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"Paralyze resistance with persistence." ~ Woody Hayes, Legendary NCAA Football Coach at Ohio State University
How 'bout them Chicago Blackhawks? Kings-Blackhawks Preview, Let's go Hawks!!!
By JAY COHEN (AP Sports Writer)
The special teams have been awful. The faceoff circle has been a huge problem. Patrick Kane, Marian Hossa and Patrick Sharp have combined for one goal for the Chicago Blackhawks.
The defending Stanley Cup champions are in big trouble in the Western Conference final, down 3-1 to the rolling Los Angeles Kings.
But the Blackhawks are back at home for Game 5 on Wednesday night, and have dug out of similar trouble before.
''Just looking to win Game 5,'' coach Joel Quenneville said after the Blackhawks arrived back in Chicago on Tuesday afternoon. ''That's it. Get the momentum back and go from there.''
The previous time this series was in Chicago, the Kings seized the momentum with a five-goal third period in a 6-2 victory in Game 2.
It carried right over to a pair of impressive victories in Los Angeles that moved the Kings to the brink of their second Stanley Cup Final in three seasons.
Los Angeles has shredded Chicago's penalty-kill unit for five goals in its past 10 chances, while holding the Blackhawks to one power-play goal in their past 11 opportunities.
Anze Kopitar and the Kings have won 58 percent (106 of 184) of the faceoffs during the win streak, taking the puck-possession Blackhawks out of their game.
''We have veteran centermen,'' coach Darryl Sutter said after Los Angeles' 5-2 victory Monday night. ''All four of them have obviously been here for a while. You know, they take care of both ends of the ice. They pretty much run the game for us as centermen.''
The Kings' big advantage against the Blackhawks is a far cry from the beginning of the playoffs, when they lost their first three games against San Jose.
But they rallied past the Sharks in seven games, and then eliminated Anaheim after falling behind 3-2 in that series.
The twin rallies could help against Chicago. Los Angeles, which won the Stanley Cup in 2012, knows how important it is to quickly close out a team such as the Blackhawks while they are struggling.
''Every team has been through experiences which make them better, especially Stanley Cup championship teams like Chicago and us,'' forward Justin Williams said. ''We've been through a lot. Persevered through a lot. They're down 3-1. We're trying to squash them. They're trying to get some life.''
A year ago, the Blackhawks were down 3-1 to the Red Wings in the second round when they headed home for Game 5. Andrew Shaw then had two goals in a 4-1 victory that sparked a series-saving winning streak for Chicago.
The Blackhawks also lost their first three games in the first round against Vancouver in 2011, and got all the way back to a 2-1 overtime loss in Game 7.
They are drawing on those experiences for this series, while acknowledging the surging Kings are an entirely different problem.
''We're looking forward to getting out there tomorrow night,'' defenseman Brent Seabrook said.
''I know the guys were being upbeat on the plane this morning, at breakfast this morning. We're looking forward to getting out there tomorrow and trying to get some momentum back and start feeling good about ourselves again.''
Bear Down Chicago Bears!!! 'Hidden season' will be crucial for Bears' new defensive line.
By John Mullin
No area of the Bears’ defense needed more attention this offseason – actually, needed since mid-last season – than the defensive line.
And no area got more attention since the end of last season than the defensive line.
Because of that, no area arguably needs the 2014 “hidden season” – the offseason sessions before training camp, whether OTA’s or minicamps, many off-limits to outside observers – than the defensive line.
Those OTA’s will be underway Tuesday at Halas Hall. While the offense is largely intact from last season, from the standpoints of personnel, coaches and scheme, the defensive line is significantly different in all three of those standpoints.
“There are some significant changes in terms of the techniques that we’re going to play. How we’re going to fit the run. Some of our alignments. We’ll have some alternative fronts that we’ll play,” said defensive coordinator Mel Tucker. “I’m not sure how much of a difference you’ll see during the OTAs and things like that because we’re really going to work to the lay the foundation on our base principles and techniques, which will allow us to do pretty much anything we want to do down the road.”
For those reasons for the Bears especially, the hidden season looms large for a position group with most players new to each other, working under new coaches and in an evolving system.
“This time of year, whether it’s college and spring ball or the NFL and minicamps or OTAs, was the greatest time for a coach because you weren’t game-planning the next opponent,” said Paul Pasqualoni, hired as the new defensive-line coach on Jan. 16. “You just go out and have some fun for all the reasons you got in this business, which was to be a teacher.
“This time of year for the player is outstanding because he has a chance to work on his tools, his craft, putting tools in your toolbox.”
Mega-changes up front
If the season began today, only one starter from the 2013 defensive line would be on the field for the opponent’s first snap – defensive tackle Stephen Paea.
| POS. | 2013 starter | 2014 starter? |
| DLE | Corey Wootton | Lamarr Houston |
| 3T | Henry Melton | Jeremiah Ratliff |
| NT | Stephen Paea | Stephen Paea |
| DRE | Julius Peppers | Jared Allen |
And as far as Paea is concerned, the Bears invested their second pick in the draft in a defensive tackle projected to be a nose tackle – Ego Ferguson. Paea was the 53rd pick in the 2011 draft; Ferguson is the 51st of this year’s and roughly 20 pounds bigger than Paea, depending on the weigh-in day.
Player orientation was underway during the recent minicamp. “The pace is different as far as non-stop motor,” Ferguson said. “But LSU did a great job of preparing me for the defenses so it wasn’t as hard for me to catch on to the playbook.”
Position-switching: Bears move Jennings to nickel, Fuller to CB.
By John Mullin
Well, not really. He’s just in a different spot as the Bears begin OTA’s that are bringing together their entire squad, and that includes No. 1 draft pick Kyle Fuller, who materialized during Tuesday’s practice session at Jennings’ left-cornerback spot.
But Jennings wasn’t replaced; he was just inside covering the slot receiver in the nickel packages. Fuller was on the outside, Jennings’ normal spot over the past two seasons.
Ironically, the switch is something Jennings has been in looking forward to.
“I’ve been kind of wanting to play nickel since I got here,” said Jennings, who signed a four-year contract extension immediately after last season ended. “So now that I have the opportunity, I’m kind of excited about it. We’ll see how it goes.”
Fuller has more outright speed than the veteran, and typically the outside receivers are faster than the ones working the slot and middle of the field in nickel sets. Also, Fuller will be learning the different assignments and is projected as a starting cornerback, so the more experience and study he has at that position, the better.
“We feel like we have to get Kyle on the field,” Jennings said. “We have to get him on the field running. So whether he has to play corner or I have to play nickel, we all have to take our jobs and do what they ask us to do and hopefully we can turn this thing around.
“[Early in his career] I wanted to get on the field as much as I can and as quick as I can. Whatever it was going to take. We had, it seemed like the cornerback spot was kind of solidified with the guy that were here before I got here so if I had to play nickel, I wanted to play nickel. I just wanted to get on the field. It’s the same mindset.”
Just another Chicago Bulls Session… Bulls to participate in NBA's Las Vegas Summer League.
By Mark Strotman
The Bulls will have two chances to find impact players in June's NBA Draft, meaning their Summer League team should be as intriguing as ever.
The NBA announced Tuesday that 24 teams will participate in the Samsung NBA Summer League 2014, taking place in Las Vegas from July 11 to July 21. Teams will compete in three preliminary round games from July 11-15 and then will be seeded in a tournament, ultimately playing for a spot in the championship game on July 21. Per the press release, each team is guaranteed at least five games.
