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"Sports Quote of the Day"
“The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather a lack in will.” ~ Vince Lombardi, Former Football Player, Coach, Member of the Hall of Fame and Executive in the National Football League (NFL)
TRENDING: Mike Glennon officially named Bears starter, while a plan is in place for Mitch Trubisky. (See the football section for Bears news and NFL updates).
TRENDING: Who will be the Blackhawks breakout player in 2017-18? (See the hockey section for Blackhawks updates and NHL news).
TRENDING: Where Do We Go From Here? (Taken from sbnation.com/Chicago Bulls Fanpost, 09/05/2017). (See the basketball section for Bulls news and NBA updates).
TRENDING: Some good news for Cubs fans: Willson Contreras ‘really close’ to returning; White Sox bats quiet after Davidson's 3-run jack. See the baseball section for Cubs and White Sox updates).
TRENDING: Thomas outduels Spieth to win fifth title of '17. (See the golf section for PGA news and tournament updates).
TRENDING: NASCAR Power Rankings: Kyle Busch stays ahead of Martin Truex Jr. (See the NASCAR section for NASCAR news and racing updates).
TRENDING: Notes from the rewatch: Matt Polster's influence on the Fire; Honduras 1-1 USMNT: Wood leads heist as Yanks pilfer point. (See the soccer section for Fire news and worldwide soccer updates).
Bear Down Chicago Bears!!!!! Mike Glennon officially named Bears starter, while a plan is in place for Mitch Trubisky.
TRENDING: Where Do We Go From Here? (Taken from sbnation.com/Chicago Bulls Fanpost, 09/05/2017). (See the basketball section for Bulls news and NBA updates).
TRENDING: Some good news for Cubs fans: Willson Contreras ‘really close’ to returning; White Sox bats quiet after Davidson's 3-run jack. See the baseball section for Cubs and White Sox updates).
TRENDING: Thomas outduels Spieth to win fifth title of '17. (See the golf section for PGA news and tournament updates).
TRENDING: NASCAR Power Rankings: Kyle Busch stays ahead of Martin Truex Jr. (See the NASCAR section for NASCAR news and racing updates).
TRENDING: Notes from the rewatch: Matt Polster's influence on the Fire; Honduras 1-1 USMNT: Wood leads heist as Yanks pilfer point. (See the soccer section for Fire news and worldwide soccer updates).
Bear Down Chicago Bears!!!!! Mike Glennon officially named Bears starter, while a plan is in place for Mitch Trubisky.
By JJ Stankevitz
(Photo/sportsnewsgist.com)
As expected, John Fox named Mike Glennon the Bears’ Week 1 starting quarterback on Monday, though the Bears’ head coach declined to publicly detail what the team’s plan will be for Mitchell Trubisky going forward.
To that point, Fox wouldn’t say yet if Trubisky or Mark Sanchez would be the team’s backup against the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday. But Fox is confident in how the team will continue to develop Trubisky behind the scenes this fall.
“We’ve got a good plan for that,” Fox said. “I’d rather not share it with the planet, what our practice procedures are going to be. But I think our coaches have done an excellent job getting him the time and the reps to develop in the preseason and much of the same will happen in the regular season.”
With the preseason over, though, the Bears’ focus will turn to winning regular season games with Glennon — who was named a captain Monday along with offensive lineman Josh Sitton, linebacker Jerrell Freeman, safety Quintin Demps and cornerback/special teamer Sherrick McManis — as the team’s starting quarterback. Trubisky can still force a decision on when he’ll play if he convinces coaches he gives them a better chance to win than Glennon.
But that determination hasn’t been made yet, so on the Bears march with Glennon as their Week 1 starter.
“I like (Glennon’s) progress,” Fox said. “I like how he’s adapted. He’s a smart guy. He works at it hard. He’s very tireless — I like that about all three of our quarterbacks. We’ll get to wait and see.”
Tarik Cohen is feeling confident as first regular season test approaches.
By JJ Stankevitz
(Photo/USA Today Sports Images)
While Tarik Cohen had an impressive preseason, we haven’t seen all he can do within the Bears offense yet.
But Cohen caught 98 passes in his four years at North Carolina A&T, and the guy he’s favorably been compared to — Darren Sproles — has averaged about 48 receptions per year in his career. And consider what Jordan Howard had to say about the versatility of his fellow Bears running backs:
“They do a lot of stuff I can’t do, especially Tarik,” Howard said. “There’s a lot stuff — I don’t think there’s anything he can’t do.”
How Cohen can play off Howard, who rushed for 1,313 yards as a rookie last year, is one of the more optimistically intriguing things to watch for with this team starting Sunday. He proved his quickness and speed play at the NFL level over the last month, and also showed he can take a big hit and pop right back up.
All that success came against defenses that weren’t necessarily scheming against Cohen, of course, so there’s still plenty left for him to prove. But it’s hard to imagine him having a better preseason — and it’s easy to imagine what he can do when the regular season starts.
“I’m feeling pretty confident,” Cohen said. “I’ve got the offense down pat and I’ve got so much trust in my O-line and my capabilities and I feel like I’m going to have a good game as well as the other backs and the team.”
Bears: How Daniel Brown spent, and survived, cut-down weekend.
By JJ Stankevitz
(Photo/USA TODAY)
On Friday night, Bears tight end Daniel Brown turned on his alma mater’s season opener, kept his cell phone close and tried to distract himself from the anxiety of not knowing where he would be in 48 hours.
With Zach Miller, Dion Sims and Adam Shaheen all locked into roster spots, there was no guarantee the Bears would keep a fourth tight end. So Friday evening was, as Brown succinctly summed up, “long,” and he didn’t get a ton of sleep that night.
“You kind of hang everything on what you did hoping that it’s good enough and wondering if you’re going to be here this year, if you’re going to be somewhere else, if you’re going to be out of a job,” Brown said. “A lot of stuff goes in your mind, but it’s really out of your control because everything you’ve done up to that point is what you can control and then after that it’s out of your control.”
Brown felt confident in what he put on tape during training camp. A midseason waiver claim from the Baltimore Ravens last year, Brown profiles as a pass catching tight end — on a team that needs pass catching help after Cameron Meredith's injury — but he felt he improved his blocking skills over the last few weeks and months. His frequent inclusion on various special teams units strengthened his bid for a roster spot, too.
“If we’re going to keep four (tight ends), obviously the fourth man’s going to have to be a special teams guy,” Brown said. “And so knowing that, I kind of took advantage of it and really worked on it.”
The Bears held a meeting Saturday morning and announced every player in the room had made the team. Brown made that initial cut, along with Ben Braunecker, giving the Bears five tight ends on their first 53-man roster — and opening up another round of uncertainty with waiver claims and ensuing roster moves hitting on Sunday (Braunecker was waived on Sunday and re-signed to the practice squad Monday, and Brown remained on the roster).
“You can’t get too comfortable because the second wave of claims and cuts, you’re kind of on edge a little bit (Sunday) too,” Brown said. “But you just try to keep your mind occupied so you don’t overthink it.”
College football proved to be a good distraction. Brown watched Saturday's marquee Alabama-Florida State game, and on Friday flipped on ESPN3 on his laptop and watched James Madison — where played from 2010-2014 — beat East Carolina, 34-14. It was one of five FCS upsets of FBS schools in college football's first full slate of games.
How 'bout them Chicago Blackhawks? Blackhawks among 4 finalists to sign Cody Franson, per report.
By Satchel Price
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(Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
Franson spent the past two seasons in Buffalo.
The Chicago Blackhawks are among four finalists to sign free agent defenseman Cody Franson, per Dhiren Mahiban. It’s been reported in the past that the team was interested in landing the former Sabres blue liner.
Franson, 30, is one of the top remaining free agents on the market. While other defensemen like Trevor Daley, Dan Girardi, Michael Del Zotto, and Dmitry Kulikov got multi-year, multimillion dollar deals, the same interest hasn’t materialized for him. As Mahiban notes, it’s looking more likely he settles for a one-year deal at this point.
The Blackhawks would be a very logical fit given their defensive shakeup this summer. The team has Brent Seabrook and Connor Murphy to fill two spots on the right side of the blue line, but the final spot is a toss up right now between Ville Pokka, Jan Rutta, or Michal Rozsival if there are no additions made by opening night.
Franson would solidify that spot with size (6’5, 224 pounds) and a good track record of driving possession on bad teams. He wouldn’t be a game-changer for the Hawks, but given how much uncertainty there is on the roster already, it’d be a sensible move to cut into that by lowering the need to depend on Pokka, Rutta, or Rozy.
One question is how the Hawks might choose to pay for Franson. The team is already right at the salary cap with Marian Hossa on the books. Unless Franson is willing to settle for a very affordable (i.e. less than $1 million) one-year deal, it’s hard to see how he fits until Hossa goes on long-term injured reserve after the start of the season.
The Hawks could sign Franson to a professional tryout agreement, with a handshake deal to give him a more substantial one-year deal in October after Hossa goes on LTIR. Or maybe Franson just wants a guaranteed deal now, and would compromise by taking a low enough price tag to make it workable for the Hawks.
Who will be the Blackhawks breakout player in 2017-18?
The Blackhawks would be a very logical fit given their defensive shakeup this summer. The team has Brent Seabrook and Connor Murphy to fill two spots on the right side of the blue line, but the final spot is a toss up right now between Ville Pokka, Jan Rutta, or Michal Rozsival if there are no additions made by opening night.
Franson would solidify that spot with size (6’5, 224 pounds) and a good track record of driving possession on bad teams. He wouldn’t be a game-changer for the Hawks, but given how much uncertainty there is on the roster already, it’d be a sensible move to cut into that by lowering the need to depend on Pokka, Rutta, or Rozy.
One question is how the Hawks might choose to pay for Franson. The team is already right at the salary cap with Marian Hossa on the books. Unless Franson is willing to settle for a very affordable (i.e. less than $1 million) one-year deal, it’s hard to see how he fits until Hossa goes on long-term injured reserve after the start of the season.
The Hawks could sign Franson to a professional tryout agreement, with a handshake deal to give him a more substantial one-year deal in October after Hossa goes on LTIR. Or maybe Franson just wants a guaranteed deal now, and would compromise by taking a low enough price tag to make it workable for the Hawks.
Who will be the Blackhawks breakout player in 2017-18?
By Satchel Price
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(Photo/Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
Every year in the NHL, there are players who put it all together and surpass expectations. Richard Panik went from a journeyman who had 25 goals in 181 NHL games entering the 2016-17 season to a 22-goal scorer capable of demanding a multi-year contract. Ryan Hartman went from 15 goals in the AHL to 19 goals in the NHL.
