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Sports Quote of the Day:
"It's the little details that are vital. Little things make big things happen." ~ John Wooden, Legendary UCLA Basketball Coach
How 'bout them Chicago Blackhawks? Blackhawks 4, Blues 0.
By Jerry Bonkowski, The Sports Xchange
If the Chicago Blackhawks go on to win their second consecutive Stanley Cup and third in five seasons, they likely will point to Wednesday as the game that kick-started their title drive.
Center Marcus Kruger and forward Ben Smith sealed the outcome with third-period goals, and the Blackhawks trounced the Central Division-leading St. Louis Blues 4-0 at the United Center.
With the Winnipeg Jets defeating the Colorado Avalanche 5-4 in overtime, Chicago moved back into second place in the Central Division with 95 points. The Blackhawks (40-15-15) are six points behind St. Louis, which suffered only its second shutout loss of the season. Colorado fell to third with 94 points.
Chicago's Joel Quenneville earned his 700th career win as an NHL head coach.
Not only did the Blackhawks prevent the Blues (47-15-7) from clinching their third consecutive playoff appearance and 38th in franchise history, but they finally beat St. Louis after three losses this season.
The teams have one more regular-season meeting, April 6 in Chicago.
While it was just the fifth win in Chicago's last 11 games, the Blackhawks' inspired play brought back shades of last season's dominating team that won it all, a sharp contrast to a team that seemed to be searching for an identity or its old spark the last several weeks.
Late in one of the most inspired defensive periods the Blackhawks played this season, it was appropriate that defenseman Duncan Keith scored the first goal of the game (and his fifth of the season) on the power play 19:05 into the game.
Chicago made it 2-0 at the 15:35 mark of the second period as center Andrew Shaw tipped in a slap shot from just inside the blue line by defenseman Nick Leddy. It was Shaw's 18th goal of the season.
Kruger scored his seventh goal of the season at 5:20 of the third period, followed by Smith's 10th goal of the season on the power play at 7:35. Right winger Kris Versteeg made an excellent pass from behind the Blues' net to Smith, who slammed the tally home past Blues goalie Ryan Miller.
Blues coach Ken Hitchcock pulled Miller after Smith's goal and replaced him with Brian Elliott. It was Miller's first regulation loss (7-1-1) since coming to St. Louis in a seven-player trade with the Buffalo Sabres on Feb. 28.
It was only the second loss in regulation for the Blues in their past 11 games (8-2-1).
Chicago goalie Corey Crawford (27-12-10) turned in another excellent performance, stopping all 23 of St. Louis' shots. Miller stopped 23 of 27 shots, while Elliott stopped all three he faced.
The Blackhawks increased their all-time record against St. Louis to 139-109-35-7.
NOTES: The attendance was 21,640. ... Blackhawks C Michal Handzus was honored pregame for his 1,000th career NHL appearance. He was given a sterling silver hockey stick, a plaque and a photo collage, among other items. Handzus turned 37 on March 11. ... The Blackhawks announced that they have agreed to terms with LW Brandon Mashinter on a two-year contract extension through the end of the 2015-16 season. Mashinter was acquired from the New York Rangers on Dec. 6, and has 11 goals and 12 assists in 34 games with the Blackhawks' AHL Rockford (Ill.) affiliate. ... The Blues fell to 8-1-1 in March, while Chicago improved to 5-3-1. ... The Blackhawks' Joel Quenneville earned 307 of his 700 career coaching victories with the Blues from 1997-2004. He remains St. Louis' winningest coach.
Hurricanes-Blackhawks Preview.
By TOM CASTRO (STATS Senior Editor)
Despite a key victory over the Western Conference leader that was a milestone win for their coach, the Chicago Blackhawks weren't very happy after their last game.
That's because they lost star forward Patrick Kane for three weeks due to an injury, a situation the Blackhawks will try to begin adjusting to when they host the Carolina Hurricanes on Friday night.
Corey Crawford stopped 23 shots to backstop the Blackhawks to a physical 4-0 victory over St. Louis on Wednesday, giving Joel Quenneville his 700th NHL win. The result pulled Chicago to within six points of the Blues, but that was hardly the main postgame topic of discussion in the locker room.
Kane left the game in the second period, favoring his left leg as he headed to the dressing room following a collision with Brenden Morrow.
''He's a special player,'' Quenneville said. ''We'll work our way through this. It's a huge loss for us.''
Duncan Keith, Andrew Shaw, Marcus Kruger and Ben Smith scored as Chicago ended the Blues' nine-game point streak and dealt St. Louis its first regulation loss against a Central Division opponent this season.
For the Blackhawks to catch the Blues, though, they'll need to replace the contributions of Kane, whose 69 points (29 goals, 40 assists) are tops on the team. He set up Keith's opening goal.
''He brings so many things to the table offensively for us,'' said Keith, who has two goals and five assists in his last eight games. ''When you get guys like that out with an injury, you have to look at the positives from it, and the only positives come from other guys getting opportunities to play more minutes and develop their game a little bit more and get confidence going into the playoffs.''
Quenneville said he'll replace Kane's minutes by committee, and that he may rely more heavily on balancing ice time among his four lines.
The coach also wasn't sure if Kane would play again in the regular season, saying, "We'll see."
Quenneville now needs to get the Blackhawks, 2-0-1 in the past three, focused on holding off Colorado as well as catching St. Louis. The Avalanche are one point behind Chicago for second place in the Central.
Carolina (30-30-9) earned a desperately needed victory its last time out as it attempts to pass five teams for the second wild-card spot in the East. It defeated Columbus, one of the clubs it's chasing, 3-1 on Tuesday behind a career-high 46 saves from Anton Khudobin and a goal and an assist apiece from Andrei Loktionov and Patrick Dwyer.
The Hurricanes avoided a third straight loss.
