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Sports Quote of the Day:
"You've got to love what you're doing. If you love it, you can overcome any handicap or the soreness or all the aches and pains, and continue to play for a long, long time." ~ Gordie Howe, NHL Legendary Hockey Player
How 'bout them Chicago Blackhawks? Blackhawks 5, Kings 3.
By Dennis Bernstein, The Sports Xchange
Winger Patrick Kane scored two goals and an assist, defenseman Nick Leddy scored a goal and an assist, and goaltender Corey Crawford made 31 saves as the Chicago Blackhawks defeated the Los Angeles Kings 5-3 on Monday. Chicago (34-10-14) won for the second time in four games on a road trip that will run through the Olympic break. Center Jonathan Toews and winger Patrick Sharp added two assists.
The Blackhawks took the lead for good at 3-2 on center Marcus Kruger's sixth goal of the season with 6:09 remaining in the middle period. Kruger deflected a shot in the slot from Leddy and a second deflection by Kings defenseman Matt Greene ricocheted past Los Angeles goaltender Jonathan Quick with winger Ben Smith earning the second assist.
Chicago added an insurance goal at the end of a man advantage when Leddy hammered home his sixth of the season at 7:01 of the final period. Kane sealed the victory off another odd man rush against the Kings' porous defense with Sharp drawing the lone assist with 8:51 remaining in regulation.
Down 2-0 nine minutes into the game, the Kings rallied to tie the score. Defenseman Drew Doughty drew the Kings within one with his eighth of the season on the power play at 9:52 of the first period. The Kings squared things on center Anze Kopitar's 17th goal of the season 6:30 into the middle frame.
The Blackhawks jumped on the Kings early by way of a power-play goal in the game's second minute. Kane walked out from the right corner and deposited his team-leading 26th goal past Quick at 1:02 with Toews and Sharp earning assists.
Winger Bryan Bickell doubled the Chicago lead when he fired a wrist shot past Quick at 9:11 off a 3-on-1 rush. Kane feathered a pass to Bickell for the score that was his 100th point at 8:44.
Los Angeles (30-22-6) lost for the eighth time in its last nine games. Kopitar had a goal and an assist, winger Tyler Toffoli scored his 10th of the season and Quick made 25 saves.
NOTES: Chicago scratched D Michael Kostka, D Sheldon Brookbank and C Michal Handzus. ... The Blackhawks are one of four teams who have yet to be shut out this season. St. Louis, Anaheim and Colorado have lit the lamp in every game as well. ... Chicago D Duncan Keith is the fastest Blackhawk in franchise history to hit 40 assists. He hit the mark in just 46 games this season. ... Los Angeles did not dress D Alec Martinez, D Jeff Schultz and C Jordan Nolan. ... The Kings are the only sub-.500 team in divisional play against the Central Division. They own a 6-9-2 record. ... Kings RW Matt Frattin drew back into the lineup after four consecutive games as a healthy scratch.
Blackhawks-Ducks Preview.
By TOM CASTRO (STATS Senior Editor)
The Chicago Blackhawks and Anaheim Ducks have the highest point totals in the NHL, but they haven't been playing like the top teams in the league of late.
Chicago took the latest showdown with Anaheim last month at home, and the Western Conference powers close out their three-game season series Wednesday night at Honda Center.
The Blackhawks (34-10-14) ended the Ducks' eight-game winning streak Jan. 17 with a 4-2 victory, which also closed out an 18-1-0 stretch by Anaheim. The Ducks have yet to regain that overpowering form, going 4-5-0 starting with the loss at Chicago.
Anaheim (40-13-5) has lost two in a row for the first time since Nov. 30 and Dec. 3 after a 4-2 defeat to visiting Columbus on Monday. The Ducks have dropped four of six at home - all the losses coming in regulation - since starting 20-0-2 there.
The Ducks are the second-highest scoring team in the league behind the Blackhawks (205) with 191 goals, but they've managed 21 in the last nine games.
Anaheim, 4 for 26 on the power play since scoring six times on 11 opportunities against Vancouver on Jan. 15, has lost three of four overall.
Boudreau thinks his team may gain one from a welcome opponent in the defending Stanley Cup champion.
''It's never good to see Chicago because they're a great team, but it's probably great that Chicago's coming in,'' he said. ''That's maybe what we need, because if we don't play up to our best level against a team like that, then we're going to get our butts kicked.''
The Blackhawks, though, have only been flashing their championship form in spurts in 2014, going 6-3-7 and winning two straight games once. Chicago has looked more consistent in the past week, going 2-0-2 to open a six-game road trip while scoring at least four goals three times.
The club won for the second time in three games and completed a three-game season sweep of struggling Los Angeles on Monday, winning 5-3 to pull within three points of Anaheim.
Patrick Kane had two goals and an assist hours after learning about the death of his grandfather, while Nick Leddy added a goal and an assist. Kane had been struggling with two goals and five assists in his previous 16 games.
''He's a proud guy, and I think his grandfather meant a lot to him,'' coach Joel Quenneville said. ''It was probably a very emotional night for him, but he played an unbelievable game.''
Marian Hossa extended his point streak to four with an assist, giving him five points in that stretch. The forward scored a short-handed goal and an empty net goal in the January win over Anaheim - which stopped a five-game skid in the series - to give him five goals with three assists in his last eight games in the series.
"We know where they are, but that's not our only worry," Hossa said of chasing the Ducks in the standings. "We try to worry about our game, how we play and we know if we play well enough to win hockey games eventually we're gonna get closer and closer, and that's our goal."
Anaheim's Ryan Getzlaf has eight goals and 12 assists in his last 16 contests, and has recorded 13 points in his past 10 in this series.
NHL Calendar.
By The Associated Press
Feb. 9 - Olympic break begins.
Feb. 12 - Olympic men's hockey tournament begins: Sochi, Russia.
Feb. 23 - Olympic men's hockey gold-medal game: Sochi, Russia.
Feb. 26 - NHL regular season resumes.
March 1 - NHL Stadium Series: Pittsburgh Penguins at Chicago Blackhawks, Soldier Field.
March 5 - Trade deadline, 3 p.m., EST.
March 10-12 - NHL general managers meeting, Boca Raton, Fla.
April 13 - Last day of regular season.
April 16 - Stanley Cup Playoffs begin.
May 25-31 - NHL combine, Toronto.
June 18 - Last possible day for Stanley Cup finals.
June 25 - NHL awards, Las Vegas.
June 27-28 - NHL draft, Philadelphia.
July 1 - Free agency begins.
July 5 - Deadline for player-elected salary arbitration notification.
July 6 - Deadline for club-elected salary arbitration notification.
July 20-Aug. 6 - Salary arbitration hearings held.
Aug. 8 - Deadline for salary arbitration decisions.
Bear Down Chicago Bears!!! The "Defense Wins Championships" myth is back.
By Lester A. Wiltfong Jr.
I'm all for a good old school slobber-knocking defensive performance coupled with a hard nosed running game, but the NFL has put rules in place to make it easier to throw the ball. The NFL is a passing league whether you want to admit it or not. It really does take more than just defense to win these days.
The "Defense Wins Championships" narrative is back in vogue after the high scoring Denver Broncos were shellacked by the Seattle Seahawks, 43-8. While I agree that having a good defense helps your chances to win, you still need to be able to put points on the board, and many NFL rules favor the offensive side of the ball these days.
The Legion Of Boom secondary in Seattle was put together to slow down the big receivers that are having their way in the NFL. The 6'4" wide outs and the 6'5" tight ends have been wreaking havoc on secondaries that had to be wary of pass interference and illegal contact. Seattle has big defensive backs to press and jam receivers to disrupt the timing of offenses. Once the timing is off, Seattle's talented group of pass rushers will get in the quarterback's face causing a quick throw to the now discombobulated receivers, or they'll get home for the sack.
The Seahawk hybrid defense seems to be the flavor of the month, but they aren't doing anything extraordinary. Their schemes aren't revolutionizing the way football is played, they are just getting after the QB and playing hard physical defense.
Just because defense prevailed last night, that doesn't necessarily make that the new normal.
