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Bear Down Chicago Bears!!! Packers-Bears Preview.
AP Sports
The day after Christmas provided the Green Bay Packers with a huge present.
The Packers found out Aaron Rodgers will be back for Sunday's road matchup with the Chicago Bears that will decide the NFC North.
Rodgers missed his seventh straight game last Sunday as Green Bay (7-7-1) fell 38-31 at home to Pittsburgh. That put the Packers on the brink of elimination, but Chicago (8-7) failed miserably in its first attempt to clinch the division with a 54-11 loss at Philadelphia later that night.
It means that Sunday's winner will capture the North.
Green Bay is in search of a third straight division title and have Rodgers back under center after recovering from the broken collarbone he suffered in the first meeting with Chicago, a 27-20 home loss Nov. 4.
"We're talking about the best player in football. I feel good about it," Packers coach Mike McCarthy said of Rodgers' return.
Rodgers has 15 touchdowns to four interceptions and 2,218 yards passing. His replacements have eight TDs to 10 picks and 2,002 yards.
He also might be getting one of his top offensive weapons back for the first time since Oct. 13.
Receiver Randall Cobb had what McCarthy called a "very good day" of practice Thursday and could return after missing 10 games with a fracture right fibula.
One player who won't be available for Green Bay is linebacker Clay Matthews, who is out after aggravating a right thumb injury. He looked to be in extreme pain on the sideline Sunday after getting injured on a sack.
"I'm not Clay Matthews, I've said that before," Neal said. "I'm not trying to fill Clay's shoes, I'm trying to fill Mike Neal's shoes."
Matthews' absence is good news for Bears quarterback Jay Cutler, who missed the first meeting with a groin injury. Cutler owns a 1-8 career record against the Packers, including a 21-14 home defeat in the NFC title game three seasons ago when he was forced to leave early with a knee injury.
Cutler's Bears enter off their worst performance. Chicago fell behind 21-0 in the first quarter and finished with a season-low 257 yards in a game that was never competitive.
First-year coach Marc Trestman told the team immediately after the mismatch to forget about the blowout loss and says the Bears need to have "good amnesia."
''I've got to be the voice of reason,'' Trestman said. ''I've got to see the big picture. Every coach handles themselves differently in these situations, and there's no right way to do it for coaches because they all handle them differently. This is the way we've done it, trying to maintain some practicality works in this case.''
What works versus Chicago is running against a defense allowing a league-worst 161.5 yards per game on the ground - 25.6 yards more than the next-closest team. The Eagles gained 289 rushing yards for the second-highest total by a team all season.
Chicago is yielding 5.4 yards per carry - the NFL's worst mark since the 1961 Minnesota Vikings were at that figure.
Rodgers' injury has transformed the Packers into a better rushing team than it has been recently.
Green Bay ranks seventh with 131.7 run yards per game, with rookie Eddie Lacy also seventh while averaging 79.4.
Lacy is averaging 96.7 yards over the last three games on 56 total carries with four touchdowns. He hurt his ankle against the Steelers, but McCarthy seemed optimistic about his chances of facing the Bears.
''I feel Eddie is in good place,'' McCarthy said. ''I expect him to play.''
If Lacy can't play, James Starks will start.
Chicago is hoping Lance Briggs will be better in his second game back in the lineup. Briggs returned last Sunday and saw action in 57 plays after missing seven games because of a fractured shoulder, getting credited with just one tackle.
''Lance is going to get better the more he plays,'' embattled defensive coordinator Mel Tucker said.
The Packers will be tasked with slowing down a high-powered Chicago passing attack in which Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffery have combined for 180 receptions, 2,562 yards and 18 touchdown catches.
The Bears ended a six-game slide in the series last month and seek to sweep the Packers for the first time since 2007.
This marks the first season since the NFL realigned into eight divisions in 2002 that the North champion will not win at least 10 games. Chicago wins the division if this contest ends in a tie.
Team Report - Chicago Bears.
The Sports Xchange
(Getty Images)
For the Chicago Bears, Sunday's regular-season finale against the Green Bay Packers is all about one quarterback, and his name is not Aaron Rodgers.
While good Chicago defenses traditionally struggled against the starting Packers quarterback for this game -- and this Chicago defense would never be confused with a good defense -- it's Bears quarterback Jay Cutler who has everything at stake. With a new contract on the line and the Bears needing a win for a playoff berth, Cutler has to prove he can beat a team which has dominated him since he arrived in Chicago in 2009.
In eight starts against Green Bay, Cutler's teams have won once. He has thrown 16 interceptions to nine touchdowns with a passer rating of 61.5.
"We weren't as good on offense," Cutler said of those previous meetings.
Coach Marc Trestman backed up his quarterback -- at least for now. He wanted nothing to do with talking about Cutler future when the playoff future is at hand.
"Every year is independent of the next," Trestman said. "I don't know that you can define how it was, how it's going to be. We'll know more at 7 o'clock Sunday night, and then you've got a little more to work with. But this year is this year."
It's not just the Packers. Cutler has won just two of the last nine starts he has made against teams with winning records. If he can't win big games or beat the Packers, how can the team toss a big contract his way?
Making matters more difficult for Cutler at this time is the fact backup Josh McCown managed to beat Green Bay 27-20 Nov. 4 in Green Bay. It won't look good if the backup can win a road game over Green Bay and Cutler can't win a home game over them with a playoff berth at stake.
That game proved the Bears offense under Trestman can score on a Packers defense that has had their number, if it's run right.
"I think we had good balance against them during the game," Trestman said. "We were able to have some success throwing the ball early, which gave us some good balance. I think it had a residual effect later in the game. We were able to stay on the field, and move the football.
"A lot of that running was done at the end of the game. We certainly did it early, but a lot of it was done at the end of the game as well."
Matt Forte ran for 125 yards and McCown threw for 272 yards in that contest. The Bears haven't shown that type of offensive ability against a Dom Capers defense in the past. Even in Cutler's lone win over the Packers, 20-17 in 2010, the offense scored only 13 points.
Cutler doesn't believe this is a test of his abilities as much as it is the team's.
"It's going to take all of us to win this game," he said. "This isn't a personal game for anybody in that locker room. It's all of us together."
Cutler struggled last week against Philadelphia but the entire team did in a 54-11 rout, the worst Bears defeat since 1977 when they lost 47-0 to Houston. They say that's in the past, and have moved on, but it's possible it was a confidence shaker.
"We didn't have to come in here and relive it and watch it over and go through the mistakes," Cutler said. "It was just a clean slate.
"Everyone was on to Green Bay on Monday. There was never any real down time going back over it. So guys moved on very quickly."
With a defeat, they'll move on to next year.
Whether Cutler moves on with them remains to be seen.
SERIES HISTORY: 186th regular-season meeting. Chicago leads series, 92-87-6, including a 27-20 victory at Green Bay Nov. 4. There have also been two postseason meetings between the teams, but this is the first regular-season meeting in which they played in the season finale with a division title at stake.
NOTES, QUOTES
--Coach marc Trestman and the coaching staff hardly batted an eyelash at the announcement Aaron Rodgers would play against them Sunday.
"It didn't surprise us," Trestman said. "If he can play he would. And we prepared for that and that's no disrespect to the job Matt Flynn has done. They put up 60 points on the board the last two weeks alone, but if Aaron could play we expected him to play.
And we're prepared for that.
"We know that (coach Mike McCarthy) was going to get his team ready to play anyway with whoever was available. He's proven he can do that year in and year out and with Aaron back, they have a feeling they'll be at their best. And we're ready for that, excited about it."
Rodgers has a 9-3 record as a starter against the Bears, one of the three losses was the game in Green Bay Nov. 4 when he started but left after a series due to the broken left collar bone suffered on a hit by Bears DE Shea McClellin.
--This will be the second time this season the Bears have not had to face Packers outside linebacker Clay Matthews due to a thumb injury.
"He is a challenge for any offensive lineman, any tight end blocking in a scheme," Bears offensive coordinator Aaron Kromer said. "You can't account for his loss if you're coaching their defense.
