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"Sports Quote of the Day"
“Hold yourself responsible for a higher standard than anybody expects of you. Never excuse yourself.” ~ Henry Ward Beecher, Congregationalist Clergyman, Social Reformer and Speaker
TRENDING: Rusty or not, Buccaneers ready to start season against Bears. (See the football section for Bears news and NFL updates).
TRENDING: Blackhawks prospect Alex DeBrincat adding fuel to hype after impressive showing at prospect tournament. (See the hockey section for Blackhawks updates and NHL news).
TRENDING: Bulls sign Diamond Stone. (See the basketball section for Bulls news and NBA updates).
TRENDING: Cubs rout Mets for sweep, 3 up on MIL, STL; Avisail's big day paces Sox 25-hit rout of Tigers. (See the baseball section for Cubs and White Sox updates).
TRENDING: Leishman (62) leads Day, Spieth, Phil after BMW Day 1. (See the golf section for PGA news and tournament updates).
TRENDING: Weekend schedule for NASCAR Cup, Xfinity, Trucks at Chicagoland Speedway; Here’s your primer for this weekend’s opening of the NASCAR Cup playoffs. (See the NASCAR section for NASCAR news and racing updates).
TRENDING: Let's try this again: Fire sign a new player for more defensive depth; Draw details for 2018 World Cup finalized; Top Storylines for Premier League Week 5. (See the soccer section for Fire news and worldwide soccer updates).
TRENDING: Women in Football: Female kickers are making strides at NCAA level, how far can they go? (Please read this article in the NCAAFB section. It has inspiring news and current updates in the evolution of college football).
TRENDING: Chicago Bears vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Prediction. What's Your Take? (Please read the last article on this blog for our take and we welcome you to share your thoughts with us).
Bear Down Chicago Bears!!!!! Rusty or not, Buccaneers ready to start season against Bears.
AP
Jameis Winston concedes it felt a little strange watching the rest of the NFL begin the season while the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were scattered around the country for an unscheduled bye imposed by Hurricane Irma.
When the young quarterback finally takes the field Sunday in the team's delayed opener, Winston will not have taken a snap in a game in three weeks.
Other key players, including receivers DeSean Jackson and Mike Evans, defensive tackle Gerald McCoy and linebacker Kwon Alexander, will line up against the Chicago Bears without having played since Aug. 17.
"I went through a tough time watching, but I really wasn't thinking about myself," Winston, who left town to wait out the storm with family in Alabama, said.
"I was thinking about what we were going through — what the people in Florida were going through, what the people in Houston went through because at the end of the day everything is bigger than football," the third-year pro added.
"Obviously I want to be out there on the field, and I definitely wanted to be playing, but sometimes you've got to take that back seat and let things happen."
Well, it's time to play.
And rusty or not, the Bucs say they have no excuse to not play well against the Bears (0-1), who dropped their debut with Winston's former backup, Mike Glennon, at quarterback 23-17 to the defending NFC champion Atlanta Falcons.
Tampa Bay's scheduled opener at Miami was moved to Nov. 19, meaning the Bucs will play 16 consecutive weeks to close the regular season.
"At the end of the day, nobody really cares about us playing 16 games or our starters not playing (preseason) games," Winston said. "Our job is to come in here and play football, and that's all."
Some things to know about the Bears and Buccaneers:
HEIGHTENED EXPECTATIONS: The Bucs haven't made the playoffs since 2007, but are coming off a 9-7 record in Winston's second season. The young quarterback has thrown for more than 4,000 yards each of the past two years and is the fifth player in NFL history to toss 50-plus touchdown passes through his two seasons.
WELCOME BACK: Glennon finally gets a chance to play again in Tampa Bay, something he rarely did behind Winston the past two years.
Glennon signed with the Bears after four years and 21 games with the Bucs, replacing Jay Cutler as the starting QB. He has another highly touted prospect behind him in No. 2 overall draft pick Mitchell Trubisky.
But for now, the starting job is his.
Glennon threw for 213 yards and a touchdown in a 23-17 loss to Atlanta last week. All but 50 of those yards came in the fourth quarter, however the Bears failed to score on four tries from the Falcons 5-yard line near the end of the game.
"I'm excited for him. I am happy that he gets to come to Tampa and play," Winston said. "Hopefully he does well, but not well enough to beat us."
CATCHING UP: Already thin at receiver, the Bears took another big hit with Kevin White going on injured reserve for the third time in as many seasons this week.
It's fair to wonder if White will ever develop into a productive player let alone a star after he broke his shoulder in the fourth quarter against Atlanta. The Bears were banking on big things when they drafted him seventh overall in 2015 and made him their first pick under general manager Ryan Pace.
But leg injuries limited him to four games through his first two seasons. Now, the shoulder is injured.
The Bears had already lost last season's leading receiver Cameron Meredith to a torn ACL in his left knee in the preseason. With White out, the Bears promoted Tanner Gentry from the practice squad.
Chicago is also down a key player on defense with linebacker Jerrell Freeman going on injured reserve this week. He suffered a torn pectoral muscle against Atlanta.
FILLING IN: With RB Doug Martin out until the fourth game while serving the remainder of a suspension for violating the league's policy on performance-enhancing drugs, Tampa Bay figures to spread carries among Jacquizz Rodgers, Charles Sims and Peyton Barber.
FOLLOWING UP: Chicago's Tarik Cohen figures he won't be catching the Bucs off guard. Not after last week.
Cohen made quite an impression in his debut, with 66 yards rushing and 47 receiving. He reversed field on a 46-yard run and had a 19-yard touchdown catch.
"I feel like I just proved that I'm a player, a football player, no matter my size, no matter where I've come from as far as my college and that I'm just a football player and I can make plays for this team," said Cohen, a fourth-round pick from North Carolina A&T.
Why Dowell Loggains was pleased with what Mike Glennon did against Atlanta.
By JJ Stankevitz
(Photo/USA TODAY)
Dowell Loggains was quick to point out the No. 1 positive thing Mike Glennon did against the Atlanta Falcons: “We didn’t turn it over.”
Not only did Glennon not thrown an interception, none of his 40 pass attempts were dangerously close to being picked off. In one sense, Glennon did his job, and had the Bears’ defense not blown a couple coverages in the fourth quarter, he might not have needed that last-ditch drive that ended five yards from the end zone.
“We talked about it all week, how important it was against that team not to turn the football over, because the way they run to the ball, they swarm,” Loggains said. “But to get it to the two-minute drive, that was our goal the whole time. We felt like we could win it in the end.”
Loggians was happy with how Glennon executed the offensive gameplan, which saw the Bears only take one shot downfield (an incompletion to Tarik Cohen) and rely more on their running backs than their receivers/tight ends until the final few minutes. Until Mitchell Trubisky is deemed ready, this is probably what the Bears’ offense will look like.
(When Trubisky is ready is a separate topic, with the Bears continuing to praise Glennon’s ability to win at the line of scrimmage — the area in which Trubisky needs the most work — they don’t think he’s there yet.)
While the Bears only scored 17 points, here’s something else to consider: After one week (an admittedly small sample size), Football Outsiders’ DVOA ranks the Bears’ offense 10th. Ahead of them are mostly teams that won’t surprise you, based on Week 1: Kansas City, Oakland, Atlanta, Minnesota, Tennessee, Buffalo, Pittsburgh, Dallas and the Los Angeles Rams. By the advanced numbers, the Bears’ offense was 16 percent better than average, which isn’t a bad place to start a season.
Even if you aren't an advanced stats fan or don't buy those numbers after just one week, they are worth noting given Loggains' evaluation.
“Mike managed the clock, managed the game, really managed the game,” Loggains said. “When I say managed the game — sometimes that phrase can be misconstrued — he did exactly what he needed to do to play the game we detailed out to him, how we thought we could win the game and what was best for us and that matchup, that game. He handled all the situations, did a really good job.”
Tanner Gentry still has much to learn — and earn — with Bears.
By JJ Stankevitz
(Photo/USA TODAY)
It only took one week for Tanner Gentry to go from a training camp standout stashed on the practice squad to a member of the Bears’ 53-man roster.
But while Gentry turned heads in Bourbonnais and was on the receiving end of an impressive 45-yard touchdown from Mitchell Trubisky against the Tennessee Titans, he didn’t work much with Mike Glennon. And the Bears continue to talk up Tre McBride, the waiver claim from the Baltimore Ravens who was inactive in Week 1 but could factor into the team’s receiver equation as he learns the team’s offense.
The point here: Gentry, after earning his way on to the 53-man roster, still has to earn his way into being active on Sunday. Quickly growing his rapport with Glennon is, more narrowly, Gentry’s next step.
“He had a good preseason,” offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains said. “We just gotta kinda figure out how the numbers are gonna be this week and who's up, who's down. We are excited about what Tanner brings and hopefully we can create a role for him if he's active and playing this week.”
The Bears hope to get Markus Wheaton back soon (he was listed as a limited participant on Wednesday’s injury report, which isn’t a change from last week), and when the speedy former Pittsburgh Steeler does return, he’ll likely join Deonte Thompson, Josh Bellamy and Kendall Wright on the active gameday roster. The Bears could consider making five receivers active on gameday, though they only had four against Atlanta (Thompson, Bellamy, Wright and Kevin White).
The Bears like Gentry’s skillset, particularly his ability to track the ball in the air and his football instincts. "Sometimes there are guys that have a knack for the football, (and) we kinda feel like Tanner could be that kinda guy,” Loggains said. But he still has an uphill climb to make an impact on Sundays, needing to prove to coaches that his pass-catching skills and special teams ability warrant an active spot.
The thing with Gentry, though: He’s constantly fought those uphill battles ever since he was a lightly-recruited athlete in high school (Gentry, according to Rivals.com, only received scholarship offers from Wyoming and Air Force). So this next challenge is more of the same for him.
“I’ll continue to play with that (chip on my shoulder) and always have something to prove out there on the field,” Gentry said. “… It’s a great opportunity. It really sucks to see two great players like that go down and so early in the season as well. I’m just going to prepare and just work hard in practice and continue to better my game and listen to the coaches and do what I’m told.”
Will Brian Urlacher be a first ballot NFL Hall-of-Famer?
By Mark Strotman
(Photo/USA TODAY)
On Tuesday night Brian Urlacher was among the 108 players nominated for the Pro Football Hall of Fame's Class of 2018. Joining the Bears legend as first-time nominees were names such as Randy Moss, Ray Lewis, Steve Hutchinson and Ronde Barber.
Urlacher eventually will be enshrined into the Hall of Fame, that's without a doubt. But whether Urlacher gets in on his first try is another story.
Looking at the raw numbers, in 13 seasons Urlacher amassed 1,353 tackles, 41.5 sacks and 22 interceptions. He was named a Pro Bowler eight times, earned First Team All-Pro honors four times, won NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2000 and NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 2005. In 2010 he was named to the NFL 2000s All-Decade Team, and he led the Bears to Super Bowl XLI, where they were defeated by Peyton Manning and the Colts.
A maximum of five modern day players can be enshrined each season, and it's safe to say Lewis and Moss will be among those players. That leaves three slots for players such as Urlacher, Tampa Bay's Ronde Barber, as well as the players who missed out last season such as John Lynch, Terrell Owens, Brian Dawkins and Hines Ward.
Here's a list of linebackers who gained entry on their first try:
2015: Junior Seau
2014: Derrick Brooks
1999: Lawrence Taylor
1998: Mike Singletary
1990: Jack Lambert
1988: Jack Ham
1979: Dick Butkus
1978: Ray Nitschke
Along with Singletary and Butkus, first ballot Bears included Gale Sayers, Walter Payton and George Blanda.
Will Urlacher be next?
The nominees will be reduced to 25 semifinalists in November and to 15 finalists in December.
How 'bout them Chicago Blackhawks? Blackhawks prospect Alex DeBrincat adding fuel to hype after impressive showing at prospect tournament.
By Charlie Roumeliotis
(Photo/@NHLBlackhawks)
The hype surrounding Alex DeBrincat is real, and he's not making it easy for Blackhawks fans to temper their expectations of Chicago's top prospect.
After a quiet prospect camp in July, the 5-foot-6, 165-pound winger shined in game action during the Traverse City prospect tournament, scoring a goal in each of the team's four tilts and helping the Blackhawks win their first ever title in the event.
Most importantly, DeBrincat saved his best for last when all the marbles were on the line by finding the back of the net twice in Tuesday's championship game, including the overtime winner to secure a 3-2 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Scoring goals isn't news to anyone who has been following his progression. He became the Erie Otters' all-time leading goal scorer in his final OHL season, and was named the league's top player after racking up 127 points (65 goals, 62 assists) in 63 games.
It's really not that he's scoring goals that's impressive, it's how he's doing it.
DeBrincat is an aggressive forechecker who goes hard to the net, where he often makes his living. His size won't prevent him from going into the dirty areas; in fact, he thrives off of it.
But he also showed off his quick and lethal wrist shot, proving he can score in many different ways.
That type of skill and versatility will make it difficult for Joel Quenneville's staff to leave him off the Opening Day roster, especially if DeBrincat continues to impress when training camp begins Friday.
It may still be a stretch to believe the Blackhawks will throw the 19-year-old into the fire right away against the highest level of competition, but if he continues to produce, it will be hard to ignore.
Blackhawks to showcase Training Camp Festival in new digital experience.
By Chicago Blackhawks Media Relations/chicagoblackhawks.com
(Photo/chicagoblackhawks.com)
The Chicago Blackhawks today unveiled a comprehensive digital experience for this Saturday's Training Camp Festival that will give fans around the world their first chance to see the Blackhawks back on the ice.
Leading up to the event, fans will have the opportunity to set the starting lineups for the scrimmage by submitting their dream player combination for each team on Twitter.
