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"It's hard to beat a person who never gives up." "Heroes get remembered, but legends never die." ~ Babe Ruth, (Arguably The Best MLB Player Of All Time)
How 'bout them Chicago Blackhawks? Blackhawks dominate Pens at Soldier Field.
By Jerry Bonkowski, The Sports Xchange
Patrick Sharp #10 of the Chicago Blackhawks celebrates his first period goal with Nick Leddy #8 and Jonathan Toews #19 against the Pittsburgh Penguins during the 2014 NHL Stadium Series game on March 1, 2014 at Soldier Field in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/NHLI via Getty Images) 2014 NHLI
At Soldier Field, home of the NFL's Bears, the Blackhawks ignored an estimated four inches of snow and proved Saturday night that Chicago is just as much a hockey town as it is a football town.
The Blackhawks rode a pair of goals by center and team captain Jonathan Toews and outstanding defense -- a Bears' staple -- and goaltending by Corey Crawford to a 5-1 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins in the final NHL Stadium Series game of the season.
"The skill and perseverance of our players, combined with the enthusiasm and energy of the greatest fans in sports, created a memorable culmination for the 2014 Coors Light Stadium Series," NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said.
The game was played in front of a Blackhawks single-game attendance record and sell-out crowd of 62,921.
"It was probably the greatest setting you could ever want going into a hockey game," Chicago coach Joel Quenneville said. "We played a real strong game, had good pace, did everything you're hoping for, and Crow (Crawford) was good in the net. It was complete, we're happy in many ways and a very memorable night.
"I think everybody went back to when they were kids, playing outside like it was a pick-up game. The stage couldn't have been better."
Toews agreed with his coach, adding, "We had a blast out there. We honestly felt like we were playing shinny hockey in our backyard. We were throwing everything at the net and hoping for the best. It was real fun."
While Toews' goals powered Chicago's offense, Crawford was exceptional in net, stopping all but one of Pittsburgh's 32 shots. His Penguins counterpart, goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury, stopped just 35 of Chicago's 40 shots.
As happy as they were for the outcome, the win could prove costly for the Blackhawks. Right winger Marian Hossa suffered an unspecified upper-body injury late in the first period after suffering a hard hit behind the Penguins net and did not return for the remainder of the game.
"He may miss some time," Quenneville said. "I've got a pretty good idea what it is but we'll know more in a couple days. It's not long-term."
The Blackhawks showed why they are the highest-scoring team in the NHL with a constant onslaught that Pittsburgh's defense could not contain in the first meeting between the two clubs since Dec. 20, 2011.
Forward Patrick Sharp started Chicago's scoring with his team-leading 29th goal of the season at 15:35 of the first period.
"I honestly thought that was the game, 1-0, with the way the conditions were," Sharp said. "Our team wanted to take this game seriously, but we also wanted to have fun. ... We were just kind of hoisting the puck around, slapping it around and it was fun."
Chicago scored two more goals in the second period on Toews' first goal (No. 20) at 10:48, followed by right wing Kris Versteeg's 10th goal at 16:43, putting the game out of reach early.
Chicago poured it on with two more goals in the third period by left winger Bryan Bickell (ninth) at 13:57 and Toews' second goal of the night (21st) at 17:52.
Pittsburgh's only goal came by on right winger James Neal's 22nd goal at 6:21 of the third period.
Pittsburgh suffered only its fourth loss in regulation in its last 18 games (11-4-3).
"There is lots of this game that I'll remember," Penguins coach Dan Bylsma said. "You like the scene, you like the outoors. ... We're playing the Blackhawks, the best team in the league. There are some pictures and moments in this game that certainly were excellent. You know, the outcome and how we played, I'm going to have to erase that as part of that snapshot that I'll have."
The win snapped a two-game losing streak for Chicago (36-12-14) while extending Pittsburgh's (40-16-4) own loss streak to three straight. Both teams combined to win three of the last five Stanley Cups -- Pittsburgh in 2009, Chicago in 2010 and 2013.
Bylsma didn't blame the weather for his team's play.
"Conditions were same for both teams," he said. "It wouldn't have mattered if we played this inside or outside or if there was snow or no snow. They were better and more prepared to play, whatever the conditions were."
It was the second outdoor game in Blackhawks history, avenging a 6-4 loss to the Detroit Red Wings in 2009 at Wrigley Field.
"The first game was cool, but I thought this one was cooler," Quenneville said.
Pittsburgh is now 1-2 in outdoor games, beating Buffalo in 2008 and losing to Washington in 2012.
NOTES: The outdoor temperature at puck drop was 17.4 degrees. ... Saturday marked the first time that NHL scoring leader C Sidney Crosby and Chicago captain C Jonathan Toews met in the NHL. This was only the third time Crosby faced the Blackhawks and was his first trip to the Windy City in over eight years (Jan. 13, 2006, his rookie season) and his first game vs. Chicago since Feb. 14, 2007, at Mellon Arena. ... Chicago returns to the United Center for the first time in five weeks Tuesday vs. Colorado and Thursday vs. Columbus. The Blackhawks' last game at the United Center was a 3-1 loss to Winnipeg on Jan. 26. ... Saturday marked the start of a five-game roadtrip for the Penguins, who play next at Nashville on Tuesday.
