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Sports Quote of the Day:
"The mark of a great man is one who knows when to set aside the important things in order to accomplish the vital ones." ~ Brandon Sanderson, Writer
Bear Down Chicago Bears!!! Loss, injuries temper optimism surrounding Bears.
By ANDREW SELIGMAN (AP Sports Writer)
Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler (6) hands off to running back Matt Forte (22) during the first half of an NFL football game against the Buffalo Bills Sunday, Sept. 7, 2014, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
So much for all that optimism hovering over the Chicago Bears. The mood is decidedly different after a surprising season-opening loss at home to Buffalo.
Besides making some questionable plays against the Bills, the Bears got banged up. Pro Bowl receivers Alshon Jeffery and Brandon Marshall got hurt along with center Roberto Garza and left guard Matt Slauson.
A person familiar with the situation confirmed reports that Garza has a high ankle sprain. The person, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the private nature of the situation, was not sure how long he will be sidelined.
Slauson also exited with an ankle injury, leaving the Bears without two starters on the line. Jeffery spent most of the second half on the sideline with a hamstring injury and Marshall limited down the stretch after twisting his right ankle.
''All that will be ongoing for the rest of (Monday) and (Tuesday) while these guys get evaluated,'' coach Marc Trestman said. ''All these guys are in the training room and they'll all be evaluated and as soon as we get good data and information we'll get it to you.''
It all added up to tempered optimism in the wake of a 23-20 overtime loss that will test the Bears' resolve and maybe their depth. The last thing the Bears need coming out of a rough opener is to be short-handed, particularly with a trip to San Francisco for a game Sunday night.
Six of Chicago's first nine games are on the road, including trips to New England and Green Bay. They also play the Packers at home at the end of this month.
A loss to the Bills wasn't the sort of start the Bears had in mind. They have their sights set on a run to the playoffs after missing out six of the past seven seasons, with a prolific offense back intact and the defense sporting a new look after a makeover.
But the optimism that was surrounding this team is a bit dimmer.
''It's too early to start blowing your top and losing focus of what's important here,'' defensive end Willie Young said. ''What's important is making corrections and moving on to San Fran for the next week.''
Against Buffalo, the defense applied little pressure and gave up 193 yards rushing. Still, the Bills only managed 20 points in regulation, but they scored 13 off three turnovers by Chicago.
One in particular that stood out came in the fourth quarter with the game tied at 17-all.
The Bears had third-and-1 at the Buffalo 34 when Jay Cutler attempted to throw the ball across his body to Martellus Bennett even though he appeared to have room to run. The result was an interception for defensive tackle Kyle Williams, leading to a field goal that gave Buffalo a short-lived 20-17 lead.
Trestman said Cutler pointed the finger at himself during Monday's video review for not throwing the ball away. Trestman also said the Bears would have gone for it on fourth down.
Still, the interception had a familiar and uncomfortable feel for Bears fans who have seen Cutler's gambles backfire. The payoffs are also big, though.
''I've seen Jay in my time here do a lot of the right things with the football,'' said Trestman, who is in his second season. ''I can't speak for anything else. I'm disappointed for the team and I see how hard he works and he puts into it. He lost himself for a minute and made a decision that I know we've seen other great quarterbacks make and he certainly made it there.''
It didn't help the Bears that they were missing some key components for chunks of the game. They were forced to play stretches with Santonio Holmes, Josh Morgan and Michael Spurlock at receiver, and with Garza and Slauson injured, they turned to Brian de la Puente and Michael Ola.
Left tackle Jermon Bushrod praised their play, but he also said building cohesion on the line could take time if one or two starters are missing.
''I think we got a good start on that especially because we don't really know how long those two guys are going to be out,'' he said.
Eye on Bears' enemy: Don't look now, 49ers are next.
By Chris Boden
I'm not sure what's worse: how the final scores read, or how bad it was sitting through these eight games over the past three decades.
Ready?
Sitting down?
41-0. 26-0. 52-14. 44-15. 17-0. 49-7. 10-6. 32-7.
Those are the final scores in the losses the Bears have suffered in San Francisco since the last time they won, in the 1985 Super Bowl-winning season. I guess you can hope the new Levi's Stadium will be kinder than the old Candlestick-3Com-Monster-whatever-Park. So those points totals of 271 to 49 add up to average blowouts of 34-6. The odd thing is the most respectable score came in Jay Cutler's first season as a Bear, when he threw five interceptions, and the Niners of the Mike Singletary Era were beatable, finishing 8-8. Jason Campbell had the honors two years ago, victimized by Aldon Smith's five-sack performance as Cutler recovered from a concussion and Colin Kaepernick's career took off in his remarkable first NFL start.
So the good news is Smith (serving a nine-game suspension) and fellow-linebacker NaVorro Bowman (blown-out knee in the NFC Championship game) aren't around to torment Sunday night. Now it's a matter of Cutler playing smarter than he did last Sunday, because turnovers is what did in a quarterback with a comparable skill set and a "can-he-ever-win-a-big-one?" reputation in the Niners' opener.
Tony Romo was picked off in three consecutive first half series in Dallas, after running back DeMarco Murray coughed the ball up on the second snap of the game, with Chris Culliver returning it to the house. That's what Eric Reid nearly did on Romo's first pick. His second one was snatched in the end zone by Patrick Willis, and the last by Perrish Cox set up a Carlos Hyde touchdown for a 28-3 lead in the opening minute of the second quarter.
The biggest offseason changes for San Francisco involved letting three of their four starters in the secondary go. So Sunday's worst news for the Niners was a concussion suffered by one replacement (Culliver), and a reported sprained toe to another (Tramaine Brock). If the two corners are both sidelined, it could provide a shot in the arm for Cutler, especially if Alshon Jeffery can return from his hamstring injury. There's also the cloud hovering over starting defensive tackle Ray McDonald in the wake of Monday's Ray Rice ruling. Police are still investigating whether to charge McDonald with felony domestic abuse after his arrest for allegedly striking his pregnant girlfriend over Labor Day weekend. McDonald played Sunday.
But the distractions over Smith, McDonald, Jim Harbaugh's relationship with G.M. Trent Baalke, plus other key, longer-term injuries, was not a problem on the road against the Cowboys. That's a team everyone knew going in had serious defensive issues. Now there's concern about how much the Bears' defense has actually improved from last season's nightmare. Harbaugh & offensive coordinator Greg Roman (when's he going to get a head coaching job?) are masters in play design with an arsenal of weapons and one of the best road-grating lines in the league. So here comes Kaepernick's athleticism, zone reads, and misdirection for two plow-horses at running back. Frank Gore Sunday became the 29th player in league history to rush for 10,000 career yards, and heir apparent Hyde was a second-round steal - not to mention the last guy opposing defenses who struggle to stop the run want to see when Gore leaves the game.
Kaepernick, like Cutler, signed his own mega-contract in the off-season but has been at the controls in the last two runs to the Super Bowl and NFC Championship game. They needed his quarterback skills to grow, and 11 of his 16 completions Sunday went for first downs. He has Anquan Boldin, Michael Crabtree, Stevie Johnson, Vernon Davis and fouth-round rookie flyer Bruce Ellington as targets. He did that damage against a Cowboys defense that ranked even worse overall than the Bears' 2013 unit, making Romo pay the price for his mistakes. The 49ers, without question, see the Week One similarities from the Bears as they welcome them into their new building's Grand Opening.
Devin Hester shines at receiver in Falcons debut.
By PAUL NEWBERRY (AP Sports Writer)
Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Devin Hester (17) runs by New Orleans Saints free safety Jairus Byrd (31) during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 7, 2014, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)
Before the Atlanta Falcons decided to sign Devin Hester, they wanted to make sure he wasn't content just returning kickoffs and punts.
Hester persuaded the team there was more to his game.
Then he went out and proved it in his debut with the Falcons.
Hester made five catches for 99 yards, including a key reception in the final minute of regulation that set up the tying field goal against the New Orleans Saints.
The Falcons won in overtime, 37-34.
''It was not the least bit surprising,'' coach Mike Smith insisted Monday.
Then again, there was plenty of skepticism after the Falcons doled out big money to sign Hester as a free agent. While no one doubts he is perhaps the greatest return specialist in NFL history, it seemed unlikely the 31-year-old would make much of an impact when the offense was on the field.
After all, he had not caught a pass for Chicago since December 2012. His last significant contribution as a receiver came four years ago, when he had 40 receptions and four touchdowns with the Bears.
After all, he had not caught a pass for Chicago since December 2012. His last significant contribution as a receiver came four years ago, when he had 40 receptions and four touchdowns with the Bears.