These things happen in the wacky world of hockey, and it’s part of what makes the sport so fun to follow. Success isn’t guaranteed for the vast majority of players. Even those we’ve counted out in the past can prove us all wrong with one big year in a league that’s constantly evolving.
The Blackhawks will be looking for those kinds of breakout performances in the upcoming season. They still have the experienced core that’s led the franchise to three Stanley Cups since 2010, but more than any time in the past few years, this is a team banking on unproven players to take major leaps forward. If they don’t, we could be in for a rough year watching a team try to prop open its championship window.
But as guys like Panik and Hartman showed a year ago, optimism can be rewarded when you give opportunity to the right players. Those two showed they were ready to take on bigger roles in the NHL, and now that same chance will be extended to a bunch of other players.
So we’re going to run through the team’s top breakout candidates here for the 2017-18 season. These range from young NHL contributors looking to break into starring roles to prospects looking to make the leap to the next level. There are eight of them in all.
Why he’ll break out: Schmaltz finished the 2016-17 regular season strong with 24 points in 35 games following a trip to the AHL. Now the 21-year-old enters his second full pro season with a better idea of what it’ll take to succeed with the Blackhawks after getting thrown into the fire as a rookie. Fifty-plus points seems entirely possible.
Why he won’t break out: Schmaltz didn’t produce much as a rookie until he was put on the top line with Jonathan Toews, and he was total flop in the playoffs with just zero points and two shots on goal in four games. He’s also a questionable fit as a full-time center unless he can measurably improve his faceoff percentage.
Why he’ll break out: If it doesn’t happen now, it probably never will. Jurco’s NHL career has sputtered over the past three seasons, during which he’s recorded just seven points in 73 games. He’s posted strong possession numbers throughout his career, though, and the Hawks didn’t give up a third-round pick for him based off nothing.
Why he won’t break out: Well, seven points in 73 games seems like a good summary. Jurco’s last team gave up on him, and at a certain point, you have to accept some guys won’t put it all together.
Why he’ll break out: He was a scoring machine in the OHL, and he’ll be a scoring machine in the NHL, dammit.
Why he won’t break out: He’s shorter than me and completely unproven at the next level. Even if he’s the real deal, that breakout season may be delayed as he spends time in the AHL.
Why he’ll break out: A lot of people seem to like him, the Blackhawks’ coaching staff included. He was playing at a 28-point pace last season, and could conceivably crack 30 in a full season, which would be rather impressive. He also led the team in 5-on-5 GF% at 61 percent, per Natural Stat Trick.
Why he won’t break out: Kero’s shot numbers indicate his 5-on-5 impact is due for deep regression. The team probably won’t shoot 11 percent with a 94.2 save percentage with him on the ice again, in which case his numbers could be collapse. If that happens, someone like Laurent Dauphin or Lance Bouma will be ready for the next opportunity.
Why he’ll break out: A 2011 first-round pick who played his way into top-pairing NHL minutes by age 22, Murphy could blossom next to Duncan Keith in a new system. He’s big, mobile, and brings an element of physicality that the team lacked last season. The ineffectiveness in a major role with the Coyotes is a red flag, but how much of that was his fault versus being on the backend of a bad team in general?
Why he won’t break out: Again, Murphy’s rise to a prominent role with the Coyotes is impressive, but what he did with it? Not so much. He’s put up 34 points in 155 games over the past two seasons. At 5-on-5, the Coyotes have a 46.7 percent CF% and 47.1 percent GF% with him on the ice, even though his most common partner has been Oliver-Ekman Larsson. If the Hawks get the same performance out of Murphy next season, it’ll be a major letdown and a downgrade from Niklas Hjalmarsson.
Why he’ll break out: Forsling showed flashes last season as a mobile defenseman who can move the puck and make plays offensively, but his lacking play near the boards limited him in his first season. The hope is that he’s taken the summer to add some strength and improve his ability to win puck battles working with new assistant coach Ulf Samuelsson, which would go a long way in helping him become a complete NHL defenseman.
Why he won’t break out: Forsling looked overmatched at times in the NHL last season, and he wasn’t noticeably better upon being sent to the AHL. He’ll also have to battle for playing time with Michal Kempny, Jordan Oesterle, Erik Gustafsson, and whoever else the team might add between now and the trade deadline. Forsling got a 38-game audition last season, but he’s not assured anything entering his second year.
Michal Kempny
Why he’ll break out: Kempny looks ready to get a shot at a top-four role after leading the team in 5-on-5 Corsi last season at 56.7 percent. His ability to drive possession stands out, and while his game wasn’t without errors, he’s shown signs he can hang as an effective defenseman in the NHL.
Why he won’t break out: Kempny got stuck in Joel Quenneville’s doghouse last season due to his defensive zone mistakes. It’s always possible that happens again.
Why he’ll break out: Forsberg has never gotten a real shot in the NHL before with Sergei Bobrovsky and Joonas Korpisalo ahead of him in Columbus, but he’s posted a .923 save percentage in 126 AHL appearances over the past four seasons. He was especially good last season with the Cleveland Monsters, posting a .926 save percentage in 51 games. That signals he could be ready for the NHL, and he’ll get the shot as Chicago’s backup.
Why he won’t break out: Young goaltenders aren’t always easy to evaluate, and Forsberg has struggled in his limited NHL opportunities with a .879 save percentage over 10 games. The Blue Jackets have quickly turned away from him each time they’ve tried him because he was bad. It’s always possible that happens again in Chicago, in spite of his apparent upside.
Just Another Chicago Bulls Session..... Where Do We Go From Here? (Taken from sbnation.com/Chicago Bulls Fanpost, 09/05/2017).
Another offseason has almost come to a close which means another step towards an NBA championship for the Chicago Bulls has been taken right? Wrong. In fact, one can say that not only did the Bulls not take a step forward, but they took fourteen steps back.
Another offseason has almost come to a close which means another star has left the Chicago Bulls. This time it wasn’t a former MVP battling through a variety of leg injuries with an uncertain future. No, this time it was a 3 time all-star, known as one of the best two way players in the league, who just so happens to be in the prime of his career. On June 22nd, 2017, the Chicago Bulls traded Jimmy Butler and the 16th overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft for Kris Dunn, Zach Lavine, and the 7th overall pick of the 2017 NBA Draft. The Bulls ended up taking 20 year old sharpshooter Lauri Markkanen from Finland. With all this said and done, one could raise the question, where do the Bulls go from here?
Losing their prime superstar could only mean one thing. It’s time to rebuild. Rebuilding, however, isn’t the easiest process nor the most patient. Rebuilding, with any team, is centered around building your roster around a group of young players that could one day develop into superstars. With Chicago’s offseason moves now in the rearview mirror, it’s fair to wonder if Lauri Markkanen, Kris Dunn, and Zach Lavine can be that group of young players. Markkanen is only 20 and has a lethal jumpshot. There is some potential here and he has yet to step foot on an NBA court so it wouldn’t be fair to rule him out. The same can’t be said for Kris Dunn however. Coming out of Providence, Dunn was projected to be one of the best players in his draft class. Not to mention, Dunn was drawing comparisons to the likes of Dwayne Wade (not a joke). After playing 78 games last season and averaging 3.8 points per game to add to his 2.4 assists per game and 2.1 rebounds per game in 17 minutes per game, it’s safe to say those comparisons are now dead in the water. Dunn is still only 23 however, and entering his second season in the Association, there is still plenty of time for him to improve and blossom. Zach Lavine, who turned 22 back in March, is an athletic wing who can score the ball and has shown promise that he can be a great player one day. Lavine is coming off a season ending ACL injury and won’t be back on the court for about half of the season. It wouldn’t be fair to say the Bulls don’t have potential and useful assets on their roster because the truth of the matter is that they do. They have some good players. What they don’t have is THAT player. Their roster is missing its important piece. A superstar. A player that the front office can build their whole team around. So where do the Bulls go from here? They try and find THAT player like they have proven capable of in the past.
CUBS: Hendricks strong, but Cubs can't hold late lead.
Traditional baseball wisdom says you should never make the first or third out of an inning at third base. But what about the first and the third out? Two Pirates ran into outs at third base in the eighth inning Tuesday night, but they still rallied to beat the Cubs, 4-3, at PNC Park for their fourth straight victory.
The Cubs carried a one-run lead into the eighth after 6 2/3 strong innings from right-hander Kyle Hendricks, backed by a two-run single from Ian Happ and Ben Zobrist's sacrifice fly. Carl Edwards Jr. took over from there, recording the final out of the seventh and returning to pitch the eighth.
John Jaso started the rally with a leadoff walk, hustled to third on Starling Marte's single to right and scored the tying run on a bloop single to left by Max Moroff. But Marte, the go-ahead run, was thrown out by Jon Jay as he tried to take third.
"You don't want to run into that out at that particular point in time of the game," Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said. "It was tough making two outs in that inning on the bases."
• Bucs extend contracts of Huntington, Hurdle
Edwards struck out Andrew McCutchen, but Moroff moved to second on a wild pitch. With first base open, the Cubs intentionally walked switch-hitting slugger Josh Bell to bring up David Freese. The veteran third baseman lined a 104.5-mph single, as projected by Statcast™, to center field, bringing home Moroff and putting the Pirates ahead by one run.
"David's shown the ability throughout this season [to have] big at-bats, getting on base," Hurdle said. "Another one tonight. … It was a fun game to watch, and we just stayed after it."
"I feel really strongly about [Edwards] in that situation," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. "That's who he is, and he had a couple of days off. He didn't have his best day, and they beat us."
• Cubs haunted by walk, bad luck in fateful 8th
The Cubs have lost three games in a row, but they maintained a 3 1/2-game lead in the National League Central, as the Brewers also lost Tuesday night.
The Pirates' bullpen had been preparing for three different outcomes. If they were tied heading into the ninth inning, they would have brought in Daniel Hudson. If they were losing, it would have been Joaquin Benoit. But when they took the lead and created a save situation, it was time for closer Felipe Rivero.
He didn't have much time to get ready, however, as the Cubs caught Bell trying to take third base, just as they did Marte.
"I think JB was hungry, so just end the inning and get [Rivero] out there," Freese said, smiling.
Quickly summoned into action, Rivero struck out two and needed only 11 pitches to work a perfect ninth inning and record his 18th save.
"They had to do some musical chairs and work [to get ready] out there," Hurdle said. "Obviously he got ready."
