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“You must take personal responsibility. You cannot change the circumstances, the seasons, or the wind, but you can change yourself. That is something you have charge of.” ~ Jim Rohn, Entrepreneur and Motivational Speaker
How 'bout them Chicago Blackhawks? Chicago regroups after Game 2 barrage by LA Kings. Let's go Hawks!!!
By GREG BEACHAM (AP Sports Writer)
Although Chicago and Los Angeles have won the last two Stanley Cup titles, Matt Greene and his fellow Kings realize the Blackhawks have been superior whenever the two championship teams were on the ice together recently.
Chicago's recent mastery of the Kings completely came apart in one crazy period, and the Blackhawks are headed to the West Coast to figure out how to get it back.
When the teams return Saturday night for Game 3 of the Western Conference finals, the Kings hope to build on their five-goal third period in a 6-2 victory on Wednesday night, evening the series in dramatic fashion.
Until Game 2, Chicago had beaten the Kings six straight times and in nine of the clubs' last 10 meetings dating back to last season's conference finals. The Blackhawks had been faster and more offensively creative than the Kings, but it all went away in a barrage of goals that set a distinctly different tone for Game 3.
''It's been a series that's gone in their favor for the last couple of years now,'' Greene said Thursday at the Kings' training complex. ''We've got to do our best to change that. If we could put a finger on it, we would. But it's up to us to figure it out and to keep it going and get some more wins. ... I don't think they have a mental edge on us, no. You've just got to go out and play.''
Both teams essentially took Thursday off, gathering only for travel or a team meeting. While the Kings downplayed the importance of momentum from their win, the Blackhawks had an extra day to absorb the shock of their second four-goal defeat in the last six playoff games.
''I woke up this morning way more angry than I exited the game,'' Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville said Thursday before the team flew to the West Coast. ''Normally it's the other way around. ... A game like that is a game that should get your attention, and I think that's where we're at.''
Quenneville felt the loss was a significant setback for the Blackhawks only because of how it occurred. The two-time champion coach couldn't recall such an abrupt reversal of momentum against Chicago in any game this season.
Quenneville thought his team essentially played a perfect game for the first 38 minutes, taking a 2-0 lead before it all fell apart with Los Angeles' first goal. The Blackhawks aren't a team that falls apart, but the Kings have a way of making opponents do things they never imagined under playoff pressure.
''I think it was probably a little bit of a shock to us all,'' Chicago defenseman Nick Leddy said. ''But that's how playoffs are.''
The Kings feel it wasn't just momentum that gave them home-ice advantage in this series. Los Angeles had been making strides against the defending champions for months, and coach Darryl Sutter thought his team played much better in its series-opening defeat than its victory.
''I don't think it was momentum,'' Sutter said. ''It was more once we were down two (goals), I think it was our ability - and we're good at that - our ability to stay with it and stick with the game.''
That game is showing a few unexpected facets lately.
The Kings are now the highest-scoring team in the Stanley Cup playoffs with 3.25 goals per game, a shocking number for a defense-first team that struggled mightily to score for much of the regular season.
But the Kings' success in Game 2 was due to its usual strengths on defense. Los Angeles' defense on Chicago's top scorers was uniformly solid. Anze Kopitar shadowed Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews, who didn't record a shot, while Patrick Kane failed to score a point for the second straight game.
The Kings excelled on special teams, killing a two-man Chicago advantage and scoring the tying and go-ahead goals on their own power plays. Los Angeles also dominated the faceoff circle, following up its impressive work late in the second round against Anaheim.
''They're huge momentum-swingers every time,'' Greene said. ''A good (penalty-kill) can do wonders for you in terms of momentum, and a good power play. The coaches do a good job emphasizing you don't need to score on the power play. You just need to make sure you build momentum and get a good two minutes going in their zone. Last night, everything was clicking. Those were two huge power-play goals for us there. They really turned around the game in our favor.''
Bruising forward Andrew Shaw is expected to be available to the Blackhawks for Game 3 after missing Wednesday's game with a lower-body injury, his seventh straight game out of the lineup.
The Kings aren't likely to see defenseman Robyn Regehr, whose knee injury has kept him out for eight games.
Bear Down Chicago Bears!!! Brandon Marshall shares stories of Bears' bonding trip.
By Chris Boden
Bears fans are most pumped up by all the offseason acquisitions, but there are other reasons to be encouraged.
There are varying degrees of cynic in all of us, especially when it comes to professional athletes. Those reasons for cynicism also vary. But a year ago, many of us were wondering about harmony in the locker room after Lovie Smith — very much a player’s coach — was fired and replaced with a relative unknown coming from the Canadian Football League. There doesn’t seem to be any question now that Marc Trestman has won this team over and perhaps made the locker room even stronger.
