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"Desire is the most important factor in the success of any athlete." ~ Willie Shoemaker, Legendary Triple Crown Thoroughbred Jockey
How 'bout them Chicago Blackhawks? Blues 4, Blackhawks 3 (3OT).
By Rob Rains, The Sports Xchange
Left winger Alexander Steen scored 26 seconds into the third overtime to give the St. Louis Blues a 4-3 win over the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday night in game one of their first-round playoff series.
The Blues won the face off to start the period and sent the puck into the Chicago zone, where it ended up in front of the net and Steen was able to knock it past Chicago goaltender Corey Crawford.
The game was the longest in franchise history for the Blues, breaking their previous mark of 37:07 set on April 7, 1984 at Detroit.
The Blues sent the game to overtime by rallying from a 3-2 deficit on left winger Jaden Schwartz's first career playoff goal with 1:45 left in the third period.
Schwartz, playing in only his seventh postseason game, was able to slip a backhand shot past Crawford, who had protected the one-goal lead since the first period.
Chicago outshot the Blues 14-10 in the first overtime but could not get the puck past goalie Ryan Miller, despite having the only power-play chance of the extra period. St. Louis center Vladimir Sobotka was called for delay of the game for flipping the puck over the glass.
The Blackhawks built their regulation advantage by scoring three times against Miller on only seven shots on goal.
Right winger Patrick Kane, returning to the Chicago lineup after missing the last 12 games of the regular season because of a knee injury, capped that flurry when he was able to get behind the Blues defense and convert a pass from center Jonathan Toews on a breakaway with 1:36 left in the first period.
The first career postseason goal by St. Louis right winger Adam Cracknell opened the scoring at 4:40 of the opening period. Cracknell spent much of this season playing in Chicago -- for the Blues' AHL affiliate, the Chicago Wolves.
The goal gave the Blues, who lost their last six games of the regular season, their first lead since April 6 in Chicago. The advantage was short-lived, however, as Chicago defenseman Johnny Oduya fired a shot under Miller's pads at 11:14 to tie the game.
Defenseman Brent Seabrook drew an interference penalty against Blues defenseman Barret Jackman two minutes later, and with 17 seconds left in the penalty, Seabrook scored the power-play goal that put Chicago ahead 2-1.
The Blues tied the score at 15:52 of the first. St. Louis right winger Vladimir Tarasenko, playing his first game since March 15, when he broke his right hand, beat Crawford with a wrist shot off a perfect pass from defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk.
After Kane's go-ahead goal, Crawford protected the one-goal advantage until Schwartz's goal. He had to stop only three St. Louis shots on goal in the second period, but two of them were big saves on Tarasenko and left winger Steve Ott. He also made a big save on Cracknell midway through the third period.
Miller kept the Blackhawks at bay through the second and third periods after his rough start.
Game 2 of the series, the first between the longtime rivals in the playoffs since 2002, will be Saturday afternoon in St. Louis.
NOTES: The Blackhawks are trying to become the first team to win consecutive Stanley Cups since Detroit in 1997 and 1998. ... Chicago led the NHL with 267 goals during the regular season, but the team that led the league in goals has not won the Cup since the Pittsburgh Penguins did it in 1991-92. ... While the Blues got many of their injured players back Thursday night, they were still without RW T.J. Oshie and C Patrik Berglund. Oshie missed the last two games of the regular season after taking a hard check to his head against the Minnesota Wild. He could be cleared to play in Game 2 on Saturday. Berglund (upper body) is expected to be out until later in the series.
Bear Down Chicago Bears!!! Positioning: Bears’ vacancies at safety warrant high picks, but...
By John Mullin
With Chris Conte undergoing shoulder surgery and facing a job fight even before his procedure, and Major Wright gone, the Bears’ most immediate 2014 need projects to be safety. Elsewhere the pipeline needs filling behind 30-plus’ers like Jared Allen, Jeremiah Ratliff and Charles Tillman, but safety, like right guard last draft, has a clear “Help Wanted…now” sign on it.
Which assures nothing when the Bears’ turn comes at or around No. 14 of the first-round. But some measure of analysis is in order with respect to whether that is a position worth investing a No. 1 at. The last two times the Bears selected Pro Bowl safeties, they found them in second rounds.
The obvious reality is that every draft is unique in itself, whether for the quality or depth, both or lack of both. And first-round talent in one draft does not correlate to first-rounders at the same position in another draft. More quarterbacks went in the first 12 picks of the 1999 draft (five) than in the first 12 of 1983 (two). It took almost the whole first-round in 1983 for a sixth quarterback to be picked, but three of that class (John Elway, Jim Kelly, Dan Marino) wound up in Canton.
A second reality is that there is no consistency in returns from strata of picks. Few teams invested more high draft picks – rounds 1-3 – over the past eight drafts with less to show for them in terms of starters – maybe Conte, maybe – than the Bears.
Conversely, the Bears used a No. 2 for Tony Parrish in the 1998 draft and a No. 2 for Mike Brown in 2000. Both wound up in Pro Bowls, albeit Parrish as a 49er, but for a couple of years the Bears were staffed at an elite level at the back end of their defenses for their draft troubles.
