CS&T/AllsportsAmerica Wednesday Sports News Update, 09/13/2017.

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"Sports Quote of the Day"

"You can't let injuries dictate the outcome of a football game. You have to persevere and keep fighting. That is how we are. If there is a blade of grass to defend or take, we do it." ~ DeAngelo Williams, NFL Running Back

TRENDING: Evaluating the Bears’ pass-catching options with Kevin White going on IR.  (See the football section for Bears news and NFL updates).

TRENDING: What comes next? Five questions facing the Blackhawks this season. (See the hockey section for Blackhawks updates and NHL news).

TRENDING: Who are the NBA’s tanking candidates? (See the basketball section for Bulls news and NBA updates).

TRENDING: Hard to believe this Cubs offense will be ready for prime time; Jim Callis believes White Sox will pounce on best MLB draft class in years. (See the baseball section for Cubs and White Sox updates).

TRENDING: BMW Championship: Tee times, TV schedule, stats; Halfway home, more playoff thrills to come? (See the golf section for PGA news and tournament updates).

TRENDING: Who’s Hot, Who’s Not entering Chicagoland — NASCAR Cup playoff edition; Danica Patrick says she is out at Stewart-Haas Racing after this season. (See the NASCAR section for NASCAR news and racing updates).

TRENDING: Former coach Bob Bradley defends Fire as best MLS expansion team ever: 'Somebody lost their mind'; Alexi Lalas Rips USA Soccer Team's CONCACAF World Cup Qualifying Blues. (See the soccer section for Fire news and worldwide soccer updates).

Bear Down Chicago Bears!!!!! Evaluating the Bears’ pass-catching options with Kevin White going on IR.

By JJ Stankevitz

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

The Bears aren’t sure if Kevin White will return in 2017, with the star-crossed former seventh overall pick going on injured reserve with a fractured scapula.

Whether he does or doesn’t, though, won’t affect the question facing the Bears’ passing offense: Now what?

When training camp opened in late July, the Bears’ top three wide receivers were lined up to be Cameron Meredith (who’s out for the year), White (who may be out for the year) and Markus Wheaton (who didn’t play Sunday due to a fractured pinkie suffered in August). So where can the help come from, if it materializes at all?

Currently on the 53-man roster:

— Kendall Wright didn’t catch his first pass Sunday until the fourth quarter. He’s a savvy route-runner who’s adept at getting open in space, but is primarily a slot receiver, which limits his opportunities to get on the field if…

— The Bears use more two- and three-tight end sets. Zach Miller was Mike Glennon’s second-most targeted player on Sunday (six times, with four catches for 39 yards), and coach John Fox made the point last week that when Miller was injured in 2016, he was the team’s best pass-catcher. Dion Sims caught two passes and could be utilized more as a big body up the seam. Rookie Adam Shaheen didn’t show much during preseason but played a handful of snaps, but he and his 6-foot-6, 270 pound frame could be molded into a useful weapon in certain situations.

“He’s getting better every day, every week,” offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains said last week. “We’ll just keep practicing. He’s going to fill a role for us right now and it’s a deep position for us so we’re fortunate that we can develop a talented player and he’ll have a role and that role will continue to grow as he’s ready to take on more.”

— Deonte Thompson and Josh Bellamy haven’t been more than 20-catch, 300-yard receivers with special teams value in their respective careers, but may be counted on to do more going forward. Bellamy in particular played well late against the Falcons, and while a possible game-winning touchdown hit him in the hands, it looked like he was held and had his timing disrupted on that play.

— Ryan Pace said last week the Bears “we’re excited about adding” Tre McBride, a waiver claim from the Baltimore Ravens. McBride was inactive last week and only has two career receptions for eight yards. “He spent last week getting kind of oriented in our offense, he's a possibility,” coach John Fox said.

— Markus Wheaton is “improving,” Fox said Monday, but has yet to practice without a club on his hand to protect his healing pinkie. He has the established speed to at least be a deep threat for opposing secondaries, but only played in three games last year with the Pittsburgh Steelers due to a shoulder issue that required surgery in January. If he can return to the field soon, he could add an important dimension to the Bears’ offense, so long as he’s able to stay healthy.

“I haven’t played a lot of football yet,” Wheaton said last week. “I’m sure it’ll come quick once I start playing again.” 

— Tarik Cohen was outstanding on Sunday, catching eight passes for 47 yards and plowing through cornerback Desmond Trufant for a 19-yard touchdown. But can the 5-foot-6, 181 pound Cohen hold up over a full 16-game season taking the kind of shots he did from the Falcons’ defense? He’s shown impressive toughness, but given his early status as the best playmaker in this offense, may need to be calculated about the risks he takes (i.e., going down/out of bounds against zone coverage to avoid the biggest of hits).

— Jordan Howard wanted to improve his all-around game in 2017, but the drop he had near the end zone late Sunday hurt. He only had 13 carries, though, and if the Bears’ offense can find a way to be effective while making sure he’s fresh throughout games and the entire season, it’ll benefit this group as a whole.

— Benny Cunningham has pass-catching ability as a third-down back, but suffered a high ankle sprain on Sunday. That may lead to waiver claim Taquan Mizzell, who caught 195 passes in college at Virginia, being active against Tampa Bay to fill Cunningham’s role.
Not on the roster, for now:

— Training camp star Tanner Gentry could be an option if the Bears elevate him off the practice squad. He has a better understanding of the offense than anyone the Bears could acquire from outside the organization, which could help him step in faster. But the Bears decided against keeping him on their initial roster, and he wasn’t claimed on waivers by any of the other 31 teams in the league. Perhaps Gentry develops into a solid player, but it’s worth remembering the last undrafted rookie receiver to make it with the Bears (Meredith) only had 11 catches for 120 yards in his first year.

— The free agent pool at this time of the year, obviously, is limited. Could someone like a Dorial Green-Beckham, who caught 36 passes for 392 yards and two touchdowns last year, be an option? Possibly, though teams have had two and a half months to sign the former second-round pick and haven’t, likely due to off-the-field questions. Former Pro Bowler Vincent Jackson is out there, but tore his ACL last year and, at the age of 34, has seen his production sharply decline over the last three years. The Bears’ front office will continue to scour the free agent, and possibly trade, markets, but finding an impact guy in mid-September will be difficult.

“When injuries happen in the league is, how thick your roster is at that position and how fast you can get a guy schooled up?” Fox said. “We dealt with that more than our share last year and it's not unusual but we'll adjust.”

NFL makes it official: Bears-Bucs will play in Tampa on Sunday.

By Mark Strotman

(Photo/USA TODAY)

The NFL and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers announced Tuesday morning that the team will host the Bears at Raymond James Stadium on Sunday.

The league had been assessing the impact Hurricane Irma had on both the stadium and surrounding area before making a final decision on where the game would be played.

The game will kick off at its regularly scheduled time of noon CT.

“We have been working tirelessly with the Tampa Sports Authority, as well as the NFL league office, to ensure that Raymond James Stadium would be available to host our season opener against the Chicago Bears this Sunday.” Buccaneers Chief Operating Officer Brian Ford said in a statement. “Hosting the game is important to us, as Tampa Bay has been through a lot over the past few days. We look forward to providing our fans and the entire region an opportunity to come together this Sunday to kick off our 2017 season.”

It'll mark both the home opener and season opener for the Buccaneers, who were forced to cancel their Week 1 game against the Miami Dolphins because of the hurricane. Those two teams will make up their game in Week 11, originally both teams' bye week.

The Bears will travel to Tampa Bay for the third straight season. The Buccaneers thumped Chicago last season, 36-10, in Week 10. The Bears were victorious in 2015, earning a 26-21 victory in Week 16.

Bears suffer another huge loss with Jerrell Freeman going on injured reserve.

By Vinnie Duber

(Photo/AP)

A day after it was learned that Kevin White was going on injured reserve with a fractured scapula, the Bears suffered another huge loss Tuesday, announcing that linebacker Jerrell Freeman was also placed on injured reserve.

The Bears said only that Freeman suffered an injury in Sunday's season-opening loss to the Atlanta Falcons. Monday, head coach John Fox told reporters that Freeman had a self-reported concussion as well as a pectoral muscle injury.

Freeman was one of the better defensive players in the league last season, his first with the Bears. He led the team with 86 total tackles, appearing in 12 games.

Freeman hasn't played an entire 16-game schedule since his second season in the league, 2013 with the Indianapolis Colts.

The Bears also made White's move to injured reserve official and announced that wide receiver Tanner Gentry and linebacker Jonathan Anderson were signed to the active roster from the practice squad. Additionally, running back Joshua Rounds and wide receiver Mario Alford were signed to the practice squad, and wide receiver Rueben Randle was released from injured reserve.

Bears promote preseason standout Tanner Gentry to 53-man roster. 

By Scott Krinch

(Photo/AP)

The Bears' wide-receiver carousel took another spin on Tuesday afternoon.

The Bears announced they've promoted wide receiver Tanner Gentry to the active roster and signed wideout Mario Alford to an already-thin positional group which is already without Cameron Meredith and just lost Kevin White to another potential season-ending injury.

Gentry, who was waived by the Bears and signed to the practice squad earlier this month, had four catches for 77 yards and one touchdown during the preseason. Gentry's touchdown came on a 45-yard pass from rookie quarterback Mitch Trubisky against the Tennessee Titans.

Gentry went undrafted last May after a standout four-year career at Wyoming in which he caught 180 passes for 2,125 yards and 20 touchdowns.

Alford, who was White's college teammate at West Virginia, was originally selected by the Cincinnati Bengals in the 7th round of the 2015 NFL Draft. Alford's one career catch came during his rookie season with the Bengals. He had eight punt returns for 68 yards and eight kickoff returns for 190 yards with the Cleveland Browns last season. He was waived by the team following the 2017 preseason.

In an additional roster move, the Bears promoted inside linebacker Jonathan Anderson to the active roster and placed Jerrell Freeman on injured reserve.

Akiem Hicks explains what makes Tarik Cohen such an explosive playmaker. 

By JJ Stankevitz

(Photo/USA TODAY)

Midway through the fourth quarter on Sunday, Tarik Cohen caught a swing pass in open space with just one defender — Atlanta Falcons rookie linebacker Riley Duke — to beat. 

Watching from the sideline, defensive end Akiem Hicks knew what was coming, and it wasn’t going to show up on Duke’s season highlight reel. Duke lunged to try to tackle the 5-foot-6, 181 pound running back, but Cohen deftly shed the effort and accelerated forward. It was something Hicks saw Cohen do plenty in practice over the last few weeks, so he had some sympathy for Duke in that situation. 

“His mom’s watching too,” Hicks laughed. “I felt bad for him. I knew he was going to miss.”

The Bears kept their plan for Cohen out of the public eye in August, not targeting him during preseason games and only giving him one carry in their Week 3 dress rehearsal against the Tennessee Titans. But behind the scenes, Hicks and the Bears defense saw the potential Cohen had to be unleashed as a playmaker. What he did in his NFL debut, then, was no surprise. 

“I’ve seen it a bunch,” Hicks said. “I’ve seen it one too many times in training camp. I can only imagine that he’s going to be a special player in this league.” 

That shiftiness and quickness had a greater impact than landing Cohen on a highlight reel or gaining a few extra yards, though: They also set up Cohen’s two most spectacular plays on Sunday.