The Bulls, owners of the No. 16 and No. 19 picks in the upcoming NBA Draft, are among those teams, and it will be fans' first chance to see those players compete in a Bulls uniform. Sophomore Tony Snell likely will compete, but outside of those potential three players (and the Bulls' No. 49 pick in the draft) it's unknown who else will be on the roster. Everyone on the current NBA roster, minus 23-year-old Greg Smith, has at least three years of NBA experience.
For what it's worth (very little, if anything), the Bulls are 12-13 all-time in five seasons in the Summer League. That's fifth worst among the 24 teams participating. In case you were wondering, Houston's .800 winning percentage (24-6) leads the way while 2013 champion Golden State (.690, 29-13), Atlanta, Miami and Charlotte round out the top-five.
If you don't want to shell out the money for plane tickets to Sin City (game tickets go on sale June 1), NBA TV will televise the games. This year's Summer League will hold a bit of extra intrigue, as 10 of the 12 teams owning Lottery picks in the draft will participate. That includes Cleveland (No. 1), Milwaukee (No. 2), Philadelphia (No. 3, No. 10), Utah (No. 5) and the Los Angeles Lakers (No. 7), so there's a good chance players such as Joel Embiid, Andrew Wiggins, Chicago native Jabari Parker and Julius Randle will be competing.
The other 13 teams competing are: San Antonio, Denver, Phoenix, Minnesota, Portland, Toronto, Dallas, Sacramento, New York, Washington, Los Angeles Clippers, New Orleans, and one D-League team.
Last year the Bulls' Summer League team was coached by assistant Adrian Griffin, who is one of the favorites for the Cleveland Cavaliers' head coaching vacancy.
Oklahoma City, led by the brilliance of Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant, ties its series with San Antonio.
By Kelly Dwyer
San Antonio can blame itself for letting the Oklahoma City Thunder tie the Western Conference finals. It can point to the absence of ball movement and cutting, the inability to communicate properly on both ends, and coach Gregg Popovich can lament his team’s lack of “physicality.” Look in the mirror all you want, guys.
The Oklahoma City Thunder are winning games, here. The team won on Tuesday night, taking Game 4 of the conference finals by a 105-92 score, evening the series and making the Spurs look both old (sounds about right) and discombobulated (sounds completely unlike them) in the process. The Thunder’s ability to force the Spurs into over-dribbling and harried finishes around the rim led to an endless series of transition scores for OKC, led by perhaps Russell Westbrook’s finest game as a pro.
Russell has scored more, dished more, rebounded more and stolen more basketballs in an NBA game, but considering scene and the stakes, this was something special, with the only thing coming close being his 43-point, seven-rebound Game 4 of the 2012 NBA Finals in a loss. The oft-criticized guard had 40 points in 45 (!) minutes in the blowout win, totaling 10 assists, five steals, five rebounds and just three turnovers despite having to act as the lead guard in an unending series of Oklahoma City pushes.
Westbrook managed to mine that fine line between acting as either dangerous to his opponents or dangerous to his own team, repeatedly looking to push the action on both ends, acting as the biggest component in Oklahoma City’s 17 fastbreak points. The continued presence of forward Serge Ibaka, back for a second straight game after missing the first two Thunder losses of this series with a calf injury, paid dividends as San Antonio seemed unsure of its offensive cuts and curls in the first half. Ibaka has registered seven blocks in two games, but once again it was his ability to dissuade San Antonio from its pass-pass-pass-past-layup offense that played the biggest role in the win.
Ibaka and Westbrook were so prominent that a gorgeous outing from Kevin Durant went just about overlooked. Durant tossed in 31 points while making half his shots, adding five boards and five assists, while declining to turn the ball over in nearly 42 minutes of play. The Thunder only coughed it up seven times as a team, in spite of the squad’s breakneck pace; and while San Antonio’s 13 turnovers weren’t the end of the world, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich probably doesn’t think it’s that far off from a Thunder-rich Armageddon.
Popovich rightfully threw in the towel midway through the third quarter, going with an active bench lineup featuring Cory Joseph, Boris Diaw, Matt Bonner, Marco Belinelli and Aron Baynes down the stretch in anticipation of a Game 5 pitched some 48 hours from Tuesday night. The group played well, with both Diaw and Belinelli tossing in some needed confidence-boosting shots from the field. Joseph, Bonner and Baynes may not see any action in a potentially-close Game 6, but the Spurs badly need Marco and Boris to let this carry over until Thursday night.
The Spurs’ coaching staff doesn’t like the fact that the team’s ball movement has gone away, with shades of San Antonio’s 2012 collapse dotting each of the court’s corners, but one has to credit the stellar play of the Thunder for wresting this one away. Oklahoma City may not be able to rely on steals and pell-mell transition forays for the entirety of this series, for however long it goes on for, but the team does have several counters the Spurs can’t match.
San Antonio can’t stop Westbrook when his jumper, footwork, and timing are on.
San Antonio can’t stop Durant both on and away from the ball.
San Antonio has yet to figure out how to attack Ibaka and use his aggressiveness against him with extra passing and better finishing.
And San Antonio does have a history here. James Harden might be gone, and we’re two years removed from 2012, but the Spurs have watched it crumble before, and they can’t go out in a blaze of over-dribbling and complaining between teammates.
This isn’t to discredit the Thunder’s abilities, nor the team’s acumen in putting a sound gameplan together, and executing. This wasn’t a lucky win – Oklahoma City’s talking on defense was superb, it found the extra man on offense during a killer third-quarter run, and the team didn’t lose this contest because San Antonio screwed up. The Thunder took this.
Still, you get the feeling – if you’ll pardon the terrible, unintended pun – that the Thunder sometimes blow great teams out by catching lightning in a bottle with their all-out play. That sometimes these chances won’t sustain into positive endings. That sometimes those flickers of OKC brilliance will be, eventually, countered.
Lightning sometimes strikes the same place twice, though. Sometimes, it might even strike four times in seven chances. The Spurs have a series on their hands, mainly because the Thunder took the ball right out of their mitts.
10 Degrees: As MLB looks for Bud Selig's successor, Jerry Reinsdorf makes power grab.
By Jeff Passan
For as long as anyone can remember, Jerry Reinsdorf has operated in this completely incongruous sphere of the baseball universe: a large-market owner with a small-market worldview. One would think the billionaires who own ballclubs these days would see through the façade and recognize the endgame: Reinsdorf values power over money. The latter can lead to the former. The former always leads to the latter.
Naked as Reinsdorf's intentions are, the low-revenue teams have fallen in line behind the Chicago White Sox owner because he has what they don't: Bud Selig's ear. Reinsdorf and Selig are comrades from the old labor wars in which the two helped inspire owners to collude against players on multiple occasions. When you fight and fight dirty against the most powerful union in the United States, it's no surprise to see the bond last for more than three decades.
And yet even Selig, whose greatest attribute as baseball's commissioner has been his political acumen in keeping those large and small markets from warring as revenue increased seven-fold, should have seen this coming. As Selig pushes for his deputy, Rob Manfred, to take over as the next commissioner upon his retirement after this season, Reinsdorf is doing what he does best: whipping votes in a manner that would make Frank Underwood proud.
Reinsdorf has somewhere between 12 and 14 votes in his pocket at any given time, and he is deploying them in an effort to block Selig from delivering the commissionership to Manfred without so much as a discussion, sources familiar with ownership politics believe. That plan, as the New York Times outlined, failed, as did Reinsdorf's counter that would have implemented a three-man cabal atop the sport – including him.
