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How 'bout them Chicago Blackhawks? Ducks-Blackhawks Preview.
AP Sports
By the time the Anaheim Ducks finished with them late Wednesday night, the Vancouver Canucks had a humiliating 9-1 loss and four players in the dressing room after they tried to start fights out of pure frustration.
It's an awfully tough time to face the NHL's best team, as the beleaguered Canucks will attest once they recover from the thrashing. The Ducks reign atop the league at 36-8-5 after winning 18 of their last 19 games, including eight straight, during one of the most dominant runs in league history.
It's even tougher to visit Honda Center, where Anaheim has gone 20-0-2 with 10 straight wins to match the NHL's longest season-opening home point streak in 34 years. The Ducks now head out on the road for a quick weekend trip, starting with Friday night's matchup with fellow powerhouse Chicago.
''We know we've got a good team,'' Anaheim captain Ryan Getzlaf said. ''But we also know we can't stop proving it.''
Out in sunny Southern California, thousands of miles away from hockey's traditional spotlights, the Ducks have soared to the best start in their two-decade history - even better than in their Stanley Cup campaign in 2006-07. They've built a big lead in the tough Pacific Division, and they even lead the defending champion Blackhawks (30-8-11) by six points.
With four quality scoring lines led by Getzlaf and Corey Perry in front of a versatile defense and Jonas Hiller's standout goaltending, the dynamic Ducks have lost just once since Dec. 3.
''It's pretty amazing what we've done,'' said 43-year-old Teemu Selanne, who scored two goals against the Canucks. ''Everything we do is building the confidence we're going to need down the road.''It's even tougher to visit Honda Center, where Anaheim has gone 20-0-2 with 10 straight wins to match the NHL's longest season-opening home point streak in 34 years. The Ducks now head out on the road for a quick weekend trip, starting with Friday night's matchup with fellow powerhouse Chicago.
''We know we've got a good team,'' Anaheim captain Ryan Getzlaf said. ''But we also know we can't stop proving it.''
Out in sunny Southern California, thousands of miles away from hockey's traditional spotlights, the Ducks have soared to the best start in their two-decade history - even better than in their Stanley Cup campaign in 2006-07. They've built a big lead in the tough Pacific Division, and they even lead the defending champion Blackhawks (30-8-11) by six points.
With four quality scoring lines led by Getzlaf and Corey Perry in front of a versatile defense and Jonas Hiller's standout goaltending, the dynamic Ducks have lost just once since Dec. 3.
Sure, the Ducks realize their 49-game start means nothing without the playoff success that has eluded the franchise since 2007. They're still taking quiet satisfaction in the NHL's longest run of one-loss play since the 1967-68 Montreal Canadiens won a record 20 of 21.
''We're not getting too excited about it,'' coach Bruce Boudreau said. ''I've been in this position before, and when you don't come out with the Holy Grail, people don't really care what happened in the regular season. Our goal is to be the best in the regular season, and hopefully it carries on into the playoffs, and we're the best there.''
The Ducks have surpassed last season's remarkable turnaround under Boudreau, who has built another powerhouse after four years of regular-season success in Washington.
Anaheim finished second in the Western Conference last spring after missing the playoffs in 2012, but the Ducks lost to Detroit in the first round when they couldn't overcome the playoff-tested Red Wings' postseason grit.
Although Boudreau warns his players against reading or hearing about their success, new superlatives pop up after every victory: The Ducks have scored the most goals (166) and allowed the fewest (116) through 49 games in club history.
Hiller is on a personal 14-game winning streak, matching the second-longest single-season run in NHL history. He's helped by a defense that has been surprisingly effective despite the long-term injury absences of several expected regulars, including Sheldon Souray and Luca Sbisa.
But the Ducks are at their most sublime on offense, with Getzlaf and Perry producing spectacular play in the first year of lucrative eight-season contract extensions. Forwards Andrew Cogliano, Nick Bonino, Dustin Penner and Mathieu Perreault are all having standout statistical seasons - and in an example of the Ducks' balance, they're usually playing on four different lines.
The Ducks realize they're mathematically unlikely to keep rolling all the way to the postseason. They would have to beat Chicago and powerful St. Louis on Saturday to equal the 1968 Canadiens' run, and the Olympic break poses a potential hazard to their groove.
But the Ducks will enjoy this run for as long as it lasts before the chance to turn their attention to a postseason run at a second Stanley Cup title for Getzlaf, Perry and Selanne.
''I've seen a lot of great teams peak early, but if you go through a bad time, then you still know what you've got,'' Boudreau said. ''People say, 'Oh, you've got to have some adversity to fight through it.' If you don't mind, I don't want to lose five or six in a row.''
Anaheim has won five straight in this series and handed the Blackhawks three of their 12 total regular-season losses in last year's run to the Stanley Cup.