Brandon Marshall was the latest to express his admiration for Trestman during Thursday’s press conference surrounding his contract extension. And the cynics will counter with the “what is he supposed to say in public?” argument. But Marshall has also stepped up in his leadership role, starting with his work near his Florida home with Alshon Jeffery a year ago and following that up with Marquess Wilson this offseason. But that wasn’t all.
A handful of Bears joined Marshall for several days in March to not only do some supervised workouts together but also just to hang out. Anyone who follows Marshall on Twitter or Instagram got a peek inside some of the fun they were having, and it was also shared by Jermon Bushrod — and his now-famous group selfie — Matt Forte, Ryan Mundy, Kyle Long and others.
“An Everglades tour, paint-balling,” Marshall told me after Thursday’s presser in a one-on-one visit, part of which will air Sunday night on SportsNet Central. “The best thing was the pottery class we took.”
Huh? I needed to tap into these guys’ inner “Ghost.”
“A bunch of guys made bears. We had a few dragons. We had a few Spidermen, all kinds of action figures," Marshall elaborated. "It was a good deal. We went go-karting, had barbecues, hung out by the pool. That was the best part of the whole trip.”
Redskins name controversy: 50 senators sign letter to Roger Goodell urging name change.
By Marc Weinreich
Fifty senators signed a letter to NFL commissioner Roger Goodell urging him to further consider changing the name of the Washington Redskins, according to a report from Carl Hulse and Elena Schneider of the New York Times.
The letter, dated May 21, was sent in part because of the fallout from the racially insensitive comments made by Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling. (A copy of the full letter is here.)
The message to the NFL, which was endorsed by Senator majority leader Harry Reid (D., Nev.), was clear in its stance:
“The N.F.L. can no longer ignore this and perpetuate the use of this name as anything but what it is: a racial slur. We urge the N.F.L. to formally support a name change for the Washington football team.”
“We urge you and the National Football League to send the same clear message as the N.B.A. did: that racism and bigotry have no place in professional sports.”NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said that the league has not yet received the letter but that the NFL “has long demonstrated a commitment to progressive leadership on issues of diversity and inclusion, both on and off the field,” according to the Times. McCarthy added in the statement that the “intent of the team’s name has always been to present a strong, positive and respectful image.”
Washington owner Daniel Snyder has repeatedly said he will not change the name.
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi said in March that the team should lose its trademark. The controversy has even made its way to the White House, with President Barack Obama saying that if he were Snyder, he would change the name.
Roger Goodell supports Redskins nickname in letter to Congress.
By Vinnie Iyer
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has responded to 10 members of the United States Congress with a letter supporting Washington Redskins owner Daniel Snyder—that the team's nickname, deemed offensive by those members, should not be changed.
Per Indian Country Media Today Media Network, Goodell addressed the letter to two U.S. representatives who are part of the Congressional Native American Caucus, Tom Cole (R-Oklahoma) and Betty McCollum. Cole and McCollum also were co-sponsors of the Non-Disparagement of Native American Persons or Peoples in Trademark Registration Act of 2013 (H.R. 1278).
Here is Goodell's entire argument:
"Thank you for your letter of May 13 regarding the Washington Redskins name and marks. The National Football League fully respects the views of the Caucus and other Members who have expressed interest in this matter and we appreciate the opportunity to respond to your concerns.
"In our view, a fair and through discussion of the issue must begin with an understanding of the roots of the Washington franchise and the Redskins name in particular. As you may know, the team began as the Boston Braves in 1932, a name that honored the courage and heritage of Native Americans.
The following year, the name was changed to the Redskins, in part to avoid confusion with the Boston baseball team of the same name, but also to honor the team’s then-head coach, William “Lone Star” Dietz. Neither in intent nor use was the name ever meant to denigrate Native Americans or offend any group.
"The Washington Redskins name has thus from its origin represented a positive meaning distinct from any disparagement that could be viewed in some other context. For the team’s millions of fans and customers, who represent one of America’s most ethnically and geographically diverse fan bases, the name is a unifying force that stands for strength, courage, pride and respect.
"Importantly, this positive meaning is shared by the overwhelming majority of football fans and Americans generally, including Native Americans. (Attached as examples are recent remarks from Chief Steven Dodson, an American Inuit chief and resident of Prince Georges [sic] County, Maryland, and recently retired Chief Robert Green of the Patawomeck Tribe of Virginia.) Indeed, the most recent detailed survey of Native Americans, conducted by the independent and highly respected Annenberg Public Policy Center, found that fewer than 10% considered the name objectionable.
Among the general public, an Associated Press survey conducted just two months ago found that only 11% felt it should be changed."