"But they are very talented. They've been drafting good players for a long time.
They've built that team from scratch. So we're expecting a hard-fought battle."
Added Trestman, "There's nobody more skilled than Dom Capers at trying to facilitate a defense that can find a way to make up for that kind of talent."
--Defensive coordinator Mel Tucker has been without four starters much of the season, as well as his starting nickel back, as a result of injuries. Still, the Bears' defensive decline has raised questions about his job security after only one year on the job.
"I just stay focused on the task at hand and working to teach, motivate and develop, and work with these guys and get them ready for the next outing, and that's really my main focus," Tucker said after an inquiry about whether he was concerned about his future with the team.
BY THE NUMBERS: 30 - Number of Chicago Bears touchdown passes this season, a franchise record.
70 - Matt Forte's reception total, the most ever in the regular season by a Bears back.
QUOTE TO NOTE: "We won 10 games last year, didn't get in. We didn't control our destiny last year so it was different. We needed help; we understood that. This year we win, we're in, so we've just got to do our part." -- Bears QB Jay Cutler on the team's playoff hopes.
STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL
PLAYER NOTES
--WR Chris Williams was signed off the New Orleans Saints practice squad and immediately went onto the 53-man roster as DT Christian Tupou was waived. The 5-8, 175-pound Williams entered the NFL in 2009 as an undrafted free agent with the Miami Dolphins out of New Mexico State. After spending time on the Cleveland Browns practice squad that year, he signed with the CFL's Hamilton Tiger-Cats in 2010. In 2012, he set a CFL record with six return touchdowns.
INJURY IMPACT
--WR Earl Bennett has missed practices this week due to an unspecified family situation. His status for Sunday's game is uncertain.
--The Bears come into the regular-season finale without a player on the injury report as of Thursday. LB Lance Briggs, who had been out prior to last week due to a shoulder fracture, has gone through full practices since playing in last week's game and is not considered an injury question.
GAME PLAN:
Defensively, the game plan for Chicago should revolve greatly around getting pressure early on Aaron Rodgers and disguising coverages. They need to keep him from getting into any type of rhythm, instill doubt and uncertainty, and also be physical with him. They can't sit back in zone and play completely off the line because Green Bay will stuff Eddie Lacy or James Starks down the throat of the league's worst run defense. It's more gambling early than they like to do, but if ever they should be able to get away with it against Rodgers, it's now when he is likely to experience some rust.
One thing the Bears have to do is focus more on stopping passes to backs. Green Bay will do this, but didn't complete a single pass to backs in the first match-up when Seneca Wallace was at quarterback. Rodgers will be throwing more to backs.
Offensively, the Bears have to attack the 3-4 much as they did in the first game on the ground. They need to get the ball out on the edge quickly to avoid the nearly 1,000 pounds sitting inside from Green Bay's three defensive linemen. The toss play, the stretch play, counters and even flare passes could get Matt Forte into the open field, and allow the Bears' large wide receivers to do something they do almost as well as go up and get passes -- block downfield.
MATCHUPS TO WATCH:
--Bears WR Brandon Marshall, who needs one TD catch for a career high 12, vs. Packers CB Tramon Williams, who has three interceptions on the year -- Marshall last year found it difficult to get open against Green Bay's combination coverage, particularly the bracketing or two-man coverage. However, with Josh McCown throwing in the earlier matchup this year Marshall caught seven passes for 107 yards and proved a major factor in the victory. Marshall talks every year about how badly he wants to make the playoffs for the first time. The opportunity is there for him, but he'll need Cutler delivering the ball in time within the offense to beat Williams' coverage.
--Bears LB Lance Briggs, who last week returned from a seven-week absence due to a shoulder fracture, vs. Packers RB Eddie Lacy -- The Bears didn't have Briggs in their first game with Green Bay and Lacy burned them for 150 rushing yards. Briggs wasn't overly impressive last week, struggling with his conditioning a bit. He is the key run stopping linebacker in the Bears defensive scheme, sometimes taking a two-gap responsibility. He's also the player who lines them up on the field. The tackling by Bears defenders on cutback runs by backs has been atrocious, but Briggs is their best overall tackler. They'll need him to step up and shut down the power running of Lacy, a power back who is trying to battle through an ankle injury.
--Bears DE Julius Peppers, who has 6.5 sacks, vs. Packers LT David Bakhtiari. Peppers hasn't had many impact games this year, but one of those he had was the first win over the Packers when he had a sack, an interception, a tackle for loss and two pass deflections. Bakhtiari, a rookie, hasn't been a bad pass blocker. But at 6-4, 299 it's understandable how profootballfocus.com could rate him among the league's worst run-blocking tackles all year long. Peppers usually struggles against the bigger athletic tackles who are impressive physically. However, Bakhtiari's lack of size makes him an inviting target for an aging defensive end who the Bears need a big game from in their biggest game of the year.
How 'bout them Chicago Blackhawks? Avalanche-Blackhawks Preview.
By KEVIN CHROUST (STATS Writer)
The Chicago Blackhawks' offensive dominance has been unmatched this season. A recent stretch of defensive consistency adds to the puzzle for opponents as the Central Division leaders look for their seventh win in nine games.
The Blackhawks return from the NHL's holiday break to host the Colorado Avalanche on Friday night in the first of back-to-back weekend matchups against the two teams chasing them in the division.
Chicago (26-7-6) is 6-1-1 since Dec. 8, and it has allowed more than two regulation goals once in that time. A 5-2 home win Monday over New Jersey was the Blackhawks' 15th game with at least five goals, and they outshot the Devils 37-12.
"I thought it was one of our better games all year as far as puck possession, directing plays," coach Joel Quenneville said. "I thought we did everything we were looking to do in the game. I liked their energy, I liked their thought process, our purpose."
Patrick Kane scored for a third straight game to extend his point streak to 12 games. He has four points in his last two games against Colorado.
The Avalanche (23-10-3) are completing a difficult three-game road stretch that has started with a pair shootout losses against Los Angeles and San Jose. They led three times in Monday's 5-4 defeat to the Sharks and settled for a point.
"It's too bad, but at the same time we showed a lot of character," coach Patrick Roy said. "We played well in the third period. We scored two big goals and then they made a great play to tie it."
In their only meeting so far this season, the Avalanche beat the Blackhawks 5-1 on Nov. 19 in Colorado - the only time this season Chicago has failed to score at least twice.
Against the Sharks, the Avalanche scored for the fourth straight game on the power play after going 11 games without doing so. They've gotten it together with a 5-for-15 mark in their last four.
It has some considerable ground to cover to reach Chicago's level. The Blackhawks have 15 power-play goals in their last 12 games, a league high since Nov. 30 while converting at a 30.6 percent rate.
While the Blackhawks' offensive consistency has them scoring a league-best 3.62 goals per game, their recent stretch of solid play in the defensive zone has come without No. 1 goaltender Corey Crawford.
Crawford has been out since suffering a lower-body injury on Dec. 8 and was scheduled to resume practicing this week.
Antti Raanta has filled in for Crawford and fellow injured goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin, who entered the season as Chicago's backup, with an 8-1-2 season record and 1.47 goals-against average in the team's current 3-0-1 stretch.
The blue-liners in front of Raanta have been doing more than providing him with comfortable shot totals. Led by Duncan Keith's 33 points, Chicago defensemen lead the NHL with 2.87 points a game.
"I love our defense. They've been huge for us the past two seasons," forward Patrick Sharp said.
"They all skate well. They all move the puck and with the forwards that we have in our locker room, we like to get it with speed and they do a good job of getting it to us. Our defense (has) been the key to our team this year."
The Blackhawks visit St. Louis, the team between Chicago and Colorado in the standings, on Saturday.
2014 Bold Predictions: Everyone hunting Hawks.
By The Sports Xchange
The National Hockey League kicked off 2013 by bringing an end to the lockout on Jan. 6. A jam-packed six months of action on the ice culminated with the Chicago Blackhawks stunning the Boston Bruins in the final seconds of Game 6 to win their fifth Stanley Cup.
