Wednesday, May 7, 2014

CS&T/AllsportsAmerica Wednesday Sports News Update, 05/07/2014.

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Sports Quote of the Day:

"Perseverance is not a long race; It is many short races one after another." ~ Walter Elliott, Author

How 'bout them Chicago Blackhawks? Wild 4, Blackhawks 0.

By Jess Myers, The Sports Xchange

Frustrated offensively for the first eight periods of their series with the Chicago Blackhawks, the Minnesota Wild offense awoke from its slumber in a big way Tuesday.

Left winger Erik Haula and center Mikael Granlund snapped a scoreless tie early in the third period, getting goals less than three minutes apart as the Wild remained perfect at home in the postseason with a 4-0 win. Chicago now leads with best-of-seven Western Conference semifinals series 2-1.

Goaltender Illya Bryzgalov had 19 saves for Minnesota, which managed just three goals in losing the series' first two games in Chicago. Left winger Zach Parise added a power-play goal for the Wild late in the third and Granlund tacked on an empty-net goal with 77 seconds remaining.

For the Blackhawks, goalie Corey Crawford made 13 saves but their many offensive weapons were held at bay.

Haula finally broke the scoreless deadlock less than two minutes into the third period. Right winger Justin Fontaine carried the puck over the blue line and fired a shot that was a foot off the ice, headed wide of the net. Haula sprinted to the side of the crease and batted the puck out of the air, past Crawford. It was Haula's second goal of the playoffs.

Two shifts later, Granlund doubled the Minnesota lead on a top-line rush. After passes from Parise and right winger Jason Pominville, Granlund's wrist shot eluded Crawford for a 2-0 Minnesota lead.

For Bryzgalov, pressed into duty when Darcy Kuemper was injured in Game 7 of the Wild's opening round series with Colorado, it was his first postseason shutout since the 2006 playoffs when he played for the Anaheim Ducks.

Despite a pair of Chicago power plays in the first period, Minnesota had a golden opportunity to take the first lead of the game. While killing a penalty, the Wild saw a bouncing puck get past the Blackhawks defense, springing Haula on a breakaway. The rookie made a stickhandling move at the top of the crease, only to have the puck roll off his stick without getting a shot on goal.

The second period was also scoreless, with the Wild managing only five shots on Crawford, despite controlling the play for long stretches that had the sellout crowd on its feet, urging them on. Chicago played one of the better defensive games it had in the playoffs, blocking seven shots in each of the first two periods, and cutting down Crawford's workload.

NOTES: Blackhawks D Niklas Hjalmarsson could not speak Tuesday, still suffering the effects of a shot by Wild D Jonas Brodin that hit him in the throat during Sunday's game in Chicago. Regardless, Hjalmarsson started on the blue line for the Hawks and took a hooking penalty less than two minutes into the game. ... Wild D Keith Ballard was back in the lineup Tuesday, for the first time in nearly two months. Ballard, a veteran who signed with his home state team over the summer, played 45 regular season games but had been out of the lineup since suffering a groin injury March 17. He last played in the playoffs in 2012 for the Vancouver Canucks. ... Chicago F Andrew Shaw did not travel to Minnesota for Tuesday game, but the Blackhawks hinted that he may be able to play in Game 4 on Friday. Shaw was injured in the opening game of the series, suffering a right leg injury after a check by Wild D Clayton Stoner. ... Game 4 in the series will be played on Friday night at 9:30 p.m. ET in Minnesota.
 
Bear Down Chicago Bears!!! 2014 NFL Draft order.

NFL.com

News Flash: NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell Confirms that the NFL Draft ...

Round 1


Round 2

Pick (overall)

Round 3

Pick (overall)
1 (65). Houston Texans
2 (66). Washington Redskins
3 (67). Oakland Raiders
4 (68). Atlanta Falcons
5 (69). Tampa Bay Buccaneers
6 (70). Jacksonville Jaguars
7 (71). Cleveland Browns
8 (72). Minnesota Vikings
9 (73). Buffalo Bills
10 (74). New York Giants
11 (75). St. Louis Rams
12 (76). Detroit Lions
13 (77). San Francisco 49ers (from Tennessee Titans)
14 (78). Dallas Cowboys
15 (79). Baltimore Ravens
16 (80). New York Jets
17 (81). Miami Dolphins
18 (82). Chicago Bears
19 (83). Cleveland Browns (from Pittsburgh Steelers)
20 (84). Arizona Cardinals
21 (85). Green Bay Packers
22 (86). Philadelphia Eagles
23 (87). Kansas City Chiefs
24 (88). Cincinnati Bengals
25 (89). San Diego Chargers
26 (90). Indianapolis Colts
27 (91). New Orleans Saints
28 (92). Carolina Panthers
29 (93). New England Patriots
30 (94). San Francisco 49ers
31 (95). Denver Broncos
32 (96). Minnesota Vikings (from Seattle Seahawks)
33 (97). Pittsburgh Steelers (compensatory selection)
34 (98). Green Bay Packers (compensatory selection)
35 (99). Baltimore Ravens (compensatory selection)
36 (100). San Francisco 49ers (compensatory selection)

Round 4

Pick (overall)
1 (101). Houston Texans
2 (102). Washington Redskins
3 (103). Atlanta Falcons
4 (104). New York Jets (from Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
5 (105). Jacksonville Jaguars
6 (106). Cleveland Browns
7 (107). Oakland Raiders
8 (108). Minnesota Vikings
9 (109). Buffalo Bills
10 (110). St. Louis Rams
11 (111). Detroit Lions
12 (112). Tennessee Titans
13 (113). New York Giants
14 (114). Jacksonville Jaguars (from Baltimore Ravens)
15 (115). New York Jets
16 (116). Miami Dolphins
17 (117). Chicago Bears
18 (118). Pittsburgh Steelers
19 (119). Dallas Cowboys
20 (120). Arizona Cardinals
21 (121). Green Bay Packers
22 (122). Philadelphia Eagles
23 (123). Cincinnati Bengals
24 (124). Kansas City Chiefs
25 (125). San Diego Chargers
26 (126). New Orleans Saints
27 (127). Cleveland Browns (from Indianapolis Colts)
28 (128). Carolina Panthers
29 (129). San Francisco 49ers
30 (130). New England Patriots
31 (131). Denver Broncos
32 (132). Seattle Seahawks
33 (133). Detroit Lions (compensatory selection)
34 (134). Baltimore Ravens (compensatory selection)
35 (135). Houston Texans (compensatory selection)
36 (136). Detroit Lions (compensatory selection)
37 (137). New York Jets (compensatory selection)
38 (138). Baltimore Ravens (compensatory selection)
39 (139). Atlanta Falcons (compensatory selection)
40 (140). New England Patriots (compensatory selection)