MOMENT THAT MATTERED
Jordan rules: Rookie outfielder Jordan Luplow seems to have found his comfort zone since recording his first Major League hit and homer on Saturday night. Luplow's second big league blast, a two-run shot, came off Hendricks in the second inning, a Statcast-projected 431-foot shot to left-center field. Hendricks' 85.5-mph sinker came off Luplow's bat at 104.7 mph and wound up being the second-longest homer hit by a Pirate this season at PNC Park. Only Gregory Polanco hit one farther, crushing a 434-foot shot on Aug. 4.
"I put a lot of pressure on myself -- unnecessary pressure on myself -- to get that first one," said Luplow, ranked by MLBPipeline.com as the Pirates' No. 21 prospect. "These guys have helped me settle in and helped me learn every day, especially with these [pitchers] I haven't faced before."
What a relief: Trailing by a run, the Pirates asked left-hander Wade LeBlanc to cover three innings against a dangerous Cubs lineup stacked with right-handed hitters. LeBlanc was clearly up to the task. The veteran pitched three perfect innings on only 33 pitches with one strikeout and five groundouts.
"Once LeBlanc came in with his changeup, it changed for us," Maddon said.
"It's what we were able to see the first half of the season from Wade," Hurdle said. "He mixed his pitches well. … He's never been pushed as far as making pitches and getting after things against right-handed hitters. He changes speeds. He moves the ball around. Threw strikes. He was very efficient."
QUOTABLE
"John shows up every day and prepares to help you find a way to beat the other team, and he does it quietly. He started the rally. … He's been an impact guy off the bench as far as swinging the bat, and he has done some nice things on the bases. He's got baseball awareness."-- Hurdle, on Jaso's successful first-to-third attempt in the eighth inning
"Hendricks is tough, man. I'm sure a lot of people are sitting around the last two years wondering how people don't hit this guy, but [his pitches have] a lot of movement. He knows what he's doing. He uses the strike zone. That late movement gets it off the barrel."-- Freese, on Hendricks' effective start
SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS
Making his first big league start of the season, Pirates left-hander Steven Brault allowed three runs over five innings without a strikeout. He was the first lefty to make a start all season for the Pirates, who played their 139th game on Tuesday. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, it was the latest into a season that Pittsburgh had started all right-handed pitchers; the previous high was all 137 games during the 1891 season.
Brault was also the seventh different starting pitcher used by the Pirates this season, half the total they used a year ago. The club record for fewest starters used in one season is seven (1902, '72 and '97).
Brault became the second Pirates pitcher this season to not record a strikeout in a start, as Trevor Williams did over 5 2/3 innings against the Phillies on May 19.
"I was having trouble finishing hitters. That was the biggest problem I had," Brault said. "That'll solve all my problems. It'll increase the consistency of being able to attack people. It'll increase my effectiveness. And it'll increase my efficiency of being able to go late into games. That's what I'm going to be working on these next few days."
WHAT'S NEXT
Cubs: Left-hander Jose Quintana probably won't get the same run support Wednesday as in his previous start, when the Cubs beat the Pirates, 17-3. Quintana recorded a quality start in that game, but he has struggled since joining Chicago at the All-Star break -- especially in August, when he posted a 5.73 ERA. First pitch is 6:05 p.m. CT.
Pirates: Right-hander Gerrit Cole will start for the Pirates as they continue their four-game series against the Cubs at 7:05 p.m. ET. Cole has typically fared well against the NL Central leaders, carrying a 9-3 record and 2.74 ERA in 13 career meetings with the Cubs.
Some good news for Cubs fans: Willson Contreras ‘really close’ to returning.
"I was having trouble finishing hitters. That was the biggest problem I had," Brault said. "That'll solve all my problems. It'll increase the consistency of being able to attack people. It'll increase my effectiveness. And it'll increase my efficiency of being able to go late into games. That's what I'm going to be working on these next few days."
WHAT'S NEXT
Cubs: Left-hander Jose Quintana probably won't get the same run support Wednesday as in his previous start, when the Cubs beat the Pirates, 17-3. Quintana recorded a quality start in that game, but he has struggled since joining Chicago at the All-Star break -- especially in August, when he posted a 5.73 ERA. First pitch is 6:05 p.m. CT.
Pirates: Right-hander Gerrit Cole will start for the Pirates as they continue their four-game series against the Cubs at 7:05 p.m. ET. Cole has typically fared well against the NL Central leaders, carrying a 9-3 record and 2.74 ERA in 13 career meetings with the Cubs.
Some good news for Cubs fans: Willson Contreras ‘really close’ to returning.
By Patrick Mooney
(Photo/www.bleachernation.com)
Running a big-league team is dealing with one crisis after another, where the pregame optimism surrounding Willson Contreras gives way to worst-case thoughts about Jake Arrieta within a matter of hours.
Ramping up again, Contreras ran the bases during batting practice on Labor Day at PNC Park, another encouraging sign for a first-place team, at least until Arrieta exited his start in the middle of the third inning with a grabbing pain in his right leg.
One positive takeaway from a 12-0 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates: Arrieta believes this is more of a cramping problem than a serious hamstring injury. And the Cubs are planning to soon send out Contreras on a rehab assignment – assuming a minor-league affiliate is in the playoffs – or get their dynamic catcher up to speed through simulated games.
“He’s really close,” manager Joe Maddon said. “That’s pretty much it – the fact that they’re comfortable with the leg. Just the fact that the docs and the training staff are comfortable with him running to the point that if he ran in the game, he’s not going to hurt himself. So this is pretty much the last step.”
At this point in the recovery process, Maddon said the Cubs aren’t focused on the catching part of the equation and what the wear and tear behind the plate might do to Contreras: “That’s not an issue right now.”
The Cubs initially framed it as a four-to-six week timetable for Contreras (21 homers, 70 RBI, .861 OPS), who had been an emerging star and the most dangerous hitter in the lineup when he went down with what initially looked like it could have been a season-defining injury.
“I don’t want to place too many expectations on him coming back,” Maddon said. “The other guys have been pretty good. Alex (Avila) and Rene (Rivera) have filled in really well – homers, clutch hits, fine catching, blocking the ball well, handling our staff.
“It’s just another nice piece to have back. (But) of course, listen, this guy was hitting as well as anybody when he got hurt. His energy itself – in the game, behind the plate and how he interacts with the pitching staff – is going to help us.”
For now at least, Cubs and Jake Arrieta breathing sigh of relief after hamstring injury.
By Patrick Mooney
(Photo/www.hinews.org)
A Cubs team that has withstood a wave of injuries and surged back into first place just watched Jake Arrieta walk off the field, clearly in pain and looking for answers.
Could this have been Arrieta’s final start in a Cubs uniform? It’s way too early to assume the worst, or definitively say that the Cubs are in the clear. But walking into PNC Park’s visiting clubhouse after a 12-0 Labor Day loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates, it felt like the defending World Series champs were breathing a sigh of relief.
“As of now, I don’t foresee it being much of an issue,” Arrieta said, standing at his locker and explaining what he believes is a cramping issue and not a serious hamstring injury. “It’s unfortunate, but I think it’s going to be OK.”
Arrieta felt a grabbing sensation while throwing his 51st and final pitch, hopping up and down, grabbing his right leg and bending over in discomfort with one out in the third inning. The Pirates already led 3-0 as a group of Cubs personnel huddled around the mound, observing Arrieta as he stretched and tried to simulate his throwing motion.
Arrieta wound up and started his unique delivery before a grimace instantly formed on his face and he realized he needed to shut it down. The training staff worked on the back of his right leg during the game and a Pittsburgh doctor examined a pitcher who said he’s never dealt with hamstring problems before in his career.
The Cubs will reevaluate the situation on Tuesday morning and decide if Arrieta needs to get an MRI.
“Everything looks OK,” Arrieta said. “It’s kind of a foreign feeling. But, yeah, I think it could have been a lot worse. No pop or anything like that, so that’s a good sign.”
The stakes are extremely high for the Cubs and one of the best pitchers on this winter’s free-agent market, a Boras Corp. client who will use his big-game experience and track record of durability to make the case for a nine-figure megadeal.
Arrieta has already proven that he can carry a team during his 2015 Cy Young Award campaign, and he beat the Cleveland Indians twice on the road during last year’s World Series. His performance as the National League’s pitcher of the month – 4-1 with a 1.21 ERA in six starts – helped fuel an August where the Cubs spent every day in first place.
The Cubs have already stretched out lefty swingman Mike Montgomery in a temporary six-man rotation. But Arrieta says he expects to make his next start, which would put him in play for this weekend’s showdown against the Milwaukee Brewers at Wrigley Field.
“Based on how I feel right now, I would think so,” Arrieta said.
It was still jarring to see a player known for his supreme confidence and fitness/strength-training regimen walk off the field with an athletic trainer and disappear into the dugout. This is someone manager Joe Maddon once compared to a male Jane Fonda.
“We’re just going to wait and see how it plays out,” Maddon said. “Even when he was apparently hurting a little bit, he was still going through all the stuff and looked good. Stuff I can’t do on my best day, he’s like putting his nose on his knees.
“I’m thinking: ‘OK, it might be a cramp.’ So maybe it was a cramp. We’ll find out more tomorrow and the next day.”
Arrieta didn’t feel any pain building up and wouldn’t connect the dots from his injury to the two home runs he allowed, with Josh Bell driving a ball into the right-field deck and Max Moroff clearing those seats with one that didn’t splash into the Allegheny River.
But a Cubs team that just reincorporated a $155 million ace (Jon Lester) – and is still waiting for an All-Star shortstop (Addison Russell) and a frontline catcher (Willson Contreras) to come off the disabled list – didn’t lose any ground to the second-place Brewers (3.5 games back) or realize their worst fears with Arrieta.
“We’ll deal with it,” Arrieta said. “We’ll manage it. We’ll get through it. Like I said, I don’t foresee it being a serious deal. But we’ll see how I feel in the morning.”
Awaiting MRI results, Cubs plan to push back Jake Arrieta’s next start.
By Patrick Mooney
(Photo/www.zimbio.com)
Whatever the MRI on Jake Arrieta’s right hamstring reveals, the Cubs have to be preparing as if their Cy Young Award winner won’t be ready to stay on schedule and make his next start.
“Honestly, I’d have to say we’re probably going to push him back, regardless of what the news is,” manager Joe Maddon said Tuesday as the Cubs awaited the MRI results. “We’ll see. It’s hard to imagine he’d be ready to start this next time out.
“But, again, we’ll wait to see what the final test says. If they’re saying nothing’s really wrong – and he does his Superman stretches and feels better – then all of a sudden we’re back in a good spot.”