So what does 2014 have in store for NHL fans? The Sports Xchange polled its beat writers for a bold prediction for all 30 teams.
EASTERN CONFERENCE:
ATLANTIC DIVISION
Boston Bruins: Haunted by the trade that sent center Tyler Seguin to Dallas and with left winger Loui Eriksson, the primary return in the deal, continuing to deal with concussion issues, the Bruins battle through a host of injury problems and win the Stanley Cup for the second time in four years. Coach Claude Julien continues to deny he'll be running for mayor in the next election and Bruins fans continue to miss Bobby Orr and Phil Esposito -- except for the young fans who don't know who they are.
Buffalo Sabres: The Sabres finish with the worst record in the league, but show some strides under interim coach Ted Nolan. Buffalo adds Boston Bruins assistant Jim Benn as its new general manager under President of Hockey Operations Pat LaFontaine, and he'll have plenty of work to do. Even though his contract is wrapping up, goaltender Ryan Miller will re-sign with the Sabres and provide a much-needed foundation for the future.
Detroit Red Wings: After struggling at home and in shootouts and suffering so many injuries that, at one point, eight regulars were out in the 2013 portion of the season, the Red Wings get healthy and get back on track. Goal scoring was also an issue early in the season, but Detroit finds a way to score enough to comfortably reach the playoffs and make a surprising run to the East final.
Florida Panthers: At the trading deadline, the Panthers dump whatever veterans they can find value for, including goaltender Tim Thomas and defensemen Brian Campbell and Mike Weaver. The Panthers again fail to make the playoffs but continue trying to stockpile young and skilled forwards such as the ones they already have -- Jonathan Huberdeau, Aleksander Barkov and Nick Bjugstad. Also part of the young nucleus are defensemen Erik Gudbranson and Dmitry Kulikov and goalie Jacob Markstrom. The Panthers are headed in the right direction, it's just that they are taking the city bus instead of a race car.
Montreal Canadiens: Winger Max Pacioretty totals a career-high 38 goals with an impressive second-half scoring surge. The Canadiens finish third in the Atlantic Division with a 46-27-9 record and 101 points for their second 100-point campaign since 1992-93, when they won their 24th Stanley Cup. Montreal wins its first playoff series since 2010, but a second-round exit extends the worst Cup drought in team history to 20 years.
Ottawa Senators: Despite a strong second half that lifted them into the playoffs, the Senators' opening round elimination has the team looking to improve its leadership core in the offseason. Armed with a new one-year contract that is expected to be his last before retirement, 71-year old general manager Bryan Murray is determined to add an experienced forward or two, either through the free agent market or by trade. Goaltender Craig Anderson is his primary bargaining chip, as it's clear Robin Lehner is ready to take over the No. 1 duties.
Tampa Bay Lightning: Able to do far better than just treading water after losing two-time scoring champion Steven Stamkos to a broken right leg Nov. 11, the Lightning earn an Atlantic Division playoff spot and are a complete menace in the postseason. Tampa Bay lacks offensive consistency even with Stamkos healthy, but its speed and potential for goal-scoring binges makes it an unwelcome draw in a series once he returns healthy and eager in February.
Toronto Maple Leafs: The return from injury of centers Tyler Bozak and Dave Bolland, an improved defense through second-half trades and the goaltending tandem of James Reimer and Jonathan Bernier put the Maple Leafs into the playoffs for the second consecutive year. This time they make it to the second round before being eliminated in overtime in the seventh game.
METROPOLITAN DIVISION
Carolina Hurricanes: With a season defined by fluctuating lineups, the Hurricanes might be ready to settle on a goaltender and use the leftovers as trade bait as they seek that ever-elusive puck-moving defenseman to help jump-start their offense. The Hurricanes will teeter on the playoff bubble for most of the season because that's their normal mode of operation, but they are likely to miss out on the postseason again and that could signal changes for a franchise that needs playoff funds in order to piece together a solid lineup.
Columbus Blue Jackets: Let's be honest, the Blue Jackets are trying to rebuild on the fly, it is just that the 19-5-5 finish to last season caught everybody -- even the suits in Nationwide Arena -- by surprise. This team has talent, but it's young and burgeoning -- ready to follow, but not yet ready to lead. Hence, no captain. And there won't be one this season. This team has no idea what to do with winger Marian Gaborik, who's spending the final year of his contract (and his final year in Columbus) on the shelf with major injuries, first his knee and now his broken collarbone. This team goofed around and nearly made the playoffs last season. The Metropolitan Division is so bad, they might just goof around and make it this season if goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky can regain form when he returns from a groin injury in January.
New Jersey Devils: After months of inconsistency, the Devils get healthy and make a late push to grab the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. They upset the top-seeded Pittsburgh Penguins in the first round on the strength of goaltender Cory Schneider's outstanding play. That momentum does not carry over into the next round, however, as they will be eliminated by the Montreal Canadiens. The series, and the career of Martin Brodeur, will come to an end at the Bell Centre.
New York Islanders: Another rebuilding project begins for the Islanders, who miss the postseason for the seventh time in the last eight years and end up with a top-five pick for the fifth time in six years. Coach Jack Capuano loses his job but general manager Garth Snow keeps his and makes everyone except captain John Tavares available as he hunts for the franchise goaltender and top four defensemen the Islanders so desperately need.
New York Rangers: Goaltender Henrik Lundqvist rebounds from his poor first half after signing a seven-year, $59.5 million contract extension in December to lead the Rangers deep into the playoffs. Lundqvist backstops Sweden into the medal round at the Winter Olympics in February en route to his ninth straight season of at least 20 wins -- the most of any active NHL goalie.
Philadelphia Flyers: Inspired by his spectacular game-winning goal to cap a late comeback that finally put the team over .500 in late December, Claude Giroux plays like the "best player in the world" former coach Peter Laviolette once labeled him and carries the Flyers into the playoffs as the Eastern Conference's sixth seed. They ride the hot goaltending of Steve Mason to advance to the Stanley Cup final only to lose again to the Chicago Blackhawks in six games as backup Ray Emery, filling in for the injured Mason, allows a soft overtime goal in the clinching game.
Pittsburgh Penguins: As they gradually get healthier, the Penguins will lap the field in the Metropolitan Division while center Sidney Crosby wins his second career scoring title and first since 2006-07. The Penguins will make a strong run at the Stanley Cup but come up short in the Eastern Conference finals, losing in six games to the Boston Bruins, the same team that eliminated the Pens in the semifinals last season.
Washington Capitals: After narrowly missing his quest to score 50 goals in 50 games, Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin leads Russia to a gold medal in the Winter Olympics in his home country and goes on a late-season tear to becomes the ninth player in NHL history to score 70 goals. The feat is overshadowed when the Capitals are eliminated by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the second round of the playoffs.
WESTERN CONFERENCE:
CENTRAL DIVISION
Chicago Blackhawks: Even with their top two goaltenders -- Corey Crawford and backup Nikolai Khabibulin -- missing a substantial part of the first half of the season with injuries, the Blackhawks just keep rolling toward a second consecutive Stanley Cup championship and third in the last five seasons. Rookie Antti Raanta has been exceptional filling in for Crawford, giving the Hawks and their fans piece of mind that the net is in good hands. Plus, leading the league in wins and points for much of the first-half bodes well toward continuing that way toward the championship.
Colorado Avalanche: The Avalanche have a logjam at center, so look for them to move one of their top-line players before the trading deadline with an eye on ending a four-year playoff drought. The most likely candidate would be Paul Stastny, who has high trade value and is the elder statesman among a young group of centers. Colorado would want depth at wing or defense in return, especially with lingering injuries to left winger Alex Tanguay and defenseman Ryan Wilson.
Dallas Stars: In Year One with Jim Nill as general manager and Lindy Ruff as coach, the Stars narrowly missed snapping their five-year playoff drought. Dallas' top line of Jamie Benn, Tyler Seguin and rookie Valeri Nichushkin, a Calder Trophy finalist, carried them for much of the year. But if any area of the roster needs attention this offseason, it's the defense, a unit that rocked by a rash of injuries.