Using the rough range of the Bears’ 2014 first-round pick, only two safeties were taken last year within the first 18 picks. Kenny Vaccaro went 15th to New Orleans, Eric Reid with 18th to San Francisco. Reid went to the Pro Bowl and Vaccaro was an impact player used in myriad positions by one of the NFL’s best defenses.
The only safety taken in even the top two-thirds of the 2012 draft was Mark Barron by Tampa Bay at No. 7, who has started 30 games over the past two seasons.
Barron was out of the Nick Saban Alabama program that is sending Ha Ha Clinton-Dix into this draft, perhaps to the Bears. Barron already was in Dix’s corner before the NFL Scouting Combine.
“He said, ‘stay humble, stay calm,’” Dix said of advice from Barron. “You enjoy this game. You love this game. You play this game for a reason. So just go out there and have fun every day and enjoy it.”
Just another Chicago Bulls Session… NBA playoff matchups set.
By The Sports Xchange
When the Memphis Grizzlies edged the Dallas Mavericks in overtime Wednesday night, sealing the No. 7 seed in the Western Conference playoffs, the first-round matchups for the NBA's postseason were set.
The Grizzlies avoided a first-round matchup with the top-seeded San Antonio Spurs, instead earning a date with the second-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder. The Mavericks will square off with the Spurs.
In the other Western Conference opening-round series, the third-seeded Los Angeles Clippers will play the sixth-seeded Golden State Warriors in an all-California affair, and the fourth-seeded Houston Rockets and fifth-seeded Portland Trail Blazers will meet.
In the East, the Nets lost their regular-season finale to the Cleveland Cavaliers, dropping Brooklyn from the fifth seed to the sixth seed. The Nets will play the third-seeded Toronto Raptors, while the Washington Wizards moved up to No. 5, setting up a battle with the fourth-seeded Chicago Bulls.
The East's top seed, the Indiana Pacers, meet the Atlanta Hawks, the only playoff team with a losing record. The defending champion Miami Heat, seeded second, will play the seventh-seeded Charlotte Bobcats.
The NBA's opening-round playoff matchups:
EASTERN CONFERENCE
No. 1 Indiana (56-26) vs. No. 8 Atlanta (38-44) -- Game 1 is Saturday
No. 2 Miami (54-28) vs. No. 7 Charlotte (43-39) -- Game 1 is Sunday
No. 3 Toronto (48-34) vs. No. 6 Brooklyn (44-38) -- Game 1 is Saturday
No. 4 Chicago (48-34) vs. No. 5 Washington (44-38) -- Game 1 is Sunday
WESTERN CONFERENCE
No. 1 San Antonio (62-20) vs. No. 8 Dallas (49-33) -- Game 1 is Sunday
No. 2 Oklahoma City (59-23) vs. No. 7 Memphis (50-32) -- Game 1 is Saturday
No. 3 Los Angeles Clippers (57-25) vs. No. 6 Golden State (51-31) -- Game 1 is Saturday
No. 4 Houston (54-28) vs. No. 5 Portland (54-28) -- Game 1 is Sunday
In the other Western Conference opening-round series, the third-seeded Los Angeles Clippers will play the sixth-seeded Golden State Warriors in an all-California affair, and the fourth-seeded Houston Rockets and fifth-seeded Portland Trail Blazers will meet.
In the East, the Nets lost their regular-season finale to the Cleveland Cavaliers, dropping Brooklyn from the fifth seed to the sixth seed. The Nets will play the third-seeded Toronto Raptors, while the Washington Wizards moved up to No. 5, setting up a battle with the fourth-seeded Chicago Bulls.
The East's top seed, the Indiana Pacers, meet the Atlanta Hawks, the only playoff team with a losing record. The defending champion Miami Heat, seeded second, will play the seventh-seeded Charlotte Bobcats.
The NBA's opening-round playoff matchups:
EASTERN CONFERENCE
No. 1 Indiana (56-26) vs. No. 8 Atlanta (38-44) -- Game 1 is Saturday
No. 2 Miami (54-28) vs. No. 7 Charlotte (43-39) -- Game 1 is Sunday
No. 3 Toronto (48-34) vs. No. 6 Brooklyn (44-38) -- Game 1 is Saturday
No. 4 Chicago (48-34) vs. No. 5 Washington (44-38) -- Game 1 is Sunday
WESTERN CONFERENCE
No. 1 San Antonio (62-20) vs. No. 8 Dallas (49-33) -- Game 1 is Sunday
No. 2 Oklahoma City (59-23) vs. No. 7 Memphis (50-32) -- Game 1 is Saturday
No. 3 Los Angeles Clippers (57-25) vs. No. 6 Golden State (51-31) -- Game 1 is Saturday
No. 4 Houston (54-28) vs. No. 5 Portland (54-28) -- Game 1 is Sunday
Bulls ready to start playoff push against Wizards.
By ANDREW SELIGMAN (AP Sports Writer)
Lose a franchise player, trade away another star. Snag home-court advantage for at least one round in the playoffs?