* Just a season ago, the 3rd ranked defense of the San Francisco 49ers had 34 points scored on them by the 16th ranked offense of the Baltimore Ravens. The Ravens had the #17 D in 2012 by the way. Offense wins championships?
* In 2011 the Super Bowl winning New York Giants did have a higher ranked defense than the runner up New England Patriots, but neither were very good. N.Y. had the 27th ranked D, and N.E. was 31st. Would you consider their 27th ranked D as the reason why the Giants won the Super Bowl?
* The 2010 season saw the 2nd ranked Pittsburgh Steelers defense fall to the 9th ranked Green Bay Packers offense. Green Bay's D checked in at #5. Good offense prevails over good defense...
* In Super Bowl XLIV, the 18th ranked defense of the Indianapolis Colts lost to the 25th ranked D of the New Orleans Saints. New Orleans did have the #1 offense in the NFL in 2009 though. Offense wins Championships again?
* The 2008 Steelers, owners of the #1 defense in the NFL, knocked off the Arizona Cardinals in Super Bowl XLIII. Yay! Defense Wins Championships!
* The first Giants vs Patriots Super Bowl from the 2007 season pitted the 4th ranked Pats D against the 7th ranked Giants D. The G-Men came out on top, as their D stymied the #1 New England offense. Statistically speaking the Patriots defense was a bit better that season, but the lower ranked D won this contest.
* And lest we forget the 2006 season that featured the 5th ranked Chicago Bears Tampa 2 defense going up against the 3rd ranked Peyton Manning led Indianapolis Colts offense. We all remember who won that game. Indy gave up the 21st most yards that season, while the Bears' offense ranked 15th. Defense didn't win that championship either.
I really do wish the Defense Wins Championship mantra held true, then we'd have a two time Super Bowl champion in Chicago.
I'm not saying that defenses can't win championships, because there have been a few offensively inept teams that have found a way to win. But more often than not, especially in this era, you need a solid offense to hoist the Lombardi Trophy.
There's simply no clear cut formula in the last eight years that guarantees playoff success. Some good offenses have won and some good defenses have won, but to be crowned champion it takes more than being good on one side of the ball.
In my opinion, the great teams that have some semblance of balance, are who wins titles these days.
To do what the Seattle Seahawks did on defense in this day and age makes them one of the all time best defenses in the history of the NFL. Statistically they fall short of the iconic '85 Bears, the Steel Curtain Steelers teams, or the 2000 Ravens, but they were far and away the best D in 2013.
- Yards allowed per game: 273.6
- Passer rating allowed: 63.4
- Yards allowed per play: 4.42
- Big plays (20-plus yards) allowed: 36
- Takeaways: 39
While those numbers fall short of the historically all time great defenses, in this era it's downright dominant.
Seattle rode their top ranked defense to a title, but along the way their offense carved out their own identity. Russell Wilson is a dynamic play making quarterback that is also safe with the ball. Running back Marshawn Lynch and a very good offensive line helped them to the 4th ranked rushing offense in the NFL.
Their playoff run saw them score nine touchdowns and eight field goals to five TDs and 1 FG for their opponents. Those are scoring numbers of a well balanced team.
Seattle had great defense last season, that's for sure, but that's not all they were. The Seattle Seahawks were just a damn good football team from top to bottom.
To bring this back around to the Chicago Bears, they obviously will need to improve their defense if they expect to be a legitimate threat for a championship in 2014, but they haven't fallen behind the trends of the NFL.
The fear that's surrounding Chicago talk radio is that this Bears team will be the mirror image of the Lovie Smith teams. People are afraid that under Marc Trestman the Bears will be a top offense, but also a bottom ranked defense.
It wasn't like Bears GM Phil Emery ignored the defense in 2013. He thought he upgraded the linebacker position, he wasn't expecting the defensive tackle position to be riddled with injuries, and he also wasn't expecting two of his Pro Bowl defensive players to miss significant time. But to build the depth of a roster takes more than two years.
Emery will be back at it this off season and he will attempt to bridge the gap between his offense and his defense. He'll have some critical contract decisions to make in the next few weeks, but he has a plan in place.
I would love for the Bears to have a smash-mouth defense, but that's not how this current team is built. A team can win in today's NFL with a good offense and a middle of the pack defense, and that's exactly what the Bears should be shooting for.
Building a championship defense is a sound formula, but you still better be able to score some points.
Chicago Bears Team Needs & Roster Rankings.
By Evan Silva
DL: This was a nightmare position for the Bears' league-worst run defense, and is about to get even thinner with RE Julius Peppers' inevitable release. Beyond Peppers, the only worthwhile Chicago defensive linemen signed for 2014 are injury-riddled NT Stephen Paea, 2012 first-round disappointment Shea McClellin, and long-shot prospects Cornelius Washington and David Bass. LE Corey Wootton, and DTs Henry Melton, Nate Collins, and Jay Ratliff are all free agents.
LB: 2013 second-round pick Jon Bostic struggled so badly at middle linebacker in 2013 that the Bears are considering moving him outside or to the bench. Chicago has penciled in converted DE McClellin as its new strong-side starter. 33-year-old Lance Briggs probably has one season left at weak-side linebacker. Bears GM Phil Emery inarguably made the right decision to not pay Brian Urlacher last offseason, but is still searching for a replacement.
DB: Every level of this defense needs upgrades. Emery did well to retain LCB Tim Jennings, but isn't expected to pursue re-signing free agent RCB Charles Tillman or SS Major Wright. FS Chris Conte was awful in 2013 and must be replaced. There isn't a defense in football in more need of a full-on makeover than the Bears'. Even after Jay Cutler's $127 million megadeal, Emery will have over $20 million in salary cap room once Peppers, Michael Bush, and Earl Bennett are released.
C: The Bears likely feel comfortable entering 2014 with LT Jermon Bushrod, RT Jordan Mills, LG Matt Slauson, and RG Kyle Long locked into the starting lineup. C Roberto Garza is a free agent, however, and turns 35 in March. Garza has spent the last decade in Chicago and may be willing to settle for a hometown discount. He played well enough in 2013 to retain at the right price.
Just another Chicago Bulls Session… Bulls slow down Suns in win.
By The Sports Xchange
The Chicago Bulls won the battle of wills Tuesday night. By doing so, they also won a big road game, 101-92 over the Phoenix Suns.
Forward Carlos Boozer led the Bulls (24-24) with 19 points and 12 rebounds. Guards Jimmy Butler and D.J. Augustin, who hit two late, clutch 3-pointers, each added 18 points. Center Joakim Noah had 14 points and 14 rebounds.
"That was Chicago Bulls' basketball, and we got back to it." Boozer said, referring to the Bulls' terrible loss Monday night in Sacramento. "We kept coming, kept fighting. You've got to have a short-term memory, forget about a bad game, or a good game ... (otherwise) it can mess you up."
Boozer was miffed about his playing time Monday's 99-70 loss.
Bulls forward Taj Gibson credited coach Tom Thibodeau with a "great" pre-game speech that tried to put the Sacramento loss behind them.
"He said to keep it simple, play hard, play for one another," Gibson said.
"There are a lot of things going against you, and you could have used that as an excuse. But that is what I love about this team," Thibodeau said. "They come out, and they are going to fight. They picked themselves up. There was no trying to do it by themselves. Everyone tried to do it together. When we do that, we have a chance."
The Suns (29-19) had their five-game win streak broken. They were led by guard Goran Dragic, who had 24 points and seven rebounds.
"It was just hard to pass and then cut," Dragic said.
The Bulls held the Suns to season lows of 13 points in the first quarter and 33 points in the first half.
In the first half, the Suns shot only 30 percent from the field and had an embarrassing 13 turnovers compared to 12 made baskets.
Dragic managed, briefly, to speed up the pace as the Suns cut the lead to 50-46, then Bulls forward Mike Dunleavy hit a pair of 3-pointers to help put Chicago up 59-48.
The Suns cut the lead to 65-61, but an ill-advised three-shot foul by guard Leandro Barbosa on Butler as the 24-second clock expired helped the Bulls. Butler hit 2-for-3 from the line for a 67-61 lead.