On Cohen’s 46-yard cut-back run, he said he knew the Falcons’ defense had over-pursued him on sweep play earlier in the game. So when the Bears ran the play again, Cohen saw the Falcons sell out to the boundary to stop him — which he knew left the field side clear. So Cohen stopped, cut back and dashed across the field in a play reminiscent of a Dante Hall punt return, gouging the Falcons’ defense and setting up a game-tying touchdown just before halftime. 

And when Cohen caught a fourth quarter pass from Mike Glennon in the red zone with one defender to beat — cornerback Desmond Trufant — all those spins and jukes from earlier in the game paid off in a different way. Cohen, instead of making one of those moves, lowered his shoulder into Trufant and bowled through him to get in the end zone. 

“The beautiful thing is Trufant couldn’t really get up on him because he was afraid that Tarik was going to make a move,” Hicks said. “So if you get a guy scared of your first move — whether it’s in pass rush or blocking as an offensive lineman or any position — when you get a guy scared of your first move, it opens up a lot more. And that’s why he was able to run him over.”

That’s the kind of stuff Cohen did to the Bears defense in August — and it’s the kind of stuff that’s now a problem for the rest of the league. 

“You can hear the chatter, you know what I mean, going through training camp where guys get matched up on him are saying, ‘Oh man, here we go,’” Hicks said. “And that’s a great feeling, because you know he’s not torturing us any more. He’s torturing other defenses.”

How 'bout them Chicago Blackhawks? Pressure on Blackhawks reminiscent of 2012-13 season.

By Tracey Myers

(Photo/USA TODAY)

On Monday afternoon NHL Network broadcast their review of the Blackhawks’ 2013 Cup run. Once that season did finally begin in January of 2013 you all remember what happened: the insane 21-0-3 start, the consistency throughout that shortened regular season, the scare against the Detroit Red Wings and the eventual Cup.

Considering the end result it’s easy to forget how much uncertainty there was entering that season – past the uncertainty of if there even would be a season. The Blackhawks were coming off two consecutive seasons that ended with first-round losses, their attempts to bolster roster depth had fallen short in both of those seasons and the chances of the core group getting another Cup didn’t look promising.

Sound familiar?

Fast forward to this fall with the Blackhawks facing a lot of uncertainty again. They’ve once again looked to free agency to try and boost their depth. They’ve once again looked to former players (Patrick Sharp and Brandon Saad) to help rekindle what worked so well from 2012-15. And once again, the pressure is on to get back to where they were not so long ago.

But there are a whole lot of differences between then and now. Hindsight confirming now what we weren’t sure of then, that 2012-13 team was pretty deep. Bryan Bickell had a career year. Johnny Oduya, acquired the previous season, bolstered the Blackhawks’ defense. Andrew Shaw came into his own. So did Saad. Michael Frolik and Marcus Kruger became steady and reliable penalty killers. The core players were in the prime of their careers and still had a lot of hockey in front of them.

Can the Blackhawks have a rebound season like 2012-13? Right now, it would be a surprise. Key players have logged a lot of hockey since the 2008-09 season, including two conference finals and three Stanley Cup runs. Marian Hossa is gone. The Blackhawks’ depth past the top two lines is a concern. So is the defensive lineup. While the Blackhawks surged to claim the Central last season, others have increased their chances of taking the top spot. Nashville made its statement last spring, starting with that first round against the Blackhawks. The Dallas Stars enter this fall having addressed their most pressing concern (goaltending).

To say this Blackhawks season is going to be interesting is an understatement. They could live with the seven-game, first-round elimination against St. Louis in 2016 but they couldn’t stomach the first-round sweep to Nashville in April. The pressure the Blackhawks are feeling now is very much like the pressure they felt entering the 2012-13 season. Alleviating it this time around is going to be a lot tougher to do.

What comes next? Five questions facing the Blackhawks this season.

By Tracey Myers

(Photo/USA TODAY)

When the Blackhawks start training camp on Friday they’ll end what’s been a much-too lengthy offseason. It was another summer of big roster losses (including Niklas Hjalmarsson, Artemi Panarin, Scott Darling, Trevor van Riemsdyk, Marcus Kruger and Dennis Rasmussen) and a few familiar faces returning (Brandon Saad and Patrick Sharp).

There’s more uncertainty entering this Blackhawks season than there’s been in quite some time. Their abrupt defeat in the postseason exposed concerns that they hope they’ve addressed this offseason. But have they?

April was a month of frustration for the Blackhawks. September is one that comes with many questions. Here are five of those questions entering this preseason/season.

1. Can a young defenseman make an impact this season? Gustav Forsling looked great out of last year’s camp but couldn’t stay at that level when he did get in the Blackhawks lineup. Michal Kempny got some chances but as soon as he had a bad game he was back out of the lineup. This year those two, as well as Jan Rutta should get a good opportunity. Considering the Blackhawks’ situation at defense, someone has to take advantage of the chance.

2. Will the Blackhawks rely too much on Corey Crawford? The way the team stacks up right now, this could very well happen. Let’s be honest: they probably depended on him too much for the first part of the 2016-17 season, and prior to his appendectomy last December Crawford was fantastic. The second half wasn’t as consistent, as Crawford admitted in April – “I thought I was trying to find my game a lot. Every other week, I just didn’t have the same reads, the same jump that I did the first half. There were games I played really well. But there were a lot of games I was ordinary, just average.” The Blackhawks have a lot of question marks in front of Crawford, so unless some of those holes are filled and filled well, Crawford’s going to have the onus on him again.

3. Can last year’s rookies take the next step? Ryan Hartman nearly had 20 goals and, outside of one or two bad moments, showed the on-ice discipline the Blackhawks needed him to have. Nick Schmaltz improved plenty, gaining the confidence and game to earn valuable minutes on the Blackhawks’ first or second line. The Blackhawks will need both to improve off those levels, especially Schmaltz considering the team’s voids at center. At the team’s convention in July, both said they were ready to show they could take on more responsibility. We’ll soon find out if they can.

4. Who’s more on the hot seat this season, coach Joel Quenneville or general manager Stan Bowman? After two consecutive first-round losses the Blackhawks are entering this season much like they did the 2012-13 one: they want to get back to postseason success and if they don’t, heads could roll. Quenneville will have to find the right solutions/pairs/lines on a lineup that’s lacking bottom-six depth and a defense that lost two of their starting six from last season. Some of Bowman’s deals have forced unwanted trades and results from recent acquisitions have been mixed. The pressure is on everybody this season, but especially these two.

5. Will too much be expected of Alex DeBrincat too soon? From the Blackhawks? No. They’ll take their time with the 19-year-old because it’s in his and their best interests to do so. But you and I both know that if DeBrincat starts the season in the minors and the Blackhawks are struggling to score goals for more than two games in a row, the demand to recall DeBrincat will be Teuvo Teravainen-esque. And we all remember what that was like.

Just Another Chicago Bulls Session..... Who are the NBA’s tanking candidates?

By Tom Ziller

(Photo/Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

The NBA is considering draft lottery reform. The league tried this three years ago, toward the beginning of the Hinkie Gambit in Philadelphia, but proposed too strong a medicine for a supermajority of franchise owners to take.

The dose is milder this time — read up on its impacts here — and based on what smart people are saying, its adoption is likely. It's not clear whether it would go into effect immediately or be delayed until the 2019 NBA draft lottery.

That leads us to wonder: If it were to take effect immediately, what teams will have to think twice about tanking this season?

The Kings are going to be bad: There are no two ways about it. The Nets, whose pick belongs to the Cavaliers now, will also be bad. Vegas over/under odds have the Suns in that same range, and the Bulls and Hawks even worse.

There will be a surprise team in that mix, too: Someone will suffer an injury or some combustible mix will go haywire. The Pacers, for example, or Knicks or long-tortured Magic could slip to the bottom of the standings. There will probably need to be one more very bad West team, as well. Will it be the Lakers again, or the Pelicans (please no), or the Mavericks? Time will tell.

None of these teams is in a position to decide whether to fight for a playoff spot or tank right now: Only fortune can save them. But if the rules do go into effect right away, it will be interesting to see what trades do or don't get made as teams prep for the race to the bottom.

The semifinals of the WNBA playoffs begin Tuesday night. Diana Taurasi, who never loses do-or-die games, carried the Mercury there to face the Sparks. The Mystics rode Kristi Toliver's Curryian shooting — nine threes in an elimination game! — to get to a series against the Lynx. This is going to be good. Mystics-Lynx is at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN2; Mercury-Sparks follows at 10. Get full coverage at Swish Appeal.

This is fun. Kevin Durant, who might be taking this "KD is not nice" thing a little too far, trashed Under Armour shoes on Bill Simmons' podcast recently. So a reporter asked Steph Curry about it. It appears Curry was annoyed enough to talk to Durant! I'm just here for Klay Thompson jumping in to defend Anta during future arguments.

Speaking of beef: Paul Pierce and Ray Allen have buried the hatchet! Of course, they had to take it out of Ray's back first ...

How Kyrie Irving will evolve in Boston. A farewell to Kyrie in Ohio.

Luka Doncic is having a tournament over in Europe.

Is the G League an option for O.J. Mayo?

Loved Ricky O'Donnell's exegesis on Tracy McGrady's futuristic tendencies. And I'm always in the mood for some T-Mac highlights.

In addition to those tanking rules, the NBA is also looking to legislate around resting stars for national TV games. It's all about making sure LeBron and the Warriors play when fans expect them to play. The fact that it's all about LeBron and the Warriors speaks to one of the NBA's challenges, though ...

Malik Monk's ankle injury sounds like an ongoing problem.

So much for peace: Charles Oakley is reportedly going to sue James Dolan and the Knicks.

Shout out to Tim Duncan for his efforts to raise funds for his native U.S. Virgin Islands in the wake of Irma. Duncan rarely uses his platform to get attention; of course he would leverage it now. One of the best ever.

We've reached the quarterfinals of EuroBasket 2017. No shockers so far, though Germany edging France in the Round of 16 to reach Tuesday's Spain challenge is interesting. Latvia vs. Slovenia is the most intriguing game, and it tips off at 2:30 p.m. ET.

The Grindfather is a Pelican. Memphis says goodbye.

Sweet story on married WNBA players DeWanna Bonner and Candice Dupree's decision to raise newborns together during their careers.

How being a high-profile basketball prospect often means changing high schools multiple times.

I, regrettably, didn't know anything about old Black Fives era star Zack Clayton until he was being inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame on Friday. This David Aldridge piece fills in the picture.

CUBS: Amid roller coaster season, Kyle Schwarber once again looks like an answer for Cubs. 

By Tony Andracki

(Photo/USA TODAY)

Roughly three hours after rocking out to "Born in the USA" as his new walk-up song, Kyle Schwarber strutted out to his locker wearing American flag shorts and dripping with sweat after a postgame weight-lifting session. 

He's not saving the world like Captain America or anything like that, but Schwarber is no stronger to the role of hero, having played it for the Cubs in each of the last two postseasons.

And now with the team fighting through a recent offensive slump, Schwarber is once again emerging as a possible answer for this Cubs lineup down the stretch.

The young slugger battled so hard to get his average back up over .200 after a stint in the minor leagues over the summer, but he hit his own slump in late August and early September. 

Those woes led to Schwarber riding the bench over the weekend as the Cubs scored just three runs in three games against the Milwaukee Brewers. 

