CS&T/AllsportsAmerica Sports News Update and What's Your Take? 02/14/2014.

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Sports Quote of the Day:

“If you believe in yourself and have dedication and pride - and never quit, you'll be a winner. The price of victory is high but so are the rewards.” ~ Paul "Bear" Bryant, Legendary University of Alabama Head Football Coach, Posted February 14, 2014

2014 Sochi Olympics Winter Games Medal Count. 

CS&T/AA Graphics

Medal Count

Updated: 2/13 1:48 PM

#	Country	G	S	B	Total
1	Norway	4	3	6	13
2	Netherlands	4	3	5	12
3	United States	4	2	6	12
4	Russia	2	5	4	11
5	Germany	7	2	1	10
6	Canada	4	4	2	10
7	Austria	1	4	0	5
8	Sweden	0	4	1	5
9	Switzerland	3	0	1	4
10	France	2	0	2	4
11	Slovenia	1	1	2	4
12	China	2	1	0	3
13	Japan	0	2	1	3
14	Italy	0	2	1	3
15	Czech Republic	0	2	1	3
16	Poland	2	0	0	2
17	South Korea	1	0	1	2
18	Latvia	0	0	2	2
19	Slovakia	1	0	0	1
20	Belarus	1	0	0	1
21	Australia	0	1	0	1
22	Finland	0	1	0	1
23	Britain	0	0	1	1
24	Ukraine	0	0	1	1

How 'bout them Chicago Blackhawks? Team USA demolishes Slovakia in Olympic opener.

By Martin Rose

Patrick Kane (88) Chicago Blackhawk and Member of Hockey Team USA 2014 Sochi Olympics  

If Slovakia was Team USA’s first test on the larger ice surface of the Sochi Olympics men’s hockey tournament, they aced it.

Paul Stastny had two goals and Phil Kessel had three points as the Americans controlled play, chased a goalie and lit up the scoreboard with a 7-1 domination in their Olympic opener on Thursday.

The rout began after a Slovakian goal that shouldn’t have counted.

Slovak forward Tomas Tatar, of the Detroit Red Wings, erased a 1-0 deficit just 24 seconds into the second period on a play that clearly should have been whistled as offside. But rather than deflating the Americans, it ignited a fire under their offense, which scored two goals in the next 1:05.

On the go-ahead goal, Chicago Blackhawks star Patrick Kane set up Ryan Kesler from the point for a blast as Dustin Brown provided a screen in front of Slovak goalie Jaroslav Halak.

Then it was the fourth line’s time to shine. TJ Oshie transitioned to offense after a turnover by the Slovak defense, sending a pass across the crease to forward Max Pacioretty. Halak slid over to make a good stop, but the rebound was gift-wrapped for center Paul Stastny, who scored the hockey equivalent of a layup into an open net for the 3-1 lead. Stastny's goal came just 1:02 after Kesler's, and the rout was on.

Just under six minutes later, David Backes converted in a scrum in front of the Slovak net, smacking the puck past Halak as a U.S. power play ended to make it 4-1. It was 5-1 when Stastny scored his second of the night, on a feed to the crease from defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk.
 

Halak had been shellacked. Off to the bench he went, as Slovak backup Peter Budaj entered the game.

It didn’t matter. Forward James van Riemsdyk found his Toronto Maple Leafs teammate Phil Kessel for a tip-in to make it 6-1 at 15:17 of the period. Brown made it 7-1 less than a minute later, on a feed from defenseman John Carlson to the slot.

After six goals in just under 14 minutes, Slovakian coach Vladimir Vujtek called perhaps the most overdue timeout in Olympic history.

The beneficiary of this offensive rout was goalie Jonathan Quick, starting his first Olympic game after serving as a backup to Ryan Miller in the 2010 Vancouver Games. His selection as starter over Miller was controversial, but outside of Slovakia’s lone tally, he was strong in making 22 saves.
 

Tatar’s goal, after that blown offside call, was a nasty snipe that beat Quick to his glove side. But Quick recovered in the next sequence, making two outstanding saves to ensure the Slovaks didn’t quickly add another.
 

The Americans opened the scoring in the first. Kessel streaked into the Slovak zone, shadowed by defenseman Martin Marincin. He dropped a pass to Carlson, who loaded the cannon and blasted an unscreened shot past Halak for the 1-0 lead at 14:27 of the first.

Next up for the U.S. is a date with Russia on Saturday in one of the tournament’s most anticipated games in the preliminary round.

Point of information: Joel Quenneville’s racehorse, ‘Midnight Hawk,’ primed for Kentucky Derby run.

By Sean Leahy

Chicago Blackhawks head coach Joel Quenneville and Atlanta Falcons offensive line coach Mike Tice shared a mutual friend and a passion: horse racing. The mutual friend, Mike Pegram, is a horse owner and recruited the pair to be part of a group that owns three-year old colt Midnight Hawk.

On Saturday, Midnight Hawk, trained by the legendary Bob Baffert, finished third in the Robert B. Lewis Stakes at Santa Anita Park. It was the horse's third career race and first time it had not won.

The third place finish sets up Midnight Hawk for a potential run in May's Kentucky Derby, the first jewel of horse racing's triple crown. The colt is one of the early favorites for the race, coming in at 19-1 as of Sunday.