Augustin nailed a pair of 3-pointers to help push the lead to 82-70 early in the fourth quarter. The Suns, led by Barbosa and Dragic, battled back, but never got closer than four points.
The Bulls limited the Suns to 39 percent shooting, including just 29 percent on 3-pointers (8-for-28).
Gerald Green, the Suns' hot-and-cold shooting guard, shot just 2-for-13, including 1-for-5 from long range.
"I just let my team down," Green said.
The Bulls' win was their fifth straight in Phoenix.
Thibodeau, asked about Boozer's unhappiness the previous night, said, "This isn't about one person. I'm asking the entire team to sacrifice. The team will always come first. That's not going to change."
NOTES: The Suns find themselves in a surprising playoff push, though coach Jeff Hornacek said because his team is so young he does not talk about the playoffs, preferring to push for near-term improvement. He cites "great chemistry" as part of the reason for their success, noting that if the Suns bring in any player via trade (they have been linked to Lakers C Pau Gasol), "Whoever comes in would have to try to fit into that chemistry." ... Coming into the game, though the Bulls had won 14 of their previous 22 to get themselves out of a 9-16 hole, they also had lost three of their past four. Included is Monday night's debacle in Sacramento, where the Bulls shot 28 percent -- worst for any NBA team this season -- in a 99-70 loss. "You can't exhale in this league," Thibodeau said. "If you let up just a little, it will show." ... During the previous four games, Suns G Goran Dragic had averaged 26.8 points on 64 percent shooting from the field (69 percent on 3-pointers), plus 6.0 assists, 4.0 rebounds and 1.3 steals. He was named Western Conference player of the week.
The Super Bowl is over; now it’s our time.
By Steven Goldman
Baseball is back -- momentarily. The clock began the countdown the moment the Super Bowl's fourth quarter expired. P.S.: Baseball players don't have to make a big deal of going to Disney World -- they'll already be there.
"Little darling, it's been a long, cold, lonely winter." - George Harrison, "Here Comes the Sun," the Beatles.
Cures for depression vary in their effectiveness: The pills only get me back to even, and sometimes not even that, but there is nothing like the conclusion of the Super Bowl to give me a real boost.
That is not to say that I don't love the ol' pigskin game as much as any other American-born boy, but baseball has first claim on me, and has ever since I met Ted Williams and Bill James at that crossroads in rural Mississippi, and the moment when football ends is also when baseball is about to HALO-jump back into our lives. Cue a sense of excitement that is appropriate only to the opening of baseball camps: Baseball players don't have to make a big deal of going to Disney World -- they'll already be there six weeks before the season even starts.
Snow is coming down in buckets on the Northeast today, so it seems like an automatic falsehood to say that this winter has whipped by, but we're almost done. Incredibly, though pitchers and catchers report to spring training in just 10 days, but for some of last season's contenders and near-contenders the offseason hasn't even started. The Orioles have spent the winter acquiring an entire secondhand store of spare parts while becoming a national punchline due to their propensity to veto their own moves via pessimistic medical reports that pinpoint coming breakdowns that no one else can see. The Indians have 20 non-roster invitees to spring training, Nyjer Morgan, Jeff Francoeur, and Jason Giambi among them, but their biggest move of the winter remains signing a 32-year-old platoon left fielder coming off a 650 OPS season. The Reds bid adieu to their manager and Shin-Soo Choo and added... Skip Schumaker. The Atlanta Braves watched Brian McCann decamp to New York, and yet the only signs of life we've seen from them is that "Nuh-uh" hand gesture that tells the dealer you don't want another card.
You know you've had a bad offseason when the Milwaukee Brewers have been more aggressive than you have. Oh, and the Indians have made it through another offseason with that miserable racist caricature of a mascot intact. So much for that to-do list.
Still, there is a great deal to be excited by. The Yankees remade their team but paid a high price -- if you will pardon that expression used to signify money they did not spend -- by letting Robinson Cano go to the Seattle Mariners. The Mariners, who have posted one winning record in the last 10 seasons and haven't made the postseason since 2001, seemingly got halfway through a rebuilding, signing Cano, Corey Hart (after a full year on the shelf) and trading for Logan Morrison (forever becoming), and then stopping. Will it be enough, or is Cano Jack Zduriencik's version of a Potemkin village? The Red Sox will defend their title by getting younger, giving Jackie Bradley, Jr and Xander Bogaerts a chance to succeed Jacoby Ellsbury and Stephen Drew. Will Doug Fister and better health be enough to put the Nationals back into the playoffs, or Scott Kazmir, Jim Johnson, and Craig Gentry for the A's?
Heck, we needn't think too much about team-level questions, because in less than two weeks we get the whole wonderful cavalcade of athletes that make our game, which, as Robert DeNiro memorably pointed out in The Untouchables (via the words of David Mamet), operates simultaneously at the team and individual level. That means whatever their general managers did or didn't do, we still have Miguel Cabrera and Mike Trout and David Wright and Andrelton Simmons. More are coming this year: Oscar Taveras, Noah Syndergaard, Nick Castellanos, George Springer, and so many more. The best thing about baseball is the rapid pace of change. Just when you think that one more Yuniesky Betancourt plate appearance might prove that something important is broken, it's off to the Orix Buffaloes with him and in with -- well, it's the Brewers, so probably not someone newer or better, but perhaps someone not quite so abjectly futile.
That's another good thing about baseball: As a game of not-quite redeeming features, it tends to deflate poetasters and inept generalizations. And then, yet another possibly redeeming feature: We might see Byron Buxton, who could be Superman, in the majors by September. So, hell, bring on the superlatives.
There is no big message this time out, not even a rousing John Fogerty-style, "We're born again, there's new grass on the field," just the anticipation of spring on a cold, white day. "I sure get laughs when I see in the papers where some major league pitcher says he gets a sore arm because he's overworked and he pitches every four days," Satchel Paige once said. "Man, that'd be a vacation for me."
Better go get limbered up, you Sons of Satchel. In just over a week we'll be putting you to the test once again. No, it's no Field of Dreams. Forget about all that faux-mystical bull. It's just the day after the Super Bowl, the day when the seeds' germinating kicks into high speed, the beginning of the beginning, the first sign that the day of liberation is coming when we hear the simplest and greatest of sentences, "Play ball!"
Golf glance: What's coming up?
By Tom LaMarre, The Sports Xchange
PGA TOUR: AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am at Pebble Beach Golf Links, Skyglass Hills Golf Course and the Shore Course at Monterey Peninsula Country Club, Thursday through Sunday.
TV: Thursday and Friday, 3-6 p.m. EST, on the Golf Channel; Saturday, 1-2:30 p.m. EST on the Golf Channel and 3-6 p.m. EST on CBS; and Sunday, 1-2:30 p.m. EST on the Golf Channel and 3-6:30 p.m. EST on CBS.
LAST YEAR: Brandt Snedeker, who finished second twice earlier in 2013, shot 7-under-par 65 in the final round to win by two strokes over Chris Kirk. Snedeker posted four scores in the 60s and claimed the fifth victory of his career on the PGA Tour before adding the RBC Canadian Open title later in a season that could have been even better if not for injuries. Four of his victories came in the past two seasons, and by winning at Pebble, he rose to a career-best fourth in the World Golf Rankings. Snedeker played the first seven holes of the final round at Pebble Beach in 5 under, making eagle on No. 2 and birdies on Nos. 4, 6 and 7, then added a 10-foot birdie putt at No. 17 that virtually was the clincher.
CHAMPIONS TOUR: Allianz Championship on the Old Course at Broken Sound in Boca Raton, Fla., Thursday through Sunday.
TV: Friday, 6:30-8:30 EST; Saturday, 6:30-9:30 p.m. EST; and Sunday, 7-9:30 p.m., on the Golf Channel each day.