Arrieta downplayed the injury after limping off the field in the third inning of a 12-0 Labor Day loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates, framing it as more of a cramping problem than a deeper issue with his hamstring. Getting the MRI shouldn’t be interpreted as a sign that Arrieta (14-9, 3.48 ERA) felt bad day-after effects.
“Just take it so you know how to treat it,” Maddon said. “Even if it’s not so bad, we treat it this way. If it’s something worse than that, we treat it this way. You have to have definition when you’re treating something like that, how aggressive or nonaggressive you have to be.”
Without revealing their rotation plans, the Cubs already have a day off scheduled for Monday and the luxury of using lefty swingman Mike Montgomery, who’s gone 4-4 with a 4.17 ERA in 11 starts this season, perhaps pitching his way into a larger role for 2018 and beyond, when Arrieta will probably working somewhere else on a nine-figure megadeal.
White Sox bats quiet after Davidson's 3-run jack.
Eloy Jimenez ready to speed up the White Sox rebuild: 'I truly believe that I can be playing here right now'.
By Vinnie Duber
(Photo/AP)
It’s pretty clear that Eloy Jimenez is ready for the bright lights of the big leagues.
In town for a visit to his future home Tuesday at Guaranteed Rate Field, the No. 7 prospect in baseball spent his 10-minute media session with reporters explaining that he believes he’s already ready for the majors and that he wants to be one of the best players around.
This integral part of the White Sox future lineup is not lacking in confidence.
“I truly believe that I can be playing here right now,” Jimenez said through a translator. “The only thing I can do and handle is to work hard every day and try to do my best and try to learn about the game every day and put me in the best position to force them to make a decision. They are the ones who can have the power and in my case, in my mind, I’m ready. But I have to wait.”
Yes, Jimenez — only 20 years old and only recently with any minor league experience above Class A — will have to wait for his big league chance. But he’s sure doing his best to move that timeline up.
He’s done nothing but rake since coming over from the Cubs in the Crosstown swap that sent Jose Quintana to the North Side. He posted a .345/.410/.682 slash line with eight homers and 26 RBIs in 29 games with Class-A Winston-Salem, then he slashed .353/.397.559 in 18 games with Double-A Birmingham, adding three more homers and seven more RBIs in that handful of games.
“I want to be the best player on the field every time I go out,” Jimenez said. “That’s why I’m working hard. I don’t want to be just another player. I want to be the best player.”
It looks and sounds like Jimenez is going to be a monster. The only question now is when does he start?
“I think his skill set is evident,” manager Rick Renteria said. “I think obviously, every level brings its own challenges, even coming to the big leagues will bring its own challenges. But I think if he continues to maintain the consistency in which he’s going about doing what he’s doing, there’s no reason why he’s not going to continue to want to push that door open as soon as possible.
“Obviously, we all have to consider when is the right time to have him ultimately be a part of this club, assuming everything continues to go well for him on the field, between the lines. But I think just the consistency of which he continues to do what he does, he has a tremendous routine, he talks about his routine, he’s very focused, I believe he has a desire to be one of the best. I know that’s the way he talks. It’s just about him maintaining the consistency and hopefully he'll be here soon.”
Looking at those gaudy numbers and reading these quotes, you might not think there’s much left for Jimenez to prove. But the White Sox rebuilding schedule means there’s no need to rush him to the big leagues. He’s played just a handful of games at the Double-A level and he’s just 20 years old.
As confident he is that he can take on the majors right this second, Jimenez also isn’t shying away from doing the requisite work that will get him to where he wants to go. That ought to add comfort to anyone thinking his confidence might be a bit too far ahead of his game.
“I have to work all around. I have to improve all around my game,” he said. “I don’t think it’s any specific area that I have to improve more than another. I have to keep learning about the game because every day you can learn something different. That’s the way I like to approach my day on a daily basis. That’s the way I like to think, work hard every day and try to learn and improve every day in all the aspects of the game.”
So as much as Jimenez might like to make the 2018 Opening Day roster — or get a September call-up right now — the waiting game will still be in play for him, just like many other of the organization’s top prospects and the team in general during this rebuild.
But that’s what makes this franchise so interesting right now, the excitement for the future and wonder over what this roster could one day look like.
It’s even caught up with Mr. One Game At A Time, Rick Renteria.
“It is a pretty picture. I think a couple days ago, I’ll be honest, I sat back and started writing all the names on the board of players that we have within the system, the kids that have been within the system and the kids that we have acquired,” Renteria said. "You start looking and you go, ‘Wow, we’re poised to hopefully be able to develop, help these guys get better and become part of the Chicago White Sox at the major league level.’
“The names that are on that board are nice to see.”
Golf: I got a club for that..... Thomas outduels Spieth to win fifth title of '17.
(Photo/www.golflife.com)
Justin Thomas won for the fifth time this season, adding a playoff title to his ever-impressive 2017 resume. Thomas captured the Dell Technologies Championship at TPC Boston on Labor Day Monday and here’s how he did it:
Leaderboard: Thomas (-17), Jordan Spieth (-14), Marc Leishman (-13), Jon Rahm (-12), Paul Casey (-12), Phil Mickelson (-11), three others tied at 11 under.
What it means: Thomas isn’t officially a lock for Player of the Year, but Spieth may need to sweep the final two playoff events – and with them the overall FedExCup title – to deny him the Jack Nicklaus Trophy. Thomas now has a major championship, a playoff win, three other Tour victories, a 59, and a 63 in a major.
Round of the day: Thomas’ 5-under 66. Spieth played his first four holes on Monday in 5 under, but Thomas never wavered. While Spieth turned in 6-under 30, Thomas did so in 32, including an eagle-2 at the par-4 fourth. Both men trailed Leishman, but, as noted below, he would falter on the back nine. Spieth grabbed sole possession of the lead with a birdie at 13, but was quickly matched by Thomas on the same hole. Spieth would then bogey 14, while Thomas would birdie 15. Thomas had only two bogeys all week.
Best of the rest: Bill Haas and Rafa Cabrera Bello both shot the lowest score of the day, 6-under 65. But neither man was in contention, with Haas tying for 10th and Cabrera Bello tying for 18th. There were nine 66’s on Monday.
Biggest disappointment: Goes to a trio of players. While he finished in solo third place, Leishman was the outright leader by two, thanks to a front-nine 30, but played the back nine in 5-over 40. Paul Casey was one back to start the day and could only manage a 70 to remain winless on Tour since 2009. And Grayson Murray, bidding for Rookie of the Year honors, was two off the 54-hole pace and closed in 6-over 77 to tie for 25th.
Shot of the day: Thomas’ 138-yard approach shot to 4 feet at the par-4 15th, to go up 2 strokes, was nice.
But his par save at the 16th was huge. Faced with a difficult up and down from the right side of the green, Thomas pitched to 6 feet and made the putt. That allowed Thomas to keep his cushion and momentum down the stretch.
Quote of the day: "We’ve had a great year, and there are two more events to try to finish this off." - Thomas
Tale of the tape: Sizing up Prez Cup pick options.
By Will Gray
(Photo/Golf Channel Digital)
With qualification over, it all boils down to a phone call.
The top 10 players for the U.S. and International Presidents Cup teams qualified automatically on Monday, leaving two spots open on each roster. Those will be filled Wednesday by captains Steve Stricker and Nick Price, with the 12-man squads facing off later this month at Liberty National Golf Club in Jersey City, N.J.
Here's a look at some of the most compelling candidates the two captains will have to choose from, starting with Stricker's American options.
Charley Hoffman: OWGR No. 22, finished 11th in qualification. While Hoffman would be another rookie on Stricker's squad, it would seem unusually cruel to leave him off the team after he was edged by Kevin Chappell for the final spot by less than a point. Seven top-10 finishes this season.
Brian Harman: OWGR No. 28, finished 12th in qualification. Harman could make for an intriguing pairing with fellow Georgia alum Kevin Kisner. He edged Dustin Johnson to win the Wells Fargo Championship and was a runner-up at the U.S. Open.
Jason Dufner: OWGR No. 32, finished 13th in qualification. Duf brings some match play experience to the table, having played in the 2012 Ryder Cup and 2013 Presidents Cup. He won the Memorial in June but hasn't cracked the top 10 since.
Gary Woodland: OWGR No. 42, finished 14th in qualification. Woodland would offer plenty of firepower off the tee for a best-ball match, and he boasts three top-25 finishes over his last five starts including a fourth-place result at the RBC Canadian Open.
Phil Mickelson: OWGR No. 29, finished 15th in qualification. Mickelson hasn't missed U.S. team competition since 1993, and his T-6 finish at TPC Boston may have been just enough to ensure that streak continues another year.
Here's a look at the choice Price faces on the International side, where Canada's Adam Hadwin clinched the 10th and final automatic qualifying spot on Monday:
Emiliano Grillo: OWGR No. 54. Last year's Rookie of the Year on the PGA Tour advanced to the BMW Championship, and that may have given the Argentine a leg up on the rest of the contenders. Grillo struggled this summer but has top-30 finishes in each of the first two playoff events.
Hideto Tanihara: OWGR No. 55. Tanihara plays primarily in Japan, although he did tie for third at the BMW PGA Championship and finished fourth at the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play. Hasn't played since a T-67 finish at the PGA Championship.
Yuta Ikeda: OWGR No. 63. Like Tanihara, Ikeda plays primarily in Asia and won an event in Japan two weeks ago. But he missed the cut in all four majors this year, failing to capitalize on chances to earn valuable world ranking points.
Haotong Li: OWGR No. 67. Li burst onto the scene with his third-place finish at The Open, a result that booked his ticket to the 2018 Masters. His inclusion on the team could prove to be a boost for golf's popularity in his native China.
Byeong-Hun An: OWGR No. 71. An nearly won the Waste Management Phoenix Open, but he has largely struggled since June. Prior wins at the U.S. Amateur (2009) and BMW PGA Championship (2015) prove that he can hang with the best on the global stage.
Anirban Lahiri: OWGR No. 75. Lahiri would love a shot at redemption after missing a critical putt during his singles match at the 2015 Presidents Cup in Korea. He represented India at last year's Olympics and was a runner-up to Dufner at the Memorial.
FedExCup points list entering third playoff event.