Blackhawks social media accounts will also provide fans with unique player and coach perspectives. Highlights include a GoPro Goalie Helmet Cam, 360-degree video on the ice for the national anthem and in the locker room at intermission, viewpoints from individual players on the bench and on the ice via Snapchat Spectacles, and aerial drone footage from inside the United Center giving fans an unprecedented view of the game. On Instagram, the team will feature stories from the penalty box, including fan-submitted questions for player interviews, as well as a live player walk-and-talk.
Just Another Chicago Bulls Session..... Bulls sign Diamond Stone.
Scoring goals isn't news to anyone who has been following his progression. He became the Erie Otters' all-time leading goal scorer in his final OHL season, and was named the league's top player after racking up 127 points (65 goals, 62 assists) in 63 games.
It's really not that he's scoring goals that's impressive, it's how he's doing it.
DeBrincat is an aggressive forechecker who goes hard to the net, where he often makes his living. His size won't prevent him from going into the dirty areas; in fact, he thrives off of it.
But he also showed off his quick and lethal wrist shot, proving he can score in many different ways.
That type of skill and versatility will make it difficult for Joel Quenneville's staff to leave him off the Opening Day roster, especially if DeBrincat continues to impress when training camp begins Friday.
It may still be a stretch to believe the Blackhawks will throw the 19-year-old into the fire right away against the highest level of competition, but if he continues to produce, it will be hard to ignore.
Blackhawks to showcase Training Camp Festival in new digital experience.
By Chicago Blackhawks Media Relations/chicagoblackhawks.com
(Photo/chicagoblackhawks.com)
The Chicago Blackhawks today unveiled a comprehensive digital experience for this Saturday's Training Camp Festival that will give fans around the world their first chance to see the Blackhawks back on the ice.
Leading up to the event, fans will have the opportunity to set the starting lineups for the scrimmage by submitting their dream player combination for each team on Twitter.
Blackhawks social media accounts will also provide fans with unique player and coach perspectives. Highlights include a GoPro Goalie Helmet Cam, 360-degree video on the ice for the national anthem and in the locker room at intermission, viewpoints from individual players on the bench and on the ice via Snapchat Spectacles, and aerial drone footage from inside the United Center giving fans an unprecedented view of the game. On Instagram, the team will feature stories from the penalty box, including fan-submitted questions for player interviews, as well as a live player walk-and-talk.
The entire Training Camp Festival event will be streamed live on chicagoblackhawks.com, within the Blackhawks mobile app and -- for the first time ever -- on Facebook LIVE.
For those attending Blackhawks Training Camp Festival at the United Center on Saturday, gates will open at 9 a.m. and the first 10,000 fans to enter the building will receive a Patrick Kane bobblehead. The marquee event of the day will allow fans inside the arena to watch a Blackhawks training camp practice and scrimmage at 11 a.m. All seating within the United Center will be general admission. Outside, the Festival will include appearances from Blackhawks Alumni, live music, food and drink and entertainment for fans of all ages starting at 8 a.m. in Parking Lot C. Please note that parking for Training Camp Festival is free.
More information regarding the 2017 Blackhawks Training Camp Festival at the United Center is available on chicagoblackhawks.com.
For those attending Blackhawks Training Camp Festival at the United Center on Saturday, gates will open at 9 a.m. and the first 10,000 fans to enter the building will receive a Patrick Kane bobblehead. The marquee event of the day will allow fans inside the arena to watch a Blackhawks training camp practice and scrimmage at 11 a.m. All seating within the United Center will be general admission. Outside, the Festival will include appearances from Blackhawks Alumni, live music, food and drink and entertainment for fans of all ages starting at 8 a.m. in Parking Lot C. Please note that parking for Training Camp Festival is free.
More information regarding the 2017 Blackhawks Training Camp Festival at the United Center is available on chicagoblackhawks.com.
Just Another Chicago Bulls Session..... Bulls sign Diamond Stone.
(Photo/www.chicagobulls.com)
The Chicago Bulls announced today the team has signed center Diamond Stone. In accordance with team policy, terms of the contract were not disclosed.
Stone (6-11, 255) was selected by the New Orleans Pelicans with the 40th overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft and landed with the L.A. Clippers after a draft-night trade. In 2016-17, Stone averaged 1.4 points in 3.4 minutes through seven games for the Clippers. Through 13 games in the NBA G League with both the Santa Cruz Warriors (four games) and Salt Lake City Stars (nine games), Stone posted 16.2 points and 7.0 rebounds in 21.7 minutes per game. He also shot .491 from the field and .826 from the free throw line.
The 2015 McDonalds All-American played one season collegiately at Maryland in 2015-16, where he averaged 12.5 points and 5.4 rebounds in 23.1 minutes per game while shooting .568 from the field. Stone was named AP Big Ten Newcomer of the Year and earned All-Big Ten Third Team honors. During his high school career, Stone won a gold medal at the 2014 FIBA Americas U-16 Championship and led his high school team, Dominican (Milwaukee, Wis.), to four straight state championships.
Cubs rout Mets for sweep, 3 up on MIL, STL.
(Photo/mlb.com)
What's the best way to deal with getting swept at home? The Cubs responded by pulling off a sweep of their own, beating the Mets, 14-6, on Thursday night at Wrigley Field.
Anthony Rizzo smacked his 32nd home run and finished a triple shy of the cycle, and Jason Heyward hit a three-run homer to spark the Cubs, who had lost three in a row to the Brewers last weekend. Chicago now has a three-game lead over idle Milwaukee and St. Louis, which comes to Wrigley Field next. The Mets were officially eliminated from postseason play with the loss.
Rizzo's homer in the third inning came off the first pitch from starter Seth Lugo, matching his career high (2014 and '16). Heyward connected in the sixth against Paul Sewald and finished the game with four RBIs.
Lugo was charged with eight runs (seven earned) over three-plus innings and took the loss, the Mets' fourth in a row. It's the Cubs' first sweep of the Mets at Wrigley Field since they won four straight from May 11-14, 2015.
Dominic Smith and Travis d'Arnaud belted back-to-back home runs in the third off Jen-Ho Tseng, who was making his Major League debut. But the Cubs pulled within one on Rizzo's home run and then scored five runs in the fourth, including three consecutive run-scoring doubles by Jon Jay, Kris Bryant and Rizzo.
By CSN Staff
(Photo/AP)
My how the Mets have fallen in two years, going from the team that steamrolled the Cubs in the 2015 NLCS to just counting down the days until 2017 is up. That’s why the Cubs need to take advantage of every opportunity they have to make the postseason, as Jon Lester and Anthony Rizzo know full well.
Newsday Mets writer Marc Carig discusses how the Mets have fallen on hard times in the last couple seasons, including the scary uncertainty of pitching health. Plus, Kelly Crull, Jeff Nelson and Tony Andracki discuss playoff scenarios for the Cubs and how the postseason lineup and bullpen may shake out.
Check out the entire CubsTalk Podcast here.
Jon Lester’s playoff message for Cubs after seeing how fragile Mets are now.
By Patrick Mooney
(Photo/USA TODAY)
The Jon Lester vs. Matt Harvey matchup from Game 1 of the 2015 National League Championship Series feels like ancient history now that the Cubs and New York Mets have gone in completely different directions.
Where Lester cemented his reputation as a three-time World Series champion and a borderline Hall of Famer, Harvey has dealt with too many surgeries, gossip items and clubhouse issues to be more than a one-year lottery ticket next season.
The Mets are so down and decimated by injuries that it’s impossible to draw many conclusions from Wednesday night’s 17-5 blowout at Wrigley Field. Except for looking at the out-of-town scores and remembering the one big idea about how fragile all this can be.
“This game’s fickle, man,” Lester said after beating Harvey and grinding through his third start since coming off the disabled list. “You got to take advantage while you can, while you have the players. We all see it. We all see guys that get called up that are supposed to be the next coming of whatever and two or three years they’re out of the game.
“With that being said now, you got to take each individual season for what it’s worth. You’re going to have ups and downs. You’re going to have injuries. You’re going to have things not necessarily go your way.
“I think we led the league in walk-off wins last year. We obviously led the league in defense. We led the league in pitching. We won 100-and-however many games. Years like that don’t happen that often.”
From one moment to the next, Lester can go from seemingly brooding and sarcastic to extremely chatty and thoughtful, the way he did in the interview room when a reporter mentioned Anthony Rizzo reminding the media that the Cubs were still in first place after getting swept by the Milwaukee Brewers over the weekend.
“How bout that, right?” Lester said. “You wouldn’t think it. God dang, it’s unbelievable.”
To stay there, the Cubs need Lester, who hasn’t shown the same sharpness since left shoulder fatigue/lat muscle tightness sidelined him from the middle of August until Labor Day weekend. Lester watched Jose Reyes drive an 89-mph pitch into the left-center field bleachers for a leadoff homer to begin the game, needed 78 pitches to make it through three innings and walked four batters for the second straight start.
Instead of David Wright, Yoenis Cespedes and Michael Conforto looming in the middle of their lineup, the Mets featured a guy who got released in late August in the No. 2 spot (Norichika Aoki), Kevin Plawecki and Juan Lagares hitting fourth/fifth, followed by two guys who made their big-league debuts last month (Amed Rosario and Travis Taijeron).
Will Lester be ready in time to match up with Max Scherzer and a loaded Washington Nationals lineup on Oct. 6? The $155 million ace stretched out to 114 pitches, lasted six innings and allowed two runs while the Cubs knocked out Harvey (5-5, 6.14 ERA) early and put up another football score against an overmatched team.
The Brewers winning kept them 2.5 games out of first place while the St. Louis Cardinals losing dropped them back to third place, three games out in the NL Central. The magic number for the Cubs to clinch the division is now 15.
“All you got to do is get in,” Lester said. “It doesn’t matter how the season looks, what everybody’s stats are. Whether you limp in or you sprint in, it doesn’t matter. You get in, anybody has a chance. I’ve always been a big believer in that. And there’s been a lot of teams over the years that have proven that.”
Lester brought up the Los Angeles Dodgers – going from a “Best. Team. Ever?” Sports Illustrated cover to losing 11 games in a row and 16 of 17 – and how everything will be wiped away in October.
“They’ve been the best team all year – from Day 1 – and look at the skid they’re going through right now,” Lester said. “This game will humble you. It will bring you back down. But at the end of the day, all you got to do is get in. And we’ll figure it out from there.”
Why Cubs made the move now with Jen-Ho Tseng.
By Patrick Mooney
(Photo/Emma Reese)
Trying to stabilize their bullpen, hoping for a spark and showing faith in their most advanced pitching prospect, the Cubs will drop Jen-Ho Tseng into the middle of a pennant race and start the Taiwanese right-hander on Thursday night against the New York Mets at Wrigley Field.
Tseng put himself in position to make his big-league debut with a breakthrough season, going 13-4 with a 2.54 ERA in 24 starts between Double-A Tennessee and Triple-A Iowa. The Theo Epstein regime – which is still waiting to fully develop a homegrown starter – sees Tseng as someone who can throw four pitches for strikes, keep hitters off-balance without overpowering stuff and follow a scouting report.
Think Kyle Hendricks as an absolute best-case scenario.
But the Cubs also couldn’t ignore how far lefty swingman Mike Montgomery has already been pushed (116.1 innings) and how much lefty reliever Justin Wilson has struggled (6.39 ERA in 16 appearances) since getting traded from the Detroit Tigers at the July 31 deadline.
The Cubs made the surprise announcement around 5 p.m. Wednesday, or roughly two hours after naming Tseng as their minor league pitcher of the year for the second time since 2014, his first professional season after getting a $1.625 million bonus as an international free agent.
“I just sat down with him in my office,” manager Joe Maddon said. “I said: ‘I guess you’re here in town to accept an award.’ He just looked at me and I said: ‘How about you start tomorrow night’s game instead?’ He didn’t even blanch. Actually, his interpreter was more taken by the whole situation than Jen-Ho was. But I heard nothing but good things about this kid.
“We think right now – in order to get us all set up pitching-wise – it was the right thing to do.”
Bumping Montgomery from the rotation should help keep him fresh after getting the final out in last year’s World Series Game 7 and give Maddon another trusted option in a bullpen with too many question marks. Koji Uehara has been struggling and dealing with an infection in his right knee and may have reached his limit after making 49 appearances during his age-42 season.
By the time the Cubs finalized the Tseng decision, they hadn’t yet scheduled a next-step bullpen session for Jake Arrieta, who strained his right hamstring on Labor Day, the same day Iowa’s season ended. The Cubs sent Tseng to their Arizona complex to stay sharp and continue his throwing program. It’s unclear when Arrieta will be able to rejoin the rotation or if this will be a one-and-done situation for Tseng.
But Maddon recalled how the Tampa Bay Rays unleashed young pitchers in the playoffs, from using David Price as a reliever while winning the 2008 American League pennant and giving Matt Moore his second big-league start in a 2011 first-round win over the Texas Rangers.
“You just never know,” Maddon said. “On a different level, I went through that with Matt Moore with the Rays, also. I remember the meetings for that in Texas in the manager’s office, bringing in minor-league guys that had seen him more. They were absolutely adamant that this guy can do this – and he did.
“Lightning in a bottle happens, and you never know what happens after that with some young players. And even if it’s not a start that happens afterwards, maybe he’s going to help us in another way.
“David Price did it with the Rays out of the bullpen, also, in a pretty good run, so keep an open mind. I’m keeping a very open mind. I’m actually excited about seeing it.”
WHITE SOX: Avisail's big day paces Sox 25-hit rout of Tigers.
Avisail Garcia hit a three-run homer as part of a five-hit, seven-RBI game at his old home ballpark, pacing a 25-hit White Sox attack for a 17-7 win over the Tigers on Thursday afternoon at Comerica Park.
White Sox manager Rick Renteria said Moncada is beginning to feel more comfortable in a Major League setting after taking time to soak things in upon making his White Sox debut in mid-July.