"Public opinion aside, the Washington Redskins name has been confirmed in a legal context. When the matter was considered by the D.C. federal district court, the judge ruled against the plaintiffs and recognized that the name was been used by the team in a respectful manner. As I understand it, this ruling reversed the decision that informed the basis for the registration denials mentioned in your letter.
"As you correctly recognize, the issues raised with respect to the Washington Redskins name are complex and we respect that reasonable people may view it differently, particularly over time. But we hope that there is no doubt that the team understandably is proud of its heritage and the culturally rich community it serves, and its fans understandably are highly attached to that history and the team’s history.
"The National Football League takes seriously its responsibility to exemplify the values of diversity and inclusion that make our nation great. To that end, please be assured that we are committed to working with the team, this Caucus and others to continue to reinforce the many positive attributes represented by the team's name and marks."
Here was McCollum's response to Goodell, also per Indian Country:
"Unfortunately, NFL Commissioner Goodell's letter is another attempt to justify a racial slur on behalf of Dan Snyder and other NFL owners who appear to be only concerned with earning ever larger profits, even if it means exploiting a racist stereotype of Native Americans. For the head of a multi-billion dollar sports league to embrace the twisted logic that 'Redskin' actually 'stands for strength, courage, pride, and respect' is a statement of absurdity.
"Would Roger Goodell and Dan Snyder actually travel to a Native American community and greet a group tribal members by saying, ‘Hey, what’s up redskin?’ I think not. ("Hey, what's up redskin" is >a quote from materials provided to my office by the NFL, along with the claim that "Redskins" is a "term of endearment" among Native Americans.)
"Indian children, families and elders are Americans, and just like all racial, ethnic, or religious groups, they deserve to be treated with respect and dignity, not as a demeaning caricature or mascot. That shouldn't be too much to ask of the NFL."
Given McCollum's tone, Goodell's letter has only heated up the argument and did nothing to put it to rest. Given what the commissioner wrote, don't expect the NFL to budge from its position.
Last month, Snyder prompted the Congressional letter—sent to him, Goodell and Washington NFL stadium sponsor FedEx on May 13—by saying the Redskins "will never" change their nickname. Although the commissioner was more diplomatic, it's clear he's in Snyder's corner.
Just another Chicago Bulls Session… NBA draft lottery results show that tanking doesn't pay off.
By Aggrey Sam
If anything can be learned from Tuesday night’s draft lottery, it’s that tanking doesn’t pay off.
Cleveland got its third No. 1 overall pick in the last four years and while the Cavaliers certainly had their share of issues during the regular season, they didn’t miss the playoffs due to lack of effort, as evidenced by attempting to upgrade their roster last summer and even during the course of the season by trading for starters Luol Deng and Spencer Hawes, both of whom enter free agency this offseason.
Meanwhile, the two clear-cut worst teams in the league, Milwaukee and Philadelphia got the second and third overall picks in the draft, respectively, while Utah, the Western Conference’s worst team picks fifth and two of the NBA’s most storied franchises, the Celtics and Lakers, will pick sixth and seventh, debunking the conspiracy theories surrounding the lottery.
The 76ers are probably the biggest losers, as they are now left at the mercy of the Cavs and Bucks. If Cleveland and Milwaukee pass on Kansas center Joel Embiid, whose medical records could prove hard to acquire due to his history of back issues, the Sixers could be left with a tough decision, as he is a very similar, albeit regarded more highly, to Nerlens Noel, one of their two lottery picks last year, who missed the entire season recovering from an ACL injury suffered in college.
The Jazz are also in a tough situation, as it widely thought that they desperately wanted a shot at drafting Chicago native Jabari Parker, who is of the Mormon faith, something that would play well with the team’s fan base.
Getting back to the Cavs, their situation is more remarkable because of the long odds they faced in getting the top pick, as Cleveland only had a 1.7 percent chance at the No. 1 spot, the same percentage the Bulls had in 2008, when they selected Derrick Rose with the first choice.
Charlotte also fared well, getting the ninth pick from Detroit through the two teams’ swap of Ben Gordon and Corey Maggette, a selection that was protected through the top eight for the Pistons. As a result, the newly-rechristened Hornets no longer need to lament surrendering the 16th overall pick to the Bulls from the 2010 Tyrus Thomas trade.
The Sixers also acquired the 10th overall pick from New Orleans, completing last year’s draft-day deal for Noel, which sent point guard Jrue Holiday to the Pelicans. New Orleans would have kept the pick if it landed in the top five of the draft.
Lastly, Orlando was another winner, receiving the 12th pick, in addition to their own fourth overall selection. The lower choice comes from the Dwight Howard trade via Denver, which originally acquired the pick from New York in the Carmelo Anthony deal.
Cubs, Wrigley Field rooftop owners contract revisited.