It's not the way the Chicago Bulls mapped it out at the start of the season. But here they are, holding the fourth seed and hosting John Wall and the Washington Wizards in Game 1 of their first-round series Sunday after going 48-34.
They lead the Eastern Conference with 36 wins since Jan. 1 even though they don't have a player averaging 15 points, and they came together right when they looked as though they might be ripe for a meltdown.
That's not bad considering Derrick Rose's derailed comeback and the trade of Luol Deng to Cleveland. But it wasn't quite the leap that the Bulls envisioned making this season, either.
They lead the Eastern Conference with 36 wins since Jan. 1 even though they don't have a player averaging 15 points, and they came together right when they looked as though they might be ripe for a meltdown.
That's not bad considering Derrick Rose's derailed comeback and the trade of Luol Deng to Cleveland. But it wasn't quite the leap that the Bulls envisioned making this season, either.
They came in with soaring expectations, hoping to challenge LeBron James and the Miami Heat for supremacy in the East, with Rose back after missing all of last season while recovering from surgery to repair a torn ACL in his left knee. Instead, the former MVP's comeback got short-circuited in his 10th game by another knee injury. He tore the right meniscus at Portland in November, and the Bulls ruled him out for the rest of the season.
As if losing their superstar again wasn't a big enough blow, they traded Deng and his expiring contract to Cleveland after negotiations on a new deal went nowhere. The move came with Chicago at 14-18 after back-to-back wins, and to many, it looked as though it was made with an eye toward the lottery.
Instead, the Bulls dug in.
They clinched home-court advantage in the first round and made a push for 50 wins even though they averaged 93.7 points and shot 43.2 percent, both league lows. They had to get used to playing with Rose again and without him - again. They had to shake off the Deng trade.
''The thing is, there was going to be a period of adjustment even if we had Derrick,'' said coach Tom Thibodeau. ''And the Luol piece was a big piece.''
Joakim Noah and Jimmy Butler were banged up early in the season, too. But look at the Bulls now.
Noah averaged career highs in points (12.6), rebounds (11.3) and assists (5.4) while posting four triple-doubles.
Taj Gibson emerged as a strong Sixth Man of the Year candidate, averaging a career-high 13 points and 6.8 rebounds. And guard D.J. Augustin paid big dividends, averaging 14.9 points in 61 games with the Bulls after being waived by Toronto.
Not counting Deng (19 points) and Rose (15.9), that made him Chicago's leading scorer. By comparison, every other team had at least one player score more per game.
Yet the Bulls are as hot as any team heading into the playoffs.
''Eighty-two games is over,'' Thibodeau said. ''A lot of work went into that. I think our players responded well, but it's over and a lot of work went into it. We have a great opportunity and now it's up to us to make the most of that opportunity.''
Yankees turn first triple-play of the season against the Rays.
The Yankees are going to be an interesting team to watch this season.
They probably won't make the playoffs, but they have the most intriguing pitcher in professional baseball and a load of talented but aging players. It's also Derek Jeter's final season in New York.
But still, they will be interesting to watch. Take Thursday night in Tampa Bay for example, when they turned the first triple-play of the 2014 season.
Yup, just your standard Yangervis Solarte to Brian Roberts to Scott Sizemore triple-play.
The Yankees have turned three triple-plays since 1969 and CC Sabathia has been on the mound for all three. For Scott Rodriguez, this is the second time in his career he has hit into a triple-play.
Kuchar cards 66, shares early Heritage lead.
By Will Gray
Matt Kuchar has had a number of recent close calls, so it should come as no surprise that he is again high on a PGA Tour leaderboard. Here's how things stand after the first round of the RBC Heritage, where Kuchar is among three co-leaders after opening with a bogey-free 66.
Leaderboard: Matt Kuchar (-5), Scott Langley (-5), William McGirt (-5), Harris English (-3), Jordan Spieth (-2), Billy Horschel (-2), Matt Every (-2).
What it means: Kuchar has struggled to close on Sundays, notably squandering a four-shot lead during the final round in Houston two weeks ago, but the first three rounds have proved little issue. That trend continued Thursday as Kuchar produced one of the best scores from the morning wave, though winners like English, Horschel and Every lurk just a couple of shots off the early pace.
Round of the day: This was Kuchar's 39th round at Harbour Town, and remarkably the first one he completed without a bogey. He started on the back nine and turned in 2-under 33, adding two more birdies coming home before finishing with a birdie at the par-4 ninth. One of the game's best ball-strikers, Kuchar found 14 of 18 greens in regulation and took just 27 putts.
Best of the rest: Langley briefly held sole possession of the lead, reaching 6 under before a closing bogey at No. 18. Langley factored last month at Innisbrook and got off to a quick start Thursday, with six birdies on the front nine including a stretch of four straight on Nos. 4-7. Langley rolled in seven birdies despite hitting only 12 of 18 greens in regulation, and as a result shares the lead as he looks to win on the PGA Tour for the first time.
Biggest disappointment: Russell Henley won earlier this season at PGA National and has plenty of experience with golf in the southeast, having gone to school at the University of Georgia. The 24-year-old got off to a rocky start, though, with four bogeys across his first eight holes en route to a 5-over 76. Henley found only nine of 18 greens and carded seven total bogeys, and after a strong showing at Augusta National he appears headed for an early exit from Hilton Head.