Bear Down Chicago Bears!!! Team Report - CHICAGO BEARS.
The SportsXchange
INSIDE SLANT
With 25 players entering some form of free agency next month, second-year head coach Marc Trestman is prepared for another offseason of change.
Trestman said defensive end Julius Peppers, who if released would leave the Bears with $8 million in so-called dead money, "like a lot of us had 8-8 seasons." His return might require a restructured contract. Salary-cap money could be tight with veteran cornerback Charles Tillman and defensive tackle Henry Melton on the road to unrestricted free agency while rehabbing from season-ending injuries.
"He had very, very good moments and moments where he didn't play as well as he would have liked," Trestman said of Peppers.
The Bears will be primarily a 4-3 defense and retained coordinator Mel Tucker after briefly considering a 3-4 scheme.
"What we're doing is looking at the existing scheme and in the process of putting together a scheme that suits the players we will have," Trestman said. "We're not going to know who those players are going to be for quite some time."
Trestman said the Bears will be younger on defense, and general manager Phil Emery has bluntly pointed to investing draft picks to rebuild on that side of the ball.
One area of need is the secondary. Safety Major Wright is a free agent and arguably the most high-profile free agent, Tillman, said Tuesday he wants to return and the Bears want him back, but finances must be worked out.
"We know we're going to get younger," Trestman said. "For the most part, it's going to be a defensive-oriented draft in terms of where we're going."
Trestman said he talks to Melton on a daily basis. Emery raised questions about his dedication to football but the staff has largely praised his unique skill set. Along with Melton and Tillman, versatile defensive lineman Corey Wootton is a free agent. He could be coveted because, in Emery's words, he "transcends scheme" but is coming off hip surgery.
Tucker was retained despite a dismal statistical season. The Bears were 32nd against the run and yards per play and 30th in total defense. Trestman pointed to injuries to weak-side linebacker Lance Briggs and Tillman not only for their on-field ability but also the toll losing locker-room leaders had on a green defense.
In lockstep with Emery, Trestman reviewed the season game-by-game to quantify the root of the areas of concern, and the decision was made to retain Tucker. Trestman said most of the same qualities that stood out in their initial interview rose to the forefront.
"His ability to communicate, his understanding of the defense at all three levels and his understanding of adapting and assimilating the defense, and his ability to lead men," Trestman said. "At the end of the season that did not change."
Change will now be embraced.
From the time Trestman spoke at the Scouting Combine in 2013, the Bears added 10 players to their offense and worked them into a scheme that evolved throughout the season.
NOTES, QUOTES
--The Shea McClellin question has been answered by Chicago Bears general Phil Emery.
Now it's up to the 2012 first-round Bears draft pick to answer the call to arms.
Ineffective over two seasons as a defensive end, McClellin is being moved to linebacker. Emery said at Thursday's NFL Scouting Combine that McClellin will compete both at middle linebacker and strong-side linebacker.
"He is a perfect candidate to be on the field all downs in some capacity, whether that is blitzing, rushing, playing against the run in run personnel, but he is going to have to compete for his job," Emery said. "He could win that job at SAM (strong side). He could win that job at MIKE (middle)."
While Emery said McClellin could be used rushing the passer off the edge, this is not a situation where the former Boise State star is specializing on only passing downs.
"Competition (for McCellin) right now is Jon Bostic, Khaseem Greene and it's Shea," Emery said. "Obviously we feel that Lance Briggs is our weak (side) starter."
It's also possible, Emery said, that McClellin will have to compete in the middle with D.J. Williams if the veteran free agent signs back with the Bears. Williams suffered a torn left pectoral muscle last year near mid-season and the Bears used Bostic there for nine starts as a rookie. James Anderson was the strong-side linebacker last year, and is a free agent. The Bears have been non-committal toward bringing Anderson back.
"If we add back a D.J. Williams or another player, that player will be involved in that competitive mix and it's best person wins those two spots," Emery said.
The Bears are not changing to a 3-4 alignment, so this means McClellin would be expected to cover in passing situations at times, just like any other 4-3 linebacker.
"We see it every day on the practice field," Emery said. "We see it on the game field. Adrian Peterson isn't used much in the passing game, but (McClellin) was one-on-one with him and had no trouble covering him (on pass routes).
"The guy has very good hips, very good quickness and very good speed for his position. His size is something that's rare for us at SAM 'backer. Nick Roach was our SAM 'backer (two years ago). There's a big difference in size there. (McClellin) is going to be our biggest linebacker."
McClellin told Emery he weighs about 260 now and will be expected to be at 248 to 252 pounds. McClellin will still get to be a pass rusher at times.
McClellin had four sacks and 14 hurries last year. He was the 19th pick of the 2012 draft and the first one by Emery as general manager. Emery passed on Chandler Jones and Whitney Mercilus in making the pick.
Trestman said new Bears linebackers coach Reggie Herring evaluated McClellin coming out of Boise State and saw the skills to play in space.