Quenneville and the Blackhawks are no strangers when it comes to thoroughbreds.

From Forbes:

Quenneville is a long-time racing fan, hitting Saratoga Racecourse in upstate New York nearly every summer, and he’s owned horses in the past as a partner in Team Power Play. In 2010, the year of his first Stanley Cup as coach of the Blackhawks, he presented the trophy to the winner of the Arlington Million at Arlington Park. 

In 1992, Quenneville hit a Pick 6 at Saratoga worth, he said, more than $120,000; in 2009 at Hollywood Park, one-time Blackhawks player and current Blackhawks broadcaster Eddie Olczyk hit one for $500,000.

You'll recall Olczyk brought the Stanley Cup to New York's Belmont Park after he won it as a member of the New York Rangers in 1994. You can also find Olczyk revealing his Derby pick on NBC during the annual NHL playoff game broadcasted just before the race.

In three months time, Olczyk might be predicting a Derby victory for Quenneville's Midnight Hawk.

Bear Down Chicago Bears!!! 'Ninja' Bears in line with martial-arts trend in NFL. 

By John Mullin

The announcement that the Bears have added karate expert Joe Kim to their coaching staff as an assistant strength/skill development signals another sign of NFL players and coaches looking outside the football box for methods to improve their game.

Rookie guard Kyle Long went in the 2013 draft’s first round and to the Pro Bowl after working in the early offseason with FOX football insider Jay Glazer, himself a former martial-arts fighter. Glazer currently runs a training program developed with former MMA champion Randy Coutre using a mix of wrestling techniques along with selected hand-fighting styles.

Their clients have included Green Bay’s Clay Matthews, Houston’s Brian Cushing and Minnesota’s Jared Allen, and he trained Shea McClellin prior to the 2012 draft. Glazer was hired by the Atlanta Falcons and St. Louis Rams teams to work with their players.

Kim has 21 years of experience as a consultant and assistant strength coach. He most recently worked in the NFL as a pass rush consultant with the Kansas City Chiefs from 2010-12, helping develop Pro Bowl rush linebackers Tamba Hali and Justin Houston.

Kim has also been a consultant with the New York Giants (2010), Buffalo Bills (2009), Penn State University (2009-10), the Denver Broncos (2007), Green Bay Packers (2005), Miami Dolphins (2001-06) and Dallas Cowboys (1998). He got his start in the NFL with the Cleveland Browns as an assistant strength coach/pass rush specialist from 1992-95, his first of two stints with the team (1999-2000). He is a 7th Dan Black Belt recognized by the World Taekwondo Federation, Kukkiwon and USA Taekwondo.

“Joe comes in highly recommended through [General Manager] Phil [Emery] and some players and coaches I’ve talked to from around the league,” coach Marc Trestman said. “As in every phase of our team, we are trying to help our players grow and develop in different areas. Adding Joe is part of the ongoing process to help our players improve their collective skill sets.”

The reality of Michael Sam's situation. What's your take?

By Jack Bechta

I never met Michael Sam, nor did I try to recruit him. I did have one regional scout tell me there was a gay football player at Missouri. He told me this in late September of 2013. It was Sam. If he knew, many other scouts knew as well.

The Michael Sam story is fluid because it won't die down until we see if he is drafted or not, what city takes him in, how his teammates accept him, how fans treat him and how much media exposure will follow him. And most of all, what kind of football player he is at the pro level and what accomplishments he has on the field.

I pretty much have read, watched and listened to just about everything to date that has been said about Mr. Sam and his future. He is courageous young man and I personally applaud him. 

Public vs. Private 

So right now 99% of all owners, current/former players, media, GMs, scouts, and coaches are all going to say and have said all the right things when asked. Everybody will say and has said publicly that he would be accepted on their team, judged by his football skills only for the draft and will make their team based on his abilities. But privately they may be thinking very differently.
 

Here’s the reality of Mr. Sam’s journey and how it will most likely unfold in private.

Front office execs (GMs, coaches, presidents, and owners): Initially, they will place Mr. Sam on their draft board based on his talent (i.e. draft value to team, scheme and need). However, conversations about how his sexual preference and how it will affect the team/locker-room will be discussed in private by only a very few decision-makers. In some cases, he won’t be discussed at all if the evaluators already have their minds made up about passing on him.

I believe most GMs will give some serious personal thought as to how their team and even their own job will be affected by having Mr. Sam drafted to their team.

Eventually, if they have to cut Mr. Sam, they may wonder if they will have to defend themselves against the media who potentially could accuse the GM of cutting him because he is gay. Additionally, are the GM and/or head coach ready for the media circus that Mr. Sam could possibly attract (think Tim Tebow)? Can having him on my team be a distraction? These are the questions that will be privately pondered and internally discussed.

How Current Players may react privately: Although publicly most players are saying all the right things, Ryan Clark of the Steelers brought up a good point about what goes down in the locker-room. Ryan wants to know where the lines will be with Mr. Sam in his locker-room. He said, “What are the things you can do and say around him that won't make him uncomfortable?”