"It was a gutsy effort for us to grind it out and find a way to get two points on the road," coach Kirk Muller said.
That's something Carolina hasn't done much of recently, going 2-7-0 in its last nine away from home.
The Hurricanes had allowed five goals in three of their last four road games prior to Tuesday.
The Blackhawks took the first meeting of the season Oct. 15, winning 3-2 in a shootout behind Crawford's 32 saves, but Carolina has dominated the series in recent years. The Hurricanes have gone 9-1-2 with one tie in the past 13 meetings dating to the 1999-2000 season.
Carolina, though, is 0-1-1 in its last two visits to Chicago.
Blackhawks forward Patrick Sharp has recorded a goal and nine assists in his past nine contests, and he opened the scoring Oct. 15.
BY MIKE DITKA (Da Coach)
1. Have you liked the Bears’ moves in free agency so far?
I do like what they have done so far. They realize they have to build on their weakness and that’s what they’ve done. They’ve addressed some needs on the defensive line and in the secondary. I think they understand that if they had any defense last year, they would have had a real good shot at winning the division.
2. Do you think the Bears should have tried harder to keep Josh McCown?
You know, he’s a backup quarterback. It’s essential you have your starter in place. I think it came down to salary. When he saw he wasn’t going to get what he wanted, he went somewhere else. I think it’s a good move for Tampa, but also a good move by the Bears. They’ll find someone else to come in and be a backup, maybe not as good as Josh McCown initially, but in time he could be. There are a lot of veteran quarterbacks out there that they can pick up.
3. Sun-Times columnist Rick Telander wrote this week about your former Bears teammate Mike Pyle and his battle with dementia. Your thoughts?
You know, he’s a backup quarterback. It’s essential you have your starter in place. I think it came down to salary. When he saw he wasn’t going to get what he wanted, he went somewhere else. I think it’s a good move for Tampa, but also a good move by the Bears. They’ll find someone else to come in and be a backup, maybe not as good as Josh McCown initially, but in time he could be. There are a lot of veteran quarterbacks out there that they can pick up.
3. Sun-Times columnist Rick Telander wrote this week about your former Bears teammate Mike Pyle and his battle with dementia. Your thoughts?
Mike has been going through this for quite a while. You know, probably more than half of the guys who played center from that era have come down with dementia. It’s because the defenses used to tee off on the center.
I haven’t seen Mike in a while, but I used to spend a lot of time with him. I could see the rapid loss of memory then. He was a Yale guy. He was one of the smartest guys I’ve ever been around. He was my roommate for years. All of a sudden, he was a different guy. He didn’t really know where he was. I’m pretty sure he’d still know who I am, but that’s about it.
4. Do you ever worry about memory loss yourself?
Who am I talking to? Who is this? [Laughing after reporter says his name.] I know who you are.
You know, you wake up sometimes and you say, ‘‘Where am I at? Am I in Florida? Am I in Chicago? Am I in a hotel somewhere?’’ Then you have to think about it. I’ve been fine so far. If it happens, it happens. There’s nothing you can do about it.
If you play football long enough, chances are you’re going to get hurt. People didn’t know about concussions long ago. They didn’t understand the ramifications or the long-term effects. They really didn’t know how serious it was.
Could concussions ultimately ruin football?
You know, if you’re a parent with a young son, are you going to let him play football? No, it’s probably going to be basketball, baseball or something else. But not football. Give the kid a set of golf clubs. Basically, that’s what is happening right now.
NFL won't back down in penalizing, stamping out use of n-word.
By Eric Edelson
The NFL is not mincing words when it comes to the n-word.
During a Wednesday afternoon conference call hosted by competition committee chairman and Atlanta Falcons president Rich McKay, the topic of abusive language came up quickly during a question-and-answer session. The response was clear: the NFL will encourage its referees to enforce a rule already on the books that prohibits threatening language during games.
League Rule 12, Section 3, Article 1b, which describes unsportsmanlike conduct, includes verbiage that prohibits: "The use of abusive, threatening, or insulting language or gestures to opponents, teammates, officials or representatives of the League."
That aspect of the conduct rule will be emphasized during the upcoming season.
"The n-word would fall under that category," said St. Louis Rams coach Jeff Fisher, who is on the competition committee. "Referees will be empowered to make those calls. It will be a very significant point of emphasis."
McKay followed up, saying steps will be taken during the offseason to "make sure to educate everyone how the rule will be enforced."
Although there will be no specific n-word rule, that doesn't mean the league is bluffing. Quite the opposite.
This topic gained traction during the 2013 season, but not so much because of on-field episodes. Rather, it was the bullying of Miami Dolphins offensive lineman Jonathan Martin by teammate Richie Incognito and others in the Miami organization. The NFL hired renowned criminal attorney Ted Wells to prepare a report on the matter, which revealed heinous language directed at (and sometimes used by) Martin, who was recently traded to the San Francisco 49ers. The embarrassing revelations caused a league-wide soul-searching, although Fisher said Wednesday the language issue predated what happened in Miami.
"We've had discussions throughout," Fisher said, "with the coaches' committee, with players, and it is a significant point of emphasis this year. We're going beyond the field of play. We're going to the workplace."
Making the NFL a better "workplace" is growing more important to the league office, as it tries to make an often-barbaric game more professional on the field and in the locker room. The n-word is a special target, but the Wells Report also revealed alarming examples of misogyny, homophobia and racism against Asians. The league wants to snuff all of that out.
It goes even further, though. Fisher mentioned the dramatic rise in taunting penalties called on the field, from nine in 2012 to 34 last season. He hinted that the competition committee is monitoring whether respect for the game is declining.
Those who watch the game's standards are sending a message to players: watch your language.
Just another Chicago Bulls Session… Bulls 102, 76ers 94.