"And that was great to hear and great to know," Trestman said. "So he's excited about working with him and certainly he is as big of an expert as we have on this staff in terms of the ability of developing a linebacker. So we are excited about it."
--Coach Marc Trestman explained the decision to bring back coordinator Mel Tucker after the Bears ranked last against the run on defense.
"We felt we had to do some things," he said about changes made to the defensive coaching staff, "but the starting point was we felt Mel could lead and coach the defense."
Trestman and Emery evaluated all the players and coaches after the season ended. Trestman thought Tucker had a lot to do, learning the defensive system that the Bears already used instead of using his own system, and then coaching that system.
"I had confidence in him from the beginning that he could do that," Trestman said. "At the end of the season that did not change."
--Although Emery has said the Bears will not change from a 4-3, it's obvious they plan on being able to move into a 3-4 if they feel the matchup is better. One indication is the Bears brought in assistants Paul Pasqualoni (line) and Herring.
"These guys have 3-4 backgrounds," Trestman said. "We think we've put together a staff of guys who can really incorporate and be flexible with the players we're going to have going through this process. We're going to start from the 4-3 but we've got to be flexible in our scheme to move people around and have the ability to get it done and not just do it because we see other teams doing it -- but doing it because we have the skill set and experience to be able to do it."
--The days when the Bears always looked for smaller, faster defensive linemen to fit the cover-2 style defensive scheme seems to be history.
Asked what he's looking for in defensive linemen in the draft, Emery said: "I'll just say that my personal preference is bigger is always better as long as you're not sacrificing athleticism and speed. This is a fast game, but it's a very physically tough, impactful game and you need bigger bodies over time to win those matchups."
STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL
The Bears signed veteran center Roberto Garza to a one-year contract.
The 6-foot-2, 310-pound Garza started all 16 games for the Bears' record-breaking offense in 2013.
Garza was a part of an offensive line that allowed just 30 sacks last season, tied for fourth fewest in the NFL, and helped pave way for Pro Bowl running back Matt Forte's career-high 1,339 rushing yards, which ranks ninth-most in franchise history and more than any Bears player other than Hall of Famer Walter Payton.
All five starters along the 2013 Bears offensive line are now under contract for the 2014 season.
Garza was slated to become an unrestricted free agent on March 11.
"I'm excited to keep playing and playing for a great franchise and a great city," Garza said.
"Everybody knows that I wanted to stay here. With the guys that I'm playing with, everything is coming together. I feel it's a great opportunity to build on what we started last year.
"Everybody's coming back and we're going to be in the same system for the second year. We did some good things last year, but there's a lot of stuff we have to build on and correct and do better. It's going to be fun to watch the film from last year and get better at things that are going to make us a better football team."
The two-time team captain (2012-13) was part of a Bears offense that set a franchise record for total net yards (6,109), gross passing yards (4,450), net passing yards (4,281), passer rating (96.9), completion percentage (64.4), total first downs (344) and passing first downs (215), while finishing second in franchise annals in total points (445) last season. Chicago's 45 offensive touchdowns in 2013 were fifth most in franchise history and most in the Super Bowl era.
"Roberto is an outstanding player and person," head coach Marc Trestman said. "He is as hard-working a player as we have and an unselfish leader. He is tremendously important in our preparation by quarterbacking the offensive line both in run and pass protection. He anchors everything we do up front and we're thrilled to have him back."
Carrying 13 years of NFL experience with Atlanta (2001-04) and Chicago (2005-13), Garza has started 164 of 194 games played in his career, including appearing in all 16 contests during 10 seasons (2001, 2004-09 and 2011-13). He has made starts at each of the interior lineman spots, while helping pave the way for a 1,000-yard rusher in seven of the last 10 campaigns, including six with Chicago.
Garza started both guard positions for the Bears from 2005-10 before taking over the center position in 2011 where he has anchored the line for 48 straight contests.
"When you're around Roberto on a day-to-day basis, you realize he's a better person and leader than he is a player and we think he's a very good player," offensive coordinator Aaron Kromer said. "It was important for us to get him back. We're excited to have him back. He's a veteran presence in the (offensive line) room. He probably had his best year last year so we think he's on the upswing even though he has a lot of years under his belt. We think he can be very productive for us again this upcoming year."
The Bears also re-signed tight end Dante Rosario and cornerback Kelvin Hayden to one-year deals, knocking two more potential unrestricted free agents off their list.
Hayden has started 49 of 101 games in nine seasons with the Indianapolis Colts (2005-10), Atlanta Falcons (2011) and Bears (2012-13). The former second-round draft pick has 345 tackles, 12 interceptions, three return touchdowns, 44 pass deflections, four forced fumbles and six fumble recoveries.
Hayden missed all of last season after being placed on injured reserve with a hamstring injury. In 2012, he had 40 tackles (26 solo), one interception, three pass deflections and tied for the NFL lead with four opponent fumble recoveries in 16 games.
--The Bears re-signed safety Derrick Martin and center Taylor Boggs.