Other questions players will privately ask themselves (and each other): Will I shower when he is showering? Will I sit next to him on the plane? Will I room with him during camp for 3 weeks? Will I room with him for away games? Do I want my locker next to his? Will I be comfortable naked around him? Although there are plenty of evolved renaissance men currently in the NFL who are comfortable in their own skin, I believe most will still answer “NO” to these player questions. So now this brings us back to the coaches and front office. They now have to ask themselves, “Do we treat Mr. Sam differently from the entire team? Do we give him his own room for camp and away games (some teams do anyway)? Most execs and coaches don’t want to deal with these issues.

Do they even want to deal with having to make these decisions? Most likely not, it’s easier to just move on to the next player. Unfortunately, I believe that’s what will happen in most draft rooms come May. This is unfortunate because I believe NFL players will rally around Mr. Sam if he is a solid teammate, player and keeps his personal life out of the locker-room. I fear he may not get that chance in 32 war rooms.

The Media: The media wants Michael Sam to be drafted and drafted high. They want to follow this story, create new wrinkles to it, get reactions from it and monitor the players, coaches and owner who eventually drafts or signs him as a free agent. My fear for Mr. Sam is that, for most team execs, he may be too much of a hot potato for most front offices to want to deal with. My fear for the league and their respective team evaluators is that if Mr. Sam is not drafted and even eventually cut, the media will make them (NFL front offices) out to be small-minded bigots.

In discussing this situation with one top evaluator he said this, “If the guy can help our team and can show the emotional maturity to keep his private life private, I will draft him. However, I am not going to spend more time on him than I will any other player in the draft. How he handles himself these next few months is a big test. We’ll watch and see how he does.” Another regional evaluator told me that he has him ranked as a late round to free agent type and the media may be the guy’s worst enemy right now. He said this, “If I push to draft or sign this guy, my boss will want to know if the media parade comes with him? I don’t want it for a later pick but I may deal with it for a special player.”

The football world is going to have both a private and public opinion of Michael Sam.

If I were advising Mr. Sam I would have him address the media prior to the Combine outside of the NFL. I would have him answer every question and exhaust their concerns and curiosities. I would not ask for any special treatment from the Combine or the NFL. I would have him ask the media to be treated like any other draft pick. If he can own this process the next few months, he will help to convince teams that he’s not interested in the media attention and doesn’t want to and won’t bring it with him to his new team.

The owner mandate: The Eagles could have never signed Michael Vick, after he was released from Jail, without the complete backing of owner Jeffrey Laurie. As some GMs and Head Coaches have autonomy on all football decisions, nobody is going to pull the trigger without consulting their owner in private. The only GM who can ride this solo is Ted Thompson because the Packers don’t have an owner.

Seahawks Pete Carroll and John Schneider can sign off on their own but would ask anyway. Andy Reid and Bill Belichick can probably pull it off without going to their owners. As could Thomas Dimitroff in Atlanta, as his owner is open minded. Many other decision makers will not dare go alone on the decision of drafting Mr. Sam. I am just stating the reality based on my experience and conversations with NFL execs.

Now the flip side of this situation is that an owner may want to push for the drafting of Mr. Sam for some national/international marketing attention and/or to garner some social credibility. Many owners have already publicly applauded Mr. Sam’s courage but I doubt they will promote picking him on draft day. However, I do believe a small few will encourage their evaluators to completely ignore Michael’s sexual preferences and treat him fairly and not to be afraid to pull the trigger.

Basically the owner is saying, “I will support you if you draft him and I have your back if something goes wrong”. Most GMs will want to hear this.

The Incognito/Martin effect: The chapter is not closed yet on this story as it’s still unfolding. The situation gave us a raw look inside the locker-room culture of football where slurs are used frequently in gest. Dolphins GM Jeff Ireland is gone as are some of their coaches, most likely due to this situation.

I’m afraid that the issues and details that arose in the discovery of this situation won’t help Mr. Sam. It’s still very fresh, fluid and everybody still has a bad taste in their mouth from it. We learned that perhaps most locker rooms don’t have the maturity to handle cultural and personal differences. The locker-room chemistry is an important part of building and maintaining a successful organization.

Those decision makers who feel they have a mature and cohesive locker-room may welcome Mr. Sam. Unfortunately, locker rooms have problems and most teams have yet to anoint their own as responsible enough to handle the situation. 

I guestimate that there are about 25 to 35 gay players currently in the league, and most of their teammates suspect they may be gay but for the most part treat them respectfully. Regardless of what happens in the long run with Mr. Sam, in the short-term, the NFL will evolve positively forward because of his openness, honesty and courage.

CS&T/AA: This matter has been thoroughly discussed every since Mr. Sam has revealed his sexual preference. We've heard the opinions of team owners, coaches, players, athletes, TV analyst, etc. We all know the old saying that, "opinions are like a_sholes, everybody has one" and that's very true. At CS&T/AA, the opinion that really matters to us is the one of the everyday ordinary sports fan that have made American sports what they are today. In essence we'd like to know, what do you think and what's your take? 

Just another Chicago Bulls Session… Bulls cruise past Nets into All-Star break. 

By Aggrey Sam

Chicago Bulls Carlos Boozer (5) and Joakim Noah (13) after the Bulls victory against the Brooklyn Nets at the United Center in Chicago, IL, 02/13/2014. 

The Bulls (27-25) headed into the All-Star break in fourth place in the Eastern Conference and with three consecutive wins under their belt after beating the Nets (24-27), 92-76, Thursday night at the United Center.

