CS&T/AllsportsAmerica Wednesday Sports News Update, 04/02/2014.

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How 'bout them Chicago Blackhawks? NHL playoffs 2014: Does finishing strong really matter?

By Adam Gretz

Teams win the Stanley Cup because they're good, not because they got hot at the right time.

Hockey folks love to talk about momentum in all of its forms, whether it's something that happens in a single game (a game-changing hit or fight is usually pretty popular, even if there isn't really anything to suggest they really do change games) or a series of games ("getting hot at the right time").

Sometimes a little too much attention is paid to it the latter, and now that we are into the stretch run of the regular season, it's the time of year where that tends to happen.

 

Over the course of an 82-game season teams and players are going to go through a roller coaster of peaks and valleys. Great teams will have stretches where they lose and bad teams will put together winning streaks. Top scorers will fill the net in bunches and then go eight or more games without scoring a single goal. It's unavoidable.

 

When these stretches -- the good ones and the bad ones -- happen in the middle of the season they tend to get lost in the shuffle. When they happen at the beginning or the end when there isn't anything to bookend them, we can have a tendency to jump to some really harsh conclusions. This usually happen at the end of the regular season as the playoffs draw near and we try to find teams that are playing their best hockey and peaking at the right time.

 

Or, at the other end of the spectrum teams that are struggling at the wrong time.

 

The thing is, when you look at teams that win the Stanley Cup it doesn't really matter how many games they won or lost toward the end of the regular season, or whether they went in on a hot streak or a cold stream. Some teams have finished on a high note (the 2008-09 Penguins were 15-2-3 over their final 20 games), while others have played their worst hockey of the season (the Presidents' Trophy winning 2001-02 Red Wings won just one of their last 10 games and only eight of their final 20 before winning 16 of their 23 playoff games)

 

The table below takes a look at every Stanley Cup winner dating back to the 1995-96 season and breaks them down into three segments: Their 82-game point pace over the last 20 games of the regular season, their pace over the last 10 games of the regular season, and their point total for the season.

 

Season	Team	Last 20 PT Pace	Last 10 Point Pace	Total Points Season
2012-13	Chicago Blackhawks	114	123	131*
2011-12	Los Angeles Kings	110	106	95
2010-11	Boston Bruins	98	107	103
2009-10	Chicago Blackhawks	102	107	112
2008-09	Pittsburgh Penguins	135	123	99
2007-08	Detroit Red Wings	106	123	115
2006-07	Anaheim Ducks	123	98	110
2005-06	Carolina Hurricanes	86	98	112
2003-04	Tampa Bay Lightning	110	82	106
2002-03	New Jersey Devils	94	114	108
2001-02	Detroit Red Wings	82	49	116
2000-01	Colorado Avalanche	110	107	118
1999-00	New Jersey Devils	77	82	103
1998-99	Dallas Stars	98	98	114
1997-98	Detroit Red Wings	90	98	103
1996-97	Detroit Red Wings	82	90	94
1995-96	Colorado Avalanche	98	98	104

(*point pace based on what they did over a 48-game schedule)

 

Outside of a couple of noticeable outliers, none of these teams really played poorly down the stretch (though, the team that performed the worst, the '01-02 Red Wings, was probably one of the best teams over the past two decades) but there is a pretty wide range of performances here.

 

Some played at the same level they played at most of the year. A few far exceeded it. Seven of the 17 teams shown actually played .500 or worse hockey over their last 10-20 games. It's not that those stretches of play didn't really matter, or that teams don't want to go into the playoffs playing well and feeling good about themselves, but that these stretches happen all the time throughout the season. We just notice them more at the beginning and end, and it doesn't really have any impact on whether or not they're able to win a championship.

 

That's not to say that there aren't some slumping teams in the NHL right now that don't have real cause for concern, or that just because a team like the Bruins has been steamrolling every team that gets in their way that they're guaranteed to make a return trip to the Finals. They might, but it's because they're simply a really good hockey team, not because they got hot at the end of the year. And being a really good hockey team is the only thing that matters.

 

Blackhawks C Toews day to day with injury.

 

AP Sports

 

Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews is day to day with an upper-body injury after he absorbed a hard hit at Pittsburgh.

 

Toews was drilled by Penguins defenseman Brooks Orpik with 6:30 remaining in the second period on Sunday night. The two were going for a loose puck.

Toews got up slowly and was seen holding his left arm on the bench before heading down the runway.

Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville says he doesn't think the injury is serious, but the team would know more on Monday.

The Blackhawks, who clinched a playoff berth on Saturday, are already without star forward Patrick Kane, who is out for the rest of the regular season with a lower-body injury.

Toews has 28 goals and 68 points this season.

Bear Down Chicago Bears!!! Holes to fill.

By Greg Gabriel

To put it mildly, the Chicago Bears struggled on defense during the 2013 NFL season. The defensive personnel was pretty much the same as it’s been the last four years, but they didn’t play nearly as well. In league defensive rankings, the Bears were 30th in scoring defense, 30th in yards allowed, and 32nd in rush defense. That is hardly what Chicago fans have been used to seeing.

At the end of the season, General Manager Phil Emery promised change. Not only has there been a drastic change in players, but on the defensive coaching staff as well. Head Coach Marc Trestman brought in linebacker coach Reggie Herring from the Houston Texans, and to coach the defensive line, he hired both Paul Pasqualoni and Clint Hurtt. Pasqualoni has been a successful defensive coordinator in the league and Hurtt built a solid reputation as a defensive line coach at Miami and Louisville.

Two of the mainstays on the defensive line are gone. Defensive tackle Henry Melton went to Dallas as an unrestricted free agent and Julius Peppers was cut and signed with Green Bay. Emery went “all in” as far as signing new defensive players. His main signings on the defensive line are Pro Bowl defensive end Jared Allen from Minnesota, the young and improving Lamar Houston from the Raiders, and pass rushing defensive end Willie Young from the Lions. They also signed utility defensive lineman Israel Idonije, a former Bear and re-signed defensive tackles Jerimiah Ratliff and Nate Collins.

