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How 'bout them Chicago Blackhawks? Blackhawks shuffle lines, beat Blue Jackets 6-1.
By JAY COHEN (AP Sports Writer)
Andrew Shaw and Jonathan Toews had two goals apiece, and the Chicago Blackhawks beat the Columbus Blue Jackets 6-1 on Thursday night.
Brandon Bollig and Bryan Bickell also scored as Chicago bounced back from a 4-2 home loss to Colorado on Tuesday night. Corey Crawford made 22 saves for his 10th consecutive victory against Columbus.
Ryan Johansen scored his 25th goal for the Blue Jackets, who had won three in a row. Sergei Bobrovsky made 14 stops before he was pulled during the Blackhawks' three-goal second period.
The Stanley Cup champions had managed just eight goals while dropping three of four, and five of those came against Pittsburgh at Soldier Field on Saturday. That prompted coach Joel Quenneville to shuffle his lines, putting Shaw with Toews and Saad in the top group and moving Patrick Sharp to the second line with Michal Handzus and Patrick Kane.
It worked.
After Johansen took advantage of a bad line change to tie it at 1 at 7:56 of the first, it was all Blackhawks. They outshot the Blue Jackets 33-23 for the game and lead the NHL with 221 goals.
Shaw sparked the runaway win when he made the most of a terrific pass by Sheldon Brookbank, beating Bobrovsky into the upper right corner with 3:16 left in the first. Brookbank's long pass banked off the boards and sprung Shaw for a breakaway on the right side of the ice.
Chicago added three more in the second, highlighted by Brandon Saad's impressive series of moves that set up Toews for an easy score.
Saad skated around James Wisniewski and Nathan Horton before he was stopped by Bobrovsky. The rebound went right back to Saad, who passed to Toews on the other side of the net to make it 3-1 eight minutes into the second.
Bickell had a rebound score that chased Bobrovsky and Brent Seabrook's slap shot went off Shaw and past Curtis McElhinney with 2:16 left in the period. It was the 16th goal for Shaw, who stopped an 11-game drought.
Toews added a power-play goal in the third for his 24th of the season. The captain has five goals and an assist in the last three games.
It was more than enough for Crawford, who improved to 10-2-0 in his career against the Blue Jackets. He made a nice save on Matt Calvert's backhand in the first and turned away Nick Foligno on a close opportunity in the second.
NOTES: Blue Jackets D Nikita Nikitin left in the second period with an upper body injury. ... Blackhawks C Peter Regin missed the morning skate, but Quenneville said he was resting and he managed to play in the game. ... The Blue Jackets scratched LW Blake Comeau, RW Corey Tropp and Ds Ryan Murray and Cody Goloubef. ... Ds David Rundblad and Michal Rozsvial, plus injured F Marian Hossa, were the scratches for the Blackhawks.
Bear Down Chicago Bears!!! Hester says Bears 'parting ways' with him.
By ANDREW SELIGMAN (AP Sports Writer)
Record-setting returner Devin Hester said Wednesday he will not be back with the Chicago Bears next season.
''From my knowledge, I know that Chicago wants to go a different route with me,'' Hester told the NFL Network. ''All I can say is thanks to the fans for their support. They've always been great to me. Always been loyal. I couldn't have played for a better city than those guys. At the end of my career, I do want to retire as a member of the Bears.''
He added the Bears are ''parting ways'' with him. The team declined comment.
It looks as if Hester will hit the open market as an unrestricted free agent after an eight-year run with the Bears that produced no shortage of highlights.
He matched Hall of Famer Deion Sanders' NFL record with his 19th return for a touchdown last season, tying his friend and mentor with an 81-yard punt return at Washington in October. It was Hester's 13th punt return for a TD, extending his own record in that category.
He has also returned five kickoffs and one missed field goal for touchdowns.
A three-time Pro Bowl pick, Hester is best remembered by Bears fans for returning the opening kickoff in the 2007 Super Bowl for a touchdown. He ran it back 92 yards for a score in a game the Bears went on to lose to Indianapolis.
Hester endured several lulls on returns during his career, particularly when the Bears tried to make him a receiver. But he showed some of his old form while focusing solely on returns last season.
His touchdown return against Washington was his first in nearly two years. Hester led the NFL with a career-high 1,436 kick return yards on a league-high 52 tries, and he returned five kickoffs for a team-record 249 yards against Minnesota in September.
Now, it looks like he's moving on.
Hester expressed interest in reuniting with former coach Lovie Smith in Tampa Bay.
''I look at Lovie as my number one coach right now because he's the one that took a chance on me coming out of the draft,'' Hester said. ''He has all my respect so if he's a guy that is going to shoot at me and want me to come play with him again, my arms are open.''
The news from Hester comes on the same day the Bears terminated the contract of punter Adam Podlesh and signed defensive tackle Jeremiah Ratliff to a two-year deal.
A four-time Pro Bowl pick, Ratliff started four of the five games he played in after signing with Chicago in November. He spent the first six weeks with Dallas on the physically unable to perform list before being released in mid-October, with the Cowboys saying he failed a physical. Ratliff missed the final six games in 2012 with a groin injury that required surgery.
The Bears, who had one of their worst defensive seasons ever, saw enough good things to bring him back.
Ratliff had 14 1/2 tackles and 1 1/2 sacks with Chicago. In nine seasons with the Cowboys and Bears, he has 331 1/2 tackles and 28 1/2 sacks.
The Bears have signed 10 players who were due to become unrestricted free agents March 11, most of any team in the NFL.
Free agency begins Tuesday, cap at $133 million.
By BARRY WILNER (AP Pro Football Writer)
Let the bidding binges begin.
While Polian makes the point that the really elite players don't ever become available in free agency, the 2014 class is filled with former All-Pros and Pro Bowlers. They come in all sizes for all jobs, from pass rushers Jared Allen, Justin Tuck and Antonio Smith to running backs Maurice Jones-Drew and Willis McGahee.