''We sat down with him and had a very frank conversation, what our thoughts were and what we wanted him to bring to the table,'' Smith recalled. ''He told us he was not just a return man, he was a wide receiver, too, and one who could help us. He told he would come here to compete for playing time in the wide receiver group.''
The Falcons seemed largely set at that position, with Julio Jones and Roddy White both healthy, joined by emerging third receiver Harry Douglas, who had a career-leading 85 receptions last season when the two starters were hit with injuries.
But Hester, who is only 5-foot-10, still has plenty of speed and shiftiness. He gives quarterback Matt Ryan another target who can work out of the slot in much the same way as Douglas, helping to compensate for retirement of tight end Tony Gonzalez.
For one game, at least, it went about as well as the Falcons could've hoped.
While the defense struggled to stop Drew Brees and the Saints, Ryan spread the field and threw for a franchise-record 448 yards. Overall, the Falcons piled up a staggering 568 yards in total offense.
Jones had seven catches for 116 yards. White hauled in five receptions for 72 yards, including a touchdown. Douglas grabbed six passes for 69 yards. Gonzalez's replacement, Levine Toilolo, chipped in with three catches and a TD. All four running backs had a catch as well, including a short throw that Antone Smith turned into a 54-yard score.
''We came out,'' Hester said, ''knowing that it was going to be a tough fight, knowing points were going to be thrown on the board left and right. And with Drew Brees, knowing the type of offense that he runs, we were going to have to put up a lot of points. As a receiver, we knew that it was going to come down to us.''
The Falcons don't expect those numbers from Hester every game, but hope the opener will lead teams to shade more coverages in his direction. That would open up more opportunities for Jones and White.
''That's really what it's all about when you have playmakers,'' Smith said. ''The more you have, the better opportunity you have to move the football and score points.''
Hester didn't have much impact in the return game, bringing back one kickoff for 21 yards and one punt for just 1 yard. Smith said that could change when the team gets away from the Georgia Dome, where ideal conditions make it easier to position punts or boom kickoffs through the end zone.
The Falcons (1-0) travel to Cincinnati on Sunday to face the Bengals (1-0).
''We didn't want him to come here just to be a punt and kick returner,'' Smith said. ''He told us he would help win games any way he could.''
Early on, he's been true to his word.
Notes: Smith will not provide an update on LT Jake Matthews until Wednesday, when teams are required to submit an injury report to the league. The Falcons' first-round pick sustained an ankle injury near the end of the first half against the Saints. He returned to the sideline in the second half, but never went back in the game. ... Smith praised the sellout crowd that turned out for the season opener. ''My ears were still ringing when I got up,'' he said.
How 'bout them Chicago Blackhawks? Hawks storylines: Get cap compliant.
By Scott Powers
Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman has another big cap decision to make heading into the season. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
It will all begin with a trade for the Chicago Blackhawks in the 2014-2015 season.
At least one person who is currently preparing to join the Blackhawks for training camp on Sept. 19 will not be with the organization by the time the Blackhawks take the ice for their season opener on Oct. 9.
The Blackhawks need to remove about $1.4 million from their NHL roster to be salary cap compliant. If they choose to include someone like prospect Teuvo Teravainen on the NHL roster or want to have some cap breathing room during the season, they'll need to alleviate closer to $2.5 million to $3 million.
The Blackhawks exceeded the $69 million cap by signing Brad Richards ($2 million) and re-signing Ben Smith ($1.5 million), Jeremy Morin ($800,000), Antti Raanta ($750,000) and Peter Regin ($650,000) this summer.
Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman said in July he understood what needed to be done with the cap before the season, but he wasn't concerned about accomplishing that even if he had to wait until training camp.
"We certainly have to be ready to go by October," Bowman said at the Blackhawks fan convention. "That's the goal. A lot of things change between now and then. You have to display some patience.
"Like I said all along, we have some ideas of what we're going to do. A lot of things happen once camps open both for us and for other teams, in terms of players maybe you expect to meet expectations don't quite do it and certain teams are looking around trying to find players. I always think you're always in a good position when you have a lot of established players. I think that's better than the other way around."
A number of Blackhawks names have been tossed around the trade rumor mill over the past few months, but there hasn't been any concrete news. Agents for Johnny Oduya and Patrick Sharp dismissed rumors of their clients being dealt earlier in the offseason. Bowman has been asked about specific players, but he hasn't let on to who could be traded.
Whoever does end up going elsewhere, the Blackhawks are hopeful the move won't affect their team's chemistry and talent level too much.
"There's a couple adjustments that need to take part to get through this cap thing, but I'm not hearing anything, which is good," Blackhawks forward Bryan Bickell said in July. "It's going to work out the way it is, and, hopefully, it will work for the best."
Hawks storylines: Back to normal
By Scott Powers
The Chicago Blackhawks will finally return to NHL normalcy this season.
There won't be a lockout followed by a condensed season. There won't be a shortened offseason due to a long playoff run into late June and a summer of Stanley Cup celebrations to follow. There won't be an Olympics to have to send players to and a pause in the league's schedule.
The NHL season will be back to its usual form -- 82 regular season games, NHL All-Star Game, etc. -- for the Blackhawks and everyone else for the first time since the 2011-2012 season. The Blackhawks' challenges for the season will instead be the usual ones.
The schedule is the first obstacle. The Blackhawks have two extended road trips with the first being a six-game road trip from Nov. 20-29 and a seven-game one from Jan. 21-Feb. 8. The Blackhawks have fared well on their longer trips the past two seasons. They went 6-0-1 and 3-2-2 in their two long road trips last season and 4-0-2 in their one substantial road trip in the 2013 season.
The Blackhawks will again see their Central Division foes 29 times this season. They'll face the Colorado Avalanche, Dallas Stars, Minnesota Wild, St. Louis Blues and Winnipeg Jets five times each and the Nashville Predators four times. After winning the Central with a 16-1-1 record in 2013, the Blackhawks finished behind the Avalanche and Blues last season with a 13-13-3 division record. The Blackhawks went 3-4-3 against the Avalanche and Blues in the regular season last season.
The Blackhawks' health will be another deciding factor. The Blackhawks dealt with some injuries last season, but they got by relatively unscathed from serious injuries. Thirteen Blackhawks played in 70-plus games last season. Patrick Kane missed the final 12 regular season games due to a lower-body injury, but he returned for the playoffs. Bryan Bickell sat out 23 games due to a variety reasons, but he was ready to go in the playoffs. Corey Crawford missed time due to an injury, but he still started 56 games and was healthy for the playoffs.
The Blackhawks had to feel especially good last season to get 72 games out of Marian Hossa, who was troubled by a back injury during the Stanley Cup finals in 2013 and in the preseason last season. Hossa, who will turn 36 in January, 36-year-old Michal Rozsival, 34-year-old Brad Richards and Patrick Sharp, who will be 33 in December, will be the oldest players on the team this season.
Just another Chicago Bulls Session… Team USA rolls on, downing Slovenia in a blowout win after a dominant second half.
By Kelly Dwyer
Kenneth Faried has become an invaluable member of Team USA. (Getty Images)
It’s a pat routine that, thankfully for Team USA and its fans, has played out to perfection in the years since its 2006 World Championship embarrassment. The squad starts slow, it questions its own offensive decisions and relies on defensive gambles to make an impact, and eventually overcomes its lacking opponent with superior execution, intelligence, quickness and athleticism. Team USA didn’t look like world-beaters in the first half of its eventual 119-76 win over Slovenia on Tuesday, but that hardly mattered in the long run. The team was literally too big to fail.
The outcome was never in question, not even after coach Mike Krzyzewski’s squad missed 10 of its first 11 shots in the face of a game Slovenian opponent. The same bugaboos continued to haunt each of its players in what at times resembles a type of All-Star game. Team USA’s scorers doubted their shots early on, sometimes falling victim to Slovenia’s matchup zone, wondering if one high percentage look was more valuable than the one it decided against. That lack of confidence added to a slow offensive start, but Slovenia was unable to create distance between themselves and its opponents despite all those back-rimmed gifts.
Slovenia’s Dragic brothers – Goran and Zoran – were the clear stars for their country on Tuesday, combining for 24 points on 27 shots alongside nine boards and four assists (all from Goran), but their feints and finishes weren’t enough to stand in the way of a withering offensive attack from Team USA. With Anthony Davis and Kenneth Faried manning the paint, coach K’s squad stuck like glue to Slovenia’s perimeter attack, forcing the team into a 30 percent shooting night from behind the arc. Slovenia didn’t help its cause by missing nearly half of its free throws, and the squad’s 25 turnovers were the biggest reason behind the eventual blowout.