The Bulls’ recent high-scoring ways continued in the first quarter, as they jumped out to an early cushion, led by their power-forward tandem of Carlos Boozer (15 points, 10 rebounds) — back in the lineup after missing three games with a strained left calf — and sixth man Taj Gibson (16 points, five rebounds, two blocked shots), who provided his usual boost off the bench. All-Star center Joakim Noah (14 points, 13 rebounds, seven assists, two blocks) was also effective, and the Bulls got balanced offense as a whole, mitigating the impact of Nets point guard Shaun Livingston, a native of Peoria, Ill., and reserve big man Andray Blatche, in order to take a 29-19 lead at the conclusion of the opening period.

Brooklyn managed to gradually slice into the Bulls’ double-digit advantage in the second quarter by buckling down on defense and forcing turnovers, with the home team’s frustration manifesting in a technical foul assessed to sometimes-volatile Noah. But despite the solid play of future Hall of Famer Paul Pierce, the Bulls maintained a solid margin of separation, going into the intermission ahead, 49-41, partially due to the outside marksmanship of Mike Dunleavy Jr. (14 points, five rebounds).

After the break, the same pattern of the Nets trimming the gap and the Bulls again extending their lead emerged, though it was livened up by a third-quarter skirmish between Jimmy Butler (14 points, five rebounds, four assists) and Brooklyn veteran All-Star Joe Johnson. Johnson elbowed Butler, which the third-year player took exception to, leading to a brief commotion — double technical fouls were issued after Johnson poked Butler in the face and Butler had to be restrained — perhaps a carryover of the two teams’ playoff battle last spring. After things settled back down, minus a Pierce technical, the Bulls, buoyed by a quietly strong performance by Kirk Hinrich (nine points, seven assists), took a 69-61 advantage into the final stanza.

The Nets again cut into the deficit, making it a single-possession contest, 75-72, on a three-pointer by Andrei Kirilenko. That prompted a 9-0 Bulls run to make it a double-digit difference, as Noah’s all-around brilliance and Gibson’s scoring, a constant in the Bulls’ recent games, led the way down the stretch.

Thibodeau: Derrick Rose won't return to Bulls this season.

By Aggrey Sam

“Derrick’s out for the season,” Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau said after Thursday’s morning shootaround at the United Center.

For those inclined to interpret the semantics of Derrick Rose’s first media availability since his December press conference, the former league MVP’s words shouldn’t be misconstrued as a repeat of last season. If he doesn’t choose to be as blunt as his coach, using his so-called refusal to rule himself out for the season as a motivator during his recovery from his November season-ending knee injury and subsequent surgery to repair his torn right medial meniscus, then so be it.

But let’s not allow Rose’s optimism and that of teammate Joakim Noah muddy the waters to make it seem like his ongoing rehabilitation means that the point guard’s next foray onto the court for competitive basketball will take place for the Bulls and not in July, when he’s slated to take part in USA Basketball’s mini-camp, a much more realistic and pragmatic goal.

“For him, he has to focus on rehab and that’s what he’s done, and he’s doing well. He’s a long ways away from practice, never mind a game and you’ve got to remember, this guy’s been out a long, long time, so he might not even get to the practice part this year. The big thing for us is to make sure he’s completely healthy and that’s all we’re focused on. The team has to focus on preparation, improvement and getting ready for the next opponent. He has to focus on rehab,” Thibodeau said, sounding a lot like a year ago. “That decision [Rose being out for the season] was made when it first happened and it’s the right decision, and that’s all I think you can do. You look at what your circumstances are, you gather the information, you try to make the best decision possible and for us right now, that’s the best decision. Let him focus on his health.”

The coach does believe that Rose’s positive approach, while it won’t benefit the Bulls on the floor this season, will help the Chicago native’s second major comeback.

“I think it’s one of his great strengths, his attitude. I think this, in the end, is going to make him even stronger mentally and that’s probably the biggest thing. I saw the way he responded with the ACL and he’s got an even greater determination now, and I think that’s going to serve him well,” Thibodeau explained.

When asked if he had any doubt that Rose would eventually return to an elite level of play, Thibodeau responded emphatically: “Nope. Nope. None.”

5 things to look for as Cubs start spring training.

By ANDREW SELIGMAN (AP Sports Writer)

Theo Epstein never said the overhaul would be easy. As he enters his third year as president of baseball operations, more struggling appears to be in store for the Chicago Cubs.

The Cubs are eyeing their fifth straight losing season, which would be the longest such run for them in three decades, while they wait for their top prospects to develop in the minors.

With that in mind, here are five things to look for as they open spring training with pitchers and catchers reporting on Thursday.

YOUTH IS SERVED: The Cubs' top four prospects - infielder Javier Baez, outfielder Albert Almora, third baseman Kris Bryant and outfielder Jorge Soler - will be in camp together for the first time. Get a look while you can, because they appear headed to the minors before Opening Day. But their progress will be one of the biggest stories this spring and beyond as the Cubs try to produce their first winning season since 2009.