Collins and Ratliff only played five games each last year. Collins was hurt in the fifth game and Ratliff was unable to play until the final third of the season due to rehab from an injury in 2012. Neither of them can be blamed for the Bears defensive downfall last year.

Safety play was poor in 2013, so Emery signed three new players to play the backend. M.D. Jennings who was a starter for Green Bay last year was the first signing, followed by Ryan Mundy from the New York Giants and Danny McCray from the Dallas Cowboys.

Corner Tim Jennings, a former All Pro, was re-signed to a multi-year contract and popular Charles Tillman was re-signed for just the 2014 season. Also brought back was backup Kelvin Hayden who missed all of 2013 with an injury.

With all of these signings in free agency, what do the Bears do in the draft? It is my feeling that they will still draft defense in the premium rounds of this draft. The question is, "What position will the first round pick be?"

Even after signing all the defensive line players, many draftniks and writers still have the Bears picking Pitt defensive tackle Aaron Donald, who may be the best three-technique player in the draft. I believe that their first pick will be either a corner or a linebacker, with corner being the preference.

While the Bears still have age on the defensive line, they are now younger than they were a year ago. The old men of the group are Allen and Ratliff who are 32. Houston and Young are 26 and 28 respectively. They now have a solid seven or eight man rotation to play on the line when you figure in holdover Stephen Paea and Idonije. Also in the mix is second year defensive end David Bass who had some moments as a rookie.

At the corner position, the top three players (Jennings, Tillman, and Hayden) are all on the wrong side of 30. The only young player in the group is second year corner Isaiah Frey. There are some very good corners in this draft with my top three being Oklahoma State’s Justin Gilbert, Michigan State’s Darqueze Dennard and Virginia Tech’s Kyle Fuller. All three bring size and speed into the equation. With the NFC North being known for big receivers, teams need big corners to match up. One of those corners will be gone and maybe two by the time the Bears pick at number 14.

At linebacker, the only player I feel is worthy of being taken at the number 14 spot and is Alabama’s C.J. Mosley. Mosley has the athletic traits to play either Mike or Will in the Bears scheme. He is productive, tough and instinctive.

There is one safety who may enter into the mix and that is another Alabama player, Ha Ha Clinton-Dix. Clinton-Dix has the size and athletic traits to play either free or strong safety, but his best position is free safety, where he has range and ball skills.

When you go into draft planning, you have to figure in the depth of the draft at your need positions. The Bears' second round pick isn’t until 51. The chances of getting a top corner at the 51st pick is far less than being able to draft a good defensive tackle or safety.

At 51, the top five corners will be gone (my fourth and fifth are Brad Roby and Jason Verrett), but there is a possibility that a potentially top defensive lineman will be there. At least one of the group of Anthony Johnson (LSU), Kelsey Quarles (South Carolina) or Dominique Easley (Florida) should be there. All three fit the Bears scheme. Easley is a question mark though, as he is coming off an injury and it remains to be seen if he is medically cleared. We should know that shortly.

At the safety position, the Bears could be looking at someone like Jimmie Ward from Northern Illinois or Deone Bucannon from Washington State. The linebacker who may come into play at that time is Shane Skov from Stanford, a very active and instinctive player.

Figuring out what to do is never an easy decision. It’s my opinion that corner is the best way to go. When you look at free agency, top corners always get paid at a premium. It is much easier to draft and develop your own. When looking at how the draft may fall, I also think that corner becomes the best selection because of the defensive line depth. There is a drop-off of talent at the corner position.

Some may say that Nebraska’s Stanley Jean-Baptiste would be a good pick. He ran slow at the combine and is only a press corner. He struggles in off and zone coverage. The next corner may be Utah’s Keith McGill. McGill is an interesting guy who is also primarily a press corner but is better in zone and off than Jean-Baptiste. In saying that you could ask yourself if 51 is too high to take McGill?

These are all questions that Phil Emery, Marty Barrett (College Scouting Director) and Marc Trestman will be asking themselves in the coming weeks. We will find out the answer beginning May 8th. As I said, I’m betting on corner.

Just another Chicago Bulls Session… Bulls complete two-day sweep of Celtics.

By The Sports Xchange

Chicago Bulls guard D.J. Augustin driving for two of his career-high 33 points.

The Boston Celtics are nowhere near playoff contention, but the Chicago Bulls struggled to beat them two nights in a row.

Forward Mike Dunleavy scored 22 points to lead Chicago to a 94-80 victory over the Celtics on Monday night at the United Center, and the Bulls completed a sweep of the back-to-back set.

On Sunday in Boston, the Celtics gave the Bulls all they could handle before falling 107-102.

Chicago (42-32) again had trouble shaking the Celtics in the rematch. The Bulls trailed by as many as nine points in the second quarter, and they led just 71-70 at the end of three. They took away the suspense, though, by opening the fourth quarter with a 13-0 run.

"You have a night like tonight where you don't feel the greatest about your performance," Dunleavy said, "but we did play well in the fourth quarter. Playing a team on the second night of a back-to-back, the same team, it's tough to pitch a perfect game."

Center Joakim Noah added 19 points, 11 rebounds and five assists for the Bulls, while guard Jimmy Butler scored 18 points and forward Carlos Boozer added 16.

In Sunday's game, guard D.J. Augustin scored a career-high 33 points. This time, he was the creator in crunch time, dishing out three assists in the decisive run. Augustin finished with four points and a game-high 11 assists.

Noah, who had 13 assists in the game at Boston, hit two jumpers and added a driving layup during the 13-0 surge. The Bulls also got a 3-pointer and two free throws from Dunleavy during that stretch.

"The game tells you what you have to do," Chicago coach Tom Thibodeau said. "Every night is different. D.J. was not getting the same looks as he was (Sunday) night, but he made the right plays. If they are committing more than one player to him, that means we should have easy opportunities for others."

While moving a season-high 10 games over .500, Chicago climbed into a tie with the Toronto Raptors for third place in the Eastern Conference with eight games remaining. The Bulls would lose a tiebreaker with the Raptors because, at this point, Toronto would be Atlantic Division champs, while the Bulls are destined to finish second in the Central Division behind the Indiana Pacers.