By Golf Channel Digital
The FedExCup Playoffs are halfway through. Here is where things stand after the Dell Technologies Championship, where the field of 100 has been reduced to 70.
| RANK THIS WEEK | RANK LAST WEEK | PLAYER NAME | POINTS | PTS BEHIND LEAD |
| 1 | 2 | Jordan Spieth | 5,071 | |
| 2 | 3 | Justin Thomas | 5,044 | 27 |
| 3 | 1 | Dustin Johnson | 4,650 | 421 |
| 4 | 4 | Hideki Matsuyama | 3,021 | 2,050 |
| 5 | 5 | Jon Rahm | 2,894 | 2,177 |
| 6 | 6 | Rickie Fowler | 2,217 | 2,854 |
| 7 | 20 | Marc Leishman | 2,084 | 2,987 |
| 8 | 12 | Paul Casey | 2,065 | 3,006 |
| 9 | 7 | Brooks Koepka | 1,952 | 3,119 |
| 10 | 14 | Pat Perez | 1,894 | 3,177 |
| 11 | 8 | Daniel Berger | 1,735 | 3,336 |
| 12 | 9 | Charley Hoffman | 1,729 | 3,342 |
| 13 | 10 | Jhonattan Vegas | 1,688 | 3,383 |
| 14 | 11 | Kevin Kisner | 1,660 | 3,411 |
| 15 | 13 | Brian Harman | 1,572 | 3,499 |
| 16 | 18 | Adam Hadwin | 1,568 | 3,503 |
| 17 | 24 | Justin Rose | 1,534 | 3,537 |
| 18 | 15 | Matt Kuchar | 1,531 | 3,540 |
| 19 | 19 | Kyle Stanley | 1,467 | 3,604 |
| 20 | 17 | Kevin Chappell | 1,446 | 3,625 |
| 21 | 16 | Webb Simpson | 1,422 | 3,649 |
| 22 | 33 | Patrick Reed | 1,415 | 3,656 |
| 23 | 23 | Russell Henley | 1,314 | 3,757 |
| 24 | 26 | Louis Oosthuizen | 1,304 | 3,767 |
| 25 | 21 | Jason Dufner | 1,302 | 3,769 |
| 26 | 22 | Henrik Stenson | 1,275 | 3,796 |
| 27 | 25 | Brendan Steele | 1,247 | 3,824 |
| 28 | 29 | Jason Day | 1,241 | 3,830 |
| 29 | 34 | Gary Woodland | 1,236 | 3,835 |
| 30 | 39 | Bill Haas | 1,236 | 3,835 |
| 31 | 37 | Mackenzie Hughes | 1,212 | 3,859 |
| 32 | 27 | Xander Schauffele | 1,210 | 3,861 |
| 33 | 38 | Hudson Swafford | 1,186 | 3,885 |
| 34 | 30 | Sergio Garcia | 1,161 | 3,910 |
| 35 | 28 | Charles Howell III | 1,120 | 3,951 |
| 36 | 58 | Phil Mickelson | 1,112 | 3,959 |
| 37 | 32 | Wesley Bryan | 1,080 | 3,991 |
| 38 | 31 | Billy Horschel | 1,068 | 4,003 |
| 39 | 35 | Tony Finau | 1,061 | 4,010 |
| 40 | 63 | Kevin Na | 1,048 | 4,023 |
| 41 | 50 | Patrick Cantlay | 1,047 | 4,024 |
| 42 | 36 | Francesco Molinari | 1,028 | 4,043 |
| 43 | 49 | Charl Schwartzel | 966 | 4,105 |
| 44 | 48 | Bryson DeChambeau | 936 | 4,135 |
| 45 | 41 | Si Woo Kim | 935 | 4,136 |
| 46 | 40 | Chez Reavie | 932 | 4,139 |
| 47 | 56 | Ian Poulter | 927 | 4,144 |
| 48 | 47 | Keegan Bradley | 914 | 4,157 |
| 49 | 45 | Martin Laird | 892 | 4,179 |
| 50 | 42 | Ollie Schniederjans | 882 | 4,189 |
| 51 | 43 | Rory McIlroy | 881 | 4,190 |
| 52 | 53 | Sung Kang | 874 | 4,197 |
| 53 | 57 | Lucas Glover | 866 | 4,205 |
| 54 | 46 | Zach Johnson | 860 | 4,211 |
| 55 | 52 | Luke List | 854 | 4,217 |
| 56 | 44 | Cameron Smith | 847 | 4,224 |
| 57 | 81 | Stewart Cink | 843 | 4,228 |
| 58 | 54 | Jamie Lovemark | 839 | 4,232 |
| 59 | 51 | Robert Streb | 836 | 4,235 |
| 60 | 80 | Rafa Cabrera Bello | 799 | 4,272 |
| 61 | 55 | Scott Brown | 794 | 4,277 |
| 62 | 77 | Emiliano Grillo | 791 | 4,280 |
| 63 | 70 | Grayson Murray | 785 | 4,286 |
| 64 | 60 | James Hahn | 721 | 4,350 |
| 65 | 59 | Sean O'Hair | 720 | 4,351 |
| 66 | 69 | Kevin Tway | 715 | 4,356 |
| 67 | 61 | Ryan Moore | 703 | 4,368 |
| 68 | 67 | Bud Cauley | 701 | 4,370 |
| 69 | 62 | Danny Lee | 697 | 4,374 |
| 70 | 66 | Anirban Lahiri | 689 | 4,382 |
NASCAR Power Rankings: Kyle Busch stays ahead of Martin Truex Jr.
By Nick Bromberg
(From the marbles)
1. Kyle Busch (LW: 1): Welcome back, NASCAR. Following Sunday night’s race at Darlington, the Cup Series races 11 times in 11 weeks and 10 of those races are playoff races. Weren’t we just starting the season at Daytona?
Anyway, Busch was a bit of a surprise second-place finisher at Darlington. An afterthought to the battle for the lead with Denny Hamlin and Martin Truex Jr., Busch snuck in and finished second after Truex’s issue.
Anyway, Busch was a bit of a surprise second-place finisher at Darlington. An afterthought to the battle for the lead with Denny Hamlin and Martin Truex Jr., Busch snuck in and finished second after Truex’s issue.
“I certainly wish that we could have kept pace with [Hamlin] a little bit longer,” Busch said. “We were right there with him for a long time – longer than we had all night long in that final stint – but he got through a couple lap cars a little quicker than I did and then they got side by side and then I got sucked into the fence and after that it just wasn’t the same.”
2. Martin Truex Jr. (LW: 2): Truex is a Cup Series champion.
OK, there’s a big “regular season” caveat in there, but with his stage wins in the first two stages Sunday night Truex clinched the regular season title. The title itself is unimportant. The 15 playoff points that come with it are quite important.
Coupled with his 37 points for stage wins (17) and his four wins (20), Truex has 52 playoff points to carry through the first nine races of the playoffs. And he could keep adding to that total with his wins and stage wins. This man is the favorite for the 2017 title and he’d potentially have five more points if his right front tire would have made it to the end of the race.
“Yeah, I mean, it was definitely a bittersweet night for us to come up just two laps short there, blow a tire at the end after having no issues with tires all night and having such a good race car,” Truex said. “I don’t know if that last run was the longest one we made all night. I’m not really sure to be honest. I was kind of out there caught up driving my guts out at the end trying to hang on.”
3. Denny Hamlin (LW: 4): If Truex is the favorite and Busch is No. 2, is Hamlin the third favorite? It’s not a crazy thought after Hamlin got his second win of the season Sunday night.
Hamlin is fifth in the points standings and currently has just the seventh-most playoff points of any driver. But he’s on a hell of a run — as we’ve noted in this feature previously.
If we play the fun with arbitrary end points game, Hamlin has 10 top-10 finishes in the last 14 races. Two of those are wins and just one of the top 10s isn’t a top five. In that span he’s gone from 11th in the standings to fifth.
Of course, Hamlin entered last season’s playoffs on a heck of a run and didn’t make the final round. Maybe it’ll be different this year with the playoff points.
4. Matt Kenseth (LW: 5): We’ve got ourselves a cluster among the three drivers currently in the playoffs without a win.
Kenseth finished sixth, and is now two points behind Chase Elliott and a point ahead of Jamie McMurray among those three drivers. This is important, because if a driver like Joey Logano or Clint Bowyer or Erik Jones wins at Richmond on Saturday night, then the driver last among Elliott, Kenseth and McMurray isn’t in the playoffs.
Kenseth’s on the best run of the three and he won at Richmond in the fall of 2015. Maybe he’ll do it again.
5. Kyle Larson (LW: 3): Larson finished 14th and could even fall to fourth in the points standings after Richmond. He could also end up second behind Truex, too. Larson is currently in third, nine points behind Kyle Busch for second and 17 points ahead of Kevin Harvick in fourth. That’s a potential three-point swing. The driver in second gets 10 bonus points, third nets eight and fourth is worth seven.
6. Erik Jones (LW: 6): If there’s a winless driver going to win at Richmond, Jones seems like the best bet. He’s running the best of any driver without a win, and it’s not a coincidence that he’s in a Toyota. The manufacturer has been the fastest of the three all season.
In April at Richmond, Jones crashed out four laps into the race because of a flat tire.
7. Kevin Harvick (LW: 7): Harvick started first and finished ninth. His 22 laps led were the first time he’d led laps since Daytona, eight races prior. The seven races Harvick went without leading any laps between Daytona and Darlington was the longest such stretch he’s had since 2012 when he was at Richard Childress Racing.
8. Jamie McMurray (LW: 8): McMurray finished a spot behind Harvick in 10th. McMurray was a spot ahead of Chase Elliott, who finished 11th, but he gained eight points on Elliott thanks to NASCAR’s stage points system.
8. Jamie McMurray (LW: 8): McMurray finished a spot behind Harvick in 10th. McMurray was a spot ahead of Chase Elliott, who finished 11th, but he gained eight points on Elliott thanks to NASCAR’s stage points system.
9. Chase Elliott (LW: 10): Elliott said after the race that Hendrick Motorsports “really struggled” Sunday night. He was the team’s highest-finishing driver, a spot ahead of Jimmie Johnson while Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Kasey Kahne finished outside the top 20.
“I thought we made the very most of what we had and somedays that’s all you can do,” Elliott said.
10. Kurt Busch (LW: 12): Busch finished third and was a driver hoping for a late caution. The race went over 100 laps to the checkered flag without a caution.
“If there was a yellow with 30 to go, we were a really good car on short run speed,” Busch said. “That was the longest run at the end and those guys caught us on their fresher tires, but just to be in position to win the Southern 500 is great.”
11. Jimmie Johnson (LW: 11): Johnson’s 16 top 10s in 2016 — his seventh title season — were the fewest of his career. To match that mark this year, he must get top-10 finishes in nine of the remaining 11 races.
12. Brad Keselowski (LW: 9): Keselowski finished 15th Sunday night in the best-looking car on the track.
The Lucky Dog: Austin Dillon finished fourth. It was his first top-five finish since winning at Charlotte.