NEW LEADERSHIP: Chicago hired Rick Renteria to replace fired manager Dale Sveum because he is known for his work with young players. Many fans were hoping the Cubs would land Joe Girardi. But if Renteria can get the most out of Starlin Castro and Anthony Rizzo while establishing a proper environment for the arrival of the prized prospects, Epstein and general manager Jed Hoyer will take that. If nothing else, the record can't get any worse, can it? The Cubs are coming off a two-year run under Sveum in which they went 127-197 and produced more losses in a pair of seasons than at any other time in their cursed history. They've dropped 288 games the past three years.

NICE PAD: Well, look at that. The Cubs have a shiny home. Check that, they have a shiny new spring training home. While the renovations at Wrigley Field remain stalled due to legal wrangling with the neighboring rooftop owners about changes that could obstruct their views, the team will be playing in fancy digs at least while they're in Arizona. Voters in Mesa approved a $99 million outlay of public money for the stadium complex in 2010 for a new facility that figures to be a major upgrade. It keeps the Cubs on one site throughout spring training for the first time in decades. They'd move from Fitch Park to HoHoKam Stadium once games began.

TIME TO REBOUND: Castro's and Rizzo's struggles last season went a long way toward Sveum getting shown the door. Now, it's time for them to step up. In Castro's case, that means regaining the form that made him a two-time All-Star. There were too many lapses in the field. His batting average dropped to a career-low .245, and among shortstops, Castro and the White Sox's Alexei Ramirez tied for the major league lead with 22 errors.

Rizzo saw his home run total increase from 15 to 23 last season, but he played in 160 games compared to just 87 in 2012. He also saw his average dip from .285 to .233.

SEE YA' SAMARDZIJA?: Pitcher Jeff Samardzija agreed to a one-year, $5.3 million contract on Saturday, avoiding arbitration, but his long-term future remains up in the air. The 29-year-old, right-hander is a candidate to be traded.

White Sox: Five questions heading into spring training.

By Dan Hayes

While the other Chicago team opens camp Thursday, White Sox catchers and pitchers don’t report until Saturday. The team’s position players arrive at their Glendale, Ariz. facility on Feb. 20.

Since he started maneuvering last July, White Sox general manager Rick Hahn has done a yeoman’s job in reconstructing the team’s 40-man roster. In an effort to re-energize the franchise, Hahn has overhauled his personnel and given his team a decidedly youthful feel.

Hahn has addressed many of the issues that plagued the White Sox during a dreadful 2013 campaign in which the team lost 99 games. But as happy as he is with the new foundation he has begun to lay, Hahn admits he has more work ahead. Here’s a look at five of the most pressing questions facing the White Sox as they get set to open camp.

— Is the franchise’s long-term catcher on the 40-man roster?

They tried, but the White Sox weren’t able to upgrade an area that needs vast improvement in 2014. Last season, White Sox catchers combined for a .560 OPS, which ranked 29th among 30 teams. Both Tyler Flowers and Josh Phegley are back for another shot at becoming the long-term backstop. The White Sox believe both have far more upside but one or the other must prove it. Hahn did acquire catcher Adrian Nieto in the Rule 5 draft. Though a long shot to make the roster, Nieto could stick if he impresses the team.

— Who will replace Addison Reed in the ninth inning?

In order to acquire a potential cornerstone in third baseman Matt Davidson, Hahn had to part with Reed, who had established himself as a closer. The White Sox won’t name their new fireman before Opening Day but Nate Jones, Matt Lindstrom and Daniel Webb are the strongest candidates to assume the role. Jones has the stuff but needs better consistency in 2014 while Lindstrom has handled the role before. As a rookie, Webb is a wild card, but pitching coach Don Cooper likes the right-hander’s arsenal.

— Will Felipe Paulino be ready on time?

The free-agent pitcher had shoulder surgery in September but Cooper and Hahn believe he’s on track to start spring. Paulino, who also had reconstructive elbow surgery in 2013, is projected to be in the starting rotation and could be a great find if he’s able to stay healthy and get back on track.

— Can Davidson assume the everyday job at third?

The White Sox see Davidson as their third baseman of the future. They love his power and his approach and believe his defense can improve. But they want him to refine his game and, with Jeff Keppinger and Conor Gillaspie on the roster, may ask him to start the season in the minors. Still, both Hahn and Robin Ventura wouldn’t rule out Davidson from making the Opening Day roster.

— What can the White Sox expect from John Danks?

With nearly $43 million left on his contract, the White Sox are more than hopeful their veteran left-hander will continue to rebound and regain velocity. Danks returned to the team in 2013, less than a year after he had shoulder surgery and his velocity was down 2 miles per hour from the 2011 season. While Danks had better command — he issued one walk per nine, fewer than his career average — he needs to improve after allowing 28 home runs in 138 1/3 innings in 2013, a figure that would have to decrease for him to survive as a starter.  

D. Johnson leads by one at Northern Trust Open. 

By Golf Channel Digital

Dustin Johnson tied for second last week at Pebble Beach, and he continued his strong play Thursday at the Northern Trust Open. Johnson leads by one after a 5-under 66, but there are plenty of names just a stroke behind. Here’s how things shape up after after play was called because of darkness in the first round.