Martin, who was scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent, played seven games last season. He signed with the Bears after cornerback Charles Tillman's season-ending triceps injury. Martin mainly played on special teams.
Boggs played just one game for the Bears last year. He was set to be an exclusive rights free agent before re-signing. He could compete for the starting center spot if Roberto Garza leaves via free agency, but is more likely to be a backup.
FREE-AGENT UPDATE
Scheduled to be unrestricted in March
--LB James Anderson
--CB Zack Bowman
--T-G Eben Britton
--DT Landon Cohen
--DT Nate Collins
--LB Blake Costanzo
--KR-PR Devin Hester
--LS Patrick Mannelly
--DT Henry Melton
--QB Josh McCown
--CB Sherrick McManis
--QB Jordan Palmer
--DT Jeremiah Ratliff
--T Jonathan Scott
--S Craig Steltz
--CB Charles Tillman
--LB D.J. Williams
--DL Corey Wootton
--S Major Wright
TEAM NEEDS
DEFENSIVE TACKLE: Someone to help plug the inside and also provide interior pass rush pressure is needed, since Henry Melton's return is no given after knee surgery.
DEFENSIVE END: If Julius Peppers is really to be cut, this is a line without a pass rush threat. Someone is needed to scare quarterbacks off the edge.
SAFETY: Chris Conte's confidence is shot and he doesn't have needed speed. Major Wright has proven himself average at best.
Just another Chicago Bulls Session… Joakim Noah records triple-double, Bulls cruise past Knicks.
Automated Insights
Joakim Noah registered a triple-double with 13 points, 14 assists and 12 rebounds to lead the Chicago Bulls to a blowout victory over the New York Knicks, 109-90. The Bulls played an efficient game offensively, shooting 39-84 (46.4%) from the field and turning it over just three times. Chicago (33-26) is now on a four-game winning streak.
Noah shot 4-10 and converted 5-8 from the free throw line. Other key players for Chicago included Jimmy Butler with 19 points and 6 rebounds, Carlos Boozer with 14 points and 7 rebounds, and Mike Dunleavy with 10 points and 7 rebounds. Despite the loss, Carmelo Anthony put up 21 points for New York on 8-17 shooting, including 2-4 from behind the arc.
After putting up a sparkling assist-to-turnover ratio of 10.00, the Bulls are 3-3 on the season when eclipsing 2.50 in this category. However, the Knicks are 1-7 when allowing their opponents to achieve such a lofty ratio.
New York (21-39) has now dropped their last six consecutive games.
Coming up, the Bulls battle the Brooklyn Nets, who are 28-29 on the season. The Knicks match up with the Detroit Pistons, currently sitting at 23-36 this year. The Bulls emerged victorious each of the last two times against Brooklyn. The Knicks are 1-1 versus Detroit this season.
Bulls-Nets Preview.
By ALAN FERGUSON (STATS Writer)
Following a successful conclusion to their longest road trip of the season, the Brooklyn Nets will try to continue their recent dominance at the Barclays Center.
The Nets, though, will face one of the NBA's hottest teams, the Chicago Bulls, in their return home Monday night.
Brooklyn (28-29) won the final two games of its trip after starting 2-3 and began that streak with a 112-89 rout of Denver on Thursday. The Nets followed with a 107-98 victory at Milwaukee on Saturday, and Marcus Thornton had 25 points off the bench while helping his team overcome Kevin Garnett's absence.
The center was forced to miss the game due to back spasms, and Thornton was playing his third game for Brooklyn since being acquired from Sacramento on Feb. 19.
"I'm coming to a team with all these veterans, that know how to win, that have championship aspirations and have championships under their belts already, and a coach that has a championship, too," he said. "I knew it would be a great situation."
Thornton will next try to help Brooklyn register its fifth consecutive home win and 12th in the last 14 games. The Nets are also seeking to reach the .500 mark for the first time since Nov. 5 by earning a ninth victory in 13 overall contests.
The Bulls (33-26), meanwhile, have won four in a row - one shy of tying a season high - and nine of 10. They've also taken four of five on the road and each of their two matchups against Brooklyn this season.
Chicago topped the Nets 92-76 at home Feb. 13 as part of their current hot stretch. The Bulls enter this game having scored 100 or more points in four straight games - its longest such run since Oct. 30-Nov. 5, 2010 - and topped New York 109-90 on Sunday.
"We've hit a stretch where we have guys that are healthy playing that I think they know what to expect from each other," coach Tom Thibodeau said. "I think they're playing to their strengths."
Joakim Noah recorded his fifth career triple-double with 14 assists, 13 points and 12 rebounds. The 14 assists were a franchise record for a center and the most for an NBA player at that position since at least 1985-86.
"What can you say? He is playing MVP basketball," forward Taj Gibson said. "He is doing everything in all facets of the game."
D.J. Augustin's 23 points off the bench led seven players in double figures, and the performance gave Jimmer Fredette a chance to see his first action with the team after being signed for the rest of the season Sunday.
The Bulls haven't scored 100 or more points in five straight contests since a eight-game stretch March 26-April 11, 2009. They've reached the century mark just once in the last 14 games against the Nets, a 142-134 triple-overtime victory April 27 in Game 4 of last year's playoffs.
