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Sports Quote of the Day:
"You're still going to win with preparation and dedication and plain old desire. If you don't have genuine desire, you won't be dedicated enough to prepare properly. ~ Paul "Bear" Bryant, Legendary Coach at the University of Alabama
How 'bout them Chicago Blackhawks? Toews lifts Blackhawks to 2-1 win over Sabres.
By JOHN WAWROW (AP Sports Writer)
Jonathan Toews scored the go-ahead goal 1:34 into the third period, and the Chicago Blackhawks snapped a two-game road skid with a 2-1 win over the Buffalo Sabres on Sunday night.
Patrick Kane celebrated his trip home to Buffalo by also scoring in helping the Blackhawks beat the Sabres for a fifth consecutive time. Cory Crawford made 20 saves in making his 12 straight start.
By improving to 3-3 since the end of the Olympic break, Chicago (38-13-14) avoided its longest road losing streak since a six-game drought from Feb. 2-14, 2012.
Drew Stafford scored for the league-worst Sabres (19-37-8), who had a three-game home winning streak snapped.
With the game tied at 1 and the Sabres mounting a threat in Chicago end to open the third period, Toews answered by capping a 3-on-2 rush the other way. Andrew Shaw crossed Buffalo's blue line and found Brandon Saad breaking up the right wing. Saad drew goalie Jhonas Enroth his way before steering a pass through the crease to Toews, who then snapped it in the open side.
It was Toews' 25th goal of the season and sixth in four games.
Kane was making only his fourth appearance in Buffalo, and was the last Chicago player off the ice following pregame warmups and got a big cheer after flipping a puck into a large crowd of Blackhawks-jersey wearing fans in the stands at the team's bench.
Kane opened the scoring by capping a great individual effort 3:12 in. Chasing down Patrick Sharp's pass at the Sabres' blue line, Kane blew around defender Christian Ehrhoff. Driving into the middle, Kane used defenseman Chad Ruhwedel as a screen by snapping a shot through his legs and over Enroth's left shoulder.
The goal was Kane's first in six games, a slump that coincided with the death of his beloved grandfather, Donald Kane, who lived next door to Kane's home in south Buffalo.
The Sabres tied 5:59 later, when Stafford capped a nifty three-way passing play. Tyler Ennis started it by finding trailing forward Cory Conacher driving up the left wing. Conacher drew Crawford from out of the net and slipped a pass into the crease where Stafford jammed it in after his first chance was blocked by Brent Seabrook.
Enroth finished with 29 saves.
Crawford wasn't nearly as busy, but still made several quality saves, including punching out his blocker to turn away Conacher's shot from the slot midway through the second period.
Then came a marvelous glove save with 5:32 remaining, when Brian Flynn got in alone up the left side and snapped a shot aimed at the far side.
The Sabres had a goal disallowed 5:23 into the first period, when Ennis scored but was penalized for hooking Crawford, while the goalie was handling a loose puck in the slot. The officials did miss a call seconds earlier, when Buffalo's Cody Hodgson was tripped in the corner by defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson.
NOTES: Sabres C Conacher made his debut with Buffalo since being claimed Wednesday, a day after being waived by Ottawa. It's a homecoming for Conacher who played college at Buffalo's Canisius and is from nearby Burlington, Ontario. ... Blackhawks D David Rundblad made his debut with Chicago since being acquired in a trade with Phoenix on Tuesday. ... The Sabres suspended D Rostislav Klesla for failing to report to the team's AHL affiliate in Rochester. Acquired in a trade with Washington on Wednesday, Klesla told Canadian broadcaster TSN that he intended to not finish the NHL season, and instead planned to continue his career in Europe.
Bear Down Chicago Bears!!! Second phase of pre-free agency opens for Bears, NFL.
By John Mullin
The underground market of the NFL has been in motion for months, the informal back-channel chats between agents and teams, between players and players for that matter. Joakim Noah’s “recruiting” pitch to Carmelo Anthony is an NBA case study of how it’s done.
The NFL acknowledged the phenomenon by instituting a three-day talking period, beginning mid-Saturday, during which everyone can stop skulking around, leaving coded messages with false names or whatever, and talk contract details more substantively with free agents-to-be.
The process isn’t so much the point, though. It is what the Bears will ultimately do or be able to do as of 3 p.m. Tuesday when conversations can be converted to contracts. That happened last year about this time with left tackle Jermon Bushrod and tight end Martellus Bennett.
But the Bears have been aggressive at re-signings since even before the end of the 2013 season, retaining 10 players among which have been critical starters ranging from Jay Cutler to Roberto Garza to Tim Jennings to Jeremiah Ratliff, plus Robbie Gould.
The salary cap was increased by some $10 million, giving the Bears and everyone else some wiggle room. Having the money is not necessarily the hard part, though.
The Bears are not expected to make the kind of early splash they did with Bushrod and Bennett. Part of the reason is that there are arguably too few impact players worth what striking in the beginning hours of free agency can cost.
Bad misses
Having a critical need has nothing to do with filling it. The Bears struck boldly for cornerbacks Tom Carter (1997) and Thomas Smith (2000). Both were major-money busts. Linebacker/pass rusher Bryan Cox (1996) was going to make over the capabilities and disposition of the defense but was gone two years into a four-year, $13.2-million deal, accomplishing neither.