"It's starting to happen," Renteria said. "At the plate, it's happening a little more. He's starting to feel freer on the bases."
"When our offense scores seven runs, we should win the game. No doubt," Bell said. "Gotta keep working, and just get better."
Garcia's five-hit, seven-RBI game is the first by a White Sox player since Carl Reynolds on July 2, 1930. Their 21 singles Thursday tied a franchise record for the White Sox, and marked the second-most allowed by the Tigers in their history.
Garcia said it was special to have his career day in Detroit against the team that gave him his first shot at the big leagues.
"It was good. I like to come here and see my [old] teammates," Garcia said. "I feel comfortable coming here and playing the game here."
James Shields (4-6) allowed four runs on nine hits over six innings, including home runs to Miguel Cabrera, Nicholas Castellanos and Jeimer Candelario, but he struck out seven for his second straight win. The veteran right-hander improved to 6-1 lifetime at Comerica Park. Ian Kinsler added a solo homer in the ninth, his 18th of the season.
"He's certainly a little funky, creates a little deception, and his breaking ball's moving a little different direction than normal," Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said. "But I didn't think we swung the bats badly off of him."
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Running out a rally: The White Sox ran the bases with aggressiveness all afternoon, going first to third on singles six times in the first seven innings. They did it twice in their go-ahead rally in the fourth, setting up Garcia's two-run single up the middle after Tim Anderson's bouncer near the same spot plated two earlier in the inning.
Cabrera, Castellanos go back-to-back: Cabrera hadn't homered at Comerica Park since July 28, but he has a history of homers off Shields. A Shields cutter low and in was enough for Cabrera to extend his arms and pull it on a line over the left-field fence for a third-inning solo shot. Five pitches later, Castellanos turned on a curveball and sent it out to left, tying the game at 2.
QUOTABLE
"I think the results validate your work, your routine, your approach, and I've been sticking with it. And right now we can see the results." -- Moncada, on sticking with his approach after slow start in July and August
SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS
The 25 White Sox hits mark their highest total in a game since they churned out 26 against the Orioles on April 23, 1981.
Cabrera's 462nd career home run tied him with former White Sox slugger Adam Dunn and Jose Canseco for 35th on the Major League all-time list.
REPLAY REVIEW
For the second time this month, the squishy top of the left-field fence at Comerica Park came into play on a potential home run. Nearly two weeks after a ball bounced twice off the top of the fence before Mikie Mahtook inadvertently knocked it over, Jose Iglesias hit a drive that bounced off the top and stayed in. A crew-chief review upheld the original call of an RBI double.
The 25 White Sox hits mark their highest total in a game since they churned out 26 against the Orioles on April 23, 1981.
Cabrera's 462nd career home run tied him with former White Sox slugger Adam Dunn and Jose Canseco for 35th on the Major League all-time list.
REPLAY REVIEW
For the second time this month, the squishy top of the left-field fence at Comerica Park came into play on a potential home run. Nearly two weeks after a ball bounced twice off the top of the fence before Mikie Mahtook inadvertently knocked it over, Jose Iglesias hit a drive that bounced off the top and stayed in. A crew-chief review upheld the original call of an RBI double.
WHAT'S NEXT
White Sox: Carson Fulmer (2-1, 6.00 ERA) take the mound Friday looking to build off the best start of his young career. Fulmer allowed one run on three hits across six innings in his win against the Giants on Sunday, racking up nine strikeouts along the way. First pitch is set for 6:10 p.m. CT.
Tigers: Anibal Sanchez (3-4, 7.43 ERA) gets the start Friday as the series continues with a 7:10 p.m. ET start at Comerica Park. It'll be Sanchez's first start against the White Sox since Sept. 7, 2016.
Adam Engel's role in White Sox future boils down to one thing.
By Dan Hayes
White Sox: Carson Fulmer (2-1, 6.00 ERA) take the mound Friday looking to build off the best start of his young career. Fulmer allowed one run on three hits across six innings in his win against the Giants on Sunday, racking up nine strikeouts along the way. First pitch is set for 6:10 p.m. CT.
Tigers: Anibal Sanchez (3-4, 7.43 ERA) gets the start Friday as the series continues with a 7:10 p.m. ET start at Comerica Park. It'll be Sanchez's first start against the White Sox since Sept. 7, 2016.
Adam Engel's role in White Sox future boils down to one thing.
By Dan Hayes
(Photo/AP)
There are few questions about the glove or his ability to run the bases. But whether or not Adam Engel’s role in the White Sox future is a big one or as a reserve will boil down to hitting.
Engel continued one of his best offensive stretches of the season on Wednesday with a two-run double early in a 5-3 White Sox win over the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium. Over his last six games, Engel is batting .375/.400/.667 in 25 plate appearances.
It’s a nice respite for the center fielder after a lengthy slump that began in mid-August. But no matter the difficulties he’s facing, Engel — whose overall OPS is .585 this season — said he tries to separate the different aspects of the game and works to stay upbeat when it comes to hitting.
“I’ve had stretches where I hit really well and stretches where I haven’t,” Engel said. “I know every day I come to the yard the consistencies are going to be defense and base running. And then offensively, just get to work every day. Every day is a new day. Try not to let yesterday’s failures or successes dictate what’s going on today. I think that’s been a big part of trying to get back on track is just separating. Just because you have a tough day the day before, it’s not the end of the world.”
Engel has had plenty of success with his glove. He’s viewed as a plus-defender and can handle center field. Whether it’s robbing home runs or snagging hard liners on the run, Engel’s routes are superb.
But he hasn’t been nearly as consistent offensively. Prior to this stretch, Engel produced a .360 OPS over 82 plate appearances with 35 strikeouts. He struck out twice more on Wednesday, which brought his K-rate to 34.6 percent. Among all hitters with more than 200 plate appearances, Engel’s K-rate is the 11th-highest in baseball.
Manager Rick Renteria would love to give Engel a day to rest and work with hitting coach Todd Steverson, but the club doesn’t have that luxury with Leury Garcia and Willy Garcia on the disabled list. That has left Engel in a position to fend for himself on a daily basis and attempt to get positive results. With that in mind, Steverson said his focus with Engel has been simplified.
“The number one key is timing and pitch selection,” Steverson said. “When you’re struggling, that tends to be most of the issue. It’s at the highest level. Guys have good stuff. At the end of the day it comes down to pitch selection. Being on time and swinging at a good pitch. Physically, mechanically, that is what it is. I just want him to be ready for the opportunity of a mistake or something you can handle.”
Engel’s ability to defend has without question kept him in the lineup. Renteria also said he likes how Engel has worked as he tries to establish himself as a big-league hitter.
"He’s just trying to get comfortable with who he is,” Renteria said. “We still see him work extremely hard in trying to maintain an approach and a mechanical balance. As long as he’s here we’re going to give him every opportunity to give him as many at bats as possible.”
Engel has soaked up as much advice as possible from the coaching staff. His biggest takeaway is that everything revolves around confidence. Even though he’s struggled, Engel knew that by separating he has made an impact on the field and base paths. He also continues to believe he can hit and offer the White Sox another dimension that could lead to a larger role in the club’s future plans.
“It’s just staying confident throughout the whole thing,” Engel said. “Believing in yourself is huge, especially if you’re struggling.
“Any time you hit a tough stretch the biggest thing to be able to bounce back is to believe it’s coming around. If you’ve got to make adjustments here and there — but I think the biggest thing is not to lose confidence and keep pushing forward and eventually things will catch up.”
Risky steal attempt another sign Tim Anderson's got his swag back.
By Dan Hayes
(Photo/AP)
Tim Anderson’s confidence increasingly continues to return.
The White Sox shortstop chose the right moment to take a big risk when he stole third base in the ninth inning on Wednesday afternoon.
It’s the kind of call that either earns a player kudos if it works or an earful from the manager if it fails. Turns out Anderson’s risky decision to steal third base with All-Star catcher Salvador Perez behind the plate helped the White Sox win their first road series since June.
Only minutes after a similar play backfired for the Kansas City Royals, Anderson’s steal allowed him to easily score on a go-ahead sacrifice fly by Jose Abreu. The White Sox tacked on another run to topple the Kansas City Royals 5-3 at Kauffman Stadium.
“He wanted to get there for (Abreu),” manager Rick Renteria said. “A steal of third has to be 100 percent or otherwise it’s fruitless. He had a good feel for it. He wanted to get over there and he did.”
Anderson’s 11th steal in 12 tries was the latest big moment in a resurgent second half. The second-year player slumped through July as he struggled to cope with the May death of close friend Branden Moss. Moss was shot and killed attempting to aide an assault victim outside of a bar near the University of Alabama campus on May 7.
But Anderson has looked much more like himself since he began to see a counselor in late July. Once again, the 2013 first-round draft pick is playing free of restriction and with the kind of confidence he displayed often throughout a rookie campaign in which he produced 2.5 f-Wins Above Replacement.
How else to explain running on Perez — who has thrown out 159 of 470 runners in his career (33.8 percent) — with one of the hottest hitters in baseball on deck?
If Anderson is thrown out, questions about his thought process with Abreu coming to bat with a man in scoring position are asked. It’s the same type of questions asked on sports talk radio about Kansas City's Alcides Escobar after he made the final out of the eighth inning with the score tied.
But Anderson trusted the instincts that made him a top-50 prospect before the 2016 season and his read of pitcher Scott Alexander’s move. With Yoan Moncada at bat and a 3-2 count, Anderson, who went 2-for-5, his seventh multi-hit game in the last 10, took off running and beat Perez’s throw.
“Really just going off the pitcher,” Anderson said. “He was giving me slow deliveries and I feel like with my speed I was able to get there.”
“I wanted to take it in such a key moment.”
Three pitches later, Abreu drove a fly ball to deep center to bring in Anderson and give the White Sox a 4-3 lead.
Anderson hasn’t attempted to steal bases at similar rate to what he did in the minors when he was 100 of 128, including in Arizona Fall League play. But he’s been more effective in the majors, swiping 21 of 24 tries (87.5 percent). And the confident Anderson promises this only the beginning as he gets more comfortable with pitchers around the league and their moves.
“It’s just a matter of time before the stolen bases keep coming,” Anderson said. “I was able to get a pretty good jump on it.
“It’s definitely the more attempts I can get and more comfortable I can get that I feel like I can run more.”
Golf: I got a club for that..... Leishman (62) leads Day, Spieth, Phil after BMW Day 1.
By Doug Ferguson
(Photo/Golf Channel Digital)
Marc Leishman left his clubs in the garage during his weeklong break from the FedExCup playoffs and it didn't make a difference. He had 10 birdies in his opening round of 9-under 62 and built a two-shot lead in the BMW Championship.
Leishman finished third two weeks ago at the TPC Boston and moved to No. 7 in the FedEx Cup. His goal is to get into the top five going into the final event at the Tour Championship.
Jason Day, playing for the first time using a high school friend as his caddie, was 7 under for his last 11 holes and shot 64. Jamie Lovemark and Charley Hoffman also opened at 64.
Jordan Spieth had a bogey-free 65, while Phil Mickelson shot 66.
Jordan Spieth had a bogey-free 65, while Phil Mickelson shot 66.
Play scrapped, scores reset at now 54-hole Evian.
By Randall Mell
(Photo/Golf Channel Digital)
The Evian Championship’s abbreviated start was scrapped Thursday after play was suspended because of a storm that brought high winds and rain, leading to the LPGA announcing that the event would be shortened to 54 holes.
Rolex world No. 1 So Yeon Ryu and Jessica Korda were leading at 2 under through six and eight holes, respectively, when play was halted. World No. 3 Sung Hyun Park was at 6 over through five holes.
All the scores from Thursday will be taken off the board, with play beginning anew on Friday.
Play began at 1:45 a.m. ET and was initially suspended at 4:04 a.m. ET.
“While we did not make this decision lightly, we believe that this is the right decision,” LPGA commissioner Mike Whan said in a statement. “We are happy and encouraged with how well the golf course is handling the weather, and it should set up for another amazing Evian finish.”
The first round will make its new start Friday at 1:45 a.m. ET. The first- and second-round tee times that were originally announced will be used on Friday and Saturday
Whan said wind gusts up to 45 mph were reported on Thursday, and that while the forecast is pretty good for Friday and Saturday, more rain is expected Sunday.
He told the Associated Press that a 54-hole event was the “cleanest, fairest, most competitive” option, given “nobody even played half a round.” He didn’t like the possibility of play extending beyond Sunday; though, there is no LPGA event scheduled for next week.
"We know that if we said 72 holes and we start again tomorrow (Friday), we're probably looking at Monday and Tuesday, and that's not great for anyone," Whan said.
The Golf Channel team calling the TV coverage said there were reports of downed tree limbs among the debris left on the course in the storm’s passing.
“Rain was coming down sideways,” Golf Channel analyst Karen Stupples reported. “I felt bad for the players being out there.”
The LPGA designated the Evian Championship as a major championship beginning in 2013, with the announcement creating some controversy over the decision to host five majors in a year. That controversy was further fueled when players arrived that first year to find giant portions of the Evian Resort Golf Club marked as ground under repair because of a long, wet summer. With more rain that week, Evian’s debut as a major was shortened to 54 holes.
Debate over Evian as an elite test was further fueled when Hyo Joo Kim shot a major championship record 61 in the event’s second year as a major. She posted that score in the first round on her way to winning.
The lowest 18-hole and 72-hole scores in a men’s or women’s major have been posted at Evian. In Gee Chun won Evian with a 21-under total last year, the lowest score in relation to par in a major championship history.
The LPGA designated the Evian Championship as a major championship beginning in 2013, with the announcement creating some controversy over the decision to host five majors in a year. That controversy was further fueled when players arrived that first year to find giant portions of the Evian Resort Golf Club marked as ground under repair because of a long, wet summer. With more rain that week, Evian’s debut as a major was shortened to 54 holes.