Schwarber normally starts against right-handed pitchers and Milwaukee threw three righties out at Wrigley Field over the weekend yet Schwarber didn't see his name in the lineup once. He came in late Saturday in a 15-2 loss, drilling a homer and drawing a walk.

That little hot stretch rolled into Tuesday as Schwarber reached base all four times up, including his fourth three-hit game of the season as well as his 26th homer. For all the adversity he's faced throughout a roller coaster season, Schwarber is still tied with Kris Bryant for the second-most homers on the Cubs behind Anthony Rizzo.

Tuesday's big game raised Schwarber's 2017 average to .207, the highest it's been since April 29 when he was hitting .211.

Joe Maddon said he's encouraged by the steps Schwarber has taken to get his groove back, which included going to the opposite field and getting a pair of hits off left-handed pitchers.

"Shorter movements to the ball," Maddon said. "Much more hand involvement. I loved the line-drive to left-central. I thought it was big. And then good at-bats against both lefties.

"The homer, he stayed on that pitch really well. If he's getting out too far with longer movements, that doesn't happen. It just looks shorter and quicker, foot down sooner."

Schwarber refused to acknowledge any sort of frustration or show any cracks in the exterior from getting the weekend off. 

"It doesn't really change anything at all," Schwarber said. "I still go about my routine. Trying to keep making adjustments here and there."

Since the All-Star Break, Schwarber has a .908 OPS, slashing .255/.349/.559 in 166 plate appearances.

As the Cubs continue to search for their offensive rhythm down the stretch, Schwarber can play a huge role in a tight division race. 

The Cubs are slated to face right-handed starting pitchers in the next four games through Saturday, which should lead to lots of playing time for a guy who loves hitting when the lights are brightest (career .364 hitter with 1.178 OPS in the postseason).

Hard to believe this Cubs offense will be ready for prime time.

By Patrick Mooney

(Photo/USA TODAY)

The Cubs have enough high-end talent, layers of depth and big-game experience to hang on and win the National League Central. The Milwaukee Brewers and St. Louis Cardinals are also flawed teams that didn’t really expect to be here, either, only two games behind the defending World Series champs on Sept. 11.

But it’s harder to believe this offense will be ready for prime time and able to beat Max Scherzer and the Washington Nationals three times in a five-game series — or wear down Clayton Kershaw and the Los Angeles Dodgers again — much less generate the sustained pressure to win three playoff rounds.

Just listen to manager Joe Maddon, who sounded like he was running out of ideas after watching his team score three runs total while the Brewers pulled off a three-game sweep over the weekend: “All of a sudden this series, we chose not to hit.”

After getting shut out in the first Friday night regular-season game in Wrigley Field history, the Cubs got two garbage-time runs on Saturday after the Brewers built 15-0 lead, and then needed Hernan Perez to misjudge a flyball to right field on Sunday to score their only run.

Look at this offensive snapshot against Milwaukee: The Cubs struck out 32 times while drawing only six walks; went 2-for-20 with runners in scoring position and left 21 men on base; and hit .196 overall with only three doubles and a solo home run.

“We’re definitely in the hunt,” Maddon said. “It’s up to us to mentally rise to that moment. It’s a mental challenge as much as anything. Yes, this time of the year, when you get to the playoffs, you’re facing good arms every night. You have to beat the better pitching to be the team you want to be. I love the challenge. I think our guys do also.

“It’s up to us now to respond properly.”

This isn’t overreacting to a small sample size or overlooking a franchise that’s made so many big investments in hitters or underselling a Brewers team that shrewdly uses defensive shifts and advance scouting reports and hired a pitching coach (Derek Johnson) who used to work for the Cubs.

The Nationals (748), Colorado Rockies (733) and Arizona Diamondbacks (710) are the only NL teams that have scored more runs than the Cubs (707) so far this season. And the Cubs have averaged 5.7 runs per game since Aug. 1. But that stat is skewed by the stretch where the Cubs played 13 games in a row against last-place teams, and six wins where they put up football scores: 16, 15, 13, 17, 17 and 14.

“Every day, (Joe) sends us the lineup in the morning and he’s kind of tried every combination to find that consistency, and we really haven’t found it,” general manager Jed Hoyer said. “We have scored a lot of runs, but it seems like we’re blowing a team out once a week and scoring more than a dozen, but then having plenty of nights where it’s not there.

“It has been inconsistent, and I think Joe has been as frustrated as anyone trying to find that right combination. Hopefully, we’ll find it.”

Without Dexter Fowler’s name to put at the top of his iPad, Maddon has used 10 different leadoff hitters this season and gone through 129 lineup combinations (including pitchers) in 143 games.

Ben Zobrist — the other switch-hitter who saw so many pitches and made this feel like an American League lineup last year — has gone from being the World Series MVP to a part-time player. It’s impossible to know how much of that is Zobrist’s age (36) or injuries or fatigue after back-to-back championship runs with the Cubs and Kansas City Royals — or a new reality with two more seasons left on his $56 million contract.

After becoming a Chicago legend, Kyle Schwarber got demoted to Triple-A Iowa this summer and has also morphed into a kind of platoon hitter, though his numbers have spiked since that minor-league reboot (13 homers and an .876 OPS).

Jason Heyward is a Gold Glove outfielder, a clubhouse leader and a more productive offensive player, but his .702 OPS is still 47 points below the league average.

Remember when Maddon protected Addison Russell during his 2015 rookie season by batting him ninth in 117 games? Switch-hitting rookie Ian Happ — two years removed from his draft class and with only 26 Triple-A games on his resume — has gotten more than 90 percent of his plate appearances between the leadoff and sixth spots in the lineup and delivered 21 homers.

Russell didn’t make the leap to superstardom he hoped for after a 21-homer, 95-RBI season, and the Cubs have to be prepared for the possibility that he might not come back this year as he deals with plantar fasciitis in his right foot.

Javier Baez has proven that he can be an excellent big-league shortstop who can hit for power (21 homers) and average (.282 since the All-Star break). But a scout tracking the Cubs also made this observation: “He’s going back to that Hail Mary swing now.”

“It’s just working the good at-bat, going up there and getting into the count if you can,” Maddon said. “It’s about squaring up more baseballs. It’s about hitting the ball hard more consistently.

“Beyond that, when you get chances to score runs with outs — when the runner needs to be moved — move him. When you have a chance to score a run with a runner on third and less than two outs, score that run somehow. (Against) good pitchers, you have to take advantage of all those different moments. And on the other side, you have to pitch better than good pitching to beat them.”

The good news for the Cubs is that the New York Mets look nothing like the team that swept them out of the 2015 NL Championship Series with their power pitching and precise game plans. Instead of Jacob deGrom and Noah Syndergaard, the Cubs will face Robert Gsellman, a decimated Matt Harvey and Seth Lugo in a three-game series that begins Tuesday night at Wrigley Field.

Maybe Anthony Rizzo — who now has three straight seasons with more than 30 homers and 100-plus RBIs — is right when he says: “It’s kind of the flow of the season, the ups and downs.”

But no one would have predicted Jon Jay having to be such an important part of this offense, or Tommy La Stella starting this often in a pennant race after taking his New Jersey sabbatical last year and going 1-for-3 in playoff rosters, or the Cubs being this inconsistent when Kris Bryant’s OPS (.924) is not far from where he finished his MVP campaign (.939).

“I’ve always said with each player here: ‘You are who you are,’” Bryant said. “And I think at the end of the year, that’s how things will turn up. I believe that as a team, too. I think we’re a winning team. We’re a playoff team. And I think at the end of the year, that’s where we’ll be.”

Cubs unveil 2018 schedule with more White Sox and a World Series rematch vs. Indians. 

By Patrick Mooney

(Photo/AP)

The Cubs will open their 143rd season with a 10-game road trip, expand the crosstown rivalry with the White Sox and revisit an epic World Series next year.

Those are some of the highlights from the tentative 2018 schedule released Tuesday, with the Cubs opening next season on March 29 at Marlins Park and traveling to Cincinnati and Milwaukee before the April 9 Wrigley Field opener against the Pirates.

One year after the stunning Jose Quintana trade, the Cubs will play two three-game series against the White Sox in Wrigleyville (May 11-13) and on the South Side (Sept. 21-23).

As part of that American League Central crossover, the Cubs will have flashbacks to the 2016 World Series in Cleveland, returning to the scene of an unforgettable Game 7 (April 24-25) and hosting the Indians — who are now one of the hottest teams in baseball history — for two more games a month later (May 22-23).

Check out the entire grid here:



WHITE SOX: Rough first inning taught Dylan Covey some valuable lessons in White Sox loss.

By Dan Hayes

(Photo/USA TODAY)

Early Tuesday, Rick Renteria said he hoped Dylan Covey would trust the White Sox defense and the movement on his pitches and attack hitters.

While Covey eventually reached that point and got into a nice rhythm, the adjustment didn’t happen until it was too late. The rookie pitcher walked three batters in the first inning and dearly paid for it before he settled down. Covey yielded a Brandon Moss grand slam that propelled the Kansas City Royals to a 4-3 victory over the White Sox at Kauffman Stadium.

“I was struggling with command early on and you’d like to make the adjustment on your next pitch and that’s what I was trying to do,” Covey said. “It came a little later for me. I think halfway through the Moss at-bat I started kind of getting in the rhythm and got a feel for it. Unfortunately, he got a hold of one, but the walks did me in.”

The no-doubter Moss hit was the only damage Kansas City did against Covey, who was otherwise outstanding. The right-hander recovered almost instantly and offered the potential the White Sox saw when they selected him in the Rule 5 draft last December. Covey retired 14 of the next 15 batters he faced and lasted into the sixth inning.

Covey recorded five outs on grounders and induced a bunch of weak contact in the air, essentially becoming the pitcher the White Sox hope he develops into.

But before Moss’s round-tripper, Covey wasn’t the same.

He started the game with a six-pitch walk to Whit Merrifield, including two fastballs that were just off the edge of the zone. Two batters later, Covey just missed with two more fastballs and a slider in a four-pitch walk of Eric Hosmer.

The trend continued against Salvador Perez, though the misses weren’t as close to the zone in a seven-pitch walk. After Covey jumped ahead of Moss 1-2 in the count, he missed low with two fastballs and put himself in an unenviable position and Moss made him pay with a 430-foot homer.

“A lesson learned,” Renteria said. “He was working on the fringes and didn’t have his best command early.

Why Covey might tend to nibble at times is understandable. He has taken his fair share of lumps during his rookie campaign, allowing 17 home runs in 49 innings before Tuesday.

But the White Sox think Covey’s capable of getting outs with his sinker and want him to trust it and avoid walks. As Jeff Samardzija often notes, home runs are going to happen — it’s better they do with nobody on.

Covey walked four batters on Tuesday, which raised his total to 27 free passes in 54.2 innings.

“I’ve kind of been prone to the deep ball a lot this year, and I wouldn’t say it’s in the back of mind but these are big-league hitters so I need to throw my best stuff up there,” Covey said. “One of the things is just learning just to trust myself and trust it in the zone and not try to nibble too much at the corners because that’s when I can get into trouble and start putting guys on base.”

Covey said he felt good with the adjustment he made after the grand slam. He and pitching coach Don Cooper talked about the importance of getting ahead early on the bench and Covey saw the impact. While he fell behind by four runs, Covey kept the White Sox within striking distance and they nearly rallied to win it. The White Sox had the tying and go-ahead runs on in the ninth only to come up empty.