The Bears needed No. 2 running backs when they signed Kevin Jones, Chester Taylor and Marion Barber, plus Michael Bush. As longtime Bears and NFL executive Bill Tobin once said, “Paying a player $2 million does not make him a $2-million player.”
Market analysis
The Bears have needs on the defensive line. The problem is that everyone wants impact defensive linemen and very few of them come available. Julius Peppers was a triumph for the Jerry Angelo/Lovie Smith regime and would still be one but for production that dipped precipitously last season, creating an issue that has not seen action, yet.
General manager Phil Emery and coach Marc Trestman made the same declaration: “Decisions are made when they have to be made.”
The consensus top of the defensive end market consists of Seattle’s Michael Bennett and Cincinnati’s Michael Johnson. The latter is a physical fit for the Bears’ scheme (6-7, 270) and is a right end but saw production fall from 11.5 sacks to 3.5 last season when Pro Bowl defensive tackle Geno Atkins went down mid-season with a knee injury. Ideally, the right end is not a complementary player for the prices the good ones command, and Johnson was playing under a franchise tag. Johnson is rated a solid all-around end, but the Bears can have that with Corey Wootton coming of offseason hip surgery.
Other names at end and tackle will circulate, and virtually every player in the NFL is on every team’s “radar;” tracking the abilities and availabilities of players is why people in pro-personnel departments have jobs.
NFL Calendar.
AP Sports
March 8 - Clubs are permitted to contact and enter into contract negotiations with certified agents of players.
March 11 - All clubs must be under the 2014 salary cap; free agency begins; trading period begins.
March 23-26 -Owners meetings, Orlando, Fla.
April 7 - Clubs that hired a new head coach after the end of the 2013 regular season may begin offseason workout programs.
May 2 - Deadline for restricted free agents to sign offer sheets.
May 7 - Deadline for club to exercise right of first refusal for its restricted free agents.
May 8-10 -2014 NFL draft, New York.
Lions owner William Clay Ford dies at 88. Epic futility with Lions shouldn't be William Clay Ford's lasting legacy in Detroit.
By Eric Adelson
Granted, there isn't much good to say about the Lions under his stewardship. The team's decisions ranged from unfortunate to baffling to downright maddening. It's beyond regrettable that the Lions had one of the greatest running backs of the modern era in Barry Sanders and never went to a Super Bowl with him. It may trend in a similar direction with arguably the greatest receiver in the modern era in Calvin Johnson. It's hard to be terrible in the NFL for decades on end, yet the Lions have done it. Fans can't be blamed for expecting better any more than car buyers expected better when the Ford Motor Company languished. The nation Henry Ford helped build rose to greatness because of its high standards, not because of its complacency.
Lions owner William Clay Ford dies at 88. Epic futility with Lions shouldn't be William Clay Ford's lasting legacy in Detroit.
By Eric Adelson
Sometimes the outcomes of seasons don't matter as much as the seasons themselves.
William Clay Ford, who purchased the Detroit Lions on the day John F. Kennedy was assassinated in 1963, died Sunday at his home. He lived to see his team win only one playoff game under his ownership.
There were many Lions fans, young and old, who wished at one time or another that Ford had never bought the team. That wish, however, was short-sighted if not foolish.
Only 10 NFL franchises since 1964 have survived in the cities in which they originally existed. It's hard to imagine many owners beside Ford having the clout and devotion to keep the Lions in the vicinity of a spiraling city like Detroit during that time.
The Motor City has not enjoyed many blessings over the last half-century, cascading from a national economic leader to bankruptcy, but stable sports ownership is certainly one of them. Bill Davidson brought three NBA titles to Detroit, and the precipitous fall of the Pistons since his passing is not likely a coincidence. Mike Ilitch has been nothing less than a savior for the Red Wings and Tigers, with four Stanley Cups and two AL pennants. Ford belongs in that group, despite the lack of winning, because of his love of his team and his city. Those who disagree should speak to football fans in Baltimore and Cleveland, who watched their teams vanish and win championships elsewhere.
It's disheartening that an owner like Ford will always elicit mixed feelings in the Detroit community. His obituary on the Ford website doesn't mention the Lions until the eighth paragraph, and his non-football biography is a snapshot of the life of one of America's great brands. He was the last surviving grandchild of Henry Ford, serving as director of a company that has employed hundreds of thousands of Detroiters. He helped develop the Continental Mark II, whose design evokes images of a revitalized post-war America. Owners of the Mark included Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley.
Ford also contributed to other beloved American organizations as a philanthropist, including the United Way and the Boys and Girls Clubs of America. He was chaperoned on his first flight by Charles Lindbergh, and he enlisted in the Navy after studying at Yale. Ford stood for Detroit even at times when some fans in Detroit couldn't stand him.
Granted, there isn't much good to say about the Lions under his stewardship. The team's decisions ranged from unfortunate to baffling to downright maddening. It's beyond regrettable that the Lions had one of the greatest running backs of the modern era in Barry Sanders and never went to a Super Bowl with him. It may trend in a similar direction with arguably the greatest receiver in the modern era in Calvin Johnson. It's hard to be terrible in the NFL for decades on end, yet the Lions have done it. Fans can't be blamed for expecting better any more than car buyers expected better when the Ford Motor Company languished. The nation Henry Ford helped build rose to greatness because of its high standards, not because of its complacency.
