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Sports Quote of the Day:
"Watch your thoughts for they become words. Watch your words for they become actions. Watch your actions for they become habits. Watch your habits for they become your character. And watch your character for it becomes your destiny. What we think, we become." ~ Margaret Thatcher, Former British Prime Minister
Bear Down Chicago Bears!!! Bears' failures end their season, extend Packers' again.
By John Mullin
In the end it was a Bears team that failed, failed to take advantage of situations right in front of it.
They failed not once but twice in championship situations, with the division title in front of them – in Philadelphia last week and Sunday at home in a 33-28 loss to the Green Bay Packers, who left Soldier Field as NFC North champions.
Indeed, the Bears have become unwilling playoff welcome mats for the Packers. They won the NFC North with a week 15 win in Soldier Field last season. They clinched home-field advantage through the 2011 playoffs with a thumping of the Bears. They got into the 2010 playoffs with a final-game win over the Bears, then won the NFC Championship with a defeat of the Bears, also in Soldier Field.
It has reached the point where the Packers don’t even consider stepping on the Bears on the way to postseasons to be anything out of the ordinary.
“Not really,” Packers cornerback Tramon Williams said. “We seem to always battle these guys for the championship. Nothing different now, it’s always been this way around here with Green Bay and Chicago. It’s just one of those things.”
For the Bears on Sunday, however, it was less about the Packers than about the Bears.
“We were in the position we needed to be in,” said running back Matt Forte, who finished with 110 rushing yards, 47 receiving yards, two touchdown runs and a TD catch. “We could have locked it up last week and we didn’t do that. We had anything lined up and we couldn’t come through. We have nobody to blame but ourselves.”
So many failures
In losing their way out of the postseason for the sixth time in the last seven years, the Bears:
-- Failed in three fourth-down situations on the Packers’ final drive of the Green Bay Packers’ 33-28 win Sunday in Soldier Field, the last with a blown coverage on fourth-and-eight that turned into the game-winning pass of 48 yards from Aaron Rodgers to Randall Cobb.
“I was hoping for a miracle,” said Green Bay linebacker Andy Mulumba. “And I think that’s what happened.”
The miracle came in the form of safety Chris Conte appearing to settle at the first-down mark as Cobb ran by him for “a great, great play that will be running on the highlight reel for the rest of my time on this earth,” said Green Bay coach Mike McCarthy.
-- Failed to pick up a loose ball on a second-quarter fumble, allowing the Packers a touchdown the Bears could have doing the same thing. Julius Peppers sacked Rodgers, the ball flew up in the air and when it landed, wide receiver Jarrett Boykin picked it up. He stood there momentarily until Rodgers came running over yelling for him to run, which he did, 15 yards for a touchdown as most players on both teams stood around.
“We all thought it was a dead ball,” said linebacker James Anderson, the nearest Bear to the ball as it landed. “That was why everybody kind of stopped. I thought I did [hear a whistle].”
-- Failed to turn an opening drive starting at the Green Bay 42 into any points or even a first down. Failed to hold onto the football with 2 minutes to play in the first half, with Alshon Jeffery’s first fumble of the season turning into three Green Bay points.
“That’s a tough one to swallow,” said quarterback Jay Cutler, who delivered 15 completions on 24 attempts for 226 yards and two touchdowns, with no interceptions until the game’s final heave into an end zone jump ball trying for the win. “Looking back on the season, there’s one play here and there – beginning of the game, end of the game, middle of the game – it we make it a few of those, we’re in a different spot.”
The Bears ultimately are what their 8-8 record says they are, which is a .500 team (although it’s amusing to hear some pundits conclude that they knew the defense was going to have problems, meaning they knew that Lance Briggs, Henry Melton, Charles Tillman, Nate Collins and D.J. Williams would all go down. I want some of those analysts picking stocks for my retirement fund.)
Changes will come as they do every offseason, with Cutler expected to be re-signed sooner rather than later, but major changes expected on defense in particular.
“Anytime you lose it’s disappointing, but to lose in the last minute or get blown out like we did last week, both losses are disappointing,” Peppers said. Peppers got a hand on Rodgers’ arm on the final, winning touchdown pass but “there’s no other way around it,” he said. “You play to win and we didn’t win.
“We knew this game was going to be tough, probably come down to the last possession, if we could be in that position again, we’d take that every time.”
2014 Pro Bowlers announced.
Posted by Mike Wilkening
Here are the players in the 2014 Pro Bowl, which will be played Sunday, January 26, 2014 in Honolulu. The teams, which no longer are restricted to players from each conference, will be drafted on January 22 by teams captained by Jerry Rice and Deion Sanders.
OFFENSE
Quarterbacks
Patriots QB Tom Brady, Saints QB Drew Brees, Broncos QB Peyton Manning, Panthers QB Cam Newton, Chargers QB Philip Rivers, Seahawks QB Russell Wilson.
Running backs
Chiefs RB Jamaal Charles, Bears RB Matt Forte, 49ers RB Frank Gore, Seahawks RB Marshawn Lynch, Vikings RB Adrian Peterson, Eagles RB LeSean McCoy.