Minnesota Wild: With the playoffs looming and the Wild's chances of playing in May at risk due to their inability to win on the road in the stacked Western Conference, Minnesota general manager Chuck Fletcher pulls the big trigger at the trade deadline, sending center Mikko Koivu and a package of draft picks to the Islanders, bringing former University of Minnesota star winger Thomas Vanek "home" to the State of Hockey.
Nashville Predators: With injuries and a lack of firepower turning Nashville into a sub-.500 outfit, fans are growing more impatient with the general manager-coach combo of David Poile and Barry Trotz. One of the two won't be around for a 16th season and the guess here is that it will be Trotz, who is highly regarded around the league and should have little trouble getting another gig, ala Lindy Ruff.
St. Louis Blues: The Blues ride a career-year from forward Alexander Steen and break the franchise record of 51 wins in a season, set in the 1999-2000 season, when they won the President's Cup. The Blues advance to the Western Conference finals for the first time since the 2000-01 season but fall short in reaching the Stanley Cup final for the first time since 1970.
Winnipeg Jets: The Jets linger along the .500 line for most of the season, but that won't cut it in the ultra-competitive Western Conference. Destined to miss the postseason for the third straight year since flying north to Winnipeg, the club will trade some of its bit parts at the deadline but won't deal a core guy, like an Evander Kane, Blake Wheeler, Dustin Byfuglien or Tobyb Enstrom -- all remnants of the Atlanta Thrashers -- until the summer. General manager Kevin Cheveldayoff might contemplate replacing coach and media darling Claude Noel after three mediocre seasons.
PACIFIC DIVISION
Anaheim Ducks: The Ducks lead the powerhouse Pacific Division for the majority of the season, but tail off late. Their physical style of play takes its toll as the season drags on and injuries mount. After being overtaken by the Los Angeles Kings for the division title, the Ducks are upset by the San Jose Sharks in the first round of the playoffs.
Calgary Flames: The teardown isn't done yet. As he searches for a new general manager, Flames president of hockey operations Brian Burke will be taking calls on all of his veteran players. Soon-to-be unrestricted free agents such as left winger Michael Cammalleri, center Matt Stajan and right winger Lee Stempniak will definitely be available as the trade deadline approaches, but don't be surprised to see other guys on the move, too. Rookie center Sean Monahan headlines a very short list of Flames that Burke would balk at trading.
Edmonton Oilers: Tired of being perennial doormats and worried about waning attendance and the organization's battered reputation, general manager Craig MacTavish will make some of the "bold moves" he promised when he took over the team last year, trading 2013 first overall draft pick Nail Yakupov as well as Edmonton's first pick in this year's draft (which will likely be a lottery pick). The Oilers are desperate for a big forward and good defenseman and will finally move some of their precious assets in an attempt to acquire the pieces they need.
Los Angeles Kings: With the league's stingiest defense led by Norris Trophy contender Drew Doughty, the Kings are primed to avenge their elimination in the Western Conference Final by Chicago last spring. Los Angeles is near the top of the standings by grinding out victories and getting balanced scoring despite losing former Conn Smythe winner goaltender Jonathan Quick in late November. If general manager Dean Lombardi can find a way to bring in a top six forward by the trade deadline, the Kings will celebrate their second Stanley Cup in three years.
Phoenix Coyotes: Center Shane Doan, the captain and soul of the clubhouse, was leading the team in scoring when he was diagnosed with Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, and his loss has been felt in the rugged Western Conference. It is a different Coyotes team this season; they score in bunches but give up goals at the same rate. If goaltender Mike Smith regains his form, however, a reprise of the run to the 2012 Western finals is certainly within reach.
San Jose Sharks: After qualifying for the postseason for an 11th straight season and selling out every home game in 2013-14, general manager Doug Wilson will reward the faithful and the loyal local following by finding a way to re-sign potential unrestricted free agents center Joe Thornton (three years), left winger Patrick Marleau (three years) and defenseman Dan Boyle (two years) to keep the older core intact with the younger talent on the roster already signed to multi-year deals (center Logan Couture, center Joe Pavelski, right winger Brent Burns and defenseman Marc-Eduoard Vlasic).
Vancouver Canucks: After first-round exits the previous two seasons, the Canucks fired coach Alain Vigneault and replaced him with fiery John Tortorella. Meanwhile, goaltender Cory Schneider's draft-day trade to New Jersey restored Roberto Luongo's No. 1 status between the pipes. Trying to display his best behavior, Tortorella produced mixed results before Christmas, as the Canucks battled through a nine-game losing streak and then confounded their critics by going on a seven-game victory run and getting points in eight straight. But there has been little doubting Luongo's re-emergence as an elite NHL netminder. Due to divisional realignment, though, the Canucks will not cruise to home-ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs as they have in recent seasons. Instead, they'll spend most of their time battling to ensure they stay in the top right in the Western Conference.
Just another Chicago Bulls Session… Thibodeau, Bulls' players take different routes to same conclusion.
By Aggrey Sam
Not that he hasn’t been preaching the same message since the beginning of training camp, it seems, but ask Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau why his team played so well in Wednesday’s 95-78 Christmas Day matinee win over the Nets at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center and his answer is almost predictable: “You can’t play well in this league without practicing."
Don’t get him started about practice, especially with the Bulls’ myriad injuries and various players in and out of the lineup. Oops, too late.
“I think the teams that win big, they go hard. They practice hard, they get themselves ready, they build rhythm. It’s cohesion and it’s how you practice, too. It’s not just practice, but it’s how you practice,” the coach explained. “When you get into a game, everything is done with great intensity and so, I think it’s important to obviously try to practice like that, so when you’re in a game and making those decisions, you understand how you’re going to have to make those decisions. It’s not an individual sport, where you’re just worried about yourself. It’s you in unison with four other guys, moving on the flight of the ball and that’s not just defensively.
“That’s offensively, as well. Offense is timing and spacing, so everyone has to be tied together. Your defense, the same thing. If one guy’s not there, particularly anytime you put two on the ball, if that weak side doesn’t react at the appropriate time, you’re giving up a layup or a wide-open three and the only way you get that is through practice. Build the right habits and for us, the challenge becomes building the right habits each and every day, and hopefully in the end, we can be healthy, playing our best and that’s what every team strives for,” he continued. “Same thing with Joakim. Joakim missed all of training camp, so the first month was a struggle. So now, he’s got good rhythm. The last three or four weeks, he’s got great rhythm and his defense has always been there, but his offensive rhythm is there because he’s playing every day. He’s practicing every day. That’s how you get rhythm and then, you need your entire team to build that rhythm. It’s funny. When you watch teams, the teams that are on top, I can tell the teams that are practicing hard and are healthy. It’s reflected in how they play.”
Now, it’s clear that the Bulls’ play improved with practice, yes, but also getting Kirk Hinrich and Jimmy Butler back, as well as having some rest after a rough stretch in the schedule earlier in December that didn’t allow for much of a break. But ask a Bulls player what was the most significant thing leading up to the blowout victory and while they’ll agree that practice helped the effort, the general opinion is a bit different than Thibodeau’s.
“More than that, it’s rest for guys that are injured to let their body recuperate,” Butler said, pointing out the obvious. “They can get back in the lineup and be all right.”
Regardless, the Bulls have been clicking in their last two outings, big wins over Cleveland and Brooklyn, respectively, building a bit of momentum before the change of a new calendar year, with some downtime in between games, to boot. Here, players and coach can agree.
“It’s coming around,” Thibodeau allowed. “It’s good to get guys back.”
“We want to win as many games as possible, but I feel like this is a big one for us and we’re starting to string them together,” Butler said. “We’re tough. We’re really hard to beat when we’re guarding and we’re executing, and, making shots and not even if we’re making them, just taking the right ones. I feel like everybody knows we can win these games, especially when we’re locking up on defense and rebounding.
“Just keep going. Keep working, don’t settle and continue to play extremely hard.”
Whether it’s in practice or in games.
Derrick Rose still among leaders in All-Star game voting.