Team USA, after that touchy start, went on to make 9-19 three-pointers of its own, working toward a 47 percent mark, and everyone seemed to get a taste. Klay Thompson led the team with 20 points, but some of his digits were chalked up during an extended garbage time run – garbage time that resulted in the team scoring the most points of its World Cup turn. Davis and Faried were brilliant on both ends, combining for 27 points, 21 rebounds and three blocks, and Slovenia never threatened the Team USA lead in the second half.
This is how things work for this outfit. Pressed into immediate duty, Team USA is never going to develop the sort of chemistry needed to make quick and appropriate decisions on either side of the ball. This isn’t quite a ramshackle outfit, and these aren’t exhibition games, but these World Cup paces fall closer in line with an All-Star Game in February than they do, say, San Antonio extra-passing its way toward paydirt in mid-June. That’s not to the discredit of the players nor the coaching staff, it’s just the nature of the context at hand.
For Team USA to let itself down in relative terms during a 49-40 first half before exploding in the second half is par for the course at this point. Even with the compressed FIBA World Cup schedule, the team is still learning how it likes to work together, and where the ball and the bodies need to move to. A teetering 70-34 second half advantage makes this knowledge go down a whole heck of a lot easier.
The plan won’t change. Sound, winning basketball is usually forged through unyielding defensive principles and endless offensive movement on the other end of the floor. Those orthodox standards won’t consistently occur with Team USA, because the quickest and smartest way to get from Point A to Point B is to take chances defensively and improvise offensively. Coach K is not going to create an All-Star version of the Spurs in a short amount of time, he has talents to attend to, and Lithuania to deal with on Thursday.
Lucky him.
Report: Bulls reach out to free agent Ray Allen.
By Mark Strotman
According to Bulls.com reporter Sam Smith, the Bulls have reached out to free agent Ray Allen.
Smith states that "the Bulls are believed to be among almost a dozen teams to have contacted Allen and his representatives," and of those teams the Cleveland Cavaliers, Los Angeles Clippers, Washington Wizards and San Antonio Spurs have previously been reported.
Allen, 39, completed his second season with the Miami Heat in 2013-14, averaging 9.6 points on 38 percent shooting from beyond the arc in 73 games for the NBA Finals runner-up. Allen reportedly has not yet decided whether or not he'll play in an 18th NBA season, and despite his career-worst marks in points and nearly 50,000 minutes logged there's obvious interest in one of the greatest 3-point shooters in NBA history.
And though it's news that the Bulls have contacted the veteran sharpshooter, it's not surprising.
As an assistant with the Celtics, Tom Thibodeau coached Allen from 2007 to 2010, a span in which Allen made three All-Star appearances, averaged 17.1 points per game, played superb defense and won an NBA title, in 2008. There's familiarity in Chicago for Allen.
Allen also would help continue the Bulls' offensive overhaul from beyond the arc. Last year the Bulls ranked 24th in 3-point field goal percentage, 26th in 3-point makes per game (6.2) and last in points per game (93.7). Though Allen is no longer the 31-year-old who averaged 26.4 points per game with the Sonics, he'd fill a role and add outside shooting prowess to go along with rookies Doug McDermott and Nikola Mirotic and Mike Dunleavy. With Derrick Rose back in the fold, perimeter shooters should be freed up more often for open looks, meaning Allen could thrive like he did playing alongside LeBron James and Dwyane Wade in Miami.
Allen has been a consummate professional from the moment he entered the league, and in addition to the Pau Gasol acquisition it would continue the Bulls' embarrassment of riches in veteran leaders. Allen playing in Chicago also would allow more versatility for Jimmy Butler to move around; as Smith correctly noted in his write-up, Butler's true position is at small forward, though he's penciled in again as the Bulls' starting shooting guard. Smith also notes that the Bulls have just 12 players on their roster, leaving an opening for Allen if he decides to team up with Derrick Rose and Co.
Allen hasn't set a timetable on his decision of whether or not to play in 2014-15, though he won't need much work in training camp if his decision lasts into September.
Major League Baseball unveils 2015 schedule.
AFP
Major League Baseball announced its 2015 schedule on Monday, a six-month campaign set to commence on April 5 with a Sunday night game and end on October 4.
A full program of 15 games is set for April 6 that should have every team starting its season no later than Monday, including 12 divisional matchups and an interleague meeting that finds the Boston Red Sox at Philadelphia Phillies.
The 86th Major League Baseball All-Star Game was set for July 14 at Cincinnati.
The New York Yankees are set to play their first game after the departure of Derek Jeter following a 20-year career on that opening Monday, facing Toronto at Yankee Stadium.
World Series rematches from three of the past six seasons are on the calendar of interleague games, including the Phillies hosting Tampa Bay on July 20-22 in a 2008 World Series rematch and a 2009 rematch when the Phillies visit the Yankees on June 22-24. San Francisco will also visit Texas on July 31-August 2 in a 2010 World Series rematch.
The Pittsburgh Pirates will host an American League team in their home opener for the first time, the interleague matchup coming against Detroit.
Chicago Sports & Travel, Inc./AllsportsAmerica thoughts: Major League Baseball has announced it's 2015 schedule and the 2014 season isn't even over, Football is just getting started and basketball and hockey are waiting in the wings to start within the next two months; what does it all mean? It means that baseball officials at all levels of the sport have seen what fundamentals, enthusiasm and a true love for the game means to baseball fans. They were taken back by the public's reaction and acceptance to the Little League World Series. The sport has been growing around the world and holding it's own in America's suburbs but had lost it's luster in the inner city areas. Little League basketball, soccer and football have left baseball way behind in popularity. Low and behold, along comes two inner city teams, (Chicago & Philadelphia), that performed extremely well but also exhibited courtesy, poise and professionalism that was a model for other kids in urban areas. That's not all, Major League Baseball executives are not dumb, here's an ideal situation for them to grow interest in the game known as "America's Pastime" by renewing interest in young players at all levels consequently increasing their fan base as these young players mature. Not bad, not bad at all. Just watch all of the PR you see about baseball between now and opening day in 2015. Baseball's resurgence will be complete when the Chicago Cubs win the World Series. They haven't won in the last 108 years and I predict that they will win it all within the next two years, (by 2016). I would say this record will live in infamy forever but as we all know in sports, records are made to be broken..... Providing that there are no future major lawsuits because of PED, HGH or recreational drug concerns, player and union issues or strikes, baseball is in a position to better control it's own destiny and make the game as good as it gets. Marion P. Jelks, Chicago Sports & Travel, Inc./AllsportsAmerica
2015 schedule restores White Sox-Cubs series to former glory.
By Jim Margalus
Crosstown showdowns are back to six games, and all on weekends.
The White Sox of September are making it rather easy to think about 2015, so let's congratulate Major League Baseball for its great timing in releasing next season's tentative schedule today.
Calendars don't always make great news items, but the 2015 schedule features one major change: The Sox-Cubs series is back to six games, and both three-game series will be played on weekends.
Even though I don't particularly care for the crosstown series, this is the right call. It never made sense to half-ass one of the rare anticipatable events of a 162-game regular season with four weekday games over a five-day stretch. Judging from the number of empty seats in both parks, fans followed the league's lead in diminishing its importance. The Sox and Cubs haven't helped much with ugly seasons, but standalone weekend series creates a setting for a marquee matchup, even if the teams' performances don't comply.
And so the Sox and Cubs will play three at Wrigley on July 10-12 to close out the first half, followed by three a month later at U.S. Cellular Field, Aug. 14-16.