The crop is spiced by a deep class of wide receivers, from those just emerging as standouts (Julian Edelman, Golden Tate, Eric Decker, Emmanuel Sanders) to those more established (Hakeem Nicks, James Jones, Santana Moss). Hardly a surprise, it is not filled with potential starting quarterbacks; the top names are Josh McCown, Chad Henne, Matt Cassel and Michael Vick.
And, as former NFL executive Pat Kirwan, who was involved in the development of the free agency process more than two decades ago, points out, ''Once some of these guys sign, there will be even more players out there who are available because teams have to cut guys to make room for the new ones they sign.''
For now, teams looking for coverage guys might be enticed by Alterraun Verner, who had a breakout season with the Titans and picked off five passes. Or by Aqib Talib, a shutdown cornerback when healthy, but who comes with some off-field baggage.
Clubs such as Miami, with massive holes on the offensive line, could target the likes of tackles Eugene Monroe, Jared Veldheer, Branden Albert or Michael Oher, guards Zane Beadles or Willie Colon, or center Brian de la Puente.
And don't forget the franchised or transition players who could be had, with heavy compensation. Is All-Pro tight end Jimmy Graham worth two first-round draft picks, plus however many dollar signs it takes to sign him away from New Orleans? Would Cleveland match any offers for Alex Mack, one of the best centers ever to reach free agency, albeit as a transition guy?
''Beauty is in the eye of the beholder,'' Colts general manager Ryan Gregson says. ''I might like someone in a position group that Team B, C, D and E looked at two plays and didn't fit their scheme, or didn't fit them from a character standpoint - what have you - with the information their scouting departments are giving them at the end of the day.
''It's a process and something you have to chip away every day just to have that overall picture in your mind to see if it meshes with what you, your head coach and all your staff kind of sees as our vision moving forward.''
Several teams have chosen to let key players test the waters, including the two Super Bowl participants.
NFL champion Seattle could lose such starters as Tate, cornerback Brandon Browner, tackle Breno Giacomini and defensive end Michael Bennett, plus placekicker Steven Hauschka. Possible departures from Denver are Decker, Beadles, cornerbacks Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and Champ Bailey, DEs Robert Ayers and Shaun Phillips, running back Knowshon Moreno and linebacker Wesley Woodyard.
Both franchises have said they want to keep as much cohesion as they can, something Polian finds wise.
''If your own players are quality and can help you win, then it is better off to pay them, I have always believed,'' Polian says. ''It's better than what you can find in the market, and you know them better than you know a player from another team. It's a player you know and believe in and who has no adjustment coming into your system. It is pretty seamless.''
Tailenders tend to not have those kind of players, though. They also often have tons of money available, exactly the case with Oakland, Cleveland and Jacksonville, all 4-12 in 2013. The Raiders have about $65 million on hand, the Jaguars have more than $59 million, and the Browns around $56 million.
Such deep pockets guarantee absolutely nothing, of course.
''Whether you have a little money or a lot, the dangers are the same, it's just a question of degree,'' Polian says. ''You don't know the player as well as the player coming out in the draft, and certainly not as well as your player.
''Football is not a seamless transition. Systems change, people have a difficult time adjusting to begin with, and then if they have a system change or technique change it is even worse. It may take him a year to get adjusted, and that is a year you lost and paid big money for.
''That said, there are some holes you have to fill on your club.''
Let the bidding binges begin.
AP SportsFree agency begins Tuesday, cap at $133 million.
By BARRY WILNER (AP Pro Football Writer)
Let the bidding binges begin.
Armed with another $10 million or so to spend thanks to the increased salary cap, NFL teams dive into free agency on Tuesday. By the end of the week, most of the top prizes will be signed, to the tune of enough money to fund a small government.
The process will continue for months, with many of the real bargains not moving to new teams or rejoining their previous clubs until well after the early auctioning.
''Free agency in and of itself is an overpayment situation,'' says former NFL executive Bill Polian, who built three Super Bowl teams and now is an analyst for ESPN and SiriusXM. ''That's why the union fought so hard to get it.
''These are essentially 'B' players whose agents are looking for 'A' money. Some situations teams are forced to deal with, and you have to bite the bullet and do it.' ''
The process will continue for months, with many of the real bargains not moving to new teams or rejoining their previous clubs until well after the early auctioning.
''Free agency in and of itself is an overpayment situation,'' says former NFL executive Bill Polian, who built three Super Bowl teams and now is an analyst for ESPN and SiriusXM. ''That's why the union fought so hard to get it.
''These are essentially 'B' players whose agents are looking for 'A' money. Some situations teams are forced to deal with, and you have to bite the bullet and do it.' ''
While Polian makes the point that the really elite players don't ever become available in free agency, the 2014 class is filled with former All-Pros and Pro Bowlers. They come in all sizes for all jobs, from pass rushers Jared Allen, Justin Tuck and Antonio Smith to running backs Maurice Jones-Drew and Willis McGahee.
The crop is spiced by a deep class of wide receivers, from those just emerging as standouts (Julian Edelman, Golden Tate, Eric Decker, Emmanuel Sanders) to those more established (Hakeem Nicks, James Jones, Santana Moss). Hardly a surprise, it is not filled with potential starting quarterbacks; the top names are Josh McCown, Chad Henne, Matt Cassel and Michael Vick.
And, as former NFL executive Pat Kirwan, who was involved in the development of the free agency process more than two decades ago, points out, ''Once some of these guys sign, there will be even more players out there who are available because teams have to cut guys to make room for the new ones they sign.''
For now, teams looking for coverage guys might be enticed by Alterraun Verner, who had a breakout season with the Titans and picked off five passes. Or by Aqib Talib, a shutdown cornerback when healthy, but who comes with some off-field baggage.