The Bulls ended that first-round seven-game series with a 99-93 win in Brooklyn on May 4, and posted a 95-78 victory Dec. 25 in their return to the Barclays Center. Brooklyn native Taj Gibson led six Chicago players in double figures with 20 points.
Noah finished three assists shy of a triple-double in last month's win over the Nets, and had 14 points and 13 rebounds.
Brooklyn's Jason Collins will make his home debut for the Nets since becoming the NBA's first openly gay player Feb. 23.
After Cubs firing, Royals know Sveum can develop players.
By Patrick Mooney
Like everything else in Cubbieworld, the Dale Sveum firing can’t be viewed simply as a black-and-white decision.
There are shades of gray in the business vs. baseball tensions, the rooftop turf battles and the complicated terms of sale from Sam Zell’s Tribune Co. to the Ricketts family (which included a stake in Comcast SportsNet Chicago).
That became the backdrop to Sveum’s time on the North Side, where the Cubs lost 197 games in two seasons and president of baseball operations Theo Epstein and general manger Jed Hoyer distanced themselves from their handpicked manager.
Sveum visits Cubs Park on Sunday as the Kansas City Royals third-base coach (assuming the field’s playable after a storm washed out Saturday’s game against the San Francisco Giants). At this time last year, Sveum was talking about how the new Mesa complex would be a big draw for free agents.
They’re all hired to be fired, but one thing that bothers people close to Sveum is the perception that he couldn’t develop players.
“Phenomenal coach,” Royals manager Ned Yost said. “Phenomenal infield instructor. He sets great defense. He’s got tremendous work ethic. He’s calm. He’s experienced. As soon as I found out he was fired, I was on the phone.”
Sveum took over as interim manager when the Milwaukee Brewers fired Yost in September 2008 and guided the team to a wild card. Yost’s voice got louder as he talked about Milwaukee’s core, a homegrown success story that helped Sveum get the Cubs job just before Thanksgiving 2011.
“He’s phenomenal in player development,” Yost said. “He developed Rickie Weeks, J.J. Hardy, Prince Fielder, all these young players. He’s a phenomenal player developer, because he understands the game. He understands how tough it is. He’s got a great communication style. Our infielders absolutely love him, and he’s been there — what? — (a few weeks)? He’s won them over very, very quickly.”
Sveum was supposed to become the next Terry Francona. But Sveum wound up being the Francona version that got fired by the Philadelphia Phillies, hoping to learn from the experience and get better players in the next gig.
The Cubs flirted with Joe Girardi again, but the New York Yankees manager wasn’t going to take that leap of faith. They settled on a bilingual San Diego Padres bench coach, first-year manager Rick Renteria.
“We really trust Ricky to connect with the players as human beings,” Epstein said, “to be on their side, to be consistent, to hold them to high standards and ultimately get the most out of them.
“We think he’s the right guy to create the environment we need at the big-league level, to establish a winning culture and to allow our young players to continue to develop and become championship players.”
Sveum’s threat to send Starlin Castro and Anthony Rizzo to Triple-A Iowa blew up in his face. The front office grew frustrated with the way the manager used — or didn’t use — certain players it wanted to see for the future. The Cubs Way hitting program couldn’t find the right direction.
Sveum has a few personality quirks — who doesn’t? — and his blunt communication style didn’t always go over well inside the organization (though the beat writers appreciated his direct approach).
“Me and Dale were very close,” pitcher Jeff Samardzija said. “I’ve told Dale a bunch of times how I felt about him. I’ve had a lot of coaches over my career in a lot of different sports, and I like Dale.
Now, was he an offensive mind and most of his time was spent on the offensive side of things? Yeah, for sure. So I can say that a lot of our time was just spent BS-ing and having fun. We talked a little baseball, about pitching, how hitters approach different plate appearances.”
That was one of Sveum’s strengths, his ability to walk through the room and talk to players. He had a presence and created a professional clubhouse environment. He attracted good coaches like Chris Bosio and Mike Borzello and marketed pitchers for the trade deadline, helping restock the farm system.
On Sveum’s watch, Travis Wood developed into an All-Star pitcher and Welington Castillo became a building-block catcher. Those defensive shifts helped Darwin Barney become a Gold Glove second baseman (while his offensive game significantly regressed).
We’ll see how Renteria handles the Wrigley Field interview room/dungeon and the letdown after another summer sell-off. The losing wears on you.
“Me and Dale — we’re friends,” Samardzija said. “That’s really the best way to put it. But (we) both understand this is a business. And 100 losses and 95 losses or whatever it was as a manager doesn’t always bode well. It’s just the truth.”
Henley wins Honda Classic in four-way playoff.
Reuters; Reporting by Andrew Both in Cary, North Carolina; Editing by Mark Lamport-Stokes
American Russell Henley emerged as the last man standing to win his second PGA Tour title in a four-way playoff for the Honda Classic at Palm Beach Gardens in Florida on Sunday.