Wide receivers
Steelers WR Antonio Brown, Cowboys WR Dez Bryant, Browns WR Josh Gordon, Bengals WR A.J. Green, Texans WR Andre Johnson, Lions WR Calvin Johnson, Bears WR Brandon Marshall, Broncos WR Demaryius Thomas.
Offensive tackles
Chiefs OT Branden Albert, Eagles OT Jason Peters, Cowboys OT Tyron Smith, 49ers OT Joe Staley, Browns OT Joe Thomas, Redskins OT Trent Williams.
Offensive guards
Saints OG Jahri Evans, Saints OG Ben Grubbs, 49ers OG Mike Iupati, Pariots OG Logan Mankins, Broncos OG Louis Vasquez, Ravens OG Marshal Yanda.
Centers
Panther C Ryan Kalil, Browns C Alex Mack, Dolphins C Mike Pouncey, Seahawks C Max Unger.
Tight ends
Browns TE Jordan Cameron, 49ers TE Vernon Davis, Saints TE Jimmy Graham, Broncos TE Julius Thomas.
Fullbacks
Raiders FB Marcel Reece, Panthers FB Mike Tolbert.
DEFENSE
Defensive ends
Panthers DE Greg Hardy, Saints DE Cameron Jordan, Rams DE Robert Quinn, Dolphins DE Cameron Wake, Texans DE J.J. Watt, Bills DE Mario Williams.
Defensive tackles
Buccaneers DT Gerald McCoy, Ravens DT Haloti Ngata, Chiefs NT Dontari Poe, 49ers DT Justin Smith, Lions DT Ndamukong Suh, Bills DT Kyle Williams.
Outside linebackers
Cardinals OLB John Abraham, 49ers OLB Ahmad Brooks, Chiefs OLB Tamba Hali, Chiefs OLB Justin Houston, Colts OLB Robert Mathis, Ravens OLB Terrell Suggs.
Inside/middle linebackers
49ers ILB Navorro Bowman, 49ers ILB Patrick Willis, Panthers MLB Luke Kuechly, Bengals WLB Vontaze Burfict.
Cornerbacks
Chiefs CB Brandon Flowers, Dolphins CB Brent Grimes, Browns CB Joe Haden, Cardinals CB Patrick Peterson, Buccaneers CB Darrelle Revis, Seahawks CB Richard Sherman, Patriots CB Aqib Talib, Titans CB Alterraun Verner.
Free safeties
Bills FS Jairus Byrd, Seahawks FB Earl Thomas, Chargers FS Eric Weddle.
Strong safeties
Chiefs SS Eric Berry, Seahawks SS Kam Chancellor, Steelers SS Troy Polamalu.
SPECIAL TEAMS
Punters
Dolphins P Brandon Fields, Rams P Johnny Hekker.
Kickers
Ravens PK Justin Tucker, Broncos PK Matt Prater.
Punt returners
Steelers WR Antonio Brown, Chiefs WR Dexter McCluster
Special-teamers
Patriots WR Matthew Slater, Cardinals DB Justin Bethel.
How 'bout them Chicago Blackhawks? Blackhawks midterm report: The good, the bad and the ugly.
By Tracey Myers
Chicago sports fans: we know how you feel. The Bears took you to the brink of exhaustion and excitement today before falling to the Green Bay Packers.
But we come bearing great news: while the Bears season has come to an end, the Chicago Blackhawks’ season has just reached the halfway mark. That’s right: 41 regular-season games are done, and there are 41 to go. So while Bears fans lick their no-postseason wounds, we’ll give a look back at the Blackhawks’ first half of the season: the good, the bad and the ugly.
THE GOOD
OK, we could be here a while. Yes, the Blackhawks would’ve loved to close out the first half of their 2013-14 season with a victory against their new Detroit Red Wings (aka the St. Louis Blues), but it was not to be. But the Blackhawks’ first-half success speaks for itself: 27-7-7 for 61 points, good for second place in the Western Conference. Not bad for a team that was supposed to be going through a Stanley Cup hangover.
The Blackhawks weathered injuries, from early concerns with Marian Hossa’s back to Bryan Bickell’s knee to both Corey Crawford and Nikolai Khabibulin suffering maladies. Once again, their depth helped. So did their stars having fantastic seasons thus far. The top line of Patrick Sharp, Jonathan Toews and Hossa has been lethal. Sharp has pretty much written his ticket to the Winter Olympics with his recent goal-scoring extravaganza. Patrick Kane’s garnered points in 26 of 27 games, including his current (and career-best) 14-game point streak.
Duncan Keith is putting together another Norris Trophy-worthy season as part of a strong, deep defense. Throw in a very successful power play (third overall, scoring 24.8 percent of the time) and the Blackhawks aren’t having many troubles in the goal-scoring department. There’s a lot that’s gone well for the Blackhawks through the first 41, and so far, coach Joel Quenneville has been pretty happy with everything.
“We’ve liked he way we’ve played,” he said. “We were happy with our start, knowing there was some uncertainty there. We’re playing our best hockey as of late. If we can finish the second half the way we did the first half, we’d be happy.”
