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Sports Quote of the Day:
"When you're playing against a stacked deck, compete even harder. Show the world how much you'll fight for the winners circle. If you do, someday the cellophane will crackle off a fresh pack, one that belongs to you, and the cards will be stacked in your favor." ~ Pat Riley, NBA Coach and General Manager
How 'bout them Chicago Blackhawks? Blackhawks 2, Blues 0. Let's go Hawks!!!!!
By Jerry Bonkowski, The Sports Xchange
Blackhawks Patrick Kane (88) (L) and Jonathan Toews (19) (R) celebrate during Monday's game against the St. Louis Blues at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois, 04/21/2014.
An early goal from center and team captain Jonathan Toews, coupled with an empty-net insurance score with 20 seconds left by center Marcus Kruger, powered the Blackhawks to a 2-0 win over the Blues on Monday night at the United Center.
The series, which the Blues still control 2-1, is now extended to at least five games. Game 4 is Wednesday night, also in Chicago.
Toews, who missed the last two weeks of the regular season with an upper-body injury, had been relatively quiet upon his return for the first two games of the first round.
But he wasted little time making his presence known in front of the Game 3 hometown crowd, scoring at just 4:10 of the opening period.
Defenseman Duncan Keith fed Toews just before the blue line, and even though he was off-balance and shooting from the left side, Toews was able to push a fluttering shot -- not a rocket by any means -- past St. Louis goalie Ryan Miller.
Although St. Louis outshot Chicago 15-7 in the first period, it was the Blackhawks who held the lead going into the second period.
While the tables turned in the second period -- Chicago outshot St. Louis 11-8 -- the Blues still had a 23-18 edge after the first two periods.
But again, St. Louis still wound up with nothing to show for all that effort.
It was the same song for the Blues in the third period. They outshot the Blackhawks 11-7 (for a total of 34-25), yet still came up with nothing.
It was the 89th career playoff win for Chicago coach Joel Quenneville, most among active coaches in the NHL.
Quenneville, who had 307 overall wins when he previously coached the Blues, is also the only active coach to have two Stanley Cup championships (2010 and 2013, both with the Blackhawks).
Game 4 will be a nationally televised contest starting at 9:30 pm ET on Wednesday night. This series is the 11th time both teams have faced each other in the playoffs but the first time since the 2002 conference quarterfinals.
One thing the Blackhawks will likely have on their mind in that game: Of the 10 prior postseason series between the two teams, only three have gone to six games or more.
NOTES: Monday marked the first game of a three-game suspension for Chicago D Brent Seabrook after his hard hit on St. Louis RW David Backes in Game 2. It will be a big loss for the Blackhawks. Seabrook was leading the team in both points (four) and goals (two) in the series coming into Game 3. He will not be eligible to return until Game 6, if there is one. ... Just before the Blackhawks took the ice, a video montage on the scoreboard showed Seabrook, which drew a huge roar from the partisan Chicago crowd. ... Attendance was 22,112. ... Joel Quenneville came into the game with a 46-31 playoff record as Blackhawks coach, with a franchise-best .597 winning percentage. ... Not a good omen for Chicago: The Blues' 2-0 series edge coming into Monday's game is the 12th time they have won the first two games in club history. They have emerged 10-1 in the previous 11 series. ... The Blackhawks called up 13 players from their Rockford (Ill.) farm club in the AHL before the game. ... After overtime wins in the first two games of the series, St. Louis is now 6-1 in OT playoff games all time against Chicago.
Blues-Blackhawks Preview. Let's go Hawks!!!!!
By MATT CARLSON (Associated Press)
The St. Louis Blues don't want their recent playoff history repeating itself.
The Blues face the Blackhawks in Game 4 of their opening round series at Chicago on Wednesday night.
The Blues lost 2-0 in Game 3, but still lead the series 2-1.
But the Blues' series against the defending Stanley Cup champions seems to be unfolding as it did last season when they took a 2-0 lead against Los Angeles and then dropped the next four games.
''Within our walls, I don't think anyone is even thinking about last year,'' defenseman Barret Jackman said. ''The media comes in and you get all the comparisons.
''But really it's about what we're doing now. We're playing good hockey. We're playing against a team that is very hungry and has a lot of good experience.''
But it's hard not to see the parallels.
Last season, the Blues used their tight defensive style to pull ahead of the Kings in their opening postseason round by grinding out a pair of 2-1 wins in St. Louis.
It seemed as if the Blues, hungry for a deep playoff run, had set the tone.
But the Kings won Game 3 in Los Angeles 1-0 behind goalie Jonathan Quick, and used that as a springboard to four straight victories.
Fast-forward to 2014.