It was a savvy play, certainly, and that Reinsdorf still wields as many votes as he does – while some have absconded, sources said, Manfred remains shy of the 24 he would need for confirmation – speaks to the nature of how well he plays the game. When men in power see that power waning, their most desperate instincts take over.
Truth is, Manfred represents much of what owners have come to value in a commissioner. He grabbed ahold of the changing power dynamics in labor relations and returned them to MLB after the union spent decades wiping the floor with the league. He is exceedingly bright and devilishly funny. He will fight and, in keeping with the tack of MLB past, fight dirty. He knows the game, the people. He wrote the labor agreements that have kept peace for nearly 20 years.
His sin in Reinsdorf's eyes is two-fold. Manfred recognizes the large markets ultimately run the game because they're the ones that generate massive revenue. That one is forgivable because, well, it's true. More egregious is this: Manfred calls Reinsdorf out on his politicking. And the only thing more dangerous than a powerful man is one who tells the truth about how he lassoed that power.
Reinsdorf's move put Selig in an interesting position. The fallout is just beginning. Owners were fighting to get on the succession committee that will recommend candidates, sources said, fearful that were it up to him …
1. Bud Selig would railroad Manfred right to the top. Selig's rationale makes sense. Rob Manfred knows where all the bodies from the Selig Era are buried, and nothing would ensure the key to that graveyard gets lost quite like emboldening its possessor.
Other names are being kicked around because they must. Each makes some sense, from Braves CEO Terry McGuirk (broadcasting background, stadium-funding experience) to Giants CEO Larry Baer (success in business, even with the A's stadium debacle largely on account of San Francisco asserting its territorial rights), Tigers president Dave Dombrowski (well-respected and -connected in the commissioner's office) to Disney chairman Bob Iger (big name, big brand).
They're all still long shots, seeing that –
2. Rob Manfred has support in a lot of the right places. The Yankees stand firmly by him, the prosecution of Alex Rodriguez a big plus. Red Sox owner John Henry has told others he appreciates how Manfred views large-market teams: not just as revenue generators but teams whose support of smaller markets is vital to the game's health.
More than anything, a look at the history of commissionerships shows a distinct trend. Now, certainly, the sample size is minute, and the four major sports each operate differently, but succession lines say something.
• NFL: Bert Bell (NFL owner) to Pete Rozelle (NFL executive) to Paul Tagliabue (NFL lawyer) to Roger Goodell (NFL COO)
• NBA: Larry O'Brien (politician) to David Stern (NBA lawyer) to Adam Silver (NBA lawyer)
• NHL: Clarence Campbell (NHL referee) to John Ziegler (NHL owner) to Gil Stein (NHL lawyer) to Gary Bettman (NBA lawyer)
Though only baseball has a history of bringing in outsiders – from Fay Vincent to Peter Ueberroth to Spike Eckert, the Air Force Lieutenant General – that's far too imprudent today. Especially with a labor agreement expiring in 2016 and the union wanting to get back some of what it lost in the 2011 CBA.
In the eyes of ownership whose return on investment continues to mushroom, status quo will suit them just fine. Of course, status quo is what got the …
3. Boston Red Sox to the point they're at now: losers of 10 in a row before scratching out a win Monday afternoon, sporting a grisly .420 winning percentage and wondering where the mojo of 2013 went. Boston's offseason amounted to re-signing Mike Napoli, replacing Jarrod Saltalamacchia with A.J. Pierzynski and hoping the exact same rotation as last year would perform just as well.
It hasn't. Clay Buchholz is a mess. Felix Doubront isn't a whole lot better. Their second-biggest signing this offseason, reliever Edward Mujica, brought ERA under 7.00 on Monday for the first time since the Boston's opening series. Dustin Pedroia's OPS is down more than 200 points from last May 24. Daniel Nava just got back from Triple-A after a banishment on account of Grady Sizemore, who seems to have left his comeback in Fort Myers.
The frustration showed when Boston’s bench had its little feelings hurt by Yunel Escobar stealing third base with a five-run lead Sunday. Perhaps the greatest sign of a team on tilt is when unwritten-rules violations turn into benches-clearing affairs. Whatever Escobar said to Boston doesn't matter. When a team is on its way to falling one defeat short of a record for a year-after-championship losing streak, it needs to wear every indignity. Brawling doesn’t show fight. Having the self-discipline not to brawl does.
The Red Sox aren't this bad. They're not close. It's difficult to lose 10 games in a row. No, really. Even if you believe the Red Sox are a .420 team – and talent says they're far better than that – the chances of them dropping 10 straight is 0.017 percent, about one in 5,882. Right now they're better than only the Astros, Cubs and Diamondbacks, and the …
4. Toronto Blue Jays are 8½ games up on Boston and at least two on the rest of the AL Least. Not only does the East have the worst run differential of any division – the closest to its minus-34 is the AL Central at minus-27 – its future doesn't look altogether great, either.
Boston is lost. The Rays are still without three-fifths of their opening day rotation. Baltimore just traded for Nick Hundley because it worries more by the day Matt Wieters will need season-ending elbow surgery. The Yankees' rotation is a hot mess. And there are the Jays, with their immensely talented offensive cornerstones, Jose Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion, and Mark Buehrle destroying hitters at 83 mph, and a chance. Their bullpen remains a fire hazard, even with the return of Casey Janssen, though the Blue Jays can find help there.
More imperative is whether they've got a big move in them. Remember, the team's highest-paid veterans agreed to defer money during spring training to land Ervin Santana. They dabbled in several trade discussions, including ones that will pick up steam in the coming weeks, seeing as …
5. Jeff Samardzija should hit the market anytime now as the Cubs look to cash in on the most superlative stretch of winless baseball in history. The 29-year-old's 1.68 ERA is one one-hundredth of a point behind Adam Wainwright for the major leagues' best. Samardzija's zero victories going into Monday, meanwhile, ranked last.
Getting off the schneid, naturally, took Samardzija giving up the most runs he had all season. The Cubs happened to give him some run support finally, and his 10-strikeout, no-walk performance against the Giants was emblematic of how he has pitched the rest of the season. An 0-4 record going into the game was truly the most misleading number in all of baseball this year. Now, that title belongs to Samardzija's 1-4 record.
Over the past five years, 19 regular starters had gone this deep into the season without a victory. They weren't terribly good company. Jeremy Hefner led the major leagues in winless ERA last year – at 5.00. The closest imitation to 2014 Samardzija came from Ryan Dempster in 2012, when he was with the Cubs, because of course he was. Through seven starts, he had gone 0-2 with a 2.28 ERA, about three-quarters of a run worse than Samardzija with half the loss total.
When the Cubs do trade him – and they will, seeing as their austerity plan is stretching much longer than anticipated and doesn't include nine figures for a guy without a long track record and in his 30s – they can say they're offering the best pitcher in baseball this season and not be exaggerating that much. For anyone other than …
6. Troy Tulowitzki to make the same claim on the hitting side of the ball would be practically actionable. He still leads the major leagues in hitting. And on-base percentage. And slugging percentage. And runs. He's right there with 14 home runs. He's got the third-highest walk-to-strikeout ratio, and is one of just 13 players with more walks than Ks. He is also, according to the two most popular defensive metrics, either the second- or third-best fielder in the game. So there's that. Plus, when San Francisco alluded to him maybe stealing signs at home, his walk-up music was "The Sign" by Ace of Base.
How good has Tulo been? Let's say he goes into a crazy funk, and that for the rest of the season he hits at the 10th percentile of Baseball Prospectus' forecast for him: .259/.328/.458. Even with those mediocre numbers over the final three-quarters of the year, he still would finish the year at .288/.366/.525.