Yet the long list of errors made under Ford's football watch can mostly be traced to his loyalty. He loved the team and its employees like an ardent fan, and that was at times a curse. The most frustrating decision he made was a non-decision: hanging on to general manager Matt Millen long after the team became a laughingstock. The Lions were 31-84 under Millen's leadership, a string of losing that includes the only 0-16 season in NFL history (Millen was fired three games into that winless campaign). "Fire Millen" became a citywide refrain, even at Tigers playoff games.
Those games, however, happened in downtown Detroit, in the shadow of one of the grandest football buildings in America. The Lions' football home is a huge part of Ford's legacy, not only because Ford Field was modern enough to bring a second Super Bowl to Michigan in 2006, but because it signified the return of the NFL to downtown after decades in Pontiac. It is a delight to come to the city to watch NFL games, which is something that couldn't be said for generations. The results haven't been anything memorable, but the experience has. And it's no small thing for a city mired in struggle that the NFL experience continues in Detroit, even and especially on Thanksgiving Day every year. More than a few civic leaders have betrayed Detroit over the years; William Clay Ford never did.
The poignant truth is that this Lions team, despite another crushing season in 2013, is perhaps the most talented group assembled in Detroit since Ford bought the franchise. Millions of dollars have been invested in Johnson and quarterback Matthew Stafford, and millions more are likely to go to defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh. That's Ford's money at work, and it will bring Detroit a contender – perhaps even a banner.
If that championship day comes next season, it will not come in some warm-weather city filled with strip malls and McMansions. It will come in the Motor City – the city William Clay Ford loved his whole life.
Just another Chicago Bulls Session… Noah, Augustin lead Bulls over Heat 95-88 in OT.
By ANDREW SELIGMAN (AP Sports Writer)
Chicago Bulls Joakim Noah reacts after being fouled by Miami Heat's Greg Oden during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Chicago, Sunday, March 9, 2014. (AP Photo/ Paul Beaty)
Joakim Noah had 20 points and 12 rebounds, D.J. Augustin scored 22 and the Chicago Bulls beat the Miami Heat 95-88 in overtime Sunday after Jimmy Butler blocked LeBron James at the end of regulation.
Dwyane Wade scored 25 for Miami, but with James struggling again, the Heat dropped their third straight to match their longest losing streak of the season.
James scored 17 points on 8-of-23 shooting and couldn't come through after Miami blew a 12-point lead down the stretch. With a chance to win it at the end of regulation, he got stripped by Butler on a layup attempt.
In overtime, it was all Bulls.
Chicago outscored Miami 9-2, starting with Augustin's 3 just under a minute in. Butler added a jumper from the wing, Noah scored on a putback and Butler added two free throws to make it 95-86 with 1:33 left before James made a layup.
Noah also had seven assists and five blocks with his dad - tennis great Yannick Noah - looking on.
Butler added 16 points and 11 rebounds.
Wade tried to carry the load for Miami, particularly in the early going. Chris Bosh scored 15, but James had another rough afternoon. The four-time MVP is 23 for 59 in the three games since his career-high and franchise-record 61-point effort against Charlotte last week.
James also went without a mask from the start to protect his broken nose, after ditching it during the previous game. He said it was simply uncomfortable, so he decided to play without it even though he was not cleared to do so.
The Heat led by 12 in the third quarter, but the Bulls hung in.
Augustin's 3-pointer and Butler's steal and two free throws put Chicago ahead 75-74 midway through the fourth.
It was 82-82 with just over two minutes left when Noah blocked a layup by James. Taj Gibson raced the other way for a thunderous dunk while getting fouled by Mario Chalmers, drawing a roar from the crowd.
James tied it again on a layup with 1:10 left. Wade then stole the ball from Butler and hit two free throws after getting fouled inside by Noah to give Miami an 86-84 lead with 29.2 seconds remaining. But Kirk Hinrich quickly scooped in a runner to knot it at 86 with 20.1 seconds left.
After a timeout, James took the inbounds and got stripped driving along the right side by Butler to send this one to overtime.
Tobacco use still prominent among MLB players.
By Mark Townsend
Despite Major League Baseball's best efforts to dissuade and discourage players from using smokeless tobacco, it remains a difficult habit for many players to kick. In fact, the problem remained prominent enough in 2011 that U.S. senators and health officials urged MLB to ban smokeless tobacco to protect current players and future players who may pick up the habit while watching their heroes in action.
Though the league was unable to get a full ban on tobacco, teams are now prohibited from providing tobacco product to players as a part of the latest collective bargaining agreement with the Players Association. A good step, but it appears not much, or at least not enough, has changed in terms of usage.
Many players and coaches admit they still dip from time to time, mostly out of routine, which is part of what makes baseball players so unique. They're creatures of habit in the truest sense. Any nuance that helps them relax or in their minds leads to success on the field they'll keep with them. From something as simple as readjusting their batting gloves after every pitch, to a habit as dangerous as tobacco, they can't eliminate anything from their game that they perceive helps them.
Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe put the focus solely on Boston Red Sox players who use tobacco, including team leader David Ortiz, and found that to be true. Abraham says 21 of the 58 players he talked to admitted use, though they don't necessarily enjoy it and almost unanimously don't encourage it. It's just such a part of their routine that it became second nature. Almost like putting on their helmet and taking a practice swing in the on-deck circle.
Many players and coaches admit they still dip from time to time, mostly out of routine, which is part of what makes baseball players so unique. They're creatures of habit in the truest sense. Any nuance that helps them relax or in their minds leads to success on the field they'll keep with them. From something as simple as readjusting their batting gloves after every pitch, to a habit as dangerous as tobacco, they can't eliminate anything from their game that they perceive helps them.
Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe put the focus solely on Boston Red Sox players who use tobacco, including team leader David Ortiz, and found that to be true. Abraham says 21 of the 58 players he talked to admitted use, though they don't necessarily enjoy it and almost unanimously don't encourage it. It's just such a part of their routine that it became second nature. Almost like putting on their helmet and taking a practice swing in the on-deck circle.
“I use it as a stimulator when I go to hit,” Ortiz said. “But the minute I finish my at-bat I spit it out. It keeps me smooth and puts me in a good mood. I don’t do it in the offseason. I don’t really like it that much, to be honest with you.”
It's fascinating and maybe a little troubling to hear Ortiz put it in those words. Though it may not truly be an addiction for him and for others, the need to continue even in small doses will certainly add up.
After being diagnosed with cancer of the parotid salivary gland three years ago, Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn immediately connected the diagnosis to his use of smokeless tobacco. The dangers are known and accepted, yet the habit runs so deep and comes in so many different forms, players put the risks out of their minds to gain short term piece of mind on the field.
After being diagnosed with cancer of the parotid salivary gland three years ago, Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn immediately connected the diagnosis to his use of smokeless tobacco. The dangers are known and accepted, yet the habit runs so deep and comes in so many different forms, players put the risks out of their minds to gain short term piece of mind on the field.
For each player, the habit takes on different forms. Pitchers Jake Peavy and Felix Doubront said they use smokeless tobacco only when they’re on the mound. Fellow pitchers Andrew Miller and Clay Buchholz use it during games but not when they’re pitching.
“It’s just part of my routine when I play,” first baseman Mike Napoli said. “It would feel weird without it. I’ve gone a couple of months without it. But as soon as I step on a field, I feel like I need it.”
According to Abraham, many of the players he talked to have attempted to quit in the past but were unable to stay away. The only Red Sox player who doesn't plan on quitting during his career is Jonny Gomes. But even he understands the dangers and wants to live his post-baseball life tobacco free.
“I’d quit if my family wanted me to,” Gomes said. “The kids aren’t old enough to realize what’s going on. People are baffled I don’t do it in the offseason because I do it all the time when we’re playing. But I don’t have an addictive personality. There’s just something about it that goes with baseball. There’s something attached to hitting. I can’t describe it.
“Once I stop playing, I’ll never do it again. I know it’s a bad idea.”
If you went to every team around the league you'd hear the same stories over and over again. Guys who want to quit. Guys who don't need it off the field, but can't live without it on the field. Guys who know what they're risking, but would rather gain a slight advantage in their minds. It's troubling, but it's the nature of being a creature of habit, and the only true way to stop it will be doing everything we can to discourage and flat out stop young players before they ever get started.
Reed on a roll, wins a World Golf Championship.
By Doug Ferguson
He wore black pants and a red shirt, his Sunday colors. He took a lead into the final round, quickly expanded it with a pair of birdies and then relied on his short game to keep everyone chasing him. He even played it safe off the 18th tee, caring more about the trophy than the final score.
Patrick Reed followed it perfectly to win the Cadillac Championship, replacing Woods as the youngest winner of a World Golf Championship.
"The best player ever to live when I was growing up wore black pants, a red shirt," Reed said after closing with an even-par 72 for a one-shot victory at Doral. "I was growing up watching him. I always thought, 'You know, it would be cool to wear black and red coming down on Sunday.
"Just happens to be that we both wear it on Sunday now."
Only one of them stood out at the new Blue Monster. Even with Woods and his red shirt only three shots behind and in the group directly in front of him, the 23-year-old Reed stretched his lead to four shots at one point until making a pair of bogeys in the final hour. He held off Bubba Watson and Jamie Donaldson of Wales.
Woods, in his best chance this year to win a tournament, said his back flared up after an awkward shot out of the bunker on the sixth hole. He failed to make a birdie in the final round for the first time in his PGA Tour career, and his 78 was his worst Sunday score ever.
"Just let me get through this day, get some treatment and we'll assess it as time goes on," Woods said about his back. He withdrew from the Honda Classic after 13 holes of the final round last week because of back spasms.
Reed has three wins in 14 starts and should move to No. 20 in the world. He feels his ranking should be even better. Reed cited an amateur career that includes going 6-0 in matches to lead Augusta State to two NCAA titles, followed by three PGA Tour wins in seven months.
"I don't see a lot of guys that have done that besides Tiger Woods and the legends of the game," Reed said. "I believe in myself, especially with how hard I've worked. I'm one of the top five players in the world. I feel like I've proven myself."