Boston (23-51) had a good run in the second quarter with several substitutes on the floor. Rookie guard Phil Pressey followed in a missed shot, then stole a ball during a Bulls fast break, setting up forward Brandon Bass for a breakaway dunk. That flurry gave the Celtics their biggest lead, 46-37, with 4:33 left in the half.

Bass and guard Jerryd Bayless led Boston with 18 points each, while center Kris Humphries added 11. Guard Rajon Rondo, who played Sunday, sat out Monday to rest his surgically repaired knee. Guard Avery Bradley did not play in the second half Monday due to a sore Achilles tendon.

"The first five minutes of the third and fourth, we went into a drought," Boston coach Brad Stevens said. "We looked heavy-legged the whole second half. That's no excuse because they played last night, too. Our guys played with good spirit. We just couldn't overcome the droughts."

After falling behind by nine points, the Bulls came back to tie the score at 48-48 on a put-back by Butler. Bayless' free throws with 1.3 seconds to go gave the Celtics a 50-48 edge at halftime.

Boston shot 31.6 percent from the field (12-for-38) in the second half, 40.3 percent (31-for-77) for the game. Chicago finished at 47.5 percent (38-for-80).

NOTES: Boston G Rajon Rondo didn't take the night off completely, as he joined the Celtics' television broadcast team. "I think he'll provide good insight," coach Brad Stevens said before the game. "If I was a fan, I'd be kind of interested in what he has to say." ... Chicago C Joakim Noah has six games with 10 or more assists this season, the most by a center since Vlade Divac had nine in 2003-04. Noah averaged 7.7 assists in March before Monday. ... Noah recorded a double-double for the seventh consecutive game against Boston on Monday. ... The Celtics have nine losses by three points or fewer this season and 25 by seven or fewer. "In the last five minutes of games, it goes up a notch," Stevens said. "You have to match that and you have to be able to do that consistently."

Bulls-Hawks Preview

By NOEY KUPCHAN (STATS Writer)

The Atlanta Hawks are trying to hold on to eighth place in the Eastern Conference.

They can't be looking forward to facing the playoff-bound Chicago Bulls, who have their sights set on the No. 3 seed.

Coming off a rare win, the Hawks try to avoid a sixth consecutive loss to the visiting Bulls on Wednesday night.

After a 7-20 slide, Atlanta (32-41) finds itself one game ahead of New York with two weeks left in the season. The Hawks also need to be wary of 10th-place Cleveland, which is three games back and comes to town Friday.

"I know who's playing who, I know who they're playing next," forward Kyle Korver said. "We're supposed to focus on ourselves, but I looking at everything. ... We all know what's on the line."

The Hawks had been limited to an average of 91.8 points during a six-game losing streak while Korver was out with back trouble, but he returned Monday in a 103-95 win over Philadelphia. Paul Millsap had 28 points and a season-high 17 rebounds, and Lou Williams scored 22 off the bench against his former team.

Atlanta, which outscored the 76ers 48-34 in the paint and held a 13-6 edge on the offensive glass, trailed by as many as 14 in the second quarter before storming back.

"The eighth playoff spot is ours right now. We have to keep on playing like it is," said Korver, who finished with 11 points. "If we had lost this game, it would have been tough. We didn't play great, but we played harder, we played with a purpose."

The Hawks haven't seen much go their way against Chicago of late. The Bulls have taken 14 of 18 in the series, including playoffs, winning the last five meetings by an average of 16.4 points.

Chicago got all it could handle, though, during its last visit to Atlanta, narrowly winning 107-103 on Feb. 25 as seven of eight active Bulls scored in double figures.

The Bulls (42-32) are seeking a third consecutive win and fifth in six games after sweeping a home-and-home set against Boston. Mike Dunleavy led the way with 22 points in Monday's 94-80 victory, and Joakim Noah scored 10 of his 19 in the fourth quarter.

Chicago moved into a third-place tie with Toronto, which fell 93-83 at Miami earlier that night.

"I think it's very important," Dunleavy said of securing the third seed. "We want to get as high as we can. Not only with home-court advantage and avoiding the first seed in the second round, if we're fortunate enough to advance. We just want to get as high as we can."

Chicago outscored the Celtics 48-30 in the paint and 26-6 in transition, moving 10 games above .500 for the first time this season.

"I think we're playing pretty good basketball, but I think we can play better," said Noah, whose team improved to 20-5 against fellow East teams in 2014. "I think the mindset is good. Everybody is working, everybody is in the weight room, everybody is trying to find ways to get better."

The Bulls, averaging an NBA-worst 93.1 points, are 39-10 when scoring 89 or more compared to 3-22 when they don't. The Hawks have surrendered at least 92 points in all but one of their last 24 games, a stretch during which they're allowing 105.0 per contest.

Twins-White Sox Preview.

By JORDAN GARRETSON (STATS Writer)

The Chicago White Sox's opening day victory was a refreshing start after a dismal 2013.

The Minnesota Twins were plagued by many of the same problems that led to a second straight 96-loss season last year.

Chicago looks to follow up its impressive first game with its seventh win in eight meetings as it hosts Minnesota on Wednesday.

Coming off their first last-place finish since 1989, the White Sox won 5-3 over the Twins on Monday in a well-rounded performance. Chris Sale limited Minnesota to three runs over 7 1/3 innings and five White Sox had two hits apiece, with Alejandro De Aza homering twice for the first time in his career.

Cuban defector Jose Abreu doubled off Ricky Nolasco on the first major league pitch he saw in the second inning and drove in the go-ahead run with a third-inning single. Abreu's start at first base ended Paul Konerko's streak of consecutive opening day starts for Chicago at 15.

"You wanted to get that first one out of the way," Abreu said through an interpreter. "Once you get it, it's a very happy moment."

The 38-year-old Konerko will mostly play against left-handed starters.

The Twins opened with a loss for the sixth consecutive season. After their starters posted a major league-worst 5.33 ERA and 78 wins over the last two years, they signed free agents Nolasco and Phil Hughes in an attempt to upgrade the rotation.

Nolasco struggled Monday, however, allowing five runs and 10 hits in six innings. The White Sox got to him early, scoring two runs in both the second and third innings.

