. rise.
Brazil moved to top spot in the world, while Mexico remains the top ranked team in the CONCACAF region as they climbed to 14th place with Costa Rica in 21st and Jamaica big risers as they moved up 19 places to 57th following their run to the Gold Cup final.
Germany were replaced in top spot as Die Mannschaft slipped to second, with Argentina in third and Switzerland moved into their highest position since 1993 in fourth. Poland rose to its highest-ever position of fifth place in the rankings.
Portugal dropped two places into sixth, then came Chile in seventh and Colombia in eighth before Belgium and France rounded off the top 10.
Below is a look at the top 30 in the world.
- Brazil
- Germany
- Argentina
- Switzerland
- Poland
- Portugal
- Chile
- Colombia
- Belgium
- France
- Spain
- Italy
- England
- Mexico
- Peru
- Croatia
- Uruguay
- Wales
- Sweden
- Iceland
- Costa Rica
- Slovakia
- Northern Ireland
- Iran
- Egypt
- USA
- Ukraine
- Congo DR
- Republic of Ireland
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
Top 5 Premier League storylines in Week 1.
By Matt Reed
The Premier League is back on Friday, and it has surely been a busy summer around England’s top flight.
Most of the league’s big boys went out and spent to refuel for the 2017/18 campaign, while newcomers Brighton, Newcastle and Huddersfield look to leave a lasting positive impression on the PL in their first season.
PST takes a look at the top 5 storylines around the opening weekend of PL action.
Champions look to Morata as Costa’s future still floating around
Chelsea vs. Burnley — Saturday, 10 a.m. ET on NBCSN
If one thing is certain from the PL offseason it’s that Antonio Conte‘s handling of Diego Costa was completely misjudged. With the Spanish striker still on the Blues roster, despite his clear willingness to head back to Spain, Chelsea looks to another Spaniard to fill the void left by Costa.
Alvaro Morata is a different type of striker, one that relies more on his pace and technical abilities than Costa. Only time will tell, though, how the 24-year-old acclimates himself to England’s top flight after playing for the La Liga and UEFA Champions League winners at Real Madrid a season ago.
Morata bagged 20 goals in all competitions last season for Los Blancos, despite often playing second fiddle in the starting XI to Karim Benzema. There’s no question Morata is a reliable scorer, but without playmaker Eden Hazard on the pitch this weekend against Burnley it may make things a big more challenging for the new forward.
Arsenal must cope with injuries
Arsenal vs. Leicester City — Friday, 2:45 p.m. ET on NBCSN
The Gunners coped with the loss of several of their top players in last weekend’s FA Community Shield win over Chelsea, but Arsene Wenger and Co. will again be at a disadvantage on Friday when Arsenal faces Leicester City at the Emirates Stadium.
Alexis Sanchez, Mesut Ozil and Aaron Ramsey are just some of the high-profile names that are expected to miss Friday’s clash against the Foxes, while Per Mertesacker will also be missing from the team’s back line.
Wenger will have to get creative with his tactics against a Leicester squad that boasts plenty of attacking firepower, including Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez.
The good news for the Gunners, though, is Alexandre Lacazette will make his PL debut up front, with the club hoping he can bring his Ligue 1 scoring form to England.
Will Spurs perform up to par after quiet summer?
Newcastle United vs. Tottenham Hotspur — Sunday, 8:30 a.m. ET on NBCSN
Mauricio Pochettino‘s side was invisible over the summer when it came to hitting the transfer market, and his choice of leaving his squad be was not met well by pundits.
With Chelsea, Man United, Man United and the rest of the league’s elite all making significant moves, it raised the question as to why Spurs wouldn’t add more depth to its roster.
Although Spurs are likely expected to beat Newcastle given Harry Kane, Dele Alli and the rest of the Tottenham attacking contingent, we’ll get a better look at how the back line adjusts itself without Kyle Walker. And moving forward, the club may have to perform without Danny Rose as well after his recent claims of wanting a wage increase.
New boys earn first chance to impress
Crystal Palace vs. Huddersfield Town — Saturday, 10 a.m. ET on NBC Sports GoldBrighton & Hove Albion vs. Manchester City — Saturday, 12:30 p.m. ET on NBC
For Brighton and Newcastle, they probably didn’t get the opening weekend matches that they would have liked, but if they can pull off an upset then that feeling will surely go away.
Huddersfield, on the other hand, has a much more manageable fixture against Crystal Palace to open its PL account.