Henley, 24, birdied the first extra hole, the par-five 18th, from two feet in fading light to edge out Northern Irishman Rory McIlroy, American Ryan Palmer and Scotland's Russell Knox on a dramatic afternoon at PGA National.
McIlroy surrendered a big lead with an error-strewn 74 in the final round, though he made a birdie at the 72nd hole to qualify for the playoff after hitting a superb second shot to 11 feet, only to miss the eagle putt.
Henley (72), Palmer (69) and Knox (71) also made mistakes over the closing stretch to finish level with McIlroy at eight-under-par 272.
Henley sounded as if was still in shock as he spoke of his victory.
"I hope I can have a bunch more Sundays just like that in my career," he told Golf Channel. "It was a rush to be out there playing with Rory and the crowd.
"I've never been part of a crowd so big cheering for me. It was an amazing feeling. It was so much fun."
Henley appeared to have thrown away a chance of winning when he dunked his six-iron into the water at the par-three 15th for a double-bogey.
But he steadied his apparently sinking ship with pars on the final three holes, which was enough to make the playoff.
"I was so nervous coming down the stretch," said Henley, who won his maiden PGA Tour title at last year's Sony Open in Hawaii. "Just hanging in there and trying to enjoy every step."
LAST-DAY PRESSURE
Henley was not the only one to feel nervous. None of the four players who made the playoff negotiated the difficult back nine in less than 37 strokes as a firm course and the pressure affected all the contenders.
Palmer had the best chance to win in regulation, but he missed a five-footer for par at the 72nd hole.
McIlroy, however, had even more to rue. The double major champion led by three strokes after six holes but played the next 11 in six over as his swing deserted him and he pulled a series of shots well left.
"Seventy-four today wasn't good enough today to get the job done," a stunned-looking McIlroy told NBC.
"Even if I had won it would have felt a little bit underserved. If I had won today, I would have counted myself very lucky."
A double-bogey at the par-four 16th was the Northern Irishman's undoing. After yanking his drive into a fairway bunker, he hit a six-iron fat and came up short in the water in front of the green.
"It's a good finish, second runner-up of the season, but obviously it's going to be hard to get over because I had a great chance to win my first tournament of the season and I didn't," he said.
Four weeks ago, McIlroy had a similar if less dramatic fade during the final round of the European Tour's Dubai Desert Classic.
He started the final day just two strokes off the lead but slipped back with a closing 74 to finish joint ninth.
New team, same winner: Kevin Harvick wins at Phoenix for the second straight race.
By Nick Bromberg
The fastest car all weekend at Phoenix took the checkered flag.
Kevin Harvick dominated the second Sprint Cup Series race of the season and pulled away on a late-race restart with nine laps to go for his first victory with Stewart-Haas Racing.
In November, Harvick won the penultimate race of the 2013 season at Phoenix while driving for Richard Childress Racing.
"This solidifies so many things and so many decisions," Harvick said in victory lane, referencing his choice to move to SHR before the 2014 season began. He previously said he felt vindicated in his choice during a December test at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Winning probably helps stamp that validation with more authority. Harvick's No. 4 was thoroughly faster than the competition during Saturday's two practices, and that speed carried over from the drop of the green flag Sunday. After starting 13th, Harvick was in the top five with releative ease and had moved to second place just before a competition caution flag on lap 35.
He took the lead for the first time on lap 74, and from that point forward, it was essentially a race for second.
Yes, even through a spate of late-race restarts that kept bunching up the field. Harvick was in the lead when the caution flag flew each time, and each time he pulled away into and through turn one and no one could get close to him. Though Harvick did say the cluster of yellow made him nervous. On the final restart, Joey Logano, who was in third, tried to make it three-wide, but didn't have enough of a run to get inside Harvick's left-rear fender.
"It did, because (Logano) was able to time the restarts there and I knew what was going to happen was that he was going to take a shot down low," Harvick said. "I tried to do the best I could."
With that car, Harvick's half-best would have been good enough.
His nearest pursuer was Dale Earnhardt Jr., last week's winner of the Daytona 500. Junior restarted alongside Harvick during those restarts but Harvick would immediately jump out to a half-second lead and the best Junior could do was try to maintain the gap.
And yes, now Harvick is essentially qualified for NASCAR's Chase along with Junior.
Perhaps buoyed by a strong car and being up front all afternoon, Letarte and Junior were adamant about playing a front-running strategy for the win throughout Sunday's race. Will we see Harvick and crew chief Rodney Childers do the same going forward, and will it be a theme from race-winners throughout 2014?
The very best image from the 2014 Capital One Cup final.
By Brooks Peck
Getty Images
Manchester City came behind to beat Sunderland and avoid a second consecutive embarrassing loss to a relegation threatened club in a cup final. With this 3-1 win, City claim their third League Cup in club history and first in 38 years. It also gives new manager Manuel Pellegrini his first trophy with the club as City remain in the hunt for the quadruple.
It was a disappointing result for Sunderland, who got their hopes up after taking the lead in just the 10th minute, but City scored in the 55th, 56th and 90th minutes to end their dream of silverware.
You made your bed John Calipari, now lie in it.