By Gordie Jones, The Sports Xchange
The Philadelphia 76ers were in the game Wednesday night, but as it has been the case for nearly two months now, they once again came up on the losing end, dropping their 22nd straight.
Guard/forward Jimmy Butler hit a tie-breaking 3-pointer with 6:49 left and reserves D.J. Augustin and Taj Gibson combined for 12 points thereafter, as the Chicago Bulls pulled out a 102-94 victory over the Sixers (15-53).
Forward Thaddeus Young had 24 points to front the Sixers, who are four defeats away from equaling the NBA record of 26 in a row, established by the 2010-11 Cleveland Cavaliers. Guard Tony Wroten added 17, and guard Michael Carter-Williams finished with 16 points, nine rebounds and seven assists.
Philadelphia, which last won on Jan. 29, also dropped its 17th straight at home, two short of the league record held by the 1993-94 Dallas Mavericks.
Augustin, a guard, led Chicago (38-30) with 20 points, while Gibson, a forward, had 19 points and 13 rebounds. Butler finished with 16 points, guard/forward Mike Dunleavy had 15 and center Joakim Noah contributed 14 points, 10 rebounds and six assists.
Philadelphia, trailing 77-69 early in the fourth quarter, mounted a 16-8 run that including two 3-pointers by backup forward Byron Mullens, and one each by Wroten and Young. Young's bomb from the left corner with 7:43 remaining knotted the score at 85-85.
Butler then connected from the arc with 6:49 to play, and Augustin did likewise with 5:56 left.
The Sixers were within four after a dunk by Mullens with 1:19 left, at 98-94, but Butler made two free throws with 24.2 seconds left, and Augustin did likewise with 6.5 seconds remaining.
There were six ties and five lead changes in the game's first 13 minutes, but the Bulls held the Sixers without a single field goal while going on a 13-2 run early in the second quarter, enabling Chicago to take a 41-30 lead with 5:50 left in the half.
Five different Bulls score in the run, with Augustin and fellow reserve guard Tony Snell contributing three points apiece and Butler doing the same.
The Sixers, sparked by Carter-Williams' five points and some strong play by their bench, cut the gap to 52-45 by halftime.
Carter-Williams and Young each scored 11 points in the first half, while Dunleavy topped Chicago with 13 and Augustin contributed 10.
Young then packed eight points, including a pair of 3-pointers, into the first 6:50 of the third quarter, as the Sixers crept within one, at 64-63.
Noah answered with a pair of baskets, and Boozer added a three-point play and a layup in the quarter's closing minutes, giving the Bulls a 75-69 lead.
NOTES: Sixers coach Brett Brown said before the game that Bulls C Joakim Noah is his example for Philadelphia rookie C Nerlens Noel, who has yet to play as a pro after injuring a knee during his lone season at the University of Kentucky. Brown mentioned in particular how much respect he has for Noah as a competitor. "What a fantastic comparison to show Nerlens," he said. ... Chicago coach Tom Thibodeau broke into the NBA as an assistant with the Minnesota Timberwolves in 1989-90, when they were a first-year expansion team, and he sees parallels between their situation and the one facing the Sixers. "You're just looking to make progress," he said. "Sometimes you're measuring that: Are we playing up to our potential?" ... Sixers G/F James Anderson missed his second consecutive game with a bruised right quadriceps. ... Brown was assessed a technical foul with 5:50 left in the second quarter.
Bulls-Pacers Preview.
By NOEY KUPCHAN (STATS Writer)
Chicago and Indiana haven't met since the Bulls handed the Pacers their first loss in mid-November.
These Central Division rivals will quickly get reacquainted over the next few days.
The Bulls try to avoid a fourth consecutive road loss to the Pacers, who look to inch closer to clinching the division in the first of two upcoming showdowns Friday night.
Indiana (50-18) opened a franchise-best 9-0 before falling 110-94 at Chicago on Nov. 16. These teams also played 10 days earlier in Indianapolis, with the Pacers easily winning 97-80.
Indiana has taken four of six from Chicago, including three straight home matchups by an average of 10.7 points. Despite that success, coach Frank Vogel knows the Bulls present a difficult challenge.
Indiana (50-18) opened a franchise-best 9-0 before falling 110-94 at Chicago on Nov. 16. These teams also played 10 days earlier in Indianapolis, with the Pacers easily winning 97-80.
Indiana has taken four of six from Chicago, including three straight home matchups by an average of 10.7 points. Despite that success, coach Frank Vogel knows the Bulls present a difficult challenge.
"I think it's (coach) Tom Thibodeau and Joakim Noah. I think those two guys contribute enormously to winning basketball," Vogel, whose team visits Chicago on Monday, told the Pacers' official website. "With the way they're coached and the way they're led with the passion of Noah, I think that's what it's about."
The Pacers followed a season-worst four-game losing streak with four straight wins before Wednesday's 92-86 defeat at New York. Lance Stephenson and Roy Hibbert combined for 41 points, but Paul George shot 4 of 17 and scored 17.
"The right perspective is that we're playing pretty well, we have a really good team," Vogel said. "Nobody needs to panic and go nuts. Stay the course, keep doing what we're doing. We're winning a lot more than we're losing and just try to get better everyday. Really it's about building habits that are going to help us win playoff games. That's the biggest thing that we're trying to get accomplished right now."
Sitting 12 games ahead of the Bulls (38-30), the Pacers' magic number to win the division is three. Indiana, which has already secured a playoff berth, is three games ahead of Miami for the Eastern Conference's best record.
"With what we have going on, we would love to maximize on the opportunities and increase that lead but in the bigger scheme (of things), we're in a good position now," George said. "We've got to get back to playing some good basketball, though, because we have some tough games on our schedule that can come down to moving us to second or staying in first."