New-look Hammers head to Old Trafford
Manchester United vs. West Ham — Sunday, 11 a.m. ET on NBCSN
Outside of the top seven from last season’s PL finishers, it’s an easy argument to make that West Ham has had the best summer of the rest of England’s top flighters. The club managed to bring back Mexico striker Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez, while also acquiring Stoke attacker Marko Arnautovic and others.
The Hammers finished 11th in 2016/17, and while it was often the team’s back line that was the club’s biggest concern last season, West Ham now boasts a much more formidable attack heading into this campaign after scoring 47 goals in 38 matches last year.
Meanwhile, Hernandez will have the opportunity to play against another one of his former clubs on Sunday, with the Hammers taking on Manchester United — where the El Tri finisher played over five seasons.
Predicting the 2017-18 Premier League standings.
By Joe Prince-Wright
(Photo/nbcsports.com)
Okay, here it goes.
Ahead of the 2017-18 Premier League Pro Soccer Talk’s writers have predicted how the PL table will look next May when all is said and done.
Let us know what you think about these selections, but let’s get straight to it, shall we?
Joe Prince-Wright
- Man City – 88
- Man United – 80
- Chelsea – 77
- Tottenham – 76
- Arsenal – 74
- Liverpool – 69
- Everton – 65
- Southampton – 57
- West Ham — 56
- Stoke — 55
- Leicester — 49
- Watford — 42
- Newcastle — 41
- Bournemouth — 40
- West Brom — 38
- Burnley — 37
- Swansea — 36
- Huddersfield — 33
- Crystal Palace — 31
- Brighton — 26
Nicholas Mendola
- Man City – 90
- Chelsea – 84
- Man United – 80
- Tottenham – 76
- Arsenal – 66
- Everton – 66
- Liverpool – 65
- West Ham – 62
- Leicester — 57
- Southampton — 55
- Stoke — 48
- Crystal Palace — 42
- Newcastle — 33
- Bournemouth — 30
- Swansea — 27
- Brighton — 27
- Watford — 27
- Huddersfield — 26
- West Brom — 26
- Burnley — 18
- Man United – 89
- Chelsea – 84
- Man City – 82
- Liverpool – 76
- Tottenham – 75
- Arsenal – 71
- West Ham – 63
- Everton – 57
- Leicester – 49
- Newcastle – 48
- Southampton – 48
- Brighton – 45
- Bournemouth – 43
- Stoke – 42
- West Brom – 42
- Crystal Palace – 40
- Watford – 39
- Swansea – 31
- Burnley – 29
- Huddersfield – 20
- Man City – 81
- Chelsea – 77
- Man United – 71
- Tottenham – 70
- Liverpool – 69
- Arsenal – 68
- Stoke City – 55
- Southampton – 53
- Everton – 49
- Leicester – 48
- West Ham – 45
- West Brom – 43
- Crystal Palace – 42
- Bournemouth – 42
- Newcastle – 41
- Swansea – 38
- Watford – 37
- Brighton – 36
- Burnley – 33
- Huddersfield – 27
- Man City – 86
- Chelsea – 81
- Man United – 80
- Tottenham – 77
- Liverpool – 75
- Arsenal – 72
- Everton -68
- West Ham – 60
- Leicester – 54
- Saints – 50
- West Brom – 48
- Bournemouth – 46
- Newcastle -41
- Stoke – 40
- Crystal Palace – 37
- Watford – 33
- Huddersfield – 30
- Swansea – 28
- Burnley – 27
- Brighton – 23
- Man City – 85
- Chelsea – 80
- Tottenham – 75
- Liverpool – 73
- Man United – 70
- Arsenal – 68
- Everton – 62
- Leicester – 55
- Southampton – 54
- Crystal Palace 45
- West Ham – 45
- Bournemouth – 44
- Newcastle – 44
- West Brom – 44
- Brighton – 42
- Burnley – 42
- Watford – 40
- Swansea – 35
- Huddersfield – 27
- Burnley – 26
Comparing NFL and Premier League stars.
By Joe Prince-Wright
Ever find yourself watching the NFL and wondering how a Premier League player would get on? Or vice versa?
Yeah, me too.
With so many Premier League stars now growing up watching the NFL in England due to the success of the International Series (yes, we are talking about you and your Patriots fandom, Harry Kane) this summer plenty of PL stars caught up with NFL stars during their preseason tours to the States.
That got us thinking here at Pro Soccer Talk: what are the best examples of PL/NFL crossovers with active players from both leagues?
With the 2017-18 PL season kicking off this weekend and the new NFL season next month, remember the following comparisons when cheering on your favorite teams/players.
And of course, feel free to add your own pairings in the comment section below.