Chicago enters this matchup with at least one point earned in 17 of its last 19 games, but it's 1-1-3 in the past five after losing 3-2 in overtime to Colorado at home Tuesday.
The Blackhawks have dropped their last seven games that have gone past regulation, dating to a 2-1 shootout win in Dallas on Nov. 29. They are 4-11 in games that last longer than 60 minutes, going 0-5 in overtime and 4-6 in shootouts.
One of those defeats was a 3-2 shootout loss to the visiting Ducks on Dec. 6.
''It is a frustrating game, but we'll stay with it and we know we can build off (Tuesday's) effort and start playing better hockey than we have been the last few games,'' captain Jonathan Toews said.
Hossa, Seabrook expected to play Friday night.
By Tracey Myers
Marian Hossa took a maintenance day off and Brent Seabrook was sick, but both are expected to play when the Chicago Blachawks host the Anaheim Ducks on Friday night.
Corey Crawford will get the start against the Ducks.
Hossa, who recently turned 35, played 21 1/2 minutes in the Blackhawks' 3-2 overtime loss to Colorado on Tuesday night. Defenseman Michael Kostka skated in Hossa's top-line spot with Patrick Sharp and Jonathan Toews at Thursday's practice. The Blackhawks' other lines remained the same.
Bear Down Chicago Bears!!! Bears LB coach requirement: 'Consistency'.
By John Mullin
The Bears’ search process for a linebackers coach continued through Thursday with one report of a hiring having been made. But while the rumors and candidates sort themselves out, the main reason for dismissing Tim Tibesar and what his successor needs to produce was clear:
“While watching the tapes on both sides of the season, I watched the growth of our two young linebackers,” coach Marc Trestman said of Jonathan Bostic and Khaseem Greene. “I saw Khaseem do it right and Jon do it right, and I saw them both do it wrong. I did not see a consistency in their play.”
Developing that consistency in Bostic and Greene, and presumably Shea McClellin in whatever his new role is, will be Job One for Tibesar’s replacement. One of the candidates is Paul Pasqualoni, according to a report by WSCR-AM early Thursday. The Bears did not confirm the hiring of Pasqualoni, who has NFL experience that Tibesar lacked.
Tibesar had pro coaching experience but only two seasons’ worth and those with Trestman and the Montreal Alouettes. He moved to Purdue as defensive coordinator for 2012 before joining Trestman in Chicago.
Pasqualoni, 64, has six seasons as an NFL position coach. He coached Syracuse linebackers from 1987-1990, then was head coach from 1991-2004. At that point he moved to the NFL, first as Dallas Cowboys tight ends coach in 2005, then as linebackers coach from 2006-2007. After the next two seasons as Miami Dolphins defensive coordinator, Pasqualoni returned to the Cowboys as defensive line coach in 2010 and moved to interim defensive coordinator in season and finished out the year.
He took the head-coaching job at Connecticut in 2011 and held that post until he was fired after an 0-4 start last season.
Bears must hit on defensive star in 2014 NFL Draft.
CSN Staff
It's no secret that the Bears must use their first-round pick on defense in April's NFL Draft.
Early mock drafts have the Bears taking the likes of either Florida State defensive tackle Timmy Jernigan, Notre Dame defensive end Stephon Tuitt, Notre Dame defensive tackle Louis Nix, Alabama safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix or Minnesota defensive tackle Ra'Shede Hageman at No. 14.
Drafting a defensive player is a must. But with Phil Emery at the helm, will he make the right choice on defense?
In two years as general manager of the Bears, Emery has selected Shea McClellin, Brandon Hardin, Isaiah Frey, Greg McCoy, Jon Bostic, Khaseem Greene and Cornelius Washington.
The list isn't too inspiring. Frey is penciled in as the Bears nickelback in 2014, McLellin is moving to linebacker, and there's still some promise for Bostic and Greene.
Hardin, a third-round pick in 2011, was released before ever playing a regular season game with Chicago.
The pressure will be on Emery to retool the defense through the draft and free agency this offseason.
Just another Chicago Bulls Session… As pieces come and go, Bulls still find ways to win.
By Philip Rossman-Reich
The Bulls had a set identity for a long time under coach Tom Thibodeau. It was about playing defense and being committed to getting stops. It was about sharing the ball, filling in and picking each other up.
The key players that made up that identity were Derrick Rose as the point guard extraordinaire, Joakim Noah as the defensive backstop and Luol Deng as the Mr. Consistent everything stopgap, a living embodiment of doing whatever the team needed.
For the Bulls this year, two of those three foundational pieces are gone. Sure, Rose is still with the team, but now in street clothes and unable to contribute. Deng became a salary cap casualty and was shipped off to Cleveland.
That leaves Chicago still adjusting on the fly and trying to stick to their principals as the team grows and adjusts together. The Bulls are still winning and still finding ways to grind out wins as ever.