Round 5

Pick (overall)
1 (141). Houston Texans
2 (142). Washington Redskins
3 (143). Tampa Bay Buccaneers
4 (144). Jacksonville Jaguars
5 (145). Cleveland Browns
6 (146). Seattle Seahawks (from Oakland Raiders)
7 (147). Atlanta Falcons
8 (148). Minnesota Vikings
9 (149). Buffalo Bills
10 (150). Jacksonville Jaguars (from Detroit Lions)
11 (151). Tennessee Titans
12 (152). New York Giants
13 (153). St. Louis Rams
14 (154). New York Jets
15 (155). Miami Dolphins
16 (156). Chicago Bears
17 (157). Pittsburgh Steelers
18 (158). Dallas Cowboys
19 (159). Jacksonville Jaguars (from Baltimore Ravens)
20 (160). Arizona Cardinals
21 (161). Green Bay Packers
22 (162). Philadelphia Eagles
23 (163). Kansas City Chiefs
24 (164). Cincinnati Bengals
25 (165). San Diego Chargers
26 (166). Indianapolis Colts
27 (167). New Orleans Saints
28 (168). Carolina Panthers
29 (169). New Orleans Saints (from New England Patriots through Philadelphia Eagles)
30 (170). San Francisco 49ers
31 (171). Denver Broncos
32 (172). Seattle Seahawks
33 (173). Pittsburgh Steelers (compensatory selection)
34 (174). New York Giants (compensatory selection)
35 (175). Baltimore Ravens (compensatory selection)
36 (176). Green Bay Packers (compensatory selection)

Round 6

Pick (overall)
1 (177). Houston Texans
2 (178). Washington Redskins
3 (179). Jacksonville Jaguars
4 (180). Cleveland Browns
5 (181). Houston Texans (from Oakland Raiders)
6 (182). Atlanta Falcons
7 (183). Chicago Bears (from Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
8 (184). Minnesota Vikings
9 (185). Tampa Bay Buccaneers (from Buffalo Bills)
10 (186). Tennessee Titans
11 (187). New York Giants
12 (188). St. Louis Rams
13 (189). Detroit Lions
14 (190). Miami Dolphins
15 (191). Chicago Bears
16 (192). Pittsburgh Steelers
17 (193). Kansas City Chiefs (from Dallas Cowboys)
18 (194). Baltimore Ravens
19 (195). New York Jets
20 (196). Arizona Cardinals
21 (197). Green Bay Packers
22 (198). New England Patriots (from Philadelphia Eagles)
23 (199). Cincinnati Bengals
24 (200). Kansas City Chiefs
25 (201). San Diego Chargers
26 (202). New Orleans Saints
27 (203). Indianapolis Colts
28 (204). Carolina Panthers
29 (205). Jacksonville Jaguars (from San Francisco 49ers)
30 (206). New England Patriots
31 (207). Denver Broncos
32 (208). Seattle Seahawks
33 (209). New York Jets (compensatory selection)
34 (210). New York Jets (compensatory selection)
35 (211). Houston Texans (compensatory selection)
36 (212). Cincinnati Bengals (compensatory selection)
37 (213). New York Jets (compensatory selection)
38 (214). St. Louis Rams (compensatory selection)
39 (215). Pittsburgh Steelers (compensatory selection)

Round 7

Pick (overall)
1 (216). Houston Texans
2 (217). Washington Redskins
3 (218). Cleveland Browns
4 (219). Oakland Raiders
5 (220). Atlanta Falcons
6 (221). Tampa Bay Buccaneers
7 (222). Jacksonville Jaguars
8 (223). Minnesota Vikings
9 (224). Buffalo Bills
10 (225). Carolina Panthers (from New York Giants)
11 (226). St. Louis Rams
12 (227). Detroit Lions
13 (228). Tennessee Titans
14 (229). Dallas Cowboys (from Chicago Bears)
15 (230). Pittsburgh Steelers
16 (231). Dallas Cowboys
17 (232). Indianapolis Colts (from Baltimore Ravens)
18 (233). New York Jets
19 (234). Miami Dolphins
20 (235). Oakland Raiders (from Arizona Cardinals)
21 (236). Green Bay Packers
22 (237). Philadelphia Eagles
23 (238). Dallas Cowboys (from Kansas City Chiefs)
24 (239). Cincinnati Bengals
25 (240). San Diego Chargers
26 (241). St. Louis Rams (from Indianapolis Colts)
27 (242). San Francisco 49ers (from New Orleans Saints)
28 (243). San Francisco 49ers (from Carolina Panthers)
29 (244). New England Patriots
30 (245). San Francisco 49ers
31 (246). Denver Broncos
32 (247). Oakland Raiders (from Seattle Seahawks)
33 (248). Dallas Cowboys (compensatory selection)
34 (249). St. Louis Rams (compensatory selection)
35 (250). St. Louis Rams (compensatory selection)
36 (251). Dallas Cowboys (compensatory selection)
37 (252). Cincinnati Bengals (compensatory selection)
38 (253). Atlanta Falcons (compensatory selection)
39 (254). Dallas Cowboys (compensatory selection)
40 (255). Atlanta Falcons (compensatory selection) 41 (256). Houston Texans (compensatory selection)

For Bears, it looks like a defensive draft.

By ANDREW SELIGMAN (AP Sports Writer)

Chicago Bears general manager Phil Emery was so busy in free agency he didn't mind having a few extra weeks to prepare for the draft.

Time's just about up.

The three-day proceeding starts with the first round Thursday and the Bears, owners of the 14th pick, still need help on defense even after some big moves. So a little extra time to study the prospects suited Emery just fine.

''I love it, honestly. I've heard reports of people complaining about it,'' he said. ''I don't know what they're complaining about.''