Chicago is seeking a fourth victory in five games after winning 102-94 at Philadelphia on Wednesday to extend the 76ers' franchise-record losing streak to 22.
"We had to be ready to play a whole game. We had to be ready to fight," Thibodeau told the Bulls' official website. "The thing to me is to find a way to win."
Former Pacers guard D.J. Augustin led six Bulls in double figures with 20 points, and fellow reserve Taj Gibson added 19 and 13 rebounds. Chicago shot 8 of 15 from 3-point range and held a 52-38 edge on the glass.
Noah is averaging 14.6 points, 10.3 rebounds, 7.9 assists and 2.6 blocks while shooting 53.7 percent over the last eight games. He scored a combined eight points while going 1 of 8 from the field against the Pacers in November.
Indiana is giving up an NBA-low 92.2 points per game, just ahead of Chicago's mark of 92.3. The Bulls are averaging 93.4 points to rank last in the league.
By Michael Clair
Another year, another losing season for the Chicago Cubs. But there's hope on the horizon, Theo Epstein's administration stocking the farm system with high end talent that should begin arriving this year. Will it be enough to give Cubs fans what they've always wanted?
Additions:
John Baker, Emilio Bonifacio, George Kottaras, Jason Hammel, James McDonald, Justin Ruggiano, Jose Veras, Wesley Wright
Subtractions:
Scott Baker, Julio Borbon, Brian Bogusevic, Rafael Dolis, Kevin Gregg, Matt Guerrier, Dioner Navarro
Injuries:
Jake Arrieta - shoulder tightness, doubtful to start season
Kyuji Fujikawa - Tommy John surgery, could return midseason
Players to Watch:
Starlin Castro
The name "Starlin Castro" either sounds like an intergalactic space hero or the name of the shortstop in some Matt Christopher book. And, for the first two years, that's what Castro was--an otherworldly, seemingly fictional player, hitting .304/.343/.422 while displaying excellent range if perhaps a propensity to commit errors. But after leading the league in hits in 2011 as a 21-year-old and watching his numbers dip but remain respectable in 2012, the wheels came off last year. Castro collapsed to .245/.284/.347, nearly approximating Zack Cozart's offensive line while offering little of the defensive upgrade.
In the field, Castro, loaded with tools, still struggles, oftentimes looking like a Little Leaguer more concerned with the snow cone vendor than the on-the-field action. And though he cut his errors to 22 last year, a career low, that was still tied for second most in the game. Though his range may give him extra opportunities to commit those errors, Castro will need to show renewed focus and drive in 2014 at the age of 24.
Anthony Rizzo
Like Castro, Anthony Rizzo was another perplexing player for the Cubs last year. After hitting 15 home runs with an .805 OPS in a half season of play in 2012, Rizzo watched his average drop 50 points, still managing to lead the team in home runs (23), doubles (40) and RBI (80). While that may work on a 66-win team, the seven-year contract the Cubs gave Rizzo before the start of last year indicates that they are expecting much more.
Fortunately for Rizzo, a lot of those struggles could be attributed to a 50 point drop in BABIP. Though Rizzo saw a dip in line drives and a 7% spike in fly balls, something that could explain his struggle in getting base hits, that Rizzo was able to up his walk rate to 11% should indicate brighter days ahead.
Travis Woods
Though Jeff Samardzjia remains the staff ace (213 innings last season, his 4.34 ERA elevated above a 3.77 FIP), it was Travis Wood that surprised everyone. Wood reached the 200 inning plateau for the first time in his career last season, leading the team with a 3.11 ERA along the way. And though Wood relies on plenty of contact (career 6.8 K/9) and is a fly ball pitcher, seemingly making him a bad fit for Wrigley Field, he's managed to have a HR/FB rate below 7% in three of his four major league seasons. At some point, you stop expecting that trend to reverse and you assume it's a repeatable skill. Like David E. Kelley and legal dramas.
Unfortunately for the Cubs, while their farm system is brimming with talent around the diamond, their pitching prospects are a long way off, necessitating the acquisition of Jason Hammel and James McDonald. Though it would be a lot to expect Wood to be quite as good in 2014, if he can prove to be a steady middle of the rotation cog behind Samardzjia, it would go along way to making 2014 an easier year for Cubs to take.
The Farm. As in, everybody in the minor league system. Yes, it's that good.
This is what you've really come to see, isn't it? You perverts, loving your hot, young baseball talent, oozing tools on their projectable frames. While the major league club cycles through useful-but-not-exciting pieces like Nate Schierholtz, Theo Epstein has been building a better world in the minor leagues.
Led by Javier Baez, the man with the quickest wrists this side of Gary Sheffield, the shortstop/future second baseman clobbered 37 home runs last year. Should you try to search for "Javier Baez" on a work computer, chances are the internet filters will restrict your access for featuring adult content. Unfortunately, Baez's shift to second base will soon put an end to the fan favorite and defensively gifted (if offensively challenged) Darwin Barney.
Of course, Baez moving to second base keeps third open for last year's fast-moving first round selection, Kris Bryant. After being drafted in June, Bryant saw three different levels of action, hitting .336/.390/.688 across them. Turning 22 this year, Bryant should move quickly, his massive power offering dreams of 40 home run days.
But while those two players lead the Cubs' farm system and fan's dreams, the system is remarkably deep, putting seven different players like Albert Almora, Jorge Soler, and CJ Edwards on MLB.com's top 100 prospect list.
Like in elementary school when you would learn about the reproductive process by hatching baby chicks, 2014 will be the year that the first signs of major league life begin to emerge.
Casper Wells
There's no real reason to watch for Wells as a contributor to the team, no matter how great his name. However, after seeing time with five different clubs last year (Blue Jays, Mariners, Athletics, White Sox, and Phillies), it will be interesting to see if he can best that total.