“The story for him was once that happened he came back and attacked the strike zone,” Renteria said. “ He did a really nice job. After the initial blow in the first for him to come back and keep us in the ballgame was pretty impressive.”

White Sox Talk Podcast: Jim Callis believes White Sox will pounce on best MLB draft class in years.

By Chuck Garfien

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

It's a fight to the finish between the White Sox, Phillies and Giants for the top pick in next year's MLB draft. But with the talent in the draft expected to be some of the best in years, how much will it really matter if the White Sox draft first, second or third? Chuck Garfien and Chris Kamka speak with Jim Callis, senior writer for MLB.com and MLBPipeline.com. He says the 2018 MLB draft will be the best since 2011. Will the White Sox go with a high schooler or a college player? Does Seth Beer fit into their plans?

Callis breaks down the top names and predicts who he thinks the White Sox will draft with their number-one pick. Callis also analyzes key players in the White Sox farm system: Michael Kopech, Eloy Jimenez, Jake Burger, Blake Rutherford, Micker Adolfo, Dane Dunning and many more.

Later, Garfien and Kamka talk about what Jose Abreu has meant to the White Sox both on and off the field. Kamka shares some incredible statistical data that puts Abreu in a class by himself. 

All this, and more, on the latest White Sox Talk Podcast.

White Sox 2018 schedule features early, late meetings with Cubs. 

By Dan Hayes

(Photo/USA TODAY)

The White Sox will be right back at Kauffman Stadium to open the 2018 season.

The club’s 2018 schedule was released on Tuesday morning. The White Sox open the season with a seven-day, six-game road trip to Kansas City and Toronto. They will open on March 29 against the Royals.

The team’s home opener is April 5 against the Detroit Tigers.

The White Sox and Cubs square off twice for a total of six games. Both series are on weekends with the Cubs hosting May 11-13 and the White Sox at home from September 21-23.

Whereas the White Sox had five different three-city road trips in 2017, they will only have two such trips next season. They travel to Texas, Cincinnati and Houston from June 29-July 8. There’s also a Kansas City-Baltimore-Cleveland trip from September 10-20.

The White Sox play 14 of 17 games at home from June 11-28. The club’s longest homestand is a 10-game stretch against Boston, Detroit and the Los Angeles Angels from August 30-September 9.

The White Sox end the 2018 season on the road with a three-game series at Minnesota from September 28-30.



Golf: I got a club for that..... BMW Championship: Tee times, TV schedule, stats.

By Golf Channel Digital

After a week off, the FedExCup Playoffs resume at the BMW Championship. Here's the key info for the third playoff event.

Golf course: Conway Farms Golf Club in Lake Forest, Ill., was opened in 1991 and designed by Tom Fazio. The course will play as a par 71 at 7,208 yards.

Purse: $8.75 million; winner get $1,575,000 (2,000 FedExCup points)

TV schedule (All times Eastern): Thursday, 3-7 p.m. on Golf Channel; Friday, 3-7 p.m. on Golf Channel; Saturday, 1-3 p.m. on Golf Channel, 3-6 p.m. on NBC; Sunday, Noon-2 p.m. on Golf Channel, 2-6 p.m. on NBC

Live streaming: Thursday, 3-7 p.m. at golfchannel.com; Friday, 3-7 p.m. at golfchannel.com; Saturday, 1-6 p.m. at golfchannel.com; Sunday, Noon-6 p.m. at golfchannel.com.

Notable tee times: Sergio Garcia, Charles Howell, Phil Mickelson at 9:33 a.m. Thursday, 11:55 a.m. Friday; Dustin Johnson, Jordan Spieth, Justin Thomas at 10:33 a.m. Thursday, 12:50 p.m. Friday; Hideki Matsuyama, Jon Rahm, Rickie Fowler at 12:50 p.m. Thursday, 10:33 a.m. Friday

Defending champion: Dustin Johnson beat Paul Casey by three strokes last year at Crooked Stick in Indiana for his second career BMW win.

Notables in the field: The field has been cut to the top 70 in FedExCup points, with the top 30 after this event advancing to the Tour Championship. Notables currently outside the top 30 are Masters champ Sergio Garcia (34), Phil Mickelson (36) and Rory McIlroy (51). Click here for the full points list.

Key stats:

• Spieth is trying to become the second player to win FedExCup twice (Tiger Woods)
• Thomas leads the PGA Tour in top-10s (11) and wins (five) this season
• Matsuyama ranks fourth in strokes gained-tee to green this season (148th in strokes gained-putting)
• Rahm has 11 top-5 finishes in 33 career PGA Tour starts
• Jason Day is the only player to finish in the top 10 both years at Conway Farms
• Day is 33 under in two starts at Conway Farms (best of any player in this event)
• Mickelson finished T-6 at Dell Technologies (best stroke-play finish this season)
• Conway Farms ranked 44th of 52 courses in 2014-15 PGA Tour season in difficulty
• Eight of 10 FedExCup champions were sixth or better in standings after BMW Championship

(Stats and information provided by the Golf Channel editorial research unit)

Halfway home, more playoff thrills to come?

By Ryan Lavner

(Photo/Golf Channel Digital)

Criticized in the past for failing to identify the best player, the FedExCup might not have that problem this year.

Check out the top 5 in the points standings and the Official World Golf Ranking. Their positions are different, but the players – Dustin Johnson, Jordan Spieth, Hideki Matsuyama, Justin Thomas and Jon Rahm – are the same.

The cream is rising to the top this postseason.

Part of it is fortuitous timing, the best playing their best at the right time, but other factors are involved, too. Those near the top of the standings have a sense of freedom, focused more on contending than a cutoff for the top 30, 70 or 100. Big-game experience also helps – these guys know how to handle pressure and win important titles.

And then there’s this: “We treat these three events and Atlanta as a major,” Thomas said. “We are trying to be peaking this time.”

So much can change over the next two weeks, of course, but the start to these playoffs couldn’t have gone much better for the Tour.

For years, Camp Ponte Vedra pushed the narrative that the FedExCup crowned a season-long champion. That was a tough sell, however, when wild points’ fluctuations allowed Bill Haas (2011), Brandt Snedeker (2012) and Billy Horschel (2014) to seemingly come out of nowhere and bag the $10 million prize, leaving those who had better seasons to scratch their heads. Even last year, there was a dreaded scenario in which Paul Casey, who entered the Tour Championship at No. 5 in the standings, could walk away with the cup without a win that season. 

Maybe that happens this year – we’re looking at you, once again, Mr. Casey – but it doesn’t seem likely. The last 10 playoff events have been won by some of the game’s biggest stars: Thomas, Johnson (twice), Rory McIlroy (twice), Patrick Reed, Spieth, Jason Day (twice) and Rickie Fowler.

To kick off this year’s postseason, Johnson overcame a five-shot deficit at the Northern Trust, forcing a playoff with Spieth and then overpowering him on the first extra hole. But even more important for the Tour: Fans were paying attention. No, the cup likely won’t ever generate the same level of interest as the majors, but the final round on Long Island had the fourth-best TV rating for a non-major this year, and the best at that event since 2013 (when needle-mover Tiger Woods contended).

On Labor Day, Thomas overtook Spieth on the back nine – signaling, perhaps, the beginning of a compelling rivalry – to win the second playoff event and solidify his case as PGA Tour Player of the Year.

The off-week may have halted some of the postseason momentum, but the current top 5 in points – which, as a reminder, aligns with the players in the top 5 in the world ranking – should have no shortage of motivation these next two weeks.

Thomas has been this season’s breakout star, powering his way to five wins, including the PGA, and finally emerging from the considerable shadow of Spieth, his longtime friend and healthy rival.

It seems the only two players who could steal Thomas’ Player of the Year votes are Spieth and Johnson.

Spieth has three wins this season (including the year’s most memorable major) and three runners-up, owns the best scoring average (68.8) and has only one less top-10 than Thomas while playing two fewer events. Boston was a missed opportunity, however, and now Spieth likely needs to win out to take the Jack Nicklaus Trophy.

Fair or not, 2017 will always be remembered as a bittersweet year for Johnson, who has won four times (second-most on Tour) but can’t help but wonder what could have been if he didn’t injure his lower back on the eve of the Masters. Lest we forget: This spring, DJ evoked memories of Woods the way he steamrolled his competition.

Assessing Johnson’s Player of the Year chances is more difficult, because the award is voted on by his peers, who, if history is any indication, significantly weight major victories. His four victories include two World Golf Championships, a playoff event and the tournament at Riviera, which boasts one of the strongest non-major fields of the year. If he takes the final two events – getting to six wins overall, and bookending his campaign with the best golf we’ve seen all year – then he deserves serious Player of the Year consideration, too.  

As for the rest of the top 5? Matsuyama has had a quiet playoffs so far, dropping a few spots in the standings after getting his heart broken at the PGA, while Rahm, who just 15 months ago had no status on any tour, ascended to No. 5 in the world (and the FedExCup) on the strength of an early-season victory and eight other top-10s, including back-to-back top-4s to start the playoffs.

Considering their form this year, any of those five players would be a satisfying season-long winner.

Just as the PGA Tour designed it.

D. Johnson grouped with Spieth, Thomas at BMW.

By Will Gray

(Photo/Golf Channel Digital)

They've combined for two wins and two runner-up finishes during this postseason, and now they'll play the first two rounds together as the BMW Championship returns to Conway Farms Golf Club. Here are a few of the marquee, early-round groups to keep an eye on as 70 players tee it up outside Chicago with hopes of advancing to next week's Tour Championship (all times ET):

10:33 a.m. Thursday, 12:55 p.m. Friday: Phil Mickelson, Sergio Garcia, Charles Howell III

Mickelson did just enough at TPC Boston to earn another Presidents Cup berth, but he'll need a strong week in Illinois if he wants to make the Tour Championship. He'll start this week's event alongside Garcia, who hasn't cracked the top 10 on the PGA Tour since winning the Masters, while Howell starts the week at No. 35 with an eye on making East Lake to qualify for a return to Augusta National.

11:33 a.m. Thursday, 1:50 p.m. Friday: Dustin Johnson, Jordan Spieth, Justin Thomas

The three players who have had the most success over the first two events will play together with the top spot in the standings at stake. Johnson edged Spieth in a memorable playoff at The Northern Trust, while Thomas earned his fifth win of the season at TPC Boston. But with two runner-up finishes, it's Spieth who clings to the No. 1 seed at the halfway point.

12:17 p.m. Thursday, 10 a.m. Friday: Rory McIlroy, Martin Laird, Ollie Schniederjans

A stop-and-start season could be coming to an end this week for McIlroy, who will need a big result if he wants to advance to East Lake. Joining him for the first two rounds in Lake Forest will be Laird, whose T-3 finish at the Quicken Loans National remains his lone top-10 since February, and Schniederjans, who nearly chased down Henrik Stenson to win last month's Wyndham Championship

1:50 p.m. Thursday, 11:33 a.m. Friday: Hideki Matsuyama, Jon Rahm, Rickie Fowler

Matsuyama has won three times this season, including a rout last month at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational. He begins the week No. 4 in the points race and will be joined by Rahm, who has top-5 finishes in each of the first two playoff events, and Fowler, who tied for fourth two years ago when the BMW was last at Conway Farms.

No. 1 ranking, awards at stake in Evian.

By Randall Mell

(Photo/Golf Channel Digital)

There’s more than a major championship at stake at the Evian Championship in France this week.

The Rolex world No. 1 ranking and Rolex Annika Major Award are also up for grabs.