But Chicago’s 128-125 triple overtime win over Orlando showed a few more cracks that need some refining, particularly on the defensive end.
“I think we’ve shown we’re capable of being a terrific defensive team. Obviously, we didn’t play very well defensively. To me, the challenge is to correct that before it costs us. We had good fortune. Right now, we’re not playing 48 minutes of defense. Especially on the road, that’s tough. We have to come out at the start of the game and set the tone with our defense.”
Orlando shot 51 percent from the floor, finding a healthy diet of drives into the lane from guards Jameer Nelson and Victor Oladipo. Orlando made 13 of its first 16 shots in the quarter. Oladipo scored 12 of his career-high 35 points in the third quarter, attacking the basket and scoring with surprising efficiency as the Magic built their lead to as much as 15 points. Nelson carved up the Bulls defense with pick and rolls going right down the middle of the lane on his way to 31 points and 10 assists.
Throw in 21 uncharacteristic fast break points, including a few free run outs, and the Magic found themselves in the lead and gaining an offensive rhythm that is so rare against this Bulls defense.
Even rarer was the 29 points Chicago conceded in the second quarter to give up that early advantage and the 31 the team gave up coming out of the locker room.
In overtime though? It still came down to defense, keeping the Magic out of the paint and whether the Bulls could execute on offense without turning the ball over.
“We just kept fighting,” Augustin said. “We never gave up. We knew that we could win this game, we knew that we had to win this game. With that mindset, we fought on both ends of the floor and we just fought until the buzzer.”
They did that enough to get the win tonight.
And that is what the Bulls are trying to be all about again as they transition to life without Deng.
Bulls-Wizards Preview.
By MATT BECKER (STATS Editor)
The Washington Wizards are brimming with confidence after racing by the two-time defending champions.
The team knows it can't get too arrogant, though, with a rematch against a Chicago Bulls team that will be seeking revenge.
The Wizards look to get back to .500 by beating the Bulls for the second time in five days Friday night in the nation's capital.
The cards seemed to be stacked against Washington (18-19) for Wednesday's matchup with Miami. The Heat were motivated by trying to avoid their first three-game losing streak in the regular season in two years while the Wizards had lost seven of eight at home.
The cards seemed to be stacked against Washington (18-19) for Wednesday's matchup with Miami. The Heat were motivated by trying to avoid their first three-game losing streak in the regular season in two years while the Wizards had lost seven of eight at home.
Washington set the tone early, however, going on a 20-0 run to take a 43-18 lead after one quarter and was up by as much as 34 in a 114-97 win.
"If we play 50 percent of the way we played tonight we'll be in a good position at the end of the season," forward Nene said.
John Wall had 25 points and Bradley Beal and Nene scored 19 apiece to lead seven players in double figures for the Wizards, who shot a season-high 54.7 percent and made 10 of 22 3-pointers.
"Hopefully ... hopefully we can put this behind us," center Marcin Gortat said.
"Everything is still in front of us. We got to stay focused and we can't get excited. We've already been there and we've lost too many games. We've been excited too much and we've lost a lot of games.""Hopefully ... hopefully we can put this behind us," center Marcin Gortat said.
The Wizards, who were last at .500 on Dec. 30, had lost five of seven heading into Monday's matchup in Chicago, but they came away with a 102-88 win. Wall had 19 points, seven assists and four steals and Nene scored eight of his 19 points in the final period as Washington withstood a Bulls rally.
"Now we got Chicago," coach Randy Wittman said. "That's going to be a tough battle again as it was the other night but if we continue to build like we have been we can get some things going."
The Bulls (18-19), who are tied with the Wizards for fifth place in the Eastern Conference, are trying to avenge their only loss in the last seven games and get back to .500 for the first time since Nov. 27, when they were 7-7.
They're also looking for a better defensive effort after allowing the Wizards to shoot 52.0 percent and become the first team in eight games to reach triple digits against them.
Chicago is limiting opponents to an average of 92.8 points and 43.1 percent shooting and is 1-8 when allowing teams to score 100.
That lone win came Wednesday as Chicago bounced back with a 128-125 triple-overtime victory at Orlando. Joakim Noah had season highs of 26 points and 19 rebounds and Jimmy Butter played a franchise-record 60 minutes and scored 21 for the Bulls, who improved to 4-1 since trading Luol Deng.
''We're grimy and we play as a team,'' Butler said. ''There is no guy that doesn't give all the effort on every single play. Whenever you play like that, good things happen. The basketball gods will reward you.''
The Bulls, however, didn't play with an edge against the Wizards, according to coach Tom Thibodeau. Washington scored the game's first eight points and Chicago turned the ball over 18 times after averaging 13.2 during its preceding five-game win streak.