The draft was pushed back about two weeks because of a scheduling conflict at New York's Radio City Music Hall. Emery said that allowed the Bears to have ''less-rushed conversations'' as they try to weigh short-term gains against long-term benefits.

The defense ranked among the league's worst a year ago and was the biggest reason the Bears missed the playoffs for the sixth time in seven years at 8-8.

The Bears have been busy addressing that, bringing in Jared Allen and parting with Julius Peppers in an effort to spark a defense that ranked 30th overall, last against the run, and tied Jacksonville with a league-low 31 sacks. They still need help on the line, at linebacker and in the secondary, particularly at safety.

Chicago has one pick in each of the first five rounds (Nos. 14, 51, 82, 117 and 156) and two in the sixth round (183 and 191). With that in mind, here are five things to know about the draft.

STILL ON THE DEFENSIVE: Emery said he has six candidates for the 14th pick assuming the Bears keep it, and there's a good chance he'll go with a defensive player even though he wasn't ruling out offense. Pittsburgh defensive tackle Aaron Donald, Alabama free safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix and Oklahoma State cornerback Justin Gilbert could be strong possibilities for Chicago.

ROLL THE DICE: Emery showed in his first two drafts he's not afraid to take a chance on a first-round pick. He gambled on Shea McClellin in 2012 and did it again with Kyle Long last year. The results? He's batting .500 so far.

Long was a hit at right guard even though he made just five starts in his lone season at Oregon.

McClellin is a swing and miss so far and is moving from defensive end to linebacker. At least Emery hit it big in the second round in 2012 with receiver Alshon Jeffery, who broke out last season with 1,421 yards receiving.

PASS ON QB?: Emery insisted he's comfortable with Jordan Palmer backing up Jay Cutler and that he's not in favor of grooming a quarterback drafted in the later rounds as a potential starter down the line.

''That developmental theory doesn't hold a whole lot of water,'' he said.

Starting with the 2006 class, Emery examined how quarterbacks drafted after the third round fared.

He didn't find a long-term starter, let alone another Tom Brady. Mostly, it was a collection of third-stringers, many of whom did not last long in the league.

''Most of the starters in this league come from the first and second round. So that's where you need to take a quarterback,'' he said.

The idea of pairing a late-round QB with coach Marc Trestman doesn't seem to interest him.

''I'm more intrigued with how Marc matches up with Jay and Jordan and Jerrod (Johnson),'' he said.

PLAYING IT SAFE-TY: Emery declared the starting safety spots ''wide open'' with the struggling Chris Conte back and Major Wright gone. They've brought in Ryan Mundy and M.D. Jennings and figure to add more help in the draft. The Bears have also scouted college cornerbacks with length with the idea of converting them to safeties, although that carries some risk.

MAKING A MOVE: Emery said he's fielded calls from teams looking to move up to No. 14. He also indicated trading up is unlikely, saying such moves are ''expensive.''

Just another Chicago Bulls Session… Warriors reportedly have interest in Bulls' Tom Thibodeau.

By Aggrey Sam

If last offseason, which saw the likes of established veteran coaches like George Karl and Lionel Hollins get fired after the most successful seasons in their respective franchise histories, seemed bizarre, it’s nothing compared to what could take place this year.

Golden State fired head coach Mark Jackson on Tuesday, just days after the injury-riddled Warriors’ Game 7 loss to the Clippers, amidst rumors and factual evidence of the former NBA floor general’s poor relationships with assistant coaches—ex-Bulls player Brian Scalabrine and another assistant coach, Darren Erman, were demoted and dismissed, respectively, during the regular season—despite the last two seasons being two of the franchise’s best in recent memory, as well as the vocal support of his players, particularly All-Star point guard Stephen Curry.

The Warriors’ opening immediately becomes the most coveted of the five current head-coaching vacancies in the league—the Knicks, Lakers, Timberwolves and Jazz are the others—and like the jobs in the other two major markets, New York and Los Angeles, there’s already plenty of speculation about who could fill the positions.

Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau is reportedly a name on the lists of both of the California teams, which isn’t surprising, given his stature as one of the elite coaches in the game. But despite the fact that he has loose ties to both situations—Warriors owner Joe Lacob was a Celtics minority owner when he was an assistant coach on Doc Rivers’ staff in Boston and as a 76ers assistant, he worked out a teenage Kobe Bryant during the future Hall of Famer’s high-school days outside of Philadelphia—there’s the small issue of Thibodeau still having three years left on his contract with the Bulls.

The Warriors and Lakers would have to ask the Bulls for permission to discuss their openings with Thibodeau and until that occurs, there’s no need for the organization to publicly address the situation. But the fact that, as of now, the Bulls’ front office hasn’t released a statement notifying the entire league of their coach’s status would seem to indicate that it’s up to Thibodeau to either express interest in those jobs or rebuff his would-be suitors, before concrete ideas as to compensation and a potential replacement take shape.

Part of Thibodeau must be flattered at the fact that even after the Bulls’ first-round exit, he’s still in the headlines during the thick of the playoffs without saying a word, confirmation of his excellence on the sidelines after so many years of being underappreciated as an assistant coach. But he’s also aware of his cult status in Chicago, where Bulls fans and outsiders throughout the league have embraced his style of coaching and the culture he’s brought to the team, making him a superstar coach.

On top of that, even with some of the personnel moves Bulls management has made that have rubbed him the wrong way, Thibodeau understands what he has in a defensive-minded roster molded in his own image, with Derrick Rose returning next season and the possibility of adding superstar Carmelo Anthony via free agency, something that privately he’s confident can happen.

But there are pros to a move to either Pacific Division situation, as well: Golden State, it can be argued, isn’t far from championship-contending status itself, while the deep-pocketed Lakers, though they’re highly unlikely to be at that level, are poised to chase after the likes of All-Star power forward Kevin Love next summer and further into the future, one of the Oklahoma City duo of league MVP Kevin Durant or Los Angeles native Russell Westbrook.

Time is of the essence, too, as Thibodeau isn’t the only initial candidate for the Warriors or Lakers. Most observers believe ex-Bulls sharpshooter and current television analyst Steve Kerr will join his former coach Phil Jackson in New York, and become the Knicks new head coach in the near future. But Kerr, who resides in California, is also a potential target for Golden State.