No. 1 So Yeon Ryu, No. 2 Lexi Thompson and No. 3 Sung Hyun Park will be grouped together in the first two rounds.

Thompson and Park are both in position to end Ryu’s 12-week reign at world No. 1 at Evian Resort Golf Club. The trio is scheduled to go off Thursday at 2:18 a.m. ET.

Ryu, Thompson and Park are also all in the running to claim the Annika Major Award for the best performances in the majors this year. Thompson has to win this week to be eligible for the award.

Plus, the trio is in position to make a big move at the Rolex Player of the Year Award, with double points up for grabs. Ryu leads the points standings, but Thompson, Park and I.K. Kim could overtake her this week.

As far as the world rankings go, Thompson could move to No. 1 with a finish of fourth or better this week, depending what Ryu and Park do.

Park can go to No. 1, but only if she wins.

Ryu said Tuesday that the No. 1 ranking has come with more pressure than she has let on, and it may have been showing up in her performances this summer. Ryu has two victories this year, including a major (the ANA Inspiration), and she leads the LPGA in top-10 finishes (10), but she said she hasn’t felt comfortable over her last four starts. She missed the cut at the Cambia Portland Classic in her last start two weeks ago.

“After the U.S. Open, to be honest, I haven’t played well,” Ryu said. “I always feel comfortable in Scotland, but even though I was feeling great, I couldn’t play well there.”

Ryu said she resolved to arrive this week with a new mindset, to better accept and embrace the pressures that come with the No. 1 ranking.

“Before, I didn’t really want to take that pressure, and I just wanted to ignore that,” Ryu said. “Now, I’m just trying to face the pressure.”

Ryu said she has felt escalating pressure from fans, who she knows only mean to encourage her, to cheer her toward the Rolex Player of the Year Award and other honors. She said she also has felt escalating internal pressure.

“I expect a lot from myself,” Ryu said about carrying the No. 1 ranking. “I never allow myself to make bogey, or finish outside the top 10.”

How is she changing her thinking? She said she isn’t expecting perfection.

“I’m a human being,” she said. “As long as I did my best, I should let that go.”

Thompson and Park arrived in France coming off victories in their last starts. They are co-favorites among the bookmakers. SkyBet, Paddy Power and SportingBet make both 8-to-1 favorites to win. Ryu is 14-to-1 with SkyBet and 16-to-1 with Paddy Power and SportingBet.

Thompson won the Indy Women in Tech Championship last weekend. She has two victories and five second-place finishes this year.

The No. 1 ranking, Thompson said, is a goal she is pursuing, but . . .

“A lot of us out here want to be No. 1, but it’s not something we can put on our minds and put that pressure on ourselves,” Thompson said. “We just have to work on our games and let it go once we get to tournaments and show the hard work pays off.”

Park won the Canadian Pacific Women’s Open in her last start. She has won two of her last four LPGA starts, dating back to the U.S. Women’s Open in July. She is in position to make a run at joining Nancy Lopez as the only players in LPGA history to win both the Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year awards in the same season.

NASCAR: Five questions heading into Cup playoffs.

By Dustin Long

Can anyone catch the Toyotas?

That’s the challenge facing the field heading into Sunday’s playoff opener at Chicagoland Speedway (3 p.m. EST, NBCSN). Toyota drivers have won six of the last nine races and their speed has competitors worried.

After Richmond, Kevin Harvick said: “I think the Toyotas have run better than the rest of the field. In order to be where we need to be, we have to get the most out of our car and we haven’t done that the last couple of weeks. We’ve struggled in the race the last two weeks and got to get it figured out quick or we’ll be looking for something to do the last 10 weeks besides race for a championship.’’

While Martin Truex Jr. was in position to win the last two races — he was leading with five laps or less left and didn’t win at Darlington and Richmond — don’t overlook Kyle Busch.

When he won the title in 2015, he wasn’t the favorite. It was Harvick that year, but Busch scored enough points to advance through the first two rounds. He advanced to Miami after top-five finishes in each of the three third-round races.

“It’s really similar,’’ Busch said of how he feels he’s entering this year compared to that 2015 title season. “(Truex) is the car to beat week in and week out. (Kyle Larson) and myself are tossing it up for who is second best. Hopefully, we can do our job and execute and everybody does the right things and gets ourselves to Homestead to have a shot for the championship.’’

Is Hendrick Motorsports sandbagging?

We’ll find out. Since Kasey Kahne’s win at Indianapolis in July, Hendrick’s three playoff drivers — Jimmie Johnson, Chase Elliott and Kahne — have not finished better than eighth in a race.

Last year, questions were raised about Hendrick after some struggles entering the playoffs. Then Johnson led 118 laps before finishing 12th in the opener at Chicago, and Elliott led 75 laps before finishing third. Both advanced to the second round. Johnson moved to the third round after his Charlotte victory and advanced to Miami after his Martinsville win.

Then Johnson won in Miami for his record-tying seventh series championship.

The point is, it’s difficult to count out at least Johnson, if not the organization.

“My 10 best tracks are coming up,’’ Johnson said after Richmond. “So, I’m excited about that. I’m excited about Fall being right here right around the corner. We will just go racing. You never know. This format really keeps things up in the air.

Is this Martin Truex Jr.’s title to lose?

He’s got a big advantage with 53 playoff points — 20 more than the next driver. That should get him through the second round and likely the third round.

Odds are he makes it to Miami, but the twist is that some might not view him the favorite in the season finale even for how dominant he has been this year. The reason would be if Kyle Larson, who was eliminated in the first round last year, makes it to Miami. Larson is exceptional at Homestead-Miami Speedway — provided he can avoid hitting the wall while running the high line — and would provide a worthy challenger for Truex in the title race.

“Cars have been just lightning fast and team’s been doing a great job,’’ Truex said after Richmond. “We’ve got a few little things we’ve got to work on, but all in all, I feel like we’re definitely one of the strongest teams. Hopefully, we can just continue to perform at the level we’re capable of, and hopefully we don’t need those bonus points, but it’s going to be nice to have them, that’s for sure.’’

Will youth be served?

Five of the 16 drivers entering the playoffs are 29 and under.

They are Chase Elliott (21 years old), Ryan Blaney (23), Kyle Larson (25), Austin Dillon (27), and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (turns 30 on Oct. 2).

The last driver under age 30 to win the title was Brad Keselowski in 2012. He was 28 years old. Kyle Busch turned 30 during his championship season in 2015.

Larson is the favorite of this group to win the championship and would be the youngest champ since 1995 when a 24-year-old Jeff Gordon won the first of his four series championships.

The average age of the last 10 champions when they won the championship is 34.9.

What’s the biggest storyline?

Admittedly there are so many from Jimmie Johnson going after a record-breaking eight series title to Martin Truex Jr. seeking his first crown after dominating so much of the season.

While Chip Ganassi Racing and Furniture Row Racing go for their first Cup title and Richard Childress Racing looks for its first Cup crown since 1994, it’s hard to top what the Wood Brothers seek.

The family team first competed in NASCAR in 1953 but has only won an owner’s title. That came in 1963, less than three weeks before President John F. Kennedy was assassinated. The Wood Brothers often ran only partial schedules so the team never had the chance to win many championships. This is the team’s first time in the playoffs (the Woods never competed in the Chase).

While the victory lane celebration at Daytona after Trevor Bayne won the 2011 Daytona 500 remains memorable for the Wood Brothers, it would not compare to what the celebration would be like if Blaney drove the No. 21 to the series crown.

Who’s Hot, Who’s Not entering Chicagoland — NASCAR Cup playoff edition.

By Jerry Bonkowski

(Photo/Getty Images)

As the 10-race NASCAR Cup playoffs begin, attention turns to the 16 playoff drivers and what type of momentum they have going into this weekend at Chicagoland Speedway.

Martin Truex Jr. is the defending winner of this race. Brad Keselowski and Kevin Harvick are both two-time winners there, while Ryan Newman, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kyle Busch, Matt Kenseth and Denny Hamlin have single wins there.

Cup – Who Is Hot

No. 78 Martin Truex Jr. (Hot)

• Finished 20th at Richmond, wrecked in OT while running top 5, led 198 laps
• Passed for the win within 3 to go in three of the last four races
• Finished in the top-10 17 times this season, the most
• Won 18 stages this season, the most
• 53 Playoff Points this season, includes 15 points for clinching the regular season
• Wins at Las Vegas, Kansas, Kentucky and Watkins Glen
• Led a series high 1646 laps in 2017, led the most laps in eight races
• Won this race last year, only finish better than ninth in 11 races
• Only driver to finish top 10 in all six 1.5 mile races this season, winning three of them

No. 42 Kyle Larson (Hot in 2017, Decent at Chicago)

• Won at Richmond, first win NOT on a 2.0 mile track
• Four wins in 2017, had one entering this season
• Finished second in seven races this year
• Finished top 10 in two of his three starts at Chicago, best of third in 2014

No. 18 Kyle Busch (Hot)

• Finished ninth at Richmond, sixth straight top 10 finish
• Two wins this season, both came in the last six races (Wins at Pocono and Bristol)
• Won at least one stage in six of the last eight races of 2017
• One Chicago win, 2008
• Finished top 10 in the last five races at Chicago
• Finished top five in the last three 1.5 mile races

No. 20 Matt Kenseth (Hot)

• Finished 38th at Richmond, six top-10 finishes in the last eight races, all but Michigan, flat tire in OT 
while running 3rd and an ambulance problem at Richmond
• One Chicago win, 2013
• Finished top 10 in the last four races at Chicago (his only starts there with JGR)

No. 2 Brad Keselowski (Warm, Great at Chicago)

• Finished 11th at Richmond, fifth straight result outside the top 10
• 11 top fives, tied for the most in 2017
• Two Chicago wins, 2012 and 2014
• Finished top 10 in the last six races at Chicago

No. 48 Jimmie Johnson (All about the wins)

• 8th at Richmond, broke a streak of six races without a top 10 finish
• Two top 10s in his last 11 races (10th at New Hampshire, 8th at Richmond)
• Three top 5 finishes this season, all wins
• Best Chicago finish is second, three times
• One of three active winless tracks (Kentucky and Watkins Glen)
• Only two finishes worse than 12th in 15 Chicago starts

No. 77 Erik Jones (Hot, Good in NXS at Chicago)

• Finished 6th at Richmond
• Finished top 10 in the last six races, best streak of his career
• First Cup start at Chicago
• Two NXS wins at Chicago

No. 11 Denny Hamlin (Hot, Good at Chicago)

• Finished fifth at Richmond, third straight top-five finish (longest ever streak of top-fives is four races)
• Top-five finishes in nine of the last 12 races, including two wins
• One Chicago win, 2015
• Finished top 6 in the last three Chicago races

No. 4 Kevin Harvick (Hot, struggled lately at Chicago)

• Finished 15th at Richmond
• Five fewer top fives and top 10s in the regular season this year compared to last year
• Two Chicago wins, the first two races in 20o1 and 2002
• Finished 20th and 42nd the last two years at Chicago

No. 41 Kurt Busch (Hot, Ok at Chicago)

• Finished 4th at Richmond, third straight top five finish
• First time he has scored three straight top 5s since 2015 (career longest streak if four races)
• Best Chicago finish in 16 races is third in 2015, finished top 10 in three of the last four races there

No. 17 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (Has two wins this season)