What should MLB have done in the A-Rod case? What should the players think now? It's time we come up with a solution to this problem, not just for baseball but for all sports. It's not going to be easy, drastic action will have to be taken. Read this article and let us know, what's your take?
By Craig Calcaterra
MLB Commissioner Bud Selig (Getty Images)
So much of what I’ve been writing about and reacting to the past few days has been focused on what x, y and z mean for Alex Rodriguez. And, frankly, that’s getting close to played out. Meanwhile, Chris Needham — a dedicated reader/critic of mine (but a smart and well-intentioned one) — challenged me this morning to take on some issues I have not dealt with as much.
The background here is that Chris has often accused me of too often retreating to my comfortable territory of (a) fixating on due process issues in the PED debates; and (b) looking hypercritically at what Bud Selig and MLB do while not leveling the same level of scrutiny at the A-Rods of the world. He’s not wrong to make such accusations. Due process is my jam, so I write far more about that than anything. And given how large and loud the crowd going after the A-Rods of the world is, I’m naturally inclined to take the other side because I’m prone to being a pain in the ass contrarian at times. Knowing Chris as I do, I feel like he can at least appreciate that part of me.
But whatever can be said about all of that stuff, Chris does raise two very good topics of conversation. I’ll let him speak:
Craig Calcaterra @craigcalcaterra
@needham_chris Horowitz probably'd say I'm paid a flat fee, but lots of bloggers are paid by page views, so I should be paid by page views.
@craigcalcaterra all honesty, i'd be interested in 2 posts w your perspective: what should mlb have done in face of evidence;
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Craig Calcaterra @craigcalcaterra
@needham_chris Horowitz probably'd say I'm paid a flat fee, but lots of bloggers are paid by page views, so I should be paid by page views.
@craigcalcaterra and something about what a rank and file member would think/react to various events in this whole shitshow
Let’s talk about those things, shall we?
The “what should MLB have done in the face of the evidence against the Biogenesis players” thing touches on something Chris and I discussed yesterday about MLB’s behavior in the investigation. I and many others have criticized baseball for buying off Tony Bosch and getting in the mud to get the goods on A-Rod and others, but it’s easy to fire shots from the sidelines after the fact. A better question is what should MLB have done at the time?
Since there are a number of different acts in play here, I’ll answer in bullet point form to save everyone’s eyes and brain:
- I was highly critical of MLB’s lawsuit against Anthony Bosch which eventually coerced his cooperation. I still believe that, legally speaking, it was horrendous and that the Florida court was wrong to let it go forward. As a lawyer I make a different call than Bud Selig ultimately made in filing it because at the time I would have argued that it was likely to backfire and prove embarrassing for the league and because, ethically speaking, it skated close to abuse of process. But I will freely admit that I was wrong about the gambit’s ultimate success. It clearly was the game-changer in this case. But game-changer or not, I’d advise baseball that the “drug dealers are interfering with our contracts” strategy is not likely to be successful more often than it fails.
- Short of that, I would make whatever deal I could with Bosch in order to enlist his cooperation. Yes, it’s unseemly to get in bed with scum like Bosch, but I’m not sure how else you’re supposed to get the information you need to discipline players in circumstances such as his. Maybe I’m way less successful in getting a deal with Bosch if I don’t have the lawsuit hanging over his head. Maybe A-Rod buys his silence before I can buy his cooperation. But I do reach out and offer him legal indemnification and offer to buy his documents and try to persuade him that he wants to be on the side of the angels rather than the A-Rods.
- That said, as a bright line, I would not, if I were running Major League Baseball, have permitted my investigators to purchase the stolen Biogenesis documents. Maybe that costs me valuable information. Maybe that blows my case entirely. But I see no end result, including the possible failure to punish A-Rod, that is worth an organization under my command breaking the law, which I believe happened in this case. I also do my best to get better sourcing for the information my investigators obtained than guys named, simply, “Bobby.”
- If I don’t have evidence, it means A-Rod got to Bosch. And given the reporting of last spring and early summer, everyone knows it. I stake my case against A-Rod on the documents I had, hope that the arbitrator accepts them for what they are without Bosch’s authentication and — if I don’t have Bosch — try to cut as many deals as I can with other Biogenesis players, possibly including deals to get them to admit to the arbitrator that the stuff in those documents relating to them was true and hoping that he takes the leap that it was true with respect to A-Rod too. At the same time, I lean far more strongly on an obstruction of the investigation case against A-Rod and hope that what I can’t get him for on drug use I can get him for in disappearing Bosch.
So where does that leave me if I am running MLB? Maybe a weak case. Maybe A-Rod skates. But I can at least look at myself in the mirror and — more importantly — I can face the players and the union and have them know that I’m a straight shooter who is not willing to trample over ethical lines in order to nail one guy I hate. And I still make my public case against A-Rod, because people think he’s scum anyway. And, even if the case against him fails, I at least now have something I can go to the union and the players with: “this guy just made us all look like fools. Do we want that? I don’t. Let’s ratchet-up the drug testing and penalty program again.”