Kevin Correia (9-13, 4.18 ERA) will take the mound Wednesday after leading Minnesota in victories in his first year with the club. The right-hander was 2-2 with a 3.21 ERA in his first four career starts against Chicago last season, pitching into at least the seventh inning each time.

Correia could use more support than what the Twins provided Nolasco on Monday. After striking out a major league-record 408 times with runners in scoring position in 2013 and hitting an AL-worst .225 in those situations, they were 2 for 8.

Joe Mauer and Josh Willingham each went 0 for 4 overall, ending personal six-game hitting streaks against the White Sox.

Most of Minnesota's offense came from Kurt Suzuki and Aaron Hicks. Suzuki was 2 for 4 and drove in all three runs in his Twins debut while Hicks was 2 for 3, doubling and scoring a run. His .192 average ranked last among rookies with at least 130 at-bats last season.

Minnesota will face Felipe Paulino, who is making his first start since June 6, 2012, when he faced the Twins. The right-hander underwent Tommy John surgery the next month after starting that season 3-1 with a 1.67 ERA in seven outings for Kansas City.

Paulino was 1-2 with a 6.75 ERA in six starts this spring.

"I feel blessed. Everybody knows my last year and a half was recovery," Paulino told the team's official website. "...I want to be the same pitcher (I was) before I got injured."

Willingham is 3 for 6 with a home run off Paulino while Mauer has two hits in as many at-bats against him.

De Aza is 4 for 14 off Correia and has batted .333 with four homers and seven RBIs over his last six games against Minnesota.

Cubs-Pirates Preview.

By MATT BECKER (STATS Editor)

The Pittsburgh Pirates picked up right where they left off after a memorable 2013 season, winning their opener in thrilling fashion.

The Chicago Cubs are coming off a miserable 2013 and are hoping a disappointing showing in their first game isn't a sign of things to come.

The Pirates look to build on a dramatic victory when they continue their series against the Cubs on Wednesday night at PNC Park.

Pittsburgh has lofty goals for 2014 after ending a streak of 20 consecutive losing seasons by making the playoffs for the first time since 1992 last year. Opening day starters Francisco Liriano and Jeff Samardzija shut down the hitters Monday, but Neil Walker sent the crowd into a frenzy by leading off the 10th inning with a home run to give the Pirates a 1-0 win.

''This one feels pretty special,'' Walker said. ''This is a special day for this team, this organization. We've come a long way.''

Prior to Walker's homer, Pittsburgh had managed four singles and a double. Reigning NL MVP Andrew McCutchen went 1 for 3 with a walk while cleanup hitter Pedro Alvarez was 0 for 4 with a pair of strikeouts.

McCutchen may have better luck against Edwin Jackson (8-18, 4.98 ERA), but Alvarez could have another tough time at the plate.

Jackson led the majors in losses in 2013 and had the second-worst ERA among qualifying pitchers in the NL. Despite a forgettable season, he had moderate success against the Pirates, going 2-2 with a 3.48 ERA in four starts.

He's had few answers for McCutchen, though, who is 8 for 20 with two homers and two doubles lifetime against the right-hander. Alvarez and Walker haven't fared well against Jackson, with each going 2 for 15.

The Pirates turn to Charlie Morton (7-4, 3.26), who is hoping to build on an encouraging finish to 2013 after missing most of 2012 and the first 2 1/2 months of last season due to elbow reconstruction surgery.

The right-hander agreed to a three-year, $21 million contract in December after going 4-1 with a 2.67 ERA in his final 11 regular-season starts last season, surrendering one homer in 67 1-3 innings. He gave up two runs in 5 2-3 innings of a 2-1 loss to St. Louis in Game 4 of the NL division series.

"He's got the stuff to get it done," manager Clint Hurdle told the Pirates' official website. "I think he's finally aware of it, and has bought into it."

Morton had a 2.25 ERA in two September outings against the Cubs last season, and is 2-4 with a 4.91 ERA in nine career starts against them. He posted a 0.82 ERA in four Grapefruit League starts.

Chicago went 0 for 11 with runners in scoring position and struck out 11 times overall Monday.

Leadoff hitter Emilio Bonifacio was 4 for 5 but was picked off first base on an overturned replay with one out in the top of the 10th.

Starlin Castro, Anthony Rizzo and Mike Olt - Chicago's Nos. 3-5 hitters - were 0 for 10 with five strikeouts.

"We're a very confident group," Rizzo told the Cubs' official website. "It's a tough loss, obviously, but it's one game. No one's going home yet. It's nice to have the energy in here. Runs will be scored."

Rizzo is 1 for 9 against Morton while Bonifacio is 2 for 9 off him with five strikeouts.

Back surgery forces Tiger Woods out of Masters.

By Dan Wetzel

Lingering back issues will force Tiger Woods to miss the Masters for the first time in his career, the golfer announced Tuesday.

Woods, 38, underwent a microdiscectomy for a pinched nerve Monday. He described it as "successful" but at least a few weeks of rest and rehabilitation are needed, making next week's start of the season’s first major championship impossible.

"After attempting to get ready for the Masters, and failing to make the necessary progress, I decided, in consultation with my doctors, to have this procedure done," Woods said in a statement on his website.

"It also looks like I'll be forced to miss several upcoming tournaments to focus on my rehabilitation and getting healthy … this is frustrating, but it's something my doctors advised me to do for my immediate and long-term health."

Augusta National is one of Woods' preferred courses. He’s won four green jackets there, and even when his game has struggled in the past because of injury, inconsistent play or personal scandal, he’s managed to stay in contention. Since winning the event by a record 12 strokes in 1997, he has 12 top-10 finishes and eight top fives.

Woods’ has increasingly battled injuries over the past half-dozen years. He hasn’t won a major championship since the 2008 U.S. Open, which was followed by knee surgery that cost him starts in both the British Open and PGA Championship. He also was forced to skip the 2011 U.S. and British Opens.

While he returned to the top of the golf rankings last year, he hasn’t been able to win a major in 5½ years and counting. That’s left him with 14 career majors, still four behind Jack Nicklaus on the all-time list. He has 79 victories on the PGA Tour, three behind Sam Snead’s record 82. Passing Nicklaus and Snead are two of Woods’ stated career goals.