The Blues posted two 4-3 overtime wins in St. Louis last week to jump ahead of the Blackhawks, but Chicago trimmed the series gap to 2-1 on Monday night with a 2-0 win as Corey Crawford was perfect.
Blues forward Alexander Steen said after the game it won't happen again.
''Last year is last year and this is this year,'' Steen said. ''We're playing a different team. We're focused on what we're doing now and not what we've done in the past.''
The Blues were better than Blackhawks for most of Monday's game. St. Louis coach Ken Hitchcock was almost beaming after the game when said his team had delivered it best effort so far in the series.
''I said last night we played good, but not good enough,'' Hitchcock said on Tuesday. ''I thought we were 80 percent in and if we're going to beat them tomorrow or win, we're going to have to make stronger commitment in our game.
Hitchcock knows from experience what his team is up against - the defending Cup winner for the second straight year.
''You're not knocking off just a team in the league, it's a different animal,'' Hitchcock said. ''You're knocking off the defending champion.
''They're not the defending champion because they have skill. It's because they've got resolve. You're trying to beat their resolve.''
So the Blues hope to double down, focus on every one-on-one battle shift-after-shift, and be even tighter against Chicago.
They'll probably still be without injured forward David Backes, although Hitchcock told reporters, ''We'll let you know tomorrow.''
The Blackhawks hope to match that, while sparking more offense against the Blues' smothering coverage.
Coach Joel Quenneville said Tuesday that it's ''very likely'' that top forwards Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews will again be together on a line with Bryan Bickell for Game 4.
''I thought the line was effective last night, Quenneville said, ''(Although) they didn't get the production together with some the chances that looked like they could have finished.
''We know playing St. Louis there's not a lot of scoring chances, there's not a lot of room. You've got to be willing to play a tight game, but those guys can generate a little more.''
Kane says he's excited to play with Toews. Usually the two are separated to give Chicago more offensive balance, but Quenneville put them on the same line in last season's playoff run to jumpstart the Blackhawks' attack.
''We had success last year in the playoffs together,'' Kane said. Anytime anyone gets a chance to play with (Toews) they get excited because he's such an easy player to play with.''
Not only the Blues, but the Blackhawks have some playoff history to draw on.
''I think our team has been through a lot,'' Kane said.
''We've learned a lot and have a lot experience in this locker room that we can kind of look back to and rely on.''
That includes coming back to win a playoff series.
''Going forward Game 4 has always a big one when the series is 2-1,'' Kane said. ''It's seems like a totally different series whether it's 3-1 or 2-2. The next game is huge.''
Bears' schedule to be released Wednesday, 04/23/2014.
By Rich Campbell, Chicago Tribune reporter
The wait is nearly over, Bears fans: The NFL will announce the 2014 regular-season schedule at 7 p.m. CT Wednesday, the league said Tuesday.
The Bears' opponents and locations for each game were determined last December, but dates and times will be revealed Wednesday.
The Bears will host the Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings, New Orleans Saints, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Dallas Cowboys, Buffalo Bills and Miami Dolphins.
They will travel to play the Lions, Packers, Vikings, Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, San Francisco 49ers, New England Patriots and New York Jets.
By Sam Householder
Much is made about team chemistry in the NFL. If a team is tight-knit and close it's supposed to breed success and winning. Is it just a fabrication of the media or does team chemistry really matter?
And in the three long seasons since then the team has had quite a bit of turnover, both in the front office and on the field.
When Lovie Smith was fired following the 2012 season it raised concerns that some of the players who were especially close with Smith would resist the new coach and his style. A lot of this was based around the fact that many of the defensive stalwarts had played the majority of their careers in Chicago with Lovie.
Well Marc Trestman came in and there was not a massive boycott or anything like that. In fact, despite a disappointing 8-8 record most have hope that the "Trestman Way" is going to lead to a lot of success down the road. The foundation for that was even evident last season.
Trestman has put his mark (or would that be 'marc'? Nyuk nyuk nyuk) on the team in many ways both subtle not so.
An obvious example would be the offense that he installed, which scored a record number of points for the Bears last year. Some of the more subtle ways are how he asks his players to line up for the national anthem and will not tolerate rookie hazing.
One of the other things was that he re-arranged the locker room so that players from the offense and defense were forced to mingle with players on the other side of the ball in an effort to become closer.
It's not that big of a deal to be honest, but to me it's one of those things that if a coach flames out in three years he is ridiculed for. However, Trestman had decent success and the players seem to like playing for him and respect him.
So the team had players who were better friends, fine, but they didn't win any more on the field, so does it matter?