In history, only 20 shortstops have triple-slashed that line or better in a full season. Derek Jeter did it just once. Same with Barry Larkin. And Cal Ripken. And Robin Yount. And Lou Boudreau and Joe Cronin and Arky Vaughan and Travis Jackson and Honus Wagner. Troy Tulowizki has done it four times. If he does it this year, he'll tie Alex Rodriguez for the most seasons at those thresholds. They're arbitrary, yes, but at least they lend some credence to those already anointing Tulowitzki the game's best player when it's clear …
7. Mike Trout still deserves that title. Granted, Tulowitzki is making a far better argument than anyone else has the last two seasons, but such titles don't exchange hands because of a quarter of a season, no matter how great that quarter was.
It's not like Trout turned into some hack overnight. He's OPSing .913. He's got 10 home runs. He's playing center field like a man possessed. Plenty have groused about the strikeouts (they're too high) and stolen bases (too low), and both concerns are legitimate, particularly for a 22-year-old who heretofore hadn't exhibited any flaws worth griping about.
The closest thing to a complaint about Trout heading into this season was his mediocre outfield arm. And there he was Friday night, unleashing a rope from right-center field to nab Nori Aoki trying to tag up and take third base. Trout took that criticism to heart. He started long tossing more, building up arm strength. And voila. Another reason …
8. Miguel Cabrera still lags behind Trout and didn't deserve either MVP the last two years.
(Ducking. Hiding. OK, safe to come out yet? No. All right. Simmer down now. Just an opinion. Rooted in facts. Fine. Let's agree to disagree. So long as you know you're wrong.)
Still, after Cabrera's brutal first month, watching him tee off to the tune of .385/.419/.641 since April 22 has allowed for a wonderful month-plus of Detroit baseball. Even better than Victor Martinez's .353/.406/.664, which is saying something, because he looks like a switch-hitting reincarnate of someone sharing his surname. Victor doesn't walk as much as Edgar Martinez, but he damn sure can hit, allowing Detroit to forget about …
9. Prince Fielder, although, reality is, he was forgotten long before the Tigers traded him to the Rangers. Detroit wanted to purge its organization of Fielder's long-term commitment. Texas took it on, and now it's without a first baseman – and without much of a sense where to go this year – following the diagnosis that Fielder needs neck surgery.
Coming back is not impossible. Coming back well is indeed trying, though considering Fielder's deal, he's got all the time in the world to remedy it. The Rangers need a healthy Fielder. Even if their revenues are bigger, they're not the Yankees or Dodgers. They can't afford a nine-figure mistake. That's the sort of spirit …
10. Bud Selig has embraced in recent years: Don't waste money, make it. For all the questions about his real legacy, those who default to steroids or the strike or the All-Star tie should know better. Bud Selig's story is about how the ultimate outsider became the ultimate survivor.
All these years surrounded in boardrooms by arrogant alphas looking to one up another, and Bud Selig, with his ubiquitous red tie, running the thing, a master puppeteer. He formed alliances of his own, like with Jerry Reinsdorf, and they proved very loyal.
He loaded his succession committee with friendly faces from big markets (Reinsdorf, Phillies president Dave Montgomery and Angels owner Arte Moreno) and small (Pittsburgh owner Bob Nutting and Minnesota owner Jim Pohlad). He put St. Louis owner Bill DeWitt Jr. in charge. He told them to find a new commissioner, even though they knew who he wanted.
Where Selig goes next will be fascinating. He's not afraid to roll heads. He got rid of his close friend and COO Bob DuPuy because he believed DuPuy was too hungry for the commissionership. That was Selig's. His name, his office, his story.
It's all so alluring, even at 80 years old, and it makes you wonder: What if the Reinsdorf caucus works in blocking Manfred? And what if no other viable candidate separates him or herself from the rest. Would it really happen? After all this fanfare? The succession panel knows one candidate it absolutely loves, and his name is Bud Selig. He insists he is done. Mind you, he insisted the same at least twice before and didn't retire then, either.
Until then, the politicking on Park Avenue will go in full force. Usually, one source said, "What Jerry wants, Jerry gets." Only that's changing. Reinsdorf's power is melting away, ceding to a new regime. One that, if it really is up to Bud Selig, will look an awful lot like the old one.
Jeff Samardzija finally gets first win and beer shower from Cubs.
By Patrick Mooney
The Cubs ambushed Jeff Samardzija with a beer shower after he finally got a “W” next to his name.
You could smell Samardzija’s Bud Light cologne as he stood at his locker after Monday’s 8-4 victory over the San Francisco Giants. The Cubs cranked up the music and celebrated inside AT&T Park’s visiting clubhouse.
Samardzija guessed he got his last beer shower after he earned his first career save in the whirlwind summer of 2008, and he partied when the Cubs clinched the division that September.
“It’s been awhile,” Samardzija said. “I’d rather just drink the beer than pour it on me, but, whatever.”
The Cubs won’t be popping champagne bottles anytime soon. But as the most sought-after pitcher on the trade market, Samardzija could still get the chance to put on goggles and spray the room somewhere in October.
“I smell great,” Samardzija said. “They got me. This game will tell you a lot about yourself, man. You just got to keep doing your work and go start to start. Every start’s a new start. It’s a new day. Guys played amazingly for me today out there. I know they’ve been wanting it as much as I did.”
Memorial Day is a mile marker on the long road to September. The Cubs are 19-30 and trapped in last place and will be sellers. Samardzija had woken up with a 1.46 ERA, the lowest in major-league history without a win through the first 10 starts of a season.
Beating the best team in baseball felt like par for the course in this wacky season of Cubbie Occurrences. It’s everything from CakeGate, a Comiskey Park mural on Wrigley Field, Ricketts vs. Rooftops and Manny Being Manny.
A Big Z moment would have been understandable, but Samardzija kept his composure on the mound and during some edgy postgame news conferences inside Wrigley Field’s interview room/dungeon.
Were you ever close to going off?
“Not really,” Samardzija said. “I get more mad at myself when I have bad pitch selections and things like that. Throughout the year, I feel like I’ve been pretty happy with how I’ve been pitching. The ball just hasn’t bounced my way. And if you start letting that stuff get to you, then it’s probably going to snowball on you.”
All along, Samardzija (1-4, 1.68 ERA) believed in karma and that things would even out (though a cynic could interpret that as his luck changing once he’s traded to a contender). Two industry sources doubted the Giants (32-19) have the pieces needed to put together a deal, while a National League source heard the Colorado Rockies have explored the idea of making a run at Samardzija.
“People try to downplay the whole record thing,” Samardzija said. “But as a starting pitcher, I think it’s important. I do think there’s something to be said about it and how you pitch. I care.”
This ended an unbelievable run for Samardzija, whose last win came Aug. 24, 2013 in San Diego. He lasted seven innings on a sunny afternoon by the San Francisco Bay, performing in front of the 272nd consecutive sellout crowd at AT&T Park.
“It’s a relief for everybody,” manager Rick Renteria said.
There was a here-we-go-again feeling when Samardzija’s fielding error led to an unearned run in the first inning. But he slammed a game-tying double off the right-field wall in the fifth inning and scored a go-ahead run. He notched double-digit strikeouts (10) for the sixth time in his career and didn’t walk anyone while giving up four runs.
“Not once has he been negative about the run support or not having a win,” said outfielder Nate Schierholtz, who homered for the first time this season against his old team. “He’s behind the team every day and he works his butt off.”
“He’s been the same every day,” second baseman Darwin Barney said. “He comes in and he likes his job. He’s a good teammate. You can’t get five or 10 or 20 wins until you get that first one.”