By Mark Strotman
Derrick Rose hasn't played a game since Nov. 22, but you wouldn't know that based on the support he's received at the NBA All-Star Game ballot box.
In the most recent returns revealed by the NBA, Rose still ranks third among backcourt guards in the Eastern Conference with just shy of 300,000 votes. He's behind Miami's Dwyane Wade and Cleveland's Kyrie Irving, who are in line to start in the East backcourt. And though Rose, an All-Star Game starter in 2011 and 2012, won't be healthy enough to play in the Feb. 16 game in New Orleans, he's still received more votes than the likes of John Wall, Chris Bosh, James Harden and Russell Westbrook.
Joakim Noah also has remained inside the East's frontcourt top-10, coming in at No. 7 (more than 101,000 votes). That rank is up two spots from the December voting, when Noah was ninth in frontcourt voting. Noah won't start -- Carmelo Anthony currently holds the final frontcourt starting spot with 580,000+ votes -- but a strong final month before final votes are tallied on Jan. 20 may push him forward. After a quiet November, Noah has averaged 13.1 points and 11.9 rebounds in 11 December games. He's been stout in a Bulls lineup decimated by injury, helping Tom Thibodeau's group stay afloat as they search for answers post-Derrick Rose.
Luol Deng has missed seven games in December and, thus, seen his name fall from the top-10 in the Eastern Conference frontcourt. Deng, a two-time All-Star, is averaging a career-best 19.6 points per game but has missed time and doesn't have the success of the Bulls to add to his All-Star Game resume this February. Carlos Boozer also has fallen from the top-12, where he stood two weeks ago.
Here's how the top-10 has shaken out thus far in both conferences:
Western Conference
Backcourt
1. Kobe Bryant, Lakers: 723,031
2. Chris Paul, Clippers: 533,647
3. Stephen Curry, Warriors: 481,698
4. Jeremy Lin, Rockets 358,725
5. James Harden, Rockets: 270,476
6. Russell Westbrook, Thunder: 216,070
7. Tony Parker, Spurs 158,329
8. Damian Lillard, Blazers 105,880
9. Ricky Rubio, Wolves 81,829
10. Steve Nash, Lakers 81,377
Frontcourt
1. Kevin Durant, Thunder: 850,728
2. Dwight Howard, Houston: 408,623
3. Blake Griffin, Clippers: 399,357
4. Kevin Love, Wolves: 377,941
5. Tim Duncan, Spurs: 312,809
6. LaMarcus Aldridge, Portland: 282,613
7. Anthony Davis, Pelicans: 188,589
8. Pau Gasol, Lakers: 177,883
9. Andre Iguodala, Warriors: 145,089
10. Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas: 126,025
Eastern Conference
Backcourt
1. Dwyane Wade, Miami: 565,455
2. Kyrie Irving, Cleveland: 524,000
3. Derrick Rose, Chicago: 299,950
4. John Wall, Washington: 210,988
5. Ray Allen, Miami: 143,714
6. Rajon Rondo, Boston: 111,335
7. Deron Williams, Brooklyn: 74,047
8. George Hill, Indiana: 66,030
9. Lance Stephenson, Indiana: 50,444
10. DeMar DeRozan, Toronto: 48,744
Frontcourt
1. LeBron James, Miami: 854,105
2. Paul George, Indiana: 712,808
3. Carmelo Anthony, New York 580,795
4. Roy Hibbert, Indiana 304,829
5. Chris Bosh, Miami 222,861
6. Kevin Garnett, Brooklyn 137,520
7. Joakim Noah, Chicago 101,308
8. Andre Drummond, Detroit 91,132
9. Jeff Green, Boston 78,693
10. Tyson Chandler, New York 77,496
MLB storylines to look forward to in 2014.
By Michaelclair
As 2013 draws to a close, and with many of the premier free agents already off the board, what are the storylines that we’ll be reading, and the questions that we’ll be asking, in 2014?
One day in the future, when we're all old and living in futuristic retirement homes, eating grey-colored "protein fuel," and being tended to by nurse drones, we'll look back on 2013 and smile. We'll fondly recall the team of sentient beards that won the World Series, the Pittsburgh Pirates squad that finally broke a 20 year losing streak, and one Miguel Cabrera, who somehow had an even better season the year after his winning of the triple crown. We'll also wonder how the hell Robin Thicke's "Blurred Lines" got so much damn radio play.
But the time for reflection on 2013 is for 3,000 years in the future when we awake from the cryosleep and we're ready to begin our lives on Xylon-14XU. So, today it's time to look ahead to 2014.
With a majority of the premier free agents already off the board, there's not a whole lot left to get excited by in the free agent market (unless Bronson Arroyo rumors get you all hot and bothered), so what are the things we'll be talking about to kick off 2014? Here's a few likely topics:
Who Will Sign Masahiro Tanaka?
Originally, this was going to read, "Will Masahiro Tanaka ever be posted?" It seemed like a good question to ask, at least for a few more weeks, what with the Rakuten Golden Eagles seemingly changing their minds on posting him every few hours.
Which made sense. After all, before the new posting agreement between MLB and NPB that limited posting fees to $20 million, it seemed like a pretty good bet that Tanaka would earn at least the $50 million+ that Daisuke Matsuzaka and Yu Darvish commanded, especially after a 24-0, 1.72 ERA season. Hell, it would make sense for Rakuten to keep Tanaka just out of spite.
But now that he's been posted, who will sign him? Or perhaps the better question is, how many teams will bid the maximum amount, creating something akin to a restricted free agent market for the pitcher?
Though Tanaka lacks the pure stuff of Yu Darvish, his low-90s fastball and superior command would represent an upgrade to nearly every rotation in the game. Add in the extra revenue, attention, and excitement that Tanaka will command, and the fee for the pitcher is simply a small investment for the future.
The Yankees, having shown they're not nearly as constrained as originally thought, and with an aging rotation, could be in on him. As could the other big market clubs like the Red Sox, Dodgers, and Mets. Or it could be the Cubs, who, according to David Kaplan, "will not be outbid." Or maybe it will be the Angels or Diamondbacks.
Really, the shorter list is who won't be bidding on Tanaka, the small market teams like the Pirates, Rays, or Royals unlikely to be able to afford the $20 million posting fee and possible $100 million contract.
While the pitching market has been sluggish while teams been waiting to hear the verdict on Tanaka, don't expect it to heat up all of a sudden. Because there will be plenty of jockeying for the pitcher.
Will the Yankees additions get them back to the postseason?
This was supposed to be the new austere Yankees, the Yankees team that worried about things like payroll, budgets, and the amount of caviar included in the post game spread. Instead, all they've done is sign Jacoby Ellsbury (7 years, $153 million), Carlos Beltran (3 years, $45 million), and Brian McCann (5 years, $85 million), not to mention the $140 million the team reportedly offered Shin-Soo Choo or the Scrooge McDuck-esque money pit they could use to lure in Masahiro Tanaka.
Of course, the Yankees also lost out on re-signing Robinson Cano, letting the Mariners blow away their offer by a good $30 million, and are counting on Alex Rodriguez's suspension for 2014 and beyond to stand up, saving a good $33 million in the process. But are the new pieces enough to cover up the holes?
While the new additions are upgrades in their respective positions, this is a still a team whose rotation is led by CC Sabathia coming off the worst season of his career (4.78 ERA), and Hiroki Kuroda, who had another fine season in 2013 (3.31 ERA), but will be 39 years-old next year. Factor in a defensively porous and struggling Derek Jeter, the made-of-glass Brian Roberts, an unknown quantity in Mark Teixeira, and no real backup plan at third base if Alex Rodriguez is suspended, and the Yankees could still struggle to compete in the AL East.
Of course, seemingly everything that could go wrong did go wrong last year and the Yankees managed to win 85 games and remain relevant in the postseason picture until the very end. It's a fool's errand to ever bet against the Yankees.
Will Matt Kemp be traded?