Biggest storyline heading into Friday: Kuchar is the biggest name in contention, and based on his recent play seems overdue for a win. English, a resident of nearby Sea Island, Ga., will also be a player to watch, as as will Spieth, who opened with a 2-under 69 after narrowly missing out on his first green jacket last week. Weather is expected to become an issue Friday and Saturday, so the players who are best able to deal with the elements will likely be the names battling for the tartan jacket come Sunday afternoon.
Quote of the day: "I'm pretty pleased. I've been playing some good golf, and it's nice to see it continue." - Kuchar
NASCAR has shown outstanding parity through first eight races of 2014.
By Jerry Bonkowski
NASCAR chairman Brian France’s unwavering stance to bring parity to the sport during his 10-year tenure is finally paying dividends.
While most of the sport is off this week for the Easter holiday and spring break, NASCAR’s PR staff sent out a media release Thursday that shows just how close the racing has gotten thus far in 2014.
Through this season’s first eight races:
* Although the Sprint Cup Series saw its first repeat winner at Darlington with Kevin Harvick‘s win after different winners in the first seven races, the streak of eight different Coors Light Pole winners remains intact. That streak is tied for the series’ longest season-opening streak of different pole winners.
* All three manufacturers have won races thus far: Chevrolet leads with four wins, Ford has three and Toyota has one.
* There have been an average of 12 different leaders per race, compared to 8.6 at this point last year.
* There have been an average of 25.6 lead changes per race, compared to 17.4 in 2013.
* There have been 29,541 green flag passes, compared to 23,178 in 2013.
* There have been 346 green flag passes for the lead, compared to 181 in 2013.
* The average margin of victory in the first eight races has been just 0.588 seconds, the smallest since 2008.
Building a World Cup roster - A look at the U.S. goalkeeper depth chart.
By Ives Galarcep
The goalkeeper position has long been a position of strength for the U.S. national team, and the lineage of goalkeeping standouts reads like a who's who of American greats. Kasey Keller, Tony Meola and Brad Friedel have set the bar high for American netminders, and Tim Howard has done an excellent job of keeping that tradition going.
For the second straight World Cup there is no debating who the leading U.S. national team goalkeeper is, and as Howard draws closer to his second World Cup as a starter, he is wrapping up one of the best seasons of his impressive career with English Premier League side Everton, which is enjoying one of the best seasons of his 10-year stint there.
There is no other position on the U.S. national team as set in stone as goalkeeper, with Brad Guzan firmly entrenched as Howard's No. 2, and Nick Rimando established as the third-choice option for Klinsmann. All three will head to Brazil if they stay healthy.
Klinsmann's approach to the rest of the goalkeeper pool has been to prepare for the future, and life after his top trio, With Howard being 35 and Rmando 34. This has lead to consistent call-ups for young MLS goalkeepers Sean Johnson and Bill Hamid, even though both are still enduring the growing pains of learning the position.
The overall goalkeeper player pool has plenty of promising young options, including Colorado goalkeeper Clint Irwin and fast-improving Philadelphia Union goalkeeper Zac MacMath. There are solid veterans in MLS as well, with the likes of Tally Hall and Luis Robles, but in terms of looking at prospects capable of following Guzan as a potential U.S. No. 1 in four or five years, they are probably too old to be considered legitimate candidates.
An even deeper look into the pool reveals a pair of U.S. Under-20 goalkeepers with bright futures. Cody Cropper started at the Under-20 World Cup, and has even made the bench for English Premier League side Southampton this season. University of Maryland goalkeeper Zach Steffen hasn't turned pro yet, but scouts rave about him as a potential talent on the level of a Tim Howard.
So who are the top U.S. national team goalkeeper options as we head toward the 2014 World Cup? Here are the five goalkeepers Klinsmann has in the frame:
For the second straight World Cup there is no debating who the leading U.S. national team goalkeeper is, and as Howard draws closer to his second World Cup as a starter, he is wrapping up one of the best seasons of his impressive career with English Premier League side Everton, which is enjoying one of the best seasons of his 10-year stint there.
There is no other position on the U.S. national team as set in stone as goalkeeper, with Brad Guzan firmly entrenched as Howard's No. 2, and Nick Rimando established as the third-choice option for Klinsmann. All three will head to Brazil if they stay healthy.
Klinsmann's approach to the rest of the goalkeeper pool has been to prepare for the future, and life after his top trio, With Howard being 35 and Rmando 34. This has lead to consistent call-ups for young MLS goalkeepers Sean Johnson and Bill Hamid, even though both are still enduring the growing pains of learning the position.
The overall goalkeeper player pool has plenty of promising young options, including Colorado goalkeeper Clint Irwin and fast-improving Philadelphia Union goalkeeper Zac MacMath. There are solid veterans in MLS as well, with the likes of Tally Hall and Luis Robles, but in terms of looking at prospects capable of following Guzan as a potential U.S. No. 1 in four or five years, they are probably too old to be considered legitimate candidates.