Samardzija curiously pitched to one batter in the eighth inning after hitting for himself, throwing 109 pitches and not looking too happy when Renteria took the ball.
“He told me before I went out it was going to be a quick hook,” Samardzija said.
So Samardzija’s teammates picked him up and finished the job. And then poured Bud Light all over him.
A close look at 10 players who could be the next best in professional golf.
By T. J. Auclair
Who will be the next of the best in professional golf? As we've seen over the last couple of years, there's a lot more parity on the PGA Tour.
You may see a guy win one week, think to yourself, "Who is he?" and then the next thing you know he's contending and winning a lot more (Example: Jimmy Walker).
For the purposes of this piece, we wanted to examine players under the age of 30 who have already made a splash, are making a splash, or who we anticipate to make a splash in the not too distant future.
Here are 10 players you can expect to see contending for majors and battling for the No. 1 World Ranking over the next several years.
1. Rory McIlroy Age: 25 Current World Ranking: 6 Number of PGA Tour victories: 6 Number of European Tour victories: 6 Best finish in a major: Won the 2011 U.S. Open and the 2012 PGA Championship Why you need to watch: Among his fellow pros on this list, McIlroy is the lone player to have already won a major championship and also hold the world's No. 1 ranking. As we all know, 2013 was a down year for McIlroy for a host of reasons -- off-the-course business that was taking his mind off golf and an equipment change that took some adjusting. On Sunday in the European Tour's flagship event -- the BMW PGA Championship -- McIlroy won on that Tour for the first time since the end of 2012. He's the type of player who we've seen be dominant once before and -- if everything falls into place -- there's no reason to think he can't be dominant, and for a long time, once again.
2. Jordan Spieth Age: 20 Current World Ranking: 10 Number of PGA Tour victories: 1 Number of European Tour victories: 0 Best finish in a major: T2 at the 2014 Masters Why you need to watch: Out of every player on this list -- with the lone exception of McIlroy who has been there, done that and will likely do it again -- it's probably safe to say Spieth has the most upside. In 37 starts on the PGA Tour as a professional, Spieth has finished in the top 25 on 24 occasions, highlighted by a win at the 2013 John Deere Classic. Though he hasn't won since the John Deere, Spieth has become a regular contender. Some might knock his perceived inability to close out a tournament. Not me. That comes with time and 75 percent of the challenge is putting yourself in a position to win, which he's doing. The wins will come. What impresses me most are the tournaments where he's putting himself in contention -- Augusta National, TPC Sawgrass, Colonial, East Lake, Pebble Beach, Harbor Town -- the best of the best.
3. Jason Day Age: 26 Current World Ranking: 7 Number of PGA Tour victories: 2 Number of European Tour victories: 0 Best finish in a major: Second at the 2011 U.S. Open; T2 at the 2011 Masters and 2013 U.S. Open Why you need to watch: First off, isn't it a little bit hard to believe that Day is only 26 years old? It feels like he's been around forever. And, yes, while he is one of those players you'd expect to have won more on Tour, I'm giving him the same pass as Spieth. It takes time to learn how to win. The only thing that scares me about Day are injuries. This season, after winning the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship, it's a thumb injury that's forced him to miss time and not be at his best when he is able to play. Any injury that involves any part of the hands is scary for a golfer. That's where all the feel is. I'm optimistic that Day will heal and when he does, I wouldn't be surprised to see him rattle off some multiple-win seasons.
4. Dustin Johnson Age: 29 Current World Ranking: 14 Number of PGA Tour victories: 8 Number of European Tour victories: 0 Best finish in a major: T2 at the 2011 Open Championship Why you need to watch: DJ just barely made his way onto this list... but that's only because of his age. He'll turn 30 in late June. Talent-wise, we always hear there may be no better pure athlete walking the fairways today (with the arguable exception of Gary Woodland who, by the way, turns 30 on May 22). There are a couple of factors that make Johnson stand out -- 1. His ability to bounce back from and forget a heartbreaking defeat like he suffered at the 2010 U.S. Open and the 2011 PGA Championship; 2. His winning consistency. Johnson has won on the PGA Tour in every season since 2008 (including this one. Even though his last victory -- the WGC-HSBC Champions -- came last November it was part of the new wraparound schedule). He's got more PGA Tour wins than anyone else on this list.
5. Rickie Fowler Age: 25 Current World Ranking: 37 Number of PGA Tour victories: 1 Number of European Tour victories: 0 Best finish in a major: T5 at the 2011 Open Championship and the 2014 Masters Why you need to watch: In terms of popularity amongst the younger crowds in the game, there may be no one more popular than Fowler. He certainly has a fashion style that's his own. The competitor in Fowler would love nothing more than for us to be talking less about his clothes and more about wins. To date, he has that lone PGA Tour win, which came at the Wells Fargo Championship in 2012 in a playoff with Rory McIlroy and D.A. Points. People genuinely want Fowler to be the face of the game -- you'd be hard pressed to find a nicer person. He's charismatic. He possesses a swing that's very much his own and not the cookie-cutter variety you see with a lot of Tour players. He just needs to get it done down the stretch. Again, like Spieth and Day before him on this list, that will come with time.
6. Harris English Age: 24 Current World Ranking: 43 Number of PGA Tour victories: 2 Number of European Tour victories: 0 Best finish in a major: T15 at the 2013 Open Championship Why you need to watch: English won as an amateur on the Web.com Tour and has victories in consecutive seasons -- 2013 and 2013-14 -- on the PGA Tour. His game has it all. He may not have the same star power as the players before him on this list -- he's just not flashy -- but don't let that fool you. In crucial stat categories like birdies made, greens hit in regulation and scoring average, English is sixth or better in all of them. In fact, his scoring average of 69.68 is tops on Tour. He plays a steady game with few mistakes... almost reminds you of fellow Sea Island, Ga., residents Matt Kuchar and Davis Love III.
7. Patrick Reed Age: 23 Current World Ranking: 26 Number of PGA Tour victories: 3 Number of European Tour victories: 0 Best finish in a major: Missed cut in lone major start at 2014 Masters Why you need to watch: Go ahead and laugh. Most people do these days when they hear Reed's name because of the brazen, unsolicited, "top-5 in the world," comments he made after winning at Doral this year in the WGC-Cadillac Championship. While it's wise for young professionals to let others toot their horn, Reed gets the last laugh. Do you realize he has three victories since last August? The only other player with three wins in a shorter amount of time recently is Jimmy Walker with three victories since last October. Whether you like him or not, we can all agree that Reed is a confident guy. I think we can also agree that based on his record, he should be.
8. Seung-Yul Noh Age: 22 Current World Ranking: 99 Number of PGA Tour victories: 1 Number of European Tour victories: 1 Best finish in a major: T21 at the 2013 PGA Championship Why you need to watch: OK, so Noh isn't a household name here in the U.S. just yet, but the South Korean should be on your radar at least after his win in the Zurich Classic of New Orleans a few weeks ago. What's also impressive about Noh is that he's won on every tour he's played -- PGA Tour, European Tour, Asia Tour, Web.com Tour. Noh is coached by Sean Foley, who also dishes swing advice to the likes of Justin Rose, Hunter Mahan and Tiger Woods. Once asked about what makes Noh so good, Foley joked with a play on his pupil's name, "Soon you'll know." We're just beginning to find out.