Outlook
Look, I get it. Cubs fans have had to wait a long, long, long time. Continuing to wait with the promise of brighter futures is hard to do when multiple generations have died off with nary a World Series to their credit. But since Theo Epstein has taken over, he's loaded the team with so much talent and with a number of intriguing veteran options that it’s impossible not to get excited. My guess is that they’re just on the Back to the Future schedule:
It's not hard to imagine a future where Rick Renteria, becoming the Cesar Milan of tarnished prospects, massages very ounce talent from Starlin Castro and Anthony Rizzo, watching the infield become bloated with star power as Kris Bryant and Baez joining the fold. And when that day comes, it won't be that hard to envision a World Series finally coming to Cubs town.
How it could all go right
Theo Epstein discovers how to bend the time-space continuum, allowing him to pluck the future versions Baez, Bryant, Almora, and Edwards, slotting them on a team that watches breakout campaigns from Castro and Rizzo. The rotation holds up, Samardzjia and Wood turning into a killer 1-2 combo, and Casper Wells is given a home for an entire year.
How it could all go wrong
Starlin Castro can’t get his head straight, struggling at the plate and in the field for a second straight year and Rizzo, while blasting home runs, offers little else at the plate. Travis Wood watches as every batter he faces hits a home run and Jeff Samardzjia realizes he’d rather play football after all. Javier Baez, after hitting a 700 foot laser shot, is recruited into a secret military operation where he hits baseballs at outer space aliens. While that’s bad for the Cubs, it’s good for humanity as without him, our species would die a painful death.
In summation, 2014 is the amuse-bouches of what could very soon be a Cubs dynasty. But if you can just hold on for one more year, 2015 will bring the main course.
By DOUG FERGUSON
Masters champion Adam Scott was feeling ill when he arrived at Bay Hill. One majestic round with the putter Thursday made him feel a lot better.
Scott made five putts from about 20 feet or longer, two of them for eagle and one of them from off the green for birdie, and matched the course record with a 10-under 62 to build a four-shot lead in the Arnold Palmer Invitational.
The conditions were close to perfect. So was his work on the greens.
"I made a lot of putts today, and a lot of putts from considerable length," Scott said. "I hit a lot of nice shots, too, but it wasn't like I was hitting it 4 feet. I had a round like this in Australia at the end of last year — in the first six holes, I didn't hit it outside 5 feet. There's a lot of different ways to get the ball in the hole. But it's good for the confidence. It's what I wanted. I sat in here yesterday and said I'd like to make some birdies and build the confidence. And today is a good start to that."
Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano had his best round of the year with a 66 and was all but forgotten.
Scott walked from the ninth green across the practice range to the scoring trailer as one player after another turned his head and asked how low Scott went on the day. One caddie quipped, "Is there a 10-shot rule when you haven't teed off?"
It was the lowest round in 30 years at Bay Hill, and it was good enough to make a large gallery following Scott forget for a moment that defending champion Tiger Woods is not here this week because of a back injury.
Andy Bean in 1981 and Greg Norman in 1984 are the only other players with a 62 at Bay Hill.
Brandt Snedeker, Morgan Hoffmann and Paul Casey were at 67.
"Can we ban that putter the rest of the week?" Snedeker said with a smile when told about Scott's round with his long putter. "He's playing unbelievable. He's one of the best players in the world right now. I don't think 10 under is doable for me."
Patrick Reed had a 69 while playing with Scott. The third member of their group, U.S. Open champion Justin Rose, struggled with his putter early and shot 71.
"Awesome round," Rose said. "He putted like a Masters champion."
After watching Scott make another putt — this one from 20 feet for eagle on No. 4 — Rose asked if Scott could get to No. 1 if he were to win at Bay Hill. The answer: no and yes. He couldn't overtake Woods this week, but likely would go to No. 1 over the next few weeks if neither played.
Scott had reason to be mildly surprised by this round. For one thing, he had not been to Bay Hill in five years. Scott typically plays Innisbrook, but decided to mix it up. And he does have some experience on the bag. His caddie is Steve Williams, who worked for Woods in six of the eight Bay Hill wins.
Even more surprising, though, is that Scott said he was coping with flu-like symptoms, and still doesn't feel completely healthy.
"It's hard to say that I'm sick," Scott said with a smile. "I feel actually better now than when I woke up. Just a bit under the weather. I can't complain."
Scott is a believer in the adage, "Beware the injured golfer." He lowered his expectations, concerned himself only with the next shot and was more concerned with his energy than feeling any nerves.
It didn't take long for him to realize it was going to be a special day, starting with a 20-foot birdie putt on the 10th to start his round. He got up and down from a bunker on the par-5 12th for birdie, made a 25-foot birdie putt on the 14th, and then rolled one in from 30 feet on the 15th from a collection area right of the green.
Scott drilled a 7-iron into 35 feet on the par-5 16th and made that birdie. On the front nine, he hit a pure 3-wood into 20 feet on the par-5 fourth for birdie, and then hit a tough bunker from some 35 yards away to 8 feet for birdie on the par-5 sixth.
He also missed an 8-footer for birdie on No. 8, and he picked up his lone bogey by missing the 18th green well to the left.
It was the sixth time Scott has had a 62 on the PGA Tour, the most recent in 2011 at Firestone the year he won. But he didn't want to look at it as anything more than just a great start, especially with half of the field still to play in the afternoon.
"Hopefully, with a solid round tomorrow I keep myself right in this golf tournament," he said. "Like at any event, you want to start and put yourself right in it from the get-go and I've done that here."
DIVOTS: Bubba Watson hit three tee shot into the water on the par-5 sixth and made an 11. He shot 83 and withdrew. ... Snedeker had not broken 70 in the first round all year until Thursday. ... Pat Perez opened with a 70, ending his streak of nine straight tournaments in which he shot in the 60s the first round.