Debate over Evian as an elite test was further fueled when Hyo Joo Kim shot a major championship record 61 in the event’s second year as a major. She posted that score in the first round on her way to winning.
The lowest 18-hole and 72-hole scores in a men’s or women’s major have been posted at Evian. In Gee Chun won Evian with a 21-under total last year, the lowest score in relation to par in a major championship history.
Stacy Lewis, 32, a two-time major champion, who is putting more focus on majors as her career moves to another phase after her marriage late last year, decided long before Hurricane Harvey hit her Houston hometown that she was going to skip the Evian Championship this year.
“I wanted to play a little less this year,” Lewis told GolfChannel.com back in the spring. “And, honestly, it’s more about wanting to go play places where I’m happy and that I enjoy going to, places I want to be, instead of going there and wanting to be someplace else. I went through the schedule and picked out events where I’m not happy at, and Evian was one of them.”
Future Olympic venues provide welcome stability.
Future Olympic venues provide welcome stability.
By Rex Hoggard
(Photo/Golf Channel Digital)
It’s not as though it was any big surprise. This plan had been in the making for some time, but following the stress and strain caused by golf’s return to the Olympics last year there is something to be said for turnkey venues.
Although the Olympic Golf Course has emerged as a rare beacon of hope from last year’s Rio Games, for those who endured years of delays and constructions concerns it was not an ideal situation.
The anxiety caused by having to start from scratch in Rio for golf’s return to the Games was just part of bigger-picture concerns that led to many of the game’s top players passing on a trip to the ’16 Olympics, but on Wednesday the executive board of the International Olympic Committee made sure that’s not an issue for the foreseeable future.
The executive board officially announced that Paris will host the 2024 Summer Games and Los Angeles will get the ’28 Olympics.
Both cities originally bid on the ’24 Games, but were considered such leading candidates they agreed to alter hosting duties in ’24 and ’28. It was a win-win for the IOC and for golf.
While golf needs to officially be approved past the 2020 Games, which should happen this week, the venue for the ’24 Games would be Le Golf National, the venue for next year’s Ryder Cup and a regular stop on the European Tour, and Riviera Country Club, the annual site of the PGA Tour’s Genesis Open since 1929, in 2028.
There will be no scrambling to create something from nothing, like Rio architect Gil Hanse and Co. did in Rio. No worries over whether the game’s best will find a suitable test or how the competition will show to the world – just fine-tuning.
It’s a comfort that Antony Scanlon, the executive director of the International Golf Federation, couldn’t hide during a recent interview.
“A good test event next year,” joked Scanlon, referring to Le Golf National and the ’17 Ryder Cup. “Every year after that with the French Open we will try to improve on it.”
If golf is approved for the ’24 Games and beyond, which officials are confident will happen, Riviera is considered one of the game’s best courses and annually draws one of the Tour’s best fields.
This may seem like a small portion of the Olympic puzzle for Scanlon, but given how trying the ’16 and ’20 Games have been logistically it’s a genuine reason for organizers to celebrate.
Although the Rio course was completed on time for last year’s Olympics, and by all accounts proved to be a successful venue despite countless construction delays, protests and legal wrangling, it was a distraction that golf would have gladly done without.
Even the 2020 venue in Tokyo hasn’t exactly been a home run. Following weeks of criticism for not allowing females members, Kasumigaseki Country Club, the venue for the ’20 Games, voted in March to reverse its policy and allow women to join the club.
This change of heart came after the IOC made it clear it would have no trouble finding another venue if the policy remained in place.
The Paris and Los Angeles venues will have no such issues. Both are established clubs with close ties to the game’s leading organizations, like the PGA and European tours.
The courses also have a proven track record, with Riviera regularly voted as one of the Tour’s best venues by players and Le Golf National among the Continent’s most popular stops.
While Rio was a unique success story, for vastly different reasons, consider the game’s best going head-to-head on a course in Versailles just minutes outside of Paris’ city center, or at Riviera, which is wedged between San Vicente Road and Sunset Boulevard in Brentwood (In a related note to 2028 athletes: traffic could be an issue).
It’s always the play on the field that makes a competition special, but having fields with established reputations and proven logistics can only enhance an event that exceeded many expectations in ’16.
For all the issues faced by organizers last year in Rio, there were advantages to golf returning to the Games in South America, the primary benefit being able to introduce a country with very little golf history to the game on such an important stage.
But all things considered, Scanlon will gladly embrace a little less uncertainty for future competitions.
NASCAR: Weekend schedule for NASCAR Cup, Xfinity, Trucks at Chicagoland Speedway.
By Jerry Bonkowski
(Photo/Getty Images)
The 10-race path to the NASCAR Cup championship begins with Sunday’s Tales of the Turtles 400 at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Illinois.
The first of five 1.5-mile tracks in the playoffs, Chicagoland Speedway will be hosting its final playoff opener this weekend.
Next season, the Cup Series will race at Chicagoland on July 1, the Xfinity Series will race on June 30 and the Trucks on June 29.
The defending winners from last year’s races at Chicagoland are:
NASCAR Cup: Martin Truex Jr., who comes into this season’s playoffs as the No. 1 seed.
Xfinity: Erik Jones
Trucks: Kyle Busch
Here is the full weekend schedule
(All times are Eastern):
Thursday, September 14
1:30 – 8:30 p.m. – Truck garage open
3:30 – 4:25 p.m. – First Truck practice (no TV)
6:30 – 7:25 p.m. – Final Truck practice (no TV)
Friday, September 15
10 a.m. – 8 p.m. – Cup garage open
11 a.m. – Truck garage open
11:30 a.m. – Xfinity garage open
12:30 a.m. – 1:55 p.m. – Cup practice (NBCSN, Motor Racing Network)
2 – 2: 55 p.m. – Xfinity practice (NBCSN)
4 – 4:50 p.m. – Final Xfinity practice (NBC Sports App)
5:05 p.m. – Truck qualifying (single vehicle, two rounds) (Fox Sports 1)
6:30 p.m. – Truck driver/crew chief meeting
6:45 p.m. – Cup qualifying (multi-vehicle, three rounds) (NBCSN, MRN)
8 p.m. – Truck driver introductions
8:30 p.m. – TheHouse.com 225 Truck race (150 laps, 225 miles) (FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
Saturday, September 16
9 a.m. – Xfinity garage open
10 a.m. – 6:30 p.m. – Cup garage open
11:30 a.m. – 12:20 p.m. – Cup practice (CNBC, MRN)
12:35 p.m. – Xfinity qualifying (multi-vehicle, three rounds) (NBCSN)
1:45 p.m. – Xfinity driver/crew chief meeting
2 p.m. – 2:50 p.m. – Final Cup practice (NBCSN, MRN)
3 p.m. – Xfinity driver introductions
3:30 p.m. – TheHouse.com 300 Xfinity race (200 laps, 300 miles) (NBCSN, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
Sunday, September 17
9:30 a.m. – Cup garage open
1 p.m. – Cup driver/crew chief meeting
2:20 p.m. – Driver introductions
3 p.m. – Tales of the Turtles 400 Cup race (267 laps, 400.5 miles) (NBCSN, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
Here’s your primer for this weekend’s opening of the NASCAR Cup playoffs.
By Jerry Bonkowski
(Photo/Getty Images)
As we prepare for this weekend’s start of the NASCAR Cup playoffs at Chicagoland Speedway, here’s a primer – courtesy of our friends at Racing Insights – on what to expect.
We’ll cover the playoff format and the number of playoff appearances to date for all 16 drivers and 16 crew chiefs:
2017 Playoff Format Explained
The format for the 2017 the playoffs will be divided into four rounds:
Round One – Round of 16 (Races 27-29 – Chicago, New Hampshire, Dover)
- All drivers have their points adjusted to 2,000
- Top-10 in regular season points are awarded regular season playoff points
- Playoff points accumulated during the first 26 races are added
- All playoff points earned will continue to transfer as long as a driver remains playoff eligible
- A win by a playoff driver in round one automatically advances them to round two
- Remaining positions are filled based on points earned in round one
- All playoff points accumulated during round one will be applied in the second round as long as that driver has advanced
Round Two – Round of 12 (Race 30-32 – Charlotte, Talladega, Kansas)
- All drivers that advance to round two have their points adjusted to 3,000
- All playoff points accumulated are then applied, including any playoff points gained during round 1
- A win by a Playoff driver in round two automatically advances them to round three
- Remaining positions are filled based on points earned in round two
- All playoff points accumulated during round two will be applied in the third round as long as that driver has advanced
Round Three – Round of 8 (Race 33-35 – Martinsville, Texas, Phoenix)
- All drivers to advance to round three have their points adjusted to 4,000
- All Playoff points accumulated are then applied, including any points gained during rounds 1 and 2
- A win by a Playoff driver in round three automatically advances them to Homestead
- Remaining positions are filled based on points earned in round three
- Playoff points are not awarded in Round three
Round Four – Championship 4 (Race 36 -Homestead)
- All four drivers have their points reset to 5,000, No Playoff Points
- No Playoff points or stage points awarded to the Playoff eligible drivers during the race
- The highest finisher at Homestead among the remaining four eligible drivers in the Playoff grid wins the Championship
Playoff Appearances and Best Year End Finish during the Post Season Era: 14th year of the post season:
- Martin Truex Jr. – 5th Playoff Appearance, best finish 4th in 2015
- Kyle Larson – 2nd Playoff Appearance, best finish 9th in 2016
- Kyle Busch – 10th Playoff Appearance, won the Championship in 2015
- Brad Keselowski – 6th Playoff Appearance, won the Championship in 2012
- Jimmie Johnson – 14th Playoff Appearance (every year), seven-time champion
- Kevin Harvick – 11th Playoff Appearance, won the Championship in 2014
- Denny Hamlin – 11th Playoff Appearance, best finish of 2nd in 2010
- Ricky Stenhouse Jr. – 1st Playoff Appearance
- Ryan Blaney – 1st Playoff Appearance
- Chase Elliott – 2nd Playoff Appearance, 10th in 2016
- Ryan Newman – 8th Playoff Appearance, best finish of 2nd in 2014
- Kurt Busch – 11th Playoff Appearance, won the Championship in 2004
- Kasey Kahne – 6th Playoff Appearance, best finish of 4th in 2012
- Austin Dillon – 2nd Playoff Appearance, best finish of 14th in 2016
- Matt Kenseth – 13th Playoff Appearance, best finish of 2nd in 2006 & 2013 **
- Jamie McMurray– 3rd Playoff Appearance, best finish of 13th in 2015 and 2016
**Matt Kenseth won the Championship in 2003, the last year of the pre-Post Season era
Crew Chiefs Making First Playoff appearance:
* No. 5 Keith Rodden – Fourth full-time season as Crew Chief, third with Kasey Kahne, Lead Engineer of #5 from 2012- 2013
* No. 21 Jeremy Bullins – Third season with #21 all with Ryan Blaney, won 2013 & 2014 NXS Owners title as Crew Chief of #22, Race engineer with multiple teams from 2000-2011
Playoff Appearances by Crew Chiefs:
* No. 1 Matt McCall – 3rd appearance, all with Jamie McMurray all in the last three years
* No. 2 Paul Wolfe – 6th appearance, all with Brad Keselowski, won 2012 Championship together
* No. 3 Justin Alexander – 2nd appearance, first with Austin Dillon, one with Paul Menard 2015
* No. 4 Rodney Childers – 4th appearance, won the 2014 Championship with Kevin Harvick
* No. 11 Mike Wheeler – 2nd appearance, both with Denny Hamlin (currently suspended)
* No. 17 Brian Pattie – 5th appearance, first with Ricky Stenhouse Jr., three with Clint Bowyer, one with Juan Pablo Montoya
* No. 18 Adam Stevens – 3rd appearance, all with Kyle Busch, won 2015 Championship together
* No. 20 Jason Ratcliff – 5th appearance, all with Matt Kenseth
* No. 24 Alan Gustafson – 10th appearance, second with Chase Elliott, five with Jeff Gordon, two with Kyle Busch, one with Mark Martin
* No. 31 Luke Lambert – 3rd appearance, all with Ryan Newman
* No. 41 Tony Gibson – 5th appearance, third with Kurt Busch, two with Ryan Newman
* No. 42 Chad Johnston – 3rd appearance, second with Kyle Larson, one with Martin Truex Jr. at Michael Waltrip Racing
* No. 48 Chad Knaus – 14th appearance, all with Jimmie Johnson
* No. 78 Cole Pearn – 3rd appearance, all with Martin Truex Jr.
2017 Playoff Manufacturer Break Down:
Chevrolet – 7 Ford – 5 Toyota – 4
2017 Playoff Organization Break Down:
Joe Gibbs Racing – 3
Hendrick Motorsports – 3
Chip Ganassi Racing – 2*
Richard Childress Racing – 2
Stewart-Haas Racing – 2
Furniture Row Racing – 1
Roush Fenway Racing – 1
Team Penske – 1
Wood Brothers Racing – 1*
*All Cars of Organization made the playoffs
Letarte: Why 2017 playoffs have chance to be best ever after Richmond missteps.
By Steve Letarte
By Steve Letarte
(Photo/nbcsports.com)
NASCAR admittedly messed up last Saturday at Richmond Raceway, and now the pressure is on as it never has been during the most critical stretch of the season.
Let me tell you why I think that is a good thing – both for the sanctioning body and the industry as a whole, and it might make the 2017 playoffs the most flawlessly executed and enduringly memorable (for the right reasons).
I’m a sports fan because I love the big stage. I love to watch Super Bowls, the World Series, Ryder Cup golf, the closing holes of the Masters. But I don’t even have to be a huge fan. I don’t know anything about Olympic handball, but I was captivated by the gold-medal match because it was the biggest stage.