Another candidate for the Warriors is Iowa State head coach Fred Hoiberg, another former Bulls guard. Adding to the intrigue is the fact that, according to a league source, Hoiberg would be the Bulls’ first phone call if Thibodeau left Chicago.

The connections don’t stop there: Stan Van Gundy, brother of Thibodeau’s former boss, Jeff Van Gundy, is a name on the Warriors’ list. And yet another former Bulls guard, Kevin Ollie, fresh off a national championship at his alma mater, the University of Connecticut, is reportedly a candidate for the Lakers, the hometown team of the Los Angeles native.

The dominoes should start falling soon around the NBA, with at least a couple coaches still in the postseason believed by some people in the know to be coaching for their jobs: Scott Brooks, if Oklahoma City doesn’t advance, and certainly Frank Vogel after the Pacers’ tumultuous season, with the aforementioned Jackson seeming to be an excellent fit to repair locker-room chemistry, especially after having played for Indiana.

But don’t expect a peep out of Chicago, as Thibodeau weighs the merits of his current situation, from the Bulls’ promise next season to how the franchise was the first to give him a chance, and eventually decides to stay put or doesn’t move decisively enough to convince suitors that he’s interested.

Meanwhile, the organization as a whole will carry on, concerning itself with matters minor (finding a new D-League affiliation after Memphis monopolized the Iowa Energy) and major (the draft, Carlos Boozer’s status, the pursuit of Anthony and other free agents), knowing they have a Plan B and just watch the show.

Kevin Durant gives mother touching tribute after winning MVP.

By Marc J. Spears

Wanda Pratt received an early Mother's Day present on Tuesday that was better than any flowers, candy or cards she will receive on Sunday.

The NBA awarded Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant with this season's Most Valuable Player award. In a lengthy, tearful and poignant ceremony, Durant thanked his family members, every single teammate from Russell Westbrook to little-known Grant Jerrett, the entire Thunder coaching staff and organization, Oklahoma City and The Oklahoman newspaper for calling him "Mr. Unreliable."

It was a heartfelt moment for Durant, none more so than when he referenced Pratt, his mother.

"We weren't supposed to be here," Durant said. "You made us believe. You kept us off the street.
 
You put clothes on our backs. You put food on the table. When you didn't eat, you made sure we ate and [you] went to sleep hungry.

"You sacrificed for us. You're the real MVP."

Pratt said the magnitude of her son being named MVP had not really hit her prior to the ceremony. But after her son thanked her, members of Durant's family, the Thunder, season-ticket holders and VIPs in attendance gave both Durant and his mother a standing ovation. Hundreds of fans watching outside cheered, too.

Pratt immediately broke down in tears.

"I'm just kind of emotional about this day because he just worked so hard," Pratt told Yahoo Sports.
 
"He started working at this early, when he was 9 years old. To see it all come together for him, I'm just excited for him.

"It really goes back to what Kevin puts in. I'm sure there are so many guys in the league that work extremely hard every day. But I know how hard he works, I know his heart, I know what he gave early on in the early days, and how many sacrifices he made through the years to even prepare for this moment."

The MVP award was Durant's first in his seventh NBA season. It was also the first for a franchise that began as the Seattle SuperSonics during the 1967-68 season before moving to Oklahoma City in 2008. Durant captured 119 of 125 first-place votes and 1,232 total points. Miami Heat forward LeBron James, a four-time NBA MVP, received the other six first-place votes.

"Everything in my life, I had to go take it," Durant said. "Nothing was given to me."

Said Pratt: "I'm grateful for all the voters that voted his way, but I'm going to have to talk to the other six, though."

Durant battled with James for the MVP award all season. James said a day earlier that Durant deserved to win, ending his own pursuit of a third straight and fifth overall MVP.

James "definitely drives me and pushes me to reach [a higher] level as a player," Durant said. "It's a healthy competition."

Durant won the NBA's scoring title for the fourth time in five seasons averaging 32 points, along with a career-high 5.5 assists. He became the first NBA player to win the scoring title and the MVP in the same season since Allen Iverson in 2001. Durant led the Thunder to the NBA's second-best record at 59-23, despite OKC missing starting point guard Russell Westbrook for 36 games because of injuries.
 
Durant told his teammates it "meant the world to me" they all attended the ceremony. And when he talked about his teammates, Durant made a point to save Westbrook for last during the ceremony that lasted an hour.

"You got a big piece of this," Durant told Westbrook. "You're an MVP-caliber player. It's a blessing to play with you."

The Thunder aired a video montage that included everyone from players to fans to those affected by the tornadoes in Oklahoma praising Durant for his work on the court and in the community.

"This is the perfect place for me," Durant said of Oklahoma City.

Durant's humbleness has endeared him to teammates and staff alike.

"He just won the highest individual the National Basketball Association can offer, but the first thing he mentioned is this is our trophy," Thunder coach Scott Brooks said. "That's who he is, and that's the person we've all grown to love."

White Sox 5, Cubs 1

By Jack McCarthy, The Sports Xchange

Gordon Beckham went 4-for-5 and hit a go-ahead home run in the eighth inning, leading the Chicago White Sox to a 5-1 win over the Chicago Cubs on Tuesday, completing a two-game interleague series sweep at Wrigley Field.

Beckham, whose four hits tied a career high, sent a 1-2 pitch to left for a solo home run off Cubs right-handed reliever Neil Ramirez with two outs.

Ramirez (0-1) took the loss in his fifth appearance of the season. He gave up one run on two hits in one-third of an inning.

The White Sox added three runs in the ninth off right-handed reliever Pedro Strop. Catcher Tyler Flowers' double scored shortstop Alexei Ramirez with no outs. Center fielder Jordan Danks then doubled to center to drive home right fielder Moses Sierra and Flowers with one out, ending Strop's outing.

White Sox right-hander reliever Zach Putnam (1-0) worked two innings for the victory. Four White Sox pitchers held the Cubs to four hits.

Beckham, the White Sox second baseman who came off the disabled list April 23, hit his first homer of the season. Sierra went 4-for-4.

White Sox starter Hector Noesi departed after five innings with the score tied 1-1. A right-hander picked up off waivers from the Texas Rangers on April 25, Noesi allowed four hits and one walk. He struck out six.