An even deeper look into the pool reveals a pair of U.S. Under-20 goalkeepers with bright futures. Cody Cropper started at the Under-20 World Cup, and has even made the bench for English Premier League side Southampton this season. University of Maryland goalkeeper Zach Steffen hasn't turned pro yet, but scouts rave about him as a potential talent on the level of a Tim Howard.
So who are the top U.S. national team goalkeeper options as we head toward the 2014 World Cup? Here are the five goalkeepers Klinsmann has in the frame:
| Tim Howard - Everton The 35-year-old Everton shot stopper is enjoying one the best seasons of his career, and looks poised to head into the World Cup in top form. His cat-like reflexes and ability to organize his defense make him an invaluable asset in goal. | |
| Brad Guzan - Aston Villa The Aston Villa man has put together an outstanding second season as a full-time starter. A 6-foot-4 physical force who commands his penalty area well, and moves extremely well for a goalkeeper his size, Guzan doesn't quite boast Howard's poise or organizing skills in the back, but he is a solid backup who has shown he is capable of handling the starting role when needed. | |
| Nick Rimando - Real Salt Lake One of the best goalkeepers in MLS history, Rimando makes up for a lack of size by boasting supreme athleticism and intelligence. A poised goalkeeper who always seems to put himself in the right position, is also a first-class locker room presence, which will be vital in his role as third goalkeeper at the World Cup. | |
Sean Johnson - Chicago Fire
When he's on his game, the 6-foot-4 Johnson can dominate a match with his quickness, length and reaction speed. The big issue for the 25-year-old Chicago Fire goalkeeper is his penchant for big mistakes. He continues to improve as an MLS starter, but consistency continues to be what he needs to work on. | |
| Bill Hamid - D.C. United Much like Johnson, Hamid is very much a work in progress, and while the 23-year-old's inexperience can show at times for D.C. United, there is a reason Klinsmann has kept him in the pool. Hamid is an athletic freak who has drawn comparisons to Tim Howard at the same age. The 6-foot-4 shot stopper is also a big personality, and has the characteristics to develop into a real leader in the back. But first, he must improve his understanding of the position, which should come with experience. |
By Richard Farley
Acting as master of ceremonies, Alexi Lalas wasted no time implicitly confirming what we all knew. With Major League Soccer commissioner Don Garber and the league’s newest owner arriving at Wednesday’s announcement via helicopter, MLS confirmed that Home Depot co-founder and Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank would own the league’s 22nd franchise, adding Atlanta to the list of new teams that will anchor the league’s efforts in the U.S. Southeast.
“We are thrilled to welcome Atlanta to Major League Soccer as our 22nd team,” the commissioner said in a statement, distributed by the league. “Atlanta is one of the largest and most diverse markets in North America and has a rich tradition in sports and culture.
Atlanta had emerged as the clear favorite for the league’s next expansion franchise after Garber spoke favorably about the city’s candidacy in a late-winter teleconference. Now, with the league having confirmed the team’s entry, one that will begin play in 2017, MLS’s vision for the U.S. Southeast is complete. Joining franchises in Orlando City SC and David Beckham’s presumed team in Miami, Atlanta will try to reestablish a presence in a region in which Major League Soccer has previously failed.
“We are very excited to bring a Major League Soccer team to Atlanta,” Blank said, according to the league’s website. “[W]e believe our downtown stadium will become a destination for soccer fans throughout the Southeast for many years to come.”
The Tampa Bay Mutiny and Miami Fusion closed their doors in 2001, leaving lingering doubts as to the viability to professional soccer in the league’s southeast corridor. Emphasizing the importance or reestablishing MLS’s presence in that region, Garber spoke to the role Atlanta will play in the league’s growth, saying the city’s growth and diversity made it a target market for the quickly expanding league.
Garber confirmed the team will share a new venue with the Falcons, one that will open in 2013. According to Blank, the team will play on an artificial surface, with the venue’s seating allowing the NFL configuration to give way to a wider soccer arrangement with reduced seating. During the session’s question and answer segment, Blank indicated the expected capacity will be around 29,000, emphasizing “there will never be a game where NFL lines are shown on the field.”
In July 2013, Garber announced MLS’s intention to expand from 19 teams to 24 by 2020. Teams in New York, Orlando and potentially Miami had been previously announced, with Atlanta now set to occupy the league’s 23rd slot.
New NCAA rule to protect QBs from low hits.
By The Sports Xchange
The NCAA approved a new rule on Wednesday that would make it illegal to hit the quarterback below the knees during a passing situation.
A 15-yard roughing-the-passer penalty will be assessed for such a tackle beginning this fall, according to the NCAA's Playing Rules Oversight Panel.
"The rule specifically covers a scenario in which a quarterback is in a passing posture with one or both feet on the ground," the NCAA said in its statement. "When in this situation, no defensive player rushing unabated can hit the quarterback at the knees or below the knees. In addition, a defensive player may not roll or lunge and forcibly hit the quarterback in the knee or below. So a defender already on the ground may not roll into the quarterback."
Exceptions to the rule include the quarterback starting to run inside or outside the tackle box, the defender grabs or wraps the passer in an attempt to make a conventional tackle, and a defensive player being blocked into a quarterback.