THE BAD
We have to bring up the Blackhawks’ penalty kill here. The good news is, it’s gotten better as of late. The bad news is, it’s still near the bottom of the league in effectiveness (76.0 percent, 28th overall). The Blackhawks had their “rock-bottom” moment, as Quenneville called it, when they gave up one power-play goal with one second remaining on the one power play they faced against Anaheim on Dec. 6. It had been on a roll lately but, unfortunately, was responsible for giving up the tying goal to the Blues on Saturday night.
This was the Blackhawks’ well-oiled machine last season; this year, not so much. The Blackhawks are at their best on the kill when they’re confident and being aggressive. They need to get those aspects corrected in the second half.
THE UGLY
There’s not much that falls into this category, save, perhaps, the shootout. It’s strange that a team with this much offensive skill struggles in the shootout. But the Blackhawks had the same skill with the power play last season; it was a stinker then, stellar now. So there you go.
Anyway, the Blackhawks have been up and down here. When they have scored goals, like they did on Saturday night, they can’t stop enough at the other end. For as good as Antti Raanta has been in his brief time with the Blackhawks, he’s struggled in the shootouts. So has Patrick Kane (0 for 9 this season). But when a guy has put up points like he has during regulation and overtime you’re very careful to nitpick. Still, it’s an area the Blackhawks want to improve.
Kings-Blackhawks Preview.
By JON PALMIERI (STATS Editor
Only on the rare occasion do the Chicago Blackhawks fail to record at least a point.
Kane puts his career-best 14-game point streak on the line Monday night when the Blackhawks try to send the visiting Los Angeles Kings to their first three-game skid in a nearly a year.
The reigning Stanley Cup champion Blackhawks (27-7-7) are again among the league's elite, leading the Central Division and battling for the NHL's best record.
Chicago has lost just once in regulation in its last 11 games (7-1-3), including a 5-0-2 mark at home - where it hasn't lost before overtime since Dec. 3.
A third straight victory was within their grasp Saturday in St. Louis, but the Blackhawks squandered a two-goal lead in the final 3:51 of regulation before falling 6-5 in a shootout. Kane had a goal and an assist in Chicago's second three-goal first period in two nights, while Patrick Sharp continued his torrid scoring with his 22nd goal.
''Of course it's frustrating. We got a point, so I guess that's one positive you can take from it," Kane said.
Kane hasn't been held without a point since Nov. 29, tallying eight goals and 17 assists during those 14 games.
He's recorded at least one point in 26 of 27 contests, including an assist in Chicago's 3-1 victory over Los Angeles on Nov. 25 in the teams' first meeting since the Blackhawks eliminated the Kings in June in the Western Conference finals.
Sharp's goal was his sixth in three games and he should be happy to see the Kings (25-10-4) again. The left wing has 12 goals and 22 points in 16 career home meetings, including the 2013 conference finals.
Sharp's goal was his sixth in three games and he should be happy to see the Kings (25-10-4) again. The left wing has 12 goals and 22 points in 16 career home meetings, including the 2013 conference finals.
Captain Jonathan Toews has three goals and 12 assists over his last 10 games. He also produces at a high rate at home against Los Angeles, collecting seven goals and 18 points in 15 contests.
While No. 1 goaltender Corey Crawford recovers from a lower-body injury, Antti Raanta has been excellent in his place. Raanta had allowed two goals or fewer in 12 of 13 games before yielding five on 25 shots Saturday. He stopped 21 shots and surrendered only a late third-period goal to beat the Kings earlier this month.
That defeat was Los Angeles' fourth straight in Chicago after dropping all three games there last postseason.
Of bigger concern now for the Kings is avoiding their first three-game skid since opening last season 0-2-1.
Jeff Carter's goal - his third in four games - with 37 seconds left Saturday in Nashville appeared to give the Kings at least a point, but the Predators' Mike Fisher scored 10 seconds later for a 3-2 victory.
Coach Darryl Sutter wasn't happy his team allowed Fisher to get a shot off so close to the net.
''Bad coverage on our part,'' he said.
One bright spot for the Kings was Anze Kopitar's power-play goal, the team's first in six games. Los Angeles, however, allowed an opponent to score on the man advantage for the third consecutive game after giving up three power-play tallies in the previous 11 contests.
Ben Scrivens made 28 saves against Nashville in his first start since losing to the Blackhawks. Sutter could go back to rookie sensation Martin Jones, who is 8-1-0 with a 1.31 goals-against average and three shutouts.
Just another Chicago Bulls Session… Bulls-Grizzlies Preview.
By NICOLINO DIBENEDETTO (STATS Writer)
The Memphis Grizzlies are starting to look more like the team that reached last season's Western Conference finals.
The Grizzlies go for a fourth win in five tries Monday night when they attempt to continue their home dominance of the Bulls.
Memphis (13-16) set a franchise record with 56 wins last season and advanced to the conference finals, only to be swept by San Antonio. The Grizzlies have struggled to build on that success in 2013-14, but have shown signs of turning things around.
They've won three of four games following a season-high five-game slide, and they're coming off their most impressive offensive display of the season.
Memphis beat Denver 120-99 on Saturday, hitting 51.6 percent from the field, including 8 of 19 from 3-point range.