He joined some exclusive company. Since 1990, only Woods, Phil Mickelson, Rory McIlroy and Sergio Garcia had three PGA Tour wins before turning 24.
This was not an accident, either.
Reed has had a share of the lead going into the final round of all three of his victories — the Wyndham Championship last August, the Humana Challenge in January and a World Golf Championship at Doral that featured the strongest field so far this year.
His last two wins were wire-to-wire, including ties.
Watson, who won at Riviera three weeks ago, went bogey-free over the final 27 holes, a strong performance on the overhauled Trump National Doral. He closed with a 68, finishing with par after blasting through the palms, into the grandstand and back into the rough.
Donaldson wasn't so fortunate. He hit into a foot on the 17th for his third birdie on the back nine to get within one shot of the lead. From the 18th fairway — after watching Miguel Angel Jimenez go through the green and into the water — he blocked his approach away from the flag and into the back bunker. Donaldson blasted out to just inside 15 feet and missed the par putt. He closed with a 70.
Reed finished at 4-under 284, matching the highest winning score at Doral. Mark McCumber won at 284 in 1985. He earned $1.53 million, pushing his season total over $3 million, and he moves to No. 3 in the Ryder Cup standings.
Reed, Donaldson and Watson were the only players to finish under par.
Woods raised more questions about his health — and his game — with the Masters just over a month away.
He beaned and bloodied a spectator on the opening hole and missed a 10-foot birdie putt. He beaned another spectator on No. 3, kicking the ball back into the fairway, only he followed that with a shot into the water and made bogey. Woods made two more bogeys over the next three holes and was an afterthought. He said the pain intensified after his bunker shot on the sixth.
Woods had his left foot in the sand and his right foot flexed against the lip of the bunker.
"That's what set it off and then it was done after that," he said. "Just see if I could actually manage ... keep the spasms at bay."
Woods has played only four tournaments, and only twice went 72 holes. He missed the 54-hole cut at Torrey Pines, tied for 41st in Dubai and withdrew at the Honda Classic.
He is scheduled to make only one more start — Bay Hill in two weeks — before Augusta National.
The other guy in the red shirt and black pants played like he knew what was doing with the lead. Reed left no doubt early that it would be his tournament to win.
His two-shot lead dwindled to one after a bogey from the bunker on the second hole, and that was as close as it got until it no longer mattered. He knocked in a 25-foot birdie from the back of the green at No. 3, He holed an 18-foot birdie putt on the tough par-3 fourth. Jason Dufner, playing in the final group, went into the water on the fourth to begin his quick slide. Reed made par on the next nine holes, and only in the final hour was the outcome ever in doubt.
Reed saved par from the bunker on Nos. 11, 13 and 15. His only bogey came on a 3½-foot putt he missed at No. 14.
As Dale Earnhardt Jr. runs out of gas on final lap, Brad Keselowski breezes by for Las Vegas win.
By Nick Bromberg
Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s crew chief Steve Letarte said his driver was about a half-lap short on fuel. Damned if he wasn't about right.
Junior's car burped coming off of turn two while leading on the final lap of Sunday's Kobalt 400 at Las Vegas and Brad Keselowski took advantage for his first win of the season.
The burp was small, but it was noticeable enough for Junior to pull to the inside on the backstretch and allow Keselowski to sail by. By the time the car picked up fuel again, Keselowski was too far gone into turn three.
Even if there wasn't a burp, the battle for the win wouldn't have mattered anyway. Junior's car was out of fuel officially off of turn four.
"We weren't going to run first or second had we not stayed out on that strategy," Junior said. "We knew we were a lap short and we tried to save as much as we could. We got it to about a half a lap and it ran out off of two there."
That strategy Junior refers to is the decision by Letarte to stay out when the race's final caution flag flew with 42 laps to go. While the rest of the field came in to top off their fuel tanks, Letarte and Junior elected to stay out to try to stretch the fuel.
Junior had run in the top 10 all day, but with the Daytona 500 win already notched, he and Letarte wanted to go for more bonus points in the Chase. And besides, why not? Staying out was a strategy that worked for Matt Kenseth last year. After a late caution at almost the same point in the race at this one, Kenseth elected not to take tires and he held off Kasey Kahne for the win.
(While Junior says the new Chase format was the catalyst for his team's gamble, we have wonder that based on past history at Vegas if a long winless drought would make Letarte and Junior want to go for the win. They've gambled on fuel mileage before.)
But much like how Kenseth's win over Kahne was in doubt until the final corner, the race between Junior and Keselowski was setting up to be as well if it wasn't for Junior's gas tank running dry. Keselowski had slowly chipped away at the interval separating the two drivers over the final 20 laps and had pulled up alongside of Junior with four laps to go.
"We needed to put pressure on Dale and not let him get into fuel-save mode," Keselowski said. "Because as you could tell, he was really close."
But not close enough for the win, though Junior now has two second place finishes to go along with the Daytona 500 win in the first three races. And Keselowski isn't too far behind.
He finished third in the Daytona 500 and at Phoenix, and trails Junior by a point in the standings.
Indy 500 qualifying to be 3 rounds over 2 days.
By JENNA FRYER (AP Auto Racing Writer)
The new qualifying format for the Indianapolis 500 will include three rounds over two days, with the pole-winner emerging from a ''Fast Nine Shootout'' on what used to be Bump Day.