Chicago WHITE SOX 2015 Baseball Schedule (Time TBD):
By Dan Hayes
APRIL
April 6 at Kansas City
April 7 Off Day
April 8 at Kansas City
April 9 at Kansas City
April 10 MINNESOTA
April 11 MINNESOTA
April 12 MINNESOTA
April 13 Off Day
April 14 at Cleveland
April 15 at Cleveland
April 16 Off Day
April 17 at Detroit
April 18 at Detroit
April 19 at Detroit
April 20 CLEVELAND
April 21 CLEVELAND
April 22 CLEVELAND
April 23 KANSAS CITY
April 24 KANSAS CITY
April 25 KANSAS CITY
April 26 KANSAS CITY
April 27 at Baltimore
April 28 at Baltimore
April 29 at Baltimore
April 30 at Minnesota
MAY
May 1 at Minnesota
May 2 at Minnesota
May 3 at Minnesota
May 4 Off Day
May 5 DETROIT
May 6 DETROIT
May 7 DETROIT
May 8 CINCINNATI
May 9 CINCINNATI
May 10 CINCINNATI
May 11 at Milwaukee
May 12 at Milwaukee
May 13 at Milwaukee
May 14 Off Day
May 15 at Oakland
May 16 at Oakland
May 17 at Oakland
May 18 CLEVELAND
May 19 CLEVELAND
May 20 CLEVELAND
May 21 CLEVELAND
May 22 MINNESOTA
May 23 MINNESOTA
May 24 MINNESOTA
May 25 at Toronto
May 26 at Toronto
May 27 at Toronto
May 28 Off Day
May 29 at Houston
May 30 at Houston
May 31 at Houston
JUNE
June 1 Off Day
June 2 at Texas
June 3 at Texas
June 4 at Texas
June 5 DETROIT
June 6 DETROIT
June 7 DETROIT
June 8 HOUSTON
June 9 HOUSTON
June 10 HOUSTON
June 11 Off Day
June 12 at Tampa Bay
June 13 at Tampa Bay
June 14 at Tampa Bay
June 15 at Pittsburgh
June 16 at Pittsburgh
June 17 PITTSBURGH
June 18 PITTSBURGH
June 19 TEXAS
June 20 TEXAS
June 21 TEXAS
June 22 at Minnesota
June 23 at Minnesota
June 24 at Minnesota
June 25 at Detroit
June 26 at Detroit
June 27 at Detroit
June 28 at Detroit
June 29 Off Day
June 30 at St. Louis
JULY
July 1 at St. Louis
July 2 Off Day
July 3 BALTIMORE
July 4 BALTIMORE
July 5 BALTIMORE
July 6 TORONTO
July 7 TORONTO
July 8 TORONTO
July 9 TORONTO
July 10 at Cubs
July 11 at Cubs
July 12 at Cubs
July 13 Off Day
July 14 All-Star Game @ Cincinnati
July 15 Off Day
July 16 Off Day
July 17 KANSAS CITY
July 18 KANSAS CITY
July 19 KANSAS CITY
July 20 Off Day
July 21 ST. LOUIS
July 22 ST. LOUIS
July 23 at Cleveland
July 24 at Cleveland
July 25 at Cleveland
July 26 at Cleveland
July 27 at Boston
July 28 at Boston
July 29 at Boston
July 30 at Boston
July 31 NEW YORK-AL
AUGUST
August 1 NEW YORK-AL
August 2 NEW YORK-AL
August 3 TAMPA BAY
August 4 TAMPA BAY
August 5 TAMPA BAY
August 6 Off Day
August 7 at Kansas City
August 8 at Kansas City
August 9 at Kansas City
August 10 LOS ANGELES-AL
August 11 LOS ANGELES-AL
August 12 LOS ANGELES-AL
August 13 Off Day
August 14 CUBS
August 15 CUBS
August 16 CUBS
August 17 at Los Angeles-AL
August 18 at Los Angeles-AL
August 19 at Los Angeles-AL
August 20 at Los Angeles-AL
August 21 at Seattle
August 22 at Seattle
August 23 at Seattle
August 24 BOSTON
August 25 BOSTON
August 26 BOSTON
August 27 SEATTLE
August 28 SEATTLE
August 29 SEATTLE
August 30 SEATTLE
August 31 Off Day
SEPTEMBER
September 1 at Minnesota
September 2 at Minnesota
September 3 at Minnesota
September 4 at Kansas City
September 5 at Kansas City
September 6 at Kansas City
September 7 CLEVELAND
September 8 CLEVELAND
September 9 CLEVELAND
September 10 Off Day
September 11 MINNESOTA
September 12 MINNESOTA
September 13 MINNESOTA
September 14 OAKLAND
September 15 OAKLAND
September 16 OAKLAND
September 17 OAKLAND
September 18 at Cleveland
September 19 at Cleveland
September 20 at Cleveland
September 21 at Detroit
September 22 at Detroit
September 23 at Detroit
September 24 at New York-AL
September 25 at New York-AL
September 26 at New York-AL
September 27 at New York-AL
September 28 Off Day
September 29 KANSAS CITY
September 30 KANSAS CITY
OCTOBER
October 1 KANSAS CITY
October 2 DETROIT
October 3 DETROIT
October 4 DETROIT
Chicago CUBS 2015 Baseball Schedule (Time TBD):
By Patrick Mooney
APRIL
April 6 ST. LOUIS
April 7 Off DayApril 8 ST. LOUIS
April 9 ST. LOUIS
April 10 at Colorado
April 11 at Colorado
April 12 at Colorado
April 13 CINCINNATI
April 14 CINCINNATI
April 15 CINCINNATI
April 16 Off Day
April 17 SAN DIEGO
April 18 SAN DIEGO
April 19 SAN DIEGO
April 20 at Pittsburgh
April 21 at Pittsburgh
April 22 at Pittsburgh
April 23 at Pittsburgh
April 24 at Cincinnati
April 25 at Cincinnati
April 26 at Cincinnati
April 27 PITTSBURGH
April 28 PITTSBURGH
April 29 PITTSBURGH
April 30 Off Day
MAY
May 1 MILWAUKEE
May 2 MILWAUKEE
May 3 MILWAUKEE
May 4 at St. Louis
May 5 at St. Louis
May 6 at St. Louis
May 7 at St. Louis
May 8 at Milwaukee
May 9 at Milwaukee
May 10 at Milwaukee
May 11 NEW YORK (NL)
May 12 NEW YORK (NL)
May 13 NEW YORK (NL)
May 14 NEW YORK (NL)
May 15 PITTSBURGH
May 16 PITTSBURGH
May 17 PITTSBURGH
May 18 Off Day
May 19 at San Diego
May 20 at San Diego
May 21 at San Diego
May 22 at Arizona
May 23 at Arizona
May 24 at Arizona
May 25 WASHINGTON
May 26 WASHINGTON
May 27 WASHINGTON
May 28 Off Day
May 29 KANSAS CITY
May 30 KANSAS CITY
May 31 KANSAS CITY
JUNE
June 1 at Miami
June 2 at Miami
June 3 at Miami
June 4 at Washington
June 5 at Washington
June 6 at Washington
June 7 at Washington
June 8 Off Day
June 9 at Detroit
June 10 at Detroit
June 11 CINCINNATI
June 12 CINCINNATI
June 13 CINCINNATI
June 14 CINCINNATI
June 15 CLEVELAND
June 16 CLEVELAND
June 17 at Cleveland
June 18 at Cleveland
June 19 at Minnesota
June 20 at Minnesota
June 21 at Minnesota
June 22 LOS ANGELES (NL)
June 23 LOS ANGELES (NL)
June 24 LOS ANGELES (NL)
June 25 LOS ANGELES (NL)
June 26 at St. Louis
June 27 at St. Louis
June 28 at St. Louis
June 29 Off Day
June 30 at New York (NL)
JULY
July 1 at New York (NL)
July 2 at New York (NL)
July 3 MIAMI
July 4 MIAMI
July 5 MIAMI
July 6 ST. LOUIS
July 7 ST. LOUIS
July 8 ST. LOUIS
July 9 Off Day
July 10 CHICAGO WHITE SOX
July 11 CHICAGO WHITE SOX
July 12 CHICAGO WHITE SOX
July 13 Off Day
July 14 MLB All-Star Game
July 15 Off Day
July 16 Off Day
July 17 at Atlanta
July 18 at Atlanta
July 19 at Atlanta
July 20 at Cincinnati
July 21 at Cincinnati
July 22 at Cincinnati
July 23 Off Day
July 24 PHILADELPHIA
July 25 PHILADELPHIA
July 26 PHILADELPHIA
July 27 COLORADO
July 28 COLORADO
July 29 COLORADO
July 30 at Milwaukee
July 31 at Milwaukee
AUGUST
August 1 at Milwaukee
August 2 at Milwaukee
August 3 at Pittsburgh
August 4 at Pittsburgh
August 5 at Pittsburgh
August 6 SAN FRANCISCO
August 7 SAN FRANCISCO
August 8 SAN FRANCISCO
August 9 SAN FRANCISCO
August 10 Off Day
August 11 MILWAUKEE
August 12 MILWAUKEE
August 13 MILWAUKEE
August 14 at Chicago White Sox
August 15 at Chicago White Sox
August 16 at Chicago White Sox
August 17 Off Day
August 18 DETROIT
August 19 DETROIT
August 20 ATLANTA
August 21 ATLANTA
August 22 ATLANTA
August 23 ATLANTA
August 24 Off Day
August 25 at San Francisco
August 26 at San Francisco
August 27 at San Francisco
August 28 at Los Angeles
August 29 at Los Angeles
August 30 at Los Angeles
August 31 CINCINNATI
SEPTEMBER
September 1 CINCINNATI
September 2 CINCINNATI
September 3 Off Day
September 4 ARIZONA
September 5 ARIZONA
September 6 ARIZONA
September 7 at St. Louis
September 8 at St. Louis
September 9 at St Louis
September 10 at Philadelphia
September 11 at Philadelphia
September 12 at Philadelphia
September 13 at Philadelphia
September 14 Off Day
September 15 at Pittsburgh
September 16 at Pittsburgh
September 17 at Pittsburgh
September 18 ST. LOUIS
September 19 ST. LOUIS
September 20 ST. LOUIS
September 21 MILWAUKEE
September 22 MILWAUKEE
September 23 MILWAUKEE
September 24 Off Day
September 25 PITTSBURGH
September 26 PITTSBURGH
September 27 PITTSBURGH
September 28 Off Day
September 29 at Cincinnati
September 30 at Cincinnati
OCTOBER
October 1 at Cincinnati
October 2 at Milwaukee
October 3 at Milwaukee
October 4 at Milwaukee
Golf: I got a club for that… A quick look at the final 30 golfers in the FedEx Cup Playoffs.