"Teams know that we're going to play hard and, regardless of our record, we're going to be a tough out," said guard Mike Conley, who had 14 points. "We've always been a thorn in the side of a lot of teams. Hopefully, we're starting to get back to that."
That's certainly been the case at home against Chicago (11-17).
The Grizzlies have won 12 of the past 14 home matchups with the Bulls, holding them to an average of 88.9 points. They took the latest matchup there 80-71 on Dec. 17, 2012, limiting the Bulls to 2 of 11 from beyond the arc and 37.3 percent shooting overall.
Zach Randolph has been key to Memphis' recent success, averaging 22.5 points and 12.0 rebounds over the past four games. The forward hasn't come close to being that effective offensively in his last three meetings with Chicago, scoring 8.3 points per game while making just 11 of 39 field goals.
The Bulls have lost eight of 11 games while averaging 85.8 points, and they're expected to be without Luol Deng for a fifth straight game due to a lingering sore left Achilles.
"In the past, I would've been out there and playing and then missing another month or so, and I really don't want to do that," said Deng, who leads the team with 19.6 points per game while pulling down 7.0 boards with 4.1 assists.
Chicago will try to bounce back from Saturday's 105-83 home loss to Dallas, making just 3 of 17 from long range. The Bulls had won the previous two games while shooting 51.0 percent from the field - 46.9 from 3-point range.
"Whenever you feel too good about yourself somebody smacks you," said forward Taj Gibson, who had 13 points against the Mavericks after totaling 35 in the prior two games. "That's a part of the NBA."
Joakim Noah is looking to build on his 20 points and 10 rebounds from Saturday, but he's had a tough time in nine career meetings with the Grizzlies. He's averaged 5.3 points and 5.3 boards against them, and that includes totaling 21 and 14 in two losses last season.
Ranking the best off-seasons so far.
By Bill Baer
We’re almost into 2014, which means we’re only about a month and a half away from pitchers and catchers reporting to spring training — the official start of baseball. Most of the big name free agents are off the board and thus most teams have already finished shopping or have done most of the heavy lifting already. With that said, let’s look over the teams that have had the five best off-seasons to this point.
5. New York Yankees — Any time you add Jacoby Ellsbury, Brian McCann, Carlos Beltran, and Hiroki Kuroda, you have had a productive off-season. The Yankees have committed $328 million in free agency so far and may still spend more depending on how far they get in the Masahiro Tanaka sweepstakes. The Yankees were shocked, however, when second baseman Robinson Cano opted to take a ten-year, $240 million deal with the Mariners — a team that has finished in fourth place or worse in eight out of the last ten seasons — rather than continue his legacy in the Bronx. The Yankees’ already old and injury-prone infield became even more uncertain as they seem to be relegated to using Kelly Johnson sans Cano. The Yankees also have a bit of rotation uncertainty to address, but that could be fixed by signing Tanaka. Overall, a mostly productive off-season but the loss of Cano hit them hard.
4. Detroit Tigers — The Tigers have had an interesting off-season to say the least. They breathed a huge sigh of relief when they were able to unload the remainder of Prince Fielder‘s nine-year, $214 million deal on the Rangers and get Ian Kinsler to show for it. However, they followed up with one of the more questionable trades in recent memory, trading starter Doug Fister to the Nationals for reliever Ian Krol, infielder Steve Lombardozzi, and Minor League starter Robbie Ray. The Tigers are as in win-now mode as any team out there, so the Fister trade could only have precipitated another shoe dropping, but that shoe has yet to drop. Elsewhere, the Tigers added Rajai Davis and Joba Chamberlain along with new closer Joe Nathan. The Tigers should once again be the favorite to win the AL Central.
3. Texas Rangers — There is no doubt the Rangers got better, but the question is at what cost? Acquiring Prince Fielder cost them Ian Kinsler. While they certainly had the depth to afford to do that, they also had to take on Fielder’s gargantuan contract. The Rangers also committed $130 million to Shin-Soo Choo, who may be a platoon outfielder at best. However, the Rangers will have one of the most powerful offenses in baseball in 2014 and should be a pre-season pick to contend at least for the AL Wild Card if not win the AL West outright over the Athletics.
2. Tampa Bay Rays — The small-market Rays raised some eyebrows when they signed free agent first baseman James Loney to a three-year, $21 million deal. In a market flush with first basemen, it was surprising to see the Rays commit three years to a player at a team on the wrong end of the positional spectrum. Loney, however, had a career rebirth in 2013 and the Rays must see a reason for it to continue. Rays GM Andrew Friedman also added reliever Heath Bell and catcher Ryan Hanigan in a three-way trade with the Diamondbacks and Reds, relinquishing only two non-prospect Minor Leaguers. The Rays adequately addressed all of their needs and didn’t get bogged down by a big, expensive contract as is their habit. A pretty standard, productive off-season for them.
1. St. Louis Cardinals — The Cardinals had one need: a shortstop who can hit. The free agent market for shortstops was thin, with just Jhonny Peralta and Stephen Drew at the top, but the Cardinals snagged their guy, signing Peralta to a four-year, $53 million deal. They also traded David Freese and Fernando Salas to the Angels for Peter Bourjos and Randal Grichuk, a trade that has a lot of upside for the Cards. They have nothing left to do, so they will bide their time until spring training when they will start their quest to win the National League pennant yet again.