Ultimately, this is rooted in my belief that the ends do not always justify the means and that the end in this case — punishing a guy who everyone already thinks is a cheater and who is already near the end of his career — certainly aren’t worth the risks MLB took in this case, even if they did prevail on their many gambles.
As for the second question: what the rank and file should/would think after all of this? Well, that one is a little easier. Really three big takeaways. I touched on the first one back in July, but let’s flesh it out more.
- First, I think this whole affair sends the message that MLB is not content to sit back and wait for positive tests anymore. That, if someone is trying to sell me sophisticated, undetectable stuff that’s only part of the equation. Risk also comes from whether this guy is dealing with other players. Whether he’s himself compromised. Whether the police-style investigation that could come of this would prove embarrassing for me, even if it does only result in a suspension. Before they could only talk about my urine. Now they are willing to put my entire personal life — maybe even my sex life — out into the open if I’m in the crosshairs. A player who gets into PEDs now in the way most have before — via some guru/clinic he heard about from some other players who talked him up — is stepping into much more dangerous territory now than he was a couple of years ago. “MLB will get me and they will stop at nothing to do it” is something that has to enter my mind.
- Second, if I am a player who is clean, always will be, hates the cheaters and hates that players are so often suspected of cheating because of jerks like Bonds and A-Rod and those who came before, I’m happy about what just happened. Maybe A-Rod isn’t the only one who ever did anything and maybe Selig doesn’t deserve hero status in the PED arena, but I’d much rather they be the focus of all of this than some never-ending game of suspicion. And I’m happy that maybe, just maybe, people will stop assuming everyone is cheating and accept that most of us are honest athletes doing great things. And I’m especially happy that those of my colleagues who would cheat have something to be fearful of.
- Finally, once the dust on A-Rod settles and the conversation moves away from “piece of crap got what was coming to him,” I worry a little bit if I’m a major league baseball player. I worry that my league is willing to break rules and maybe the law to come after me if they want to. I worry — based on the difference in intensity between the league’s approach to A-Rod vs. say, Bartolo Colon — that if I become an unpopular or too-highly-paid figure that they may treat me differently than they do someone else. I worry that my union may make comments in public that come off less than supportive and, heck, I may even worry a bit that my union may not completely have my back in substance too. I also worry that we have a loophole in the drug testing system now where MLB can get substantially tougher penalties against me if I DON’T fail any tests than if I do, and that just seems crazy to me.
So, there we are. Some takeaways that aren’t a monomaniacal defense of Alex Rodriguez.
Gosh, makes me feel all uncomfortable doing that. Quick — someone shoot me a link to an article in which some writer compares A-Rod to the Zodiac Killer. I need a fix.
CS&T/AllsportsAmerica's take: We've been carrying these articles on PEDs and HGHs for awhile now. It's a never ending story and everyone has their opinion on this issue. What do you think? Any ideas on how we can end this problem? If a person gets caught the first time, should he be banned forever, period, paragraph, end of the story? It's obvious that a small minority of the players do not take the rules seriously, it just keeps going on and on. It's obvious that these players like to play, it's even more obvious that these players enjoy the adulation but most of all these players love the money. In the everyday ordinary normal workplace, if you break a cardinal rule, you're fired. Conscientious employees follow the rules without any reservation because they have obligations to their families and they know that intolerance will not be accepted. Would the players be willing to lose the opportunity to play, lose their adulation or their salaries forever if they proved positive on a test? It is incumbent upon them to check everything that they put into their bodies. No exceptions and that's the rule. It's just that simple, no second chance. You are told that when you sign your contract. This is hard and crude but if you want to make the game pure mano a mano, that's what's going to have to happen. What's your take?
Veteran Love targets success on PGA and Champions tours.
Reuters; Reporting by Mark Lamport-Stokes in Los Angeles; Editing by Peter Rutherford
Having endured an injury-hit 2013 campaign, American veteran Davis Love III has lofty expectations for this year when he aims to contend on the regular PGA Tour and also its senior equivalent.
The former Ryder Cup captain will qualify for the Champions Tour when he celebrates his 50th birthday on April 13 but firmly believes he is good enough to flourish on both circuits.
Though Love has not triumphed on the PGA Tour since the 2008 Children's Miracle Network Classic, he said he was "excited" about this year after recovering from neck surgery that limited him to just 15 starts during 2013.
"I am getting there," the 20-time winner on the PGA Tour told Golf Channel after shooting a three-under-par 69 in Thursday's opening round of the Humana Challenge at La Quinta in California.
"Like today, I have good streaks and bad streaks. Three months off last year, starting in February, was kind of hard on me but I am coming back, I'm feeling stronger every week.