Clubs such as Miami, with massive holes on the offensive line, could target the likes of tackles Eugene Monroe, Jared Veldheer, Branden Albert or Michael Oher, guards Zane Beadles or Willie Colon, or center Brian de la Puente.
And don't forget the franchised or transition players who could be had, with heavy compensation. Is All-Pro tight end Jimmy Graham worth two first-round draft picks, plus however many dollar signs it takes to sign him away from New Orleans? Would Cleveland match any offers for Alex Mack, one of the best centers ever to reach free agency, albeit as a transition guy?
''Beauty is in the eye of the beholder,'' Colts general manager Ryan Gregson says. ''I might like someone in a position group that Team B, C, D and E looked at two plays and didn't fit their scheme, or didn't fit them from a character standpoint - what have you - with the information their scouting departments are giving them at the end of the day.
''It's a process and something you have to chip away every day just to have that overall picture in your mind to see if it meshes with what you, your head coach and all your staff kind of sees as our vision moving forward.''
Several teams have chosen to let key players test the waters, including the two Super Bowl participants.
NFL champion Seattle could lose such starters as Tate, cornerback Brandon Browner, tackle Breno Giacomini and defensive end Michael Bennett, plus placekicker Steven Hauschka. Possible departures from Denver are Decker, Beadles, cornerbacks Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and Champ Bailey, DEs Robert Ayers and Shaun Phillips, running back Knowshon Moreno and linebacker Wesley Woodyard.
Both franchises have said they want to keep as much cohesion as they can, something Polian finds wise.
''If your own players are quality and can help you win, then it is better off to pay them, I have always believed,'' Polian says. ''It's better than what you can find in the market, and you know them better than you know a player from another team. It's a player you know and believe in and who has no adjustment coming into your system. It is pretty seamless.''
Tailenders tend to not have those kind of players, though. They also often have tons of money available, exactly the case with Oakland, Cleveland and Jacksonville, all 4-12 in 2013. The Raiders have about $65 million on hand, the Jaguars have more than $59 million, and the Browns around $56 million.
Such deep pockets guarantee absolutely nothing, of course.
''Whether you have a little money or a lot, the dangers are the same, it's just a question of degree,'' Polian says. ''You don't know the player as well as the player coming out in the draft, and certainly not as well as your player.
''Football is not a seamless transition. Systems change, people have a difficult time adjusting to begin with, and then if they have a system change or technique change it is even worse. It may take him a year to get adjusted, and that is a year you lost and paid big money for.
''That said, there are some holes you have to fill on your club.''
Let the bidding binges begin.
Just another Chicago Bulls Session… Augustin, Noah lead Bulls past Pistons 105-94.
The Chicago Bulls didn't get a great night from their starters Wednesday. Their backups made sure they didn't need one.
Reserves D.J. Augustin and Taj Gibson combined for 48 points on 18-of-30 shooting as the Bulls beat the Detroit Pistons 105-94 for their fifth win in six games. The Bulls only led by one point going into the fourth, but Augustin and Gibson had 20 of Chicago's 34 in the fourth.
''A lot of guys are stepping up on this team right now,'' Gibson said. ''Everyone is working hard and helping in whatever way we need. The guys are just focused on the team right now.''
Both coaches went with seven-man rotations for most of the game, but Chicago's duo completely outmatched Rodney Stuckey and Will Bynum. They finished with 12 points on 5-of-20 shooting, including a 1-for-11 night from Bynum.
''Will played his heart out, just like he always does,'' Pistons coach John Loyer said. ''He gives us everything he's got every night, but there are going to be some games where the ball just rolls off the rim. They've got two very good players coming off the bench - Gibson has done that all year for them and Augustin has been like that since he got to Chicago.''
Joakim Noah finished with 10 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists for his sixth career triple-double, including two in the last three games and three in the last month, while Jimmy Butler had 18 points and 12 rebounds.
''Jo's our leader, and a triple-double is nothing to him,'' Butler said. ''We are starting to expect that from him. He does so many things well that it makes it easier for the rest of us.''
Greg Monroe led Detroit with 27 points, but the Pistons struggled all night to get anything going from the outside. They took 34 shots from outside the paint, and only hit nine (26.5 percent), including 2-of-11 on 3-pointers. In contrast, the Bulls hit 46.7 percent from outside.
''They hit shots, especially in the fourth quarter, and they picked up their intensity on defense,'' Loyer said. ''We didn't match that, and when you do that against a playoff team, you aren't going to win many games.''
Detroit led for most of the second quarter, but appeared to get rattled by an official's decision. Smith was driving for a layup that would have made it 43-34, but the shot was blocked by Mike Dunleavy. Smith didn't get back on defense, staying near the basket to argue the call, and Jimmy Butler got an easy alley-oop dunk at the other end.
Smith was then called for a technical, and Augustin hit the free throw to make it a four-point game.
Chicago scored the next four points to tie the game, and a technical called on Loyer with 3.7 seconds left in the half helped the Bulls take a 52-47 lead at the intermission.
The Pistons narrowed the gap to 71-70 in the third quarter, but Augustin and Gibson kept scoring off the bench to help Chicago stay in front. Augustin's three-point play early in the fourth keyed an 11-2 run to start the period, putting the Bulls up by 10.
''We talk about how we want to finish games, and we were real strong coming out for the fourth,'' Chicago coach Tom Thibodeau said. ''Our defense was strong, and our ball movement was good. Hitting the open guy makes a big difference.''
Augustin wasn't finished, either. His 3-pointer gave the Bulls a 15-point lead with six minutes to go, and the Pistons never threatened down the stretch.
''They just outplayed us in the fourth quarter,'' Andre Drummond said. ''They are a very disciplined team that prides itself on defense. We hung with them for three quarters, but they ran their offense in the fourth quarter and outexecuted us.''