CSN Staff
News broke early Thursday morning that the Cubs will move forward with plans to renovate Wrigley Field.
Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts announced, in a video statement on Cubs.com, that the club will submit a revised expansion plan to the Commission on Chicago Landmarks, including the initial proposal and the approval to add signage in the outfield and additional seating.
What does that mean for the rooftop owners?
Back in January, CSN's David Kaplan obtained an exclusive copy of the contract between the Cubs and the rooftop owners.
Here's a look back at some of the exact contract language of several of the key parts of the 20-year contract that the Cubs and the Rooftops entered into on Jan. 27, 2004 and that expires on Dec. 31, 2023.
3. Payment obligations.
3.1 Royalty
a) Each Rooftop shall pay the Cubs, on an annual basis, an amount equal to 17% of its Gross Revenues and 11% of its Billboard Revenues, if any (together, the "Royalty").
b) The Parties agree Rooftops are currently prohibited from displaying Billboards under City of Chicago law. Nothing in this Agreement will preclude the Cubs from opposing any change to the current law, including the placement of Billboards or any other advertising visible from inside Wrigley Field on any of the buildings in the Wrigley Field Adjacent Area.6. Wrigley Field bleacher expansion.
6.1 If the Cubs expand the Wrigley Field bleacher seating and such expansion so impairs the view from any Rooftop into Wrigley Field such that the Rooftop's business is no longer viable unless it increases the height of its available seating, then such Rooftop may in its discretion elect to undertake construction to raise the height of its seating to allow views into Wrigley Field and the Cubs shall reimburse the Rooftop for 17% of the actual cost of such construction.
6.2 If the Cubs expand the Wrigley Field bleacher seating and such expansion so impairs the view from any Rooftop into Wrigley Field such that the Rooftop's business is no longer viable even if it were to to increase its available seating to the maximum height permitted by law, and if such bleacher expansion is completed within eight years from the Effective Date, then if such Rooftop elects to cease operations before the beginning of the next baseball season following completion of such expansion, the Cubs shall reimburse that Rooftop for 50% of the royalties paid by the Rooftop to the Cubs during the time between the Effective Date and the date of expansion of the Wrigley Field bleachers. The Cubs shall pay such reimbursement to the Rooftop within 30 days of receiving notice from the Rooftop it is no longer viable and has ceased operations. Any Rooftop receiving payment from the Cubs pursuant to this provision shall cease operations for the remainder of the Term and shall not seek or accept any compensation or benefit related to activity on a Rooftop on a day of a Game.
6.3 In the event of a dispute between the Cubs and any Rooftop regarding whether such Rooftop remains viable pursuant to Section 6.1 or 6.2 or whether (or to what extent) construction of new seating is required pursuant to Section 6.1, either Party may request such dispute be resolved pursuant to binding arbitration between the Parties pursuant to Section 9 below.
6.4 If the Cubs expand the Wrigley Field bleacher seating and such expansion impairs the view from any Rooftop into Wrigley Field such that Rooftop's Gross Revenue in the year of expansion is more than 10% below the average Gross Revenue for that Rooftop in the two years prior to expansion (normalizing for number of Games played, in rain-outs and doubleheaders, playoff games, work stoppage, replacement players, and the like), then the affected Rooftop can seek a reduction in the Royalty rate for all subsequent years of the Term. Upon such request, the parties shall meet and negotiate in good faith a new Royalty. If the Parties cannot agree, then the Rooftop may submit the issue of its appropriate Royalty rate to binding arbitration pursuant to Section 9.
a.) In the event any Royalty is reduced pursuant to this section 6.3, the Cubs may seek to raise or restore the Royalty at a later date (e.g., in the event the Rooftop subsequently builds higher or the Rooftop's drop in the business proves temporary). Such revision may be negotiated between the parties or submitted to arbitration. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in no event may the Royalty exceed the 17%.
6.5 Nothing in this Agreement limits the Cubs' rights to seek approval of the right to expand Wrigley Field or the Rooftops' right to oppose any request for expansion of Wrigley Field.
6.6 The Cubs shall not erect windscreens or other barriers to obstruct the views of the Rooftops, provided however that temporary items such as banners, flags and decorations for special occasions, shall not be considered as having been erected to obstruct views of the Rooftops. Any expansion of Wrigley Field approved by governmental authorities shall not be a violation of this Agreement, including this section.7. Marketing
7.1 WGN-TV will show and comment upon the Rooftops' facilities during broadcasts of Cubs games and the Cubs will request other Cubs television broadcasting partners to do the same. If, however, there is a Billboard or other advertising on a Rooftop, WGN will not be required to show that Rooftop or comment on it and Cubs may request others not to show or comment.