Putnam entered in the sixth and worked two perfect innings before being pulled for a pinch hitter in the eighth.

Cubs starter Edwin Jackson worked seven innings. He gave up one run, six hits and no walks while striking out nine.

The White Sox opened a 1-0 lead in the fourth. Beckham led off with a single, advanced on a wild pitch and reached to third on first baseman Jose Abreu's sacrifice fly to right. Beckham scored on left fielder Dayan Viciedo's fielder's choice groundout to shortstop.

Sierra then singled with two outs, but the Cubs ended the inning without more damage as catcher Welington Castillo picked off Sierra with a throw to first baseman Anthony Rizzo.

Cubs leadoff batter Emilio Bonifacio evened the score with two outs in the fifth when he singled off Beckham's glove to drive in center fielder Junior Lake.

Left fielder Chris Coghlan advanced to third, but Noesi struck out third baseman Luis Valbuena to end the inning.

The interleague rivalry continues with night games at U.S. Cellular Field on Wednesday and Thursday.

NOTES: The Cubs are 0-4 in interleague play so far this season, as they also went 0-2 against the New York Yankees. They are 121-138 all-time against American League teams. ... LHP Travis Wood (2-3, 3.35 ERA) will make his 100th career start Wednesday against the White Sox at U.S. Cellular Field. ... White Sox LHP John Danks will start against the Cubs for the seventh time in his career. He's 3-2 with a 3.06 ERA vs. the Cubs. ... The White Sox are 174-134 (.565) all-time in interleague play, the fourth best record in the major leagues. ... RHP Matt Lindstrom has worked 25 scoreless innings with 20 strikeouts in 25 career appearances against the Cubs. ... Entering play Tuesday, the White Sox bullpen had a 1.65 ERA with 43 strikeouts in 15 games since April 20, the lowest in the American League in that span.

Golf glance.

By Tom LaMarre, The Sports Xchange

COMING UP

PGA TOUR: The Players Championship on the Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., Thursday through Sunday.

TV: Thursday and Friday, 1-7 p.m. EDT, on the Golf Channel; Saturday and Sunday, 12:30-2 p.m. EDT on the Golf Channel, and 2-7 p.m. EDT on NBC.

LAST YEAR: Tiger Woods survived a tee shot into the water to squander a two-stroke lead in the final round, but he rallied with a birdie two holes later and held on to beat Kevin Streelman, Jeff Maggert and Sweden's David Lingmerth by two strokes. Woods captured the Players for the second time, but it was 12 years between his titles on the Stadium Course, and this time he did it with help from Sergio Garcia. The Spaniard was tied for the lead with Woods after 16 holes of the final round, but Sergio hit two balls into the water on the famed 17th hole with its island green, and he made a quadruple-bogey 7. Then he hit his tee shot into the water and made a double-bogey 6 on the last hole to slide to a tie for eighth with a 4-over-par 76. Woods was in or near the lead all the way after opening with 67-67 before playing the weekend in 71-70.

CHAMPIONS TOUR: Regions Tradition at Shoal Creek Golf and Country Club in Shoal Creek, Ala., May 15-18.

TV: Thursday and Friday, 12:30-2:30 p.m. EDT; Saturday and Sunday, 3-5 p.m. EDT; on the Golf Channel each day.

LAST YEAR: David Frost of South Africa captured his first major on the Champions Tour by closing with a 4-under-par 68 to hold off Fred Couples by one stroke. Frost, who claimed his fifth victory on the senior circuit and second of the season, bounced back from his only bogey of the final round at No. 14, returning from a rain delay of just more than an hour to match Couples down the stretch with a birdie on the 16th hole and two closing pars. Couples, who also finished with a 68 that included a 3-foot birdie putt on the 15th hole to get him within one shot, missed a 15-foot putt for birdie on the final hole that might have forced a playoff. Frost, who won 10 times on the PGA Tour and has 30 victories in his pro career, wrapped up the victory by two-putting from 10 feet.

LPGA TOUR: Kingsmill Championship on the River Course at Kingsmill Resort in Williamsburg, Va., May 15-18.

TV: Thursday and Friday, 8:30-10:30 p.m. EDT; Saturday and Sunday, 5-7 p.m. EDT; on the Golf Channel each day.

LAST YEAR: Cristie Kerr claimed her third victory at Kingsmill, holing a 2-foot birdie putt on the second playoff hole to turn back Suzann Pettersen of Norway. Kerr, then 35, claimed her 16th victory on the LPGA Tour, including two majors, but has not won since. She won for the first time with her father, Michael, a Vietnam veteran, in attendance. Kerr closed with a 2-under-par 69, including a 6-foot putt for par on the 72nd hole, but she missed a putt to win from about the same distance on the first extra hole. Pettersen caught Kerr at the finish with a 67, and she barely missed a 30-foot birdie putt on the final hole that would have given her the victory. The Norwegian hit her approach shot over the green on the second hole and could not get up and down for par, a feat she accomplished on the first extra hole. She missed a long putt to extend the match to a third extra hole.

Power Rankings: All of the drivers at the top struggled at Talladega.

By Nick Bromberg

1. Jeff Gordon (LW: 1): Jeff Gordon still has the points lead and was atop Power Rankings last week, so we're going to keep him here even though he crashed. First off, penalizing someone for being caught up in a big restrictor plate crash can be harsh, and second, who the heck is going to vault over Gordon? Logano? Junior? Kenseth? Sometimes you just have to maintain the status quo.

No. 2 Dale Earnhardt Jr. (LW: 3): As we said Monday, there's no reason to be angry at Earnhardt Jr.'s pragmatism. Sure, you can disagree with his strategy, but there's a difference between anger and disagreement. And if you disagree with the strategy, you certainly see why he did what he did, right? Besides, he did have a good car and a chance at a good finish, he just backed off when he saw the chance dwindle.

No. 3 Joey Logano (LW: 2): Yes, Logano is penalized one spot for crashing. Hopefully this massive setback does not bruise his ego or confidence and he is able to recover. Or he can use it as fuel for a good finish at Kansas. That's what Power Rankings are here for anyway. You know that drivers are worrying about how a finish will affect them in Power Rankings rather than the points standings.