State of the Game: Golf through Arnie's eyes.
By Arnold Palmer
This is the season of nostalgia. As one year of memories gets packed away, another filled with opportunity beckons. Before we jump headlong into 2014, I’d like to take a few minutes and remember some of the good people we lost in 2013.
My formative experience with losing a loved one came in 1950. I was a senior at Wake Forest when my roommate, Bud Worsham, was killed in an automobile accident. Bud was my best friend; in fact, he was the reason I had attended Wake Forest in the first place.
What made his loss even harder to handle was the fact that I might very well have been in that car that night had I not opted to skip a Homecoming dance and instead attend a movie.
I bring that up because there’s not a day that goes by that I don’t think of Bud Worsham.
There’s not a facet of my life that hasn’t been improved for knowing him, albeit so briefly.
I’ve lost many loved ones over the years: my father in 1976, my mother in 1979 and of course, my wife Winnie in 1999. But Bud’s death taught me the lesson – wrenching as it was – that death is a part of life, and that the memories are worth the pain. I celebrate that lesson in remembering these departed friends.
*****
Miller Barber: If all you knew about Miller Barber was his golf swing, you’d say he had no shot. He had the ultimate chicken-wing right arm and held the club virtually perpendicular to the ground at the top of his backswing. But what people overlooked with Miller – as they do with most good players with unorthodox swings – was that he had a great release through the ball. And while he may not have been the most athletic looking player, Miller was very strong and very powerful.
He also enjoyed a pretty colorful nightlife, though one that was opaque to the rest of us. In those seemingly simpler days, groups of us would often get together and frequent the same bars or restaurants, but Miller never told us where he was going that night or where he’d been the night before. As a result, our PGA Tour colleague Jim Ferree dubbed Barber “The Mysterious Mr. X.” Over time the moniker was reduced simply to X. Up until the last time I saw him, I still called him X, not Miller. He had a great sense of humor and took to the nickname. But he also remained the man of mystery and a very close friend.
*****
Bill Campbell: Bill was not only one of the great gentlemen of the game, he was one of the great gentlemen, period. Sandy Tatum, the high priest of American amateur golf, once said that “in the whole history of golf there have been just two ultimate quintessential golfers: Bill Campbell and Bobby Jones.”
Like Jones, even though he lived a full life off the course, Bill regularly competed against the best players in the world. Although he and I were never paired together in a major championship, we did compete in 1965 when Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player and I took on three outstanding amateurs in Bill, Deane Beman and Dale Morey. I wasn’t playing my best, and as we were walking down the fairway I was trying to keep a positive outlook. I said to Bill, “My father always said to me, ‘He can who thinks he can.’ Bill, do you believe you can force yourself to do things?”
Bill said, “Well, Arnold, I can’t argue with that. You’re pretty strong evidence of it.”
Perhaps the story that best illustrates Bill’s exalted place in the game came from Jack Nicklaus. Years ago Jack had been debating the finer points of amateur status with Frank Hannigan, the former executive director of the USGA. Jack said to Frank, “Name one top amateur who doesn’t take anything from the manufacturers.’
“Bill Campbell,” replied Hannigan. Jack paused for a moment. “Okay. You can have Campbell,” he said. “Name another one.”
*****
Frank Stranahan: Stranny, who passed away in June, is one of the most overlooked talents in the history of the game. This guy was sensational. He pretty much won everything there was to win as an amateur, including three North and Souths, three Western Ams, two Canadian Ams and two British Ams. The only important amateur trophy that eluded him was the U.S. Amateur, in which he finished runner-up in 1950.
Given that he came from a wealthy family (his father founded Champion spark plugs), many of us expected Frank to remain a lifelong amateur, but he turned pro and won six times on the PGA Tour before leaving competitive golf in the mid-1960s to focus on business.
“Muss,” as we also called him because of his fastidious appearance, had the complete package: a terrific game, dazzling good looks and lots of money. People credit Gary Player with bringing fitness to the game, but Stranny, who used to travel with barbells in his suitcase, was a devoted fitness buff and health nut. He ran dozens of marathons, and competed in bodybuilding and weightlifting well into his 70s.
One last note about Frank. I am often given credit for “salvaging” the British Open in the early 1960s. We can argue whether the game’s most historic championship really was in danger of sinking, but it is safe to say that after World War II, many American competitors simply found it easy and more profitable to compete here in the United States. Frank never quit on the Open. He continued to compete there on a regular basis, and finished second in 1947 and 1953. His devotion to the Open Championship is what inspired me to go over in 1960. I won the following year, and I’ve been credited ever since with “saving” the Open, but it was Frank who paved the way.
*****
Pat Summerall: His Fox Sports colleague John Madden put it best when he said of the millions of sports fans who embraced Pat Summerall’s mellow brand of broadcasting, “They invited a gentleman into their homes.”
Whether it was football or golf, Pat became as much a part of the fabric of American sports as the leather on the arms of our easy chairs. I thought it was a beautiful gesture when Augusta National Golf Club offered him membership upon his retirement from television.