9. Peter Uihlein Age: 24 Current World Ranking: 92 Number of PGA Tour victories: 0 Number of European Tour victories: 1 Best finish in a major: T48 at the 2011 Open Championship Why you need to watch: Peter is the son of Wally Uihlein, chairman and chief executive officer of the Acushnet Company, maker of Titleist golf balls, clubs and more. Though he's been in a bit of a slump lately -- just two cuts made on both the European and PGA Tours this season -- I love the unconventional route Uihlein has taken to become a player at the top level. Unlike so many in the U.S. who work their way through mini tours and the Web.com Tour to get to the big show, Uihlein hasn't been afraid to sow his oats in Europe. The 2010 U.S. Amateur champion started out on the Challenge Tour (Europe's equivalent to the Web.com) and earned his way up to the European Tour. He won in Portugal in 2013 and also had a couple of runner up finishes. The results might not be showing it right now, but all this travel, being exposed to all these different cultures and different styles of golf are going to pay off in the long run for Uihlein. It should be noted, too, that Uihlein withdrew from the BMW PGA Championship last week due to a back injury. Hopefully he bounces back from that soon.
10. Hideki Matsuyama Age: 22 Current World Ranking: 24 Number of PGA Tour victories: 0 Number of European Tour victories: 0 Best finish in a major: T6 at the 2013 Open Championship Why you need to watch: Don't be fooled by Matsuyama's apparent lack of victories. Truth is, this is the first full season for Matsuyama on the PGA Tour. If you want to be impressed, look no further than what he's done in Japan. Matsuyama turned professional in April 2013 and won his second professional tournament, the 2013 Tsuruya Open on the Japan Golf Tour. Five weeks later, he won for the third time on that tour and with a top-10 finish in the 2013 U.S. Open, he cracked the top 50 in the Official World Golf Ranking. Last December, he won for the fifth time on the Japan Golf Tour and became the first rookie to lead that Tour's money list. On the PGA Tour this season, Matsuyama has seven top-25 finishes in 13 starts, highlighted by a tie for third at the Frys.com Open. While Matsuyama's countryman Ryo Ishikawa has gotten a lot of the attention over the years -- and rightfully so, though his game hasn't fully adjusted to the PGA Tour -- don't overlook Matsuyama.
Power Rankings: Jimmie Johnson is creeping in on the top spot.
By Nick Bromberg
1. Jeff Gordon (LW: 1): Why not take two tires and see what happens late in the race, right? Clean air had worked throughout many parts of Sunday night's Coca-Cola 600, so Gordon and crew chief Alan Gustafson gave it a whirl. It's just that Gordon couldn't clear Matt Kenseth on the restart to get that clean air, and the strategy had failed not long after it was tried. Gordon ended up seventh, which is incredibly impressive when you consider the back issues he had over the weekend and the fact that the 600 is, you know, the longest NASCAR race of the year.
2. Jimmie Johnson (LW: 5): Shot outta hell like a bullet from a gun on the final restart, Johnson ran down Kenseth and stormed past him like it was nothing. It's too easy to say that it was a statement of "I'm here, remember me?" from Johnson and the No. 48 team, and it's also wrong. He never left. And remember, his "drought" wasn't the longest winless stretch of his career, either. Johnson has rightfully set a high standard, but damn, it wasn't like he was a toddler attempting to dunk on a 10-foot basketball goal.
3. Kevin Harvick (LW: 2): Harvick has to be wondering if it's possible to race without having to ever pit again because if you count the All-Star Race, it was the third straight race a late pit stop derailed any hopes of a win. His pit issues also bring up a results and process dichotomy. After finishing second, Harvick was (rightfully) disappointed, a much different reaction than if he would have struggled all day and fought for a second-place finish. The results are the same, the pathways are just totally different.
4. Matt Kenseth (LW: 6): Upon walking into the media center after his win, Johnson asked what people were going to write about now that he has won a race. We'll show you what we're going to write about, Jimmie. It's the incredible struggles of this man right here. It's just insane that a man who won seven races a year ago winless through 12 races this year. Who cares that he had the lead late on Sunday and is second in the points standings. Winning is all that matters, and dammit, Kenseth is simply not getting it done right now. Disappointment of the season.
5. Carl Edwards (LW: 8): If it wasn't for that late caution flag, are we talking about Carl Edwards' second win of the season? Yeah, that's a big if, but Edwards was in prime position to steal the win by stretching his fuel mileage. Instead, he took tires on the final caution, lost the lead, but ended up finishing fifth. The move to top off and stay out proved to be a good one anyway. Had Edwards not tried the strategy, he would have likely ended up 12th or so.
6. Kyle Busch (LW: 7): Speaking of high standards, did anyone expect Busch to be a bigger factor than he was on Sunday? He finished ninth and didn't lead any laps. The highlights of Busch's day – at least from a viewer's perspective – were his high-line moves on restarts. But For as much ground as Busch was able to make on those restarts, it wasn't something that continued over to long runs. If it did, he would have won the race. But remember, he's still third in points. That's what happens when a ninth is a disappointment of sorts.
7. Dale Earnhardt Jr. (LW: 3): We're not going to make a joke about how Earnhardt's kryptonite was a vibration Sunday night. But there's a reference. You happy with the corniness? OK, good. Before having issues that forced him to pit road under green, Junior was in the top 10 all night. After the issues, he was two laps down and finished 19th. Maybe he needs to go back to Batman cars.
8. Joey Logano (LW: 4): Pretty nondescript night for the No. 22 team, eh? After qualifying 8th, Logano finished 12th. He was in the top five briefly before the lap-300 mark, but he wasn't able to sustain it and fell backwards. We mentioned clean air earlier when talking about Gordon, and the topic of Logano's post-race remarks? Dirty air, that filthy, nasty thing that occurs when cars aren't leading.
9. Jamie McMurray (LW: NR): We're going to bring the All-Star Race into account on McMurray's entry and vault him into the top 10 after his fifth place finish in the 600. Is the tide turning for McMurray? He's had fast cars throughout the season, he just hasn't had finishes to show for them at times. If only NASCAR was like baseball and the win in the All-Star Race counted for the Chase.
10. Brad Keselowski (LW: 10): Keselowski holds steady here after leading 43 laps and finishing 8th. After qualifying on the front row, Keselowski fell back quickly, but that wasn't a monstrous deal; it's better to be faster in the night than it is in the day. And he did come back and lead for a bit. If he keeps up the torrid qualifying pace, (average starting position: 6.8) he'll have the best average starting position of any full-time Cup driver since Ryan Newman at Penske in 2005.
11. Brian Vickers (LW: NR): Don't look now, but Vickers is eighth in the standings after finishing sixth Sunday night. Since opening the season with poor finishes at Daytona and Phoenix, Vickers has finished outside the top 20 once and that was at Darlington. Vickers in the Chase? It's not crazy.
12. Ryan Newman (LW: NR): Newman gets to have the spot because he's simply the highest-ranked driver in points not in Power Rankings this week. See, we told you. Super scientific. But if you have an argument for someone else, let's hear it. Newman finished 15th, but when you take a look at the results of the race and the standings, you'll agree with our decision.
Lucky Dog: Paul Menard was on the Carl Edwards fuel-strategy run too and got an eighth out of the decision to try to stretch it.
The DNF: Kurt Busch, because, you know. It was a shame to see his attempt at 1,100 miles end with an engine failure.
Dropped Out: Kyle Larson, Kasey Kahne, Danica Patrick
The U.S. No. 10 shirt gets on the scoresheet against Azerbaijan without Landon Donovan.