"It's tough right now, but I'm absolutely optimistic about the future," Woods said in the statement. "There are a couple [of] records by two outstanding individuals and players that I hope one day to break. As I've said many times, Sam and Jack reached their milestones over an entire career. I plan to have a lot of years left in mine."

A bad back was cited as one reason for his poor and sporadic play across the early part of this season. Woods has spoken in the past at the need to get his back corrected for the long haul, so the news of skipping Augusta isn’t entirely surprising.

The field for the Masters will be announced Friday, and with Phil Mickelson also dealing with injury, there is a chance the field this year will be without two of the game’s biggest stars.

Power Rankings: It's no April Fool's, Junior is back at the top.

By Nick Bromberg

No. 1 Dale Earnhardt Jr. (LW: 2): Junior Nation was certainly hoping that something would happen to Kurt Busch and Jimmie Johnson as Junior was the driver poised to capitalize. However, there was no incident and Junior had to settle for a measly third. Which is worth a lot of points, but since the points don't matter, it was an ultimately worthless third place, right? NO. It moved him to the top of Power Rankings.

No. 2 Carl Edwards (LW: 1): Edwards losing the points lead and the Power Rankings lead in the same week. Rough. But Martinsville hasn't been Edwards' best track, so 13th is about right in line with his career averages there. He's got just one top five and five top tens in 20 career starts. Hey Carl, can you give Brian Silas some advice on exiting the vehicle and dismounting properly?

No. 3 Jimmie Johnson (LW: 4): That pesky Jimmie Johnson just doesn't go away. First off, our condolences to Johnson and wife Chandra and their family on the passing of her brother. It's a very rough situation in just an apparent perfect storm of circumstances. Hopefully it's the last tragedy Johnson has to endure while racing at Martinsville. But back to racing for a moment. Johnson's so good at Martinsville that it's almost surprising when he doesn't win.

No. 4 Jeff Gordon (LW: 3): Gordon was good Sunday, but not great, which is really a summation of the last few seasons, right? And before you think it's a diss, keep in mind that Gordon will probably win a race this year (and could already have one) and if he doesn't, he'll be high enough in points to make the Chase. Then, who knows.

No. 5 Matt Kenseth (LW: 7): What has gotten into Kenseth at Martinsville? Has he stolen Denny Hamlin's secrets? He had a very good car once again and was in the top 10 for most of the day before finishing sixth. We all know Kenseth and Johnson will likely win a race this year, so who is going to win one first? It could be Kenseth, and it could happen Sunday.

No. 6 Kurt Busch (LW: NR): Oh Kurt, just when you are on the precipice of convincing people that you've really changed, that the journey you've been on has brought you to a different spot ... you go and do this. Saying "you clowns" was completely and totally unnecessary, but you felt compelled to do it. Why? Maybe because you were being legitimately asked about something you did during the race. If you don't want to be asked questions about things you do, don't do those things. Pretty simple, isn't it?

No. 7 Kyle Busch (LW: 6): Much like Denny Hamlin two weeks ago and Matt Kenseth before him at Auto Club, we figured Kyle Busch would lead some more laps after winning the pole, right? Instead, he led just 22 laps and finished 14th. Not terrible, but again, not what we would have thought to see. One of these days he'll figure out Martinsville. Maybe it'll be in the fall.

No. 8 Brad Keselowski (LW: 5): Maybe I should have manipulated the standings to have Keselowski and Kurt Busch next to each other. Both drivers have vowed retribution at some point, though Keselowski was quick to point out it won't happen at Texas (from his end, anyway.) And besides, if two drivers pledge retribution against each other do we end up in an endless vortex of revenge? That could be fun and also tiring. But admit it, you want to find out.

No. 9 Joey Logano (LW: 12): Not surprisingly, Logano boasts the best average start of anyone in the Cup Series with an average of 8.7. But that number is a skewed small sample size. He started 35th at Daytona, a number that's more than twice the cumulative of Logano's five other starting spots. Yeah, he's been pretty good. And he's been good when he hasn't had bad luck, either. If he didn't have trouble at Fontana, Logano would be right at the top of the standings.

No. 10 Kevin Harvick (LW: 9): Hey, Harvick didn't win and nothing went catastrophically wrong. It's a first in 2014! No, that's not an overstatement either. It really is the first race other than his Phoenix win that Harvick didn't have an issue in. And since he finished in the top 10, it was free Bloomin' Onions for everyone on Monday. On that note, what could be given away for Kurt Busch's top 10s? Footballs for monkeys?

No. 11 Tony Stewart (LW: 8): Smoke qualified well and had a good car for the first portion of the race, but once he stayed out on old tires for track position and fell backwards, he never really made it back to the front of the field. But the baseline Stewart has is clearly higher than it was in 2013, and that's very good news for the No. 14 bunch. It should be a much tastier chicken salad this year.

No. 12 Austin Dillon (LW: NR): Let's replace one rookie with another in Power Rankings this week. Did you know that Dillon is in the top 10 in the points standings? It obviously means that if the Chase started today, he'd be in. We've already got our "First Chase for the No. 3" post written. (That's our porous attempt at an April Fool's joke.)

Lucky Dog: How about both Richard Petty Motorsports drivers? Petty was scheduled to be the grand marshal of the STP 500, but chose to stay home after the passing of his wife Lynda. He missed Marcos Ambrose finishing fifth and Aric Almirola finishing eighth.

The DNF: Man, poor Jamie McMurray. After having a good run ruined by a wreck at Bristol, the same thing happened at Martinsville when he went spinning after contact with Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Dropped Out: McMurray, Kyle Larson

France says 'significant' engine changes coming.

By David Caraviello

Over the past two seasons, NASCAR has completely revamped the cars in its premier series in an effort to enhance the product on the race track. Next on the horizon appears to be a change to the engines.

NASCAR Chairman and CEO Brian France said Tuesday on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio that modifications to the engines -- which would likely bring a reduction in horsepower -- are the next step in further enhancing the sport's on-track product, although he was unsure if such changes would be in place for next season.