The DNF: AJ Allmendinger and Trevor Bayne
Dropped out: No one
Dropped out: No one
Examining playoff picture for Cup, Xfinity, Truck Series.
By Dustin Long
(Photo/nbcsports.com)
Here is a breakdown of the playoff situation for each of NASCAR’s three national series.
- One race remains in the regular season (Saturday at Richmond at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN)
- 13 drivers are locked into the playoffs with a win (Martin Truex Jr., Kyle Busch, Kyle Larson, Kevin Harvick, Denny Hamlin, Brad Keselowski, Jimmie Johnson, Ryan Blaney, Kurt Busch, Ryan Newman, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Austin Dillon and Kasey Kahne).
- Three drivers (Chase Elliott, Matt Kenseth, and Jamie McMurray) are the only drivers capable of making the playoffs on points.
- 17 drivers can still make the playoffs with a win,
- Martin Truex Jr has clinched the regular season championship and the 15 playoff points associated with it.
- Two races remain in the regular season (Friday at Richmond and Sept. 16 at Chicagoland).
- Four drivers are locked into the playoffs with a win (William Byron, Justin Allgaier, Ryan Reed and Jeremy Clements).
- Elliott Sadler, Brennan Poole and Daniel Hemric clinched a playoffs spot on points.
- Cole Custer is in the playoffs if there is not a new winner who is outside the current playoff cutoff
- At least three drivers will make the playoffs on points.
- Elliott Sadler will clinch the 2017 regular season championship if he has a 61-point lead over second place in points following Richmond (he enters with a 91-point lead).
- One race remains in the regular season (Sept. 15 at Chicagoland Speedway).
- Six drivers are locked into the playoffs with a win (Christopher Bell, Johnny Sauter, Matt Crafton, John Hunter Nemechek, Austin Cindric and Kaz Grala).
- Chase Briscoe has locked into the playoffs on points
- Only one spot remains in the playoffs at Chicagoland
- Only seven points separate the drivers currently eighth (Ben Rhodes) in playoff standings and ninth (Ryan Truex) in playoff standings
Preliminary entry lists for NASCAR at Richmond Raceway.
By Daniel McFadin
(Photo/Getty Images)
Here are the preliminary entry lists for both races.
Cup – Federated Auto Parts 400
There are 39 cars entered for Saturday’s race.
No driver is attached to the No. 51 owned by Rick Ware Racing.
Last year Denny Hamlin led 189 laps, including the last 86, on the way to winning his third race at the short track.
Earlier this year Joey Logano held off the field to win the April race over Brad Keselowski and Hamlin. Logano’s win doesn’t count toward playoff eligibility because his car failed inspection after the race.
Click here for the entry list.
Xfinity – Virginia529 College Savings
There are 41 cars entered into Friday’s race.
There are five Cup drivers entered into the race: Kyle Busch, Brad Keselowski, Ty Dillon, Paul Menard and Dale Earnhardt Jr.
GMS Racing’s No. 96 Chevrolet driven by Ben Kennedy has been withdrawn from the event.
Last year Kyle Busch won this race after leading 197 laps from the pole.
Kyle Larson won the April race after a duel with Justin Allgaier.
Click here for the entry list.
SOCCER: Notes from the rewatch: Matt Polster's influence on the Fire.
(Photo/USA TODAY)
There were plenty of reasons for the Fire's losing ways since returning from the Gold Cup break.
A few of them still exist, but Matt Polster's return from injury appeared on Saturday to be one of the keys in the Fire's win in Montreal. Was Polster's absence that important to the Fire and now that he's back will the team go on a winning run?
Here's a look at that, plus an apparent change in philosophy from coach Veljko Paunovic.
Polster's influence on the Fire
It's easy to be drawn to the big play Polster made to set up Bastian Schweinsteiger's goal. He dribbled around a defender to get to the end line and picked his head up to find Schweinsteiger in the box. (It's also worth noting where Schweinsteiger is at the start of the play, near where the ball to Polster is played from, and where he winds up to get on the end of that ball.)
This is the kind of play Polster can make as a right back. He doesn't have traditional right back instincts or skills. He isn't going to put aerial crosses on a dime, but he can make a pass on the ground to hit a teammate.
Polster also nearly created an own goal with another low cross that seemed innocuous in the 10th minute, but was deflected towards the goal in an attempt to clear the ball.
Those two plays were highlights, although the near own goal was more about luck than anything else. Polster didn't make many other standout contributions. He completed 36 of 43 passes (84 percent). Defensively, he was quiet statistically with three clearances and two ball recoveries.
When Polster plays, the Fire get better results. As Matt Doyle wrote for MLSsoccer.com, the Fire are 10-3-2 when Polster plays and 3-6-3 when he doesn't. There's definite correlation here, but proving causality is another issue.
For one, Polster missed the beginning of the year when the Fire did not yet have Schweinsteiger and when the team was still figuring out its attack. His first appearance of the season was a substitute appearance in the 4-0 win against Seattle on May 13. At the time, that felt like a breakout win for the Fire and Polster's role was minimal in that game. The Fire led 2-0 before he entered and he didn't factor into either of the two goals that came after.
He then took over a starting spot when the Fire got hot. However, he also started three losses in the recent slump. In other words, the Fire's hot streak started just before Polster got back and the cold streak started before he got hurt.
So while Polster and fellow full back Brandon Vincent have the best plus-minus on the team (to steal a hockey stat) at plus-18, Polster's return alone won't solve the Fire's problems. Looking simply at the numbers, Vincent, who came off the bench on Saturday, might have a better argument as one of the team's most important players. Vincent last played in Portland, which was the last game in the Fire's 11-game MLS unbeaten run. He went down with an injury and the Fire went 1-6.
The return of three regular starters to the defense was always likely to result in an uptick in the Fire's play. While Joao Meira was still out, it appears Vincent is on track to rejoin Polster in the starting lineup next weekend. That should improve the defense, and the attack somewhat. However, even with Polster back the Fire managed just two shots on target. A solid defensive performance (at least after Montreal attempted eight shots in the first 25 minutes) and a red card in the second half paved the way for a Fire win.
A change in philosophy?
There wasn't much in the postgame quote sheet, but the only quote from Paunovic was telling.
"With 11 men we knew what we had to do: work hard, help each other, be organized and defend the result," Paunovic said.
That defend the result part is different from Paunovic. This is the same coach who has talked about going after the second or third goal to add to a lead. Now Paunovic is talking about defending a result? That's a first.
Perhaps Paunovic is becoming more pragmatic after a year and a half in the league. Maybe it was simply due to matchup. Being aggressive with the lead, even with a man advantage, would open up the Fire to Montreal's bread and butter, the counter.
The Fire did sit back after taking the lead. Montreal had the majority of the possession for the final 20 minutes, including each of the final four five-minute segments as the league website breaks it down.
Whatever the reason, this was new in Paunovic's tenure with the Fire.
Honduras 1-1 USMNT: Wood leads heist as Yanks pilfer point.
By Nicholas Mendola
(Photo/nbcsports.com)
Houston Dynamo attacker Romell Quito roasted the U.S. defense for an early goal at San Pedro Sula, and the Americans didn’t look prepared to equalize for most of the remaining 62 minutes.
But substitute striker Bobby Wood poked a loose ball home in the 85th minute as the woeful Yanks rebounded to take a point from Honduras in a 1-1 draw on Tuesday.
The Yanks will finish the international break outside the automatic qualifying places if Panama wins vs. Trinidad and Tobago later Tuesday.
The Yanks came out of the gate with purpose, almost earning a corner through Pulisic within 30 seconds and watching Jordan Morris drag an effort wide of the goal in the third minute.
Darlington Nagbe dribbled deep into the left of the attacking third before cutting back for Kellyn Acosta, who chipped an inviting cross toward the back post. Los Catrachos handled it, another promising sign from the Yanks.
Yet Graham Zusi was caught adventuring and DaMarcus Beasley needed to stoop to save Alberth Elis’ cross from reaching Romell Quioto atop the six.
Then Zusi was cooked again by Quioto, and Gonzalez bungled his attempt to close down the Honduran striker. Guzan stayed home, Quioto had a lot of time to find the ball and kiss it off the post.
Quiet for most of the early play, Pulisic forced an in-tight save out of Luis Lopez.
Henry Figueroa hammered a free kick at Guzan that the Atlanta United man punched over the bar.
That was the first half. 1-0, Honduras.
The second half didn’t find much going for either side, though Honduras was promising more in the attack. Kellyn Acosta saw yellow for a petulant pull back, and the Yanks made two subs.
With about a half hour to play, Paul Arriola went in for DaMarcus Beasley and Geoff Cameron entered for the struggling Zusi as the U.S. went to three at the back.
Yet nothing was happening for Bruce Arena’s men. Honduras was content to waste time, and the United States was absent ideas.
The Yanks put in Bobby Wood, and had a half-chance through Clint Dempsey. Fortunately for the U.S., a terrific tackle from the otherwise poor Gonzalez stopped Honduras from a second goal, and Boniek Garcia blew a wide open chance at a third.
Wood found a loose ball after Acosta cranked a free kick that was parried away, and both Besler and Morris kept the chance alive. The Yanks suddenly and shockingly were in line for a point.
Figueroa took his second yellow deep into stoppage for a sending off.
CONMEBOL wrap: Peru surges, Chile flops, Argentina messes up.
By Nicholas Mendola
(AP Photo/Juan Karita)
Matchday 16 of CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying did not go according to script, thanks largely to already-eliminated teams.
Bolivia upset Chile in La Paz, while Venezuela went into Argentina and stole a point from Lionel Messi’s desperate and embattled Albiceleste.
Peru moved into the Top Four, ahead of Argentina on tiebreakers, while Uruguay was the lone top team to seize its opportunity on the night.
Argentina 1-1 Venezuela
Jhon Murillo gave the visitors a shock 51st minute lead, only to hand it back via an own goal three minutes later. Argentina completed 398 more passes than Venezuela, and converted 92 percent of its 569 passes. It’s dominance extended to shots — 17-5 — but not to goals, despite four shots from Mauro Icardi and three each for Lionel Messi and Paulo Dybala.
Bolivia 1-0 Chile
Juan Arce’s 58th minute penalty kick was part of a bizarre night that saw under fire Chile manage just three shot attempts to the hosts’ 11. The Chileans had most of the ball but couldn’t get the job done and now sit outside the top five with a visit from Ecuador and trip to Brazil remaining on the docket.