By Pat Forde
As his program crash-landed at rock bottom Saturday at South Carolina, John Calipari excused himself from the proceedings. He got himself tossed by the officials, and then blew off the press conference after his Kentucky Wildcats lost to a team ranked No. 178 in America according to the RPI.
When the going got tough, Cal got out.
It was a nostalgic flashback to December, when Calipari made a four-minute postgame interview appearance after losing to Baylor, then abruptly got up and left when the first question was directed toward one of his players. His freshmen sat there and answered the rest of the queries without him.
Had Calipari shown up to answer questions Saturday after the worst defeat of his Kentucky tenure, instead of sending assistant John Robic and two freshmen to the interview room, here are the questions Calipari should have been asked.
Q: Your preseason No. 1 team should by all rights fall out of the top 25 this week. What has happened to the squad that had you dancing in the car on the way to the office in October?
Q: The season is not lost, but it's headed that direction at a high rate of speed. What are you going to do about it?
Q: Is it still Ryan Harrow's fault? That poor kid – who you recruited – was the scapegoat last year. He was the point guard who didn't run the team the way you wanted, and thus was run off to Georgia State. Archie Goodwin went pro with minimum lamentation. Kyle Wiltjer transferred, and nobody blinked. They all left under a cloud of blame that accompanied a trip to the NIT and a humiliating first-round loss to Robert Morris.
"The stuff I had to accept this year, the program almost got hijacked," you said last spring. "Never in my career have I surrendered in any way to any team, and I did at times this year – to try to save guys, to try to help guys – and it never works."
Harrow's stats are similar to those of your current point guard, five-star recruit Andrew Harrison. Harrow played about four minutes per game less and averaged slightly fewer points, rebounds and assists – but he had a better assist-turnover ratio and shot better from two-point range.
But stats can be misleading. Can we still pile this disappointing season on the 2012-13 bunch?
Q: If not Harrow & Co., is it time to throw the Greatest Recruiting Class in College Basketball history under the Big Blue bus? You've started moving in that direction recently, Cal.
After losing to Arkansas at home Thursday, you mentioned "a couple no-shows" without naming names. And you blamed forward Julius Randle for wearing down by not taking himself out of the lineup. "I'm trying to get guys to sub themselves," you said. "They just don't get it." For $5.2 million a year, you'd think the coach could add "manage the substitution rotation" to his list of responsibilities, as opposed to leaving it up to the players. Who are young. (Stop me if you've heard this before: Kentucky has a young team.)
Then there was your comment to the Kentucky radio crew Saturday night: "They're counting on me too much." Apparently we are reaching the Pontius Pilate stage of the season, where the coach washes his hands and turns an increasingly unpleasant endeavor over to the unpaid laborers.
Q: But if it's not the players' fault, and they weren't all massively overrated coming out of high school, who hasn't done the job of coalescing them into a team?
Q: As a follow-up: Who recruited these guys again? And called them "alpha males" and raved about the renewed breed of nasty that would return Kentucky to national championship contention? Who cornered the market on one-year transient players – when it was a bull market (Wall, Cousins, Davis, Kidd-Gilchrist) and when it's a bear market?
Q: What happened to this plan: "What we're going to have is unbelievable competition. We may have three teams, so 15 guys that can play. Let's go." That was the antidote for a "hijacking" – the bench. Guys who were not playing well were going to sit.
Instead, you've played seven guys. Four players – Julius Randle, James Young and the Harrison twins – average more than 30 minutes per game. Last year, Team Hijack had three players averaging that many minutes. When it comes to playing time, there is little disincentive for poor performance. The stars get the minutes, even if they aren't getting the job done.
Q: Jim Boeheim made an idiot of himself in a loss at Duke the week before, but he showed up at the postgame press conference to answer for it. Cincinnati's Mick Cronin made an idiot of himself on the sidelines Saturday in a loss to Connecticut, but he took questions afterward. If they can do it, why not you?
Q: In October you proclaimed, "We are college basketball." Does that mean this entire college basketball season has been a disappointment? Because it doesn't feel that way, but we want to be sure.
Q: If February you proclaimed this to be the most overanalyzed team in the history of sports. Are five losses in a weak SEC a clever ploy to slow down the rampant analysis of the Wildcats?
Q: Can the 40-0 T-shirts people have been using to wax their cars be forwarded to the good people of Wichita? Just in case?
Q: Kentucky fans used to derisively call Tubby Smith "Ten-Loss Tubby." You are two defeats away from a second straight season with double-digit losses. If the moniker "Ten-Loss Cal" starts being thrown around, how will you take it?
Q: Did you know that the two Kentucky teams relying solely on your recruits as the major contributors are last year and this year? And that their record is 42-20, 23-11 in the SEC, with an NIT berth and four losses to teams ranked outside the Ken Pomeroy top 100?
Q: Did you know that your first three teams at Kentucky all had veteran players recruited by previous coaches in key roles? Those teams went a combined 102-14, 40-18 in the Southeastern Conference, with two SEC titles, two SEC tournament titles, two Final Four appearances and a national title.
Those last two are rhetorical questions, by the way. No need to answer.