By Kyle Porter, Golf Writer
The Tour Championship starts this week and only 30 golfers are still alive for the $10 million first prize winning the FedEx Cup yields.
Keep in mind, only the top five control their own destiny -- if any of the top five golfers in the FedEx Cup points race win the Tour Championship, they also automatically win the FedEx Cup.
First place is worth 2,500 points, second place worth 1,500, and so on. The top five in the final FedEx Cup points all get over $1,000,000.
Here's a look at all 30 of your contenders (well, 29):| 2014 FedEx Cup standings (after BMW Championship) | ||
| Rank | Golfer | Points |
| 1 | Chris Kirk | 2,500 |
| 2 | Billy Horschel | 2,250 |
| 3 | Bubba Watson | 2,000 |
| 4 | Rory McIlroy | 1,800 |
| 5 | Hunter Mahan | 1,600 |
| 6 | Jimmy Walker | 1,400 |
| 7 | Jim Furyk | 1,200 |
| 8 | Matt Kuchar | 1,000 |
| 9 | Rickie Fowler | 800 |
| 10 | Jason Day | 600 |
| 11 | Jordan Spieth | 480 |
| 12 | Adam Scott | 460 |
| 13 | Sergio Garcia | 440 |
| 14 | Martin Kaymer | 420 |
| 15 | Zach Johnson | 400 |
| 16 | Bill Haas | 380 |
| 17 | John Senden | 360 |
| 18 | Patrick Reed | 340 |
| 19 | Cameron Tringale | 320 |
| 20 | Russell Henley | 310 |
| 21 | Morgan Hoffmann | 300 |
| 22 | Webb Simpson | 290 |
| 23 | Ryan Palmer | 280 |
| 24 | Kevin Na | 270 |
| 25 | Geoff Ogilvy | 260 |
| 26 | Justin Rose | 250 |
| 27 | Brendon Todd | 240 |
| 28 | Hideki Matsuyama | 230 |
| 29 | Gary Woodland | 220 |
| 30 | Dustin Johnson | 210 |
The guy who's probably had the wildest ride is Morgan Hoffmann. After sneaking into the top 125 four weeks ago he's suddenly No. 21 heading to East Lake. As Justin Ray noted this isn't unprecedented, but it nearly is.
Morgan Hoffman was 124th in standings entering playoffs. Would tie worst starting position ever by player to make East Lake ('09 Slocum).
— Justin Ray (@JustinRayGC) September 7, 2014
Even without Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson the finale should be a blast if only because you have guys who have barely made $10 million in their careers playing for that amount in one weekend.
Phil Mickelson highlights major flaw with PGA's FedEx Cup.
By NBC Sports
On the surface, the WDs are unrelated, although it’s hard not to remember how Phil Mickelson and Keegan Bradley formed such a potent duo two years ago in that biennial match-play shindig vs. the Europeans.
Mickelson’s explanation for pulling out was strikingly candid — almost defiant as an ode to the independent contractor: “My primary goal is to rest and prepare for the Ryder Cup,” he announced. Those words surely delighted the neckties in Camp Ponte Vedra, which can’t quite convince its own membership that everyone else’s events aren’t as big as their own.
The Euro bout is still three weeks off, however, and if Mickelson had been in contention at Cherry Hills, he obviously wouldn’t have flown home Friday night, which forces us to read between the lines. When you’ve won five majors, 42 PGA Tour events and earned approximately a half-billion doing it, a slim shot at another $10 million doesn’t rock your planet.
Rich people don’t buy lottery tickets.
Bradley, meanwhile, bailed over a Thursday rule violation that went unpenalized, a case of guilt trumping a plugged lie in the public eye.
“It’s eating me alive,” Keegs said of the incident, which involved free relief from an embedded ball on a greenside bank at the 18th. “I know [a Tour official] approved the drop, but I just can’t be sure it was the right spot.”
You can’t touch a man who overdoses on chivalry, especially when it costs you a spot in the Tour Championship — Bradley fell from 28th to 33rd by taking himself out of the tournament. Again, there are some murky circumstances here, as Keegs’ morality needle didn’t start spiking until a fan questioned him after the round over whether the ball was truly embedded.
I’m no criminal, but if I’m cleared of any wrongdoing before some dude claims he saw my ball bounce, I get eight hours of sound sleep and keep playing. Unless Tom Watson is the one who snitched on me, I don’t give up my leap at $10 million just because I got a favorable ruling on a pure judgment call.
As a combo platter, the Mickelson-Bradley departures represent cold, hard reality in a league where massive amounts of money are paid to the contestants and the pile of obligations keeps getting taller and thicker. Mickelson is 44 years old. All that is left for him to do is to add a touch of varnish to his legacy, and he’s never been particularly stellar in the Ryder Cup.
So he walks away from the third FedEx Cup playoff tilt to reintroduce himself to his children and fall in love with the game again. He has played five tournaments in the last six weeks. His kids have started school and he hasn’t been around. At this point, the man just wants to go home.
If you work in a factory or lay bricks for a living, you probably can’t comprehend it, but the grind of competitive golf comes with a point of diminishing returns. In 2012, Camp Ponte Vedra slotted a bye week between the BMW and Tour Championship.
The Ryder Cup was played at Medinah that fall — those involved in both events went straight from Atlanta to Chicago. No big deal. Captain Watson is said to have asked the Tour for an off week after Atlanta, however, allowing his squad to catch its break before heading overseas. Fair enough, but with Tiger Woods removed from the scene, Mickelson struggling to stay motivated and the first three postseason gatherings producing little suspense, this year’s playoffs have produced the biggest collective clunker in its eight-year history.
Too many format flaws + decreased starpower = a big fat shortage of buzz. This wasn’t the year to go four consecutive weeks, but if there had been a bye, how many people would have noticed?
Mickelson has never been a fan of bunching the playoff events together. You may recall that in the inaugural postseason series (2007), he won the Deutsche Bank Championship, then announced on national television that he’d be skipping the BMW because he didn’t like the schedule.
“They don’t listen to me,” he said at the time regarding his more vehement protests to the Tour.
“We listen to him,” a vice president replied, “but that doesn’t mean we’re going to do what he tells us to do.”
It’s not just the big boys who aren’t crazy about the system. veteran player Bob Estes tweeted on Sunday, “From day one, I’ve said that the FedEx Cup playoff should only be three events. Four is one too many.”
NASCAR: Chase 101: All you need to know.
By George Winkler
It's finally here, what we've all been waiting for: the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup with a new elimination-style format where there will be plenty of nail-biting excitement throughout the next 10 races. So, let's see -- we've got our TV and favorite chair in the correct position, or tickets to the races; the pantry and our coolers are stocked with our favorite snacks and beverages, and social media is queued up with our favorite #MyChaseNation driver hashtag ready to send out to our friends to celebrate.
What else could we need? Oh yeah, a quick explainer of how the new system works. Not that it's a complicated deal, it's just good to be prepared, and preparation leads to success. Without further ado, here is your quick guide to the new Chase format. Click on the video and links above if you want even more details on the new setup.
THE SEEDING
Each of the 16 drivers who qualifies for the Chase Grid starts with 2,000 points, plus three points for each win earned during the first 26 regular-season races. After the bonus points for wins are added, drivers are ranked in order of the reset points. See the updated standings.
THE ROUNDS
Challenger Round: The 16 drivers will battle at Chicagoland Speedway, New Hampshire Motor Speedway and Dover International Speedway for the 12 spots available in the next round (Contender). A win at any of the three races equals advancement into the next round. The rest of the field of 12 will be determined by order of points scored in the three races. After this round, each advancing driver will be reset to 3,000 points.
Contender Round: The 12 drivers will battle at Kansas Speedway, Charlotte Motor Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway for the eight spots available in the next round (Eliminator). A win at any of the three races equals advancement into the next round. The rest of the field of eight will be determined by order of points scored in the three races. After this round, each advancing driver will be reset to 4,000 points.