7.2 Each Rooftop shall have a license during the Term to use the Cubs' Marks identified in Exhibit B solely for the purpose of marketing and promoting the sale of admissions to its Rooftop. The Cubs will not object to the Rooftops' use, solely for the same purpose, of the term "Wrigley Field". Each use of the Cubs Marks must include a trademark notice of registration or protection as shown on Exhibit B. The Cubs revise Exhibit B from time to time in their discretion. Rooftops may not use Cubs' Marks on merchandise, apparel, Billboard or to promote the sale of any other product or service.
7.3 From time to time during each season, the Cubs shall authorize WGN-TV or other Cubs broadcasting partner (s) to identify a phone number where fans can call to reserve Rooftop seating. Such phone number will provided to Cubs by the Rooftops jointly. The Rooftops shall determine how calls to that phone number will be apportioned among the various Rooftop businesses.
7.4 The Rooftops shall have the right to inform the public that they are endorsed by the Cubs.
7.5 The Cubs director of marketing shall meet with Rooftops before the start of each Major League Baseball season to discuss opportunities for joint marketing.
7.6 The Cubs shall include a discussion about the Rooftops on their tour of Wrigley Field and shall include stories positive about the Rooftops in The Vine Line.
7.7 Each of the Rooftops may display broadcasts of Cubs games to patrons at its facility, including displaying such broadcasts on multiple television sets, without any infringement of any copyright owned by the Cubs or its assignees.8. Non-disparagement.
8.1 Each Rooftop agrees that it will not publicly disparage, abuse, or insult the business of the Cubs or the moral character of the Cubs or any of its employees.
8.2 The Cubs will not publicly disparage, abuse, or insult the business of any Rooftop or the moral character of any Rooftop or any Rooftop employee.9. Arbitration.
9.1 The arbitrators shall be chosen as follows: each of the Cubs and the Rooftop shall nominate three individuals to serve as arbitrator. None of these persons may be an employee of the Cubs or any Rooftop nor have any financial interest in the Cubs or any Rooftop. The affected Rooftop will then choose one of the three individuals nominated by the Rooftop. The two individuals selected as arbitrators will then meet and choose a third arbitrator to complete the panel, which third arbitrator must be an independent, third party with no relationship to or interest in (including without limitation any related or unrelated financial or business relationship) the Cubs or any Rooftop. If the arbitrators cannot agree on a third arbitrator, then each Party's arbitrator shall nominate one independent, third party who shall have no relationship or interest in (including without limitation any related or unrelated financial or business relationship) the Cubs or any Rooftop and who is not a current or former elected official or employee of the City of Chicago or any organization or entity who has received money form the Cubs or any Rooftop. The third arbitrator shall be chosen by lot from among those two individuals.
9.2 In the event more than-one Rooftop is involved in a similar dispute related to this Agreement, the Parties may agree, but are not required to, arbitrate such dispute collectively. In such event, the affected Rooftops will agree on arbitrators pursuant to section 9.2 and collectively submit one set of choices to the Cubs.
9.3 Each Arbitration decision shall be binding on the Parties to that Arbitration and, unless the Cubs and all Rooftops agree in advance of the decision, shall be binding vis-à-vis each other only.
9.4 The losing party in the Arbitration shall bear the costs and fees of the Arbitration as well as the costs and fees of the prevailing party.Chicago Sports & Travel, Inc./AllsportsAmerica opinion: This matter is going to have to be settled legally in court. Note: It could get ugly. The outcome should be very interesting. Stay tuned.
Johnson leads as top-ranked Scott struggles at PGA Colonial.
AFP
American Dustin Johnson fired a bogey-free five-under par 65 on Thursday to claim the first-round lead at the USPGA Tour's $6.4 million Colonial tournament.
Johnson, who has already collected one victory this season, at the WGC-HSBC Champions in October, hit 16 of 18 greens in regulation and nabbed five birdies to take a one-stroke lead over New Zealand's Tim Wilkinson and Americans Hunter Mahan, Harris English and Robert Streb.
Mahan was on fire on the front nine at Colonial Country Club, making the turn at six-under, thanks in part to his eagle-birdie start.
But he couldn't keep the momentum, and ended his round with a double-bogey at 18 to join the group on four-under 66.
Wilkinson, making his first start at Colonial, played without a bogey.
Three-time winner this season Jimmy Walker was among a group of 10 players tied for sixth at three-under 67.
Walker was joined by Jason Dufner, Jordan Spieth, Tim Clark, Brice Garnett, Freddie Jacobson, Bo Van Pelt, Ken Duke, David Hearn and Wes Roach.
Defending champ Boo Weekley posted a one-over par 71 and is in a large group of players tied for 64th that also included Australian Adam Scott.
Scott is playing for the first time since taking over the world number one ranking from Tiger Woods on Monday.