NOTES: Loyer's technical at the end of the first was called in a highly unusual manner. Loyer was discussing a call with official Olandis Poole, who showed no indication of calling anything, but John Goble rang him up from 30 feet away. ... Gibson and Brandon Jennings picked up technicals arguing calls in the second half. Gibson left the game with 3:39 to play after rolling his right ankle, but returned moments later. ... IndyCar champion Scott Dixon was honored during the first half as part of a promotion for the Detroit Grand Prix.
Grizzlies-Bulls Preview.
By JORDAN GARRETSON (STATS Writer)
The Chicago Bulls and Memphis Grizzlies trudged through the season's first two months as two of the most disappointing teams in the NBA.
Since the turn of the new year, they've been two of the league's best.
Chicago will be looking for its 11th victory in 13 games Friday night when it hosts Memphis.
The Bulls (34-27) and Grizzlies (34-26) were a combined 25-35 from October-December, but they're 43-18 since. Chicago has been particularly good recently, winning five straight at home by an average of 19.6 points.
Balanced scoring has keyed the Bulls on the offensive end, with reserves D.J. Augustin and Taj Gibson combining for 48 points in Wednesday's 105-94 win at Detroit. Eight players have scored 19-plus at least once during the 10-2 stretch.
"A lot of guys are stepping up on this team right now," said Gibson, who is averaging 13.4 points - 4.4 better than his previous career high. "Everyone is working hard and helping in whatever way we need. The guys are just focused on the team right now."
Joakim Noah tallied 10 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists for his sixth career triple-double and second in three games. He's averaging 13.3 points, 11.5 rebounds and 7.2 assists while shooting 54.0 percent over his last 13 contests.
However, Noah has been relatively ineffective over his last six starts versus Memphis, averaging 7.3 points on 41.9 percent shooting. Carlos Boozer's 20.1 career scoring average against the Grizzlies is his highest versus any team.
Memphis will be trying to bounce back from a 103-94 loss at Brooklyn on Wednesday, outscoring the Nets 34-16 in the final quarter to make the final margin closer. The Grizzlies shot 43.0 percent after knocking down 53.3 percent of their shots over the previous three games.
Mike Conley shot 0 for 8 against the Nets, marking the first time in more than four years he failed to make a shot on at least six attempts. Conley, who also matched a season high with six turnovers, was coming off 22- and 20-point performances in back-to-back wins over Cleveland and Washington.
"It was a tough night," coach Dave Joerger said. "We had some guys really, really struggle tonight."
Ed Davis was scoreless over 13 minutes while starting in his place, while Jon Leuer scored a team-high 19 off the bench.
Randolph was limited to 10 points on 4-of-15 shooting in a 95-91 home loss to Chicago on Dec. 30. Jimmy Butler scored a season-high 26 for the Bulls as both teams committed 21 turnovers.
Randolph, tied with Conley for the team lead with 17.3 points per game, is averaging 8.8 points on 27.8 percent shooting in his last four matchups with the Bulls.
Chicago has been dominant on the boards during the 10-2 spurt, averaging a plus-10.8 margin.
Memphis averages a plus-2.6 margin but has been outrebounded in eight of its last 14 games.
The Bulls are 14-4 all-time at home against the Grizzlies.
By hiring Ted Lilly, Cubs add some attitude to the organization.
By Patrick Mooney
Theodore Roosevelt Lilly III is back.
The Cubs hired Lilly as a special assistant to president of baseball operations Theo Epstein and general manager Jed Hoyer, recognizing a recent history that usually gets glossed over or distorted in this rebuild.
Lilly is a reminder of a Cubs Way that won back-to-back division titles in 2007 and 2008, jamming more than 6.5 million people into Wrigley Field and turning Clark and Addison into a huge block party.
During the 2008 pennant race, Lilly running over St. Louis Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina at home plate became the ideal vision of the rivalry for Cubs fans. Lilly has been identified as the guy who smashed the water pipe in Dodger Stadium’s visiting dugout after a heartbreaking three-game sweep.
“I want to stay in the game,” Lilly said. “I would love to keep playing, too, but at this point I’m sure that I’m retired from being on the field. I want to be around the game and I feel like I have something to offer. This is the organization I would prefer to be with.”
Lilly sat in between Epstein and Hoyer behind home plate during Tuesday’s 6-4 victory over the Oakland A’s at Cubs Park. Lilly didn’t have a personal connection with the executives, but they watched the stubborn lefty compete in the brutal American League East with the Toronto Blue Jays. The conversations began in January during Cubs Convention.
“I really liked what he had to say,” Hoyer said. “A lot of guys want to sort of get back in, but they don’t really want to work that much. He made it clear right away that he wanted to work.
“I do like the fact that he was with a Cubs team that won 97 games. They had success. And as we try to figure out how to build a winner in Chicago, he’s a guy that was part of it.”
Lilly looked like just another guy in Wrigleyville, and he didn’t throw 100 mph, but he figured out how to win 130 games and throw almost 2,000 innings in the big leagues.
“He knows how to pitch,” said Jeff Samardzija, the last player remaining from that 2008 team. “He knows how to play the game and most importantly he can (show) that attitude you need as a pitcher. I can vouch that many times Teddy wasn’t 100 percent when he was pitching.
“We called him Teddy Ballgame for a reason.”
A military code had been ingrained in Lilly’s family, with his great-grandfather serving as a Rough Rider under Teddy Roosevelt. Lilly will be remembered for slamming his glove to the ground after throwing the fastball Chris Young crushed for a three-run homer during the Arizona Diamondbacks’ 2007 division-series sweep.
There was the time in 2010 when Lilly dove headfirst trying to steal second base…in an A-ball game…during a rehab start…five months after shoulder surgery.