"We're going to make that happen, and that's part of the overall rules packages that we design that hopefully control costs, hopefully make the racing better," France said. "The engine is an integral part of that. We also have to be in step as much as possible with the car manufacturers and where they're going with technology and different things. It all has to come together, and that's the next significant part of the rules package. ? The engine will get a significant change. I'm not going to say (for) '15, but we are certainly sizing that up. It's very important for us to get that right."

According to representatives of NASCAR's three manufacturer partners, who took part in a conference call with reporters Tuesday, a potential reduction in engine horsepower is still in the very early stages.

"With some clear objectives in mind, NASCAR is talking to their stakeholders, not only us as manufacturers but all of the engine builders that are party to this process," said David Wilson, president and general manager of Toyota Racing Development. "So the process is correct, it's healthy. We're still talking along with NASCAR. We're talking between ourselves about the various options, and it's still in the consideration phase. I really don't think we have much to say beyond that."

Sprint Cup Series engines generate 850 horsepower, and are built by five manufacturer-specific companies -- TRD and Triad Racing Technologies (Toyota), Roush-Yates Engines (Ford) and Earnhardt Childress Racing and Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet). Most of the changes made in recent years have focused on the cars, beginning with the rollout of the more brand-identifiable Generation-6 vehicle for the 2013 season, and an aerodynamic package that was further refined before this year.

All of those changes were made with manufacturers in step with NASCAR. Any engines changes would take the same approach, said Jim Campbell, U.S. vice president for Chevrolet performance vehicles and motorsports.

"The approach that we took on the development of the Gen?6, we're using a very collaborative approach between the manufacturers and NASCAR from the sanctioning body's perspective on really discussing what are the options, what are the ideas, and in the end depending on where that ends up, it will impact how much work happens at the manufacturer versus the teams," Campbell said. "The key is we keep the racing exciting, and then we make every resource we apply to the engines and the engine builds go as far possible. That's really the key."

Toward that end, NASCAR's manufacturer partners certainly like what they see so far. Tweaks to the aerodynamic package accompanied changes to qualifying and the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, all of which have combined to stoke action on the track. The result has been six different winners in the first six events of this season -- the longest such opening stretch without a repeat winner since 2003 -- and all three manufacturers having visited Victory Lane at least once.

"I'll tell you, here in the first six races, it's been some of the most fantastic and spectacular racing that we have seen," said Jamie Allison, director of Ford Racing.

It was a push from the manufacturers that ultimately led to the Gen-6 car, which more closely resembles its brethren in the showroom. "Each of us continues to reap the benefits" of that movement, Wilson said. So not surprisingly, the refinements made to the vehicle prior to this season once again started with manufacturer representatives, who met with NASCAR last year.

"We sat down with NASCAR and their technical group, and we agreed on the base objective, and that is how do we improve the quality of racing that we're seeing on the race track? And from there, set about the very systematic process of testing," Wilson said. "We worked with the race track twice. We were across the wind tunnel a couple times. And what came from that was a defined set of changes that we've been racing this year. As my two colleagues have already pointed out, we're seeing some of the most exciting racing each and every weekend. So again, a great example of how we can achieve more by working together."

An emphasis in that effort was enhancing competition at the 1.5-mile tracks that comprise the bulk of the Sprint Cup schedule. Toward that end, Sunday's event at Texas Motor Speedway -- the second 1.5-mile venue visited this season, after Las Vegas in March -- offers another potential litmus test.

"I think actually we're heading in the right area, and the racing has been quite good," Campbell said. "But with only one race at that kind of category of a track, I think Texas will be another one to look at here and see how the racing is. ? So far, so good, but we only have one under our belt, and Texas will be the next."

On SiriusXM, France said the Sprint Cup intermediate package is "probably 40 percent of where we want to be. We've made some gains. Part of it is making the car easier to drive, better to drive. That's part of it. But we're not, candidly, where we're going to be in a year or two."

France said he is pleased with the sport's direction, and says the goal of all the recent changes within the sport -- from the car, to the qualifying and championship formats, and now likely the engine -- are to build in long-term stability.

"The direction that we're going allows us not to have to make any significant chances in the future," France said on SiriusXM. "We know exactly what we're trying to do with the rules package. We think the (Chase) format is something we can build on for the next 10 or 15 years, or longer. We don't want to change things just because we feel like it. It's always difficult ?. So I love the general direction we're at. We're past the majority of the changes, and now we can build on where we're at."

World Cup: Jurgen Klinsmann addresses USMNT shake-up: "It's simply a professional shift".

MLSSoccer.com

Jurgen Klinsmann isn’t afraid to make tough decisions, even if it means dropping his right-hand man just months before the World Cup.

Buried in a press release on Sunday announcing former Germany head coach Berti Vogts as a special advisor to the US national team through Brazil 2014 was the surprising news that assistant coach Martin Vasquez would be transitioned to other responsibilities within U.S. Soccer, with U-20 head coach Tab Ramos taking his place.

What those responsibilities were wasn’t clear until Monday when Klinsmann explained why his assistant at both Bayern Munich and with the USMNT would no longer have a role on the bench after more than two years in that capacity.

“I decided that his best role is in the scouting area,” Klinsmann told reporters, “not on the field with the team.

“It’s simply a professional shift. I have to make decisions with my staff to put them in positions where I think they’re best in order to hopefully do well this summer in Brazil,” he added. “Sometimes it’s a shift that doesn’t please everybody, but this is part of the head coach’s role. You’re not there to please everybody, you’re there to put people in the best positions to get the job done, and the job is getting out of the group stage this summer.”

Vasquez was on Klinsmann’s staff at Bayern Munich between July 2008 and April 2009. He began his MLS coaching career as an LA Galaxy assistant in 2004, then spent three seasons in the same capacity with Chivas USA. He moved up to head coach of Chivas in 2010 before re-joining Klinsmann when the German took over the US in July 2011.

Now, just 77 days before the USMNT take on Ghana in Natal, it’s Ramos who’ll help guide training sessions while Vasquez takes on scouting duties.