Between life-threatening storms, political disagreements and cultural strife, we all as Americans want the diversions of being entertained, and nothing entertains like sports. In its quest to grow through its entertainment value, NASCAR has a platform in these final 10 races to deliver highly captivating moments.
We have the storylines to do it, from superstar veterans to rising stars. We have the great mix of teams, from perennial contenders Hendrick Motorsports, Joe Gibbs Racing and Team Penske to emerging power Furniture Row Racing to beloved historical fixture Wood Brothers Racing.
Every part and piece is there to make a beautiful recipe.
But everyone who has a NASCAR hard card needs to understand they have a hand in the mix. Everyone needs to be held accountable. The most pressure to perform always is on the drivers, teams and pit crews, but now the pressure on the supporting staff also becomes real.
The restructuring of the playoffs – first in 2014 with the addition of points resets and eliminations and now this year with the addition of playoff points – has put a hyper-focus on performance these last 10 races.
That is performance that extends WAY beyond just the drivers behind the wheels, which generally is only what fans are thinking about.
You can’t focus the microscope on a nine-race playoff and a championship race and then have the officiating become a major story. But you also can’t have stories that result from questionable team ethics or missteps made by track personnel (as happened at Richmond) or even major errors by the broadcast network.
I can’t be part of the story. My job is to cover the superstars who are creating the stories. For Jeff Burton and I, we can’t forget a rule or stumble through an important setup or misspeak when a pass is coming. Rick Allen’s play-by-play call Sunday has to be at the premium level at which the winner at Chicagoland Speedway deserves.
But over the next two months of NASCAR, we are at a Super Bowl level of scrutiny. Every flag being thrown, every play being made (or not made), every commentator’s opinion – the attention and potential impact of every action by every actor at every level of every race is multiplied by a more intense spotlight that can tarnish an event with a major mistake (like Richmond) just as much as it can elevate it to greatness.
That’s where we’re at – and that’s where I want us to be. Everyone needs to feel that pressure. It’s a collective effort.
NASCAR has created a playoff system built on the essence of what makes sports great – high-pressure situations.
And no one is beyond that pressure and scrutiny, whether it’s the driver, crew chief, pit crew, engine builder, sanctioning body, track promoter, operations staff or the broadcast partners. I will have more nerves about feeling obligated to perform on air with exhaustive preparation in the final 10 races because the fan base and viewers deserve it – and they will notice it even more if we aren’t on point.
After throwing a questionable caution flag that created the opportunity for a different outcome (pit crews and a restart still were the reasons Martin Truex Jr. lost to Kyle Larson), I want to hear what NASCAR will do differently to make sure it doesn’t happen again at Chicagoland Speedway. We don’t need a detailed explanation, but NASCAR owes us a reassurance that the methods for throwing a caution have received heavy investigation and a reworking if necessary.
The pressure is on to deliver high-quality races – but it also is on everybody. I hope that everyone realizes – between teams, drivers, crew chiefs, broadcast partners and the tracks – that the final mulligan this season for the sport’s reputation was used at Richmond. Even if the ambulances are in proper position at Chicagoland, there can’t be a malfunctioning ticket scanner or something else instead. Expectations now are higher to be perfect.
Before an industry that lives in an enormous glass house starts tossing stones at the NASCAR scoring tower, everyone has to have their own stuff buttoned up. Everyone needs to be on another level of preparedness for the level of big-event opportunity that is here.
In a season with so many first-time winners and the emergence of a fresh class of stars complementing some familiar names, we have the ability to see a spectacular playoff, and everyone needs to understand the responsibility in creating that.
NASCAR is at its quintessential best with man and machine vs. man and machine, and may the best team win. It’s that simple.
The way to do that is through the NASCAR industry’s across-the-board execution, which is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.
That time is now.
It’s the playoffs, and everyone must deliver on the sport’s biggest stage.
How to tell which cars and trucks are in Cup, Xfinity, Truck playoffs.
By Jerry Bonkowski
Each car or truck that takes part in this year’s NASCAR Cup, NASCAR Xfinity and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will have special branding to distinguish and differentiate them from the vehicles of drivers that did not qualify for the playoffs.
Here’s what to look out for:
Note: (Image courtesy of NASCAR)
SOCCER: Let's try this again: Fire sign a new player for more defensive depth.
By Dan Santaromita
(Photo/USA TODAY)
With injuries hurting the Fire's defensive depth, the club signed a new player to alleviate the problem.
Sound familiar? That's because it's the second time the Fire made a move like this in just over a month.
With only three center backs under contract, the Fire added Christian Dean via a trade from Vancouver in August. With Joao Meira being out for a month and Dean suffering a broken foot, likely a season-ending injury, against Minnesota on Aug. 26, the Fire once again needed defensive depth.
On Thursday, a day before the league freezes rosters in advance of the playoffs, the Fire signed Jorge Corrales. Corrales had been under contract with the Tulsa Roughnecks, the Fire's USL affiliate. Corrales will remain with Tulsa, via a loan, but is under contract with the Fire as an emergency option available to be recalled if further injuries occur to the Fire's back line.
Corrales, 26, is a left back who was in training with the Fire as a guest player/trialist in late July. His addition may mean the Fire front office is concerned with recent muscle injuries to the two left backs already on the roster. Brandon Vincent missed seven games with a quad injury and made his first start since the injury against the Red Bulls on Saturday. Patrick Doody was out for Saturday's game due to a hamstring injury and was limited to running at practice this week.
“We’ve had the chance to see Jorge quite a bit this season,” general manager Nelson RodrÃguez said in a statement released by the club. “We were impressed by his play with Tulsa and in training with us."
“This move presents Jorge with a great opportunity, and it works well for everyone involved,” Tulsa coach David Vaudreuil said in that club's statement. “He has had an outstanding season for us thus far and has shown the ability to perform at the MLS level. We look forward to Jorge continuing his strong play with us this season as we try to lock down a berth in the USL playoffs."
Corrales is signed with the Fire through 2018, which makes the future of someone like Doody appear up in the air. Unless Corrales also shows he can play center back, or if the Fire plan to have him on loan for another year, it seems unlikely the Fire would have three left backs under contract. Corrales, a Cuban, also has options for 2019 and 2020.
FIFA approves procedures for 2018 World Cup draw.
By Daniel Karell
(Photo/Getty Images)
Should the U.S. Men’s National Team qualify for the 2018 World Cup in Russia, they may end up in another so-called “Group of Death.”
FIFA confirmed on Thursday that it will use October’s FIFA World Rankings to sort the 32 qualifying nations into four pots, with the top seven-ranking teams plus Russia landing in pot 1. Pots two through four will be filled in descending order by the rest of the qualified nations.
This is different than in previous years, where the top seven teams made pot one and the rest of the pots were organized by region.
As of September’s world rankings, which was released Thursday as well, the USMNT sits in 28th place. Of teams that have qualified for the World Cup, only Japan (40), South Korea (51) and Saudi Arabia (53) are ranked worse than the USMNT. Host Russia is ranked 64th.
The current top seven ranked nations by FIFA are Germany, Brazil, Portugal, Argentina, Belgium, Poland, and Switzerland.
Top Storylines for Premier League Week 5.
By Daniel Karell
(Photo/Getty Images)
The Premier League returns to action this weekend with plenty of big matches and storylines to look forward to.
Week five builds up to a crescendo with two matches between some of the league’s top teams. Arsenal travels nearly 10 miles to Southwest London to face Chelsea, before Jose Mourinho and Manchester United host plummeting Everton and former club legend, Wayne Rooney.
On Saturday, Crystal Palace’s new boss Roy Hodgson takes charge of his first game as the Eagles host Southampton and Tottenham return to Wembley Stadium, four days after winning there in the UEFA Champions League.
Here’s a closer look at this week’s top storylines heading into Premier League Week 5.
1. Can Arsenal break road woes?
After a pair of wins, including a comeback victory at home in the UEFA Europa League over FC Cologne, Arsenal face another big test when it faces Chelsea.
Chelsea has rebounded well since its opening-day blues, and the club has won four-straight matches in all competitions, including a 6-0 rout of Qarabag.
Outside of last year’s 3-0 loss at the Emirates, Chelsea hasn’t lost to Arsenal in Premier League since 2011, and it’s unlikely to happen again, especially at Stamford Bridge.
Arsenal’s displays at Stoke City and Liverpool show the side isn’t ready to be among the Premier League’s elite again, and Chelsea is likely to frustrate the Gunners while scoring one or two goals via stars Eden Hazard and Alvaro Morata.
2. Manchester United host Wayne Rooney
It’s a bittersweet return to Old Trafford for Wayne Rooney.
The 31-year-old became Man United’s all-time leading goalscorer with 253 goals during his 13-year spell at the club but was unceremoniously forced out by Jose Mourinho after being a bit-part player last season. Now, with Everton struggling mightily both in the Premier League and in Europe, Rooney will be counted on to produce a memorable result on the road.
Mourinho’s men failed to take advantage of their chances against Stoke City last weekend but they’ll be favored to get the result at home against Everton.
3. What will Roy do?
Crystal Palace took the unconventional division to fire Frank De Boer following the club’s 1-0 defeat to Burnley, and Crystal Palace quickly installed former England manager Roy Hodgson as the club’s new boss.
Hodgson has plenty of time – if he’s given a whole season – to rescue the team from the Premier League cellar, but it’s a big question as to how he will play. In the past with Fulham and West Bromwich Albion, Hodgson has encouraged a more expansive type of play, but at Crystal Palace he’ll likely be pressured or asked to play a hard-nosed, defensive style.
Hodgson has his first test on Saturday, against Southampton.
4. Tottenham look to put an end to Wembley voodoo
Tottenham blasted one side of the club’s “Wembley curse” with a comprehensive 3-1 win over Borussia Dortmund Tuesday in the Champions League but the club still hasn’t won there in Premier League action.
Now, in the middle of a three-game span with three straight home games, Tottenham can put an end to the talk about struggling at the England National Team’s home when the club faces Paul Clement and Swansea City.
Draw details for 2018 World Cup finalized.
By Joe Prince-Wright
“What does this mean for the U.S. national team?” was your first question, wasn’t it?
Okay, let’s not get ahead of ourselves here. With two key 2018 World Cup qualifiers to come against Panama and Trinidad and Tobago next month, the USMNT still have plenty to do before they stamp their ticket to Russia.
Still, it’s fun to figure out who the U.S. might get if they do make it, right?
On Thursday it was announced that FIFA has finalized exactly how the draw for the 2018 World Cup (due to take place in Moscow on Dec. 1) will work. After the Organizing Committee for FIFA Competitions met in Zurich, they decided that the seeding of teams will be based on the October FIFA World Rankings.
So, the U.S. being bumped down to 28th place on Thursday wasn’t too helpful for the September rankings, but they could turn things around a little with two wins in World Cup qualifying next month.
The seedings will be as followed:
Of course, it won’t go directly on the FIFA rankings because some teams currently ranked inside the top 32 (I’m looking at you, the Netherlands, USA and Iceland) may not qualify for Russia.
More from FIFA on how this will work:
The USMNT will likely be in Pot 3, if they qualify, meaning another Group of Death scenario is very real. Who said FIFA’s world rankings didn’t mean anything…
Via Paul Carr from ESPN, below is a look at the projected four pots for the World Cup draw.
USMNT drop in latest FIFA world rankings.
By Joe Prince-Wright
Germany have overtaken Brazil to top the rankings, while Portugal move up three places to third, Argentina slip one place to fourth and Belgium move up four spots to fifth.
The USMNT have dropped two places to 28th and given their defeat to Costa Rica and draw at Honduras over the last international break it is likely the Star and Stripes will fall further in the next set of rankings following the upcoming international break next month. Mexico remains the highest-ranked CONCACAF team as they stay 14th in the world and Costa Rica remain in 21st.
Big climbers include Northern Ireland who move up to 20th, their highest-ever position, while Wales moves up to 13th to become the highest-ranked British side ahead of England in 15th.
Other big movers include Denmark who moved up a whopping 20 places to 26th, while Scotland is up 15 places to 43rd and Bolivia moved up 22 places to 46th.
Below is the top 30 of the latest FIFA rankings.
1. Germany
2. Brazil
3. Portugal
4. Argentina
5. Belgium
6. Poland
7. Switzerland
8. France
9. Chile
10. Colombia
11. Spain
12. Peru
13. Wales
14. Mexico
15. England
16. Uruguay
17. Italy
18. Croatia
19. Slovakia
20. Northern Ireland
21. Costa Rica
22. Iceland
23. Sweden
24. Ukraine
25. Iran
26. Denmark
27. Turkey
28. USA
29. Netherlands
30. Egypt
Champions League wrap: Ronaldo leads Madrid; Besiktas posts big W.
By Nicholas Mendola
Four terrific goals at Wembley Stadium were met by plenty more around the continent as the second batch of UEFA Champions League groups kicked off play on Wednesday.
Tottenham Hotspur 3-1 Borussia Dortmund – RECAP
Son started the scoring with a terrific solo run down the left flank, turning the corner on Sokratis and then blasting a shot over the shoulder of Roman Burki.
Yarmolenko looked an able addition with a wonderful curling rip from atop the 18 to make it 1-1.
That’s when Kane gave the match its third goal within the first 15 minutes, and Burki was again victimized short side. Kane’s shot swept around Burki and may’ve even just kissed the post on its way to Spurs’ 2-1 lead. He’d add a second later.
Feyenoord 0-4 Manchester City — RECAP
A John Stones brace? Why not?
This one was supposed to be a tougher ask for City, but Pep’s men have pulled into a controlling position through Stones’ second minute marker and a Sergio Aguero goal off a Kyle Walker cross in the 10th.
Gabriel Jesus deposited a rebound to make it 3-0 after ex-Liverpool man Brad Jones pushed Benjamin Mendy‘s shot back away from goal. Stones nabbed the club’s fourth goal in the second half, nodding a David Silva cross home.