Tiger's chances of catching Nicklaus shrinking, says Palmer.
AFP
Seven-time major winner Arnold Palmer says the chances of Tiger Woods overtaking Jack Nicklaus as the all-time major title leader are shrinking as his major win drought nears six years.
Speaking on the eve of the opening round of the US PGA Tour's Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill, the 84-year-old US legend noted the back spasms that caused Woods, 38, to pull out of the event on Tuesday as well as the issue of age.
"I don't think 38 years is the ultimate stopping point for his quest to do what Jack did," Palmer said. "I think it lessens the possibility of that happening. It's going to be tough.
"It's going to be tough to keep the concentration and the type of the game that is necessary to win majors."
World number one Woods won his 14th and most recent major crown at the 2008 US Open but remains four shy of matching the career major win mark of Nicklaus.
In prior years, knee injuries have hindered Woods in his quest to move closer to boyhood idol Nicklaus on the all-time list.
But after changing his swing and winning five titles last year, back spasms have hit Woods this year.
He withdrew with five holes to play earlier this month at PGA National due to back spasms and struggled to finish the last few holes on Sunday two weeks ago at Doral when he fired a 78.
Add his withdrawal at Bay Hill, where he has won eight times before, and the superstar's status for next month's Masters, which he has won four times just like Palmer did, has become a major question mark.
"He didn't tell me how bad his back is," Palmer said. "I don't think he knows how bad his back is.
"He just feels that at this stage he needs to take his time and rest, whether it's this week, next week or the following week, to get ready for Augusta. Certainly if I were in that position I would be doing much the same."
Woods has never won at Augusta without winning a prior title in the same year, something he has not done this year.
And 12 of the past 16 major winners have been first-time major winners.
Woods faces a host of players trying to capture their first majors, a new generation he helped inspire setting a standard that he might not be able to meet anymore.
"These young guys are tough," Palmer said. "And if they continue to play as well as they have been playing, it's going to be tough for anybody to continue to win major championships."
NNS ROOKIES GIVE veterans SOMETHING TO FEAR.
By Staff report, NASCAR Wire Service
Pay close attention to the NASCAR Nationwide Series Sunoco Rookie of the Year standings. You may be looking into the future of NASCAR.
And right now there's a tie in the rookie race that is as intriguing and compelling as they come.
And right now there's a tie in the rookie race that is as intriguing and compelling as they come.
With the series headed west to Auto Club Speedway for Saturday's TreatMyClot.com 300 (5 p.m. ET on ESPN), Ty Dillon and Chase Elliott both have 51 points in the rookie standings. Dylan Kwasniewski is third, 14 points back.
Dillon started his first full-time season strong, finishing in the top 10 three times through the first four races. His best finish (sixth) came last week at Bristol. His lowest finish? a still solid 11th? was at Las Vegas.
Saturday's race, however, presents a fresh challenge for the North Carolina driver.
"It's a new place for me, I've never actually raced there? only just one test earlier this year in a Cup car," Dillon said. "I had a great test and had a lot of fun, definitely looking forward to the new challenge of a new race track and what the Nationwide Series will bring as far as a challenge there."
Fortunately for Dillon, he's not the only rookie making his inaugural start in Fontana. Both Elliott and Kwasniewski have never made a national series start at the track.
Dillon, who took over the No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet from his older brother Austin, is third in points behind leader Regan Smith and Trevor Bayne.
Benfica survive Spurs onslaught to reach last eight.
AFP
Benfica survived a dramatic late onslaught from Tottenham to reach the Europa League quarter-finals with a 2-2 draw in Thursday's last 16 second leg in Lisbon.
After winning the first leg 3-1 at White Hart Lane last week, Jorge Jesus's team appeared to be cruising towards the last eight when Ezequiel Garay scored in the first half at the Estadio da Luz.
But Nacer Chadli struck twice in quick succession late in the second half to give Spurs hope of forcing extra-time.
Benfica barely managed to hold out before Rodrigo Lima's penalty in stoppage-time sealed a 5-3 aggregate success which secured the Portuguese club's spot in Friday's quarter-final draw.
"We had them where we wanted them. They were running scared, weren't they?" Sherwood said.
"I think it's evident the players are on my side. They have showed real character and real guts and they need to do that until the end of the season.
"It was good to see their manager sweating. I did not see a suave character on the side, I thought someone who was really flustered, which was good to see.
"But Benfica go through so congratulations to him, he's got the chance to wave his fingers at a few more managers in this competition."
Jesus added: "We knew Tottenham could do what we did in London.
"We had five players not used to playing 90 minutes, but it was a risk we took because our objective is to win the championship."
Sherwood had accused Jesus of lacking class after the Benfica boss taunted his counterpart on the touchline at White Hart Lane, holding up three fingers to signal his side's third goal.
But it was another first leg menace, Benfica's Luisao who was a more pressing concern for Sherwood.
- Defender's aerial prowess -
Luisao had been the surprise match-winner with two goals at White Hart Lane and the defender's aerial prowess troubled Tottenham again in the early stages when he headed just over.
Soldado wasted two chances to give Tottenham a lifeline when the out-of-form Spanish striker scuffed a woeful shot wide and then poked over after hesitating too long.
It wasn't long before Spurs were made to pay for that profligacy.
Benfica, beaten by Chelsea in last season's Europa League final, had scored in each of their last 25 matches in all competitions and they extended the run in the 34th minute.
Eduardo Salvio showed impressive footwork to skip past Aaron Lennon and clip a cross towards Garay, who timed his run to bullet a header past Brad Friedel from seven yards out.
But to their credit, Sherwood's players, criticised by their manager for lacking spirit after a recent thrashing at Chelsea, refused to surrender and staged a strong comeback to avoid a fourth successive defeat.