Eliminator Round: The eight drivers will battle at Martinsville Speedway, Texas Motor Speedway and Phoenix International Raceway for the four spots available in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship. A win at any of the three races equals advancement into the next round. The rest of the field of four will be determined by order of points scored in the three races. After this round, each advancing driver will be reset to 5,000 points.
Each of the 16 drivers who qualifies for the Chase Grid starts with 2,000 points, plus three points for each win earned during the first 26 regular-season races. After the bonus points for wins are added, drivers are ranked in order of the reset points. See the updated standings.
THE ROUNDS
Challenger Round: The 16 drivers will battle at Chicagoland Speedway, New Hampshire Motor Speedway and Dover International Speedway for the 12 spots available in the next round (Contender). A win at any of the three races equals advancement into the next round. The rest of the field of 12 will be determined by order of points scored in the three races. After this round, each advancing driver will be reset to 3,000 points.
Contender Round: The 12 drivers will battle at Kansas Speedway, Charlotte Motor Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway for the eight spots available in the next round (Eliminator). A win at any of the three races equals advancement into the next round. The rest of the field of eight will be determined by order of points scored in the three races. After this round, each advancing driver will be reset to 4,000 points.
Eliminator Round: The eight drivers will battle at Martinsville Speedway, Texas Motor Speedway and Phoenix International Raceway for the four spots available in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship. A win at any of the three races equals advancement into the next round. The rest of the field of four will be determined by order of points scored in the three races. After this round, each advancing driver will be reset to 5,000 points.
THE NASCAR SPRINT CUP CHAMPIONSHIP
The highest finisher among the four finalists at Homestead-Miami Speedway will win the NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship. It's that simple!
Predicting Chase strategies after unpredictable season.
By Zack Albert
Excitement of new Chase format will be amplified during playoffs.
During the frigid temperatures of the offseason last winter, NASCAR officials took a two-tiered approach to refreshing the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup playoffs, revising the eligibility rules to get in it and the format to win it. The news heated up the hot-stove season, creating an all-new level of bench racing.
The element of the unknown set the garage's best minds to work with early opinions on devising new strategies and approaches. Now, with 26 regular-season races behind them in the deep reaches of summer and 10 postseason showdowns looming, both sides of the season appear to be entwined by a common thread.
"Our mentality is to win. That's what we come to do -- nothing's changed there," said Joey Logano, a three-time winner this year in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. "We're going to do what we've got to do."
The newly charged emphasis on winning goes to another level Sunday with the opening round of the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup at Chicagoland Speedway. After 10 years of postseason stock-car racing with only slight changes to the format, this Chase goes into its 11th with major moves.
If the new-look Chase takes on a tournament-style feel with a survive-and-advance mindset, it's no accident. The overhauled format, in which regular-season winners virtually punch their postseason ticket, was developed to discourage conservative "points racing" and make for more aggressive pushes toward the checkered flag. The change paid frequent dividends with teams taking pit-road gambles and drivers testing the limits on the track.
In an overwhelming show of parity, 13 drivers visited Victory Lane during the regular season to clinch Chase berths, meaning the new rules of the road will greet former champions, familiar faces and newcomers alike. The remaining three earned their way into the expanded 16-driver field based on their place in the Sprint Cup standings.
In previous years, drivers were removed from contention by mathematical means if they stumbled off to sluggish starts. Now, the eliminations after each of the three-race rounds (Challenger, Contender and Eliminator) are more clear-cut, whittling the title-eligible field from 16 to 12 to eight to a best-finisher-take-all championship race among the final four at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Nov. 16. After each round, the points reset to level the playing field, but winners in each round get the benefit of a free pass to the next.
Brad Keselowski is the top seed and has four regular-season wins, including last week's regular-season finale at Richmond. He's joined by a quartet of three-time victors atop the Challenger Round heap -- former champs Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon, and first-time championship hopefuls Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Logano.
While the rules for advancement remain the same at each of the three cuts, Steve Letarte -- Earnhardt's crew chief, who will trade his wrenches for a microphone on the NBC Sports broadcast team in 2015 -- suggests that the pressure to perform will only increase as the Chase rolls on.
"I don't think it's anything like past years," Letarte said. "I think the first three (races), you've got to run top 15, the middle three you've probably got to run in the top 10 and the last three, you're probably going to have to win one to end up at Homestead."
While the powerhouse teams will likely feel a ratcheted sense of pressure, in true tournament style the new format will also lend itself to potential upsets by plucky underdogs. Denny Hamlin, Kasey Kahne and Kurt and Kyle Busch all faced issues or dry spells during the season that would have placed them either firmly on the Chase bubble or completely out of contention in past years, but their ability to convert one regular-season win each gives them nearly equal footing at playoff time.
Likewise, A.J. Allmendinger and Aric Almirola -- two drivers who notched their first career victories in 2014 -- now have a Cinderella shot at championship glory. Almirola emerged as a surprise winner with a rainy victory at Daytona in July, and Allmendinger scored a long-awaited breakthrough at Watkins Glen a month later by flexing his road-course expertise.
For Allmendinger, the triumph was one of perseverance and redemption, but it also came with an opportunity to rise up come clutch time.
"When it comes to the Chase, with the new format, it doesn't mean we can't show up to Chicago and get hot early," Allmendinger said Aug. 10 after his maiden voyage to Victory Lane in NASCAR's top series. "The way the format is laid out, you don't have to be amazing for 10 races, you just have to be good enough each three sets of races. The next thing you know, you get to Homestead -- anything can happen."
The format has not only provided extra incentive to win, but the system has also provided benefits for clinching early. Drivers with regular-season wins under their belts have rolled toward the Chase under far less pressure than in past years. The effect has been the same for teams and crew chiefs, who have been able to experiment with car setups for Chase races without great risk of damaging their postseason hopes along the way.
Regular-season strategies under the new system have shifted, but the question of whether playoff strategies will follow suit remains. While teams will continue to make customary adjustments for each of the 10 tracks in the Chase, Logano said he doesn't anticipate his Team Penske bunch making wholesale changes to their overall approach.
"I think we've got to race the same way we've been," Logano said, noting that his team had amassed a modest five-race hot streak during the summer with an average finish of 3.6 over the span. "I would hate to change what we're doing. It's working pretty good."
Webb says FIFA's bad image affecting football.
By ROB HARRIS (AP Sports Writer)
FIFA's image problems are harming football and it must work to regain trust over ''ethics and morals,'' according to one of Sepp Blatter's deputies.
But FIFA vice president Jeffrey Webb stopped short of criticizing Blatter, who has led the governing body since 1998 and is standing for a fifth term, instead praising the president for driving up revenue.
The scandal-hit governing body, though, remains synonymous with corruption with only limited changes to its governance.
''It is (tarnished),'' Webb said of FIFA on Tuesday at the SoccerEx conference. ''I do believe that FIFA has some huge challenges and definitely from image and perception, that is definitely perhaps the No. 1 challenge ... image and public perception is definitely affecting the game.
''Obviously we don't see it when it comes to revenue and the business side, but definitely from an ethics and morals standpoint I believe we have a lot of work to do. We have to build up trust and confidence. We have got to be consistent.''
That involves publishing the report into the 2018 and 2022 World Cup bidding contests handed to FIFA last week by ethics investigator Michael Garcia, according to Webb and fellow FIFA vice president Jim Boyce.
FIFA has previously refused to publicly disclose the full findings of ethics investigations.
''FIFA want to be transparent now,'' Boyce told The Associated Press at SoccerEx. ''Certainly if people are deemed and it's proved that they were corrupt in anyway then of course the people should know.''
Despite his image problem, Blatter has largely emerged unscathed from corruption scandals that have discredited many former members of his executive committee.
''Possibly where Mr. Blatter made a mistake was in not dealing with some of these issues in a much more stronger way than he's now doing currently,'' Boyce said. ''Perhaps he should (have) done that several years ago.''
There is little appetite within world football for change, given FIFA generates more than $1 billion revenue annually and has nearly $1.5 billion in reserves.
''What the team of Joseph Blatter and (secretary-general) Jerome Valcke has done has been tremendous,'' Webb said. ''We need that level of consistency.''
Webb does, however, see the need to overhaul FIFA's ruling body, ensuring representation for players, referees and sponsors.
''We should be brave enough and bold enough to take on the challenges of reform in the executive committee,'' Webb said.
European clubs unsure over 2022 WCup in winter.
By GRAHAM DUNBAR (AP Sports Writer)
Europe's top football clubs still need to be convinced the 2022 World Cup in Qatar should be moved from summer.
Although FIFA President Sepp Blatter has presented a switch to November-December as almost inevitable, the European Club Association wants to influence ongoing consultation talks.
''We need more information before accepting the fact that the calendar should be disrupted,'' ECA vice chairman Umberto Gandini said Tuesday. ''We would not be part of something which is not credible.''