• 19th at Richmond, last top 10 was his win at Daytona
• Zero wins in first 157 starts, two wins in last 17 starts
• Only one finish better than 17th at Chicago, eighth in 2013

No. 31 Ryan Newman (Pretty Good lately)

• Third at Richmond, top-10 finishes in the last four races, his best streak since Spring 2015
• One Chicago win, 2003
• Top-10 finishes in four of the last six at Chicago

No. 24 Chase Elliott (Starting to turn things back around)

• Finished 10th at Richmond, only three top 10s in the last six races
• One series start at Chicago, finished 3rd last year
• Won Xfinity race at Chicago in 2014

Cup – Who Is Not

No. 3 Austin Dillon (Has a win but is NOT HOT)

• Finished 21st at Richmond
• Won on fuel mileage at Charlotte
• Only four top-10 finishes this season, had 10 at this point last year
• Best Chicago finish is 14th in three starts

No. 5 Kasey Kahne (Not, Not, Not… won)

• Finished 12th at Richmond, only one top-10 finish in the last 16 races, win at Indy
• Six DNFs because of accidents this season
• Won at Indianapolis, ending a 102-race winless streak
• Best Chicago finish is third, twice
• Finished seventh at Chicago last year, only top 10 in the last four years there

No. 21 Ryan Blaney (Mixed)

• Finished 18th at Richmond
• Nine top-10 finishes this season but none have come in back-to-back races
• Only two top-10 finishes in the last eight races
• One Cup start at Chicago, finished fourth last year

No. 1 Jamie McMurray (Decent)

• 14th at Richmond, fifth straight top-15 finish
• 13 top-10 finishes this season, four more than this point last year
• One top 10-finish in the last six races at Chicago
  

Even though they failed to make the playoffs, there are three other drivers that fans will likely be watching as potential playoff spoilers:


No. 14 Clint Bowyer (Disappointing 2017)

• Finished 24th at Richmond, contact behind an ambulance
• Was 88 points out of a playoff spot
• Finished runner-up three times in 2017
• 10 top-10s in 2017, had only three in all of 2016
• 11 Chicago starts, best of fourth in 2010

No. 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. (Not)




• 13th at Richmond, last top 10 was Sonoma in June (sixth)
• Only two top 10s in the last 14 races
• One Chicago win, 2005
• Did not run at Chicago last year (concussion symptoms)

No. 22 Joey Logano (Disappointing season, good at Chicago)

• Second at Richmond, only fourth top-10 finish since encumbered win at Richmond in April
• 10 finishes outside the top 20 in the last 17 races
• First time he missed the playoffs with Team Penske
• Top-10 finishes in four of the last five races at Chicago including Chicago best 2nd last year

Danica Patrick says she is out at Stewart-Haas Racing after this season.

By Dustin Long

(Photo/Golf Channel Digital)

Danica Patrick says she will not drive for Stewart-Haas Racing after this season, telling fans in a note on her Facebook page: “My time driving for them … has come to an end due to a new sponsorship arrangement in 2018.”

She did not reveal what her plans for next season would be.

Stewart-Haas Racing announced Tuesday morning that Smithfield would join the team as a sponsor in 2018 and that a driver who will be added to the team would be announced at a later date.

Patrick, who is in her fifth full-time season with Stewart-Haas Racing, had said that her future with the team was dependent on sponsorship.

Patrick’s message on her Facebook page to fans:

“It has been my honor to drive for Tony Stewart, Gene Haas and everyone at Stewart-Haas Racing for the past six seasons. Together we earned a Daytona 500 pole, seven top-10 finishes and we also had some exciting racing along the way. My time driving for them, however, has come to an end due to a new sponsorship arrangement in 2018. Sponsorship plays a vital role in our sport, and I have been very fortunate over the course of my career, but this year threw us for a curve. Our amazing partners, such as Aspen Dental and Code 3, stepped up in a big way on short notice this year and I am incredibly grateful.

“I wish SHR the best of luck with their new sponsorship and driver. Thanks for the memories. Right now, my focus is on the remainder of the 2017 season and finishing the year strong. I have the utmost faith in myself and those around me, and feel confident about my future.”

In a recent appearance on the NASCAR on NBC podcast, Patrick told Nate Ryan that she was not worrying about her uncertain future.

“I just don’t feel the weight of anything anymore,” Patrick, 35, said.  I just don’t feel angry about anything. It’s just gone. There are plenty of things I look back and think, ‘That sucked, but you know what? I’m going to go on’.”

Patrick’s future grew cloudy in January when sponsor Nature’s Bakery sought to end its three-year agreement with the team with two years left. Stewart-Haas Racing filed a  $31 million lawsuit against Nature’s Bakery on Feb. 3. The two sides reached a settlement on May 26 with Nature’s Bakery serving as a sponsor for four races this season. The company was to have the primary sponsor for Patrick’s car in 28 races this season.

Patrick made her Cup debut in the 2012 Daytona 500. She was the first female to race in NASCAR’s premier series since Shawna Robinson last raced in 2002.

Patrick’s 180 career Cup starts heading into Sunday’s race at Chicagoland Speedway (3 p.m. ET,  NBCSN) is more than twice the number of Cup starts from all other female drivers combined. The 15 other female drivers listed in the NASCAR Monster Energy Cup Series media guide combined to make 78 starts, led by Janet Guthrie’s 33 starts from 1976-80.

Patrick’s best career finish in Cup is sixth in 2014 at Atlanta. She ranks 28th in the points this season with a best finish of 10th at Dover in June.

Patrick becomes the latest driver who has not announced a ride for 2018, joining Kasey Kahne, Matt Kenseth and Kurt Busch.

She said Aug. 15 that she would like to continue racing “if I have an opportunity to do well.” She also said she would drive only in the Cup Series.

Patrick’s interest outside of racing have flourished. Her first book (Pretty Intense”) will be released in January and she has made plans for a sequel. She has opened a Napa Valley vineyard. She has launched her “Warrior” athleisure clothing line, which sponsored her car last weekend at Richmond Raceway.

But Patrick said in the NASCAR on NBC podcast that doesn’t mean she’s ready to leave NASCAR.

“They are not an escape plan, they are not a backup plan, they are purely extensions of things I already do,” she said. “They really are. What I love about racing is the art of it. I love the challenge, the journey. I love the work involved between a group of people to find success. Whether it be through my communication about how the car feels, then you make changes, and it gets better.”

SOCCER: Former coach Bob Bradley defends Fire as best MLS expansion team ever: 'Somebody lost their mind'.

By Dan Santaromita

(Photo/AP)

It didn’t take long for Atlanta to make a splash in MLS as an expansion team this season.

The team leads the league in attendance, spent a lot of money on talented young players like Miguel Almiron (who had Arsenal as a suitor) and Josef Martinez (who has Italian Serie A experience), has a very impressive training facility and just debuted in the brand new Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

That has led to some people posing the question of whether Atlanta is the most successful expansion team in league history. Seattle is brought up in this discussion, which packed big crowds into CenturyLink Field, won the U.S. Open Cup and made the playoffs in its first season in 2009. However, the Fire won both the Open Cup and the MLS Cup in 1998.

Bob Bradley, who coached that Fire team, defended the Fire’s honor while appearing as a guest on the radio show/podcast Soccer Today. With Bradley now embarking on another expansion adventure in MLS, coaching Los Angeles FC when it will debut in 2018, co-host Steve Davis asked Bradley if Atlanta’s success puts more pressure on him and LAFC.

“That Chicago did team very well as an expansion team, so did Seattle in 2009,” Davis began before Bradley interrupted.

“Wait, wait, wait, Steve,” Bradley said. “Yes, Seattle did very well. Atlanta is doing very well. We won the double, Steve. So when you said we did very well, let’s cut to the chase a little bit. We won the double. As good as Atlanta is doing this year, when there was a headline early in the year that this is the greatest expansion team of all-time, somebody lost their mind.”

Most of the interview with Bradley focused on his preparation for the upcoming maiden season in LA. As a result, he referenced his experience with the expansion Fire frequently. The full interview is worth a listen for the Lubos Kubik story he tells and some other anecdotes about that team.

“That Chicago team probably never got the credit it deserved because there were those people that didn’t like the makeup of the team, or where certain guys came from,” Bradley said. “But inside the league, if you talk to players who played against those Chicago teams, I can assure you the level of respect was very, very high.”

Alexi Lalas Rips USA Soccer Team's CONCACAF World Cup Qualifying Blues.

New England Sports Network

Alexi Lalas is mad as hell, and he’s not going to take the U.S. men’s soccer team’s problems anymore.

The former Team USA defender blasted the current national team players Sunday during FOX Sports’ broadcast of the Seattle Sounders vs. Los Angeles Galaxy game. Here’s Lalas’ message to Team USA’s on-field leaders — Tim Howard, Geoff Cameron, Clint Dempsey, Michael Bradley and “wonderboy” Christian Pulisic — whom he branded “soft, underperforming, tattooed millionaires, and his shot at under-fire head coach Bruce Arena.

Lalas delivered his rant in the aftermath of USA’s disappointing recent 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, in which they lost to Costa Rica and drew against Honduras. The results left the U.S. outside of the direct qualification positions in the CONCACAF standings with just two games remaining.

Our only gripe with Lalas is he didn’t sound the alarm earlier this year. Nevertheless, it makes for good TV.

Champions League wrap: Messi, Neymar shine for Barca, PSG.

By Nicholas Mendola

(AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

Neymar had his new trident flying, while Lionel Messi didn’t need much more than his own boots.

The UEFA Champions League group stage got off to a goal-heavy start on Tuesday, with its stars on show.

Premier League sides Manchester United and Chelsea cruised to wins, while Barca flattened visiting Juventus and PSG made Celtic Park a house of horrors for their Scottish hosts.

All that and more below…

Barcelona 3-0 Juventus

Lionel Messi scored twice and helped set up a third as the Blaugranas got off to a flying start in the 2017-18 UEFA Champions League.

A solid save from Gianluigi Buffon on Luis Suarez kept the hosts off the scoreboard, but Lionel Messi was sure to have Barca in front when the halftime whistle blew at the Camp Nou.

Messi nearly struck again in the second half, but Ivan Rakitic deposited the Argentine’s blocked effort in the goal to double Barca’s advantage. He added his third soon after as Barca cruised to a win.

Chelsea 6-0 Qarabag — RECAP

Five different Blues helped bury the Azerbaijan visitors, as Pedro, Davide Zappacosta, Tiemoue Bakayoko, Michy Batshuayi, and Cesar Azpilicueta all scored in the blowout.

Batshuayi finished with a brace.

It did not take long for the Blues to take an expected lead on their visitors from Azerbaijan, with Willian playing a corner kick that Pedro blasted into the roof of the goal.

Then Davide Zappacosta, making his first Chelsea start, dribbled down the right flank before scoring a sensational curling effort from outside the far right corner of the 18.

Manchester United 3-0 Basel — RECAP

Paul Pogba pulled up with a leg injury and had to leave the rainy contest before the 20 minute mark. Marouane Fellaini replaced the Frenchman, and connected with the cross of fellow longtime Premier League veteran Ashley Young to make it 1-0 in the 35th minute. Romelu Lukaku headed a Daley Blind cross home for the second, and Fellaini teed up Marcus Rashford for the final marker.

Roma 0-0 Atletico Madrid

Alisson made nine saves as Atletico’s 20-11 edge in shots on goal could not translate to an away win.