After an absolutely bonkers 2011, falling one home run shy of the vaunted 40/40 club, Matt Kemp was awarded an eight year, $160 million contract. Unfortunately, Kemp lost time due to injuries in 2012 (.303/.367/.538, 23 HR) and never recovered his strength from shoulder surgery last year when he hit just .270/.328/.395 with 6 HR and couldn't stay on the field. With six years left on his contract and the top outfielders like Jacoby Ellsbury, Shin-Soo Choo, and Curtis Granderson off the market, Kemp could be the most attractive piece of trade bait remaining this offseason.
The Dodgers have a full outfield with Yasiel Puig, Carl Crawford, Matt Kemp, and Andre Ethier, so, on paper, they could most likely weather the loss of Kemp. But if Kemp, hoping to return from ankle and another shoulder surgery, is healthy, he could instantly be the best player on the Dodgers' team.
Only 29, Kemp still has the chance to have a long and successful career, with his potential performance far outweighing his current trade value.
But that's if he's healthy. Baseball history is sadly filled with a number of great players whose careers were interrupted by injury. Right now, Kemp has some value left as other GMs dream of a return to 2011-era Matt Kemp. But if Kemp struggles in 2014 or sees himself beset with more injuries, the market for him will dry up considerably.
The Dodgers, with their unlimited budget, would seem to be the team best suited to taking on a $20 million lottery ticket, which is why it's difficult to imagine Kemp going somewhere else.
Can the re-vamped Rangers knock off the Oakland A's?
For two consecutive seasons, the Texas Rangers held a mid-summer lead in the AL West, only to watch the Oakland Athletics pick up steam in the second half and take the division title. It's something that Billy Beane seems supernaturally gifted at.
Thanks to Jon Daniels' work at the helm of the Rangers, rather than seeing the window of victory closing after a run of success that started in 2009, the Rangers have been able to re-load and re-tool along the way. With Jurickson Profar and Leonys Martin, two players with high ceilings, joining the team on a full-time basis, a rotation led by Yu Darvish and his 1,000 pitches of gold, Prince Fielder at first base (a huge upgrade in both size and performance) over Mitch Moreland, and Shin-Soo Choo replacing David Murphy in left, the Rangers have to be excited by their chances in 2014.
But the A's haven't sat back and rested either. They acquired groundballing Jim Johnson to take over for Grant Balfour, traded away Brett Anderson, and even made a challenge trade with the Rangers, picking up Craig Gentry for top prospect Michael Choice.
With only a four-game difference separating the two teams last season, the AL West should once again come down to a end of the year race. Right now, though, the edge may belong to the Rangers.
Can the Pittsburgh Pirates continue their winning ways?
It seems strange to be asking the question. I mean, after all, the last time someone could ask such a thing would have been 1993, right after the Pirates were bounced from the NLCS by Sid Bream's slide.
For Pirates fans, the 2013 offseason has been a frustrating one. Despite the postseason appearance and a multitude sold out games, the team has still been hesitant to open their checkbook, their biggest signing being a $5 million contract given to Edinson Volquez in the hopes that he can morph back into the pitcher he was in 2008, much like Francisco Liriano last year.
Fortunately for the club, most of last year's pieces are young and returning for 2014, with NL MVP Andrew McCutchen leading the way. While they wait to see if A.J. Burnett decides to hang up the spikes, Gerrit Cole has proved that he is an ace in the making, and top prospect Jameson Taillon should be ready for a midseason call-up.
Still, this is a small market team with a limited budget. If a star player gets injured or struggles, there aren't many options to fill his shoes. Last year, a number of things had to break right for the Pirates to reach the NLDS. They'll need to count on that kind of luck again.
2014 Golf Preview: The Year Sergio Garcia Finally Wins a Major.
By Andy Vuong
Other Predictions: Tiger Woods Won't Win a Major, and the Resurfacing of Anthony Kim.
COMMENTARY | The 2014 golf season will be remembered as the Year of El Niño.
Dating back to Lucas Glover's triumph at the 2009 U.S. Open, 15 of the past 19 major tournaments have been won by first-time major winners.
That trend should continue in 2014, with Sergio Garcia taking the British Open to remove perhaps the biggest monkey to ever grace a golfer's back.
Here's why the time is right for Garcia to break through: For all his struggles and high-profile collapses in recent years, he's still only 33. Another "best golfer without a major" ended his drought at the same age: Phil Mickelson.
Next year's Open Championship will be held at Royal Liverpool Golf Club, a course Garcia has played well at. Royal Liverpool hosted the 2006 Open Championship, a tournament won by Tiger Woods with Garcia finishing in a tie for 5th. A brilliant 65 in the third round catapulted the Spaniard into a tie for second heading into the final round.
Garcia turned around a disaster-filled year, highlighted by his collapse at the Players and controversy with Woods, by winning the Thailand Golf Championship two weeks ago.
Other predictions for 2014:
Tiger Woods will not win a major. Mentally, he is simply not the same golfer he was before The Scandal. He can't hold a lead, not even at his own tournament while paired up for the final two days with about as comfortable a playing partner as you can find in Zach Johnson.
The pressure is so intense right now for Woods to win another major to prove to critics that he really is back. But his mental game, the one that helped him become the greatest closer of all time in golf, is not there and may never return.
Woods will win another major, perhaps two. But the next major victory will come when we least expect it, when there's less pressure on him, a la Ernie Els at the 2012 British Open or Jack Nicklaus' 18th and final major in 1986 at the age of 46.
Another young American golfer on the rise -- Dustin Johnson, Brandt Snedeker or Hunter Mahan -- will also break through to claim his first major title. In 2011, it was Keegan Bradley. In 2012, Bubba Watson and Webb Simpson. Last year, it was Jason Dufner. The trend will continue, and my bet is on the long-hitting Johnson, who scored his biggest win to date in November at the HSBC Champions in China.
Anthony Kim and Camilo Villegas will resurface. It wasn't that long ago when these two were near the top of golf's elite. Injuries and partying derailed Kim's career over the past couple seasons, while Villegas' freefall to 273rd in the World Golf Rankings has just been puzzling. Villegas showed some signs of life last season and is still just 31 years old, so a bounce-back isn't far-fetched.
Kim is a bigger question mark. He skipped the entire 2013 season to recover from surgery to repair his Achilles tendon. He has three PGA Tour wins, the last coming in 2010. Kim must ditch his "Entourage" lifestyle to regain his form from 2008, when he was today's version of Rory McIlroy, the golfer Nike threw millions of dollars at and perhaps the most popular outside of Woods and Mickelson.
The Tap In
In a recent edition of Sports Illustrated Golf PGA Tour Confidential, a panel of experts weighed whether Woods winning another major or Mickelson winning the U.S. Open to complete the career slam would be the bigger story. The group tied 2-2.
I'll break the tie with an unequivocal vote for Woods winning another major as the bigger story. If that happens, it won't just be the biggest story in golf, it'll rank as one of the top stories in all of sports. That feat would essentially complete his turnaround and, depending on how many other regular tournaments he wins, would likely give him the title as Sports Illustrated's Sportsman of the Year.
Ruston Joins Ben Kennedy Racing
NASCAR WIRE
Okla. driver tabbed for run at K&N Pro East championship.
Ben Kennedy is headed to the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. But Ben Kennedy Racing isn't going anywhere.
The 21-year-old rising star and great-grandson of NASCAR founder Bill France Sr. announced Thursday the team is staying in its shop in Daytona Beach and will field a team in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East.
At Thursday's press conference, the team also announced they have tapped 22-year-old Kenzie Ruston to drive the No. 96 Ben Kennedy Racing Chevrolet fulltime in 2014.
"Getting an opportunity in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series with Turner Scott Motorsports was due in large part to the time and hard work the team at Ben Kennedy Racing put in over the last two years," said Kennedy. "To be able to maintain the team here in Daytona and put another talented young driver in the seat is a really cool deal."
Ruston, like Kennedy, was a member of the NASCAR Next program last year. The industry initiative, in its third year, is designed to spotlight the sport's rising stars. The pool of talent that has been identified by the program includes Kyle Larson, Darrell Wallace Jr., Chase Elliott and Dylan Kwasniewski.