Andrew Luck/Harry Kane – The golden boys who you’d want your daughters to date. Face of their franchises and will be for many years. Consummate leaders
Le’Veon Bell/Alexis Sanchez – Flair and ability to pull off the unbelievable with an incredible inner-drive. But, locked in contract disputes
Antonio Brown/Sadio Mane – Absolutely rapid and able to punish opponents in an instance
Odell Beckham/Paul Pogba – Languid and full of sublime skill, star names who aren’t afraid of the spotlight
Tom Brady/Cesc Fabregas – Passmasters who are hated by many outsiders but loved by their current clubs. Serial winners
Larry Fitzgerald/Romelu Lukaku – Get the job done no matter what. Not always the most influential on the pitch/field but reliable
Ben Roethlisberger/Vincent Kompany – Have two titles tucked into their back pocket and keep returning from injury for more
Julio Jones/Mesut Ozil – Laid back on the field and off it. Stars of teams who are almost always the bridesmaids. Mercurial
Clay Matthews/David Luiz – The dudes with the funny hair but also damn good defenders who stop opponents with considerable style
Ezekiel Elliot/Dele Alli – Rising stars for sleeping giants and set to become the face of the league. Enough said
Cam Newton/Daniel Sturridge – Plenty of sass and confidence but can back it up on the pitch. Well, when they’re healthy anyway
Julian Edelman/Sergio Aguero – “Mr. Clutch” characters who always come up with the good when their teams need it in the biggest moments
* NFL Players
* PL Players
NCAAFB: NCAA board adopts new sexual violence policy, creates new football safety task force.
By Bryan Fischer
By Bryan Fischer
(Photo/Getty Images)
The NCAA announced on Thursday that the organization’s Board of Governors has adopted a new policy for all schools that will require them to certify that coaches, administrators and players were educated in sexual violence prevention.
In addition to submitting a report to the NCAA that those staffers and players received the education, the formal policy also states that athletics departments must distribute school policies regarding sexual violence, along with contact information for the campus Title IX coordinator, to all student-athletes. The moves are the culmination of a nearly yearlong process at the association following the creation of a special commission designed to combat sexual assault on campus — a direct response to the (still ongoing) scandal that surfaced at Baylor not long before. Stanford head coach David Shaw and activist Brenda Tracy were among those who played a role in shaping the new policy.
The NCAA also announced the formation of a new football task force under the umbrella of player safety. The aptly named ‘Task Force on Football Data Analysis and Policy Implications’ (try saying that three times, fast) will gather football practice information and try to identify better strategies for member schools to use. It seems unclear as to why this is outside the purview of the Football Oversight Committee beyond the health/safety aspect but this is the NCAA we’re talking about so there is not surprisingly a committee (or task force, in this case) for just about everything.
In light of both the rash of sexual violence scandals across the country and the elimination of two-a-days when it comes to college football, it seems the NCAA is hoping the moves will help address any concerns schools have while also trying to address two of the bigger problems in the sport right now.
College Football Playoff releases 2017 dates for rankings, committee member recusals.
By Bryan Fischer
(Photo/Getty Images)
Preseason camps are alive and well across the country and even the College Football Playoff Selection Committee is joining in.
The group announced that staff members from the CFP and the 13 selection committee members met this week in Colorado Springs, Colo. as part of a preseason set of meetings designed to finalize a few items on the agenda and refresh everybody with the process that will lead us to the eventual four teams in the running for the national title this year.
“It was good for everyone to be together again, and we had an excellent, thorough meeting,” Kirby Hocutt, chair of the selection committee and director of athletics at Texas Tech, said in a statement. “We reviewed our protocol and processes in detail. We’re all looking forward to the start of the season.”
The CFP also confirmed the times and dates of the committee’s top 25 rankings, which will once again start after Week 9 and continue past the conference title games. Hocutt will once again put a face on the rankings and take questions as part of the reveal on a TV show on ESPN at the following times:
Also, the CFP announced the recusal process for 2017 would remain unchanged from prior seasons and the following members would not participate in votes on the following teams:
Committee members will recuse themselves if they or a family member are being compensated by a school. That explains why somebody like Tyrone Willingham is recused from Stanford and Duke (where his children are on the staff there) but not somewhere like Notre Dame, where he used to coach. This will be Beamer, Smith and Robert Morris president Chris Howard’s first year on the committee.
NCAABKB: Morgan State player sues NCAA, school over weird five-year clock eligibility ruling.
The group announced that staff members from the CFP and the 13 selection committee members met this week in Colorado Springs, Colo. as part of a preseason set of meetings designed to finalize a few items on the agenda and refresh everybody with the process that will lead us to the eventual four teams in the running for the national title this year.