In case you don't know what I'm talking about, Marshall is a partner in a training complex in Florida called Fit Speed Athletic Performance. In the offseason he trains down there and for the last two years he's invited his Bears teammates to what he and teammates refer to as South Bear.
At one point earlier this offseason almost the entire starting offense was in Florida with Marshall. It's continually mentioned that Alshon Jeffery was a participant last year before he had his breakout season and this years Marquess Wilson partook, leading to hope that somehow training with Marshall will help him grow into the No. 3 WR better.
But aside from just talent and work, the guys are building camaraderie. Members of the defense were down there too at different points. They weren't just training either, they went go-karting and made pottery. They even hungout at the beach.
So this week, as Halas Hall opens to the official team offseason program, the 2014 Bears already have a few weeks of training and hanging out together under their belts.
My question is, does it matter?
Sure it's good for some of the younger players to see the work that vets like Marshall put in to be a perennial Pro-Bowler but does it make a difference if a team is close or not?
Is there something to team chemistry? Will the Bears play better because they are friendly off the field and hangout together as opposed to just being 53 guys who play with the same jersey on Sundays?
Just another Chicago Bulls Session… Wizards 101, Bulls 99 (OT).
By The Sports Xchange
Guard Bradley Beal scored 26 points, including nine points in the final five minutes of the fourth quarter, as the Washington Wizards rallied to pull out a 101-99 overtime victory over the Chicago Bulls on Tuesday night at the United Center.
Fifth-seeded Washington will head home with a 2-0 lead in the first-round series after limiting the Bulls to 12 points in the final 12 minute of the game.
Wizards center Nene scored the first six points in overtime and Washington kept the lead at 101-95 with 42.6 seconds left after guard John Wall hit two free throws.
Chicago scrambled back and had a chance to tie the score when guard Kirk Hinrich went to the foul line with 2.4 seconds left. But he missed the first attempt, missed the second on purpose and Washington grabbed the rebound to seal the victory.
After trailing by as many as 17 points in the first quarter, Chicago took its first lead of the night at 65-64 when forward Mike Dunleavy hit a jumper from the key with 5:05 left in the third quarter.
The Bulls stretched the lead to 87-77 on two free throws by guard Jimmy Butler with 6:59 left in the fourth quarter.
Washington got back into it with Beal knocking down a couple of 3-pointers after the Wizards grabbed offensive rebounds. Beal's 3-pointer with 2:48 left trimmed the lead to 91-88.
While the Bulls struggled to score, Beal hit a tough runner in the lane. Then after a Beal steal, he hit one of two foul shots to tie the score at 91 with 52.9 seconds remaining.
Washington struggled at the foul line all night, hitting just 16 of 28.
Guard D.J. Augustin led the Bulls with 25 points, forward Taj Gibson scored 22 and center Joakim Noah had 20.
In Game 1, Wall and Beal combined to shoot 28 percent from the field (7 of 25). In Game 2, the two guards totaled 27 points in the first half while shooting 53 percent from the floor (10 of 19).
Washington dominated the first quarter, jumping to a 7-0 lead after three possessions, then opening a 29-12 advantage when Trevor Ariza drained a 3-pointer with 1:57 left in the quarter.
Chicago coach Tom Thibodeau went to his bench quickly and Augustin provided a needed spark. He scored eight quick points to bring the Bulls within 29-20.
Chicago made another push late in the second quarter, using a 14-2 run to close the gap to 47-46 on Gibson's driving bank and three-point play with 1:58 remaining in the first half. Wall answered with seven straight points to boost Washington's lead to 56-49 at halftime.
Things got testy late in the second quarter when Beal and Hinrich exchanged shoves after Beal was called for a foul while waiting for an inbounds pass. Both players were given technical fouls.
In the third quarter, Noah and Ariza earned double technicals for getting in each other's face after battling for a rebound.
Wall summed up the Wizards' attitude earlier in the day.
"We're not relaxed at all," he said at the morning shootaround. "We still respect the Bulls and we're still the underdogs in this situation. We just got a tough win in Game 1 and we've got to play even harder to win Game 2."
NOTES: Before the game, Chicago C Joakim Noah was presented the NBA Defensive Player of the Year trophy by Dikembe Mutombo, who won the award four times. ... Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau finished third in coach of the year voting, which was announced Tuesday, behind San Antonio's Gregg Popovich and Phoenix's Jeff Hornacek. "It's great. They had a terrific season. He's one of the all-time greats," Thibodeau said of Popovich. ... Washington coach Randy Wittman on how the Wizards produced a winning road record this season: "I just think it's a mental thing. Once the season started and we started winning on the road, it's a belief that you can go in any arena and have an opportunity to win." ... Washington collected its first win in Game 1 of a playoff series on Sunday since April 18, 1996, when it beat the Philadelphia 76ers 95-94.