“Teddy loved to play baseball and I think that gets overlooked sometimes nowadays,” Samardzija said. “What’s the guy’s passion for the game? What does he want to bring to the game? How much does he want to leave on the field? Teddy left it all out there.
“Hopefully, he can take that and turn it into evaluation that’s more than just tools and how hard a guy throws. What’s his makeup as a person and as a player? That’s always very important. Sometimes it’s overlooked, (especially) with all the numbers and computers that play into the game. Sometimes there’s another aspect to it that doesn’t show up on a screen.”
Lilly, 38, will visit minor-league affiliates, do some amateur scouting and take on special assignments while trying to figure out exactly what he wants to do with the rest of his life. He has two young kids and a third one on the way, so family obligations mean he’s not prepared to become a full-time pitching coach.
“Potentially someday,” Lilly said. “Right now, it’s not something that I’m thinking about. The commitment that is necessary – at this point – is not something that I’m ready for.”
Neck issues limited Lilly to only 13 starts with the Dodgers across the last two seasons. But he absolutely lived up to the four-year, $40 million deal he made in December 2006, before the franchise's financial reckoning and while former Cubs general manager Jim Hendry was hooked up to an EKG machine during a heart procedure.
“The experiences that I had the first couple years here winning were incredible,” Lilly said. “They put together a team that was expected to win. We didn’t accomplish the ultimate goal of winning the World Series. But it was such a great experience. We had so many professionals in the clubhouse, guys that went about it the right way. That’s why I’ll always refer to those two years in Chicago as the best years that I’ve had as a player.”
Five share lead of at weather hit WGC-Cadillac.
Reuters; By Steve Keating, Editing by Greg Stutchbury
American Harris English birdied his final hole in fading light to grab the clubhouse lead at the weather hit WGC-Cadillac Championship on Thursday with most of the field still on the course when play was suspended due to darkness.
English, who returned a three-under 69 on the revamped Blue Monster course was joined at the top of a crowded leaderboard with compatriots Hunter Mahan, Jason Dufner, Patrick Reed and Italian Francesco Molinari also on three-under, though they still have to complete their first rounds.
The redesigned course was put to an early test as a violent storm swept across south Florida drenching the Doral resort causing a two hour, 24 minute weather delay that allowed only six of the 68 players to complete their rounds.
English, who has four top 10 finishes in his last five PGA Tour starts, ended his day in spectacular style rolling a 47-foot birdie putt on the par-three ninth to complete an error free back nine.
"We were pretty much running to the tee on nine." English told reporters. "Jonas (Blixt) had just birdied eight and he said he wanted to hit, and Brendon (De Jonge) and I were very happy with that.
"It was getting really dark, very quickly, but I wanted to finish the hole, because it really changes the way you approach the day, waking up and playing one hole at 8:00 in the morning and then waiting around for three or four hours for your tee time. (It) is tough to do.
"That way in the morning, we can have a normal day."
Dufner, who got his round off to a blazing start with four successive birdies from the 11th, missed a chance to hold the outright lead when his six-foot par putt on the seventh rolled past the cup to take a bogey with two holes still to play.
Mahan will have four holes to complete, Molinari five and Reed seven when first round action resumes on Friday.
Lurking one shot behind the leaders on two-under is a pack of seven golfers led by Australian world number two Adam Scott, who will have a chance replace Tiger Woods at the top of the rankings if he wins on Sunday.
While Woods struggled with his putter, Scott reeled off seven successive pars to open his round before picking up his first birdie at the eighth then draining in a 12-footer at the ninth.
WOODS STRUGGLES
Woods, who pulled out of the final round of the Honda Classic on Sunday with a sore back, labored to two-over slumping off the course with a bogey at the 10th to leave him five behind the leaders and eight holes required to complete his round.
"Warmup was good and I felt good all day even through the delay," said Woods, refusing to blame any of this troubles on back spasms. "I'm ready to go back out tomorrow and play well.
"Hopefully tomorrow I can get back out there in the morning, play well and work back to even par by the end of the first round. Then shoot a low one in the afternoon."
Rory McIlroy, looking to rebound from a final round back nine meltdown and playoff loss at the Honda Classic last Sunday, got his day off to a flying start with birdies on three of his opening four holes.
But after a bogey-birdie wobble at 14 and 15 the Northern Irishman suddenly lost his form finishing his first nine with back-to-back bogeys.
Another bogey at the fourth and the double major winner found himself among another large group at one-under with four to play.
"Of course I wanted to get a fast start," said McIlroy. "I'm playing well and I'm comfortable with my game.
"So I wasn't going to let one bad day last week sort of derail the good path that I'm on.
"I said I'd be happy with anything under par from this round and I'm still on course for that. I'm happy with the way I played and I'd like to get something in the 60s and I'd be happy with that."
Aside from Scott it was not a fantastic start for the Australian contingent with world number four Jason Day withdrawing due to a thumb injury.
Brett Rumford then carded an ugly 11 on his opening hole, the par five 10th, which was followed by two more bogeys to leave him last in the elite field at eight-over still with six holes to go.
Power Rankings: It's just like old times as Brad Keselowski is Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s No. 2.
By Nick Bromberg
Dale Earnhardt Jr. wins the Daytona 500
1. Dale Earnhardt Jr. (LW: 1): One way to stay at the top of Power Rankings is to run second after you win the seasin's opening race. Much has been made about the "go for it" strategy that crew chief Steve Letarte and Junior employed in chasing after Kevin Harvick because of Junior's 500 win. It was all due to the new Chase format, right? More on this in Happy Hour on Thursday, but let's hold off on making rash judgments on how strategy and racing has already been affected.
2. Brad Keselowski (LW: 3): It's just like the JR Motorsports days when @Kes was driving the No. 88 Navy car. Hell, both he and Junior would have needed a Navy armada to stop Kevin Harvick from whomping the field on Sunday. With that Alliance Truck Parts paint scheme he ran on Sunday, his car looked downright 2013-Nationwide-Series-Sam Hornishian. And with a third-place finish, drove like Hornish in the Nationwide Series last year too. And no, that's not a diss.