Liverpool 2-2 Sevilla — RECAP
Sevilla’s attack was always going to ask questions of the Reds’ defense, and it’s Wissam Bin Yedder’s fifth minute goal that has Liverpool trailing at Anfield.
Predictably, Liverpool had an answer, and it was Roberto Firmino who knotted the score line with a 21st answer goal. Then Mohamed Salah, no stranger to European competition, did some work of his own to make it 2-1 before the break.
It looked set for 3-1, but a Sadio Mane-won penalty was put off the post by Firmino. That would come back to haunt the Reds, as Joaquin Correa was given acres of space to level the score in the 72nd minute.
Porto 1-3 Besiktas
Anderson Talisca, Cenk Tosun, and ex-Liverpool man Ryan Babel scored as Turkey’s powers opened their bid for a winnable group. It won’t be easy, and Dusko Tosic’s own goal briefly had it level in Portugal.
Real Madrid 3-0 APOEL Nicosia
Cristiano Ronaldo is okay when it comes to this UEFA Champions League thing, you know? The Portuguese 32-year-old scored two on the day, the second a penalty kick.
Sergio Ramos added to the fun with an overhead goal, as the reigning champs twice-over look fine at home.
Shakhtar Donetsk 2-1 Napoli
Raise your hand if you had Napoli down early in Ukraine. Those with ’em up have Taison to thank for the 15th minute opener, and feel downright psychic thanks to Facundo Ferreyra‘s second-half insurance goal. Arkadiusz Milik pulled one back for the visitors with a 71st minute penalty kick.
RB Leipzig 1-1 Monaco
Emil Forsberg scored for the hosts just after the half-hour mark at Germany’s Red Bull Arena, with Youri Tielemans not needing long to answer for the 2017 semifinalists.
Maribor 1-1 Spartak Moscow
Alexander Samedov, Russia’s lone goal scorer against Mexico at this summer’s Confederations Cup, scored Spartak’s goal at the Ljudski Vrt, but the hosts’ Damjan Bohar netted in the 85th minute to split the points.
NCAAFB: No. 22 USF faces Illinois coming off weather-imposed layoff.
By Fred Goodall
Week five builds up to a crescendo with two matches between some of the league’s top teams. Arsenal travels nearly 10 miles to Southwest London to face Chelsea, before Jose Mourinho and Manchester United host plummeting Everton and former club legend, Wayne Rooney.
On Saturday, Crystal Palace’s new boss Roy Hodgson takes charge of his first game as the Eagles host Southampton and Tottenham return to Wembley Stadium, four days after winning there in the UEFA Champions League.
Here’s a closer look at this week’s top storylines heading into Premier League Week 5.
1. Can Arsenal break road woes?
After a pair of wins, including a comeback victory at home in the UEFA Europa League over FC Cologne, Arsenal face another big test when it faces Chelsea.
Chelsea has rebounded well since its opening-day blues, and the club has won four-straight matches in all competitions, including a 6-0 rout of Qarabag.
Outside of last year’s 3-0 loss at the Emirates, Chelsea hasn’t lost to Arsenal in Premier League since 2011, and it’s unlikely to happen again, especially at Stamford Bridge.
Arsenal’s displays at Stoke City and Liverpool show the side isn’t ready to be among the Premier League’s elite again, and Chelsea is likely to frustrate the Gunners while scoring one or two goals via stars Eden Hazard and Alvaro Morata.
2. Manchester United host Wayne Rooney
It’s a bittersweet return to Old Trafford for Wayne Rooney.
The 31-year-old became Man United’s all-time leading goalscorer with 253 goals during his 13-year spell at the club but was unceremoniously forced out by Jose Mourinho after being a bit-part player last season. Now, with Everton struggling mightily both in the Premier League and in Europe, Rooney will be counted on to produce a memorable result on the road.
Mourinho’s men failed to take advantage of their chances against Stoke City last weekend but they’ll be favored to get the result at home against Everton.
3. What will Roy do?
Crystal Palace took the unconventional division to fire Frank De Boer following the club’s 1-0 defeat to Burnley, and Crystal Palace quickly installed former England manager Roy Hodgson as the club’s new boss.
Hodgson has plenty of time – if he’s given a whole season – to rescue the team from the Premier League cellar, but it’s a big question as to how he will play. In the past with Fulham and West Bromwich Albion, Hodgson has encouraged a more expansive type of play, but at Crystal Palace he’ll likely be pressured or asked to play a hard-nosed, defensive style.
Hodgson has his first test on Saturday, against Southampton.
4. Tottenham look to put an end to Wembley voodoo
Tottenham blasted one side of the club’s “Wembley curse” with a comprehensive 3-1 win over Borussia Dortmund Tuesday in the Champions League but the club still hasn’t won there in Premier League action.
Now, in the middle of a three-game span with three straight home games, Tottenham can put an end to the talk about struggling at the England National Team’s home when the club faces Paul Clement and Swansea City.
Draw details for 2018 World Cup finalized.
By Joe Prince-Wright
(Photo/Getty Images)
“What does this mean for the U.S. national team?” was your first question, wasn’t it?
Okay, let’s not get ahead of ourselves here. With two key 2018 World Cup qualifiers to come against Panama and Trinidad and Tobago next month, the USMNT still have plenty to do before they stamp their ticket to Russia.
Still, it’s fun to figure out who the U.S. might get if they do make it, right?
On Thursday it was announced that FIFA has finalized exactly how the draw for the 2018 World Cup (due to take place in Moscow on Dec. 1) will work. After the Organizing Committee for FIFA Competitions met in Zurich, they decided that the seeding of teams will be based on the October FIFA World Rankings.
So, the U.S. being bumped down to 28th place on Thursday wasn’t too helpful for the September rankings, but they could turn things around a little with two wins in World Cup qualifying next month.
The seedings will be as followed:
- Pot 1: Hosts Russia plus the top seven teams according to the rankings
- Pot 2: Teams ranked 7-15
- Pot 3: Teams ranked 16-24
- Pot 4: Team ranked 24-32
Of course, it won’t go directly on the FIFA rankings because some teams currently ranked inside the top 32 (I’m looking at you, the Netherlands, USA and Iceland) may not qualify for Russia.
More from FIFA on how this will work:
“Allocation: All teams will be allocated to pots 1 to 4 based on sporting principles with each pot containing eight teams. This means that the October 2017 edition of the FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking will be used to allocate all qualified teams to the four pots according to their ranking in descending order, with the best seven teams along with hosts Russia in pot 1. The principle of drawing the teams into the groups will remain unchanged. No teams from the same confederation, with the exception of UEFA, which could have up to two teams in the same group, will be drawn into the same group.
Group formation: Eight groups of four teams will be labelled A to H: the four pots will be emptied completely by allocating one of their eight teams to each of the eight groups.”What does this mean for CONCACAF? Well, it seems likely Mexico will be in Pot 2, with Costa Rica potentially bumped up to Pot 2 depending on how some of the UEFA teams ranked above them far in the playoffs many will likely be involved in.
The USMNT will likely be in Pot 3, if they qualify, meaning another Group of Death scenario is very real. Who said FIFA’s world rankings didn’t mean anything…
Via Paul Carr from ESPN, below is a look at the projected four pots for the World Cup draw.
USMNT drop in latest FIFA world rankings.
By Joe Prince-Wright
(Photo/Getty Images)
The latest set of FIFA world rankings are out and the U.S. national team has dropped a few spots.
Germany have overtaken Brazil to top the rankings, while Portugal move up three places to third, Argentina slip one place to fourth and Belgium move up four spots to fifth.
The USMNT have dropped two places to 28th and given their defeat to Costa Rica and draw at Honduras over the last international break it is likely the Star and Stripes will fall further in the next set of rankings following the upcoming international break next month. Mexico remains the highest-ranked CONCACAF team as they stay 14th in the world and Costa Rica remain in 21st.
Big climbers include Northern Ireland who move up to 20th, their highest-ever position, while Wales moves up to 13th to become the highest-ranked British side ahead of England in 15th.
Other big movers include Denmark who moved up a whopping 20 places to 26th, while Scotland is up 15 places to 43rd and Bolivia moved up 22 places to 46th.
Below is the top 30 of the latest FIFA rankings.
1. Germany
2. Brazil
3. Portugal
4. Argentina
5. Belgium
6. Poland
7. Switzerland
8. France
9. Chile
10. Colombia
11. Spain
12. Peru
13. Wales
14. Mexico
15. England
16. Uruguay
17. Italy
18. Croatia
19. Slovakia
20. Northern Ireland
21. Costa Rica
22. Iceland
23. Sweden
24. Ukraine
25. Iran
26. Denmark
27. Turkey
28. USA
29. Netherlands
30. Egypt
Champions League wrap: Ronaldo leads Madrid; Besiktas posts big W.
By Nicholas Mendola
(AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
Four terrific goals at Wembley Stadium were met by plenty more around the continent as the second batch of UEFA Champions League groups kicked off play on Wednesday.
Tottenham Hotspur 3-1 Borussia Dortmund – RECAP
Son started the scoring with a terrific solo run down the left flank, turning the corner on Sokratis and then blasting a shot over the shoulder of Roman Burki.
Yarmolenko looked an able addition with a wonderful curling rip from atop the 18 to make it 1-1.
That’s when Kane gave the match its third goal within the first 15 minutes, and Burki was again victimized short side. Kane’s shot swept around Burki and may’ve even just kissed the post on its way to Spurs’ 2-1 lead. He’d add a second later.
Feyenoord 0-4 Manchester City — RECAP
A John Stones brace? Why not?
This one was supposed to be a tougher ask for City, but Pep’s men have pulled into a controlling position through Stones’ second minute marker and a Sergio Aguero goal off a Kyle Walker cross in the 10th.
Gabriel Jesus deposited a rebound to make it 3-0 after ex-Liverpool man Brad Jones pushed Benjamin Mendy‘s shot back away from goal. Stones nabbed the club’s fourth goal in the second half, nodding a David Silva cross home.
Liverpool 2-2 Sevilla — RECAP
Sevilla’s attack was always going to ask questions of the Reds’ defense, and it’s Wissam Bin Yedder’s fifth minute goal that has Liverpool trailing at Anfield.
Predictably, Liverpool had an answer, and it was Roberto Firmino who knotted the score line with a 21st answer goal. Then Mohamed Salah, no stranger to European competition, did some work of his own to make it 2-1 before the break.
It looked set for 3-1, but a Sadio Mane-won penalty was put off the post by Firmino. That would come back to haunt the Reds, as Joaquin Correa was given acres of space to level the score in the 72nd minute.
Porto 1-3 Besiktas
Anderson Talisca, Cenk Tosun, and ex-Liverpool man Ryan Babel scored as Turkey’s powers opened their bid for a winnable group. It won’t be easy, and Dusko Tosic’s own goal briefly had it level in Portugal.
Real Madrid 3-0 APOEL Nicosia
Cristiano Ronaldo is okay when it comes to this UEFA Champions League thing, you know? The Portuguese 32-year-old scored two on the day, the second a penalty kick.
Sergio Ramos added to the fun with an overhead goal, as the reigning champs twice-over look fine at home.
Shakhtar Donetsk 2-1 Napoli
Raise your hand if you had Napoli down early in Ukraine. Those with ’em up have Taison to thank for the 15th minute opener, and feel downright psychic thanks to Facundo Ferreyra‘s second-half insurance goal. Arkadiusz Milik pulled one back for the visitors with a 71st minute penalty kick.
RB Leipzig 1-1 Monaco
Emil Forsberg scored for the hosts just after the half-hour mark at Germany’s Red Bull Arena, with Youri Tielemans not needing long to answer for the 2017 semifinalists.
Maribor 1-1 Spartak Moscow
Alexander Samedov, Russia’s lone goal scorer against Mexico at this summer’s Confederations Cup, scored Spartak’s goal at the Ljudski Vrt, but the hosts’ Damjan Bohar netted in the 85th minute to split the points.
NCAAFB: No. 22 USF faces Illinois coming off weather-imposed layoff.
By Fred Goodall
No. 22 South Florida feels blessed to be playing again, facing Illinois a week after Hurricane Irma interrupted the Bulls' season.
The families of first responders are among the people coach Charlie Strong has invited to join the teams for the nationally televised game that's also a homecoming of sorts for Illini's Lovie Smith, the former coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
USF (2-0) returns to action after last week's American Athletic Conference opener at Connecticut was postponed due to Irma, the massive storm that affected communities throughout the Sunshine State.
''First and foremost, just so blessed that we are safe,'' said Strong, who's also opening the gates to Raymond James Stadium to all high school teams in Florida.
''I wake up every day in my world, and it's just centered around football,'' the coach added. ''What we went through the past few days puts everything in perspective. It's more than just football. It's about us coming together as a community.''
The Bulls hope to fill more seats than usual at Raymond James Stadium while also showing their appreciation for the contributions of first responders, who are being offered up to four tickets apiece.
The Tampa Bay area was not hit as hard as some areas of the state, however Strong said it's important to remember how others were impacted.
''It's all about us giving back,'' the coach said. ''It's going to take a while (for storm victims to recover), we know that. We just want to make sure people understand that we're not going through what they're going through, but we can help them get through what they're going through.''
Illinois (2-0) can match it victory total for all of last year, Smith's first at the Big Ten school, who hired the former NFL coach after the Bucs fired him following the 2015 season.
The one-time Chicago Bears coach went 8-24 in two seasons with the Bucs, who like USF, play their home games at Raymond James Stadium.
Illini defensive coordinator Hardy Nickerson played most of his NFL career with Tampa Bay, and safeties coach Donnie Abraham is an ex-Buc whose son, Devin, is USF's co-leader in interceptions with two.
''Playing a ranked opponent ... we know a lot about them,'' Smith said.
''One of our goals for our season was to start off 3-0,'' the Illini coach added, ''and now we're in position to do that.''