Chadli started the revival when he equalised with a powerful low shot from the edge of the area in the 78th minute.
And the Belgian winger struck again one minute later, swiveling to sweep home Harry Kane's knock-down.
Benfica were shell-shocked and the visitors poured forward in search of the third goal which would have forced extra-time.
They appealed in vain for a penalty when Kane was bundled over by Miralem Sulejmani and moments later it took a fine save from Jan Oblak to deny Gylfi Sigurdsson's header.
As Tottenham threw bodies forward they were caught on the break and Sandro chopped down Lima, who picked himself up to stroke home the penalty and finally settle the tie.
NCAA March Madness March 20, 2014 Scoring Summary
Yahoo Sports
Harvard Crimson guard Siyani Chambers (1) drives to the basket against Cincinnati Bearcats guard Troy Caupain (10) and forward Justin Jackson (5) in the first half of a men's college basketball game during the second round of the 2014 NCAA Tournament at Veterans Memorial Arena. (Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports)
(11) Dayton  | 60 - 59 |  (6) Ohio St. Final |
(15) American  | 35 - 75 |  (2) Wisconsin Final |
(9) Pittsburgh  | 77 - 48 |  (8) Colorado Final |
(12) Harvard  | 61 - 57 |  (5) Cincinnati Final |
(14) W. Michigan  | 53 - 77 |  (3) Syracuse Final |
(10) BYU  | 68 - 87 |  (7) Oregon Final |
(16) Albany  | 55 - 67 |  (1) Florida Final |
(13) Delaware  | 78 - 93 |  (4) Michigan St. Final |
(10) St. Joseph's  | 81 - 89 |  (7) Connecticut Final OT |
(15) Wofford  | 40 - 57 |  (2) Michigan Final |
(12) N.C. State  | 80 - 83 |  (5) Saint Louis Final OT |
(12) N. Dak. St.  | 80 - 75 |  (5) Oklahoma Final OT |
(15) Milwaukee  | 53 - 73 |  (2) Villanova Final |
(10) Arizona St.  | 85 - 87 |  (7) Texas Final |
(13) Manhattan  | 64 - 71 |  (4) Louisville Final |
(13) N. Mex. St.  | 69 - 73 |  (4) S. Diego St. Final OT |
The Man Who Might Take Down the NCAA.
By David Francis
It’s a pretty good bet that worker productivity will be down today, as the NCAA basketball tournament, the annual 68-team, multi-billion dollar celebration of hoops Americana kicked off few hours ago.
CBS is broadcasting all of the games online, and it’s a near certainty that someone sitting near you is watching. The consultancy Challenger, Gray & Christmas Inc. estimates that $1.7 billion is lost due to lower productivity during the last two weeks of March.
Each year the tournament attracts millions of viewers, generating adverting revenue for CBS and its partners. CBS paid a heavy price for the privilege, coughing up $10.8 billion in 2010 to televise the tournament for 14 years.
For CBS, it’s worth every penny. Check out the chart below. It shows that companies spend more on advertising during the tournament then they do during the Super Bowl.
Amid all of this, the tournament is usually a chance for the NCAA to celebrate itself. But this year, it’s different. A new lawsuit, brought by legal powerhouse Jeffrey Kessler, could undermine the way the NCAA has been doing business for decades.
Kessler is challenging the way the NCAA and the big five conferences - the Atlantic Coast Conference, the Big 10, the Southeastern Conference, the Big 12, and the Pac 10 - “compensate” their athletes. Under NCAA bylaws, scholarships for players count as compensation for their services (non-scholarship athletes are unpaid).
In the anti-trust claim brought before a federal court in New Jersey Kessler says that scholarships are not enough. He argues that college football and basketball players make so much money for their universities and the NCAA, they need to be compensated more.
"Instead of permitting individual institutions to compete for the services of players who participate in their major college sports businesses, the NCAA and the power conferences act as a cartel in placing a cap on the athletes' compensation," Kessler said in a statement. "These restrictions are a blatant violation of antitrust laws, have no legitimate pro-competitive justification, and it is finally time to bring them to an end.
Kessler’s argument about the NCAA making money is unassailable. In 2012, the NCAA - technically a non-profit - brought in $841 million. Teams that participated in the tournament received $1.9 million for first round games, with each of the Final Four getting $9.5 million.
Individual schools are also making money off the backs of student athletes. In 2012 the University of Michigan football program brought in $62 million, while the University of Texas Longhorns generated $78 million for the school.
This money is supposed to go toward scholarships and other university expenses, but large portions of it go to coaches. At Alabama, football coach Nick Saban makes $7 million per year. John Calipari, head coach at Kentucky, makes $4 million per year. Both, by far, are the highest paid employees in their respective states.
The NCAA has yet to respond to the new suit. But in the past, they argued that it provides a forum for athletes to showcase their talents to make money at the professional level. However, only a fraction of NCAA athletes make it to the pros. For instance, only 1.2 percent of college basketball players make it to the pros.
The new lawsuit is part of a broader push to change the way the NCAA deals with student-athletes. A second lawsuit, commonly known as the O’Bannon case, named for former UCLA basketball standout Ed O’Bannon, goes after the NCAA for using likenesses of athletes in promotional materials. O’Bannon, and a host of other former and current college athletes, want to be paid when their pictures are used in advertisements.
This lawsuit has teeth. Electronic Arts, a video game maker who made a game with the likenesses of college football players has already decided to shelve the game and has paid $40 million to athletes featured in the game.
Kessler is no stranger to taking on powerful athletic leagues. He was a lead attorney on the case that established free agency in the NFL in 1992. He has also represented stars like Michael Jordan and Tom Brady in disputes with their respective leagues.
ESPN has called the new suit the “most direct challenge yet to the NCAA's longstanding economic model.” The National College Players Association and its Executive has already endorsed it.