No. 4 Kyle Busch (LW: 5): Congratulations, Kyle! You were the only one of the top five from last week to finish in the top 15 at Talladega. And that merits a one-spot rise in the standings. Had Busch won the race or finished in the top five, we could have a case for the top spot of Power Rankings. However, it would be weird to reward a 12th place with a four spot jump, right?

No. 5 Matt Kenseth (LW: 4): Kenseth had a point in his post-crash remarks about Brad Keselowski. We'll get to why we can't be totally mad with Keselowski in his entry, but we see why Kenseth was disappointed and why he would think Keselowski would be saying something if the roles were reversed. Talladega is one of the only places where racing hard to get your lap back can eliminate that many bystanders.

No. 6 Kevin Harvick (LW: 6): Harvick holds steady, but similar to Busch, he could have made a leap with a better finish. Heck, it looked like Harvick was going to have a better finish briefly, but he was plain stuck outta luck in the middle lane and had no drafting help. He fell back and finished seventh. Oh, and if you want proof of how ridiculous the "Could Kevin Harvick fall out of the top 30?" questions were after Texas, he's already 19th in the standings.

No. 7 Denny Hamlin (LW: NR): Technically, it's Denny Hamlin's first restrictor plate win, but that's a bit of a misleading stat. We all remember the Budweiser Duel and the previous Sprint Unlimiteds. This was simply the restrictor plate randomness gods rewarding Hamlin with a points win. And now he's in the Chase and doesn't have to worry about the lack of points from California potentially hurting him at the end of the season.

No. 8 Jimmie Johnson (LW: 8): Yes, Power Rankings is really, really, really boring this week. But that's what happens when so many people in the rankings have issues. Johnson was caught up in a crash but didn't have enough damage to get knocked off the lead lap. He finished 23rd. We told you Power Rankings was really boring.

No. 9 Carl Edwards (LW: 9): Hey, another driver that crashed! What was fascinating about Edwards' incident is that he knew barreling into turn one that he had a problem and there was just nothing he could do about it. He had his left hand out the window signaling to everyone behind him to get out of the way, and for the most part it worked -- the crash could have been much worse. We give Edwards serious props for being able to handle the car into the turn with just one hand on the wheel.

No. 10 Kyle Larson (LW: 10): With all of the talk about Kyle Larson's driving abilty, wouldn't it be interesting to see his first win come at a restrictor plate track? Not that restrictor plate wins are devalued, but we've just heard so much about Larson that it seems his first win would be less fluky, for lack of a better term.

No. 11 Brad Keselowski (LW: 11): Here's why we can't totally fault Keselowski. Many drivers were talking about the different handling of the cars this year and his drive at the front is a perfect way to experiment for the fall Chase race. Plus, he was driving at ONE HUNDRED PERCENT, therefore he was following NASCAR's rules. Do other drivers have every right to be annoyed at the unwritten rule that Keselowski might have broken? Yes. Does Keselowski have the right to run up front for title-related reasons? Yes.

No. 12 A.J. Allmendinger (LW: 12): At first glance, Allmendinger should be higher, but where is he going to go? The Richard Childress Racing alliance is paying off for JTG-Daugherty big time this season. As is the switch in drivers. Is this a Chase team? Probably not. Is this a team that's going to be better than we were thinking? Probably.

Lucky Dog: How about the Michael Waltrip Racing cars finishing third and fourth? Clint Bowyer needed a good run and he got it.

The DNF: Oof, Tony Stewart finished last. After finishing ninth at Darlington, Stewart was 12th in the standings. He's now 21st.

Dropped Out: Ryan Newman

The MLS Wrap: Dempsey and Seattle the stars of season's first quarter.

By Ives Galarcep

Maybe it's because the looming World Cup is providing an understandable distraction, or maybe the influx of top American players made it easy to lose sight of the weeks flying by, but the 2014 MLS season has already hit the quarter mark and there is plenty to digest from an already-eventful season.

Clint Dempsey has buried concerns about his European success translating to MLS dominance as he has found a rich vein of form and has helped Seattle to an outstanding start to the season. The Sounders boast the league's best record at the quarter pole, and have done so despite an offseason roster overhaul that saw a half-dozen new veteran players brought on board.

Seattle isn't the only team that has enjoyed early success after an offseason shakeup. The Columbus Crew and FC Dallas are other examples of teams that added new coaches and/or players and are seeing positive early returns. Though the Crew and Dallas lost this past weekend, they have each exceeded expectations through the season's first quarter.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, there are also teams that have endured rough starts to 2014, like the Philadelphia Union, who are mired in an eight-match winless streak after what was widely regarded as a successful offseason of roster rebuilding. The Portland Timbers also endured a disappointing start to 2014, though Caleb Porter's side did just post its first win of the season this past weekend.

From an individual standpoint, we have seen some very impressive newcomers arrive in MLS and make immediate impacts, while the league's rookie class is still leaving something to be desired as few teams have incorporated those young players into their early-season plans.

Though there is still plenty of soccer left to play in the 2014 season, it is worth looking at the teams, players and coaches that have impressed, disappointed and made statements through the first quarter of the current MLS campaign.

MOST VALUABLE PLAYER

Clint Dempsey, Seattle Sounders. The U.S. national team captain has eight goals and three assists and looks to have benefited greatly from his loan stint at Fulham this past winter. He should head to the World Cup in good form, but the real question is whether he can keep up his current torrid pace when he returns from Brazil. Runner-up: Mauro Diaz, FC Dallas.

NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR

Pedro Morales, Vancouver Whitecaps. The Chilean playmaker has been a real revelation for the Vancouver Whitecaps, and is one of the keys to the team's solid start to 2014. He has shown that he can score goals as well as set them up. Runner-up: Gaston Fernandez, Portland Timbers.

DEFENDER OF THE YEAR

Chad Marshall, Seattle Sounders. The veteran has enjoyed a career renaissance since joining the Sounders from the Crew. An imposing presence in the middle who covers well for the rest of the defense, Marshall is also a threat on set pieces. Runner-up: Matt Hedges, FC Dallas.

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR

Harrison Shipp, Chicago Fire. The Rookie of the Year race already looks like a runaway, with Shipp looking extremely impressive while the rest of the rookie class struggles for playing time. Runner-up: Thomas McNamara, Chivas USA.