IndyCar officials also said Friday there will be points incentives that have yet to be announced.
Qualifying for the Indy 500 this year will begin on May 17 when the fastest 33 cars are locked into the field. All entries will be guaranteed at least one four-lap attempt to qualify, and the fastest nine drivers will move into the shootout.
On Sunday, the previous days' times will be erased and entries 10 through 33 will complete another four-lap qualifying attempt to determine their starting position. The fastest nine drivers from Saturday will then make one four-lap attempt to determine the prestigious pole winner and starting front row.
The Indy 500 has had four-lap qualifying runs since 1939. The Fast Nine pole shootout was introduced in 2010, but was on Saturday.
The change comes as IndyCar struggles to fill the 33-car field, making the once tension-filled Bump Day drama-free the last two years. Without additional entrants on hand trying to make the race, Sunday had become a glorified practice session.
By making qualifying stretch over two days, Sunday at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway has become relevant again.
''We have a desire to give fans more opportunities to see IndyCar drivers on the track when there's a lot at stake, not just with practice, but where they are out there with putting it on the line in a way that matters,'' said Mark Miles, CEO of Hulman Motorsports. ''I think in the last many years, Saturday has been the day in qualifying, but there's been an opportunity to add more compelling content on Sunday, and that's what we're trying to do here.''
IndyCar driver Graham Rahal called the new format ''intriguing'' and praised it for adding fan appeal.
''The most important thing to realize here is we have to give our fans a better product both on TV and at track,'' Rahal said. ''As we know Sunday in the past has been a moot point. Now I think there's going to be quite a bit of buildup Saturday, see who the 33 will be, then go into Sunday and wait till the very end to see who the pole winner is going to be.
''I'm pretty excited for the changes that are ahead. Of course, I am a traditionalist, but I'm always one that's open for change as well.''
The format will make life a little more difficult for NASCAR driver Kurt Busch, who will attempt to become the first driver in 10 years to run both the Indy 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 on the same day.
Busch will now have to qualify in Indianapolis on Saturday, fly to Charlotte, N.C., for NASCAR's All-Star race that evening, then return to Indianapolis to determine his starting spot in Sunday's qualifying session.
Under the old format, had Busch locked himself into the field on Saturday, he would not have necessarily have needed to return to Indianapolis following the All-Star race unless he was in danger of being bumped out.
ABC will broadcast the final two hours of Saturday's qualifications and three hours on Sunday. Additional hours of qualifying will be carried on ESPN3, the network said.
''Down through history, qualifying for the Indianapolis 500 has made for many dramatic and compelling television moments, and we're confident that the leadership of Indianapolis Motor Speedway and IndyCar will continue that tradition with this new format,'' said Rich Feinberg, ESPN vice president, motorsports, production.
More friend than foe: City legend Uwe Rosler leads underdog Wigan to FA Cup shocker.
By Martin Rogers
It will go down as the most memorable upset of the English soccer season and that doesn't even begin to tell the full story.
On a strange Sunday afternoon when the odd voodoo that makes soccer's oldest competition eternally magical was never stronger, a plotline so unlikely became the narrative. The final score for this stunning FA Cup quarterfinal read Manchester City 1, Wigan Athletic 2, and to those who follow the English game that result alone was remarkable enough.
City, the cash-laden Premier League heavyweight backed by the bottomless oil wealth of its Arabian ownership group, was knocked out of the Cup – on its own turf – by Wigan, a club relegated from the Premier League last year that currently sits in seventh place in England's second-tier Championship with a wage bill dwarfed by that of its opponent.
But more than the score, the afternoon was about a man. And the scene would have been a puzzling one for the uninitiated.
Uwe Rosler was the architect of City's demise at the Etihad Stadium and was adored by Wigan's fan base before the game and remains so after it. But the Latics manager received an even greater reception from the home supporters than Manuel Pellegrini, the boss trying to win City the Premier League title in his first season in charge.
City fans stood and applauded and even chanted Rosler's name, "Uwe, Uwe Rosler" to the tune of the Pet Shop Boys' 1990s classic "Go West" just like they did a couple of decades ago.
Before he was a follicle-challenged manager in a suit, Rosler was a striker with a mullet – one that was transplanted from behind the Iron Curtain and East Germany's communist regime into City folklore. He played for City from 1994 to 1998 and scored 64 goals in 176 games, including a classic chip against Manchester United, the star-studded neighbor of perennial underdog City.
The Man City faithful loved Rosler for his effort and industry but loved him even more for the way he returned their affection. Rosler was embraced by his teammates, was touched and surprised by how the predominantly English squad included him in social golf outings and would pour beer for them as he didn't know how to swing a club.
It was a different world for a player who had grown up in the regimented East German sporting system. Rosler says he was even a recruitment target for the Stasi secret service early in his career.
Rosler helped City avoid relegation in the 1994-95 season and shed tears when he couldn't do it again the following year. He stuck with them the next campaign before finally moving on after a second straight relegation left the club in the third tier of English soccer.
Modern soccer players are often an unsentimental bunch, but that wasn't the case with Rosler. He came back with his family to watch key games as the club began its road to revival, screamed himself hoarse and celebrated with fans when they won the FA Cup in 2011. He kept friendships with former playing colleagues and club workers and named both his sons after City legends.