"I'm back to almost full strength and I am starting to hit some good shots, so I am excited about this year."
Love said he and fellow American Lee Janzen, who turns 50 in August, had already mapped out their 'bucket list' of events on both the regular and senior circuits to start their 2015 campaigns.
"We were talking this morning and said it would be nice to play Kapalua, Sony (Open) and Hualalai all in a row next year," Love smiled, referring to the year's first two events on the PGA Tour followed by the Champions Tour season opener.
"So that's our goal, to have a really good year this year and kind of focus on the regular tour."
VICTORY CIRCLE
The PGA Tour's Hyundai Tournament of Champions at Kapalua in Hawaii brings together its winners from the previous 12 months, so Love would need to return to the victory circle before then to book his place in the elite field.
He has always liked the idea of competing in the Champions Tour's season opener, the Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai on the Big Island of Hawaii, but would prefer to then focus on the PGA Tour for the first half of the year.
"I don't turn 50 until April and that's Hilton Head, Charlotte, the Players and a lot of (PGA Tour) tournaments that I like to play," said Love, whose only major victory came in the 1997 PGA Championship at Winged Foot.
"So I will have a full season then almost by the time I turn 50 ... but it's nice to have both tours available to you, and have something to fall back on."
Love was reasonably happy with his opening 69 on the Arnold Palmer Private course at PGA West, one of three venues hosting the PGA Tour's pro-am event this week.
"I missed a couple (of putts) but I also made a bunch," the long-hitting American said of a round that included six birdies, a bogey and a double at the par-five 14th.
"I made a long par putt at nine that kind of saved that nine, then made a couple of nice putts on the other nine. I just didn't hit it close enough. But first day of the year, first round of the year, I was a little rusty and it showed."
NASCAR, manufacturers talk tech, innovation.
By Scott Held; Distributed by the Sports Xchange
NASCAR, manufacturers and teams have collaborated to make a handful of changes to their cars for the coming season, and though many of the tweaks may be small -- they could wind up paying big dividends.
Gene Stefanyshyn, NASCAR vice president of innovation and racing development, said cars will be closer to the ground at all but the fastest of tracks the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series visits. He was among the panelists for Wednesday's Tech Talk forum at Cobo Center, home of the 2014 North American International Auto Show.
"Probably the thing fans will notice most is the height of the cars when they're in the pits," he said. "It used to be 4 1/2 inches but they'll be closer to the ground this year."
Other changes include a steeper rear spoiler, squaring of the front splitter and slightly higher trim of the rear fascia, but Stefanyshyn said those alterations probably will be harder to spot.
The lack of severe changes comes a year after the series began running the Gen-6 race car, the result of a collaboration between NASCAR and the three manufacturers that field NASCAR Sprint Cup cars.
Jamie Allison of Ford Racing, David Wilson of Toyota Racing Development and Jim Campbell of Chevy Performance Vehicles and Motorsport also were panelists, and all three said that sense of collaboration still exists -- even though all three nameplates want to be first to the checkered flag.
"We're all trying to beat each other's brains in," Wilson said, "but there still is that commitment to making the sport even better for our fans."
Stefanyshyn said the level of cooperation between NASCAR, its manufacturers and teams makes it seem like the sport has an army of engineers.
"We don't have 1,000 engineers (at NASCAR) but we do have 1,000 engineers (throughout the industry)," he said. "This is an area where we work together to make the sport better."
Two of the most enlightening tidbits from the discussion included Allison noting that a lack of testing time means simulators are used more and more to prepare cars for different tracks. In many cases, he said, the driver's first time in the car on a new track is with a setup prepared with extensive computer help.
A variety of metrics, Stefanyshyn said, also are used to measure the flow and general competitiveness of a race. A variety of factors, including the number of passes for the lead and the distance between the first and fifth, 10th or 15th cars in the running order, are among the factors NASCAR uses to grade the overall entertainment factor in a race.
The second panel focused on fan engagement and featured owner and former driver Michael Waltrip, NASCAR vice president of marketing Kim Brink, as well as current NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers David Ragan and Ryan Newman. All three drivers were quick to point out their use of technology hardly ends when they leave the race track.
"There are a lot of ways to know what's happening while we're at the race track," Ragan said, "but the fans that follow the drivers and teams want to know what happens Monday through Thursday."
The days of mail-in fan clubs, Newman said, are long gone.
"Michael used to have a fan club in 1992; now Twitter is the fan club," Newman said. "It's social, it's instant."
Michigan International Speedway hosts NASCAR Sprint Cup races twice each season and track president Roger Curtis said the search for ways to improve the fan experience on-site never ends. His was the first speedway to offer free Wi-Fi to fans last year and he said it hopes the same will be available at all facilities that host NASCAR events by the 2015 season.