Leaderboard: Dustin Johnson (-5), J.B. Holmes (-4 thru 16), Jimmy Walker (-4), Robert Garrigus (-4), Francesco Molinari (-4), Scott Stallings (-4), Charley Hoffman (-4), Matt Jones (-4), Brian Harman (-4), Blake Adams (-4), Sang-Moon Bae (-4), Charlie Beljan (-4)

What it means: If not for Jimmy Walker’s incredible start, Johnson could make a strong case for the player of the year so far in the 2013-2014 wraparound season. Johnson won the WGC-HSBC Champions in China in early November. He then opened 2014 with a T-6 at Kapalua and a T-2 last week at Pebble. DJ is looking for his ninth PGA Tour title.

Round of the day: With a morning tee time, very little rough and smooth greens, Johnson’s bomb-and-gouge style proved a lethal combo at Riviera. Johnson had the longest drive of the day (349 yards), was T-1 in greens in regulation and 16th in strokes gained putting.

Best of the rest: Jimmy Walker (yes, he’s at it again) leads a large group of players one stroke back at -4. Walker was playing steady golf for most of the opening round, but then he finished in style with birdies on 16, 17 and 18 to finish one back of DJ.

Biggest disappointment: Jordan Spieth jumped into contention when he holed out for eagle at the par-4 7th. Heading to the back nine at -3, Spieth stumbled home with bogeys at Nos. 11, 12, 13 and 18 for a back-nine 40 and a 1-over 72 total.

Main storyline heading into Friday: With an afternoon tee time, it will be interesting to see if DJ can keep the pedal down. He won’t have the benefit of perfect greens and soft conditions like he did on Thursday. Holmes (who still had two holes left when play was called because of darkness), Bradley and Walker will be among the players out early looking to take advantage of the more favorable conditions.

NASCAR tweaks group qualifying process.

By David Caraviello

NASCAR on Thursday morning confirmed a pair of tweaks to its new group qualifying procedure, placing road courses under the format used for shorter tracks, and allowing adjustments to be made during sessions at all but two facilities.

Robin Pemberton, NASCAR's vice president for competition, made the announcement Thursday morning at Media Day, which kicked off Speedweeks at Daytona International Speedway. Series officials hinted last week that such changes were coming in a briefing with media members at the NASCAR Research and Development Center in Concord, N.C.

NASCAR will move to group qualifying this season for all three of its national series, with the exception of the Daytona 500, the Camping World Truck Series race at Eldora and non-points events. Tracks of 1.25 miles or longer will utilize a three-step process consisting of an opening 25-minute segment for all cars, a 10-minute segment for the fastest 24 vehicles, and a final five-minute segment for the fastest 12 drivers.

Road courses had originally fallen under that format, but will now use the procedure reserved for tracks of less than 1.25 miles -- which includes a 30-minute first round, a 10-minute second round comprised of the fastest 12 cars, and a 10-minute break in between. The tweak stems from feedback from race teams and the length of laps on circuits like Sonoma and Watkins Glen.

"Through feedback they felt like the second or last round needed to be longer to get multiple laps in on the track," Pemberton said. "This should maximize their track time."

In addition, adjustments to vehicles will now be allowed during every round of national series qualifying at all tracks -- except Daytona and Talladega Superspeedway -- while vehicles are on track, as well as during breaks between the rounds. When vehicles are on track, one helmeted crew member will be allowed over the wall to make adjustments. During the breaks between rounds, three crewmen will be allowed over the wall. 

NASCAR had originally ruled that teams could make only minor adjustments -- such as tape, tire pressure and wedge -- to cars during the breaks in between qualifying sessions. But teams requested to be able to make similar tweaks to their vehicles during the sessions, in an effort to more immediately improve their qualifying efforts.

"When we went back and looked back at the minutes (of meetings with teams), that seemed to be the most common question," Pemberton said. "Really, because of the length of the first round, they felt like it was a time for them to make adjustments. ? That was probably unanimous for all of our three national series." 

The Nationwide and Camping World Truck series will use the group qualifying format for the first time next week, during preparations for their respective season openers at Daytona. The Sprint Cup Series will continue to use the traditional single-car format for qualifying for the Daytona 500, and then move to group qualifying for the season's second race, at Phoenix International Raceway.

Danica Patrick shrugs off criticism from Richard Petty.

Bob Pockrass Sporting News

Danica Patrick won’t use recent comments by NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty to motivate her to win a Sprint Cup race.

There’s a pretty simple reason for that, she said. It’s no disrespect to the seven-time Cup champion and possibly the sport’s biggest ambassador.

“You can’t try any harder in the car,” Patrick said Thursday during NASCAR Media Day. “I think that’s something every driver would tell you. When someone questions our effort level, you can’t try any harder.

“You’re doing everything you can. Maybe subconsciously there’s some motivation, but I can’t tell. I’m giving it my all every single time I get in the car. … It is what it is. People are entitled to their opinions, and that’s fine.”

Entering her second full-time season of Cup racing, Patrick had one top-10 — an eighth in the Daytona 500 — as a rookie in 2013 at Stewart-Haas Racing. She finished 27th in the standings.

Asked last week about Patrick’s chances to win at the Cup level, Petty quipped that she could win “if everybody else stayed home.” He also said her popularity in the sport is "a female deal."

“People have said things in the past and they’re going to say things in the future,” Patrick said. “I still say the same thing: Everyone is entitled to their own opinion.