Rosler contracted lung cancer in 2003 and wasn't expected to survive, but his fight was boosted by a friend's phone call as he lay in a hospital in Germany. The noise on the other end of the line was 40,000 City fans, after hearing news of his plight, chanting his name during a game just like they used to.
Rosler beat the disease and threw himself into management. He wasn't a big enough name to walk into a high-profile job but worked his way up. He got a chance at small London club Brentford and began to build a reputation as a coach.
Last December, he got a call from Wigan, a club struggling after experiencing the unique joy and anguish of winning last year's FA Cup (beating City in the final with a late winner) only to be relegated from the top flight in the same campaign. Fate, and the random nature of the Cup draw, cast Rosler in the most unusual spotlight.
Wigan, an underdog in last year's FA Cup final, was even more of a long shot in Sunday's quarterfinal with a squad inevitably weakened after dropping down a division. Moreover, the game was on City's turf and not the neutral site of Wembley Stadium.
Manchester United lost at the Etihad this season, conceding four goals in the process. Arsenal lost there, too, while letting in six. In the Premier League, City has won 12 or its 13 home games, scoring 43 times and allowing just nine.
But the FA Cup never ceases to stupefy the odds makers and make underdogs play out of their skin. No one quite knows how, but it happens, year after year.
Jordi Gomez slotted a penalty after 27 minutes to make the upset a possibility. Despite City dominating possession, a defensive lapse allowed James Perch to extend the lead to two just after halftime. Then Emmerson Boyce, a journeyman defender who will never be considered a world-beater, repeatedly repelled the attacking waves of City's multi-million collective of Edin Dzeko, Sergio Aguero, David Silva and Samir Nasri.
Nasri narrowed the gap with a fine strike with 22 minutes left but neither he nor his teammates could conjure the equalizer as time wound down. With a bit of luck, resolute defending, pure, uncompromised spirit and the colossus of Boyce having the game of his life, Wigan held on. Rosler, the former hero, was lauded once again by the City fans despite the shellshock of the events from the previous 90 minutes.
Next up for Wigan is a showdown with Arsenal beckons in the FA Cup semifinals. Realistically, Arsenal must be relishing the matchup. Having not won a trophy for nine years, the London club is now left with just Premiership battlers Hull and two Championship teams in its way.
But one of them is Wigan, which has been somehow turbo-charged beyond its means whenever it steps out in this tournament. The magic of the FA Cup is alive and well.
What fuels Wichita State? Your hate, college basketball.
By Pat Forde
Wichita State head coach Gregg Marshall waves to fans after cutting down the net after the Missouri Valley Conference tournament championship NCAA basketball game between Wichita State and Indiana State on Sunday, March 9, 2014, at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis. (AP Photo/St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Chris Lee)
The Missouri Valley Conference extended a wonderful Arch Madness parting gift to the undefeated Wichita State Shockers on Sunday afternoon.
Seconds after they finished beating Indiana State 83-69, the players were handed T-shirts commemorating their Missouri Valley tournament championship. The shirts had a bracket on the back that said the Sycamores actually won the thing. Nobody noticed until the Shockers were wearing them.
One league’s gaffe is another man’s gold.
For a program that relishes bathing in the icy water of disrespect, this was perfect. Total domination of the conference ends with a printing mistake that denies the Shockers their first Valley tourney title in 27 years. The players were proudly cloaked in insult as they cut down the nets in the Scottrade Center.
“Hey, hey!” a gleeful Gregg Marshall said upon seeing the shirts. “Someone get a picture of this.”
They got pictures. And they will keep the shirts, too. The conference eventually will send a shipment with the correct bracket on the back, but these may remain the Shockers’ favorite souvenir from this three-day tour de force.
“We won,” point guard Fred Van Vleet said. “[The Sycamores] don’t get to wear the shirts today.”
As motivated masochists, the Shockers will wear the hairshirts of external doubt from now through Selection Sunday and into NCAA tournament play – which almost assuredly will begin in this same arena on March 21. From now until then they will hear an increasing chorus of criticism aimed at the Wichita State schedule (ranked 131st by Ken Pomeroy) and conference (ranked 11th). The power-conference snobs will be out in force, railing against the No. 1 NCAA seed that is assuredly heading Wichita’s way (many of them already are, and a high percentage of those hail from Lawrence, Kan.). Others will wonder whether the ensuing 12-day layoff without a game will leave the Shockers flat and rusty (didn’t happen last year). And, yeah, there is at least one guy who thinks that being the first undefeated team to enter the NCAAs since UNLV in 1991 is a potentially problematic burden.
All of it will be music to their rabbit ears, which detect slights the way Tiger Woods hears camera clicks during his backswing.
Marshall was asked Sunday whether he had a message for the skeptics who will be prowling Bracketville. Marshall said he did not. But then he doubled back a couple minutes later.
"I want to get back to you," he said to the reporter who asked the question. "I might have an answer. I’m going to go with [Wichita State center] Chadrack Lufile’s tweet about two weeks ago: ‘Wolves do not fret over the opinions of sheep.’ "
Then Gregg Marshall flashed a wolfishly predatory stare from the podium.