Benfica 1-2 CSKA Moscow

Haris Seferovic’s 50th minute opener did not hold up long, with Vitinho converting a 63rd minute penalty and Timur Zhamaletdinov breaking the deadlock eight minutes later in Portugal.

Olympiacos 2-3 Sporting Lisbon

Seydou Doumbia put the Portuguese visitors ahead in the second minute. Cape Verde attacker Gelson Martins made it 2-0 just over 10 minutes later, and Bruno Fernandes has also scored for Sporting. Felipe Pardo scored two late concession goals for the hosts.

Bayern Munich 3-0 Anderlecht

As if Bayern needed help from its Belgian visitors, a 11th minute red card to Anderlecht was met by a 12th minute penalty kick goal from Robert Lewandowski. Thiago Alcantara scored in the 65th minute, and Joshua Kimmich scored late in the match.

Celtic 0-5 Paris Saint-Germain

Neymar scored, and set up Kylian Mbappe for another, and Edinson Cavani won and converted a penalty as each member of PSG’s trident (KEN?) have scored at Celtic Park. A Mikael Lustig own goal and second marker from Cavani completed the scoring.

UEFA Champions League Weds. preview.

By Nicholas Mendola

(Photo/Atsushi Tomura/Getty Images)

Manchester United and Chelsea had little trouble in their UEFA Champions League group stage bows, but the three Premier League clubs in action Wednesday face much stiffer competition.

Two of the three begin their group stages at home, with a third traveling to Rotterdam for a De Kuip test at Feyenoord.

Tottenham Hotspur vs. Borussia Dortmund

With apologies to Group C, Spurs drew the stiffest test in Europe with Group G’s tandem of Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund (in addition to APOEL Nicosia). The group kicks off at Wembley Stadium with a visit from USMNT teen Christian Pulisic and Borussia Dortmund, a side which has yet to concede a goal in Bundesliga play and sits atop the table.

Midfield general Nuri Sahin has been wonderful for BVB this early campaign, and ex-Barca back Marc Bartra joins Greece national team standout Sokratis Papastathopoulos in a stingy defense. Harry Kane, Christian Eriksen and Dele Alli have their work cut out for them, and so does the back line. Here’s BVB boss Peter Bosz:

“We want to press high”, stated Borussia Dortmund’s manager. “It will be an interesting game.” He demands “that we are brave, that we play football, and that we attempt to play our kind of game here at Wembley too.”

It could come down to which Christian is able to work more magic: Pulisic or Eriksen. Pulisic posted a goal and three assists in his first UCL go-round last season, while Eriksen managed just a single assist as Spurs bowed out of the UCL at the group stage. We’ll give Spurs an emotional edge on Wednesday, hopefully ending their Wembley “hoodoo” or at least managing a point. 2-2.

Liverpool vs. Sevilla

Knocked out of the UCL by Leicester City last season, Sevilla is best known for its quintet of Europa League crowns. The last of those came at the expense of the Reds, as Daniel Sturridge‘s 35th minute opener in Basel was canceled out by three second half goals. Coke scored two and Kevin Gameiro the other, but both of those players are gone.

Sevilla signed ex-Man City men Jesus Navas and Nolito this summer, and has a variety of weapons including Wissam Ben Yedder, Steven N’Zonzi, and Luis Muriel. Expect Liverpool to have a heck of a time defending, but also to find some success in the final third. Would Reds fans take 2-2 in what will be the second most difficult game in the group (aside from the return leg)?

Feyenoord vs. Manchester City

The Dutch champions entertain Man City while in the throes of a 4-0 start to the Eredivisie season. Feyenoord lost just four league matches last season and led the table wire-to-wire, the first managerial title for former Arsenal and Barcelona player Giovanni van Bronckhorst.

The club’s most familiar names are former Watford man Steven Berghuis, midfielder Tonny Vilhena, and Danish national team striker Nicolai Jorgensen. Ultimately, this could be a tight win for City. If Pep Guardiola‘s team really wants to make a statement, it’ll be a big win.

Elsewhere

Maribor vs. Spartak Moscow
RB Leipzig vs. Monaco
Porto vs. Besiktas
Real Madrid vs. APOEL Nicosia
Shakhtar Donetsk vs. Napoli

NCAAFB: Baylor's Matt Rhule has the toughest job in college football.

By Dan Wetzel

Baylor coach Matt Rhule walks off the field following the team’s 17-10 loss to UTSA on Saturday. (AP)

McLane Stadium towers over the intersection of the twin ribbons of Central Texas – the Brazos River and Interstate 35. Opened in 2014 to the tune of $266 million, it serves as both a modern addition to the otherwise forlorn Waco skyline and a monument to what Baylor football could be and, indeed, was under former coach Art Briles.

Once arguably America’s worst program, Baylor believed it had stuffed its two-win seasons and its lopsided losses in the past under the tattered end zone tarp of bygone-era Floyd Casey Stadium and moved onward and upward.

The recent success was beyond everyone’s wildest dreams. Robert Griffin III won a Heisman. Baylor routinely scored 70 points per game. It kept beating Texas. It reached No. 2 in the polls. Oft-forgotten Waco was hopping.

And then it all came undone after a series of sexual assaults by players and improper investigations and discipline by coaches and administrators. Briles was fired in 2016. The ugliness, via lawsuits, resignations and well-deserved condemnation continued.

The school is still fighting for its reputation. School president Ken Starr and athletic director Ian McCaw are no longer here either. Yet the program remains synonymous with wrongdoing in much of the public’s mind.

In terms of football, now, who knows? The Bears have lost their last eight regular season games, including two this year against schools (Liberty and UTSA) that had never previously defeated a Power Five program.

Baylor got cup-caked by the cupcakes. With the teeth of the schedule upcoming, 0-2 could quickly become 0-8. Or who knows, even worse.

The Bears are bad. Again. And unlike some programs that have waded through horrific scandals, such as Penn State, there remains a sense that this is all fragile, that you can’t just snap your fingers and return to prominence, that while McLane may be shiny and sturdy, everything can be lost and gone in the Texas wind.

And there are plenty of people who would view that as karma.

Matt Rhule is the first-year coach trying to hold it together. On a bright Monday morning he sits on a couch in his office, and is, perhaps surprisingly, upbeat and optimistic. Signs with the Duke logo (this week’s opponent) with “1-0” printed under it hang in the halls outside. No need to dwell on last week.

“This is a group of kids who have for the last 12-to-18 months, when they look at their Twitter timeline or they go on the road, they hear nothing but the bad,” Rhule said of how negativity can snowball. “So I think you see a group of kids, when things go wrong, they have a weight on their shoulder.”

Rhule is 42 years old and a native of New York City. He was a walk-on linebacker at Penn State. He climbed the coaching ladder all the way to the New York Giants before Temple tabbed him as a head coach. In 2013, his first season, the Owls went 2-10. They won 10 games in each of the last two years.

He knows how to coach. He knows how to build. He knows how to deal with early dispiriting losses.

He was a hot young coaching prospect and had options. So why wade into this morass, all the way down here in Texas?

“These kids need a coach,” Rhule said of the remaining players, who did nothing wrong. “No matter how hard the situation, they need someone who is here for them, who is consistent and who believes in them.

“And I believed that was supposed to be me.”

There’s more, of course. The seven-year, multi-million dollar contract, the Big 12 membership, the array of talented recruits an easy drive from campus, the chance to work at a faith-based institution and even McLane, among a slew of other cutting-edge facilities itself. He thinks he can win.

Rhule won’t make excuses for the two losses. Some reasons are obvious. There are 31 newcomers. Freshmen are in key roles. Players are still a bit shell-shocked by everything.

His challenge begins with maintaining spirit. He is trying to build a culture of accountability and discipline, even, or especially, when the scoreboard goes wrong. To him, whether Baylor is 0-2 or 2-0 doesn’t matter that much at this point. Morale might be better, but the broader challenges would still exist.

“My players are who I worry about the most,” Rhule said. “It’s about getting our players to believe [that there is a correlation between] going to class on time and playing the right coverage on third-and-6. When the kids believe that they can win if they do things right, then they’ll do things right.

“We lost two games, but we didn’t really lose to other teams, we lost to ourselves,” he continued. “But we’re losing to ourselves on Tuesdays or Wednesdays or Thursdays when we sleep in. When we get them to be men who do what it takes even when it is hard, that’s when you have success.”

This all sounds good, especially when Rhule is looking you in the eye and explaining it. It’s how he managed to hold together a top 35 recruiting class in February and currently has a Rivals.com top 25 class verbally committed for next year. When the losses come though, will the players stick, will the idea of Baylor as a power persist?

Rhule says he can only coach his players the way he’d want his own son coached, by setting high expectations but never publicly criticizing them. He’s found appreciation from parents and high school coaches.

It is clear Rhule already cares about Baylor. He awoke Sunday morning, after a brutal loss, to find a neighbor had left a basket of fresh-baked bread and a note of support. He isn’t, he thought, in Philly or New York anymore. He says fans send him scripture passages and positive emails. He talks about the likable kids he has on his team that had nothing to do with the scandal but were coated by it anyway.

He wants success for them.

“At the end of the day I want kids who play for me to expect good things to happen,” Rhule said. “And right now we’re not expecting good things to happen. We’ve lost eight of our last nine games. That’s hard. And it’s obviously not just the wins. It’s the totality of this … Mistakes were made. We know that. That’s been documented. Things happened that shouldn’t have happened …

“But these are good kids and they are trying to do things the right way,” he continued. “I tell them, ‘Once you get through this, you’ll be impervious to anything. You will know, I can handle adversity, I can handle obstacles.'”

He sounds confident. He sounds passionate. He’s 0-2, but it’s a one-week season.

“We don’t panic.”

The party is over at Baylor right now. Issues, on and off the field, abound. Winter, for now, has returned. McLane dominates the sky over by the river, over by the highway, and a coach’s optimism aside, whether it’s more about the future than the past remains to be seen.

Cal wrests control of #GoBears hashtag away from Chicago Bears.

By Zach Barnett

(Photo/Getty Images)

If you’ve spent any time on Twitter during big events lately, you’ve likely noticed the rise of branded hashtags. A trend that, as far as this writer knows, began with sports has now spread to other brands to provide specific logos or emojis at the tail end of specific hashtags. Think #GameofThrones if you don’t know what I’m talking about.

Anyway, a number of NFL teams partnered with Twitter to put their own logos after their team-specific hashtags, and the Chicago Bears went with the highly creative #GoBears.

Cal also likes to use the highly creative #GoBears hashtag, and after a sufficient amount of tomatoes lobbed from Berkeley to San Francisco, Twitter has now made #GoBears a neutral hashtag.

Silly as the issue is, it’s still an important for Cal. Like it or not, Twitter is where much of the fan discourse takes place these days, and Cal fans have cheered “Go Bears” for decades. Reclaiming that hashtag from the Chicago Bears is an important piece of Internet real estate for the Berkeley Bears.

Vegas remains very high on Ohio State’s national title hopes.

By John Taylor

(Photo/Getty Images)

Ohio State may no longer be viable national title contenders in the eyes of some fans, that’s not how one Las Vegas book sees it.

Despite an embarrassing home loss to Oklahoma Saturday night, OSU is currently an 8/1 favorite to claim the 2017 College Football Playoff championship according to Bovada.lv. That’s down just slightly from the 6/1 they were at after Week 1 and behind just two other teams — Alabama at 7/4 (13/5 on Sept. 5) and USC at 6/1.