Bulls' Noah the Defensive Player of the Year.
By ANDREW SELIGMAN (AP Sports Writer)
Chicago Bulls center Joakim Noah was named the NBA Defensive Player of the Year on Monday in front of friends and family.
''This is very humbling to be in this situation right now,'' Noah said at a news conference where his family was in the front row. He told coach Tom Thibodeau: ''Without your system, this wouldn't be possible.''
Noah joins Michael Jordan in 1988 as the only Bulls players to win the award.
The recognition comes after he helped Chicago win 48 games and capture home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs despite losing Derrick Rose to a season-ending knee injury and trading away Luol Deng. It also comes at a time when he's getting about as much praise for his ability on offense after being known primarily for his defense and rebounding.
Noah has improved in a big way in that area since he was drafted out of Florida in 2007 and was the Bulls' most valuable player this season, averaging career highs of 12.6 points, 11.3 rebounds and 5.4 assists. He's a focal point on offense, with the ball often being funneled through him, and he remains their anchor on defense. His ability to cover ground and rotate onto smaller players in pick-and-roll situations creates havoc for opponents. He averaged 1.5 blocks.
The recognition comes at a difficult time for Noah, whose mentor and second father figure Tyrone Green recently died. The Bulls, who won more games after New Year's Eve than any other Eastern Conference team, dropped the playoff opener to Washington on Sunday after blowing a 13-point lead. Game 2 is Tuesday in Chicago.
The recognition comes at a difficult time for Noah, whose mentor and second father figure Tyrone Green recently died. The Bulls, who won more games after New Year's Eve than any other Eastern Conference team, dropped the playoff opener to Washington on Sunday after blowing a 13-point lead. Game 2 is Tuesday in Chicago.
By Alden Gonzalez / MLB.com
Albert Pujols joined the rarest of clubs on Tuesday, and accomplished some unprecedented history in the process.
The Angels' first baseman homered twice at Nationals Park to become the 26th member of the exclusive 500-home run club. Among those 26, he's the first to hit Nos. 499 and 500 in the same game.
In the first, Pujols crushed a 1-1 changeup from right-hander Taylor Jordan well over the fence in left field for a three-run homer that gave his team the early lead. In the fifth, he took a 1-2 sinker from Jordan and lined one to left-center field, just to the right of the Angels' bullpen, to give the Angels a 6-2 advantage.
Pujols remained stoic as he rounded the bases, clapped his hands twice and pointed his two index fingers to the sky just before he crossed home plate. There, he was greeted by hugs from all of his teammates and a standing ovation from the fans at Nationals Park -- the same place where he became the third-youngest player to reach 400 homers, on Aug. 26, 2010.
Pujols then briefly came out of the dugout for a curtain call. No. 500 landed an estimated 430 feet from home plate.
The fan who caught the ball, Tom Sherrill, is a resident of Pomona, Calif., a member of the United States Air Force, and an Angels fan.
Pujols' wife, Deidre, planned to meet Pujols in New York for his pursuit of 500 homers, but also told him she'd fly to Washington, D.C., if he hit No. 499 before then. But 500 was followed up too quickly for her to land in the nation's capital.
Pujols, the first player to hit 400 homers in his first 10 seasons, has now homered off 316 pitchers in 36 different ballparks and against 29 of the 30 teams (St. Louis being the lone exception). At 34 years and 96 days old, Pujols is the third-youngest player to hit his 500th home run, trailing only Alex Rodriguez (32 years, eight days) and Jimmie Foxx (32 years, 338 days).
Of the 25 who have hit 500 homers, 16 are in the Hall of Fame. The nine others -- Rodriguez, Ken Griffey Jr., Jim Thome, Sammy Sosa, Rafael Palmeiro, Manny Ramirez, Mark McGwire, Gary Sheffield and Barry Bonds -- are either not yet eligible or tied to performance-enhancing substances. Pujols is the 10th player to join the 500-home run club in the last 15 years.
Pujols is the second player to reach 500 homers as a member of the Angels. Reggie Jackson also did it Sept. 17, 1984.
The 34-year-old now leads the Majors with eight homers, one more than former Angels slugger Mark Trumbo. Pujols is now one homer away from tying Brian Downing's franchise record for April, done in 1986.
If Pujols hits 30 homers this year -- he's never had fewer in a full and healthy season -- he'll finish 18th on the all-time list with 522, jumping ahead of Eddie Murray, Sheffield, Mel Ott, Eddie Mathews, Ernie Banks, Ted Williams, Willie McCovey and Frank Thomas along the way.