The proposal was discussed during the Football Rules Committee's meeting in February. The NCAA said the commissioners from the 10 FBS conferences and a majority of coaches expressed support for the rule.
Athletes' union responds to Northwestern appeal.
AP Sports
The College Athletes Players Association is criticizing Northwestern University's argument for overturning a ruling that would allow the school's football players to unionize.
Northwestern is appealing a ruling by a regional director of the National Labor Relations Board who said that the school's football players are employees under federal law and thus entitled to unionize.
CAPA says Northwestern ''has not established grounds for review of the regional director's fact-finding.'' Wednesday's filing also attacks other parts of the appeal.
The players are set to vote by secret ballot April 25 on whether to form a union. CAPA would represent them.
The Evanston, Ill.-based university argues in the appeal that its athletic program ''is fully integrated with its academic mission, and that it treats its athletes as students first.''
NCAA Tournament 2014: Stay or Go Pro, One-and-Done Stars Have Nothing to Lose. What's your take?
By Dan Levy
What's that joke about having no Cash, Jobs or Hope?
At the start of the 2014 NCAA tournament, college basketball fans had a chance to watch one of the most talented crops of youngsters in recent memory fight through the bracket for a piece of college basketball history.
There was hope for teams like Kansas, Duke and Kentucky to ride their one-and-done superstars to an NCAA championship.
Heading into the Sweet 16, most of that top talent has been kicked out of the Big Dance, which leaves little hope for fans of the college game that any of them will ever set foot on a college basketball court again.
Who has time for college when there are jobs to be had in the NBA? Who cares about hope when there is cash—lots and lots of cash—to be earned?
A week ago we had Andrew Wiggins, Jabari Parker and Julius Randle...and now two of those players—along with Joel Embiid, Noah Vonleh, Tyler Ennis, Rodney Hood and a host of other young, talented NBA draft prospects—are choosing between jobs (read: cash) and giving college fans another year of NCAA tournament hope.
Some of these stars have an impossible decision to make because there is no wrong decision.
Stay or go—both are incredible options. It's a great time to be a college freshman, if you also happen to be one of the top players in one of the deepest drafts in the NBA since the one-and-done rule came into effect.
There was hope for teams like Kansas, Duke and Kentucky to ride their one-and-done superstars to an NCAA championship.
Heading into the Sweet 16, most of that top talent has been kicked out of the Big Dance, which leaves little hope for fans of the college game that any of them will ever set foot on a college basketball court again.
Who has time for college when there are jobs to be had in the NBA? Who cares about hope when there is cash—lots and lots of cash—to be earned?
A week ago we had Andrew Wiggins, Jabari Parker and Julius Randle...and now two of those players—along with Joel Embiid, Noah Vonleh, Tyler Ennis, Rodney Hood and a host of other young, talented NBA draft prospects—are choosing between jobs (read: cash) and giving college fans another year of NCAA tournament hope.
Some of these stars have an impossible decision to make because there is no wrong decision.
Stay or go—both are incredible options. It's a great time to be a college freshman, if you also happen to be one of the top players in one of the deepest drafts in the NBA since the one-and-done rule came into effect.
At the start of the college season, most draftniks looked at Wiggins and Parker as the two most talented prospects in the game, with Randle being a relative lock to be the third surefire NBA star entering the 2014 draft. As the season rolled along, other players stormed up the board to join them, most notably Embiid, the Kansas center who passed Wiggins on several prospect ranking lists before a back injury put everyone—in both college and the pros—on notice.
Embiid told reporters after Kansas lost in the third round of the NCAA tournament that he would have played in the Sweet 16 had the Jayhawks made it to the second weekend. Now, as many assume he will declare for the draft after consulting with family, friends and his coaching staff, one of the most talented players in the college game may end his amateur career having never played in the Big Dance.
He isn't the only one.
Noah Vonleh of Indiana announced this week that he is entering the NBA draft after just one year with the Hoosiers. He told Gary Parrish of CBS Sports, "It's going to suck leaving college without an NCAA tournament, but I have to do what's best for me."
Vonleh did what most one-and-done players do under the current rules. Indiana was nothing more than a way station before moving on to better things. If it truly "sucked" that bad to leave college without playing in the NCAA tournament, he would come back for another year at Indiana and try it all over again.
Remember, his quote didn't say it sucked not winning an NCAA tournament. He's lamenting the fact he didn't even make it into the tournament. At least Wiggins got two games in the Big Dance. At least Parker got one.
At least Embiid got to take a few plane rides and score some NCAA swag.
The One-and-Done Rule
Let's stop for a second to address the controversy over the one-and-done rule. Both the NCAA and the NBA apparently hate the rule, yet neither seems to think it has the power to change it.
Charles Barkley talked about the one-and-done rule during the NCAA March Madness studio show this week, suggesting that the NBA is "the worst it's ever been" in terms of quality of play, thanks in large part because the young players are not the same caliber of players as they were when prospects stayed in college longer than they do now.
Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban recently blamed the NCAA for the one-and-done rule, but it's the Players Association that collectively bargained with the league to keep players ineligible from the draft until they are one year out of high school and 19 years old. The one-and-done rule is an NBA issue, which is why owners and league commissioner Adam Silver are trying to make it two years instead of one.