Though out of the spotlight, the final years of Pat’s life, when he reacquainted himself with the most important thing in anyone’s life, family, were some of the happiest he ever enjoyed.
*****
Ken Venturi: Ken became well known to casual golf fans when he joined the television booth in the late 1960s, but he was a force in the game as early as the late 1940s. A student of Byron Nelson and frequent playing partner of Ben Hogan, Ken was a formidable talent whose career was both sparked and unraveled by physical ailments. He first took up golf as a 13-year-old in response to his teacher’s diagnosis of Ken as a “an incurable stammerer.” He took up the loneliest sport he knew.
His ironman performance in winning the 1964 U.S. Open while battling severe dehydration remains the hallmark by which on-course toughness is measured. But ultimately it was another physical challenge, carpal tunnel syndrome, which forced his early retirement in the late 1960s and encouraged his transition to the broadcast booth.
Ken and I will likely forever be linked by a rules decision invoked while playing in the final round of the 1958 Masters. On the 12th hole, I hit a 6-iron off the tee and my ball plugged into its own pitch mark on the back fringe of the green. The ground was wet and soft, and a local rule providing relief from an embedded ball was in effect all week. I was leading by a shot, and just to be safe I called over the rules official, the late Arthur Lacey. I proposed that I could lift, clean and drop my ball without penalty to a spot as close as possible to the original position and no nearer the hole (a stance with which Ken agreed), but Lacey disagreed, saying I had to play the embedded ball. I knew I was right, but I wasn't in much of a position to argue. Finally, I said, “I'm going to play two balls and appeal to the tournament committee.” I knew I had that option under Rule 3-3a.
Lacey objected, saying, “No sir, you cannot do that either.” I told him, “Well, that's exactly what I'm doing.” I played the original ball as it lay for a 5 and then announced that I was about to play a second ball. I dropped to a clean lie and made par. Ken objected, saying that I was required to announce to him that I was going to play two balls before I played the original. The officials on site at the Masters reviewed the case, agreed with me, and I won my first Masters by a shot.
That incident affected our relationship. We both wrote about it in subsequent books, each of us insisting that we were right. I think the whole episode says more about the confusion built into the Rules of Golf than it does about me or Ken. I regret that the incident affected our relationship. Ken was a remarkable human being, and a warm and true friend to thousands of people in and out of the game.
*****
Rod Perry repeats as PGA Pro Player of Year.
By Golf Channel Digital
Reigning national champion Rod Perry of Port Orange, Fla., has won his second consecutive PGA Professional Player of the Year award.
Perry, 40, the PGA head professional at Crane Lakes Golf and Country Club in Port Orange, secured the honor by finishing tied for third in the final PGA Tournament Series event of the season at PGA Golf Club in Port St. Lucie, Fla.
Perry won his first national championship in June in Sunriver, Ore., and then added a seventh North Florida PGA Section championship and seventh Section Player of the Year title.
Perry earned 1,191.5 overall points to edge former national champion Bob Sowards of Dublin, Ohio, a three-time PGA Professional Player of the Year who had 1,107.5 points.
Michael Schumacher suffers head injury in ski accident, in a coma at hospital.
By Nick Bromberg
Michael Schumacher, one of the greatest Formula 1 drivers of all-time, suffered a head injury while skiing in the Alps on Sunday.
Initial reports vacillated about the seriousness of the injury, but the hospital he is at said Sunday afternoon that Schumacher was in a coma and in critical condition. According to The Mirror, Schumacher suffered a cerebral hemorrhage.
Schumacher "was suffering a serious brain trauma with coma on his arrival, which required an immediate neurosurgical operation," the hospital said in a statement.Chelsea 2-1 Liverpool: Blues earn important win with first-half comeback.
By Kyle Bonn
Martin Skrtel put the visitors up on just three minutes but Chelsea earned the points with goals from Eden Hazard and Samuel Eto’o.
An entertaining first half gave way to a steady second period but Chelsea’s defense held after the early leak.
It was a frantic opening to the match, with Liverpool capitalizing on an early opportunity. With Eto’o fouling Jordan Henderson early, Chelsea would concede on a set-piece yet again.
Philippe Coutinho sent in the long free kick, and Luis Suarez latched his head onto the back end before Skrtel cleaned it up with a tap-in for a shock lead on three minutes.
The goal didn’t phase the home side, as Chelsea worked for the equalizer forcing Glen Johnson to clear off the line after a Hazard shot from well out squirted through towards the goal mouth.
On 12 minutes Frank Lampard forced Simon Mignolet into action for the first time with a thunderbolt of a shot, causing the Liverpool keeper to dive to his left and get his fingertips on the ball to touch over.
They would get that equalizer in the 17th minute as they continued to ask questions of the Liverpool defense, and it would be the in-form Eden Hazard who would spring Stamford Bridge to life.
Oscar surged down the middle with the ball, and with Eto’o streaking to his right, Oscar looked to find him. Instead, the pass was blocked by Mamadou Sakho and fell right to Hazard who curled past Mignolet for a level score.
Jose Mourinho has struggled all year to find fluidity up front at the striker position, but Eto’o rewarded him for his selection in the 34th minute.