As a rookie in 2013, Ruston finished sixth in the points standings in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East. The El Reno, Okla., native had four top fives, including a third-place finish at Greenville (S.C.) Pickens Speedway in April.
Her points standing and her run at Greenville were both records as the highest finishes for a female in series history.
"Jumping into the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East last year was a great experience and I really learned a lot in my first year," said Ruston. "Having competed against Ben and his team, I've seen firsthand the dedication and level of excellence they bring to the track.
"I saw how they were really able to help Ben grow in the series from one year to the next, and get him prepared for the national series. I'm really looking forward to getting into that car in New Smyrna and Daytona in February."
The NASCAR K&N Pro Series East season kicks off Sunday, Feb. 16 at New Smyrna Speedway.
Two days later, the series will compete on the 0.4-mile oval on the backstretch at Daytona International Speedway in the UNOH Battle At The Beach.
The series also makes another in-state visit Friday, June 13 at Five Flags Speedway in Pensacola. Kennedy won that race last year.
Kennedy, a senior at the University of Florida, drove three full seasons in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series and progressed from 13th to ninth to fourth in the points. He picked up his first two series wins last year, first at Five Flags and then another at Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem, N.C. He started five NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races in 2013, including a fourth-place finish in October at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway.
Ben Kennedy and Kenzie Ruston at Thursday's announcement that Ruston will pilot the No. 96 in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East in 2014. NASCAR
Manchester City 2-1 Liverpool; Reds fail to finish as City climbs second.
By Nicholas Mendola
Liverpool came close to becoming the first visiting team not named Bayern Munich to win at the Etihad Stadium in months, but suspect finishing and a poor moment of goalkeeping allowed Manchester City to survive with a 2-1 decision at home.
The Reds struck first, and rightly so after having an earlier Raheem Sterling goal wiped out for what seemed to be a dubious offsides call. Sterling would play his part in the tally, as he moved deftly past a sliding Joe Hart before deferring to Phillippe Coutinho. He slotted home into an yawning net from a not-so-easy angle to move ahead 1-0 in the 24th minute.
Kompany came to City’s rescue with a headed-down effort off a corner, this one moving past Mignolet to level the score in the 31st minute. Joe Allen probably should’ve done better to clear the goal off the line.
Coutinho was robbed by Hart in the 40th minute after Liverpool worked its way into prime real estate via Sterling’s chip and Luis Suarez‘s one-touch pass. The Brazilian was on the doorstep but the maligned Hart was brilliant in parrying a right-footed effort aside.
Manchester City continued its streak of scoring two or more goals at home, a feat that traces back to May, when Jesus Navas slid a pass to Negredo. He hit a hard shot with the outside of his left foot that ignored a lackadaisical Simon Mignolet‘s paw and gave City a 2-1 halftime lead.
A sublime turn from David Silva was the feature moment of a 55th minute that nearly saw City go up by two goals, but Yaya Toure was foiled by a tough first touch and Hart was wise to the ensuing corner.
It wasn’t in the cards for Raheem Sterling, who made a meal of a prime scoring chance with less than 20 minutes to play. Sterling’s well-timed run became a balloon over the crossbar when he sent the ball aloft from eight yards out.
Liverpool will feel unlucky considering this performance on the road but it’s worth noting that while Mignolet was not at his best on the second goal, he later denied the deficit’s growth on several occasions.
The late goings-on featured a series of yellow cards including a reputation foul on Suarez to go with cautions to Victor Moses and Glen Johnson. Man City’s only yellow went to Pablo Zabaleta.
Manchester City: Hart, Zabaleta, Lescott, Kompany, Kolarov, Fernandinho, Yaya Toure, Nasri (Milner, 72), Silva (Javi Garcia, 87), Negredo (Dzeko, 77), Navas
Goals: Kompany (31), Negredo (45+1)
Liverpool: Mignolet, Cissokho, Skrtel, Sakho, Johnson, Lucas (Aspas, 82), Allen, Henderson, Sterling, Coutinho, Suarez.
Goals: Coutinho (24)
To thank coach Mack Brown
By Graham Watson
As Mack Brown’s final game as the head coach of the Texas Longhorns looms, one Longhorn season ticket holder wanted to show his appreciation for the longtime head coach.
So Bill Reagan of Reagan Advertising placed a billboard in the city of Austin with Brown’s face and the words “Class Act.”
Reagan hopes to add three more billboard around the city that show the same image of Brown and the word “Thanks.”
“We just made a decision to put those up,” Reagan told the Austin American-Statesman. “Being a local company here in Austin, we try to embody certain qualities and certain characteristics. As a personal fan, I just think Mack Brown has done a terrific job for Texas. He embodies all the qualities that we should strive for.”
On Dec. 14, Brown’s told his team he was resigning after 16 seasons with the program. His last game will be against No. 10 Oregon in the Valero Alamo Bowl on Dec. 30.
National title contenders. Are Louisville, Kentucky and Michigan State still on that list? Where do Arizona and Syracuse fall in the equation? What about Kansas and Oklahoma State?
By Rob Dauster
Rob Dauster: With non-conference play more-or-less over with — with the obvious exception of tomorrow’s pair of primetime battles — I think it’s safe to say that we have a pretty good feel for just about every relevant team across the country. As such, that makes now a perfect time to reflect on some of our preseason predictions. Today, we’ll be taking a look at some of the national title contenders.
Entering the season, Michigan State, Kentucky and Louisville were the consensus top three teams in the country. As of today, all three have at least one loss, while the likes of Arizona, Syracuse and Wisconsin have looked like the three best teams in the country to date.
Where do you stand on title contenders today? Can Kentucky still win it all? IS Arizona truly the nation’s best team? How do you value the likes of Kansas or Florida?
Raphielle Johnson: I don’t think I’d rule out any of the three teams we had atop the polls to start the season, but there are concerns. With Louisville, the development of Mangok Mathiang will be a key even with the presence of Chane Behanan, Montrezl Harrell and Stephen Van Treese in the front court. To expect Mathiang to be “Gorgui Dieng 2.0” at this point in his career would be grossly unfair, but the Cardinals will need to get something from him. As for Michigan State, can they stay healthy? If you ask me, that may be the biggest issue for the Spartans, especially when looking at Gary Harris. As for Kentucky, who’s their leader? At some point John Calipari can’t be considered their best leader; excellent coach but at some point the guys on the floor need to grab the reins both in game action and just as importantly in the locker room. Of the three, UK has the biggest issue because having leadership questions for such a young team can be a troubling sign looking forward.
As for the best team in the country right now, considering talent and depth I’m taking Syracuse. And the backcourt tandem of Tyler Ennis and Trevor Cooney should only get better as the Orange take on ACC play.
Scott Phillips: I think to count out Michigan State, Kentucky, or Louisville at this juncture in the season would be silly because all three have shown positive signs going into conference play, even though none of them are the No. 1 team at the moment. Michigan State needs to get healthy, Kentucky needs to mature and Louisville needs their new pieces to mesh with their experienced parts from last season’s run. All three of them should be fine and all three are very realistic contenders if you look forward to March.
As for Arizona, Syracuse, and Wisconsin it is hard to ignore how well those teams have started the season. Arizona owns solid wins at Madison Square Garden over Duke and on the road at Michigan and their starting five has meshed far quicker than I imagined and Wisconsin is impressive because Bo Ryan has a team that can score over 100 and win or be held below 50 and win — the Badgers can play a lot of different styles this season.
As for Syracuse, wake me up when they leave the state of New York. The Orange deserve props for winning Maui, but it was a down year for the Invitational and the Orange won’t leave the state of New York — besides that Maui trip — until their January 7th ACC contest at Virginia Tech. They’ve had one true road game and it came at Madison Square Garden against St. John’s, which is hardly a true test of how good this team really is.
And you certainly can’t count out Kansas or Florida going forward either, especially with Joel Embiid’s rapid development and Florida getting healthy and likely adding Chris Walker. It should be a fun couple of months with conference play on the horizon.