“The bottom line of this collusion by the NCAA and its conferences is that players receive less for their services than they would in a fair and competitive market. This is unfair and hurtful to the athletes,” the group’s director, Ramogi Huma, said.
Lawsuit seeks to end NCAA's 'unlawful cartel'. What's your take?
By David Porter, Associated Press
The National Collegiate Athletic Association and its five dominant conferences are an "unlawful cartel" that has illegally restricted the earning power of football and men's basketball players while making billions off their labor, according to a federal lawsuit filed Monday that seeks to paint big-time college athletics as being in blatant violation of antitrust laws.
The suit comes on the eve of the NCAA men's Division I basketball tournament, college sports' most prominent showcase. In addition to the NCAA, the lawsuit targets the Southeastern Conference, Atlantic Coast Conference, Pac-12, Big Ten and Big 12, and seeks monetary damages as well as a declaration that the defendants' practices violate federal antitrust laws.
"As a result of these illegal restrictions, market forces have been shoved aside and substantial damages have been inflicted upon a host of college athletes whose services have yielded riches only for others," according to the court filing. "This class action is necessary to end the NCAA's unlawful cartel, which is inconsistent with the most fundamental principles of antitrust law."
The suit seeks triple damages for the four plaintiffs — Rutgers basketball player Johnathan "J.J." Moore, Clemson football player Martin Jenkins, Texas-El Paso football player Kevin Perry and California football player William Tyndall — based on the economic harm they say they suffered. The court filing estimated that, for instance, Clemson's athletic department "generated more than $70 million in revenue, the vast majority of which came from football" in 2012 when Jenkins was playing.
The firm of Winston & Strawn — which includes Jeffrey Kessler, widely known for his success record in representing players and unions in many sports — is representing the four plaintiffs, none of whom would be considered stars at the college level.
The suit seeks triple damages for the four plaintiffs — Rutgers basketball player Johnathan "J.J." Moore, Clemson football player Martin Jenkins, Texas-El Paso football player Kevin Perry and California football player William Tyndall — based on the economic harm they say they suffered. The court filing estimated that, for instance, Clemson's athletic department "generated more than $70 million in revenue, the vast majority of which came from football" in 2012 when Jenkins was playing.
The firm of Winston & Strawn — which includes Jeffrey Kessler, widely known for his success record in representing players and unions in many sports — is representing the four plaintiffs, none of whom would be considered stars at the college level.
"It helps immensely" to have Kessler involved, said Ramogi Huma, the president of the National College Players Association, a group that supports the suit. "For one, I think people are going to take it seriously. I think players will take it seriously. And importantly, I think the NCAA will take it seriously."
The suit also seeks an injunction to stop the NCAA from prohibiting any of its member institutions from negotiating to give or providing compensation to football and basketball players and rejected the argument that the current rules ensure competitive balance.
"Defendants' price-fixing agreement and group boycott is a naked restraint of trade without any pro-competitive purpose or effect," the suit said.
An NCAA spokeswoman didn't immediately comment on the lawsuit.
"I don't think that paying a salary is either in the interest of student-athletes or their universities or of college sports or in the public interest," former NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue, now the chair of Georgetown's board of directors, said Monday while appearing with Huma and others at a meeting of the Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics in Miami.
Other athletes have challenged the NCAA's rules governing compensation for student-athletes. Former UCLA basketball player Ed O'Bannon has led a long-running legal battle against the NCAA over, among other things, the unauthorized use of college athletes' likenesses in video games. Video-game maker Electronic Arts and the Collegiate Licensing Company reached a settlement with the plaintiffs last fall, but the case against the NCAA is scheduled to go to trial barring a settlement.
This month, former West Virginia football player Shawne Alston filed a suit against the NCAA and the five major conferences making similar claims to those contained in Monday's filing.
And Northwestern University football players are trying to form what would be the first college athletes' union in U.S. history. Attorneys have said the regimented structure of football at the school essentially makes it a business, and the relationship between the school and the players is that of an employer to employees.
"There should be a moral compass," Huma said. "Players should not be denied their rights."
Monday's filing cited past legal actions in which it says the NCAA has been found to have committed antitrust violations, including lawsuits involving the limiting of football television broadcasts in the 1980s and the capping of part-time coaches' salaries in the 1990s. It also referred to a lawsuit that charged the NCAA with engaging in anticompetitive behavior against the competing National Invitation Tournament, which resulted in the NCAA's paying a settlement to the plaintiff schools.
Chicago Sports & Travel, Inc./AllsportsAmerica Take: This is one subject that I'm very opinionated and passionate about. Many will, but some sports fans won't agree with me on this subject. I do not feel that students should be paid to play college sports. They are given scholarships along with many perks that the average student does not enjoy. Non-athlete students are making student loans, having their parents go into major debt, working part time and in some cases working two jobs for the opportunity to get an education; in most cases if they don't finish and get a degree, they can't obtain a decent paying job to repay their loan. On the other hand, student athletes also get the opportunity to truly learn more about their chosen sport, (plays, terminology, strategy, diversified techniques, intangible experiences, etc.), along with the opportunity to showcase their talent to achieve the next level in professional sports. If they really want to be paid and feel they deserve it, go play semi-pro or minor league sports and see what type of exposure they get. They'll miss out on the college experience and lose a terrific opportunity that cannot be duplicated. Monies earned from the university's athletic department are used subsidize other programs at the school. Now, I also think that there should be some type of program that help the athletes that get injured pay their medical bills and give them the opportunity to finish their education if they can't play anymore. College is amateur sports not professional sports. Paying athletes is a sure way to ruin college sports. What happens after that? Do we pay high school players too? It's just my opinion and again a very strong one at that. I'd love to know what you think, what's your take? Marion P. Jelks, CS&T/AA Sports Editor
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