The 2013 Masters winner teed off on 10 and endured a tough opening nine holes, but managed to turn it around with three birdies coming in.
"It is a testing golf course," said Scott, who had four bogeys in his first nine holes. "I just had to be a little patient.
"Sometimes on a course like this, you need to be. Even with a short iron or wedge in your hand you can't force it because bogeys are easy to come by."
Scott bogeyed his second hole, the par-five 11th, after he needed two strokes to get out of a fairway bunker. He added bogeys at the 15th, 17th and 18th before he stopped the bleeding with a two-putt birdie at the par-five first. He made a three-footer for birdie at the second, and picked up one more stroke at his penultimate hole, the par-three eighth.
He said he didn't feel any extra pressure to live up to the number one ranking, although the regular nerves were there on the opening tee.
"I managed to tighten up on the back and make a couple of putts," he said.
Johnson wins the Coors Light Pole at Charlotte.
By Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service
The top spot on the grid is a comfortable place for Jimmie Johnson, who won the pole position for Sunday's Coca-Cola 600 with a speed of 194.911 mph in the final round of knockout qualifying Thursday at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Johnson is the last driver to win NASCAR's longest race from the pole, a feat he accomplished in 2004. In fact, Johnson is the only driver to win from the pole at Charlotte in this century, having also taken the checkered flag from the top starting position in the fall race of 2009.
When Johnson wins a Coors Light pole award, history indicates he'll probably be fast in race trim as well. So chances are, the six-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion will be a serious threat to end an uncharacteristically long 13-race winless streak dating to last season.
"It was a really strong lap," Johnson acknowledged. "I'm very pleased with it. Happy to get this Lowe's Chevrolet on the pole for this big race coming up Sunday afternoon. We knew we had a great race car today, so it was nice to get out there and work our way through the three segments here and get it done.
"On the first run we missed it a little bit, but (crew chief) Chad (Knaus) knew exactly how to dial me in for the second one. We got a lot closer and, for the third segment, laid down a good lap."
Thursday's pole was Johnson's first of the season and the 33rd of his career. Brad Keselowski qualified second at 194.567 mph, followed by Kasey Kahne (193.618 mph) and Danica Patrick (193.334 mph).
For Keselowski, the front row start is his seventh in 12 races this year, with six of those coming from the second position on the grid. Keselowski's only pole came at Phoenix, in the second race of the season.
Patrick paced the second round, a 10-minute session, at 194.595 mph, the fastest qualifying lap ever run by a female driver at a 1.5-mile intermediate speedway.
"We have a lot to be proud of," Patrick said. "I mean, let's face it, this is the part of the weekend that I dreaded every time. I had to train myself to not say 'I hate qualifying.'
"We were (sixth) in a round (the 25-minute first round), we were first in a round, and we were fourth in a round. A lot to be proud of at Stewart-Haas and for the GoDaddy car, and it's going to give us a great starting spot for Sunday."
Kevin Harvick had perhaps the fastest car but didn't have the chance to prove it in the final five-minute round. When the clock ran out in the session, Harvick was approaching the start/finish line, but because he failed to start his lap before time expired, he didn't post a lap that counted in the session.
Accordingly, Harvick, one of the favorites to win the 600, will start 11th. Matt Kenseth, who likewise failed to take the green in Round 3, starts 12th.
Fans Vote Indy 500 World's Best Bucket List Sports Event.
By IMS
The largest single-day sporting event in the world has been voted the World's Best Bucket List Sports Event. View Article
A recent fan vote conducted by 10Best, a division of USA Today Travel, resulted in the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race receiving the most votes followed by events such as the Olympic Games, The Masters and the Super Bowl. The top 10:
1. Indianapolis 500
2. Olympic Games
3. The Masters
4. Super Bowl
5. Kentucky Derby
6. World Cup Finals
7. College Football Championship
8. World Series
9. Stanley Cup
10. March Madness
Additional sporting events receiving votes from fans included, in no particular order: the 24 Hours of Le Mans, America’s Cup, Monaco Grand Prix, NBA Finals, The Open Championship, Tour de France, UEFA Champions League Final, Ultimate Fighting Championship, Wimbledon and the X Games.
“As a sporting event, there really is nothing like the Indianapolis 500 race day experience because of its 100+ years of history, pre-race pageantry and the sheer number of people who come each year to be part of this great spectacle,” said J. Douglas Boles, Indianapolis Motor Speedway president. “The race is definitely a must do on any sports fan’s bucket list. Once people experience the 500, it many times becomes more than a check mark on a bucket list, and turns into an annual pilgrimage to watch 33 race drivers compete for the chance to drink a bottle of milk in victory lane!”
The Indianapolis 500 is “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” and the world’s most famous and prestigious auto race.