3. Kevin Harvick (LW: 11): When you win half of the races in a season to date, you get to make an incredible vault through the Power Rankings standings. Harvick's car was untouchable throughout the race and while it wouldn't have reached "travesty" territory had a mistake on one of those restarts cost him a win, it would have sure been a stark departure from the race's storyline. Here's a thought, Jimmy John's. Your No. 4 sandwich is your "original," so why not have a $4 No. 4 in the days after a Harvick win? I'll charge you $4 for that idea when you enact it.
4. Jeff Gordon (LW: 5): Got a lot of heat about Jeff Gordon being in fifth last week, so congratulations, haters, he's now in fourth. And maybe you all just missed Power Rankings over the offseason and needed something to gripe about. Speaking of gripes, after reviewing the photo evidence and the video, Gordon has a very good case that he should have finished third in the Daytona 500. Hopefully a single point doesn't come down to deciding Gordon's Chase. And if it did, well, he's got a good case for Brian France to intervene.
5. Jimmie Johnson (LW: 4): After finishing sixth, Johnson said his team was just a bit off. This is why the No. 48 team scares fans of every other driver. Instead of taking a top-six and a good points day, Johnson's insistence that the team learned a lot about the car and that they hadn't completely figured out their setups reinforces why this team has won six championships. And lots of people don't like being reminded of that.
6. Denny Hamlin (LW: 2): One general idea can sum up a lot of driver's Phoenix race, and that includes Hamlin. After being caught a lap down when a caution flag came out in the midst of green flag pit stops, he never was able to work his way back into the top 10 after taking the wavearound. Because of the lack of tire wear, late-race pit stops for fresh tires didn't help, and Hamlin ended up 19th. Really, it's like a mad libs. You can plug in about five drivers for Hamlin's name.
7. Joey Logano (LW: NR): How much should we applaud Logano for taking that look to Harvick's inside on the final restart? After all, it was his only shot at getting the lead. There was no way he was going to keep up with Harvick over the race's final nine laps, so he needed to get the lead right away and hope like hell that he could hold on to it. It didn't matter, as he didn't get enough of a run to make the pass count. And fourth is a good points day that could come in handy later in the year.
8. Matt Kenseth (LW: 6): Here's where it kind of starts to get messy. Kenseth is here because he finished sixth at Daytona and wasn't horrible at Phoenix, finishing 12th. He also gets to be in the mad libs category with Hamlin, as that's a nice summation of Kenseth's day. But hey, it was a better race than his last time at Phoenix, right? We're here to look on the bright side for you, Flatline.
9. Carl Edwards (LW: NR): After crashing across the finish line in Daytona, Edwards went back to Phoenix and got an eighth place finish. So welcome to Power Rankings! He started fairly deep in the field and was forced to work his way up, but he settled into the back half of the top 10 when he got near the front.
10. Greg Biffle (LW: 8): Did Biffle even run at Phoenix? Yes, he did, and he finished 17th. And he even started sixth too. But he wasn't able to maintain that short-run speed he showed and toiled near the end of the lead lap for the last half of the race. But given how many cars got lapped during Sunday's race, it's not an incredibly damning statement.
11. Kyle Busch (LW: NR): We don't get to take the Nationwide Series race into account in Power Rankings, otherwise Busch would be a tad higher. The prowess that he showed in the rain-shortened victory wasn't mechanically there on Sunday, but Busch finished 9th and it's on to his hometown.
12. Ryan Newman (LW: NR): Newman crashed off the bumper of his teammate in the 500 and was far and away the best car of his team at Phoenix. Newman finished seventh while Paul Menard was 23rd and Austin Dillon was 24th. It was reminiscent of Harvick's performance in relation to his teammates at RCR. Is this a trend, or just an aberration and the three RCR cars will be closer together than they were last year?
Neymar surprises young fan during Brazil-South Africa friendly.
By Angela Sun
Watching Brazil play soccer can inspire many different things. The fashion in which the squad from this year's host nation of the FIFA World Cup perform on the pitch gives special meaning to the term "beautiful game." And for one young fan who was in attendance of the South Africa-Brazil friendly in Johannesburg Wednesday, watching his heroes became an up-close-and-personal experience.
A little tyke somehow made his way on to the field and was initially led away by security. But that's when Neymar interceded on the interloper's behalf. The 22-year-old Barcelona star saved the diminutive cutie from being shepherded away and introduced him to the rest of the Brazilian national team. The players then treated the kid like a hero and Neymar took a photo with him before the match crasher eventually left. And perhaps the goodwill move was good luck for Neymar: he scored a hat trick in a 5-0 result.
NCAA tournament dream match-ups.
By JOHN MARSHALL (AP Basketball Writer)
March Madness is ramping up with the conference tournaments starting this week and the NCAA tournament just around the corner.
With the excitement building, it seems like a good time to start looking at match-ups.
We're not talking seedings, potential upsets, things like that.
This will be more of a dream sequence, sort of like when Fletch played for the Lakers.
We know the selection committee isn't going to listen and most of these won't happen, but it's always fun to think what if.
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Creighton's Doug McDermott against Duke's Jabari Parker. McDermott may be the front-runner for national player of the year, but Parker hasn't had too bad of a season himself - as a freshman.
Kansas' Andrew Wiggins against Arizona's Aaron Gordon. Two of the nation's best freshmen on two pretty good teams. Two of the game's best dunkers, too.
SMU coach Larry Brown against San Diego State's Steve Fisher. These guys may be getting up there in age, but they sure can still coach.
Kansas vs. North Carolina. Seeing Roy Williams go against his former team and the man who replaced him was fun in last year's tournament, so why not do it again.