Pujols' first 455 home runs came as a member of the Cardinals, where he won three National League Most Valuable Player Awards and became the only player in history to begin his career with at least a .300 batting average, 30 homers and 100 RBIs in his first 10 seasons. He fell one batting-average point and one RBI short of doing it in an 11th straight season in 2011 -- a year that saw him return from a devastating left wrist injury in two weeks, even though he was supposed to be out at least a full month -- and then signed a 10-year, $240 million contract with the Angels that offseason.
In 2012, Pujols rebounded from a month-and-a-half-long homerless slump to finish with a solid .285/.343/.516 slash line. In 2013, he dealt with an aggressive case of plantar fasciitis in his left foot and a perpetually swollen right knee as he notched, by far, the lowest OPS of his career (.767), and didn't play past July.
But Pujols entered camp fully healthy, and has shown his elite form through the first three weeks.
"I look for him, when it's all set and done, to be one of those handful of players that people are just in awe of," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said recently. "Albert's certainly aware of what he's accomplished, but he's not fixated on it. Albert wants to win baseball games, and I think that's why he's had such a great career and will continue to be very productive."
Next two U.S. Open venues have very different stories.
By PGA.com
Monday was U.S. Open Media Day at the Pinehurst Resort, where both the 2014 men's and women's U.S. Opens will be played on the famed No. 2 Course in back-to-back weeks this summer.
The No. 2 Course, long regarded as one of America's finest courses and one of the most respected layouts ever designed by the pre-eminent course architect Donald Ross, is the centerpiece of one of the world's great golf resorts. It also offers some extra intrigue in that it recently underwent a yearlong renovation by two-time Masters champion Ben Crenshaw and his course architecture partner Bill Coore.
The point of the makeover was to bring the venerable course closer to its original shape and condition, and the reviews so far have been overwhelmingly positive. But in doing so, Crenshaw and Coore removed much of the rough -- which, as we all know, is traditionally one of the most prominent features of U.S. Open venues. And that is quite alright with the USGA.
So, for the back-to-back Opens, wayward shots that normally would end up in the rough might instead land in sandy hardpan, wiregrass or even on what USGA Executive Director Mike Davis calls "natural vegetation."
"Will it be easier?" Davis asked on Monday. "Probably a little bit easier, but I suppose there's an element of luck involved."
Meanwhile, across the country up in Washington state, The Seattle Times ran a long feature on how the USGA awarded next year's men's U.S. Open to Chambers Bay, a new public course built on the site of a sewage-treatment plant and gravel and sand mine that operated hundreds of feet below the surface.
"The golfing world was stunned in 2008," when the USGA named Chambers Bay as the host of the 2015 U.S. Open," Scott Hanson wrote in the newspaper. "No course built in the previous 45 years had hosted an Open, yet Chambers Bay was picked after being open for about eight months."
Allen goes on to tell the story of John Ladenburg, the head of Pierce County, who in 2001 began dreaming of creating a world-class course at the Chambers Bay site, which despite its problems also had stunning views of Puget Sound -- and plenty of land for a golf course architect to work his magic. That architect turned out to be Robert Trent Jones Jr., who despite his pedigree had never created a course that had hosted a U.S. Open.
Ladenburg essentially gave Jones a blank check, and every detail of the Chambers Bay layout was designed with attracting a U.S. Open in mind. The project ended up costing a whopping $20 million, Allen explained, and the end result was a course that those involved believe can stand against the grand links courses of Great Britain.
Even so, landing a U.S. Open is an incredibly difficult task, and Allen recounts the many steps that Ladenburg took to make his case -- and how one stroke of luck gave him the opportunity he so desperately sought to host a U.S. Open that will be in many ways a polar opposite to the big event at Pinehurst this summer.
Power Rankings: We're ordering the first eight races of the year. What's the best?
By Nick Bromberg
1. Daytona: Restrictor plate races are always going to have an edge in watchability simply because of the nature of them. And rain delays aside, it was an intense Daytona 500. The first laps after the racing resumed under the lights Sunday night was incredibly intense and unlike the 2013 Daytona 500, it didn't feel like drivers were unable to make a pass. Oh, and that guy Junior won the race, though any "Junior effect" hasn't culminated in a springboard effect for NASCAR popularity like some theorized.
2. Bristol: Another rain-delayed race? Yep. We're taking rain out of the equation in these rankings and focusing squarely on the racing. And when it comes to Bristol, we're also taking mistakes from the flagstand out of it too. (Side note: Does anyone else want NASCAR to use the F1 mistake as a marketing angle? "See, someone else did it!") Bristol, much like the race directly below it, had quality side-by-side racing, twists and turns involving multiple leaders of the race and tire strategy which gave Carl Edwards the win. It's not the racing that's keeping people away from Bristol Motor Speedway. It's something else.