Ecuador 1-2 Peru
The goals came in a flurry, as Edison Flores and Paolo Hurtado finished chances in the 72nd and 74th minutes to make it 2-0 before Enner Valencia scored shortly after Peru went down to 10 men. Ecuador drops four points back of the Top Four with a trip to Chile before a visit from Argentina. Ouch.
Paraguay 1-2 Uruguay
A Federico Valverde goal was joined by a Paraguay own goal as the visitors took a 2-0 lead late. Angel Romero scored in the 88th minute, but Paraguay couldn’t level the score and sits three points back of the Top Four. Uruguay’s 27 points are now second, but just three points ahead of fourth and fifth.
Colombia 1-1 Brazil
Already-qualified Brazil got a Willian goal in first half stoppage, but conceded a Radamel Falcao goal after the break to split the spoils. Los Cafeteros sit third with 26 points.
UEFA World Cup qualifying: Gylfi stars for Iceland; Kolarov leads Serbia.
By Nicholas Mendola
(Photo by Lars Baron/Getty Images)
Spain and Serbia moved to almost assure places in the 2018 World Cup, while Group I remains as tight as ever.
Here’s where three European groups stand after the final day of qualifying for this international break.
Liechtenstein 0-8 Spain
Spain finishes the break three points ahead of second-place Italy, with a mere 17 goals of differential advantage thanks to braces from Iago Aspas and Alvaro Morata. Sergio Ramos, Isco, David Silva, and an own goal completed the scoring in Vaduz.
Republic of Ireland 0-1 Serbia
Aleksandar Kolarov‘s 55th minute goal means Serbia will finish no lower than the playoffs, and Orlovi would need to really fall apart to miss out on Russia.
Iceland 2-0 Ukraine
The darlings of the EURO have joined Croatia on the most points in Group I following a brace from Everton’s Gylfi Sigurdsson.
Turkey 1-0 Croatia
Besiktas striker Cenk Tosun has Group I quite congested after scoring the lone goal in this one. Turkey and Ukraine have 14 points, two points behind Croatia and Iceland.
Opponents remaining:
Croatia – vs. Finland, at Ukraine
Iceland – at Turkey, vs. Kosovo
Turkey – vs. Iceland, at Finland
Ukraine – at Kosovo, vs. Croatia
Elsewhere
Austria 1-1 Georgia
Moldova 0-2 Wales
Italy 1-0 Israel
Macedonia 1-1 Albania
Kosovo 0-1 Finland
And then there were 8: South Korea, Saudi Arabia qualify for World Cup.
By Nicholas Mendola
(Photo by Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images)
Saudi Arabia and South Korea have joined Iran and Japan in the Asian Football Confederation’s delegation to Russia, leaving Syria and Australia to duel for the intercontinental playoff spot and six other nations on the outside of football’s biggest tournament.
Lowly Thailand finished with two points but ultimately stands as Australia’s automatic qualifying spoiler, while UAE, Qatar, China, and Iraq were eliminated before the start of play. Uzbekistan also misses out after failing to pass Syria or South Korea.
Uzbekistan 0-0 South Korea
Neither side won over the course of their final three qualifiers, costing the hosts a place in Russia. South Korea was able to advance with the point, and the Taegeuk Warriors will play in their ninth-straight World Cup.
Saudi Arabia 1-0 Japan
Fahad Al-Muwallad’s 63rd minute goal helped the Green Falcons to their first World Cup since 2006.
Australia 2-1 Thailand
The Socceroos could not make up two goals of difference on Saudi Arabia, and will face Syria for the chance to play CONCACAF’s fourth-place team in the interconfederation playoff. Thailand’s goal differential of minus-18 have Australia hope, even on the road, but tournament leading scorer Tomi Juric and Hertha Berlin’s Mathew Leckie were the only goal scorers for the Socceroos.
Iran 2-2 Syria
A win against already-qualified Iran would’ve put Syria into the World Cup ahead of South Korea, and the visitors had a 1-0 lead early only to need a stoppage time goal from Al Ahli striker Omar Al Somah to move ahead of Uzbekistan for third place in Group B.
New Zealand moves closer to World Cup, wins OFC qualifying.
By Matt Reed
(Photo/Twitter/@FIFAWorldCup)
New Zealand captured Oceania World Cup qualifying on Tuesday, drawing one step closer to the 2018 World Cup.
The All Whites drew 2-2 against the Solomon Islands in the second leg of their OFC final, after having secured a 6-1 victory in the first meeting.
Manager Anthony Hudson and his side will now be involved in a playoff against the fifth-place nation from CONMEBOL, currently Argentina, in a two-legged affair this November.
With South American qualifying too close to call from positions two through eight, New Zealand will likely have to wait until the final matchday to determine their playoff opponent.
The All Whites are looking to reach their third World Cup in its history, and their first since 2010 in South Africa — where the team drew all three of its group stage matches.
NCAAFB: Late rally, goal line stand pushes No. 25 Tennessee past Georgia Tech in double OT.
(Photo/Getty Images)
Tennessee had defended 86 Georgia Tech runs on the night, the vast majority of them poorly. So what chance did the Volunteers have, facing a do-or-die 2-point conversion, clinging to a 42-41 lead in double overtime, of stopping the 87th run?
Somehow, some way, No. 25 Tennessee found a way to corral Georgia Tech quarterback TaQuon Marshall at the line of scrimmage and secure a victory that seemed impossible just minutes prior.
Somehow, some way, No. 25 Tennessee found a way to corral Georgia Tech quarterback TaQuon Marshall at the line of scrimmage and secure a victory that seemed impossible just minutes prior.
Georgia Tech spent most of the evening with its offense on the field, trampling a Tennessee defense that spent six months preparing for an offense it had no chance of stopping. Making his first career start, Marshall set Georgia Tech quarterback records by carrying an astounding 44 times for 249 yards and five touchdowns, spearheading a Yellow Jackets offense that totaled 535 yards and six scores on a steady 6.2 yards per carry. The Jackets led 14-7 at halftime, accepted the ball to open the second half and promptly took complete control of the game with an 11-play, 80-yard drive that consumed nearly six minutes — nearly 20 percent of the available game time to that point.
After Tennessee (1-0) found pay dirt to pull within 21-14, Georgia Tech (0-1) again traversed the length of the field, moving 75 yards in a brief — for them — two minutes and 34 seconds, as a 6-yard Marshall run gave the Jackets a 28-14 lead with 13:08 remaining in the game.
But it was after that point, when much of the Big Orange faithful had had enough and departed Mercedes-Benz Stadium, that the Tennessee offense refused to be stopped — particularly wide receiver Marquez Callaway and running back John Kelly. Callaway pulled Tennessee back within 28-21 after breaking a tackle and streaking 50 yards for a touchdown.
Still, Georgia Tech had a chance to put the game away with another methodical drive and appeared ready to do just that when J.J. Green slashed and dashed for a 36-yard gain to the Tennessee 7-yard line as the clock slunk below five minutes to play, but Rashaan Gaulden raced from behind to poke the ball free and Micah Abernathy hopped on it for the Vols. Tennessee needed seven plays to move the required 93 yards, with six of those plays and 87 of those yards coming from either Callaway or Kelly. Kelly (19 carries for 128 yards and four touchdowns, with five grabs for 35 yards) touched it five times for 35 yards, including an 11-yard touchdown run, and Callaway (four grabs for 115 yards and two scores) caught a 40-yard bomb in double coverage. The combination of Callaway and Kelly carried another first-time starting quarterback in Quentin Dormady, who completed 20-of-37 throws for 221 yards and two touchdowns, but was much less efficient than this numbers showed when not throwing to Callaway or Kelly.
With the score now tied for the first time in the game, Georgia Tech had a second chance to put it away, moving 56 yards in 1:26 to set up a 37-yard field goal try for Shawn Davis. After his first attempt sailed far wide left, Davis’s second try was blocked.
With each defense appropriately gassed and disheartened, the two offense took turns slicing through their counterparts in overtime: Georgia Tech opened by scoring in five plays, and Tennessee answered in three. The Volunteers scored in three plays again at the top of the second frame, and Georgia Tech answered in four. Sensing his defense had no chance to stop Tennessee in the third overtime or in perpetuity, Georgia Tech head coach Paul Johnson put his offense back on the field to win it in double overtime. It felt like the right call at the time and still does now — in all, Georgia Tech converted 13-of-18 third downs, achieved 33 first downs to Tennessee’s 18 and possessed the ball for 41:27 — but Tennessee came up with its only stop of the night, the only one it needed.
Alabama still AP No. 1 as Penn State, Oklahoma move into Top 5.
By John Taylor
(Photo/Getty Images)
Not surprisingly, thanks to a handful of upsets and other developments, there’s been a bit of a shakeup in the Associated Press rankings.
In the latest AP Top 25 released Tuesday afternoon, Alabama, the preseason No. 1 that knocked off No. 3 Florida State Saturday night, maintained its stranglehold on the top spot. In fact, the Crimson Tide furthered tightened its grip as 60 of the 61 voters gave them No. 1 nods; they had 49 in the poll released before the start of the season.
No. 2 Ohio State was the only other team with a first-place vote (one).
FSU tumbled all the way to No. 10 with the loss to ‘Bama, while USC, with a closer-than-expected win over Western Michigan at home, fell two spots to No. 6. Taking over those spots in the Top Five are No. 4 Penn State (No. 6 in preseason poll) and No. 5 Oklahoma (No. 7).
The rest of the Top 10 is rounded out by No. 3 Clemson, No. 7 Washington, No. 8 Michigan and No. 9 Wisconsin.
Washington was the biggest upward mover of the week, climbing from No. 24 to No. 20. Michigan also moved into the Top 10 from No. 11 after beating Florida, which fell from No. 17 to No. 22 after that loss.
There were two new additions to the poll this week: No. 23 TCU, No. 24 Notre Dame. Dropping out were No. 23 Texas and No. 25 Utah.
Once again, the only Group of Five team in the Top 25 is USF, which dropped from No. 19 to No. 21.
College football rankings: Will a Group of 5 school upset a ranked power 5 team in Week 2?
By Bill Bender
(Photo/Getty Images)
Howard and Liberty made headlines with their upsets against UNLV and Baylor, respectively, in Week 1 of the 2017 college football season.
Those viral upsets hid a real trend in college football: When it comes to teams ranked in the AP Top 25, the gap between the Power 5 and Group of 5 shows. That's in the numbers.
Howard and Liberty made headlines with their upsets against UNLV and Baylor, respectively, in Week 1 of the 2017 college football season.
Those viral upsets hid a real trend in college football: When it comes to teams ranked in the AP Top 25, the gap between the Power 5 and Group of 5 shows. That's in the numbers.