Wichita State vs. Gonzaga. The new mid-major king against the most consistent.
Kansas center Joel Embiid vs. Kentucky forward Julius Randle. Two future lottery picks going head to head. What's not to like?
Ohio State guard Aaron Craft against Louisville's Russ Smith. Watching one of the nation's best defenders trying to slow Russdiculous would be all kinds of fun.
Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski vs. Syracuse's Jim Boeheim. They're No. 1 and 2 on the career wins list in Division I, have won a few big games between them and have a budding rivalry now that the Orange are in the ACC.
Oregon vs. BYU. Both are top-10 nationally in scoring, combining for 167 points per game. They would make the play-by-play announcers tired.
Arizona State center Jordan Bachynski vs. New Mexico State center Sim Bhullar. That's 14 feet, 7 inches of shot-blocking prowess.
Boeheim vs. Cincinnati coach Mick Cronin. Just to see if they can blow their stacks at the refs again.
Virginia vs. Clemson. The nation's top two teams in scoring defense, for the defensive purists.
Arizona coach Sean Miller vs. Dayton's Archie Miller. Big bro Sean has always gotten more attention, but Archie has done well in his first head-coaching job. Though a mismatch on paper, the Flyers are scrappy, just like Archie.
UCLA's Kyle Anderson against UConn's Shabazz Napier. Two of the nation's best stat-sheet fillers can do a little of everything.
Wichita State's mascot vs. Stanford's. Wheat vs. a tree. Doesn't get any better than that.
Baylor's Brady Heslip against Michigan's Nik Stauskas. Two of the nation's best shooters going 3-to-3.
Wichita State's Tekele Cotton vs. Oklahoma State's Markel Brown. Same thing as above, only dunk for dunk.
Nebraska's Terran Petteway against BYU's Tyler Haws. Two of the best players you may have never heard of.
Craft vs. Ole Miss guard Marshall Henderson. Fans will be trying to decide which one they hate the most.
Who has the best case for induction into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2014?
By Nick Bromberg
The National Football Foundation released the list of nominees for the 2014 class of the College Football Hall of Fame on Thursday.
75 players and six coaches are on the ballot, and 12-14 or so of the players and two of the coaches will be announced as part of the induction class in May.
Voting for the College Football Hall of Fame isn't nearly as straightforward as it is for the Pro Football Hall of Fame or even the Baseball Hall of Fame. Yes, a lot of people want to overhaul baseball's voting process, so isn't that saying something? Players are selected by region in the College Football Hall of Fame, and there's even a rule that players from the same school can't be selected in back-to-back years. It's why Tommie Frazier and Orlando Pace had to wait until 2013 to be inducted.
75 players and six coaches are on the ballot, and 12-14 or so of the players and two of the coaches will be announced as part of the induction class in May.
Voting for the College Football Hall of Fame isn't nearly as straightforward as it is for the Pro Football Hall of Fame or even the Baseball Hall of Fame. Yes, a lot of people want to overhaul baseball's voting process, so isn't that saying something? Players are selected by region in the College Football Hall of Fame, and there's even a rule that players from the same school can't be selected in back-to-back years. It's why Tommie Frazier and Orlando Pace had to wait until 2013 to be inducted.
So here's who we think are the strongest candidates for induction in 2014. Because of the rules, they may not all get in, but that doesn't mean their Hall of Fame cases are any less valued.
Derrick Thomas, LB, Alabama
Perhaps I'm biased about DT, as he was the most recognizable football player of my childhood in Kansas City. Many of my first Chiefs memories include Thomas and the news of his January 2000 car crash sticks vividly in my memory.
He's credited with the NCAA career sack record (52) and has 74 tackles for loss. It's his fourth year on the ballot, and it should be his final year on the ballot.
LaDainian Tomlinson , RB, TCU
Tomlinson won the 2000 Doak Walker Award as the nation's best running back. As a junior, when he was the WAC player of the year, he averaged 6.5 yards a carry and ran for 1.974 yards. As a senior, his YPC dipped a bit, but he got the ball more and ran for 2.158 yards and 22 touchdowns. Imagine the attention Tomlinson would have gotten if TCU was in the BIg 12 when he was a college player.
Antwaan Randle El, QB, Indiana
Randle-El became a benchmark for college quarterbacking in the 2000s. As more quarterbacks became dual-threat weapons, Randle-El was the first to accumulate 6,000 yards passing and 3,000 yards rushing in his career. Sure, those benchmarks were eclipsed by the likes of Brad Smith and Colin Kaepernick, who joined the 8,000/4,000 club, but we're going to recognize him for being a trendsetter.
Raghib Ismail, WR, Notre Dame
If it wasn't for Ty Detmer's cartoonish passing numbers, the Rocket would have been the 1990 Heisman Trophy winner. His offensive numbers don't stand out when compared to today, but he ran for over 1,000 yards and had over 1,500 receiving in addition to over 1,500 career return yards.
Eric Dickerson, RB, SMU
Yes, Dickerson is not in the College Football Hall of Fame. It's just a wild guess, but maybe it has something to do with the death penalty that SMU received in 1987 that stopped football for the 1988 season? One of these days, Dickerson will get in. His 4,450 rushing yards and 47 TDs are too good to keep him out forever.
Zach Thomas, LB, Texas Tech
Wait, a dominant defensive player at Texas Tech? He may be the best Red Raiders defensive player ever. He was the Southwestern Conference defensive player of the year in 1993 and 1994.
Randall Cunningham, QB/P, UNLV
Cunningham is officially listed on the ballot as a punter, but we're putting him here because of his accomplishments at quarterback too. In addition to averaging over 45 yards a punt in three seasons, Cunningham threw for over 8,000 yards and 61 touchdowns. But did you know that QB Eagles only ran for 223 yards at UNLV? Yeah, sacks are counted into college rushing stats, but that seems like a mismanagement of resources.