3. California: Far and away the best intermediate track race of the season, the California race would have been fascinating if it wasn't for the tire failures that plagued many throughout the race. But the presence of those failures added an edge to the race. Who was next? Was it going to be Jimmie Johnson? (Yes.) Was Jeff Gordon going to win the race and not blow a tire? (No and yes.) And yes, this race is here without the final restart.
4. Martinsville: Not too often does a driver come back from a deficit like Kurt Busch faced at Martinsville to win. His performance alone is worthy of placement in the top-five even if he originally thought his race was ruined after contact with Brad Keselowski. But Keselowski's middle finger added intrigue and racing near the front of the pack was plentiful. The drum is well-worn at this point, but we need to keep beating it about more short tracks on the Cup schedule.
5. Las Vegas: Six drivers led over 20 laps throughout the race and Keselowski led the most at just 53. It's not too often that you see that type of laps-led parity at an intermediate track. Was it an incredibly exciting race? No, not really. But the parity and fuel strategy that played out over the final stages of the race made it a memorable one. Just remember that Junior didn't make a monstrous fuel gamble and all will be OK.
6. Texas: With the way the first 40 laps of the race played out, you'd think this race would be near the top of the list. But after Junior's crash, Kevin Harvick's engine failure and Jimmie Johnson's tire issues, Texas turned into a bit of a parade. The only drama came via Kurt Busch's multiple tire failures, the last of which caused a green-white-checker finish. Joey Logano reclaimed the lead and won, but remember what we brought up three spots above. A race isn't made by a final restart.
7. Darlington: Kevin Harvick was good and there's really not much else to say about it. If it wasn't for the cluster of late-race restarts that added drama to the race, we could make a convincing case that Darlington would be below Phoenix on this list. Don't mistake this for an anti-Darlington point by any means. Tire wear is coming back and it's a shame NASCAR doesn't venture there twice a year. Sometimes you get a relative stinker.
8. Phoenix: Kevin Harvick was good and there's not really much else to say about it. Wait, we just said that, right? Yes, we did. We can only hope that tire wear starts to happen at Phoenix sooner rather than later. It'll help immensely.
From Chosen One to Frozen One: David Moyes overwhelmed by Man United job.
By Martin Rogers
Manchester United is big enough and tough enough to take it on the chin for one disastrous season, one period of being soccer's laughing stock and, ultimately, one horrendous managerial tenure.
Any more than that? We will see.
The David Moyes era ended on Tuesday with the sacking of the United boss, a move that came as the sun was just coming up in the northwest of England yet metaphorically setting on the bleakest eight months that this club can conjure from its recent memory bank.
Moyes was given the task of replacing Sir Alex Ferguson following the great Scot's retirement last summer after 26 years of service. The new man was touted as the "Chosen One," having been personally earmarked for the job by Ferguson.
In reality he was the "Frozen One," having been ultimately star-struck by the demands of one of the game's biggest jobs and unable to pull the trigger on the action needed to reverse a malaise that quickly set in.
There were some factors working against Moyes. First, there was the simple reality of Ferguson's eternal shadow. Treading in the footsteps of a man who won 13 Premier League titles and two Champions League crowns and elevated United to its current status as one of the few globally elite clubs was never going to be an easy task.
While it was expected of Moyes to motivate United's old guard like Rio Ferdinand – he couldn't – that group did him no favors with their lackluster performances. And after winning the English title in his final season, Ferguson left behind a squad that was advancing in years and in need of a spark.
But who could have predicted just how bad things could become? And how quickly?
United has lost 11 times this campaign and stands 23 points off the Premier League lead languishing in seventh place – two spots behind Moyes' former team Everton. For a club that never missed out on qualifying for the Champions League in 19 straight seasons, the outcome has been utterly humiliating. When it quickly became apparent that the only way to get back into Europe's elite tournament was by winning this year's edition, those hopes were crushed by Bayern Munich in the quarterfinals.
Other English teams have reveled in United's demise after enviously looking up at them for so long. Perhaps most painful of all for United supporters is that it is their two fiercest rivals, Liverpool and Manchester City, who are scrapping it out for the Premier League championship.
Yet it is finances rather than pride that dictated Tuesday's action. United's owners – the Glazer family, which also owns the NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers – were widely disliked when they first bought the club but few fans took any issue with their decision on Moyes.
For many, the problem with Moyes wasn't so much his failure to win but the altered face of United. Moyes made his managerial name at Everton, where he did an excellent job for a decade. However, there are different demands at United, where winning every week is the expectation.