“People are going to judge what he said, whether they judge it well or not, and I’m just not going to.”

The highest-finishing woman in the history of the Indianapolis 500 (third) and the Daytona 500 (eighth), Patrick enters her fifth season racing stock cars and her third full time since making the move from IndyCar. She won one IndyCar race with the benefit of fuel mileage.

“I still feel like I’m figuring stock cars out and will for a long time,” Patrick said. “I will never stop learning, but figuring out the basics of how it works? There’s still stuff that I look underneath the hood and I really don’t know what I’m looking at.”

The comments from Petty weren’t a total surprise. He has not championed the arrival of women in the sport. His son, Kyle, also has been critical of her ability. Last year, Kyle Petty said: “I don’t think she’s ever going to be a racecar driver.” After Kyle Petty's controversial comments made headlines, Kyle sought out Patrick and they talked.

Patrick said she doesn’t know Richard Petty well and said "I don't know why I would" go talk to him.

"It really just doesn't matter," Patrick said. "It's interesting conversation, and I'm fortunate I'm in it. … The last time that somebody said something that was not so positive for me, it spawned so many positive articles. There's a positive side to it, too. More than anything, I love the conversation it creates in the sport and across the board it makes sports interesting. It makes life interesting when people have different perspectives, and that's fine with me."

The fact that the criticism came from one of the sport’s iconic figures didn’t seem to phase Patrick, who reiterated that everyone can have an opinion.

“(My attitude on this) has nothing to do with where (the opinion) comes from,” Patrick said. “The people that matter the most to me are my team, my sponsors and those little 3-year-old kids that run up to you and want a great big hug and say they want to grow up to be like you.

“That’s the stuff I really focus on.”

U.S. Men's National Team moves up to 13th in latest FIFA rankings.

By Mike Prindiville

The U.S. Men’s National Team’s moved up one place to No. 13 in the latest FIFA rankings, seeing them leapfrog Chile and England in the process.

The Americans jump came after a comprehensive 2-0 victory over South Korea on February 1st. Their points calculation was also boosted by the clearance of last February’s loss to Honduras.

Spain, Germany and Argentina remained 1st, 2nd and 3rd in the rankings while Portugal leapfrogged Columbia to claim the 4th spot.

Switzerland moved up two spots to No. 6, Uruguay (7th) and Italy (8th) each dropped a place, and Brazil moved up to 9th while the Netherlands dropped one slot to 10th.

In CONCACAF, Mexico remained 21st, Panama moved up four spots to No. 32, Costa Rica dropped three to 35th and Honduras leapt three places to 40th.

The most shocking drop-off in the rankings comes from the Americans’ first round opponent in Brazil 2014, Ghana, who tumbled 13 places to No. 37. In the five matches the Black Stars have played since the new year they’ve drawn 0-0 with Libya, drawn 0-0 with Nigeria, defeated the Democratic Republic of Congo 1-0, defeated Ethiopia 1-0 and drawn with Libya 1-1.

Below is a complete listing of the Top 25 countries in the current FIFA rankings:

1. Spain
2. Germany
3. Argentina
4. Portugal
5. Colombia
6. Switzerland
7. Uruguay
8. Italy
9. Brazil
10. Netherlands
11. Belgium
12. Greece
13. USA
14. Chile
15. England
16. Croatia
17. Bosnia and Herzegovina
18. Ukraine
18. France
20. Denmark
21. Mexico
22. Russia
23. Côte d’Ivoire
24. Ecuador
25. Sweden

NCAA selection committee hopes for more fairness.

By DAVE SKRETTA (AP Sports Writer)

The chairman of the Division I men's basketball committee said changes made last August to the way teams are bracketed in the NCAA tournament will result in a fairer March Madness.

Ron Wellman also said Wednesday that there have been no discussion of expanding the field beyond 68 teams, and that officiating emphases put in place in the regular season to crack down on physical defense will carry over to the NCAA tournament.

The new bracketing rules should be apparent to most college basketball fans.

Previously, the selection committee tried to keep schools from playing rematches before the regional finals, sometimes moving teams multiple seed lines in the process. Wellman said relaxing that policy allows the committee to honor their seeding, creating a fairer overall bracket.

''That first and foremost is important,'' said Wellman, the athletic director at Wake Forest. ''There have been years where we've had to drop a team or promote a team; there was even a year where teams dropped two seed lines. We don't feel that's appropriate.''

Under the new policy, teams that have played once could meet in the third round of the NCAA tournament, and teams that have played twice could meet in the Sweet 16. The committee will still try to avoid teams that have met three times from playing before the regional finals.

Another benefit is that the committee will have more latitude in assigning teams to sites closer to home, thereby easing the travel burden shared by schools and their fans.

''We spend so much time getting teams in order, setting them one through 68, and it's not until the process is fully vetted that we begin the bracketing process,'' Wellman said. ''Now, we think we have much greater flexibility to honor the seed lines that we established.''

Wellman also addressed several other topics during a break in the committee's orientation meeting in Indianapolis, which concludes with its annual mock selection:

- There have been no discussions of further expansion to the tournament, despite more parity in the game. This will be the fourth year that there are 68 teams in the field.

- Officials will emphasize rules against hand-checking and physical defense during the NCAA tournament, just as they have during the regular season. The idea is to free up players and allow for more offense, but the result has often been games that resembled foul shooting contests.