Here are the rest of the nominees below. In case you were wondering, the official criteria to be on the ballot, according to the NFF is that "players must have been named a First Team All-American by a major/national selector as recognized and utilized by the NCAA for their consensus All-America teams; played their last year of intercollegiate football at least 10 years prior; played within the last 50 years and cannot be currently playing professional football. Coaches must have coached a minimum of 10 years and 100 games as a head coach; won at least 60 percent of their games; and be retired from coaching for at least three years. If a coach is retired and over the age of 70, there is no waiting period. If he is over the age of 75, he is eligible as an active coach. In both cases, the candidate’s post-football record as a citizen may also be weighed."
- Trev Alberts, LB, Nebraska
- Eric Bieniemy, RB, Colorado
- Dre Bly, DB, North Carolina
- Tony Boselli, OT, USC
- Brian Bosworth, LB, Oklahoma
- Bob Breunig, LB, Arizona State
- Jerome Brown, DT, Miami
- Ruben Brown, OT, Pitt
- Larry Burton, WR, Purdue
- Dave Butz, DT, Purdue
- Freddie Carr, LB, UTEP
- Mark Carrier, S, USC
- Wes Chandler, WR, Florida
- Shane Conlan, LB, Penn State
- Tim Couch, QB, Kentucky
- Tom Cousineau, LB, Ohio State
- Bob Crable, LB, Notre Dame
- Paul Crane, C/LB, Alabama
- Eric Crouch, QB, Nebraska
- Troy Davis, RB, Iowa State
- Mike Dirks, DT, Wyoming
- D.J. Dozier, RB, Penn State
- Tim Dwight, WR/Returner, Iowa
- Jumbo Elliott, OT, Michigan
- William Fuller, DT, North Carolina
- Thom Gatewood, WR, Notre Dame
- Willie Gault, WR, Tennessee
- Kirk Gibson, WR, Michigan State
- Charlie Gogolak, K, Princeton
- Joe Hamilton, QB, Georgia Tech
- Al Harris, DE, Arizona State
- Dana Howard, LB, Illinois
- Randy Hughes, DB, Oklahoma
- Bobby Humphrey, RB, Alabama
- Roy Jefferson, WR, Utah
- Ernie Jennings, WR, Air Force
- Keyshawn Johnson, WR, USC
- Clinton Jones, RB, Michigan State
- Lincoln Kennedy, OT, Washington
- Tim Krumrie, DT, Wisconsin
- Greg Lewis, RB, Washington
- Jesse Lewis, DT, Oregon State
- Ray Lewis, LB, Miami
- Robert Lytle, RB, Michigan
- Bob McKay, OT, Texas
- Cade McNown, QB, UCLA
- Mark Messner, DL, Michigan
- Darrin Nelson, RB, Stanford
- Ken Norton Jr, LB, UCLA
- Tom Nowatzke, FB, Indiana
- Jim Otis, FB, Ohio State
- Paul Palmer, RB, Temple
- Simeon Rice, LB, Illinois
- Ron Rivera, LB, Cal
- Willie Roaf, OL, Louisiana Tech
- Mike Ruth, NG, Boston College
- Rashaan Salaam, RB, Colorado
- Warren Sapp, DT, Miami
- John Sciarra, QB, UCLA
- Larry Seivers, WR, Tennessee
- Sterling Sharpe, WR, South Carolina
- Art Still, DE, Kentucky
- Jackie Walker, LB, Tennessee
- Wesley Walls, TE, Mississippi
- Lorenzo White, RB, Michigan State
- Clarence Williams, RB, Washington State
- Ricky Williams, RB, Texas
- Steve Wisniewski, OG, Penn State
And the six coaches:
- Mike Belotti: Chico State, Oregon
- Jim Carlen: West Virginia, Texas Tech, South Carolina
- Pete Cawthon: Texas Tech
- Danny Ford: Clemson, Arkansas
- Billy Jack Murphy: Memphis
- Darryl Rogers: Call State-Hayward, Fresno State, San Jose State, Michigan State, Arizona State
Olympic women's goalie practices with Oilers. What's your take?
By Lucy Nicholson
Canadian Olympic women's team goalie Shannon Szabados practices with the Edmonton Oilers NHL hockey team in Edmonton, Alberta, Wednesday, March 5, 2014. (Instagram)
Olympic champion women's goalie Shannon Szabados took the ice with the Edmonton Oilers at practice Wednesday.
The Team Canada goalie filled in at practice for the National Hockey League while the Oilers waited for Viktor Fasth to arrive after a trade with Anaheim. — Associated Press
CS&T/AA: We all know about the gay athletes in football and basketball that have recently come out of the closet, but now Canada's Olympic champion women's goalie has practiced with the Edmonton Oilers. We all know that hockey is truly a very physical, fast and athletic absolute sport, how would you feel about a lady playing in the NHL providing she could handle the rigorous dynamics of men's professional hockey? Let's face it, women are running major corporations, becoming very visible politicians (with one seriously contemplating running for the President of the United States), now authorized to go to the front lines in the event of war, and on and on..... We think we know what the hockey purist and diehard hockey fans think but we'd love to know what you think, What's your take?
CS&T/AA: We all know about the gay athletes in football and basketball that have recently come out of the closet, but now Canada's Olympic champion women's goalie has practiced with the Edmonton Oilers. We all know that hockey is truly a very physical, fast and athletic absolute sport, how would you feel about a lady playing in the NHL providing she could handle the rigorous dynamics of men's professional hockey? Let's face it, women are running major corporations, becoming very visible politicians (with one seriously contemplating running for the President of the United States), now authorized to go to the front lines in the event of war, and on and on..... We think we know what the hockey purist and diehard hockey fans think but we'd love to know what you think, What's your take?
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