Again it was the Brazilian Oscar in the build-up, and as he scythed his way into the box, he cut the ball across the face and a sliding Eto’o finished by beating Sakho.
Chelsea were asked immediately to protect their lead, as Cech palmed away an effort from Joe Allen, giving the home side the advantage at halftime.
Having already brought off Branislav Ivanovic due to injury in the first half, Mourinho elected to substitute John Obi Mikel for Frank Lampard on the second half.
The first chance of the second period fell to Liverpool in the 51st, as a quick free kick went to Jordan Henderson, and his chip found Sakho in the penalty area, but the defender headed off the corner post.
Chelsea then went right down and forced a fantastic save from Mignolet as Eto’o found space and rifled on goal.
Suarez got his first chance in the 58th minute on a beautiful cut-back cross from Henderson but the Uruguayan’s volley couldn’t avoid the waiting grasp of Petr Cech.
Liverpool found it hard to press through Chelsea’s defense, although Johnson popped off a bounding shot from distance in the 74th minute that Cech could only parry away.
Suarez protested mightily when Eto’o brought him down on the edge of the box, but it was off the ball and Howard Webb wasn’t biting.
The three points for Chelsea means the top three in the Premier League table all keep pace with wins, with Liverpool falling below Everton thanks to their second-straight 2-1 loss to a title contender.
GOALS:
Chelsea – Hazard 17′; Eto’o 34′
Liverpool – Skrtel 3′
LINEUPS:
Chelsea – Cech; Ivanovic (Cole 30′), Cahill, Terry, Azpilicueta; D Luiz, Lampard (Mikel 45′); Willian, Oscar, Hazard; Eto’o (Torres 87′).
Liverpool – Mignolet; Johnson (Aspas 84′), Agger, Skrtel, Sakho (Toure 90′); Lucas, Allen (Smith 60′), Henderson, Sterling, Coutinho; Suarez.
Big Ten off to another disappointing bowl season.
By Kevin McGuire
If the best way for the Big Ten to restore the national perception of the conference is to win games against non-conference opponents, it appears the conference is continuing to come up short when it counts. Last bowl season the Big Ten finished with a record of 2-5. The previous year the conference finished 4-6.
Michigan was blown out by Kansas State Saturday night in the Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl, 31-14. It was the first bowl win for Kansas State in 11 years and the second straight bowl loss for Brady Hoke and the Wolverines. Michigan now has just one bowl victory since the 2007 season. Kansas State out-gained the Wolverines 420-261 in a bowl game that the Big Ten is getting out of heading in to 2014.
Minnesota opened the Big Ten’s bowl season with a loss to Syracuse in the Texas Bowl. The Gophers had come from behind in the fourth quarter but failed to hold on to the late lead by giving up a go-ahead touchdown with a little over a minute to play in a 21-17 setback.
That puts the Big Ten in a 0-2 hole right out of the gate of the bowl season.
It gets worse of course. The Big Ten’s two new additions in 2014, Maryland and Rutgers, also took losses in the early slate of bowl games this season. Maryland lost what was essentially a home game against Marshall in the Military Bowl in Annapolis, Maryland. Marshall handed the Terps a 31-20 loss after coming from behind in the fourth quarter. Rutgers took a 29-16 beating by Notre Dame in the Pinstripe Bowl, another game being played close to home.
Over the last three years, including the two games this season, the Big Ten is 2-5 against the SEC in bowl games, 1-5 against the Big 12 and 1-2 against the Pac 12. The Big Ten still has time to bounce back of course, but things are off to a rough start.
Perhaps coincidentally, the MAC is off to an 0-4 start this postseason as well. The MAC, of course, plays in the same geographic region as the Big Ten. Maybe there’s something in the water.
No.2 Syracuse, No.18 Kentucky win Saturday's showdowns.
By Raphielle Johnson
GAME OF THE DAY: No. 18 Kentucky 73, No. 6 Louisville 66
The home team won both of Saturday’s games matching ranked teams, with the young Wildcats beating their in-state rival despite not having Julius Randle for much of the second half. The Harrison twins and James Young grew up in the second half, and that certainly bodes well for the Wildcats down the line. As for Louisville, they need to get more from guys other than Chris Jones and Russ Smith.
IMPORTANT OUTCOMES:
1) No. 2 Syracuse 78, No. 8 Villanova 62
After a hot start by the visiting Wildcats the Orange found their groove, winning the matchup of former Big East rivals behind the point guard play of Tyler Ennis. Villanova attempted 31 three-pointers, allowing themselves to be seduced into taking those shots by the Syracuse zone. And while those shots fell early, they didn’t fall with the same regularity as the game progressed.
2) No. 25 Missouri 68, N.C. State 64
Jordan Clarkson scored 21 points and Jabari Brown added 17 as the Tigers beat the Wolfpack in their first true road game of the season. Another important development for the Tigers moving forward was the play of freshman Johnathan Williams III, who accounted for ten points and seven rebounds. T.J. Warren led N.C. State with 24 points and 13 rebounds, but he didn’t score in the game’s final 11 minutes.
3) No. 23 UMass 69, Providence 67
A Derrick Gordon putback with just over a second remaining proved to be the difference as the Minutemen beat the Friars by two points for the second consecutive season. UMass was able to win despite the fact that starting point guard Chaz Williams fouled out late in regulation.