That imposes a different tactical requirement. Often at Everton, Moyes was reactive to the opposition's style and countered effectively. But the very best teams in the Premier League dominate. They have to or they will simply drop too many points and slip out of contention. As United quickly did.
And so now it comes to putting things right. Club veteran Ryan Giggs has taken over as caretaker boss while a search for a new manager starts. Some big names will inevitably be in the hunt.
Dutch legend Louis Van Gaal is the favorite, with Borussia Dortmund's Jurgen Klopp and Atletico Madrid's Diego Simeone also in contention. Giggs will surely get consideration.
All those men come with fine reputations, just as Moyes once had. This post is not an easy one to fill, though. It's even harder than United expected when they went through the same process leading up to Ferguson's departure.
And with the patience of the owners and the fans all used up, the new man will have a stern challenge on his hands and, arguably, even more pressure to face than the hapless Moyes.
Silver wants age limit change, no rush on others.
By BRIAN MAHONEY (AP Basketball Writer)
Even as the NBA prepares for a draft that could be headlined by freshmen, Commissioner Adam Silver remains committed to keeping them in college.
So much so that NCAA President Mark Emmert was invited to discuss his involvement with owners.
Silver is moving cautiously on potential changes to areas such as the lottery format and playoff structure, but makes it clear that raising the draft age limit to abolish the so-called ''one and done'' is one of his priorities.
Freshmen Andrew Wiggins of Kansas and Jabari Parker of Duke are expected to be top-five picks in June, but Silver believes teams are taking those players young because of the system in place, not because it's their preference.
''The fact that our teams would draft these players if they were coming out of high school as they used to, or one year out of college, I think doesn't mean change isn't necessary,'' Silver said Friday.
The age limit requiring American players to be 19 and a year out of high school was implemented in 2005, creating a system where players would simply go to college for a year and then declare for the draft. Silver and predecessor David Stern have long spoken about the desire to increase the limit to 20. But no change, which would have to be discussed with the union, was made during the last round of collective bargaining in 2011.
The sides haven't been able to have much serious discussion since then. The union has been without an executive director since ousting Billy Hunter 14 months ago, but Silver's desire for change remains.
''We're ready to go,'' Silver said. ''We've been thinking about this issue for a long time.''
Silver said a change was unlikely for next season, and a transition period would be necessary whenever one was made. In the meantime, he wants the NCAA part of the discussion, so Emmert addressed owners during the two-day meetings.
''One thing that we also agree on is that historically what you've heard is that the age issue is one that needs to be negotiated almost in isolation between the NBA and its union. What Dr. Emmert and I agree on is that the NCAA needs to have a seat at the table, as well, for those discussions,'' Silver said, ''that if we are going to be successful in raising the age from 19 to 20, part and parcel of those negotiations go to the treatment of those players on college campuses, that closing the gap between what their scholarships cover and their other incidental expenses, having a longer discussion about eligibility periods so they can make the best decisions for them and their families if they do decide to come out early.''
Overseeing his first board meeting since replacing Stern in February, Silver seems open to considering anything to improve the league. Owners heard a discussion on ways to change the lottery system, which could be a way to erase the desire to ''tank'' - seeking a poor record to have the best chances at the No. 1 pick. Silver said there was also discussion about redesigning the playoff structure to qualify the top 16 teams, rather than the top eight in each conference. Phoenix, which finished ninth in the West with 48 wins, would've tied for third in the East.
But Silver said those items should be discussed first at length by the competition committee.
''For me, the league is doing so well right now, I just want to be very deliberate and cautious about any major changes like that,'' Silver said. ''It doesn't mean that we shouldn't make changes.''
Silver also said owners weren't ready to vote on the potential sale of the Milwaukee Bucks yet, though that could happen soon once owners could review all the financial documents. Owner Herb Kohl reached agreement to sell the franchise to New York investment firm executives Marc Lasry and Wesley Edens for about $550 million.
Slive: Leagues, union advocates have common ground.
By JOHN ZENOR (AP Sports Writer)
Southeastern Conference Commissioner Mike Slive doesn't think college athletes should have employee status, but believes there is some common ground with the proposal from the five power leagues and a union movement.
The NCAA board of directors is expected to consider Thursday a recommendation restructuring the NCAA to create autonomy in specific areas for the SEC, Big Ten, Pacific-12, Big 12 an Atlantic Coast Conference. A vote is anticipated at the board's meeting in August.
Northwestern players are set to vote Friday on whether to form a union.
The 65 members of the five conferences are seeking to be allowed to cover the full cost of attendance for athletes, among other initiatives.