GOALKEEPER OF THE YEAR

Luis Robles, New York Red Bulls. With apologies to Nick Rimando, who has had some other-worldly performances in 2014, no goalkeeper has been as consistent and as important to his team's early success as Robles has been for the New York Red Bulls. Runner-up: Nick Rimando, Real Salt Lake.

COACH OF THE YEAR

Gregg Berhalter, Columbus Crew. Not an easy category to select, and while it might seem easy to select Sigi Schmid, what Berhalter has been able to do in transforming the way the Crew play has been one of the more impressive coaching accomplishments of the young season. Runner-up: Pablo Mastroeni, Colorado Rapids.

MOST IMPROVED PLAYER

Quincy Amarikwa, Chicago Fire. A journeyman forward with five seasons of experience prior to 2014, Amarikwa with four goals has already eclipsed his career high for goals in a season and has been one of the few bright spots to a rough start to the season for the Fire. Runner-up: Wil Trapp, Columbus Crew.

COACH MOST IN DANGER OF BEING FIRED

John Hackworth, Philadelphia Union. Chicago's Frank Yallop may still be looking for his team's first win, but it is Hackworth facing the most heat as we hit the quarter pole in 2014. An eight-match winless streak after an offseason that saw the team spend quite a bit to revamp the roster has to have Union owners thinking about a change. Runner-up: Frank Klopas, Montreal Impact.

MLS BEST XI

Luis Robles; Matt Hedges, Chad Marshall, Matt Besler, Seth Sinovic; Mauro Diaz, Kyle Beckerman, Federico Higuain; Clint Dempsey, Obafemi Martins, Alvaro Saborio

THE MLS WRAP WEEK NINE AWARDS

Player of the Week: Joao Plata. The speedy Real Salt Lake forward led his team's stirring comeback from two goals down on the way to a 3-2 victory over the Chicago Fire. He set up a goal and scored two more, including the stoppage-time winner.

Team of the Week: New England Revolution. The Revs won their first match in Toronto in club history, knocking off a full-strength Toronto FC side.

Rookie of the Week: Patrick Mullins. The New England Revolution first-round pick scored a beautiful equalizer, then drew the match-winning penalty to help the Revs knock off TFC.

18-year-old James Wilson scores brace on his Man United debut at Old Trafford.

By Brooks Peck

A day after 18-year-old James Wilson told Inside United magazine that he hoped his first team debut was "not too far off," Ryan Giggs made him a surprising inclusion Man United's starting XI against Hull City. Wilson promptly justified the decision by scoring a brace to help Man United to a 3-1 win.

With those two goals, Wilson becomes the first player in club history to score goals for the U-18, U-19, U-21 and first team in the same season and the fans at Old Trafford serenaded him with a "Wilson for England" chant as he came off for Robin van Persie in the 63rd minute. Though a spot on this summer's World Cup roster might be asking a bit much, hopes are very high for Wilson and he's wasted no time in proving why.

Wilson was on the bench for Man United's match against Newcastle earlier this season, but he did not play. Then manager David Moyes was eager to give him a chance, but when he got the sack Ryan Giggs (who was born Ryan Wilson, coincidentally) decided to do it himself. The timing of his debut seems to have come as a surprise to James Wilson, who is still a bit starstruck by the first teamers. Like Tom Cleverley.

From ManUtd.com:

"Hopefully it [my debut] is not too far off," he admitted. "It would be great and it’s what you work towards. Every time, I just think: ‘I could be in that first team’. 
"It would be great to get a few minutes on the pitch and a real experience to see how different the games are and the pace of it. I need to see how I deal with the atmosphere, the pressure and other factors. 
"It was great experience being with the team [at St James' Park] and learning how to act around the hotel by being professional. Even the warm-up was different – I was out there with Nemanja Vidic and Tom Cleverley."

He seems to have handled the atmosphere and pressure (and the awesome presence of Tom Cleverley) just fine. Perhaps even more impressive than the goals themselves, though, was the fact that in scoring his first he also gave Marouane Fellaini his first assist of the season. That alone is worth some kind of award.
 
Making the night all the dreamier was the fact that Wilson's parents were in the stands and loving every minute of it...

New NCAA governance would include 'celebratory kickoff event'.

By Dennis Dodd

NCAA membership received a slightly revised draft proposal last week as governance restructuring continues.
 
CBSSports.com obtained the 44-page document that contains few changes from the April 24 initial draft proposal. However, it does include the possibility of a “celebratory kickoff event” at the 2015 NCAA Convention to announce the new governance structure.

The committee also endorsed a move toward competency-based representation on NCAA governing bodies. It pointed out “specific quotas related to gender, ethnicity and other diversity factors …” Those quotas have been cited by critics as slowing down the legislative process.

The April 24 draft proposed the Big Five conferences be given authority to institute cost of attendance for athletes over and above full-ride scholarships.

How that cost of attendance would be structured is not close to being finalized. It is thought that schools that could afford such an expense that would pay between $1,000-$6,000 extra per player.

The latest draft continues to endorse legislative autonomy for the Big Five conferences (Big 12, Big Ten, SEC, ACC, Pac-12) as well as direct voting privileges to athletes. The steering committee says passage of legislation will “require” a super majority – two-thirds approval.

There's been a push back from In a memo accompanying the latest proposal obtained by CBSSports.com, NCAA Governance Structure Steering Committee chair Nathan Hatch tells members the proposal represents what the committee considers its “best judgments” at this time.

It singled out specific areas of discussion.

*Board of directors composition. How should the membership of the 22-member board be split up? Ten spots currently go to 10 CEOs representing the FBS conferences. At issue is how those 12 other seats should be awarded.

*Super majority vote for the Big Five to pass autonomous legislation. There are concerns among the Big Five that a two-thirds majority is too high a bar for them to jump. I went in-depth on those concerns last week.

That story details how the Big Ten has submitted a lower bar for legislation passage.

Bottom line, the steering committee seems open to discussion on the subject. If not, well, SEC commissioner Mike Slive was fairly adamant on the subject.

“We want to make sure autonomy means autonomy from start to finish,” he said.
 