AP Top 25 teams vs. Group of 5/FCS opponents
RANK
|
SCHOOL
|
OPPONENT
|
TIME
|
| 1 | Alabama (1-0) | vs. Fresno State | 3:30 p.m. |
| 7 | Washington (1-0) | vs. Montana | 8 p.m. |
| 8 | Michigan (1-0) | vs. Cincinnati | noon |
| 9 | Wisconsin (1-0) | vs. Florida Atlantic | noon |
| 10 | Florida State (0-1) | vs. Louisiana-Monroe | 7 p.m. |
| 11 | Oklahoma State (1-0) | at South Alabama (Friday) | 8 p.m. |
| 12 | LSU (1-0) | vs. Chattanooga | 7:30 p.m. |
| 16 | Miami (Fla.) (1-0) | at Arkansas State | 3:30 p.m |
| 18 | Virginia Tech (1-0) | vs. Delaware | 3:30 p.m. |
| 19 | Kansas State (1-0) | vs. Charlotte | noon |
| 20 | Washington State (1-0) | vs. Boise State | 10:30 p.m. |
| 22 | Florida (0-1) | vs. Northern Colorado | 7:30 p.m. |
| 25 | Tennessee (1-0) | vs. Indiana State | 4 p.m. |
NCAABKB: NCAA proposal may allow all transfers to play immediately.
By Jason Marcum
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(Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
The college basketball landscape is riddled with transfers every year, and that could be increasing in a big way very soon across all NCAA sports.
According to 247 Sports’ Andrew Slater, the NCAA is considering a rule that would allow all Division-I transfers to be eligible to play immediately. So long as these players meet academic requirements, they will be free to transfer and not have to sit out a year while at their new school.
Here’s an excerpt from Slater’s report:
The only potential restrictions are that student-athletes would be asked to meet a minimum GPA, in order to transfer immediately, and that any additional transfer would require the student-athletes to sit out a full year. The proposal, which is being solicited among members for feedback, is gaining increased traction in recent weeks, a source confirms.
The proposal must be completed by November 1. The members of the Transfer Working Group will continue to seek feedback from fellow coaches, directors, commissioners and student-athletes in the days ahead, but it is becoming more likely that the proposal will be voted upon next April with the possibility of this going into effect as early as the 2018-19 calendar.
If this happens, college sports well effectively become professional sports in terms of players being able to leave and find new teams much easier. The one-year requirement to sit out often deters players from transferring who are considering such. Taking that way means we’re about to see a lot more players changing teams on a yearly basis.
That’s not to say these kids don’t deserve the right to transfer and be able to play immediately. It’s just going to cause a lot of chaos and make building a team that much harder to accomplish.
Currently, the only way a college transfer can become immediately eligible is if he/she is a graduate transfer, or they get a hardship waiver form the NCAA. Being a graduate transfer usually requires students to be at a school for 3-4 years before being able to transfer and be immediately eligible.
I do believe there’s a middle ground that can be found here. Instead of making all players eligible to transfer and play immediately, perhaps make that only apply to sophomores and above.
Plenty of college freshman want to transfer after one season, but they ultimately find their way and stay the course at said school. Giving them free rein to transfer after one year is going to lead to a lot of bad decisions being made.
US Open Tennis 2017 Results: Sloane Stephens, Pablo Carreno Busta Advance.
By Joseph Zucker
(Photo/Abbie Parr/Getty Images)
The 2017 U.S. Open semifinals began taking shape Tuesday in New York City as quarterfinal play started in the men's and women's singles draw.
Pablo Carreno Busta faced off with Diego Schwartzman to get things underway, and Sloane Stephens closed out the afternoon against Anastasija Sevastova. Venus Williams beat Petra Kvitova in the evening, and Sam Querrey will look to reach his second Grand Slam final against Kevin Anderson.
Below are the scores from Tuesday and a recap of the matches.
Results
Men's Singles
(12) Pablo Carreno Busta def. (29) Diego Schwartzman; 6-4, 6-4, 6-2
Women's Singles
Sloane Stephens def. (16) Anastasija Sevastova; 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (4)
(9) Venus Williams def. (13) Petra Kvitova; 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (2)
Day 9 Recap
Schwartzman beat Lucas Pouille in his previous match despite dealing with a leg injury. That injury may have troubled him more Tuesday as he fell in straight sets to Carreno Busta.
A rally during the fifth game of the second set illustrated Schwartzman's struggles against the 26-year-old Spaniard. Schwartzman had Carreno Busta playing defense for much of the point but couldn't put him away. Carreno Busta won the point by hitting a difficult forehand down the line for the winner.
The U.S. Open's official Twitter account shared a replay of the exchange:
Schwartzman's 21 winners were nine fewer than Carreno Busta, while he had 35 unforced errors. He also struggled mightily on second serve, winning six of his 27 first-service points. Carreno Busta earned eight break-point opportunities, converting on six.
"It's incredible. It's something that I always dreamed of, but never thought I could arrive here," Carreno Busta said in his post-match interview with ESPN (via the ATP World Tour's official site). "I'm very excited to be in the semifinals in this tournament."
Stephens will be joining him in the semifinals after beating Sevastova in three sets.
Things weren't looking good for Sevastova early in the match. She was trailing 2-5 in the first set and had the trainer working on her right thigh during a lengthy timeout. Jimmie48 Photography shared a photo of the 27-year-old getting tended to:
Sevastova shook off whatever ailed her in the second set. She broke Stephens' serve in the fourth game and took a commanding 4-1 lead before leveling the match.
Sevastova broke Stephens again in the third game of the third set to go ahead 3-1. Stephens held serve and earned a service break over the next two games to tie the set, and it was a tight affair from there. Stephens gained a 3-1 edge in the tiebreaker, which helped her seal a 7-4 win and advance to the semis.
The U.S. Open provided a replay of match point:
The final stats illustrate how little separated Stephens and Sevastova. Stephens had 31 winners and 41 unforced errors, while Sevastova had 25 and 39, respectively. The two also had four service breaks apiece.
Distance traveled was one area in which Stephens had a decided advantage. She ran less than seven feet per point than Sevastova. Stamina becomes an issue in a three-set match, and that might have been a problem when Sevastova was trying to close things out in the deciding frame.
She will now face Williams in the semifinal after the latter used a clutch performance in the third-set tiebreak to outlast Kvitova.
It looked as if Williams would cruise to a victory with a 6-3 performance in the first set, but Kvitova bounced back in the second and won by the same score. The two top-15 ranked players battled to a tiebreak in the third, but the seven-time major winner won seven of the nine points with the match on the line.
ESPN Stats & Info pointed out the company Williams joined with her outing:
The evenly fought match largely came down to unforced errors. According to the tournament's official website, Kvitova tallied 45 to Williams' 29. That was ultimately too much to overcome, and Williams came through in the decisive tiebreak.
On This Date in Sports History: Today is Wednesday, September 06, 2017.
Memoriesofhistory.com
1905 - Frank Smith (Chicago White Sox) pitched a no-hitter against the Detroit Tigers. The game set a record for the most lopsided margin of victory for a no-hitter in AL history (15-0).
1924 - Urban Shocker (St. Louis Brown) pitched two complete games against the Chicago White Sox. He won both games 6-2.
1943 - The youngest player to appear in an American League baseball game was pitcher Carl Scheib of the Philadelphia Athletics. Scheib was 16 years, eight months and five days old.
1972 - Rick DeMont lost the gold medal he received in a 400-meter swimming event because a banned drug was found in his system during routine drug testing.
1972 - The Summer Olympics resumed in Munich, West Germany, a day after the deadly hostage crisis that took the lives of 11 Israelis and five Arab abductors.
1976 - Steve Yeager (Los Angeles) was seriously injured when part of a broken bat struck him in the throat. He was waiting in the on-deck circle when the incident occurred.
1981 - Fernando Valenzuela (Los Angeles Dodgers) tied a National League record of seven shutouts by a rookie pitcher.
1989 - The Pittsburgh Steelers were banned from practicing on their own field, Three Rivers Stadium, because The Rolling Stones were rehearsing for their upcoming concert.
1995 - Bruce Hornsby and Branford Marsalis performed the National Anthem in Baltimore's Camden Yards before Cal Ripken Jr. set baseball's all-time consecutive games played record.
1995 - Los Angeles police detective Mark Fuhrman invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination at the O.J. Simpson trial.
1995 - Cal Ripken played his 2,131st consecutive game setting a new record. Lou Gehrig previously held the record.
1996 - Eddie Murray (Baltimore Orioles) hit his 500th career home run during a game against the Detroit Tigers. He was only the third person to have at least 3,000 hits and 500 home runs.
2000 - Scott Sheldon (Texas Rangers) became the third player in major league baseball history to play all nine positions in one game.
2001 - Barry Bonds (San Francisco) became the fifth player in major league baseball history to hit 60 home runs in a season.
1924 - Urban Shocker (St. Louis Brown) pitched two complete games against the Chicago White Sox. He won both games 6-2.
1943 - The youngest player to appear in an American League baseball game was pitcher Carl Scheib of the Philadelphia Athletics. Scheib was 16 years, eight months and five days old.
1972 - Rick DeMont lost the gold medal he received in a 400-meter swimming event because a banned drug was found in his system during routine drug testing.
1972 - The Summer Olympics resumed in Munich, West Germany, a day after the deadly hostage crisis that took the lives of 11 Israelis and five Arab abductors.
1976 - Steve Yeager (Los Angeles) was seriously injured when part of a broken bat struck him in the throat. He was waiting in the on-deck circle when the incident occurred.
1981 - Fernando Valenzuela (Los Angeles Dodgers) tied a National League record of seven shutouts by a rookie pitcher.
1989 - The Pittsburgh Steelers were banned from practicing on their own field, Three Rivers Stadium, because The Rolling Stones were rehearsing for their upcoming concert.
1995 - Bruce Hornsby and Branford Marsalis performed the National Anthem in Baltimore's Camden Yards before Cal Ripken Jr. set baseball's all-time consecutive games played record.
1995 - Los Angeles police detective Mark Fuhrman invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination at the O.J. Simpson trial.
1995 - Cal Ripken played his 2,131st consecutive game setting a new record. Lou Gehrig previously held the record.
1996 - Eddie Murray (Baltimore Orioles) hit his 500th career home run during a game against the Detroit Tigers. He was only the third person to have at least 3,000 hits and 500 home runs.
2000 - Scott Sheldon (Texas Rangers) became the third player in major league baseball history to play all nine positions in one game.
2001 - Barry Bonds (San Francisco) became the fifth player in major league baseball history to hit 60 home runs in a season.
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