''I don't believe student-athletes should be employees,'' Slive said Monday, addressing a Southeast regional meeting of the Associated Press sports editors. ''If you put the union issue aside and look at the substance of what's being asked for, you will see that in part, and maybe in great part, that what's being asked for are the same kind of things that the 65 institutions put forth in the vision as early as last fall.
''I prefer to think about what's the substance of issue rather than the nature of it.''
Slive has monitored the case of Northwestern football players seeking to be allowed to unionize.
The commissioner said the leagues want athletes to have ''a voice and vote in NCAA'' legislation.
Slive said he doesn't think the NCAA's changes would be too little or necessarily too late.
''There is an element of frustration when I say to you that we started this last summer,'' Slive said. ''It's not unfair to say that to turn the NCAA is not unlike turning an aircraft carrier from north to south.
It's taken time. These are something that we believed in and wanted to get on the table much earlier than we have been able to.''
Slive addressed a variety of issues, including SEC football schedules and the one-and-done rule:
- He expects SEC presidents and chancellors to vote on whether to add a ninth league game before spring meetings May 27-30 in Destin, Fla. The possible scenarios include eight games or nine games, with or without permanent inter-division opponents like Alabama-Tennessee. ''We've shown them that with all the formats every one of them has advantages and disadvantages,'' the commissioner said. He said they will meet soon but declined to elaborate.
- Slive isn't a fan of basketball players leaving school after one year, saying it's much less likely for an athlete who leaves after one year to finish his degree than one who stays longer. Kentucky made it to the national championship game in men's basketball with a freshman-heavy lineup of NBA prospects. James Young has already declared for the NBA draft and others could follow. ''What you've got to think about it is it's not a good rule, in my opinion,'' Slive said. ''It's a bad rule. You know why it's a bad rule, it's because it's academically a bad rule.''
- He didn't express an opinion on the failed proposal for a rule that would penalize offenses for snapping before 10 seconds ticked off the play clock. He did say that was an example of why college football needs a competition committee similar to the one he serves on in basketball. ''This debate exposed a glaring error in the process and hopefully we can fill that gap,'' Slive said.
American wins Boston Marathon for first time since 1985.
By Jay Busbee
A moment of silence is given before the start of the 2014 Boston Marathon. (Associated Press Image)
The 118th Boston Marathon will long be remembered as a cultural event, a moment where the city of Boston demonstrated strength and resilience in the wake of last year's bombing. As a pure race, though, it was no less impressive, with winners turning in exceptional, defining performances.
Meb Keflezighi defied his age, nearly 39 years old, to craft an exceptional race and become the first American male since Greg Meyer in 1983 to win the Boston Marathon, and first American period since 1985.
Keflezighi appeared to have the men's race locked up halfway through, with a lead of nearly 90 seconds at one point, but Wilson Chebet chopped that lead down to six seconds in the final two miles. Keflezighi was able to hold off Chebet, however, and finished the race in 2:08:37.
In the women's division, Rita Jeptoo of Kenya defended her 2013 victory with a flawless race. Jeptoo slammed the door on the field with a 4:49 mile in the 24th mile, a kick that put nearly 30 seconds between her and the field. Her 2:18:57 beat the course record by almost two full minutes. Her performance was the eighth fastest women's marathon ever recorded on any course.
Over the last two decades, the men's and women's races have been dominated by Kenya, on the men's side especially. Kenyans have won 19 of the last 23 events. Only once in that span has the winner come from outside of Africa.
Keflezighi was born in Eritrea, located in the Horn of Africa, and immigrated to the United States when he was 12. He won the silver medal in the marathon at the 2004 Olympics in Athens and finished fourth at the 2012 London Olympics.
Tatyana McFadden, fresh off a stint in Sochi for the Paralympic Games, won the women's wheelchair division for the second year in a row. Over in the men's wheelchair division, Ernst van Dyk won for a record 10th time, finishing in 1:20:36. Van Dyk holds the record for most wins across all categories in the marathon.
Last year, two terrorist bombs at the finish line halted the marathon before its scheduled finish, sending the entire Boston region into lock-down. This year's race featured heavily increased security, and signs reading "Boston Strong" and similar messages of support lined the entire race route. But by the time the runners turned onto Boston's Boylston Street for the final stretch, fans were lined up ten deep to celebrate the champions, and the city itself.
Shalane Flanagan, who hails from nearby Marblehead, had made headlines earlier in the week, saying she wanted to win this race for the city of Boston. For well over half the race, Flanagan set the pace and dominated the women's field, running at a pace 20 seconds per mile ahead of world-record marks. By mile 17, however, the pack had caught Flanagan, and she found herself fighting for the lead. Soon afterward, she dropped from the lead pack and was unable to keep up. She would go on to finish in sixth place.
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