LAST YEAR: Rocco Mediate, making his debut on the Champions Tour, holed a four-foot birdie putt on the final hole to win by two strokes over Tom Pernice Jr. and Bernhard Langer, who won the title in 2010. Mediate, who won six times on the PGA Tour, took the lead by shooting 11-under-par 61 in the second round. He closed with a 71 and became the 16th player to win his first event on the senior circuit. Pernice, who closed with a 70, missed a 15-foot birdie putt on the final hole that would have put pressure on Mediate to make his and avoid a playoff, while Langer wound up with a 68. Before Mediate, Pernice was the last player to win in his first Champions Tour event, the 2009 SAS Championship, but he did not win again until the 3M Championship late last season.
LPGA TOUR: ISPS Handa Women's Australian Open at Victoria Golf Club in Victoria, Australia, Feb. 13-16.
TV: Wednesday (in the United States) 11 p.m.-2 a.m. EST; Friday, midnight-2:30 a.m. EST; Saturday, 5-9 p.m. EST; and Sunday, 5-7 p.m. EST, on the Golf Channel each day.
LAST YEAR: Jiyai Shin of South Korea shot 1-under-par 72 in the final round to hold off Yani Tseng of Taiwan by two strokes and claim her 11th victory on the LPGA Tour at Royal Canberra Golf Club in Yarralumla, Australia. The 25-year-old Shin, who has won 37 times as a pro, including 21 titles on the LPGA of Korea Tour, was tied for the lead with teenage amateur Lydia Ko of New Zealand through 13 holes. It appeared Ko might take the lead, but Shin went ahead for good by holing an improbable birdie pitch shot from deep rough behind an advertising billboard. Ko, who shot 63 in round one, closed with a 76 and fell to third when Tseng carded six birdies and an eagle while shooting 66.
NASCAR creates new "deterrence' penalty system.
By JENNA FRYER (AP Auto Racing Writer)
NASCAR unveiled a revamped penalty system Tuesday that for the first time will define specific offenses with pre-determined penalties.
The new ''Deterrence System'' classifies six different levels of penalties, with fines and point deductions increasing as the infractions become more severe. The new system will be applied only to technical infractions; NASCAR will still handle behavioral offenses individually.
The structure also allows the sanctioning body to hit repeat offenders with a multiplier that could increase penalties by 50 percent. NASCAR's previous penalty system did not tie pre-determined sanctions to specific offenses.
''Our goal is to be more effective, fair and transparent,'' said Steve O'Donnell, senior vice president of racing operations. ''It's never our intent to penalize, but in order to keep the playing field fair for everyone, we recognize that strong rules need to be in place.''
NASCAR has also removed chief appellate officer John Middlebrook. The retired General Motors executive has been replaced by Bryan Moss, president emeritus of Gulfstream Aerospace. Middlebrook had overturned or modified some key NASCAR decisions, including a penalty to Hendrick Motorsports in 2012 and Penske Racing last year.
''I wanted to clearly state that Bryan's appointment is not a result of recent appeals outcomes or because of the changes to the Chase,'' O'Donnell said. ''John did a great job for us, but Bryan will take over as the final appeals officer.''
NASCAR also has removed track promoters from its appeals panel in order to keep them from having to rule on a team while also needing that team's members to help promote races.
''We have probably put some people in some tough spots in the past,'' O'Donnell said. ''You won't see national series promoters as part of that panel and you'll see more industry experts participate in that role in the future.''
Another change to the penalty system is in the appeals process: Penalized teams will be allowed to see NASCAR's presentation during the first appeal. Previously, each side presented its case without the other side in the room.
Parties will now submit summaries of issues in advance of the hearing and it will be NASCAR's burden to prove that a penalty violation occurred. During second and final appeals, the burden will shift to the team to prove the panel decision was incorrect.
The biggest changes are to the penalty system, which is now broken into six classes. Minor technical infractions in the P1 class could lead to lost track time and other relatively light punishments; violations affecting the internal workings and performance of the engine in P6, on the other hand, could lead to the loss of 150 points, a fine of at least $150,000 and suspensions.
If P5 and P6 infractions are found in post-race inspection, wins would not be eligible to be used to make the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship or to advance through the Chase rounds. And if the same car repeats an offense in the same category during the season, the penalty increases 50 percent above the normal standard.
''We believe the new system is easily understood and specifically lays out exactly what disciplinary action will be taken depending upon the type of technical infraction,'' said vice president of competition Robin Pemberton. ''More importantly, we believe we have strengthened our system to ensure even more competitive racing.''
By The Associated Press
NASCAR has changed its penalty system for technical infractions, tying specific punishments to specific violations and breaking it into six classes:
P1: Multiple warnings for minor technical infractions. Penalty: could include last choice of pit selection, loss of track time, being selected for post-race inspection, reduction of event passes or community service.
P1: Multiple warnings for minor technical infractions. Penalty: could include last choice of pit selection, loss of track time, being selected for post-race inspection, reduction of event passes or community service.
P2: Expiration of certain safety certification or improper installation of a safety feature, or minor bracket or fasteners violations. Penalty: loss of 10 points and/or $10,000-$25,000 fine and/or suspension of crew chief or others for one or more races and up to six months' probation.
P3: Unauthorized parts, measurement failures, parts that fail their intended use, or coil spring violations. Penalty: loss of 15 points and/or $20,000-$50,000 fine and/or suspension of crew chief or others for one or more races; and up to six months' probation.
P4: Devices that circumvent NASCAR templates and measuring equipment, or unapproved added weight. Penalty: loss of 25 points, $40,000-$70,000 fine, three-race crew chief (plus possibly others) suspension and up to six months' probation. If the infraction is found after a race, it is a 35-point penalty and the fine is $65,000-$95,000.
P5: Combustion-enhancing additives in the oil, oil filter, air filter element or devices, systems, omissions, etc., that affect the normal airflow over the body. Penalty: loss of 50 points, $75,000-$125,000 fine, six-race crew chief (plus possibly others) suspension and up to six months' probation.
P5: Combustion-enhancing additives in the oil, oil filter, air filter element or devices, systems, omissions, etc., that affect the normal airflow over the body. Penalty: loss of 50 points, $75,000-$125,000 fine, six-race crew chief (plus possibly others) suspension and up to six months' probation.
P6: Violations affecting the internal workings and performance of the engine, modifying the pre-certified chassis, traction control or affecting fuel injection or the electronics-control unit. Penalty: loss of 150 points, fine of $150,000-$200,000, six-race crew chief (plus possibly others) suspension and up to six months' probation.
If P5 and P6 infractions are found in post-race inspection, wins would not be eligible to be used to make the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship or to advance through the Chase rounds. The bonus points that accompany wins would also not be eligible for Chase seeding. If the same car repeats an offense in the same category during the season, the penalty increases 50 percent above the normal standard.
World Cup: USMNT emphasize defending counterattack with brutal opponents ahead in Brazil
MLSSoccer.com
The US national team wants to be brave this summer. They want to push forward and stand up to fellow “Group of Death” members Ghana, Portugal and Germany in Brazil. They want to be viewed as an aggressive bunch at the World Cup, despite the seemingly difficult challenges that lie ahead.
Thus, committing to the attack was one of the major points of emphasis for coach Jurgen Klinsmann during the January camp and the US showed promising flashes in a 2-0 victory against South Korea on Saturday at StubHub Center.
“We really emphasized this camp in being confident and playing, not just lumping the ball forward and hoping to see what happens,” forward Landon Donovan told reporters. “We wanted to take this opportunity in a friendly to be confident and try to play. We could go to Brazil and sit back for 90 minutes and pray that we get results, but that's not how we're going to progress as a soccer nation, so we’re going to go with the confidence to play.”
South Korea failed to finish any of their chances, but the US might not be able to escape similar scenarios against their World Cup group opponents, who are considered to be unforgiving on the counterattack. For that reason, Klinsmann made transition defending a top priority during camp.
“That definitely has been a big focus,” midfielder Graham Zusi told MLSsoccer.com.
“Playing teams like South Korea could only make us better in preparation for what we’ll see in Brazil. They were an extremely disciplined team in their block and when they get the ball, they go with numbers. For us to see that was a big help and the way we performed is encouraging to see us with a shutout, first and foremost.”