Big Ten Commissioner Jim Delany supports athletes having a greater voice, not pay.
By Graham Watson
Big Ten Conference commissioner Jim Delany doesn’t think college athletes should be paid, but he’s not against giving them a greater voice regarding the governing of their sports.
Delany, who was speaking at the City Club of Chicago on Thursday, was responding to a question about former Northwestern quarterback Kain Colter and his quest to form college athlete labor union. Colter spoke in front of the National Labor Relations Board in Chicago this week in an attempt to classify college football players as employees by federal law. If the National Labor Relations Board recognizes Northwestern football players as employees, they can unionize and be paid.
Currently, the union would only apply to Northwestern college football players, but if successful, would likely become a nationwide movement. The group is asking for scholarships that cover the cost of living and tuition as well as greater safety measures.
Currently, the union would only apply to Northwestern college football players, but if successful, would likely become a nationwide movement. The group is asking for scholarships that cover the cost of living and tuition as well as greater safety measures.
"Everybody's sensitive to the points that are being made," Delany said. "It's unchartered territory. It reminds me a lot of 1968 because you've got traditions that are 100 years old that are being challenged, and I think in some cases, some of the challenges are proper. For me the time, the number of games, are issues.
"I think we need more seats at the table, for sure. And I think that we'll get that. I think that we'll get that as we restructure the NCAA. I feel certain that at institutes and conference and NCAA level, there will be more opportunity for points of view, and I hope to give them not only a voice but maybe a way to weigh in."
Delany said if college football players were able to unionize, the NCAA would likely seek congressional guidance to help determine the future of college athletics.
"Somebody with a clear crystal ball would have to describe what it might look like," Delany said. "I think there would have to be some congressional understanding of how these laws relate to anti-trust and how it would relate to Title IX and laws that relate to funding and whether a person is somebody that could be employable. ... It doesn't seem to me an easy and smooth response.
"At the end of the day, we respect the individuals, we respect the system. Ultimately, it will evolve."
It will be interesting to see just how much college athletes evolves especially as it continues to increase its profitability.
Delany also addressed – and ultimately quashed – any talk of the Big Ten playing on Friday nights outside of Thanksgiving and Labor Day weekends.
"Beyond that, I don't think while I'm around here you're going to see Friday night games," Delany said. "Down the road? Who knows?"
Report says Jim Harbaugh’s ‘act has worn thin’ in 49ers locker room, but who cares?
By Frank Schwab
After the 49ers issues with Jim Harbaugh became common knowledge when it was reported that San Francisco and Cleveland discussed a trade for the coach, one of the themes has been that Harbaugh is difficult to deal with.
He and GM Trent Baalke don't always get along. He wants to be paid like a top coach and isn't happy San Francisco won't do that for him. And now Ann Killion of the San Francisco Chronicle writes that some 49ers players are sick of Harbaugh too.
"One source with inside knowledge of the team says that Harbaugh's act has worn thin in the locker room, particularly among some key 'face of the 49ers' type players," Killion wrote.
High-strung football coach rubs people the wrong way ... stop the presses.
This has been a theme since the beginning of football. It's not a big surprise. It might be a problem for the 49ers only if they let it be (and they already are in the process of that). If they decide the comfort of the players and front office is more important than winning, Harbaugh will eventually move on. Plenty of coaches get along with players. Norv Turner would fit that role marvelously.
But first, let's consider a few things. San Francisco was a nightmare before Harbaugh arrived. Harbaugh came in and the 49ers instantly became one of the best teams in the NFL. Harbaugh is 36-11-1 the last three years and has gone to the NFC title game each season, with one Super Bowl appearance. He has put together that record, which is phenomenal in the parity-driven NFL, changing quarterbacks about halfway through. Any list of best NFL coaches has Harbaugh very high on it, or it's worthless. He has been tremendous. The 49ers hit a grand slam when they hired him.
Again, there's a lot of coaches out there who would be much nicer to deal with. Folks who probably wouldn't care about a contract renegotiation like Harbaugh does. Guys who would be more polite in press conference and not create any waves. Would they win like Harbaugh? Of course not. San Francisco would take a significant dip without Harbaugh. But hey, you wouldn't have to worry about a guy who is perceived as being difficult to work with. And that's what's important, right?
The 49ers have created a mess by not giving Harbaugh the extension he wants. That is the root of this problem, not Harbaugh being high strung. A lot of successful coaches (Sean Payton? Bill Belichick?) are high strung and not always easy to deal with. That's part of the reason they're successful. And their organizations keep them happy, which is smart. That's just understanding their value. The 49ers are strangely not giving Harbaugh the lucrative extension he deserves, all because they won't pay him as a Super Bowl-winning coach before he wins a Super Bowl. That's just dumb.
What do the 49ers value? Winning, you'd think. Harbaugh has done a tremendous job restoring the 49ers as a top franchise in the NFL. Or is it more important to have a nice-guy head coach who gets along with everyone?
Well, there's plenty of the latter out there. The 49ers might have the chance to hire one soon. It would be interesting to see how that would work out for them.
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