Gandini represents the 200-member ECA on a FIFA panel seeking ways to avoid playing in the desert heat of June-July. The AC Milan director updated European club leaders about the first FIFA consultation held Monday, and said a decision on choosing dates was expected from ''March to June 2015.''
FIFA offered two alternative options, including a November-December tournament, which would shut down top European leagues for two months. The other was January-February, though Blatter previously assured IOC President Thomas Bach that the World Cup will not clash with the 2022 Winter Olympics, likely in February.
Still, the June-July tournament promised by Qatar should be a starting point for talks, Gandini said.
The ECA is supported by the English Premier League among 40 delegates from world football who attended Monday's session at FIFA.
''We must get very strong and decisive reasons for moving the World Cup,'' Gandini said, noting European clubs' key role in employing 75 percent of all players selected to the World Cup in Brazil.
Gandini urged FIFA to consider the majority of players and leagues which are not represented at the World Cup, and could have be required to stop playing midseason.
''What is going to happen to football in the world if we move the World Cup from its natural slot?'' he asked.
FIFA's executive committee awarded Qatar the 2022 hosting rights despite knowing that temperatures routinely rise above 40 degrees C (104 degrees F) in summer.
Gandini defended the summer weather in Qatar, suggesting players in Brazil already overcame challenging conditions.
Humidity in the Amazonian city of Manaus was ''no worse than the one expected in Qatar at the same time of the year,'' the Italian official said.
Qatari organizers have pledged to combat heat by building air-cooled venues for matches and team practices.
The FIFA panel studied another potential change to the tournament calendar affecting European clubs.
The United States wants to host a centenary Copa America - the South American championship, which is played every four years - as a one-off event in June 2016. The tournament would add six CONCACAF nations to the 10 South American teams and overlap with the 2016 European Championship for two weeks.
FIFA must give special permission to add the centenary event to the international calendar. That would oblige European clubs to release players such as Lionel Messi and Neymar.
''It's not easy to say no the South American players,'' said ECA chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, who also leads Bayern Munich.
The ECA will be consulted by UEFA before the European governing body makes a decision. FIFA could approve the Copa America event at its Sept. 25-26 executive committee meeting in Zurich.
Week Two AP and Coaches Polls Are Out.
By Trevor Vallese
Note: Please pay attention to the polls. CS&T/AA post the AP and Coaches Polls and they may differ slightly.
Week two of college football is in the books, which means that the Associated Press and coaches filled out their ballots for the Top 25 teams in the nation this morning. Who's the number one team in all the land?
Wow, what a Saturday in college football! There were upsets and blowouts aplenty, and it was not a banner week for the Big Ten, where most teams that were ranked highly dropped down several spots. And though these polls are often subject to much debate and controversy, they're an interesting thing to keep track of throughout the college football season, especially now that we've got the College Football Playoff to look forward to. The human element will be felt more than ever this postseason, as a panel of "esteemed football experts" will be the ones choosing the final four teams, humans much like those that fill out these weekly Top 25 polls. Here's how they shook out after a crazy week two of the college football season went final:
Coaches Top 25
Team
| Pts (Votes Received for #1) |
| 1. Florida State | 1,529 (51) |
| 2. Alabama | 1,435 (1) |
| 3. Oklahoma | 1,408 (3) |
| 4. Oregon | 1,407 (6) |
| 5. Auburn | 1,312 |
| 6. Georgia | 1,209 (1) |
| 7. Baylor | 1,135 |
| 8. Texas A&M | 1,090 |
| 9. LSU | 1,034 |
| 10. USC | 999 |
| 11. Notre Dame | 858 |
| 12. UCLA | 812 |
| 13. Michigan State | 716 |
| 14. Arizona State | 646 |
| 15. Ole Miss | 609 |
| 16. Stanford | 585 |
| 17. Wisconsin | 409 |
| 18. Ohio State | 402 |
| 19. Virginia Tech | 349 |
| 20. Kansas State | 333 |
| 21. Nebraska | 310 |
| 22. Missouri | 281 |
| 23. South Carolina | 232 |
| 24. Clemson | 212 |
| 25. North Carolina | 129 |
Others receiving votes: Louisville (128), BYU (124), Florida (107), Mississippi State (84), Oklahoma State (81)
Quick Thoughts
Again, I don't like to get too wrapped up over these polls, especially just two weeks into the season, but a couple things jump out at me:- Texas dropped out of the Top 25 after losing big-time to BYU for the second year in a row.
- Ohio State is ranked one spot ahead of Virginia Tech in the Coaches Poll despite losing to them.
NCAA lifts Penn State's postseason ban.
By RALPH D. RUSSO and MARK SCOLFORO (Associated Press)
College football fans watch an NCAA college football game between the Penn State and the Akron at Beaver Stadium in State College, Pa., Saturday, Sept. 6, 2014. Penn State won 21-3. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)
Penn State football got out from under the most severe on-field sanctions imposed on it two years ago over the Jerry Sandusky child abuse scandal, learning Monday that the NCAA will allow it to compete in this year's postseason and that all scholarships will return in 2015.
The surprise announcement, linked to progress the school has made reforming its athletic program, moved the university a step farther away from the fallout from Sandusky, the former assistant coach convicted of sexual abuse of 10 boys, including acts at university facilities.
The scandal badly tarnished what had been one of college sports' most respected programs, led to charges of a criminal cover-up against former university administrators Graham Spanier, Gary Schultz and Tim Curley - whose cases are still pending - and the firing of Hall of Fame coach Joe Paterno.
Penn State had been halfway through a four-year postseason ban handed down during the summer of 2012. Some of the 40 scholarships the program was originally docked were restored earlier than expected a year ago.
The university still must pay a $60 million fine, vacate 111 wins that came under Paterno, plus another victory under interim coach Tom Bradley, and the school will remain under monitoring.
The decision by the NCAA's Executive Committee followed a recommendation by former U.S. Sen. George Mitchell, whose second annual report as Penn State's athletics integrity monitor concluded the university was in compliance with a 2012 agreement and consent decree.
''Senator Mitchell's report and recommendations, along with the actions taken by the NCAA today, are a recognition of the hard work of many over the past two years to make Penn State a stronger institution,'' said Penn State President Eric Barron, who took over in February.
Mitchell said the school had made progress toward implementing a new human resources system, ''fostering an ethical culture'' and improving security at its sports facilities. His own five-year oversight role, scheduled to continue to 2017, may end earlier as a result of the progress that has been made, he said.
Mitchell said his recommendation was focused on aspects of the penalties that affect student-athletes, many of whom stayed at Penn State despite the ability to transfer without penalty.
''In light of Penn State's responsiveness to its obligations and the many improvements it has instituted, I believe these student-athletes should have the opportunity to play in the postseason should they earn it on the field this year,'' Mitchell wrote.
His 58-page report said incidents involving the football team this year included only minor infractions.
In State College, junior kinesiology major Daniel Zambanini said seeing the news on television gave him a moment of shock.
''The sanctions kind of held the Sandusky scandal like it was a big black cloud that hung over the university because every year, every time they mentioned Penn State, they mentioned the sanctions,'' Zambanini said.
He said removal of the postseason ban ''just takes that weight off our shoulders and you can kind of just be Penn State once more.''
The penalties against Penn State were unprecedented in many ways and, because of that, not well-received by many in college sports. While lack of institutional control was cited, Penn State's missteps had nothing to do with competition and the areas that usually fall under the NCAA's jurisdiction.
''The biggest problem I had was the effect on the student athletes in the program,'' said former Big 12 commissioner Dan Beebe, who worked in NCAA enforcement during the 1980s, including on the SMU football death penalty case. ''They (Penn State's players) weren't involved in a program that was cheating against their rivals and now all of sudden they're not able to participate in postseason.''
The NCAA cutting the penalties down is also unusual. Beebe and Mike Gilleran, a sports law and ethics professor at Santa Clara University who worked in NCAA enforcement during the 1970s and '80s, said they were concerned the latest move would set another precedent.
''So what happens now when one of your old schools,'' Gilleran said, referring to Beebe's time in the Big 12, ''gets whacked? 'OK, we'll take that penalty with the understanding that we will be model citizens and we will expect the treatment that Penn State got.'''
Beebe said rolling back the sanctions gives the appearance of the NCAA acknowledging it might have overreached by getting involved with the Sandusky scandal.
''My first blush is I don't know how it could be perceived differently,'' he said. '''I'd be very curious to dive into (the NCAA's) rationale.''
On Friday, the NCAA said in a Pennsylvania state court filing it is willing to let the state government control the $60 million fine Penn State is paying under the consent decree. The NCAA wants the judge to dismiss a lawsuit filed by state officials seeking to enforce a 2013 state law that requires the money remain in the state.