Defender Michael Parkhurst, who got the starting nod at left back Saturday after being a late addition to the camp roster, noticed Klinsmann’s fixation on counterattack defense.
“It’s definitely something Jurgen is always talking about,” Parkhurst told MLSsoccer.com. “It’s important because we want to play attacking soccer and want to get after teams, but we can’t leave ourselves open. There’s a big difference between club level and international level.
"Teams are so fast and so potent that you really have to be organized. That’s why having a guy like Kyle Beckerman (pictured at top) is really important because he’s someone that can clog the middle and break things down.”
South Korea might have been even more dangerous if not for Beckerman, who also earned Donovan’s praise following the match.
“My point is when you play, you open up and try to play, and you try to be aggressive and assertive, sometimes you get countered, and part of it is knowing how to put out fires when they come,” Donovan said. “Kyle did an excellent job of that, our backline did an excellent job. Our recovery after losing the ball was great.
"Once in a while, teams are going to do that, just like we're going to do that to teams as well. It’s part of the game and, especially nowadays with how fast the game is, it can happen. And so either you take advantage of them or the other team does, and it can mean the difference.”
Forde Minutes: Who's a No. 1, who's on the bubble, and who needs to put in extra work.
By Pat Forde
BATTLE FOR THE TOP SEED LINE
It’s February, which means it’s time for the NCAA tournament bracket to start slowly coming into focus. The primary talking points from now until Selection Sunday will involve who should be at the top of the selection process, and who is on the bubble. The Minutes addresses both, starting with the best of the best. The Minutes' No. 1 seeds if the field were decided today:
Syracuse (1). The Orange won the Game of the Year to date Saturday, 91-89 over Duke in overtime, and rose to the No. 1 spot in the polls. Then they avoided a complete letdown Monday night against Notre Dame, pushing their school-record start to 22-0 overall and 9-0 in the ACC. This isn’t a perfect team, but nobody is playing better. The concern going forward: depth. Jim Boeheim usually plays a short rotation and it’s fine, but it does create a risk factor. ‘Cuse lost backup center DaJuan Coleman for the season last month to a knee injury – and although Coleman was little more than a role player (4.3 points and 4.2 rebounds), the Orange have had a painful recent history of losing big men and coming up short of the Final Four as a No. 1 seed (Arinze Onuaku in 2010; Fab Melo in ’12). Key games the rest of the way: five on the road ranging from very tough (Pittsburgh, Duke, Viriginia) to tricky (Maryland, Florida State).
Arizona (2). The loss at Cal cost the Wildcats an undefeated season and (for now) the No. 1 ranking. But that’s it. Losing by two points on the road to an NCAA-bound conference opponent is no great shame, and it may alleviate any pressure Arizona was starting to feel wearing the unbeaten bull's-eye. This is still a team with all the ingredients of a No. 1 seed and potential national champion, although losing 6-foot-8, 230-pound power forward Brandon Ashley (11.5 points, 5.8 rebounds) is a significant blow. If the Wildcats struggle from this point forward without Ashley it will affect their seeding. The committee will appraise the team based on what it does in Ashley’s absence. Key games the rest of the way: Three-game road swing against Arizona State, Utah and Colorado Feb. 14-22.
It’s February, which means it’s time for the NCAA tournament bracket to start slowly coming into focus. The primary talking points from now until Selection Sunday will involve who should be at the top of the selection process, and who is on the bubble. The Minutes addresses both, starting with the best of the best. The Minutes' No. 1 seeds if the field were decided today:
Syracuse (1). The Orange won the Game of the Year to date Saturday, 91-89 over Duke in overtime, and rose to the No. 1 spot in the polls. Then they avoided a complete letdown Monday night against Notre Dame, pushing their school-record start to 22-0 overall and 9-0 in the ACC. This isn’t a perfect team, but nobody is playing better. The concern going forward: depth. Jim Boeheim usually plays a short rotation and it’s fine, but it does create a risk factor. ‘Cuse lost backup center DaJuan Coleman for the season last month to a knee injury – and although Coleman was little more than a role player (4.3 points and 4.2 rebounds), the Orange have had a painful recent history of losing big men and coming up short of the Final Four as a No. 1 seed (Arinze Onuaku in 2010; Fab Melo in ’12). Key games the rest of the way: five on the road ranging from very tough (Pittsburgh, Duke, Viriginia) to tricky (Maryland, Florida State).
Arizona (2). The loss at Cal cost the Wildcats an undefeated season and (for now) the No. 1 ranking. But that’s it. Losing by two points on the road to an NCAA-bound conference opponent is no great shame, and it may alleviate any pressure Arizona was starting to feel wearing the unbeaten bull's-eye. This is still a team with all the ingredients of a No. 1 seed and potential national champion, although losing 6-foot-8, 230-pound power forward Brandon Ashley (11.5 points, 5.8 rebounds) is a significant blow. If the Wildcats struggle from this point forward without Ashley it will affect their seeding. The committee will appraise the team based on what it does in Ashley’s absence. Key games the rest of the way: Three-game road swing against Arizona State, Utah and Colorado Feb. 14-22.
Wichita State (3). We’re supposed to view the undefeated Shockers (and every other team) exclusively through the prism of the 2013-14 season. But in this case, that’s impossible. Wichita State is coming off an impressive Final Four season and has not lost since that April Saturday night in the Georgia Dome against eventual national champion Louisville. With most of the same key players back from that team, the level of play has remained sky high. Thus it seems unfair to penalize Wichita State for a weaker schedule – just five games to date against RPI top 100 competition – than its top-seed competition. The Shockers have beaten all comers, and that includes Saint Louis on the road, BYU on a neutral court and a pair of SEC teams (Tennessee at home, Alabama on the road). Key games the rest of the way: at Indiana State on Wednesday; at Northern Iowa on Saturday. If the Shockers are going to lose before the postseason, this is the week it could happen.
Florida (4). The Gators (19-2) don’t have a bad loss, dropping only two road games by a total of seven points at Wisconsin and Connecticut. They have three quality non-conference wins: Kansas and Florida State at home, Memphis at a neutral site. And they are dominating the SEC: 8-0 so far, with blue-chip freshman Chris Walker just eligible last week to add another big and athletic body to the rotation. But the league is again underwhelming, and in SEC play Florida has been far more impressive at home (24.3 point margin of victory) than on the road (7.3). In other words, this spot is hardly written in ink. Key games the rest of the way: at Tennessee and Kentucky on Feb. 11 and 15; at Mississippi on Feb. 22; hosting Kentucky on March 8.
Florida (4). The Gators (19-2) don’t have a bad loss, dropping only two road games by a total of seven points at Wisconsin and Connecticut. They have three quality non-conference wins: Kansas and Florida State at home, Memphis at a neutral site. And they are dominating the SEC: 8-0 so far, with blue-chip freshman Chris Walker just eligible last week to add another big and athletic body to the rotation. But the league is again underwhelming, and in SEC play Florida has been far more impressive at home (24.3 point margin of victory) than on the road (7.3). In other words, this spot is hardly written in ink. Key games the rest of the way: at Tennessee and Kentucky on Feb. 11 and 15; at Mississippi on Feb. 22; hosting Kentucky on March 8.
Lurking just off the top line:
Kansas (5). The 17-5 Jayhawks were a Forde Minutes top seed until being beaten at Texas on Saturday. While losing to the surprising Longhorns is not an embarrassment, being blown out virtually all game is not a good look for an aspiring top seed. Defensively, this is not a vintage Bill Self team – at least not yet. Kansas still has all the parts of a potential national champion, but with five losses in 21 games it must play well the rest of the way to get back on the top seed line. Key games the rest of the way: Four of the Jayhawks’ final 10 games are against probable NCAA tourney teams, plus a trip to Baylor on Tuesday and a pair of games against improving West Virginia. Plenty of quality wins to be found down the stretch – but plenty of potential losses as well.