''The result of these new officiating emphases has been positive, even though we know this process will take longer than one year,'' Wellman said. ''The bottom line is the stakeholders all want the game to be less physical and have more freedom of movement.''

- Wellman said that injuries will remain a consideration for the selection committee, though he acknowledged that each member places a different value on them. That's important for bubble teams such as Colorado, which lost star guard Spencer Dinwiddie to a torn ACL in January.

- The committee not only will consider strength of schedule and RPI, but also a school's intentions in scheduling. Wichita State is trying to land a No. 1 seed, but may be hurt by what is widely perceived as a light schedule. The Shockers have struggled to schedule marquee home-and-home series, and were left in a weakened Missouri Valley Conference after Creighton's departure.

''Often times, schools will develop a schedule thinking it's a very strong schedule, only to have their opponents fall on their face, and the schedule isn't nearly as strong as what they thought it might be,'' Wellman said. ''Those are some of the factors that we look at.''

NCAA Rules Committee proposes changes to targeting rule and defensive substitutions.

By Sam Cooper

The NCAA Football Rules Committee met this week in Indianapolis and ultimately proposed two rule changes for the 2014 season and beyond.

First, the committee proposed a change to the rules regarding targeting penalties – a big source of contention among fans last season.

Last year, any player who was called for targeting would be ejected and his team would be assessed a 15-yard penalty. Every call deemed targeting was looked at further via instant replay. If determined that the call was not targeting as initially called, the ejection was overturned but the penalty yardage was still enforced.

Moving forward, the committee suggested that if an instant replay official decides that a disqualification should not have been enforced, the 15-yard penalty also should not be enforced. If another personal foul penalty was called in addition to the targeting, like a roughing the passer call, the penalty would still be enforced but the player would not be ejected.

“Overall, the targeting rule was successful and has had the intended impact of making play safer,” said Air Force coach Troy Calhoun, who is also the chair of the committee. “This alteration keeps the intent of the rule but allows replay to correct all of the consequences from a rare missed call.”

Additionally, the committee recommended a change in defensive substitution that allows defenses “to substitute within the first 10 seconds of the 40-second play clock, with the exception of the final two minutes of each half, starting with the 2014 season.”

If approved, this rule would not allow offenses to snap the ball until the play clock reaches 29 seconds. If the offense snaps the ball prior to the 29-second mark, a five-yard delay of game penalty would be issued.

Many collegiate offenses utilize no-huddle and fast tempo offenses, but the committee does not think this rule would impact the pace of these offenses.

The committee believes that 10 seconds provides sufficient time for defensive player substitutions without inhibiting the ability of an offense to play at a fast pace. Research indicated that teams with fast-paced, no-huddle offenses rarely snap the ball with 30 seconds or more on the play clock.

Under the current set of rules, defensive players have no guaranteed ability to execute substitutions unless the offense does so first.

“This rules change is being made to enhance student-athlete safety by guaranteeing a small window for both teams to substitute,” Calhoun said. “As the average number of plays per game has increased, this issue has been discussed with greater frequency by the committee in recent years and we felt like it was time to act in the interests of protecting our student-athletes.”

Who are the United States' best remaining gold medal hopes?

By Jay Busbee

With Shaun White, Shani Davis, Hannah Kearney, Bode Miller and other highly touted Americans failing to bring home the gold, the United States has lost out on some prime medaling opportunity. And while the U.S. remains in the medal total hunt thanks to unexpected wins like Thursday's slopestyle sweep, the fact remains that America has a high, snowy hill to climb to add to the gold total. Here are several of our best opportunities for future gold.

Ted Ligety, Giant Slalom, Combined: Ligety's stock continues to rise, and his Giant Slalom run next Wednesday is likely to be one of the highlights of the Sochi Games for Team USA.

 

Meryl Davis/Charlie White, Skating Dance: Putting aside the idea that there's some sinister conspiracy in connection with Russia, Davis and White are legitimate contenders for the gold. Judges' whims are as unpredictable as Sochi weather, though, so proceed with caution.

Noelle Pikus-Pace, Skeleton: A highly touted racer and expected to medal in skeleton, but the unpredictability of the run so far has even experienced racers concerned.

Mikaela Shiffrin, Slalom: Shiffrin is an overwhelming favorite in the women's slalom, which is a good sign and also a treacherous one, considering the fate of favorites lately.

Brittany Bowe, 1500m Long Track Speedskating: The first-time Olympian appears on track for a medal in the 1500m despite falling short at shorter distances.

Bode Miller, Combined: Despite a disappointing finish in the Downhill event, Miller has a shot at redemption on Friday in the Combined. Can he cap off his Olympics with gold?

Women's Hockey: The U.S. and Canada are both odds-on favorites to reach the gold medal game. Over on the men's side ... well, not so much. But 1980 is ever-present in every American hockey fan's mind.

Men's Bobsled: Both the two- and four-man teams, piloted by Steve Holcomb, stand excellent chances of medaling at the least, and bringing home gold is a distinct possibility.

Women's Bobsled: Two separate two-woman teams, piloted by Elena Meyers and Jamie Greubel, are in position to medal. (Lolo Jones is not the pusher for either of these two.)

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