If the judge agrees, the NCAA said it also will move to end a federal lawsuit against Gov. Tom Corbett and others that challenges that same law.
Penn State went 15-9 during the first two seasons of the sanctions under coach Bill O'Brien, who was hired to replace Paterno.
Paterno was the winningest coach in major college football history when he was fired not long after Sandusky, his former defensive coordinator, was charged in November 2011. Paterno died in January 2012 and lost his record when the NCAA vacated those 111 victories
O'Brien left for the Houston Texans of the NFL after last season and James Franklin was hired away from Vanderbilt to take his place.
Penn State is 2-0 this season. If the Nittany Lions win the East division, they will be eligible to play in the Big Ten championship game.
Franklin said in a statement the team appreciates the opportunity.
''This team plays for each other. We play for Penn State, our families, the former players, our students, alumni, fans and the community,'' he said.
By Sam Cooper
SMU announced Monday that head coach June Jones has resigned. Jones, who was in his seventh season with the program, cited “personal issues” as the reason for his departure.
Jones’ agent, Leigh Steinberg, tweeted that Jones “felt for some time he had accomplished a mission to turn around (the) program” and “needed a break.”
"This afternoon, I talked to my staff and players and notified them that I have decided to resign as SMU head football coach effective immediately,” Jones said in a statement. “It was a very difficult decision for me to make, as you can imagine. I have devoted my life for the last 50 years to playing and coaching this game and it has been a great journey. This job has a lot of demands, as you know, and along with that journey comes a price that is paid. I have some personal issues I have been dealing with and I need to take a step away so I can address them at this time.”
Jones was hired at SMU in 2008 after he spent nine seasons at Hawaii. The school’s fifth coach since the NCAA death penalty in the 80’s, Jones led the team to a 1-11 record in his first season. The team quickly turned it around in 2009 by winning eight games and knocking off Nevada in the Hawaii Bowl – the program’s first bowl win since 1984.
Jones led the Mustangs to at least seven wins in the four following seasons, won two more bowl games and two Conference USA division titles, but his program has struggled in the last two seasons. The Mustangs went 5-7 in 2013 in SMU’s first year in the AAC and started this year 0-2, losing by a combined score of 88-6. The team has a bye this week.
“I would like to thank all the people here at SMU that have supported the vision we have had here,” Jones said. “I feel we have made SMU relevant again in football by going to four bowls in my six years as a Mustang. I am very thankful for the opportunity I was given and wish only the best for the players, coaches and administration at SMU."
Overall, in parts of seven seasons, Jones went 36-43.
The Mustangs will host No. 7 Texas A&M at home on September 20.
Sources: Kentucky coach John Calipari finalizing unprecedented scouting combine for NBA personnel.
By Adrian Wojnarowski
University of Kentucky coach John Calipari is finalizing plans for an unprecedented two-day campus scouting combine for NBA executives to evaluate his star-laden roster of professional prospects, league sources told Yahoo Sports.
Calipari has invited officials of the 30 NBA teams to send personnel to Lexington, Ky., on Oct. 11-12 to watch his players do everything from run full-court five-on-five and NBA-style pick-and-roll sets to individual skill work.
The event is a chance for Calipari to impress a throng of top high school recruits on campus visits and once again frame his program as college basketball's best NBA feeder system. Kentucky is expected to be a consensus preseason No. 1 in the polls.
After the combine, Calipari plans to shut out NBA executives and scouts from his practices for several weeks – perhaps even months – into the season, league sources told Yahoo Sports.
This way, Calipari can avoid the distractions that a constant parade of NBA scouts can present to so many talented young players in the practice gym.
NBA personnel aren't allowed to interact with college undergraduates, but Calipari can simply shape his workouts to be conducive to the NBA's needs.
As one executive laughed, "We're just there as B-roll for his recruiting videos."
Calipari and his staff have been in contact with NBA executives on the format of the two-day event. Kentucky is expected to run double sessions of practice and workouts on Oct. 12 before closing off access to NBA teams for the foreseeable future.
Kentucky has a tremendous roster of NBA prospects, including five players in Draft Express’ list of the Top 30 prospects in the world. Freshman center Karl Towns (No. 3), junior center Willie Cauley-Stein (No. 10), sophomore center Dakari Johnson (No. 21), sophomore guard Andrew Harrison (No. 28), and sophomore forward Marcus Lee (No. 30) made the list.
Several more players, including sophomore Aaron Harrison and freshmen Devin Booker and Trey Lyles, are considered future first-round picks.
After defeating Federer in semi, No. 14 Marin Cilic wins U.S. Open title.
By Danielle Elliot
New York, NY, USA; Marin Cilic (CRO) reacts after beating Kei Nishikori (JPN) in the men's singles final of the 2014 U.S. Open tennis tournament at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. (Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports)
On the men's side, the first half of the U.S. Open was fairly routine. The Americans lost, the top seeds advanced. Only two Top 20 seeds were knocked out before the fourth round, while the women's draw was overflowing with upsets.
The second week, however, was quite the opposite. The women's top seed, Serena Williams, won her 18th Grand Slam title. And when the men's tournament ended on Monday night, it was 14th seed Marin Cilic taking home the trophy with a 6-3, 6-3, 6-3 upset over No. 10 Kei Nishikori.
As his dream became unlikely reality, Cilic, 25, fell to the ground and held his hands together, looking up to the sky. Moments later, he looked to the stands, seemingly stunned. He shook Nishikori's hand at the net, then ran up to his player's box to hug family and friends. Compared to the veteran champions, he seemed unsure what to do once he sat back in his chair. There, he picked up his phone and tried to make a call. No one seemed to answer.
The win was the culmination of a surprising second week. The women's draw is known for upsets. The men's though, rarely sees so many in one fortnight. Either Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, or Rafeal Nadal (or two of the three) has played in every Grand Slam final since the 2005 Australian Open. One of those three won all but two of those titles, too. But this year, after 38 slams, came a new chapter.
On one side, Nishikori knocked out 5th seed Milos Raonic in a third-round marathon that lasted until 2:26 a.m. Then came another five-set upset over 3rd seed Stan Wawrinka. Surely, everyone thought, he'd meet his match in No. 1 Novak Djokovic, but instead he knocked out the top seed in four sets, becoming the first Japanese man to ever advance to a major singles final.
On the other side, Cilic faced his first true test in the quarterfinals, where he needed five sets to knock out No. 6 Tomas Berdych. Then came his defining moment: Cilic took down the man who has won more Grand Slam titles than any other in history, the once-untouchable Federer. Like Nishikori, Cilic looked like the more experienced player in his semifinal match, pulling off a straight-set win over the legend. He hadn't dropped a set in the quarters or semis.
And so, the stage was set for a U.S. Open final featuring two first-time Slam finalists.The last time two first-time finalists faced off was at Roland Garros in 2005, when Rafael Nadal won his first major title.
In previous meetings, Nishikori held a 5-2 advantage. That included splitting U.S. Open matches in 2010 and 2012. Coming into Monday's final, Nishikori had held serve in 89 percent of his games while breaking opponents 28 times; Cilic had held in 90 percent, while breaking 23 times.
Nishikori had saved 79 percent of the break points he faced, compared to Cilic's 65 percent. Cilic's strongest asset was his first serve, as he racked up 81 aces to that point. Though he had only 30 aces, Nishikori had faced, and beaten, other dominant servers in Raonic and Wawrinka.
But today, Cilic's huge serve was too much. He served 17 aces and won 80 percent of his first-serve points as he tore through the straight-set win. His fastest serve registered at 134mph, beating his previous tournament-best of 132mph. Nishikori only managed one break in the one-hour, 54-minute match, while Cilic broke him five times.
The last time that a Croat took home the title was in 2001, when Cilic's coach, Goran Ivanisevic, won Wimbledon.
"It was a really fun two weeks here," said Cilic immediately after the win. "I hope I can be coming back next year."
"Everything I was working for and dreaming, it came true today."
On This Date in Sports History: Today is Wednesday, September 10, 2014.
MemoriesofHistory.com
1961 - Mickey Mantle tied a major league baseball record for home runs when he hit the 400th of his career.
1972 - Gayle Sayers of the Chicago Bears retired from the National Football League (NFL).
1974 - Lou Brock of the St. Louis Cardinals set a new major league baseball record when he stole his 105th base of the season.
1988 - Steffi Graf achieved tennis' first Grand Slam since Margaret Court in 1970.
1992 - In Minneapolis, MN, a federal jury struck down professional football's limited free agency system.
2002 - Gary Suter retired from the NHL after a 17 year career.
2006 - Roger Federer won his third straight U.S. Open and his 12th overall.
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