Per the memo, “The Steering Committee would like to receive feedback regarding the appropriate majority vote and the reasoning for possible modification …”

*Whether the 27 conferences below the Big Five should have access to the Big Five's legislation. The memo asks whether Big Five legislation, “should be available automatically to all institutions, or by conferences, or should some matters require additional action by the 27 conferences before implementation?”

The feeling is that – for example – cost of attendance would be optional for all schools.
Obviously, the Big Five can afford it but no one would be excluded from Division I issues or voting rights if smaller schools can't.

*Composition of “The Council”: This new governing body of 38 members will be the principal voting group below the board. It is known that the Division I Faculty Athletic Representatives want more representation on the governing body.

The memo asks for “simple and creative solutions.” The Steering Committee supports ADs being 60 percent of The Council.

The memo also sets a timeline for adoption of the new model. The steering committee recommended conferences discuss further at spring meetings. Written comment on autonomy will be accepted between now and July 1.

The memo also confirms what CBSSports.com reported last week: In the interest of transparency, all comments will be made public following this 60-day review period.

The steering committee will take until mid-July to consider the feedback before making final changes to the model. A final recommended Division I governance structure will then be presented for adoption by the board of directors at its August 7 meeting.

Implementation would then be expected by January.

A senior year doesn't help most real NBA prospects like some suggest.

By Gary Parrish

Basketball is a sport now run, in lots of ways, by numbers that dictate what coaches and players do in certain situations. There are statistics that suggest when a team should and should not foul. There are statistics that suggest where specific players should be forced on a court. There are statistics that suggest which five-man lineups work best, and you get the sense that anybody with a basic understanding of the game who is A) willing to commit to the numbers, and B) capable of managing egos could theoretically guide a team.

That's an overstatement, probably.

But you get the point.

And yet still, when it comes to the NBA Draft, people tend to ignore the numbers and what they suggest -- especially in regard to commenting on whether college juniors who are not guaranteed first-round picks should or shouldn't forgo their senior seasons. I'm reminded of this each year when a junior who is a borderline first-round pick -- like Tennessee's Jarnell Stokes or Arizona's Nick Johnson -- declares, at which point there's a chorus of folks insisting they should've returned for their senior years and improved their stock enough to ensure a place in the following year's first round because second-round picks are usually screwed.

The problem with this unsolicited advice is that it ignores two realities.
  1. Juniors who are borderline first-round picks or projected second-round picks don't usually solidify a place in the first round with a senior year of college.
  2. Contrary to popular belief, the overwhelming majority of second-round picks aren't screwed. In fact, they usually end up with an NBA contract of some sort.
The first important thing to understand is that an average of just five seniors per year have been selected in the first round of the past five drafts, and, on average, only one senior has been picked in the lottery. So the idea that a junior who is a projected second-round pick can expect to return for his senior season and become a lottery pick is an idea rooted in fiction because that almost never happens. In fact, 17 of the 26 (65 percent) seniors who have been selected in the first round in the past five drafts have been picked between 20 and 30, and, again, only five seniors, on average, have been selected in the first round of the past five drafts. In other words, if you're a projected second-round pick after three years of college, you'll more than likely be a projected second-round pick after four years of college. That's what recent history tells us. Perhaps you'll be the exception -- like Michigan State's Adreian Payne, for instance. But, make no mistake, if you're a projected second-round pick after three years who is bound and determined to solidify a place in the first round, you are betting on becoming the exception to an established and undeniable rule.

Good luck.

The other important thing to understand is that being picked in the second round isn't the death sentence many pretend it to be because the overwhelming majority of college players selected in the second round do actually end up in the NBA, one way or another. In the past five years, 117 college players have been picked in the second round, and 93 of those have signed some sort of NBA contract. That's 80 percent. And even if you don't end up in the NBA as a second-round pick, there's usually a legitimate European option available, meaning prospects like Stokes and Johnson, even if they're not picked in the first round next month, will either still land on an NBA roster or in Europe with a contract in excess of $100,000 annually. So the best-case scenario is great and the worst-case scenario is still pretty good relative to what most folks face in the year immediately following their last year of college.

To be clear, I have no problem with juniors returning for their senior years.

There's nothing wrong with playing four years of college.

There's nothing wrong with getting a degree.

If that's what somebody wants to do, that's what he should do. My only point here is to figuratively roll my eyes at those who suggest a legitimate pro prospect who doesn't choose that path is somehow making a mistake even if he does get drafted in the second round because, again, most juniors who are projected second-round picks remain projected second-round picks after their senior years because, after three years of college, you typically are what you are as a prospect in the NBA's eyes, and, again, the overwhelming majority of second-round picks, regardless of class, actually end up with some kind of NBA contract anyway. That's what the past five years have taught us. And that's why Jarnell Stokes, Nick Johnson and every prospect like them will probably be just fine ... or, at least, no better-off or worse-off next month than they would've otherwise been next year after a final season of college basketball that might've been fun but, statistically speaking, probably not all that beneficial toward the goals they've set for themselves.

On This Date in Sports History: Today is Wednesday, May 7, 2014.

MemoriesofHistory.com

1925 - The Philadelphia Phillies had their 8th game in a row postponed.

1945 - Baseball owner Branch Rickey announced the organization of the United States Negro Baseball League. There were 6 teams.

1951 - Russia was admitted to participate in the 1952 Olympic Games by the International Olympic Committee.

1956 - Bill White (New York Giants) hit a home run on his first at bat.

1957 - Indian's pitcher Herb Score was hit in the face by a line drive by Gil McDougald.

1959 - At Los Angeles Coliseum, 93,103 people watched the Dodgers beat the New York Yankees.

1977 - Rookie Janet Guthrie set the fastest time on opening day of practice for the Indianapolis 500. Her time was 185.607.

1982 - A United States Federal jury ruled that the NFL violated antitrust laws by preventing the Oakland Raiders from moving to Los Angeles.

1983 - August Hoffman perform record 29,051 consecutive sit-ups.

1994 - The Denver Nuggets became the first NBA #8 seed to beat a #1 seed. The Nuggets beat Seattle.

1995 - The Minnesota Twins and the Cleveland Indians played 17 innings in 6 hours and 36 minutes. The Twins won 10-9.

2006 - Barry Bonds (San Francisco Giants) hit his 713th home run which brought him one home run away from tying Babe Ruth on the career list.

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