By Brooks Peck
The first match in the U.S.'s send-off series before the World Cup started with an unhealthy dose of panic when captain Clint Dempsey was pulled from the starting XI just before kickoff due to a sore groin. With Chris Wondolowski starting against Azerbaijan in his place, the U.S. meandered through the first half, unable to score against the world's 85th ranked team, who had their bus firmly parked in front of their goal.
But the second half brought several key changes for the United States. Brad Davis came on and played some lovely balls despite San Francisco's high winds. In the 71st minute, Mix Diskerud entered the match wearing the No. 10 shirt previously worn by Landon Donovan and just as Donovan scored in his first match after getting dumped by U.S. manager Jurgen Klinsmann, Diskerud and the No. 10 scored in its first match after parting company with Donovan. Michael Bradley's initial shot was saved on the goal line by an Azerbaijan defender, but Diskerud put in the rebound for just his third international goal four minutes after entering the game.
With the seal broken, another substitute, Aron Johannsson added a second goal in the 81st minute with a neat header off a Brad Davis corner kick and the U.S. won 2-0.
It wasn't pretty and playing against talented teams that actually try to score goals will surely prove more difficult than just having to break through a side with 10 men in the box, but it's a starting point. Dempsey is expected to be back for the next friendly against Nigeria and perhaps the substitutes who impressed against Azerbaijan will get more minutes to build on their performances. But with each goal scored, the talk of Donovan being jilted might quiet down a bit so the U.S can focus on the more pressing matter of proving they can hang with their formidable Group G opponents. Or not.
Landon Donovan Scored Two Goals, Broke The MLS Scoring Record In His First Match Since The World Cup Snub.
By Cork Gaines
Landon Donovan played in his first MLS match for Los Angeles Galaxy since being left of the U.S. men's national team's World Cup roster and he showed he still has a lot of good soccer left to play.
Donovan scored two goals and assisted on another in the Galaxy's 4-1 win over the Philadelphia Union.
The first goal was even more important as it was Donovan's 135th MLS goal, breaking the league's all-time record.Slive: NCAA agent rules are problem not solution.
By RALPH D. RUSSO (AP College Football Writer)
SEC Commissioner Mike Slive said Tuesday the NCAA's rules regarding relationships between athletes and agents don't allow for players to make the best judgments about when to leave school early.
Slive hopes rules regarding agents will be one of the many areas the five major college football conferences will be able to reform when and if the NCAA agrees to change its governance structure to allow those leagues to pass legislation without the approval of other conferences.
Speaking to reporters after the first day of the Southeastern Conference spring meetings, Slive said ''NCAA's current rules (regarding agents) are really part of the problem not part of the solution.''
Currently, an athlete cannot reach a verbal or written agreement with an agent and remain eligible.
Football players have been leaving school early in growing numbers in recent years. A record 102 underclassmen declared early for the NFL draft this year and 39 did not get selected in the seven-round draft, though most of those players did sign with teams as free agents.
Slive said the SEC is not near having a proposal to change the rules regarding agents, but it would need to have two elements.
''One is it has to be quality advice and it has to be timely advice,'' he said.
''We see an increased number of kids leaving early. We've got to find a way to make sure our student-athletes get the best advice they can get that's not advice based on somebody's self-interest, and in a timely way. Early on so they're not pressured to make a decision at the last minute.''
Slive said he would like coaches in the league to have a special meeting on the topic with an eye toward eventually drafting a proposal.
For now, the conference is not getting into any details of the areas and issues that could be up for major reforms when the NCAA changes its governance structure.
A proposal to give autonomy to the Big Five conferences - the SEC, Pac-12, Big Ten, Big 12 and Atlantic Coast Conference - will be voted on by the NCAA's board in August.
Slive said he is confident it will pass, though there are still issues to be worked out.
The SEC coaches said they support an early signing period for football on the Monday after Thanksgiving. Slive said the conference's official stance is still against an early signing period for football, but that could change.
''We have not had a discussion at the AD level as to whether or not we want to change our position,'' Slive said. ''I don't know where we're going to come out.''
Money woes, declining talent plague HBCU football.
By DAVID BRANDT (AP Sports Writer)
Years before Jackie Slater was a Hall of Fame offensive lineman, he was playing for Wingfield High School in Jackson, Mississippi, and hoping to attract the attention of college scouts.
This was in the early 1970s - about the time Southeastern Conference football teams were just beginning to recruit black players - so this massive teenager was mostly ignored by the big schools. But Jackson State welcomed him.
''It was where I was wanted,'' Slater recalled. ''And it's where I could excel.''
Slater was one of many players who thrived at the nation's historically black colleges and universities, particularly from the '60s through the '80s. NFL superstars Jerry Rice and Walter Payton were part of that wave.
But HBCUs have slowly turned into an afterthought on the college football landscape.
For the first time in the NFL's common draft era, which started in 1967, not one player from the Southwestern Athletic Conference or Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference was selected this month. The two conferences combined to produce at least 20 NFL draft picks every year from 1967 to 1976, according to research by STATS. That output has slowly declined since.
Now storied programs like Grambling, Southern, Florida A&M and Mississippi Valley State are known more for crumbling facilities, player boycotts and struggles to meet NCAA academic standards than for what happens on the field.
College sports revenue and spending have become increasingly unequal over the past three decades, and HBCUs have hard time keeping up.
The lack of money is especially pronounced for schools in the SWAC, which have yearly athletic budgets as low as Mississippi Valley State's $3.6 million.
That's about half the salary coach Nick Saban earns at Alabama, where the school's total athletic budget is well over $100 million. Even other Football Championship Subdivision schools have athletic budgets twice as large as many as those at HBCUs.
Like his late brother Walter, Eddie Payton played football at Jackson State, where he is now the golf coach.
Payton says bringing HBCUs back to some level of prominence is possible, but it will be difficult. As TV contracts for college football have grown, the bigger schools have been able to pour money into facilities and programs that make it nearly impossible for HBCUs to compete for elite athletes. And, as recruiting has grown more sophisticated, schools from around the country have been taking star football players out of the South, the main talent base for the HBCUs.
''It's not that we're getting less money - it's that everybody else is growing while we've basically stayed the same,'' Payton said. ''We haven't cultivated our fan bases and now the quality has gone down. It's going to be hard to get those people back.''
Payton traced the SWAC's downfall back to the 1980s and 1990s, when programs started playing ''Classic'' games on the road in places like Chicago and Indianapolis. Payton said in an effort to spread the HBCU brand and earn a little extra money, leaders focused too much on the schools' popular marching bands and the parties surrounding the games instead of the football.
''When you go to a steakhouse, the thing that makes or breaks your meal is the steak,'' Payton said. ''It's not the salad or the baked potato. We haven't been focusing on the most important issue - and that's the quality of the football.''
But the lack of money makes it hard to compete on and off the field.
Shoddy facilities at Grambling led to last fall's player boycott. Mississippi Valley State's football stadium was deemed so unsafe it was temporarily closed in 2010 and the team had to play at a high school 45 miles away while repairs were made.
Five of the SWAC's 10 football schools were recently declared ineligible for the NCAA's postseason after failing to meet requirements for the Academic Progress Rate.
Schools like Alabama and Texas have sprawling academic facilities with dozens of tutors and advisers committed to helping athletes stay eligible. Athletes at most HBCUs don't have the same support. Teams in big conferences fly charters to games while HBCUs still take long interstate bus rides.
But officials at HBCU schools say things can improve quickly.
HBCUs still attract the biggest crowds at the FCS level. The SWAC has led the division in attendance 35 times in 36 years, drawing more than 12,000 per game last season.