And the team that convincingly dropped the Buckeyes? The Sooners are at 8/1 after being at 14/1 a week ago.

Of course, there is precedence for OSU bouncing back from such an early-season loss, which is surely in the back of Vegas’ oddsmaking minds. Three years ago, OSU stumbled in a double-digit Week 2 loss to Virginia Tech before going undefeated the remainder of the year and claiming the 2014 national championship in the first season of the CFP.

Getting back to the here and now, the 2016 national champions, Clemson (20/1), are at 14/1 in Bovada‘s latest title odds, as are Michigan and Penn State. Both of those Big Ten teams hold steady from their odds a week ago.

Houston, at 100/1, is the only Group of Five team still on the board.

Below is the latest set of 2017 national championship odds, again courtesy of Bovada.lv.



NCAABKB: The proposed NCAA transfer rule change could hurt mid-majors. It should happen anyway.

By Kyle Cajero

One-time transfers Joe Rahon and Nigel Williams-Goss go at it in the West Coast Conference Championship game. (Photo/Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports)

The feelings of liberated fandom begin with Respect for the individual player. As a consequence thereof, the appeal of Individual Players transcends the boundaries between Teams [...] As liberated fans, we should favor shifts in personnel, to better expand the variety of basketball experience within our minds.

From the introduction, FreeDarko’s The Macrophenomenal Pro Basketball Almanac

For those who haven’t heard the news — or the wave of #takes in its wake — the NCAA could vote on making transfers immediately eligible, according to a report from 24/7 Sports’ Andrew Slater. If the proposal passes, players who meet certain academic qualifications will no longer have to sit out a year before playing for their new institution.

Despite the temptation to make a knee-jerk reaction, this proposed transfer rule is something fans of mid-major programs — and college basketball fans in general — should want. In a world where Steve Alford can say “There is no other place I would rather coach than UNM,” sign a 10-year contract with New Mexico, then bail for UCLA in the span of 10 days, the NCAA should allow players the same luxury.

Above all, it’s time to be a person first and a fan second.

What do I mean by this? Fans should view their school’s players not as pieces in a system or a bodies on the bench, but as human beings with futures, families, and goals. As much as the “transfer epidemic” stans want to chalk transferring up to inadequate playing time or refusal to face adversity, assuming this is incredibly simplistic.

Although the NCAA allows players with hardship waivers to play immediately, those waivers are anything but assured. Former Missouri guard Willie Jackson transferred to Toledo due to “medical issues with a family member,” yet Jackson is still expected to sit out for the fall semester due to the current transfer rule.

This shows the NCAA transfer rule is arbitrary and ridiculous. No other industry treats people this way. Imagine forfeiting a year of workplace training and (current and future) earning potential just for changing jobs, or because a manager or boss changed firms. On a personal note, both of my parents have changed careers during my life. Should my parents sit out a year to quell the “free agent culture” amongst kindergarten teachers and stock brokers? Of course not.

College basketball players don't have the same luxury. They only have four, maybe five years to put themselves in the best position to succeed in post-collegiate endeavors. If a player wants to better himself or his family by transferring, then fans should support them — even if it means transferring away from a mid-major school for a big-name program. By doing this, fans can show respect and kindness to the players, which is deeper and more important than respecting players solely for their athletic talents.

Inevitably, being a fan of a college basketball program — whether through upbringing, attending a college, or other reasons — becomes a selfish enterprise. As a fan, it’s tempting to be the protagonist of the universe, or the sole recipient from the successes and shortcomings from a basketball team’s on-the-court performance. Every college basketball fan wants his or her team to be successful, and losing players to transferring is counterintuitive to this goal.

Don’t get me wrong: When players transfer from my school’s team, I’m a little miffed. But when these moments happen, I have to remind myself that a) I don’t know the players’ situations, b) I shouldn't be such a horribly selfish person and c) ultimately a player knows what’s best for him better than I do.

From the fan’s standpoint, the proposed rule could have two stark outcomes. On one hand, a team could game the transfer market, land a few high-major players (a la Nevada) and make an incredible turnaround in the span of a few seasons. Yet for every Nevada, there’s a Long Beach State or a Loyola Marymount — teams that have relied heavily on transfers, yet mail in disappointing seasons. Building the whole plane out of transfers won’t always work, which is something proponents of the “transfer epidemic” seem to overlook.

On the other hand, the anti-transfer crowd’s fears are warranted. Imagine if mid-major heroes like Miye Oni, Mike Daum or Jock Landale bailed on their teams to play for a Power 5 school. The on-the-court product for mid-majors could change if this rule passes. Of course, losing these players or any of the mid-majors’ finest talents would be rough.

So should mid-major fans be afraid of losing their best players to Power 5 schools, who will immediately poach the best players available?

Not really. Schools that have benefitted the most from Division I transfers haven’t been high-majors. Only four of the 26 schools that took in the most transfers since 2012 were high-majors, according to Eli Boettger’s article, “Investigating College Basketball’s Transfer Movement.”

The idea that college basketball players tend to transfer to better teams is almost entirely a myth. When plotting team’s net players lost and gained via transfer along with each team’s SRS rating over the same period, the R-squared linear correlation was just 0.10765. This means just over 10% of the data can be explained by the linear regression. Or, in simple terms, there is almost no correlation between the amount of players lost or gained via transfer and team strength whatsoever.

If anything, the new rule will help mid-major schools by giving them the ability to suit up former Power 5 players right away. Transferring is ultimately a two-way street, so saying one group of schools will abuse the new rule is a false assumption.

And although mid-major schools like Robert Morris, Maine and UNC Asheville have been significantly impacted by transfers in the past, instances outlined in this Sports Illustrated article are extreme cases. Even with this new rule, it’s unlikely that mid-major basketball will become the “minor leagues” for Power-5 schools.

But transferring doesn’t have to signal the end of fandom. Revisiting the FreeDarko excerpt above, it’s possible to still be a fan of a player despite the name on the front of their jerseys. In fact, doing this will make following college basketball significantly more enjoyable.

By passing this rule, the NCAA would make a statement about the players as people rather than as names on a roster.
Care for the players. Honestly, this shouldn’t be that hard.

U.S. cities eye possible 2026 Winter Olympic bid.

By Associated Press

(Photo/AP)

There’s an outside shot the United States won’t have to wait 11 years to host its next Olympics.

It’s a longshot, but there’s talk in Salt Lake City, and even some in Denver, of a bid for the 2026 Winter Games, which take place two years before the Summer Olympics return to Los Angeles.

The same country hosting back-to-back Olympics hasn’t happened since before World War II, but as this round of bidding has shown, rules are made to be changed.

Five people familiar with internal discussions in both cities told The Associated Press that preliminary talks have taken place about what it would take to bring the Winter Games back to the United States for the first time since Salt Lake hosted in 2002. None of the people wanted their names used because the discussions are preliminary, and because the U.S. Olympic Committee wants to stay focused on the Los Angeles bid for the 2028 Olympics.

“Salt Lake City would enjoy hosting the Games again,” said Fraser Bullock, a key player in Salt Lake City’s 2002 Olympics. “The focus at this point is on LA, as it should be.”

On Wednesday, the International Olympic Committee will award the 2024 Summer Games to Paris and 2028 to Los Angeles.

Both were in the running for 2024. But realizing he had two top-tier candidates, IOC president Thomas Bach spearheaded a rules change to approve the awarding of the 2028 Games, as well. It helped prevent a potentially embarrassing bid process for those games.

At the same time, Bach led a streamlining of the bid process for the 2026 Winter Games, in part to avoid an unwanted repeat of the 2022 bidding when the only bidders were from China and Kazakhstan.

“The sooner the Winter Olympics can come back to the U.S., the better,” said Max Cobb, the president of U.S. Biathlon. “We’ve got a fantastic set of venues in Utah that are still in use and more or less at world-class standard.”

The Salt Lake City Games were marred by a bidding scandal that resulted in several IOC members losing their positions for taking bribes.

But with help of Mitt Romney and others, the Olympics were saved, while Salt Lake and Park City have stood as prime examples of the sort of legacy that modern Olympics are supposed to leave in a region. There’s an eight-lane interstate running from the Salt Lake airport, which was upgraded for the Olympics, to Park City, which is the home of U.S. Ski and Snowboard. Park City is the host of key U.S. training centers for freestyle skiing, speedskating and cross country skiing.

Overall, the area has hosted about 75 World Cup and world-championship events in winter sports since the Olympic cauldron was extinguished more than 15 years ago.

Denver would have a steeper hill to climb. Although it’s bigger than Salt Lake City, the mountains are farther away, and more infrastructure would be needed.

“We would welcome an invitation to discuss, in depth, what it would take for Denver to become a Winter Olympic host city,” said Matthew Payne, executive director of the Denver Sports Commission.

Denver also stands as the only city to once be awarded the Olympics — the 1976 Winter Games — only to turn them back after public opinion turned against hosting the event.

The public support piece is as crucial as ever, especially in the wake of a number of cities pulling out of the running for 2022 and 2024 because of poor response from citizens and failed referendums.

One of the few potential candidates for 2026 — Innsbruck, Austria, which has hosted two previous Winter Olympics — has a referendum scheduled for Oct. 15 that has the potential to scuttle a possible bid.

Calgary and Sion, Switzerland, have also shown interest in hosting. Salt Lake City and Denver are officially on the sideline, though after Wednesday, things could heat up. The 2026 Games are next on the docket — and the only Olympics through 2028 still in search of a host.

On This Date in Sports History: Today is Wednesday, September 13, 2017.

Memoriesofhistory.com

1849 - In Hastings, NY, The first recorded death in a boxing match occurred after Chris Lilly knocked out Tom McCoy. McCoy died a short time later.

1923 - George Burns (Boston Red Sox) performed the third unassisted triple play in baseball history.

1932 - Joe McCarthy became the first manager to win pennants in both baseball leagues when his New York Yankees clinched the American League pennant.

1946 - Ted Williams (Boston Red Sox) hit his only inside-the-park home run.

1949 - The Ladies Professional Golf Association of America was formed.

1965 - Willie Mays became the fifth player in major league history to hit 500 career home runs.

1970 - The first New York City Marathon took place. Fireman Gary Muhrucke won the race. The race was run entirely inside Central Park.

1971 - The World Hockey Association was formed.

1971 - Frank Robinson (Baltimore Orioles) hit his 500th career home run.

1981 - John McEnroe won his third consecutive U.S. Open.

1986 - Bert Blyleven (Minnesota Twins) surrendered five homes runs. The game raised Blyleven's total to 44 for the year setting an American League record.

1989 - Fay Vincent was named commissioner of Major League Baseball, succeeding the late A. Bartlett Giamatti.

1996 - Alex Rodriguez (Seattle Mariners) set a team record when he became the first player for the Mariners to reach 200 hits in a season.

1996 - Charlie O'Brien (Toronto Blue Jays) became the first catcher in major league baseball history to wear a hockey goalie-like catcher's mask. The game was against the New York Yankees.

1996 - John Wetteland (New York Yankees) became on the second Yankee to record 40 or more saves in a season.

2002 - Mike Vernon retired after a 19-year career as a player in the NHL.

2003 - In Oakland, CA, Frank Francisco (Texas Rangers), a relief pitcher, threw a chair into the right field box seats. Two spectators were hit in the head. The game was delayed for 19 minutes. The Athletics won the game 7-6 in the 10th inning.

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