Big Ten champion (6). It stands to reason that the winner of the nation’s toughest league at least has an argument for a No. 1 seed. That argument could be very persuasive if the champion is 19-3 Michigan State – especially if the Spartans return to full strength with the eventual reintroduction of injured Adreian Payne and Branden Dawson. But there are some head-scratching non-conference losses for Michigan State (Georgetown, neutral floor) and Big Ten co-leader Michigan (Charlotte, neutral floor). And given the recent rise of the bottom half of the league – Penn State, Northwestern, Minnesota, Nebraska and Indiana all have pulled major upsets in recent days – there could be more losses to come. The Big Ten may beat itself up to the point that it has no strong candidate for a No. 1 seed.
Big East champion (7). Creighton (18-3) and Villanova (20-2) have taken over the new Big East, and both are playing at a top-10 level according to all the major power ratings. If they continue to dominate the league and don’t suffer any bad defeats, the winner of the regular-season title and/or tournament title and/or the season series between these two could have an argument for top-four inclusion. (However, there is some question as to whether a No. 1 seed has ever lost a home game by 28 points, as Villanova did to Creighton last month.)
Oh yeah, Duke: On Saturday, in an electrifying Carrier Dome, Duke certainly looked the part of a No. 1 seed. But the Blue Devils also have a pair of bad losses on the resume – to Notre Dame and by 13 to Clemson – that will need to be overcome. They may have to win out in the regular season to seriously interject themselves into the top seed debate.
MOST INTRIGUING BUBBLE TEAMS
North Carolina (8). Power ratings: No. 32 Pomeroy, 42 Sagarin, 43 RPI. The Tar Heels have gotten up off the mat, winning three straight to get to .500 in the ACC and put themselves back in the field of 68. For now. Because the only certainty about this UNC team is that there’s no certainty. The Heels don’t have a winning streak of longer than three games all season, and those losses to Belmont, UAB and Wake Forest dilute the strength of victories over Michigan State, Louisville and Kentucky. If UNC can beat all the non-tourney teams remaining on the schedule (Maryland, Notre Dame twice, Wake Forest, Virginia Tech and North Carolina State), it should be OK.
Indiana (9). Power ratings: 55 Pomeroy, 50 Sagarin, 67 RPI. The Hoosiers are on the outside looking in at present, with a losing record in the Big Ten (4-5) and absolutely nothing of note on the resume from non-conference play. But point guard Yogi Ferrell has keyed a couple of big home upsets (Wisconsin and Michigan) and the Hoosiers will have several other opportunities for quality wins in the next month. They’ll likely have to beat someone good on the road to get the attention of the committee.
Northwestern (10). Power ratings: 109 Pomeroy, 85 Sagarin, 118 RPI. As you can see, the computers hate the Wildcats. And there is plenty to hate when you consider losses to Illinois State and DePaul, and the dearth of quality non-conference wins. But they are 5-5 in the Big Ten – their best 10-game mark in a decade – and fourth in the league. Which has to count for something. Northwestern probably will have to win 10 or more league games and do something in the Big Ten tourney to make the field, but this is closer to the Promised Land than the eternally futile Wildcats have gotten in quite some time.
Oregon (11). Power ratings: 40 Pomeroy, 46 Sagarin, 40 RPI. The Ducks are basically the anti-Northwestern. Respectable computer ratings but bombing in conference play at 3-6 – and they visit Arizona and Arizona State this week, making 3-8 a real possibility. There are some good non-conference victories (Georgetown, Mississippi, BYU) but the Pac-12 may not be strong enough to support inclusion of a team with a losing league record.
Colorado (12). Power ratings: 58 Pomeroy, 25 Sagarin, 46 RPI. The poor Buffaloes are trying to stay afloat after losing top player Spencer Dinwiddie for the season to a blown knee Jan. 12. After starting 14-2 overall and 3-0 in the Pac-12, the Buffs are now 16-6 and 5-4. The committee will appraise them on their play without Dinwiddie, so it’s an uphill climb at this point. But it’s also shaping up to be a soft bubble, so it’s far too early for Colorado to abandon hope.
Mississippi (13). Power ratings: 69 Pomeroy, 37 Sagarin, 69 RPI. The Rebels are a house of cards at this point – a 6-2 SEC record built mostly on victories over bad teams. They have to regret some of the close games that got away in the first half of the season (four losses by four points or less, or in overtime). But they have some big opportunities coming up, including Marshall Henderson’s Rupp Arena debut Tuesday night (Lord only knows what he will do). Kentucky and Florida also come to Oxford. A winning SEC record doesn’t figure to be enough unless some of those marquee opponents are among the beaten.
Baylor (14). Power ratings: 54 Pomeroy, 55 Sagarin, 54 RPI. The Bears’ five-game Big 12 tailspin, which included losses to Texas Tech and West Virginia (at home), likely has them on the wrong side of the bubble at present. But they won a big road game at Oklahoma State on Saturday, which buttresses non-conference victories over Kentucky, Colorado and Dayton. Kansas provides an inviting signature-win target Tuesday night in Waco, but there will have to be a lot of victories down the stretch for a team that’s 2-6 in the league.
Louisiana Tech (15). Power ratings: 48 Pomeroy, 34 Sagarin, 78 RPI. There is no computer consensus on Tech, which is 18-5 but playing in a weak Conference USA and lacking marquee opponents the rest of the way. (Playing a 16-game league schedule in a 16-team league means the few quality teams – Southern Mississippi, Louisiana Tech, UTEP – can’t augment their strength of schedule by playing each other twice). The Bulldogs hanging their hat on a win at Oklahoma, but may need to win out in the regular season to have a chance at an at-large bid.
Harvard (16). Power ratings: 34 Pomeroy, 32 Sagarin, 41 RPI. This probably will not be an issue – it would be a shock if the Crimson doesn’t win the Ivy League title. But if for some reason Harvard is dethroned, this will get interesting. The computer ratings are all good, but the best victories are over Green Bay and Vermont – good teams that may win their leagues, but not household names. And there is a 15-point loss to awful Florida Atlantic that needs explaining.
Dayton (17). Power ratings: 65 Pomeroy, 65 Sagarin, 65 RPI. The computers are unanimous in regard to the Flyers, and their appraisal is not flattering. Nor is Dayton’s 2-5 record in the Atlantic-10. But this team has developed a knack for the big win: Gonzaga and Cal on a neutral floor; Ole Miss on the road; George Washington and Iona at home. Is that enough to offset losses to Illinois State, USC and Rhode Island? Probably not yet. But if the Flyers can get to .500 or better in the A-10, the quality wins will create conversation for the selection committee.
COMING FROM WAY OFF-RADAR
Teams that haven’t done much yet, but are getting better and have an opportunity to jump into the bubble/conference championship picture:
St. Joseph’s (18). The Hawks are an NIT team at present, but have won six of their last seven – including victories last week over Dayton and Massachusetts. Now comes the biggest week of the year for Phil Martelli’s team: home games against league-leading Saint Louis on Wednesday and second-place VCU on Saturday. Sweep those two and we will be looking at St. Joe’s in an entirely different light a week from now.
St. John’s (19). In mid-January, the Red Storm was 9-8 overall and 0-5 in the Big East – a bust. Since then the Johnnies have won four out of five and nearly shocked Creighton in Omaha by letting Doug McDermott go wild and covering the heck out of everyone else. On either side of the Creighton loss were blowouts of Butler and Marquette, signaling that a fairly talented team is finally hitting its stride. This is another team with a huge week ahead: at Providence on Wednesday and hosting Creighton on Sunday.
West Virginia (20). Through the Mountaineers' first 25 Big 12 games, they were 7-0 against league dregs Texas Tech and TCU, and 2-16 against the rest of the conference. Then came a redemptive pair of victories last week – at Baylor and over Kansas State – powered by point guard Juwan Staten (50 points, 14 assists). Now Bob Huggins’ team is 5-4 in the league, and if the fan base is re-energized, Oklahoma will find out Wednesday how unfriendly Morgantown can be.