The case for creating a two-and-done rule has merit, as college coaches would prefer two years with top players as opposed to just one. The most logical thought is that if a player is a top prospect coming out of high school or after his freshman season, it stands to reason he still will be after his second year, just with more basketball knowledge and, theoretically, more physical and emotional maturity to handle the rigors of the NBA.
People like Cuban blame the NCAA, while coaches like Bob Knight blame the NBA. Knight said on Mike and Mike in the Morning on Tuesday, via Sporting News, "the NBA does a tremendous, gigantic disservice to college basketball. It's as though they've raped college basketball in my opinion."
Whatever else Knight suggested—like going to a college baseball model where a player can either go pro right from high school or be forced to wait three years or until he is 21 getting drafted out of college—is going to fall on deaf ears after comparing the one-and-done rule to rape.
The rest of his comment—the non-insane part—makes a lot of sense.
Until the rule gets changed, however, the young players have the power. They should enjoy it while they can.
Winning at Every Level
Part of me wishes that every kid coming into college would try to be the next Carmelo Anthony, not the next Kevin Durant. Anthony was a second-team All-American at Syracuse in his only year in college before carrying the Orange to the 2003 national championship. He had his ride off into the college sunset before making the leap to the pros.
Durant, on the other hand, won nearly every major player of the year award in his only season at Texas, but the Longhorns flamed out in the second round of the 2007 NCAA tournament before the best player in the country declared for the NBA. Three months later, Texas announced it was retiring Durant's jersey. The lede from a July 3, 2007 article from the Austin American-Statesman called Durant "the most acclaimed basketball player in University of Texas history."
That's saying...something.
As highly regarded as Wiggins was coming out of high school—and as good of a first year as he had at Kansas—he will not go down as the most acclaimed basketball player in Jayhawks basketball history. Neither will Embiid, Parker at Duke nor even Randle at Kentucky should the Wildcats take this run all the way to the Final Four.
And maybe that's the point.
This isn't a suggestion that players don't want to win an NCAA championship. Surely seven years ago Durant wanted to win the NCAA tournament, but his experience in college was part of a greater plan for his basketball career. Vonleh probably chose Indiana because he thought the Hoosiers gave him a great chance to win before going off to the NBA.
These kids want to win. It's just that winning an NCAA championship is nowhere near as important to a young player with NBA aspirations as winning an NBA title—or even getting paid to try to win an NBA title. If winning the NCAA championship was so important, more top prospects would stay in college as long as they could to keep trying.
Players Can Stay If They Want
The one-and-done rule is not a commandment. The best players are not kicked out of school after a year because they are ready for the NBA. They are choosing to go, and until the rule changes, that remains their choice, even if too many of them make the wrong one.
Some players can benefit from more time in college. At the very least, for players like Marcus Smart, T.J. Warren, Willie Cauley-Stein and Montrezl Harrell, spending another year in school has not hurt their draft stock much at all.
For every player who stays a year longer and gets better, there is someone like JaKarr Sampson of St. John's—the 2012-13 Big East Rookie of the Year—who declared for the draft following his sophomore season despite being pegged as anywhere from a mid-second-round prospect to an undrafted free agent.
There is also a player like Mitch McGary, who is ranked 40th by DraftExpress.com, who probably could have capitalized on going out after a Final Four run last season for Michigan. Yet a case can be made that another year of learning under John Beilein might prepare him even more for life in the NBA.
Michigan fans can hope. They can hope that no matter how far their team goes this season, the likes of McGary and fellow sophomores Nik Stauskas and Glenn Robinson III come back for another run at a title next year.
They can hope, and hope is great. But jobs—and the cash that comes with them—can sometimes be better.
A lot of teams can hope. Kansas fans can hope. Heck, Wiggins and Embiid should come back next year. No matter what they actually decide to do, there's no mistaking the fact that they should give the NCAA tournament another run with a squad at full strength.
Kansas fans deserve that. College basketball fans deserve it too.
Getting knocked out on the first weekend of the NCAA tournament should be an embarrassment to a team with that much pure basketball talent, even without Embiid on the court.
Duke lost to Mercer in Raleigh, N.C., an absolute humiliation in a game it had no business losing. Both Parker and Hood should want to come back to campus for another year to get that awful taste out of their mouths. The Duke fans deserve a better tournament effort.
This should be a no-brainer for them: to come back and get a chance for retribution and redemption before going to the pros, where jobs and cash will be waiting for them.
Only there's a lot more at stake than cutting down a few nets.
Embiid, for example, has a back problem that could not only impact his draft status but truncate the potential longevity of his basketball career. If a "nagging" injury gets labeled as a "chronic" injury, his clock would start ticking way sooner and far louder than any college freshman's should.
Why wait another year or two to collect on his basketball abilities? Cutting down nets is not that important.
The same goes for a healthy Wiggins, Parker or Randle, should Kentucky fail to make it to the title game. What is college for other than developing the skills needed to get a job in one's chosen profession?