Kevin Doyle: Everyone has touched on the top six or seven teams already, but I find it interesting there has been no mention of Oklahoma State. They do have the best guard in the country in Marcus Smart. In fact, perhaps they have the best back-court in the country with Smart and his counterpart in Markel Brown. It seems like the Cowboys are being overlooked. Maybe it’s because Travis Ford is their coach and they don’t have the brand name on the front of their jersey like a Louisville, Kentucky, or Michigan State has, but they are legit. Looking at their resume alone, Oklahoma State has wins over Memphis and Colorado, along with solid victories over Butler and Louisiana Tech.
Oklahoma State hasn’t played as tough a slate as Kansas, Wisconsin, or Florida, so I think we will learn a lot more about them during their stretch against Kansas State, Texas, and West Virginia to begin Big 12 play. The duo of Smart and Brown cannot be discounted, though.
RD: For my money, Arizona is the best team in the country right now and the most likely to win the national title. The Wildcats might just be the best defensive team in the country, but what makes them so dangerous is that they will never face a team where you say, ‘Man, Arizona just doesn’t matchup with them.’ When it comes to the tournament, matchups — the luck of the draw — matter so, so, so much. As the saying goes, style wins the fight, and the versatility of Rondae Hollis-Jefferson and Aaron Gordon means that Sean Miller’s club will never be at a disadvantage. They can field a team that’s as big as Baylor and they can matchup with Duke when Jabari Parker and Rodney Hood are at the four and the five.
Raph already covered Syracuse, who is legit this season even if Scott decides that we have to discount Syracuse beating a top 15 team in a gym halfway across the world and earning a win over St. John’s in the Garden.
But I’ll tell you what: I think we may be sleeping on Kansas. You guys can laugh at me if you want, but I don’t think there is a front line in the country that is nearly as good as the combination of Andrew Wiggins, Joel Embiid, Perry Ellis and Tarik Black. The Jayhawks still need to find consistent back court play, especially out of Naadir Tharpe, but those big guys have the potential to be utterly terrifying in three months.
RJ: Here’s my issue with Arizona: when Kaleb Tarczewski’s healthy their bench has essentially consisted of Rondae Hollis-Jefferson. Is that enough to win a national title? I’m not sure, which means they really need a guy like Gabe York to step up and prove that he can hit a couple shots when in the game. And heaven forbid if someone were to go down with a significant injury. Really like that team and the talent at Sean Miller’s disposal, but the depth concerns me when looking forward to a possible national title run.
As for Kansas, Tharpe’s the key. Don’t care how good that front court is, if the man in charge of running the show struggles the entire team will feel the effects. Frank Mason’s been solid, but right now Tharpe’s the one who’s best equipped to run the show based upon his experience and talent level. Over the last three games he’s got 18 assists and eight turnovers, good but not good enough when considering the best teams in the Big 12 and nationally. And to Kevin’s point earlier, my biggest issue with Oklahoma State is rebounding.
Colorado grabbed 18 offensive boards last Saturday, and while the Pokes still won the game that may not be the case against the Big 12’s best. If Michael Cobbins and Kamari Murphy can consistently hold their own on the boards the I have no problem putting them in the mix as they’re a Top 15 team in both offensive and defensive efficiency.
SP: I also believe that Arizona is the deserving No. 1 team and I love how they take good shots and share the ball. The Wildcats top five scorers are all shooting 50 percent from the field, which tells you that they’re not forcing things and have a good grasp on what they’re capable of on the offensive end. But will they be the No. 1 team at the end of the year? I’m still a bit skeptical for now and Raph brought up a great point about their depth.
But what about Kentucky? Here we had this preseason juggernaut with the “greatest recruiting class of all-time” and they’ve lost on neutral courts to Michigan State, Baylor and on the road to North Carolina and we’re already seemingly writing them off? Aren’t young teams supposed to stumble early in big games like that? I know it is concerning that they haven’t picked up a marquee win — or they don’t have a true leader — but Kentucky is still the most talented team in the country and they’ll have plenty of time to learn to play together running through a weak SEC.
Are we being too hard on Kentucky? And what of the other top-10 unbeatens we’ve neglected to mention: Ohio State, Villanova and Wichita State? Do those teams fall in line as contenders going forward as well?
RD: The other top 10 unbeatens are easy to diagnose: Ohio State is a contender on the nights where LaQuinton Ross is shooting the ball well. Wichita State is a contender on the nights Cleanthony Early plays like a first round pick. Villanova is a sneaky, matchup-based Final Four contender given how good their guards are and how well they can defend.
As far as Kentucky is concerned, I have a sinking feeling that this is an inherently-flawed basketball team. Their four best players all are scorers that need the ball in their hands to be effective. There aren’t enough role players on this roster. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: the beauty of that 2012 team was that Anthony Davis and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist were role players at heart. Those two would dominate on a nightly basis without needing to touch the ball offensively. There isn’t anyone on this Kentucky team willing to do that.
And all that said, remember, this team has lost to Michigan State on a neutral floor, to Baylor in Dallas and at North Carolina. They could have won all three is they shot a little bit better from the free throw line, or a little bit better from three, or did a little bit better job on the defensive glass. Kentucky has, more or less, stunk this year, and look at where they are now.
If it ever does click, they are going to be scary.
Belichick questions NFL offseason workout limits. What's your take?
By JOHN WAWROW
Patriots coach Bill Belichick is blaming recently instituted NFL rules shortening offseason practice time for what he claims to be an increasing number of player injuries.
"I'm in favor of total preparation for the players for the season," Belichick said during a conference call with Buffalo reporters this week in leading up to New England's home game against the Bills on Sunday. "And I think that's been changed significantly and, I would say, not necessarily for the better when you look at the injury numbers."
Belichick said players are more vulnerable to being hurt because they're less prepared, and described the limits placed on offseason workouts — including training camp — as being counterproductive.
"Personally, I think that's taking the wrong approach," he said. "You have a gap between preparation and competition level. And I think that's where you see a lot of injuries occurring. We get a lot of breakdowns. We get a lot of situations that players just aren't as prepared as they were in previous years, in my experience anyway."
Belichick was specifically challenging several new rules negotiated into the NFL labor deal that ended an offseason-long lockout in 2011.
Teams were prevented from holding two-a-day practices during training camp. Limits were also placed on how many times players practiced in pads throughout the year. In the spring, offseason team activity time was reduced from 14 to nine weeks (10 if the team changed head coaches).
What's in question is whether injuries are, in fact, on the rise in the NFL, as Belichick suggested.
Though he didn't cite specific numbers, Belichick said he was citing "a matter of record not opinion," in saying injuries league-wide have been on the rise over the past three years.
League spokesman Michael Signora disputed Belichick's assertions.
"We carefully monitor player injuries," Signora said. "There is no evidence that the new work rules have had an adverse effect on the injury rate or that injuries have in fact increased."
The NFL declined to released its numbers. But according to STATS, the number of NFL players finishing a season on injured reserve has risen significantly over the past 14 seasons.
From 2000-06, there was an average of 239 players on IR. That average has jumped to about 314 over the past seven years.
The low over that span was 192 in 2001, with the high being 353 in 2010, but that was before the new offseason rules came into effect.
As of Monday, there were 288 players on IR, the lowest total since 287 in 2008.
Those figures, however, don't include players who have been on injured reserve and released by their teams during the season.
It has also been difficult to measure how many regulars have missed games due to injury.
The Patriots (11-4) have been beset by a rash of injuries to key contributors this season. They have six starters on IR, including tight end Rob Gronkowski (right knee), offensive tackle Sebastian Vollmer, linebacker Jerod Mayo, defensive lineman Vince Wilford (Achilles tendon) and safety Adrian Wilson.
Belichick insists injuries are up.
"When you see the number as high as they are, then I don't think that's a randomness that's been two years in a row," Belichick said. "I've got to think there's some correlation there."
After reading this article, it does seem like starters are being injured more than in previous seasons. Is this a result of the new practice rules that are now in effect? Is the body conditioning better, worse or the same as before? The owners and the league would like to drop two preseason games and add two regular season games. Will the players' bodies be able to make it through an eighteen game season without breaking down? We'd love to know what you think? Give us your take!!!
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