STARRED:
1) J.J. Avila (Colorado State)
33 points (14-for-17 FG), eight rebounds and four assists in the Rams’ 86-71 win over Lamar.
2) Rayvonte Rice (Illinois)
28 points (10-for-16 FG), seven rebounds and three assists in the Fighting Illini’s 74-60 win over UIC.
3) Trevor Releford (Alabama)
34 points (11-for-15 FG) and five steals in the Crimson Tide’s 75-67 loss at UCLA.
STRUGGLED:
1) Akron
The Zips’ road trip came to an end at South Carolina and it’s a good thing it did, as they shot 32.5% and committed 21 turnovers in a 78-45 loss to the Gamecocks.
2) Tulane
The Green Wave scored ten points in the first half and shot 28.6% from the field in a 72-41 loss to Kansas State.
3) Boston College
The Eagles shot 3-for-18 from beyond the arc and committed 23 turnovers in their 69-50 loss to VCU.
NOTABLES:
- BYU is in trouble when it comes to the NCAA tournament. The Cougars lost their WCC opener 87-76 at Loyola Marymount, with Evan Payne leading the victors with 27 points.
- In its first game without Mitch McGary, Michigan beat Holy Cross 88-66. Glenn Robinson III led the way offensively with 23 points.
- No. 24 Gonzaga was also without a starting big man, as Sam Dower missed the Bulldogs’ 74-60 win over Santa Clara. David Stockton accounted for 21 points and four steals.
- Chris Perry (18 points) led USF to a 61-57 win at Bradley, with the game being the eighth straight contest decided by five points or less for the Bulls (h/t Ray Curren).
- Justin Jackson tallied 15 points, ten rebounds and four blocks in Cincinnati’s 74-59 win over Nebraska.
- Kyle Cain scored 18 points and grabbed ten rebounds to help lead UNCG to a 55-52 win at Virginia Tech.
- Jake Odum finished with 25 points, seven assists, five rebounds and four steals to lead Indiana State to an 86-73 win over Belmont. The Bruins won the first meeting of the season between the two teams last month in Nashville.
- Jabari Parker tallied 23 points and eight rebounds and Andre Dawkins hit six three-pointers in No. 9 Duke’s 82-59 win over Eastern Michigan. Also of note: Amir Jefferson grabbing 14 rebounds in the win.
- Kareem Jamar (26 points, eight rebounds) hit four free throws in the final 13 seconds to give Montana a 72-71 win at Idaho.
THE REST OF THE TOP 25
- No. 4 Wisconsin 80, Prairie View A&M 43
- No. 5 Michigan State 101, New Orleans 48
- No. 15 UConn 82, Eastern Washington 65
- No. 17 Memphis 75, Jackson State 61
- No. 21 Colorado 84, Georgia 70
NFL playoff schedule.
Yahoo Sports Staff
• Clinched the No. 1 seed and home-field advantage in the AFC playoffs with a win at the Raiders.
• Open the playoffs against the Chargers, Chiefs or Colts on Sunday, Jan. 12 (4:40 ET, CBS).
• Clinched a first-round bye with a win against the Bills.
• Open the playoffs against the Bengals, Chiefs or Colts on Saturday, Jan. 11 (8:15 ET, CBS).
3. y-Cincinnati Bengals (11-5, North champion; W 34-17 vs. Ravens)
• Clinched the No. 3 seed with a win against the Ravens because of a head-to-head win against the Colts.
• Open the playoffs against the Chargers on Sunday (1:05 ET, CBS).
• Clinched the No. 4 seed with the Bengals and Patriots wins.
• Open the playoffs against the Chiefs on Saturday (4:35 ET, NBC).
• Clinched the No. 5 seed earlier and open the playoffs at the Colts on Saturday (4:35 ET, NBC).
• Clinched a playoff berth and eliminated the Steelers with a win against the Chiefs and Dolphins loss to the Jets and Ravens loss at the Bengals.
• Open the playoffs at the Bengals on Sunday (1:05 ET, CBS).
• Clinched the West and No. 1 seed with a win against the Rams.
• Open the playoffs against the Saints, 49ers or Packers on Saturday, Jan. 11 (4:35 ET, Fox).
• Clinched the South and a first-round playoff bye with a win at the Falcons.
• Open the playoffs against the Eagles, 49ers or Packers on Sunday, Jan. 12 (1:05 ET, Fox).
• Clinched the East and No. 3 seed and eliminated the Cowboys with a win at the Cowboys.
• Open the playoffs against the Saints on Saturday (8:10 ET, NBC).
• Clinched the North and No. 4 seed and eliminated the Bears with a win at the Bears.
• Open the playoffs against the 49ers on Sunday (4:40 ET, Fox).
• Clinched the No. 5 seed with a win at the Cardinals (Seahawks clinched the West with a win).
• Open the playoffs at the Packers on Sunday (4:40 ET, Fox).
• Clinched a playoff berth and eliminated the Cardinals with a win vs. the Buccaneers.
• Open the playoffs at the Eagles on Saturday (8:10 ET, NBC).
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