Some things to know about the Illini and Bulls:
FRIENDLY FOES
Strong and Smith are friends who have followed one another careers from afar, with each becoming head coaches after serving as defensive coordinators.
The USF coach, who took over the Bulls this year after being fired at Texas last season, said one of the proudest moments in the business was sitting in the rain at the Super Bowl in February 2007 and watching Smith's Bears lose to Tony Dungy's Indianapolis Colts.
''It was very significant because it was two African-American coaches, and as you're growing up, you never felt like that moment would ever come,'' Strong, then Florida's defensive coordinator, said.
''Now, you get a chance to sit and see it happen right in front of you. It was great,'' the USF coach added. ''I think the best part of it was they were really good friends. They had a great relationship with one another. You didn't want to see either one of them lose because of the relationship they had. ... I was so happy for both of them.''
TOUGH CHALLENGE
Illinois limited Western Kentucky to six yards rushing last week, but faces a formidable task in containing USF dual-threat quarterback Quinton Flowers, the AAC's offensive player of the year last season.
The 6-foot, 215-pound senior accounted for 42 touchdowns in 2016, throwing for over 2,800 yards while also ranking in the nation in rushing among quarterbacks behind Heisman Trophy winner Lamar Jackson.
''He can do it all. It's documented that he's a great athlete,'' Smith said. ''He can run and move the chains with his legs, but he's an accurate thrower, too. When you're that type of athlete, you can buy time to be able to get the ball off.''
SENSE OF URGENCY
USF overcame slow starts to win each of its first two games, rebounding from a 16-point deficit to beat San Jose State and playing away late to defeat Stony Brook. With the start to their conference schedule delayed by Hurricane Irma, the Bulls haven't played in two weeks.
The Bulls are 0-5 against Big Ten teams, losing to Penn State in 2005, Michigan State in 2013, Wisconsin in 2014 and Maryland in 2014 and 2015.
By Jeff Eisenberg
Football has long been a male-dominated domain, but women are gradually putting their own stamp on the sport. This week, Yahoo Sports will examine the inroads that women have made at every level of the game.
As her middle school’s football coach tried in vain to find a player capable of kicking field goals or extra points, Emma Baker and her dad watched with amusement from the across the field.
“You could probably help them,” Jim Baker joked to his daughter after a flurry of shanks and mishits.
Then he gave it a little more thought.
“Seriously, Emma, maybe you should give this a try,” he said.
Emma Baker scoffed at her father’s idea at first. Even though she was an accomplished soccer player with by far her team’s strongest leg, she had never once kicked a football before. She also worried how her peers in Temecula, California, would react to a girl trying out for the football team.
It took about a week for Baker’s family to persuade her, but she and her dad eventually returned to the football field one summer afternoon to explore whether she had any natural kicking ability.
The first field goal Baker attempted was from 30 yards. She nailed it. The second was from a bit farther back. Good again. Soon afterward, some of her school’s football coaches approached her to ask how long she had been kicking.
“It was all leg strength and raw talent,” Baker said. “I had no technique. I didn’t know how to do anything. I basically kicked it like what I’d do for a goal kick in soccer and it went through.”
In the four years since she first sent a ball through the uprights, Baker has evolved from a toe-kicking novice to high school football’s most accomplished female kicker.
Baker helped Rancho Christian High School win a state title in California’s lowest-enrollment division in 2016 by converting 75-of-78 extra points and eight-of-10 field goals. The 6-foot senior has even bigger goals this year: Landing a college scholarship and connecting from 49 or more yards to break the record for longest field goal ever made by a female kicker.
That’s how far the dream stretches for Baker, whose football success has even surprised herself. It begs the question: What’s the farthest a female kicker can realistically advance competing against men?
High school senior Emma Baker has hit a 52-yard field goal in practice. (Photo courtesy of Erin Baker and LarasLens.com)
A woman kicking in the NFL remains the stuff of Disney movies for now, but some strong-willed female pioneers are making inroads at the college level.
Liz Heaston became the first woman to score in a college game in September 1997 when she kicked two extra points for Willamette University, an NAIA school in Salem, Oregon. Katie Hnida became the first to achieve the same feat at college football’s highest level in August 2003 when she kicked a pair of extra points for New Mexico. That same year, Tonya Butler became the first woman to kick a field goal in a college game for Division II West Alabama.
Leg strength is often the biggest discrepancy between top female kickers and the male prospects pursued by major-conference college programs. The best female prospects so far haven’t proven themselves dependable beyond 45 yards, nor do most of them consistently send kickoffs into the end zone for touchbacks.
“That’s the measuring stick for a big-time school,” said Hugo Castellanos, a former kicker at UTEP who now runs camps for snappers, holders and kickers in California. “They want a kid with good leg strength and accuracy who can give you that four-second hang time and put it five yards deep in the end zone.”
No female kicker had ever received a college scholarship until this year when a determined Arizona teen with a booming leg busted through that barrier. Becca Longo accepted a scholarship offer from Division II Adams State last spring and began her freshman season this month as the Grizzlies’ backup kicker.
Longo first dabbled with kicking as a high school freshman and soon discovered she enjoyed it far more than she did playing soccer. She began training with former University of Arizona kicker Alex Zendejas, who offered guidance on her form, helped increase her range to nearly 50 yards and persuaded her to explore the possibility of playing in college.
“It didn’t even cross my mind that college football was even a possibility for me until halfway through my senior season,” Longo said. “My dad was always like, ‘We’re not trying for college,’ and Alex was like, ‘Why not? She can do it. Why wouldn’t she?’ That’s when I started putting film together and sending out some highlights.”
When Adams State football coach Timm Rosenbach watched video of Longo, her consistency from inside 40 yards intrigued him enough to invite her to visit the school’s campus in Alamosa, Colorado. Rosenbach envisioned a scenario in which Longo was near automatic on short and mid-range field goals and a second kicker handled kickoffs and field goals of 50 yards or beyond.
Since Rosenbach is married to a former women’s pro volleyball player and has two daughters who also play sports, he connected easily with Longo during her visit and was instantly comfortable with the possibility of coaching a woman. Rosenbach didn’t have the same anxieties as other coaches who feared that adding a female player could disrupt team chemistry or generate excessive media attention.
“The fact that she wanted to do it was a big thing to me because it takes a lot of strength and courage to put yourself out there like that,” Rosenbach said. “You’ve got to be mentally tough to be willing to do that. That’s the No. 1 quality I’m looking for in a kicker is mental toughness. This is what she wants to do, and she doesn’t want to be just OK at it. She wants to be excellent.”
Longo may not be college football’s only female scholarship kicker much longer given the promising girls in the classes behind her.
At a time when fewer boys are playing football amid concerns over the potential long-term hazards of repeated concussions, the number of female players is steadily rising. More than 2,100 girls played high school football last year according to the National Federation of State High School Associations, nearly 10 times as many played a quarter century ago and more than twice as many played as recently as 2007.
While some of those girls further challenge gender norms by playing every-down positions like wide receiver, running back or linebacker, many female high school football players are kickers. It’s a natural transition for strong-legged girls with soccer backgrounds and no desire to withstand frequent hits.
Savannah Curtis, one of the state of Wisconsin’s elite soccer players, has started at kicker for Lodi High School the past two years and hit a 40-yard field goal last year. Sydney Gormley, also a two-year starter at kicker for Lakewood High in Arlington, Washington, converted an onside kick and hit a game-winning 32-yard field goal on the same night last October. Savanna Melton established herself as one of the state of Arkansas’ premier kickers last season by connecting on seven of nine field-goal attempts and 56-of-58 extra points.
“Am I going to be amazed if five years down the road we’re talking about girl kickers in Division I? No, I think it’s going to happen because I’m already seeing the next generation coming in,” said Zendejas, who runs camps and trains kickers in Arizona. “I think girls soccer is bigger than boys soccer here in the U.S. A lot of these girls soccer players, they’re not scared to try to kick a football. When they show some potential, they’re like, ‘Wow, I can do this.'”
That’s an attitude that reflects how much has changed since football’s first female kicker made her debut.
Adams State freshman Becca Longo became the first female kicker to receive a college scholarship. (Photo courtesy of Bob Longo)
The first time a girl kicked in a high school football game, it was a shameless publicity stunt.
Luverne Wise Albert kicked extra points for the Escambia County football team anytime the Alabama school led by more than 20 points during the 1939 and 1940 seasons. She wore a white blouse, a blue skirt and no football pads during games. The school promoted her appearances with flyers and posters, drawing busloads of curious fans eager to witness the spectacle.
It has become much more common for high schools to have female kickers during the past quarter century, but gender discrimination often still persists. Girls typically must prove themselves to their teammates and coaches to gain acceptance and respect.
When lifelong soccer player Elise Chaffin tried out last year for the football team at Heritage High in Littleton, Colorado, she had kicked for only a few months. She would study YouTube videos of NFL kickers and attempt to emulate their technique.
Heritage High had a shortage of capable kickers, so Chaffin landed a spot on the school’s JV team as a freshman even though she initially couldn’t make a kick longer than an extra point. Anytime she botched a short kick during practice, Chaffin became an easy target for jokes.
“I was a freshman, I was a kicker and I was a girl, not really the best combination already, and then I also couldn’t kick very far since I didn’t really know what I was doing,” she said. “That’s initially what happened to my reputation. All the guys saw me not being very good and that was their first impression.”
Even though Chaffin improved rapidly in practice over the course of the season, the Heritage High coaches were reluctant to trust her in games. The JV team repeatedly went for it on fourth down in field-goal range and often attempted two-point conversions after touchdowns rather than sending Chaffin in to kick an extra point.
In overtime of the JV team’s final game of the season last November, Chaffin finally received the chance to attempt a field goal for the first time all year. She calmly jogged onto the field and hit a 37-yarder to win the game, a kick that boosted her confidence and gave her credibility in the eyes of some of her skeptical teammates.
“I got picked up and carried off the field,” Chaffin said. “I was like, ‘Oh, you guys actually like me.'”
For female kickers, the battle for legitimacy typically doesn’t end with gaining the support of their own team. Some have endured taunts on social media or heckling from opposing fans trying to get in their head. Others have withstood helmet-rattling hits from opposing players eager for a rare chance to waylay a girl. And nearly all of them have experienced opposing players trying to flirt with them in between plays.
“When I take my helmet off and I’m going through the handshake line, I get a lot of ‘Daaaammn’,” Longo said. “I can’t help but laugh. Even the guys on their line will tell my guys on the line, ‘Hey, can you give me your kicker’s number?'”
High school sophomore Elise Chaffin dreams of kicking for Navy or Air Force someday. (Photo courtesy of Chris Sailer)
The best female kickers typically find a way to transform the constant fight for credibility into a positive. A crucial fourth-quarter field-goal attempt doesn’t faze them as much as it might a male kicker because they’re already accustomed to the pressure of having to prove themselves with every kick.
Emma Baker epitomizes that trait so much that her teammates at Rancho Christian have nicknamed her “Money.” She’s almost automatic from inside 45 yards and she has shown range out to 52 yards in practice.
“She’s somewhere between a Division I and Division II kicker,” Rancho Christian coach Jim Kunau said. “Her height and accuracy is something that will be prized. Once she expands her range a bit and proves she’s accurate from the high 40s, coaches like that consistency. That’s the thing she does better than any other kicker I’ve had. She’s the most consistent of all of them.”
For Baker, earning a football or sand volleyball scholarship might be her only path to attending college debt-free. Sometime in the next month or so, Baker will begin inundating football and volleyball coaches across the West Coast with highlight videos of her putting away kills as a star outside hitter or sending footballs into orbit.
“It’s too much money for us to pay for Emma to go to a big college,” her father said. “That’s not really an option. We’re not a rich family. I’m a contractor. We have good years and we have terrible years. I told her it’s really important for her to use the skills she has to help her get through college.”
One advantage Baker has over other female kickers is a mentor who has endured many of the same challenges she has. She and hair and makeup artist Heidi Villa have grown close since a mutual kicking coach introduced them three years ago.
Just like Baker, Villa was a soccer standout who began messing around kicking footballs in eighth grade. Villa became a three-year starter at King High School in Riverside, California, set a national record for female kickers with a 48-yarder in September 2004 and eventually went on to play soccer in college at UC Riverside.
In addition to attending several Rancho Christian games the past couple years, Villa also came to Baker’s house last spring to do her hair and makeup before prom. She has witnessed firsthand Baker’s evolution from a strong-legged novice unsure whether she belonged in a male-dominated sport to a college-ready senior who’s a threat to surpass Villa’s record-setting kick.
“I hope I’m at the game she does it so I can shake her hand and congratulate her in person,” Villa said. “She’s such a wonderful young lady and a great, dedicated athlete. If she broke my record, I’d be honored.”
Drake to make 2018 trip to China.
Associated Press
(Photo/Associated Press)
The Drake football program will make a good-will trip to China next spring, the university announced Wednesday.
The trip, scheduled for May 22 to June 4, will leverage longstanding partnerships the university has in China. The team's agenda is expected to include a public celebration of American football, including youth football clinics; volunteer service work; visits to the U.S. Embassy, Forbidden City palace complex and Shijiazhuang; and a hike along the Great Wall of China.
"Our student-athletes will develop as athletes, individuals and global citizens through their experiences in China," Drake president Marty Martin said, "and will strengthen the university's partnerships in that country through a commitment to ethics and integrity both on and off the playing field."
Drake, a private university of about 5,000 located in Des Moines, Iowa, is a member of the Missouri Valley Conference, but its FCS football team plays in the Pioneer Football League under coach Rick Fox.
The international trip will be the Bulldogs' second this decade. In 2011, they traveled to Tanzania for the Global Kilimanjaro Bowl, the first intercollegiate game of American football on African soil.
NCAABKB: Kentucky Basketball: 2017-18 Wildcats are unlike any team before them.