“It was good for everyone to be together again, and we had an excellent, thorough meeting,” Kirby Hocutt, chair of the selection committee and director of athletics at Texas Tech, said in a statement. “We reviewed our protocol and processes in detail. We’re all looking forward to the start of the season.”
The CFP also confirmed the times and dates of the committee’s top 25 rankings, which will once again start after Week 9 and continue past the conference title games. Hocutt will once again put a face on the rankings and take questions as part of the reveal on a TV show on ESPN at the following times:
- Tuesday, October 31 – 7-8 p.m. ET
- Tuesday, November 7 – 7-8 p.m. ET
- Tuesday, November 14 – 9-9:30 p.m. ET
- Tuesday, November 21 – 7-8 p.m. ET
- Tuesday, November 28 – 7-7:30 p.m. ET
- Sunday, December 3 (Selection Day) – Noon-4 p.m. ET
Also, the CFP announced the recusal process for 2017 would remain unchanged from prior seasons and the following members would not participate in votes on the following teams:
- Arkansas – Jeff Long
- Central Michigan – Herb Deromedi
- Clemson – Dan Radakovich
- Duke – Tyrone Willingham
- Georgia – Frank Beamer
- Missouri – Jeff Long
- Ohio State – Gene Smith
- Oregon – Rob Mullens
- Southern Mississippi – Jeff Bower
- Stanford – Tyrone Willingham
- Texas Tech – Kirby Hocutt
- Virginia Tech – Frank Beamer
Committee members will recuse themselves if they or a family member are being compensated by a school. That explains why somebody like Tyrone Willingham is recused from Stanford and Duke (where his children are on the staff there) but not somewhere like Notre Dame, where he used to coach. This will be Beamer, Smith and Robert Morris president Chris Howard’s first year on the committee.
NCAABKB: Morgan State player sues NCAA, school over weird five-year clock eligibility ruling.
(Photo/AP Photo/Keith Srakocic)
First, some background. The way that the NCAA’s five-year clock works is pretty simple: An athlete has five years to use four years of eligibility as a student-athlete, and the clock starts ticking as soon as they enroll in college. Some exceptions can be made — like, for example, Jalan West of Northwestern State, who received a waiver for a seventh-year of eligibility after a pair of torn ACLs — but it requires the NCAA to determine the athlete should receive a waiver.
Enter Andrew Hampton. He’s currently a 24-year old accounting major and a member of the Beta Gamma Sigma honor society, according to the Baltimore Sun, but he also happens to be heading into his seventh year in college. Hampton initially enrolled at Mount St. Mary’s in 2011 — as a student, not as an athlete — and also spent time at Montgomery College, a two-year school where he also did not play sports, before finally enrolling at Morgan State in the fall of 2013. He walked onto the team in 2013-14 and averaged less than 15 minutes per game in a total of 18 games in 2014-15 and 2015-16.
Hampton did not play last season, however, as the NCAA ruled that his eligibility clock started when he enrolled at Mount St. Mary’s back in 2011.
In a lawsuit recently filed in Baltimore Circuit Court, Hampton argues that he should be allowed to play this season because his clock should not have started until he began playing basketball in 2013. He also named Morgan State in the lawsuit, according to the Sun, because they have refused to appeal the ruling.
On the one hand, the NCAA’s rule makes sense. It would be easy to envision a way for a school to enroll a player for a year — maybe finding a booster or some other form of financial aid to pay his tuition — then redshirt him for another year before having four years of eligibility remaining when the athlete is older. This would probably make more sense on the football side of things, but it works in basketball, too.
And frankly, the initial decision by the NCAA to rule Hampton ineligible isn’t all that absurd, either. Given the number of eligibility cases the NCAA deals with on an annual basis, it makes sense for them to make initial rulings strictly by the book, allowing the appeals process to weed out the people that actually have a valid argument for why a certain rule shouldn’t apply to them.
Which brings me to Morgan State. Why wouldn’t they appeal this ruling? Is there more to this story? Do the Bears not want Hampton on the roster?
The NCAA should give Hampton one more year of basketball. Hampton is a role player on a team that went 11-5 in the MEAC and finished under-.500 last season. The bad publicity is never worth it, particularly not when the only thing Hampton did wrong was decide he wanted to play college basketball two years into his college career.
But at this point — meaning until more information comes out — I think this is less on the NCAA than it is on Morgan State. How can they make a decision on an appeal that never got filed?
Mike Krzyzewski to under go knee surgery, Duke to cancel team trip to the Dominican Republic.