"It used to be customer service was a department with us," he said. "Now it's our job."
The NAIAS has a NASCAR flair of its own. Visitors to the show, which opens to the public Saturday and runs through Jan. 26, can get a look at the Harley J. Earl Trophy, presented to the Daytona 500 champion; the NASCAR Sprint Cup Trophy at Chevrolet's exhibit; and Matt Kenseth's No. 20 Camry is on display at Toyota's show floor.
The Sprint Unlimited kicks off competitive racing at Daytona on Feb. 15 on FOX Sports 1. The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series visits MIS on June 15 and Aug. 17.
World Cup: Jurgen Klinsmann calls USMNT's MLS homecomings "huge for football in the US".
MLSSoccer.com
A few days after discussing the migration of current US national team players to Major League Soccer with an air of grim realism, Jurgen Klinsmann sounded a dramatically more positive note about the state of US soccer in remarks to the media this week during the US national team's training camp in Brazil.
“It's exciting. The players who are in Europe, many of them some big players, are now back in MLS,” Klinsmann said in a press conference at the outset of the USMNT's 12-day stint in São Paulo, where they are previewing the facilities and atmosphere ahead of this summer's World Cup.
“MLS is getting better every year,” he continued. “We are working at full pace. Hopefully we can prove a lot of good work already this summer.”
Late last week, the German coach was somewhat less ebullient on the subject in his remarks to ESPN amid reports of Michael Bradley's big-money move to Toronto FC, although he skirted public comment on the move itself before it was made official on Monday.
“It is a very, very tricky situation that players face right now,” Klinsmann said last week, insisting that “there is no demand” for US players in Europe. “You want them to play in the best clubs in best leagues in the world and obviously MLS is not there yet.
“MLS is trying badly to improve the quality of soccer year by year. When a player decides to come back from Europe because the offer is just so exceptionally good that he wants to combine other things with it and help also the league to grow, as a national team coach you accept that and help the player to make the best out of it.”
Klinsmann has long urged his players to test themselves “at the highest level,” once memorably telling Clint Dempsey that he “hasn't made [expletive]" in a discussion about the USMNT captain's exploits at English Premier League side Fulham FC. Dempsey returned to MLS last summer to join the Seattle Sounders, a move Klinsmann said at the time made him "thrilled for MLS" and would be a challenge for Dempsey.
This week, he suggested that bringing top US players back Stateside has benefits for the nation's soccer development as a whole, even if it removes them from the daily challenges of elite European leagues.
While Dempsey and Bradley have made the biggest headlines with their returns, other World Cup hopefuls like Carlos Bocanegra, Clarence Goodson, Benny Feilhaber and Eddie Johnson have also joined the league in recent years, Michael Parkhurst signed with the Columbus Crew earlier this week and Maurice Edu is rumored to be in line to join the Philadelphia Union.
“'People jump in financially, want the best American players in America,” Klinsmann said.
“Suddenly, they bring back a Clint Dempsey from Tottenham, they bring back a Michael Bradley from AS Roma, and they are working on other players as well. This is huge for football in the United States.”
UConn atones for poor start to league play with impressive win at Memphis.
By Jeff Eisenberg
To defeat upper-echelon teams in the American Athletic Conference, UConn needs other scorers to ease the burden on star Shabazz Napier and its unheralded frontcourt to hold its own in the paint.
Both those things happened Thursday night in Memphis. As a result, the Huskies secured one of their most noteworthy victories of the season.
UConn upset 17th-ranked Memphis 83-73, an enormous victory for a Huskies team that inspired doubts when it lost to Stanford at home last month and opened league play with losses to SMU and Houston. Subsequent wins over Harvard, Central Florida and Memphis have served as reminders that UConn (14-3, 2-2) may be erratic but it's also capable of competing with just about anyone when playing well.
Both those things happened Thursday night in Memphis. As a result, the Huskies secured one of their most noteworthy victories of the season.
UConn upset 17th-ranked Memphis 83-73, an enormous victory for a Huskies team that inspired doubts when it lost to Stanford at home last month and opened league play with losses to SMU and Houston. Subsequent wins over Harvard, Central Florida and Memphis have served as reminders that UConn (14-3, 2-2) may be erratic but it's also capable of competing with just about anyone when playing well.
One of the keys to UConn's success Thursday night was talented but enigmatic Deandre Daniels lighting up Memphis for 23 points on 9 of 15 shooting from the floor and 4 of 5 shooting from behind the arc. The production from Daniels and guard Lasan Kromah (13 points) was critical with Omar Calhoun still struggling to emerge from his lengthy funk and Ryan Boatright enduring an off night.
Also critical for UConn was its oft-criticized frontcourt not allowing Memphis to control the paint for most of the game. Yes, Amida Brimah fouled out with the game still in doubt and the Tigers corralled too many offensive rebounds, but Daniels was brilliant and the rest of the big men played solid defense, all that can be asked of a group that too often is a liability.