Thus the Shockers embark on their NCAA tourney journey as the most highly-regarded and highly-scrutinized team from outside the power-five conferences since Memphis in 2008. Gonzaga was a No. 1 seed last year but didn’t grab the nation’s imagination the way Wichita State has – and for good reason, as it turned out. The Shockers eliminated the Zags in the round of 32, on their way to a surprise Final Four as a No. 9 seed.
There will be no hiding behind a low seed this time around. No sneaking up on anyone. Marshall’s team will be the national talking point from now until they lose.
If they lose.
It will take a really good team playing really well to beat the Shockers. What they lack in résumé sizzle they make up for in eyeball-test substance. They perfectly embody the play-hard-smart-together ethos of great teams, and they augment those qualities with plenty of talent. There may be a couple of teams with better players than Wichita State, but the list is short – and the teams on it don’t always maximize their talent the way the Shockers do.
“They’re the best team in the country,” said Indiana State senior Jake Odum.
The Shockers are blessed with four go-to guys. On a day when their most prolific 3-point shooter, guard Ron Baker, went 0-for-6 outside the arc, the rest of the team went 9-for-16.
That continued a torrid shooting weekend, with Wichita State making 28 3-pointers in 63 attempts (44.4 percent).
The two shooting stars Sunday were Tekele Cotton and Van Vleet, each of whom was 4-for-6 from 3-point range. Cotton was the tournament's Most Outstanding Player and forward Cleanthony Early is the team’s best talent, but it is Van Vleet who is the most indispensible Shocker.
Stanford's David Shaw isn't a fan of the proposed NCAA early signing period.
Nick Bromberg
Is the proposed early college football signing period going to succeed the 10-second rule as the 2014 offseason debate du jour?
If other coaches feel the same way as Stanford's David Shaw, it just may.
An early signing period would allow recruits to sign their letters of intent with a school before National Signing Day, similar to other sports. An NCAA representative said earlier in the week there was support for the rule, but there was disagreement about the timing of the proposed signing period.
The 10-second defensive substitution debate was (mercifully) ended when that proposal was removed from consideration on Wednesday.
Right now, college players can verbally commit to a school early, but those verbal commitments are non-binding. Shaw told ESPN that he thought the idea of an early signing period was "terrible" and that it could hurt schools like Stanford, which have high academic standards.
If other coaches feel the same way as Stanford's David Shaw, it just may.
An early signing period would allow recruits to sign their letters of intent with a school before National Signing Day, similar to other sports. An NCAA representative said earlier in the week there was support for the rule, but there was disagreement about the timing of the proposed signing period.
The 10-second defensive substitution debate was (mercifully) ended when that proposal was removed from consideration on Wednesday.
Right now, college players can verbally commit to a school early, but those verbal commitments are non-binding. Shaw told ESPN that he thought the idea of an early signing period was "terrible" and that it could hurt schools like Stanford, which have high academic standards.
From ESPN:
"What's going to happen is, if a kid wants to change his mind late after the early signing period, he's going to appeal and that appeal is going to go through because the committees that decide those appeals, they always give in towards the student-athlete," Shaw said.
"So you have a kid that might be 16 going on 17 that commits and then really has a chance to think about it and changes his mind and we're going to try and hold him to it.
"On top of that -- and I'll be honest here, which is rare for a football coach in a setting like this -- but we have a lot of kids that don't know if they're going to get into school until after that early signing day," Shaw said. "So we're going to punish the academic schools just because coaches don't want a kid to switch their commitment?
Shaw is correct in saying that it's a move that is designed to benefit schools and theoretically prevent a prospect from switching his commitment. Or if he wanted to do so, he'd have to go through the red tape of the NCAA -- a much more daunting prospect than simply flipping a verbal commitment.
Of course, the flip side is that many players may simply not elect to sign during an early period and instead wait until signing day like has happened previously. Given the attention that National Signing Day has started generating, you can't necessarily blame a recruit for waiting to get his 3 minutes of airtime to himself on ESPN.
And could the rule proposal also be an opportunity to give some strength, whether it's perceived or real, to schools for the future? While standardization with other sports is a natural fit, there's a good chance the athlete-school relationship could be reshaped with a governance restructuring and the outcome of pending lawsuits against the governing body.
Report: Bears expect to sign Michael Bennett.by Mike Florio
A Bennett family reunion could be heading to Chicago.
A year after the Bears signed tight end Martellus Bennett, the team reportedly is in “strong pursuit” of Seahawks defensive end Michael Bennett, according to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune.
Two team officials told Briggs that the team expects to sign Bennett once the free agency period opens on Tuesday at 4:00 p.m. ET.
Bennett signed a one-year, $5 million deal in Seattle last year after hitting free agency as a member of the Buccaneers. The Seahawks wanted to re-sign Bennett; a report from Super Bowl Sunday said they definitely would.
At this point, it looks like they won’t, barring an unexpected development.
It’s also possible that the acquisition of Bennett via a market deal will conclude defensive end Julius Peppers‘ run with the Bears. Signed on the first day of free agency four years ago, Peppers has an $18.1 million cap number and a $13.9 million salary. If the Bears keep him at that number, they’ll have more than $40 million in 2014 cap space tied up in two players — Peppers and quarterback Jay Cutler, whose cap number is $22.5 million.
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