“There are moments when it’s not about the timing,” Klinsmann said. “It’s doing what is best for us as an entire group going forward – even if it comes a half a year before or a year before or two days before the first game. If you have to do something, you have to do it, and that’s my job.”

The players, meanwhile, voiced admiration for what Vasquez helped them accomplish as an assistant, but also deferred judgment to Klinsmann when it came to what’s best for the squad with Brazil on the horizon.

“We all have great respect and great appreciation for what Martin brought to our team over the course of a few years,” Michael Bradley told reporters. “On that level, I think we’re all sad and disappointed to kind of hear that he’s moving on within U.S. Soccer.

“But having said that, if Jurgen feels that this is something that is going to put us in better position come the summer and make our group that much stronger, then we have total faith and total trust in that. Things like this aren’t really what’s important. The foundations have been laid, the big work has been done.”

Vogts, winner of the 1974 FIFA World Cup as a player and head coach of the Germany team that won the 1996 European Championship – for whom Klinsmann was a starter – will continue as head coach of Azerbaijan while part of the USMNT staff, a role that had been discussed for some time.

The 67-year-old’s main duties will revolve around scouting and the development of training plans, and Klinsmann said Vogts’ experience as head coach of Germany and Nigeria as well as recent matchups with Portugal as Azerbaijan boss would help the US prepare for their group-stage matches in Brazil.

“I already for a longer stretch of time had that thought and had discussed it with Berti. That’s not a decision made overnight,” Klinsmann said. “That’s something that goes almost 10 years back because I wanted him as a technical director in Germany when I coached Germany in the 2006 World Cup.”

Manchester United hold Bayern Munich, keep UEFA Champions League hopes alive. 

Joe Prince-Wright

Manchester United battled to a 1-1 draw against Bayern Munich in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League quarterfinal on Tuesday at Old Trafford.

United went ahead midway through the second half, as defender Nemanja Vidic superbly flicked home a header from a corner to spark wild celebrations amongst United’s fans. Despite dominating vast swathes of possession — the half time stats read 78 percent possession in favor of Bayern — the Bundelisga outfit were struggling to contain Danny Welbeck on the break as United defended well.

However less than 10 minutes after the Red Devils went ahead, Bastian Schweinsteiger smashed in a stunning finish after he anticipated Mario Mandzukic’s knockdown to level things up.

For the rest of the game Bayern probed to get a winner, but a late red card for Schweinsteiger soured their evening as the Red Devils have a chance of advancing, against all the odds, when they visit Bavaria next Wednesday.

Man United started brightly as Welbeck scored a stunning early goal, slamming the ball high into the net after lifting the ball over Javi Martinez… but referee Carlos Velasco Carballo pulled it back for a high foot by Welbeck. That decision looked harsh, as United came flying out of the traps.

After that initial positivity, Bayern dominated proceedings with Franck Ribery and Arjen Robben cutting in from both flanks and causing plenty of problems. The German champions kept hold of the ball supremely well but United held firm with two solid banks of four doing their job.

In the 30th minute David De Gea was forced into a stunning save as Robben curled an effort towards the top corner but United’s ‘keeper tipped the ball around the post. After that chance for Bayern, the home side responded well with Welbeck running riot in behind and Wayne Rooney having an effort blocked after good build up play from Marouane Fellaini.

For the rest of the first half United absorbed plenty of pressure and in the 39th minute Welbeck had a glorious chance to put them ahead when Rooney played him clean through. However, the England international got it all wrong and tried to dink the ball over the advancing Manuel Neuer, who batted the ball away as Old Trafford reflected on a missed opportunity for the Red Devils.

Just before the break more counter-attacking play from United saw Antonio Valencia have a shot which was deflected just over the bar as cautious optimism hung in the air in Manchester.

At half time United made a change as 40-year-old Ryan Giggs was replaced by Japanese playmaker Shinji Kagawa. That change didn’t effect the flow of the game too much, as Bayern still held onto the ball superbly after they’d dominated possession with 78 percent of the ball in the first half. Bayern continued to push for the opener, and some terrific last-ditch defending from Vidic thwarted Bayern’s attackers after a slick counter attacking just before the hour mark.

Moments later Vidic was the main man at the other end as United took the lead. Rooney’s out swinging corner was met by the Serbian defender, who glanced his header into the far corner to send the home fans wild. Bayern didn’t take long to respond, as ten minutes later substitute Mandzukic nodded the ball down to an onrushing Schweinsteiger who rifled the ball into the top corner to make it 1-1. United’s midfielders really should have tracked Schweinsteiger better, but that’s taking nothing away from the German midfielders fabulous finish.

The game ebbed and flowed for the remaining quarter, as Robben ran at United’s defense and clipped a right-footed shot just wide of the far post as Bayern began to crank up the pressure. Two late yellow cards, including a second yellow for Schweinsteiger and one for Javi Martinez, sees both players suspended for the second leg as the visitors were upset with the calls going against them.
 
Despite all of that the Red Devils held on to draw, as the return game at the Allianz Arena on April 9 is poised perfectly in this huge Anglo-Germanic clash.

LINEUPS

Manchester United: De Gea; Jones, Vidic, Ferdinand, Buttner (Young, 74′); Valencia, Carrick, Fellaini, Giggs (Kagawa, 45′); Rooney, Welbeck (Hernandez, 85′)

Goal: Vidic (58′)

Bayern Munich: Neuer; Rafinha, Alaba, Boateng, Javi Martinez, Lahm, Schweinsteiger, Robben, Ribery, Muller (Mandzukic, 63′,) Kroos (Gotze, 74′)

Goal: Schweinsteiger (66′)

Final Four Previews: Why each team can, or can't, win a National Title.

Rob Dauster

KENTUCKY (Midwest)

• Why they can win: The Wildcats are the most talented team in the country. That’s really all you need to know. There’s a reason that they were the No. 1 team in the country in the preseason, and we’re finding that out in this tournament. What makes them so tough is that they are impossible to prepare over because of the size and athleticism that they have along their front line. You simply cannot replicate Julius Randle in practice. You can’t copy the size of Dakari Johnson, and if he’s healthy, Willie Cauley-Stein. And it’s that size and athleticism that allows them to attack the offensive glass with reckless abandon.