MOST MEMORABLE REGULAR SEASON GAMES
The epic nature of Duke-Syracuse on Saturday got The Minutes to thinking about the regular-season games that stick most in memory. The top-of-the-head list:
Notre Dame 71, UCLA 70 (21). Jan. 19, 1974. The game that ended the Bruins’ record 88-game winning streak, and it happened in dramatic fashion. Down 70-59, the Fighting Irish shut out UCLA over the final 3:30 to pull the stunner, capped by Dwight Clay’s corner jumper and a flurry of UCLA misses near the basket before the buzzer. That signaled the beginning of the end of the Bruins’ dynasty; North Carolina State snapped their seven-year run of national titles that season.
Purdue 72, Indiana 63 (22). Feb. 23, 1985. Otherwise known as the Bob Knight Chair Game. Early in the proceedings, Knight protested a call and was hit with a technical foul. While Steve Reid stood at the foul line in Assembly Hall to shoot the T, Knight hurled his chair from the IU bench across the floor. That earned him an ejection, and then there was a third T for good measure before Knight could be herded off the floor. In a profession with a long, florid and regrettable history of coaching hissy fits, it remains the most shocking.
Kentucky 99, LSU 95 (23). Feb. 15, 1994. The Mardi Gras Miracle. On Fat Tuesday, Rick Pitino’s Wildcats were hopelessly beaten in Baton Rouge, trailing 68-37 in the second half. They proceeded to score 62 points in the remaining 15 minutes, raining 3-pointers on the Tigers to pull out the biggest comeback in Division I history.
Indiana 73, Kentucky 72 (24). Dec. 10, 2011. You almost never see an all-out, berserk, sea-of-humanity court storming at a blueblood program. But these were extraordinary circumstances, at the extraordinary end to an extraordinary game. Christian Watford’s buzzer-beating 3-pointer gave the Hoosiers the upset of the No. 1 Wildcats, announcing Indiana’s return to national contender status. Kentucky won the rematch that mattered – in the NCAA Sweet Sixteen – but this may be Indiana fans’ favorite victory of the last 20-plus years.
Clearly, there are plenty of other options. Send your most memorable regular-season game nominees to The Minutes at Fordesports@yahoo.com and the results will appear in a Future Forde Minutes.
CONFERENCE-BY-CONFERENCE COACH OF THE YEAR RACES
We are smack at the midpoint of most of the power conference seasons, which makes this a good time to take a (preliminary) look at the coaches doing the best work in 2013-14:
American: Mick Cronin (25) of Cincinnati for now. But don’t forget about SMU’s Larry Brown. The Bearcats are 10-0 in the league, two games up in the loss column over Louisville. They are guarding with prototypical Cronin tenacity, but this is also a rapidly improving offensive team. The only significant competition for COY is from the ageless Brown, who has the Mustangs 17-5 and pushing for their first NCAA tournament berth since 1993. Cronin won the first meeting with Brown in Cincy on New Year’s Day; the rematch is Saturday in Dallas.
Atlantic Coast: Jim Boeheim (26) of Syracuse. And no, it’s not close at this point.
Big 12: Rick Barnes (27), Texas. A guy who failed to maximize some incredible talent in recent years now is doing more with far less than usual. The Longhorns are among the youngest teams in the country, and this is not a collection of guys killing time before becoming first-round draft picks. After thumping Kansas, Texas is 17-4, 6-2 in the Big 12. And Barnes has persuasively removed himself from the hot seat.
Big Ten: There are at least four good candidates at this juncture, but give the slight edge to Michigan’s John Beilein (28) – yes, even after the Wolverines coughed up that hairball at Indiana on Sunday. He lost All-American candidate center Mitch McGary 13 games ago, and Michigan is 12-1 in that time. Tom Izzo is giving chase, with his injury-plagued Spartans tied with the Wolverines for first in the league.
Pac-12: Sean Miller (29), Arizona. It’s been a brilliant season in Tucson, surpassing what were already high expectations. If Miller can keep the Wildcats operating at title-contender status without the injured Ashley, he’ll put a hammerlock on this award. If not, Mike Montgomery of California is an option.
Southeastern: Billy Donovan (30), Florida. This is every bit as close as the ACC race. Donovan is the only realistic candidate at this point.
LITERARY CORNER
Kudos to Friend of Minutes Seth Davis (31), the versatile writer/talking head for Sports Illustrated and CBS Sports, for his excellent new book, “Wooden: A Coach’s Life.” Davis ventured into tricky territory with this book, writing about a man who had almost become a secular saint over the years since his retirement at the top of his profession in 1975.
Davis gave due respect and credit to Wooden’s myriad positives and accomplishments without diving headfirst into mythologizing the UCLA legend. That’s been done often enough. Davis dared go where few writers have gone before – in particular, booster Sam Gilbert’s relationship with UCLA basketball. The result is a clear-eyed, compelling appraisal of the most successful coach in college hoops history. Read it.
SATURDAY: SHOT-MAKER’S PARADISE
Rasheed Sulaimon’s shot to tie the Duke-Syracuse game and send it into overtime? Fabulous. But it didn’t win the game for the Blue Devils. Three other shots that beat the buzzer and the opposition Saturday:
Justin Cobbs (32), California. The 6-foot-3 guard’s fall-away baseline jumper over 7-footer Kaleb Tarczewski beat No. 1 and previously undefeated Arizona. The fact that it fell nine-tenths of a second before the final horn also gave us the comical image of Montgomery charging around the court bullying prematurely celebrating students back into the stands, embodying the grumpy old man dealing with these meddling kids.
Glenn Cosey (33), Eastern Kentucky. With the 15-7 Colonels down two and on the brink of a bad home loss to Southeast Missouri State, Cosey brought the ball up in the waning seconds and fired from the Colonel’s hat on the McBrayer Arena floor. His 37-footer banked in as time expired for the win.
Dylan Garrity (34), Sacramento State. The above shots were great. But they’re veritable layups compared to Garrity’s bomb that capped a completely berserk ending to the Weber State-Sac State game. There were three technical fouls and two 3-point shots in the final 15 seconds, with the final play being Garrity’s 75-foot dead swish. That shot may be the difference between Sac State (8-11 overall, 4-6 in the Big Sky) making the seven-team Big Sky conference tournament or being left out. It also allowed the Hornets to beat perennial power Weber State for just the fifth time in last 40 meetings.
ROAD WARRIORS OF THE WEEK
Each week The Minutes salutes the teams that accomplish the most difficult of all tasks in college hoops: winning league games on the road. This week’s honor roll:
Northwestern at Wisconsin and Minnesota. Combine those two victories with the Wildcats’ win at Indiana on Jan. 18 and this is a downright revolution. According to the Big Ten Network, this is Northwestern’s first three-game league road winning streak in 54 years.
Penn State (35) at Ohio State. It’s not just that the Nittany Lions are perennially inferior to the Buckeyes, having lost 18 straight to them. It’s not just that Pat Chambers’ team was 1-6 in the Big Ten. You take those two glum facts, and add this degree of difficult: Penn State was down 11 with eight minutes to play. Yet somehow, the Nittanies battled back and won. They’ve now won three straight Big Ten games, for the first time since the 2011 conference tournament.
Cincinnati (36) at Louisville. The Bearcats had this game totally in control, leading by 17 early in the second half. Then the Cardinals had one of their patented runs, roaring back for a three-point lead with five minutes still to play. Cincy showed its veteran poise and toughness, regrouping and pulling out a three-point victory behind stud guard Sean Kilpatrick.
Baylor at Oklahoma State. The underachieving Bears hadn’t done anything on the road in Big 12 play, and not much at home either. But they went into Gallagher-Iba Arena Saturday and played up to their talent level, leading most of the way and then finishing strong for their best win since beating Kentucky on Dec. 6.
Clemson (37) at Florida State. Why does it matter? Because these are two bubble teams, and road wins against decent opposition will be worth their weight in gold when the selection committee gets down to scrubbing the resumes of the last at-large candidates. Of course, Clemson’s win was only payback for Florida State winning in Littlejohn Coliseum earlier this year.