The 98th Running of the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race is scheduled for Sunday, May 25 and will be televised live on ABC with coverage beginning at 11 a.m. ET.
Donovan left off U.S. World Cup squad.
By The Sports Xchange
U.S. Soccer named its 23-man squad for the World Cup next month in Brazil, and the notable roster absentee was veteran Landon Donovan.
The 32-year-old Donovan had played on the last three U.S. World Cup teams, beginning in 2002. His 12 World Cup appearances are more than any other American player, and he ranks as the country's top goal scorer and assists leader.
Selected by team manager Jurgen Klinsmann as the forwards on the U.S. roster were Jozy Altidore, Clint Dempsey, Aron Johannsson and Chris Wondolowski.
Midfielders include Kyle Beckerman, Alejandro Bedoya, Michael Bradley, Brad Davis, Mix Diskerud, Jermaine Jones, Graham Zusi and 18-year-old Julian Green.
Defenders are DaMarcus Beasley, Matt Besler, John Brooks, Geoff Cameron, Timmy Chandler, Omar Gonzalez, Fabian Johnson and DeAndre Yedlin.
The three goalkeepers going to Brazil will be Tim Howard, Brad Guzan and Nick Rimando.
Donovan posted his reaction to the news on his Facebook page.
"It has been an honor and privilege to have represented the US National Team in three World Cups," he wrote. "I was looking forward to playing in Brazil and, as you can imagine, I am very disappointed with today's decision. Regardless, I will be cheering on my friends and teammates this summer, and I remain committed to helping grow soccer in the US in the years to come."
Klinsmann said of omitting Donovan from his roster, "This is certainly one of the toughest decisions in my coaching career, to tell a player like him with everything he has done and what he represents, to tell him that, 'You're not part of those 23 right now.' I just see some other players slightly ahead of him. He's been in that final 30 roster."
Regarding making the final roster choices more than a week before the deadline, Klinsmann said in a statement, "We can go into more specific things about technical approaches, and about the opponents. For the players, it's very important to know that they are now part of it and they can relax and know they are on the list going to Brazil and taking it from there. After almost 10 days of work right now, we thought the point has come to make the decision."
Donovan acknowledged that age has exacted a tool on his body. After taking a break during the 2012 season, he returned to the pitch and last summer made the U.S. roster for the CONCACAF Gold Cup and World Cup qualifiers later in the year. But he did not start an exhibition last month against Mexico because of a knee injury.
The roster was pared from a 30-man preliminary roster that Klinsmann named on May 12. The seven players who did not make the cut were Donovan, forward Terrence Boyd, midfielders Joe Corona and Maurice Edu, and defenders Brad Evans, Clarence Goodson and Michael Parkhurst.
In the run-up to the World Cup, the American team will play exhibitions against Azerbaijan on May 27 in San Francisco; Turkey on June 1 in Harrison, N.J.; and Nigeria on June 7 in Jacksonville, Fla.
NCAA institutes new 'academic redshirt' policy beginning in 2016.
By Sam Cooper
The NCAA is instituting some new academic policies beginning in 2016.
Student-athletes who enter a Division I school “on or after August 1, 2016” will not be eligible to play if their grade point average is below 2.3 when they graduate from high school. Additionally, a student-athlete must complete ten of their 16 “core courses” before the seventh semester of their senior year. If they do not meet these requirements, the student-athlete will take an “academic redshirt”
Of course, athletes must also continue to meet the minimum 2.0 GPA while attaining the sliding scale requirement for SAT and ACT scores, but when the GPA falls between 2.0 and 2.3, the academic redshirt comes into play.
From the NCAA, the stipulations for an academic redshirt are:
A college-bound student-athlete may receive athletics aid (scholarship) in the first year of enrollment and may practice in the first regular academic term (semester or quarter) but may NOT compete in the first year of enrollment. After the first term is complete, the college-bound student-athlete must be academically successful at his/her college or university to continue to practice for the rest of the year.
Ultimately, this gives student-athletes who may struggle with academics in high school to make a bit of a smoother transition to a college course load without having to worry about their level of play on game day.
Union in North Carolina welcomes college athletes. What's your take?
By AARON BEARD (AP Sports Writer)
A North Carolina union for public workers will allow scholarship student-athletes at public universities to join as state employees.
The State Employees Association of North Carolina's governing board voted Friday to open the group's membership to athletes at the state's 17 public campuses, which would include Atlantic Coast Conference members North Carolina and North Carolina State.
The union decision comes two months after a federal labor official ruled that football players at Northwestern could create the nation's first union of college athletes. That ruling is being appealed to the National Labor Relations Board, and some Northwestern players say they voted against forming the union in an election. The results have not been released.