• But why they won’t win: If Kentucky plays the way that they have over the course of the last three games, they’re going to beat Wisconsin and give Florida (or UConn) all they can handle in the title game. Even the most cynical Louisville fan in the world will admit that. But the biggest difference between the Kentucky that’s shown up the last three games and the Kentucky that showed up for the three months before that is the shooting of the Harrisons and James Young. On the season, those three combined to make around 35% of their threes. In the tournament, they’re shooting 44.9% from beyond the arc and have hit the game-winning jumper from beyond the arc in all three games. An off night could stop their season in its tracks.

UCONN (East)

• Why they can win: Shabazz Napier. It’s that simple. Napier is going to be the best player on the floor every single time he steps on the court in Dallas, and the team with the best player on the floor is going to win a lot of games. Napier can take over a game on the offensive end of the floor. He controls everything UConn does. Watch him on Saturday. He moves players around in their sets. He calls for ball-screens to come out. He waves off plays and call new ones. It’s impressive, and it’s also before you consider just how incredible he is at making big shots. Being ‘clutch’ simply means you have the confidence to take big chances and make big plays in crunch time, and no one is better at capitalizing on the moment than Napier.

• But why they won’t win: That’s not to say that UConn can win if he’s a one-man show, because they can’t. Kemba Walker led UConn to the 2011 National Title, but he wouldn’t have been able to do that if Jeremy Lamb, Alex Oriakhi and … Shabazz Napier hadn’t stepped up and played well in March. DeAndre Daniels, Ryan Boatright and Amida Brimah need to have their March moments as well.

FLORIDA (South)

• Why they can win: The Florida defense is just so tough. We’ve been over this time and time again. They have a ton of size and versatility and they can give so many different looks. Multiple zone looks, multiple different man-to-man defenses, full court presses, half court traps. It’s a nightmare to prepare for, and it makes them blowout-proof. They’re going to be in the game down the stretch, and that’s when Scottie Wilbekin takes over.

• But why they won’t win: Here’s why Florida is going to be so tough to beat: because finding a flaw on this team that will be exploitable by one of the other three teams in this Final Four is a difficult thing to do. Their biggest issue is probably a lack of consistent three-point shooters. Michael Frazier is lights-out and Wilbekin can stroke it, but beyond that, the rest of the roster are non-shooters with the exception of Dorian Finney-Smith, who is as streaky as they come.

WISCONSIN (West)

• Why they can win: The Badgers have the single biggest matchup problem in the Final Four in Frank Kaminsky. How do you guard him? Put a center on him and he’ll step out to the perimeter, where seven-footers are not used to having to chase someone off the three-point line. Put a forward on him and he’ll overpower them in the post. He single-handedly tore apart the best defense in college basketball against Arizona, there’s no reason he can’t do the same to Kentucky.

• But why they won’t win: The biggest issue for Wisconsin is their last of size. They are a fundamentally sound group — they all box out and their guards are willing to crash the defensive glass — but that doesn’t change the fact that Kentucky’s front line can flat out overpower them. Sam Dekker is going to start out guarding Julius Randle. Wisconsin’s little guards are going to match up with Kentucky’s 6-foot-6 guards. Josh Gasser will spend a lot of time guarding Alex Poythress. Kentucky can flat out overwhelm you with their size, which is what Wisconsin is the most susceptible to.

Kain Colter and the president of the CAPA are heading to D.C. to lobby Congress.

By Nick Bromberg

As the National Labor Relations Board decision in their favor heads to an appeal, the leaders of the Northwestern players aren't waiting around.

Ramogi Huma, the president of the College Athletes Players' Association, and former Northwestern quarterback Kain Colter are going to Washington D.C. and will meet with undisclosed lawmakers on Wednesday and Thursday.

CAPA helped the players with the movement.

"We want them to understand why we're doing what we're doing," Huma told ESPN's Outside the Lines. "Obviously, Congress has the power to affect conditions for college athletes as well, and we want to correct some of the false statements that have been made about what we're trying to do."

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, (D-Nev.), said he supports the players' efforts. The regional office of the NLRB in Chicago ruled Wednesday that scholarship players were employees of the school and therefore allowed to form a union. Northwestern is appealing the decision.

“Of course they should be able to organize," Reid told the Washington Post on Thursday. "The way these people are treated by the NCAA and the universities themselves is really unpardonable, and I wish them well. I’ll do anything I can to help.”

But we must remember that this is Congress and it's the year 2014. Saying that getting something accomplished is easier said than done is an understatement. Case in point, here's the view of Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.)

"Imagine a university's basketball players striking before a Sweet 16 game demanding shorter practices, bigger dorm rooms, better food and no classes before 11 a.m.," Alexander said. "This is an absurd decision that will destroy intercollegiate athletics as we know it."

The NLRB is an office of the U.S. government and the national appeal will be held in D.C. Until the appeal is decided, the decision is in its hands.

Before the appeal is held, the Northwestern players could hold the vote to form a union.

According to OTL, the players have until April 2 to file a list of voters to the NRLB's Chicago office and must file a national "request for review." Then the man who issued Wednesday's ruling, Peter Sung Ohr, could rule that the election could be held in April with the results sealed until the end of the appeal. Or he could postpone the election until the appeals process is over.

26.1 percent of major leaguers were born outside of the United States.

Craig Calcaterra

 

Major League Baseball just released its annual demographic breakdown, which shows that 223 of 853 major league players (750 on 25-man rosters, 103 on the disabled list) were born outside of the U.S., which is 26.1 percent. They represent 16 countries and territories outside the U.S. The breakdown:

 

Dominican Republic: 82
Venezuela: 59
Cuba: 19
Puerto Rico 11
Canada: 10
Japan: 9
Mexico: 9
Curaçao: 5
Colombia: 4
Panama 4
Nicaragua: 3
Australia: 2
South Korea: 2
Taiwan: 2
Aruba: 1
Brazil: 1
Mars: Brian Wilson

 

The Texas Rangers have the most foreign-born players with a total of 15. The press release didn’t say which team has the least. But I’m going to go with the 1948 Boston Red Sox.

 

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