A little extra money for the academic side can help. Jackson State had APR problems a few years ago, but has recovered in part because of a $900,000 grant from the NCAA. The funds were part of $4.3 million the NCAA has spread to six schools to help boost APR performance.
SWAC Commissioner Duer Sharp said he hopes it's the beginning of leaguewide improvement that can start in the classroom and carry over to the field.
''Our goal is to be a progressive Division I conference,'' Sharp said. ''Jackson State is a perfect example of how these problems can be turned around. They worked along with the NCAA, got some grant money and now have improved tremendously.''
NCAA Basketball; Realignment Catchup: More changes coming July 1.By Raphielle Johnson
July 1, 2013 was a busy day on the college sports landscape, with a “new” league (American Athletic Conference) coming into existence and some 46 schools moving from one conference to another. But while the major shifting took place on that day, July 1, 2014 won’t lack for moves with the majority of those shifts coming at the mid-major level.
Will this be the end of realignment for the foreseeable future? Or is this all just the tip of the iceberg, with NCAA issues such as the Ed O’Bannon and Sam Keller lawsuits and the threat of unionization possibly changing the structure of intercollegiate athletics? Only time will tell.
Below is a summary of each move that will take place, with the ACC, American, Big Ten and SoCon among the conferences adding and/or losing members.
American Athletic Conference: Mike Aresco’s league loses two members in Louisville and Rutgers (Big Ten), but gains three as East Carolina, Tulane and Tulsa make the jump from Conference USA. Basketball-wise this is a tough “trade” for one reason: the loss of Louisville. Rick Pitino’s Cardinals are off the the ACC, where they’ll be a contender from the start. Of the three basketball programs joining the conference Tulsa’s best positioned for immediate success, with the Golden Hurricane returning the majority of their rotation from last season’s NCAA tournament team.
Atlantic 10: Last year the A-10 lost programs to the American (Temple), Big East (Butler and Xavier) and Conference USA (Charlotte) while adding one in George Mason, and they’ll add another program this summer with Davidson on board. Bob McKillop’s Wildcats were an excellent program during their time in the Southern Conference, making them a quality addition to the Atlantic 10.
ACC: For the second time in its existence the ACC will be losing a school, with charter member Maryland moving to the Big Ten with economics playing a major role in the decision. In place of the Terrapins will be Louisville, who have experienced greater success on the basketball court in recent years. With a now stable membership, the ACC will look to live up to the “best conference ever” chatter that began with the arrivals of Notre Dame, Pittsburgh and Syracuse.
Atlantic Sun: The A-Sun will lose two members on July 1, with East Tennessee State and Mercer both moving to the Southern Conference. Those are big losses, especially when considering just how good Bob Hoffman’s Mercer Bears have been in recent years. Those moves make the A-Sun an eight-team league with FGCU expected to lead the way. And only seven of the eight teams will be eligible for the conference tournament, with Northern Kentucky still a transitional Division I member.
Big Sky: An 11-team league last season, the Big Sky moves to 12 members with the arrival of Idaho. The Vandals, whose football program will be a part of the Sun Belt, took one of the biggest hits in realignment with the Mountain West picking apart their former home (WAC).
Big South: The Big South loses one program, as VMI will join the Southern Conference.
The Keydets may not have reached the NCAA tournament in recent years, but Duggar Baucom’s program played an entertaining style of basketball that led to a lot of points being scored.
Big Ten: Jim Delany’s conference doesn’t lose any members but they gain two in Maryland (ACC) and Rutgers (American). Maryland will be under some pressure in its first season in the league, with Mark Turgeon yet to lead the program to the NCAA tournament during his tenure in College Park, and they’re talented enough to end that streak. As for Rutgers, year two of the Eddie Jordan rebuilding project looks to be a difficult one. But on the bright side for the conference, adding Rutgers means another state with quality high school programs (New Jersey) is now within the conference’s “footprint.”
Colonial: The CAA was another league hurt by conference realignment, with Old Dominion, VCU and George Mason moving on in recent years. The CAA won’t lose any members this summer but they do gain one, as Elon’s moving in from the Southern Conference. Elon is the second school in as many seasons to move from the SoCon to the CAA, with the College of Charleston doing so last year.
Conference USA: Three more programs are leaving C-USA, with ECU, Tulane and Tulsa all moving on to the American. Conference USA adds one member this summer, with Western Kentucky making the move from the Sun Belt. Ray Harper’s Hilltoppers didn’t reach the NCAA tournament last season but they did in each of the two seasons prior.
Southern: No conference will experience more change on July 1 than the SoCon. Final count: four schools out, and three schools in. While Davidson (A-10) and Elon (CAA) have made their moves for basketball reasons, Appalachian State and Georgia Southern will both join the Sun Belt with football being the catalyst. The three entrants are ETSU, Mercer (both from the A-Sun) and VMI (Big South).
Southland: The Southland loses a member this summer, with Oral Roberts moving back to the Summit League after spending two seasons in the Southland.
Summit League: Just two years after beginning play in the Southland Conference, Oral Roberts is headed back to the Summit League. So obviously there will be some familiarity, and the return of ORU gives the Summit League another solid program to compete with the likes of Denver, North Dakota State and South Dakota State.
Sun Belt: The Sun Belt loses one member in Western Kentucky but gains two as Appalachian State and Georgia Southern move in from the Southern Conference. Appalachian State will have a new head coach as well, with former Davidson assistant Jim Fox taking over for Jason Capel.
WAC: The WAC loses a member as Idaho’s moved its non-football programs to the Big Sky (football is in the Sun Belt). Grand Canyon remains a transitional Division I member, meaning that the Antelopes won’t be eligible for the league’s automatic bid to the NCAA tournament in 2014-15. Seven of the eight remaining members will be able to play in the conference tournament next March.
And here’s the full list of schools changing leagues on July 1:
- Appalachian State: Southern to Sun Belt
- Davidson: Southern to Atlantic 10
- East Carolina: Conference USA to American Athletic
- Elon: Southern to Colonial
- East Tennessee State: Atlantic Sun to Southern
- Georgia Southern: Southern to Sun Belt
- Idaho: WAC to Big Sky
- Louisville: American Athletic to ACC
- Maryland: ACC to Big Ten
- Mercer: Atlantic Sun to Southern
- Oral Roberts: Southland to Summit League
- Rutgers: American Athletic to Big Ten
- Tulane: Conference USA to American Athletic
- Tulsa: Conference USA to American Athletic
- VMI: Big South to Southern
- Western Kentucky: Sun Belt to Conference USA
On This Date in Sports History: Today is Wednesday, May 28, 2014.
MemoriesofHistory.com
1941 - The first night game in Washington, DC, took place. The Yankees beat the Senators 6-5 at Griffith Stadium.
1946 - The first night game at Yankee Stadium I took place. The Senators beat the Yankees 2-1.
1951 - Willie Mays hit his first home run. It was also his first major league hit.
1956 - Dale Long became the first to hit home runs in 8 consecutive games.
1957 - National League club owners voted to allow the Brooklyn Dodgers to move to Los Angeles and that the New York Giants could move to San Francisco.
1962 - "Wide World of Sports" with Chris Schenkel premiered on CBS radio.
1995 - The White Sox and the Tigers combined for 12 home runs at Tiger Stadium.
2003 - Patrick Roy (Colorado Avalanche) announced his retirement from the NHL. He left his career as the NHL leader in victories (551) and games played (1,029). He was also the all-time leader in playoff victories, games played and shutouts.
2006 - Barry Bonds (San Francisco Giants) hit his 715th career home run. The home run allowed Bonds to pass Babe Ruth on the all time list into second place.
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