By Rob Dauster
(Photo/Grant Halverson/Getty Images)
Duke announced on Thursday that Mike Krzyzewski will be undergoing surgery to get a total knee replacement on his right knee this weekend.
Due to the surgery, the team will be canceling their upcoming trip to the Dominican Republic.
“While it’s disappointing that we aren’t able to make the Dominican Republic trip, this is a positive development for both our team and myself because it will allow us to be at full strength for the start of practice this fall,” Krzyzewski said. “After three consecutive days of working with the team, it became clear that the condition of my knee wouldn’t be sustainable through next season. The best course of action is to correct the problem now rather than later, when our team would be more profoundly impacted.”
Coach K missed seven games last season after undergoing surgery on his back.
The knee replacement will be the sixth surgery that Coach K, who turned 70 in February, will have undergone in the last 16 months.
Duke is currently sitting at No. 5 in the NBC Sports Preseason Top 25.
Roger Goodell sounds like he would support a shorter NFL preseason.
By John Breech
Even the NFL Commissioner thinks there's too many preseason games.
If you were to take a poll of NFL fans, there's a good chance that 100 percent of them would agree that the preseason is too long.
Fortunately, it sounds like Roger Goodell actually wants to do something about that. During a fan forum with Giants season-ticket holders this week, the NFL commissioner admitted that the length of the preseason is a problem.
"When I go around to fans, that's maybe the No. 1 thing I hear," Goodell said, via Newsday. "The NFL should do things to the highest possible standards. Preseason games are not that."
If you've ever watched a preseason game, you've probably noticed that starters almost never play, and by the time the fourth quarter rolls around, you've never heard of any players who are still on the field.
Although Goodell isn't ready to eliminate preseason games, he does want to trim the schedule down.
"There's value to them, building a team, evaluating players, but there are other ways of doing that. I think we could do it in three [games]," Goodell said. "Almost every coach has agreed we could get done what we need to in three games."
Of course, when Goodell says "almost" every coach has agreed that a three-game preseason would make sense, that means there's at least one who doesn't believe that.
For instance, take Mike Tomlin. The Steelers thinks the NFL's preseason is just fine the way it is.
Although Goodell isn't ready to eliminate preseason games, he does want to trim the schedule down.
"There's value to them, building a team, evaluating players, but there are other ways of doing that. I think we could do it in three [games]," Goodell said. "Almost every coach has agreed we could get done what we need to in three games."
Of course, when Goodell says "almost" every coach has agreed that a three-game preseason would make sense, that means there's at least one who doesn't believe that.
For instance, take Mike Tomlin. The Steelers thinks the NFL's preseason is just fine the way it is.
Fortunately, it sounds like Roger Goodell actually wants to do something about that. During a fan forum with Giants season-ticket holders this week, the NFL commissioner admitted that the length of the preseason is a problem.
"When I go around to fans, that's maybe the No. 1 thing I hear," Goodell said, via Newsday. "The NFL should do things to the highest possible standards. Preseason games are not that."
If you've ever watched a preseason game, you've probably noticed that starters almost never play, and by the time the fourth quarter rolls around, you've never heard of any players who are still on the field.
Although Goodell isn't ready to eliminate preseason games, he does want to trim the schedule down.
"There's value to them, building a team, evaluating players, but there are other ways of doing that. I think we could do it in three [games]," Goodell said. "Almost every coach has agreed we could get done what we need to in three games."
Of course, when Goodell says "almost" every coach has agreed that a three-game preseason would make sense, that means there's at least one who doesn't believe that.
For instance, take Mike Tomlin. The Steelers thinks the NFL's preseason is just fine the way it is.
Although Goodell isn't ready to eliminate preseason games, he does want to trim the schedule down.
"There's value to them, building a team, evaluating players, but there are other ways of doing that. I think we could do it in three [games]," Goodell said. "Almost every coach has agreed we could get done what we need to in three games."
Of course, when Goodell says "almost" every coach has agreed that a three-game preseason would make sense, that means there's at least one who doesn't believe that.
For instance, take Mike Tomlin. The Steelers thinks the NFL's preseason is just fine the way it is.
On This Date in Sports History: Today is Friday, August 11, 2017.
Memoriesofhistory.com
1951 - The first major league baseball game to be televised in color was broadcast. The Brooklyn Dodgers defeated the Boston Braves 8-1.
1984 - Carl Lewis won his fourth gold medal in the 1984 Summer Olympics.
1984 - The Cincinnati Reds honored major league All-Star and Hall of Fame catcher Johnny Bench by retiring his uniform (#5).
2015 - For the first time in history all 15 Major League Baseball host teams won their games.
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