The North Carolina union's decision would not require a team vote and is based on an individual athlete's choice on whether to join. It is unclear if the union's invitation would be open to just scholarship athletes, or walk-ons - or whether there are NCAA rules preventing the athletes to be classified as state employees. There is no minimum number of athletes needed to join before SEANC can represent them in negotiations.
''What the group has definitively decided is to change our own membership rules to allow them to join,'' SEANC spokeswoman Toni Davis said Monday.
''And everything beyond that is really in a planning and development stage.''
NCAA spokeswoman Emily James did not immediately return an email seeking comment Monday evening.
To join, the athlete would pay the $9 monthly membership dues paid by teachers, corrections officers, health care workers and others working for state agencies.
Charles Johnson, a member of SEANC's board of governors and a corrections officer for 22 years, said the idea ''is in its infancy'' and the group is only now developing specific ways to help athletes as it would other state workers.
''I don't know if I'd necessarily say they haven't been treated fairly,'' said Johnson, a shift captain at Raleigh's maximum-security Central Prison. ''But I don't think they're represented as a collective group, student-athletes as a whole. I don't think they've been represented and I don't think there's a structure in place that looks out for them individually.''
Davis said the group's 59-member board of governors approved the measure to recognize the student-athletes as state employees. The ruling two months ago by an NLRB official said the football players at Northwestern fit the definition of an employee, a ruling that has threatened to change the college-sports system across the country.
Athletes at private North Carolina-based schools, including ACC members Duke and Wake Forest, would not be able to join.
N.C. State athletic director Debbie Yow said she did not know enough about the employee group's decision to comment, though former UNC athletic director Dick Baddour said ''any step toward treating (athletes) as employees is a step in the wrong direction.''
''If they want to join that association, I don't think there would be any penalty for it - I can't imagine there would be,'' said Baddour, who was North Carolina's AD from 1997 to 2011. ''Maybe there's something there that I'm failing to see. I just don't see the impact of it.''
North Carolina is a right-to-work state, meaning workers cannot be forced to join a union and pay dues. In addition, Davis said, North Carolina and Virginia are the only two states in which state law expressly prohibits public workers to collectively bargain.
SEANC - which has 55,000 members and is affiliated with the Service Employees International Union - lobbies legislators on issues ranging from pay raises to retirement benefits and health care coverage for public workers. It can also offer individual assistance to public employees on issues that arise at their jobs, though it does not offer legal representation in a grievance.
''It is a membership-driven association so the members - in this case the student scholarship athletes - would let us know what their concerns are,'' Davis said. ''So we're not coming to them saying we're going to solve a set of problems what we've defined. We're looking for the athletes to let us know how they would like us to help.''
Chicago Sports & Travel, Inc./AllsportsAmerica take: I don't mean to sound like a broken record but could any student-athlete that would like to join a union or any union official accepting student-athletes please set the record straight and tell me what the union can and will do for them when they become members. Will they seek vacation time? Pay; I keep hearing they aren't seeking pay, what other benefits are they looking for? Please look at Friday's blog, 05/16/2014, "The Value of College Sports" and Wednesday's blog, 05/21/2014, NCAA: Investing Where It Matters. The only clarification I'm seeking is, What benefits do the union have to offer other than destroying college athletics as we now know it. And what will they do for the small institutions that will have to abolish sports because they won't be able to afford them? To our readership, you know how we feel and what we think, we'd love to know, what's your take? Marion P. Jelks, CS&T/AA Blog Editor.
On This Date in Sports History: Today is Friday, May 23, 2014.
MemoriesofHistory.com
1876 - Boston’s Joe Borden pitched the first no-hitter in the history of the National League.
1922 - Gene Tunney was defeated by Harry Greb. It was Tunney's only professional boxing defeat.
1926 - Hack Wilson became the first player to hit a home run off the Wrigley Field scoreboard.
1948 - Joe DiMaggio hit three consecutive home runs.
1962 - The National Basketball Association (NBA) agreed to transfer the Philadelphia Warriors to San Francisco, CA. The team became the San Francisco Warriors (and later the Golden State Warriors).
1962 - Joe Pepitone (New York Yankees) hit two home runs in one inning.
1963 - NBC purchased the 1963 AFL championship game TV rights for $926,000.
1978 - The American League approved the transfer of Jean Yawkey (Boston Red Sox) for $15 million.
1984 - The Detroit Tigers won their 16th straight road game. They tied the American League record.
1991 - The San Diego Sockers won their fourth consecutive Major Soccer League championship.
1991 - The New York Yankees played their fourth straight extra inning game.
1999 - In Kansas City, MO, Owen Hart (Blue Blazer) died when he fell 90 feet while being lowered into a WWF wrestling ring. He was 33 years old.
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