COACH WHO EARNED HIS COMP CAR THIS WEEK
Craig Robinson (38), Oregon State. The First Brother-In-Law looked like he was headed for a pink slip coming into the season – and that was before his Beavers opened with a loss to Coppin State. But after upsetting UCLA on Sunday and sweeping the Los Angeles schools in Corvallis, Oregon State is part of a five-team tie for fourth place in the Pac-12 at 5-4. The Beavers also have beaten Maryland, Oregon and Stanford, putting together a respectable season amid very low expectations. It still could get ugly before it’s over, but for now Robinson is doing solid work and at least giving his administration an argument for being retained.
COACH WHO SHOULD TAKE THE BUS TO WORK
Travis Ford (39), Oklahoma State. The triple-overtime loss to Iowa State on Monday night was only the latest bad news for Ford’s Cowboys. Earlier in the day, he had to dismiss freshman guard Stevie Clark, who proved to be an incorrigible knucklehead in his short time with the program. Ford’s All-American guard, Marcus Smart, has developed the unseemly habit of flopping for fouls – and bricking shots (4-for-33 from 3-point range his last five games). Once a top-10 team, Oklahoma State has lost four of its last five games. Have a bus token, Travis.
BUZZER BEATER
When hungry in Syracuse, a visit to Dinosaur Bar-B-Que (40) is mandated. The frozen tundra of upstate New York is not the prototypical place to look for good ‘cue, but Dinosaur is legit. Get the ribs and thank The Minutes later.
SEC still stands at the top - in recruiting.
By JOHN ZENOR (AP Sports Writer)
The Southeastern Conference is still reigning supreme on the recruiting trail.
Florida State ended the league's seven-year stranglehold on the national title, but Alabama, Texas A&M, LSU & Co. have been racking up wins in the living rooms of top prospects from across the country.
The Crimson Tide is poised to bring in another top-rated recruiting class on Wednesday's national signing day. Six SEC rivals also have built top 10 classes, according to the 247Sports composite rankings of the major recruiting sites.
''It's kind of a rich get richer kind of thing,'' said JC Shurburtt, national recruiting director for 247Sports.
Based on the rankings, the SEC is cleaning up. ESPN.com has four SEC classes ranked in the top 5: No. 1 Alabama, No. 2 Texas A&M, No. 4 LSU and No. 5 Tennessee.
ESPN national recruiting director Tom Luginbill thinks the Pac-12 stands the best chance of closing the gap on the SEC on Wednesday.
Six of ESPN.com's eight highest rated prospects, and 25 of the top 50, have signed or committed to SEC teams. Five of the 15 prospects with five-star ratings are Alabama bound, including offensive tackle Cameron Robinson and defensive end Da'Shawn Hand. Luginbill calls it ''a sensational class'' that might be Nick Saban's best with the Crimson Tide.
''It may be one of the best classes of offensive line personnel regardless of program and regardless of year,'' he said.
Here are five things to watch from the SEC on signing day and beyond:
TOP AVAILABLE: Several top uncommitted prospects could wind up in the SEC. That includes Gardena, Calif., cornerback Adoree' Jackson, who lists Florida, LSU, UCLA and Southern California among his finalists. The top-rated outside linebacker, Auburn (Ala.) High School's Rashaan Evans, has listed Auburn, Alabama and UCLA as his final choices. New Orleans five-star wide receiver Malachi Dupre's list includes Alabama, LSU, Florida State and UCLA. Shurburtt thinks Evans is the unattached prospect that could have the biggest immediate impact in the SEC. He expects him to join five-star linebacker Tre' Williams at Auburn.
RUNNING BACKS GALORE: SEC teams are hoping they've found future successors to departed star runners like Auburn's Tre Mason and LSU's Jeremy Hill. Four of 247Sports' composite's five five-star running backs appear bound for the SEC, including Georgia commits Sony Michel and Nick Chubb. LSU has top overall prospect Leonard Fournette and Auburn's biggest offensive pledge is Racean ''Roc'' Thomas of Oxford, Ala. ''Leonard Fournette, he's one of the best running back prospects in 10 years,'' Shurburtt said. ''You look at it from that standpoint, the running back talent in the league is already very good, and it's just getting better.''
BEYOND BORDERS: SEC coaches have gone well beyond their own states and regions to snare recruits. Alabama is expected to pull in players from at least 15 states. Texas A&M went beyond its own talent-rich state to pull in wide receiver Speedy Noil from New Orleans and quarterback Kyle Allen from Scottsdale, Ariz. Both are the No. 1 prospects at their positions, according to multiple recruiting sites. Kentucky dipped into Ohio for 11 commitments. And those are just a few examples of the SEC coaches' travels. ''In a way it's not fair,'' Shurburtt said. ''The SEC schools are in the part of the country that produces the most talent. The numbers back that up, and yet they're able to go and cherry-pick guys in other states that are not SEC states.''
POSITION LEADERS: If recruiting rankings are like draft boards, where teams rank players overall and at their position, then the SEC has plenty of first-rounders. Seven SEC pledges are rated the best at their position in the composite rankings out of the 14 spots where the No. 1 guy has committed. Shurburtt said that's sometimes a better gauge than just the number of stars by a player's name.
PASSING FANCY: Gone are quarterbacks Johnny Manziel, AJ McCarron, Aaron Murray and Zach Mettenberger. It's not easy to come right in and start at quarterback in the SEC, but five of 247Sports' top six pro-style quarterbacks are entering the league. They've all already enrolled, including Texas A&M's Allen, Florida's Will Grier, Alabama's David Cornell, Georgia's Jacob Park and Kentucky's Drew Barker.
It could make for some interesting competitions.
Stop using Games for cheap political gain: IOC chief.
By Karolos Grohmann
The Sochi Winter Olympics are a purely sporting event which should not be used by uninvited guests to score political points, International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach said on Tuesday.
In a clear reference to world leaders who publicly refused to attend the first Winter Games in Russia, Bach said in an address in the host Russian city that some of them had not even been invited.
"In the extreme we had to see a few politicians whose contribution to the fight for a good cause consisted of publicly declining invitations they had not even received," Bach told an audience which included Russian President Vladimir Putin.
French President Francois Hollande, British Prime Minister David Cameron and German President Joachim Gauck, among others, announced they would not attend the February 7-23 Games without providing a reason.
The United States, which is sending lower-ranking officials that in recent Olympics, has in its delegation to Sochi three openly gay members including former tennis champion Billie Jean King.
Russia has faced criticism over its human rights record and a recent anti-gay propaganda law which opponents say curtails the rights of homosexuals in the country.
U.S. President Barack Obama will not attend the Sochi Games.
President George W. Bush visited Beijing during the 2008 Olympics, first lady Michelle Obama headed the U.S. delegation to the 2012 London Games, while Vice President Joe Biden performed that role at the 2010 Vancouver winter Olympics.
POLITICAL DISSENT
"We are very grateful to the many political leaders around the world who have understood and respect this power of sport...who know what positive effect sport has on education, health and for the cohesion of societies," Bach, elected to the top post in September, said.
"We are grateful to those who respect the fact that sport can only contribute to development and peace if it is not used as a stage for political dissent or for trying to score points in internal or external political contests."
His comments mark a sharp shift from predecessor Jacques Rogge, who avoided direct political references in issues relating to the Games.
"To other political leaders we say: please understand what our responsibilities are and what your responsibilities are," said Bach, a lawyer by profession.
"Have the courage to address your disagreements in a peaceful direct political dialogue and not on the backs of the athletes. It is my deepest conviction that this would also be in your well-understood long-term political interest."
Bach has repeatedly said the IOC was not a "supra-national" organization that could solve conflicts on its own.
He added: "People have a very good understanding of what it really means to single out the Olympic Games to make an ostentatious gesture which allegedly costs nothing but produces international headlines."
The Communist Soviet Union also hosted an Olympics, the 1980 Moscow summer Games, which were boycotted by a number of Western nations at the height of the Cold War.
The expected $51-billion price tag makes the Sochi Games the most expensive Olympics but Putin told IOC members that other countries could in future draw on Russia's experiences when preparing for other major sports events.
The expected $51-billion price tag makes the Sochi Games the most expensive Olympics but Putin told IOC members that other countries could in future draw on Russia's experiences when preparing for other major sports events.
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