By Tevis Woolery
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(Photo/Brian Spurlock/USA TODAY Sports)
John Calipari has truly never coached a team like this before.
Kentucky fans know by now that John Calipari likes a certain kind of roster. Looking through his history dating back to Memphis, his rosters often include terrific athletes whose athleticism may sometimes come at the cost of shooting ability.
Think Liggins, Kidd-Gilchrist, Poythress, and Briscoe – all good players in their own right. These guys may not have ever been great dynamic scorers, but they filled important roles on the defensive end and could take advantage of their size to get to the basket.
This year’s team is similar in that way. Hamidou Diallo and Jarred Vanderbilt are spectacular athletes who will bring a whole lot to the basketball court. They just aren't known for their shooting touch.
Calipari’s good teams have also featured great point guards running the show. Brandon Knight, Andrew Harrison in 2014, Tyler Ulis in 2016, and De’Aaron Fox last season were the deciding factor in their team’s ultimate success. We’ve seen what can happen when a Calipari team lacks a great point guard (is that Ryan Harrow’s music!?) and it led to an NIT loss against Bobby Mo’.
The greatest Calipari teams have had both of the above and a dominating low post presence. Pairing dynamic point guards and versatile forwards with big burly beasts in the paint have proven to be Cal’s master stroke. Rose, Douglas-Roberts, and Dorsey fit the billing during his best year at Memphis.
Wall, Bledsoe, and Cousins brought the recipe to Rupp. Harrison/Ulis, Lyles/Booker, and Towns/Johnson showed that you can have the components in two entirely separate units (man, that team).
The National Championship winning 2012 Cats didn't follow this exact formula – Anthony Davis follows his own rules – but you can see the trend. Great point guard, role-filling wings, low post presence.
The 2017-18 Kentucky Wildcats are shaping up to the most unusual, untraditional, and several other words beginning with un– of all Calipari teams to date. The roles have been flipped. The point guard and center positions are no longer the front page of the opponent’s scouting reports. Nor are the athletic wings the role players of the team.
This year’s Cats are filled with long, versatile forwards who project to be the emphasis of the offensive and defensive game plan. Point guard Quade Green will likely be a role player whose job is to make sure the hungry mouths are fed. Big man Nick Richards isn't going to be a scorer, but has his own role as a shot blocker and rebounder.
This team will rise and fall with its wings. In transition, Diallo and Kevin Knox should be a terror. On defense, Jarred Vanderbilt and P.J. Washington should be able to switch everything. Versatility is the special sauce of this group. By the end of the year, the sound of Calipari whispering the word “positionless” will echo in our sleep.
The makeup of the roster is clearly a break in the usual Calipari mold, but the group is unprecedented in another way. Ahh, experience. The term is used every year by talking heads to hype up college basketball darlings like Villanova and Wichita State. With so much yearning for experience, especially in this sport, I think that its importance to a basketball team has become inflated over the years.
If anything, Calipari has proven that experience isn't that necessary for a team overall. However, he’s almost always had a vital player or two that had spent a year as a heavily featured piece in his system. Patrick Patterson, Darius Miller, the twins, Willie Cauley-Stein and recently Isaiah Briscoe were hugely important to the Wildcats’ success after returning for a sophomore or junior (dare I say senior?) season.
You probably know by now that the leading returnee of last year’s group is Wenyen Gabriel. Maybe you didn't know that in the last seven games, beginning with the start of the SEC tournament, Gabriel only logged more than 10 minutes once. He scored a total of five points in that span.
The last time a Kentucky team’s most experienced returning player averaged less than 18 minutes per game the season prior was the 2013 team and Kyle Wiltjer. Even still they had Jarrod Polson and a grad-transfer in Julius Mays who had played three years in the ACC and Horizon League. This year’s group won't lose to Bobby Mo’ in the NIT, but it goes to show that even Cal hasn't been faced with coaching this much inexperience.
The Cats will be fascinating to watch this season. Fans have been calling for a true small forward ever since MKG. Now we have two. The enigma that is Diallo has left us wondering what he’d look like in blue ever since he joined the team midway through last season. Now he’s the man.
There are six players on the roster between 6’5” and 6’9”. Wings on wings on wings. How will Cal use his rotation? He has at least ten players that are good enough to get real minutes. Will he platoon? (Nah. But he could.) Will he play nine guys come March or tighten it down to six or seven?
Cal has a bevy of options with this group and will be able to mix and match lineups to create all kinds of different play styles on the floor. Finding out which groups work the best together will be the challenge, and they will lose some games while he figures it out. Patience may be required.
When it comes down to it, the 2017-18 Kentucky Wildcats have depth. They have a fallout shelter’s supply worth of versatile hybrid wings who will run the show. They also have questions at the low post and a limited athlete set to man the point.
They have only one guy to have played any real minutes last season, who by year’s end was in the doghouse worse than Coach when he forgot to play Brad in the closing minutes of a sure win. Most people feel pretty good about this group, but has there ever been as little known about a team before Madness?
Duke and Arizona almost certainly have more talented starting lineups. They don't have the stable of horses Calipari has at his disposal. If it all comes together, Kentucky will have the most complete roster 1 through 10 in the country this season. In theory, there should be fresh legs ready to come off the bench at all times and give good minutes without being a liability.
Whether or not someone can become “the guy” late in games might determine whether or not a ninth trophy finds its way to Lexington. Knox and Diallo have the potential to be go-to guys, or will the Cats use their numbers to win close games by committee?
However it plays out, I’m excited to learn about this team. It is truly unlike any before them.
Chicago Bears vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Prediction. What's Your Take?
Newsline
CHICAGO BEARS (0-1) AT TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS (0-0)
KICKOFF: Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, Raymond James Stadium. TV: FOX, Dick Stockton, Mark Schlereth, Shannon Spake.
SERIES HISTORY: 58th regular season meeting. Bears leads series, 38-19. Tampa Bay won the most recent meeting, 38-10 at Raymond James Stadium in 2016. The teams played in 2011 in London with the Bears prevailing 24-18. Until 2002, the Bears and Bucs were in the NFC Central division.
KEYS TO THE GAME: As much as Bears rookie Tarik Cohen surprised much of the NFL with a breakout debut Sunday, at least one Bucs player knew exactly what he would face this week as Chicago comes to play Tampa Bay. “When I saw what he did in his first game, I wasn’t shocked at all,” said CB Ryan Smith, who played at North Carolina Central when Cohen played for rival North Carolina A&T. “He’s a great player, a great athlete. I played him my last two years, and he gave us hell.”
Stopping the Bears’ running game will be the biggest test for the Bucs. Chicago RB Jordan Howard will run downhill while Cohen will test the Bucs on the perimeter in the pass and run game. The Bucs are familiar with Bears QB Mike Glennon, but he has a deep knowledge of Tampa Bay’s defensive players.
Offensively, the Bucs figure to be rusty. Jameis Winston did not throw a touchdown pass in the preseason, but he has good rapport with WRs Mike Evans, Cameron Brate and Adam Humphries. Running the football is the key to the Bucs’ play-action game. But RB Jacquizz Rodgers has to carry the load the next three games while Doug Martin is serving a suspension. The Bears did a nice job against Falcons RB Devonta Freeman in Week 1 and will look to continue their strong running defense.
MATCHUPS TO WATCH:
–Bears QB Mike Glennon vs. Bucs QB Jameis Winston. Glennon, who started 18 games for the Bucs in his career, was the backup for Winston the last two seasons in Tampa Bay. He knows the Bucs’ defense, and he is looking to bounce back from a narrow loss in Week 1 despite a decent performance.
–Bears DE Akiem Hicks vs. Bucs RG J.R. Sweezy. Less than 48 hours after signing a contract extension, Hicks had three tackles and two sacks last week against Atlanta. Sweezy is making his first regular-season start for the Bucs after spending 2016 on injured reserve.
PLAYER SPOTLIGHT: Bears RB Jordan Howard. Howard was so upset after last week’s loss that he did not talk to reporters. A big reason for Howard’s disappointment was a dropped pass near the front of the end zone that could have represented a go-ahead touchdown. The second-year running back is looking for a more satisfying Week 2 after rushing for 52 yards and a touchdown against Atlanta. Standing in Howard’s way will be Buccaneers LBs Kendall Beckwith, Kwon Alexander and Lavonte David. The linebacking corps might not gain the same headlines as the defensive line or secondary, but its success is vital to preventing Howard and his teammates from breaking big plays.
FAST FACTS: Bears RB Tarik Cohen racked up 158 all-purpose yards in the season opener, which marked a franchise record for a team rookie in his debut performance. … WR DeSean Jackson will make his debut with the Buccaneers. Since the 2009 season, he ranks fifth in the league with 8,819 receiving yards. … Bears TE Zach Miller has nine touchdown receptions since 2015, which is most on the team. But he is fighting for targets alongside fellow TEs Dion Sims and Adam Shaheen, a rookie second-round pick. … Bucs S T.J. Ward will make his debut. Ward registered 87 tackles with the Broncos last season and has posted two seasons with 100 tackles.
PREDICTION: The Bears battled the Falcons hard in Week 1, and no reason exists to think they will show any less effort in Week 2 against Tampa Bay. Still, at the end of the day, the team with more talent prevails.
OUR PICK: Buccaneers, 24-20. (Wrong Answer)
Chicago Sports & Travel, Inc./AllsportsAmerica Take: We feel the Bears are one of the most underrated teams in the NFL. They have some very young, inexperienced but talented players. They're going to need them as the injury bug is starting to ravage the team. Three key injuries in the last preseason and season opener games. The good thing is that there is depth on this team. The players are young, eager, faster and have a desire to win. They also have a few wily veterans that are willing to work with the youngsters and share knowledge and experiences. It's a win-win situation. The culture at Halas Hall has changed, no more Que sara sara, (What will be, will be), now it's, "Why not us?" We're as good as anyone.
They played Atlanta very hard last week and really should have won that game. A couple of defensive mistakes doomed them but they learned that they can play with anyone. The prognosticators say that they will be 0-4 after their first four games, nah, wrong answer....... The Bears will come out firing with everything they have this week and will leave Tampa Bay with a victory. Watch the rookies and second year players they will lead this team to victory. Our prediction, Bears 24, Buccaneers 20.
Well there you have it, our take. We'd love to know what you think and what's your take? Please go to the comment section at the bottom of this blog and share your thoughts with us. Thanks in advance for your comments and please know that we truly love hearing from you.
The Chicago Sports & Travel, Inc./AllsportsAmerica Editorial Staff
On This Date in Sports History: Today is Friday, September 15, 2017.
Memoriesofhistory.com
1916 - Christy Mathewson (Cincinnati Reds) won his 373rd career game. It was the only victory he had earned for a team other than the New York Giants during his 17-year career.
1959 - The $32 million Aqueduct, operated by the New York Racing Association, opened.
1968 - Denny McLain (Detroit Tigers) became baseball's first 30-game winner in 34 years. Dizzy Dean (St. Louis) had earned 30 wins in 1934.
1986 - Bob Brenley (San Francisco) tied a major league baseball record when he committed four errors in one inning.
1987 - Tony Magnuson cleared 9.5 feet above the top of the U-ramp and set a new skateboard high jump record.
1987 - The Toronto Blue Jays set a club record of 10 home runs when the defeated the Baltimore Orioles 18-3.
1990 - Ken Griffey Sr. and Jr. (Seattle Mariners) hit back-to-back home runs off California Angels pitcher Kirk McCaskill in the first inning. The Angels won the game 7-5.
1994 - It was announced that the season was over for the National Baseball League on the 34th day of the players strike. The final days of the regular season were canceled. Baseball owners had voted 26-2 in favor of ending the season. The result was a year with no World Series for the first time since 1904.
1999 - Leon Lett (Dallas Cowboys) was suspended for seven games as punishment for a fifth violation of the NFL's substance abuse policy.
2002 - Tim Montgomery (American) set a world record in the 100 meters when he finished in 9.78 seconds. The previous record had been set in 1999 by Maurice Green (9.79 seconds).
2003 - Jamal Lewis (Baltimore Ravens) set an NFL record for yards gained in a single-game when he gained 295 yards rushing. The Ravens beat the Cleveland Browns 33-13.
2003 - Vinny Testaverde (New York Jets) became the ninth player in NFL history to pass for over 40,000 yards.
1959 - The $32 million Aqueduct, operated by the New York Racing Association, opened.
1968 - Denny McLain (Detroit Tigers) became baseball's first 30-game winner in 34 years. Dizzy Dean (St. Louis) had earned 30 wins in 1934.
1986 - Bob Brenley (San Francisco) tied a major league baseball record when he committed four errors in one inning.
1987 - Tony Magnuson cleared 9.5 feet above the top of the U-ramp and set a new skateboard high jump record.
1987 - The Toronto Blue Jays set a club record of 10 home runs when the defeated the Baltimore Orioles 18-3.
1990 - Ken Griffey Sr. and Jr. (Seattle Mariners) hit back-to-back home runs off California Angels pitcher Kirk McCaskill in the first inning. The Angels won the game 7-5.
1994 - It was announced that the season was over for the National Baseball League on the 34th day of the players strike. The final days of the regular season were canceled. Baseball owners had voted 26-2 in favor of ending the season. The result was a year with no World Series for the first time since 1904.
1999 - Leon Lett (Dallas Cowboys) was suspended for seven games as punishment for a fifth violation of the NFL's substance abuse policy.
2002 - Tim Montgomery (American) set a world record in the 100 meters when he finished in 9.78 seconds. The previous record had been set in 1999 by Maurice Green (9.79 seconds).
2003 - Jamal Lewis (Baltimore Ravens) set an NFL record for yards gained in a single-game when he gained 295 yards rushing. The Ravens beat the Cleveland Browns 33-13.
2003 - Vinny Testaverde (New York Jets) became the ninth player in NFL history to pass for over 40,000 yards.
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