If Wiggins, Parker, Randle and Embiid—among a host of others, like Arizona's Aaron Gordon, Vonleh and Ennis—have honed their skills enough after a high school career and one year in college to justify being a top pick in the NBA draft, why should they wait another year to go pro? Because they didn't win a title in college?
Durant didn't win a title in college. Barkley didn't win one either. LeBron James and Kobe Bryant didn't even go to college, and they all seemed to turn out just fine.
It's hard to win a national championship, and the best any of those top prospects can do is hope they make it through another season without getting hurt. Why hope, when the job and the cash are waiting in the pros?
This should be an easy choice for the lot of them: to go to the NBA and make millions doing what they are great at doing.
Therein lies the problem—if holding two adjacent basketball worlds by the same string can be considered a problem.
Stay in school, and the history of the college game changes immeasurably. Go to the NBA, and the future of the three, four or five teams picking at the top of the draft may change forever as well. The decision has to be unique for each player.
Really, for any of them, there is no way to lose.
Chicago Sports & Travel, Inc./AllsportsAmerica Take: It is very true that these young college stars have immeasurable talent, however, you'll need more than talent to make it in today's world. Many will get drafted but the percentage that make it at the pro sports level is very low. The NCAA statistics from the year 2012 were:
Baseball: 11.6% of college players play professionally, 0.6% of high school players do.
High school players: 471,025
College players: 31,264
Draftees: 806
The average length that a rookie has played major league baseball is 5.6 years.
(Source: University of Colorado at Boulder, July 11, 2007)
Basketball: Men's basketball: 1.2% of college players play professionally, 0.03% of high school players do.
High school players: 545,844
College players: 17,500
Draftees: 48
As of 2013, the average career length of an NBA player is 6.070 years.
(Source: Ask.com)
Basketball: Women's basketball: 0.9% of college players play professionally, 0.03% of high school players do.
High school players: 438,933
College players: 15,708
Draftees: 32
*No statistics available yet.
Football: 1.7% of college players play professionally, 0.08% of high school players do.
High school players: 1,108,441
College players: 67,887
Draftees: 255
The average career length for a player who makes a club’s opening-day roster (active/inactive roster or injured reserve) in his rookie season is 6.0 years.
(Source: NFL Staff, April 18, 2007)
Hockey: Men's hockey: 1.3% of college players play professionally, 0.1% of high school players do.
High school players: 36,912
College players: 3,944
Draftees: 11
The average NHL player plays 5.65 seasons in the league.
(Source: 2014 quanthockey.com)
Soccer: Men's soccer: 1.0% of college players play professionally, 0.04% of high school players do.
High school players: 398,351
College players: 22,573
Draftees: 49
The average career length of a professional soccer player is 6 years.
(Source: Answers.com)
Note: the averages are obtained from superstar, journeymen and rookie years played.
It's unfortunate that agents, family members, friends and other various associates mislead these talented young people into chasing the money. Most of them are not physically, emotionally and financially ready for professional sports. If they do not make it or have a shortened career due to injury or other unforeseen occurrences, they will not have anything else to fall back on. One and done would be better for the college ranks and professional sports if it was eliminated. In my opinion, three and done would be better for everyone involved. The players would be more astute educational wise, more mature emotionally and hopefully more financially aware. After seeing how many experienced veterans that have played for years end their careers financially destitute, I would hate to see these young potential superstars that have so much to gain and everything to lose end up with nothing. Three and done, those are my thoughts, what do you think? What's your take?
Report: Ravens, Falcons, Patriots, Colts, Browns and Jets are heavily interested in Michael Sam.
By Anwar S. Richardson
Michael Sam is not expected to be a first-round pick in the upcoming NFL draft. He may not be selected in the middle rounds. In fact, there is a chance Sam is not drafted at all.
However, there are plenty of NFL teams very interested in him.
The Baltimore Ravens, Atlanta Falcons, New England Patriots, Indianapolis Colts, Cleveland Browns and New York Jets are the teams most interested in Sam, according to The Baltimore Sun. Sam met with several teams, including Baltimore, at the NFL scouting combine.
Sam is poised to become the first openly gay NFL player.
However, Sam has struggled during the NFL evaluation process.
Sam turned in an unimpressive performance at the scouting combine. He ran the 40-yard dash in 4.91 seconds (tied for 18th); bench pressed 225 pounds 17 times (tied for 47th/second to last); had a vertical jump of 25.5 inches (tied for 39th) and his broad jump was 114 inches (tied for 14th).
During Missouri’s pro day, Sam ran the 40-yard dash in 4.72 seconds, plus finished with 19 reps of 225 pounds. Unfortunately, for Sam, he sustained a hamstring injury during the workout, and struggled to finish the drills.
One thing working on Sam’s behalf is most NFL teams are more concerned with what they see on film than evaluating predraft workouts. Sam was named the SEC’s co-defensive player of the year after leading the conference in sacks (10.5) and tackles for loss (18.0) last season. Some scouts believe Sam is not athletic enough to play outside linebacker and not big enough to be a defensive end in a 3-4, which means he will have to make an NFL team as a special teams contributor.
And there are six NFL teams seemingly poised to give Sam a chance.
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