The strong play from his supporting cast enabled Napier to do what he does best and close out the victory. Eight of Napier's 17 points came in the final 5:03 as UConn turned a 62-62 tie into a comfortable victory. The All-American candidate also finished with 10 assists, four rebounds and two steals.
The loss was discouraging for a Memphis team that has sandwiched home losses to UConn and Cincinnati around an impressive road win at Louisville. The Tigers have the talent to contend for the league title, but they're clearly still searching for consistency.
UConn would also benefit from greater consistency, but the Huskies are starting to find their stride.
Youthful Indiana was reliant on freshmen and sophomores still adjusting to new roles when it lost to UConn in November. Harvard and Florida were both shorthanded as a result of some key injuries when the Huskies beat them.
But Memphis has no such excuses. In its most impressive performance of the season, UConn beat the Tigers at full strength on their home floor.
Indianapolis Colts offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton being mentioned for Vanderbilt job.
By Nick Bromberg
Could Vanderbilt be looking outside the college ranks for its next head coach?
ESPN's Adam Schefter reports that Indianapolis Colts offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton is a candidate for the Commodores' coaching position.
Hamilton, 39, joined the Colts before the 2013 season. Prior to his tenure in Indy, he was at Stanford for three seasons and served as the Cardinal's offensive coordinator for two. He worked with Andrew Luck, the Colts' quarterback, in 2011 at Stanford.
With Luck at Stanford, the Cardinal had the No. 11 offense in the country in yards per game and averaged 6.7 yards per play, which was fourth in the country. In 2012, after Luck was the first overall pick in the draft, Stanford's yardage totals fell off and the Cardinal averaged 5.4 yards per play.
24/7 Sports reported that St. Louis Rams offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer is interviewing with Vanderbilt on Wednesday. Schottenheimer has served as an NFL assistant throughout his entire coaching career save for a season in 1999 at Syracuse. CBS Sports reported that current Stanford defensive coordinator Derek Mason is expected to interview with the school Thursday.
Hamilton, 39, joined the Colts before the 2013 season. Prior to his tenure in Indy, he was at Stanford for three seasons and served as the Cardinal's offensive coordinator for two. He worked with Andrew Luck, the Colts' quarterback, in 2011 at Stanford.
With Luck at Stanford, the Cardinal had the No. 11 offense in the country in yards per game and averaged 6.7 yards per play, which was fourth in the country. In 2012, after Luck was the first overall pick in the draft, Stanford's yardage totals fell off and the Cardinal averaged 5.4 yards per play.
24/7 Sports reported that St. Louis Rams offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer is interviewing with Vanderbilt on Wednesday. Schottenheimer has served as an NFL assistant throughout his entire coaching career save for a season in 1999 at Syracuse. CBS Sports reported that current Stanford defensive coordinator Derek Mason is expected to interview with the school Thursday.
If Vanderbilt doesn't target a college head coach for its vacancy, it would possibly mean an end to the 2013-14 college football coaching carousel. With James Franklin's departure to Penn State, the Vandy job is one of two coaching vacancies remaining. The only other open position is at UAB.
2014 NCAA convention board of directors agenda.
By Associated Press Sports
Possible agenda items for the NCAA's board of directors, which meets this week in San Diego. The Leadership and Legislative Councils are expected to vote on these issues before Saturday's board meeting. The legislation would:
- Limit which recruiting materials could be sent to through the mail and electronically. Many restrictions would be lifted but personalized materials specifically for athletics would be banned.
- Permit coaches to start contacting recruits on Sept. 1 of their junior year in high school in all sports other than basketball, football, men's ice hockey, swimming and diving, cross country and track and field. It would also lift restrictions on how and how often recruits can be contacted in the covered sports.
- Create a new definition of a ''countable coach'' when it comes to staff sizes and limits.
- Limit which recruiting materials could be sent to through the mail and electronically. Many restrictions would be lifted but personalized materials specifically for athletics would be banned.
- Permit coaches to start contacting recruits on Sept. 1 of their junior year in high school in all sports other than basketball, football, men's ice hockey, swimming and diving, cross country and track and field. It would also lift restrictions on how and how often recruits can be contacted in the covered sports.
- Create a new definition of a ''countable coach'' when it comes to staff sizes and limits.
- Let men's ice hockey coaches to begin contacting prep recruits Jan. 1 of their sophomore school year and have off-campus contact starting June 15 after the sophomore year is completed.
- Maintain the current ban on text messaging band other electronic communications in men's ice hockey.
- Allow schools to give athletes the maximum meal plan available to other students during in-season practices and other non-competitive events and provide unlimited snacks and additional meals to athletes in and out of season.
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