CS&T/AllsportsAmerica Monday Sports News Update, 11/24/2014.

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Sports Quote of the Day:

“When the world says, ‘Give up’, Hope whispers, ‘Try it one more time.'” ~ Unknown

Bear Down Chicago Bears!!!  Bears spoil Lovie Smith's return, knock off Buccaneers 21-13.

By Scott Krinch

  

Bears RB Matt Forte is congratulated by TE Martellus Bennett after his touchdown run. (Photo/Chicago Bears)

Ex-Bears head coach Lovie Smith preached winning the turnover battle during his nine-year tenure in Chicago.

But on Sunday, it looked like his former team was the only one to get the memo.

Behind five sacks of former Chicago fan favorite Josh McCown and four takeaways, the Bears defense rose to the occasion in a 21-13 victory over the Buccaneers. 

The visiting Buccaneers (2-9) raced out to a 10-0 first half lead — courtesy of one of the hottest tandems in the NFL. Rookie wide receiver Mike Evans broke free of Bears cornerback Kyle Fuller and McCown found him wide open in the corner of the end zone for a 13-yard touchdown. Tampa Bay padded their lead late in the second half with a 32-yard Patrick Murray field goal.

But it was Tampa Bay's defense that propelled them in the first half.  

A Buccaneers defense that was allowing 384.3 yards per game and 27.9 points per game going into Sunday's contest held the Bears (5-6) to just 64 total yards and zero points in the first frame. It was the third time the Bears have been shut out in a half this season, marking the first time they've done so since the 2006 season.

With their season on life-support and playing without two defensive starters that were injured in the first half in Lance Briggs (groin) and Fuller (knee), the Bears made their halftime adjustments and finally showed up to play. 

On the Bears first possession on the second half Jay Cutler engineered a six-play, 58-yard scoring drive capped off by an Alshon Jeffery two-yard touchdown reception on third down, trimming the Buccaneers lead to 10-7.

The wheels immediately fell off for Lovie and Tampa Bay following the Bears first score of the afternoon.

The Bears defense began to pressure McCown and picked up their second takeaway of the day when reserve defensive end David Bass stormed into the backfield and stripped McCown. Rookie linebacker Christian Jones, filling in for Briggs, scooped up the ball at Tampa Bay's 13-yard line.

On the next play from scrimmage, Matt Forte scampered into the end zone for a 13-yard touchdown run, giving the Bears a 14-10 lead. It was the Bears first points off a turnover since Oct. 5 against the Carolina Panthers. And it wouldn't be the first points off a Buccaneers turnover.

Just one play after the Bears touchdown, McCown was picked off by Bears safety Ryan Mundy, who returned the ball down to the Buccaneers 15-yard line. Forte capped off a brief 4-play, 15-yard drive with a one-yard touchdown run, giving Chicago a 21-10 lead. It was the 40th career rushing score for Forte, placing him at No. 4 on the Bears' all-time list behind Walter Payton, Neal Anderson and Rick Caseras. Forte passed up Gale Sayers (39 rushing touchdowns with the Bears) with the score. 

The Buccaneers would get another Murray field goal late in the fourth quarter. 

The Bears defense abused their former teammate, McCown, all day and finished the game with five sacks. Stephen Paea had two sacks, while Jeremiah Ratliff, Cornelius Washington and David Bass each had one. 

Cutler finished the game 16-of-26 for 126 yards and an 86.4 passer-rating. Tight end Martellus Bennett led the Bears in receiving with four receptions for 37 yards. Forte had 84 yards and 20 carries for a 4.2 AVG. 

The victory pushed the Bears to 5-6, keeping their slim playoff hopes alive and a chance to move to .500 — which seemed like a longshot three weeks ago — if they can defeat the Detroit Lions at Ford Field on Thanksgiving.

Though the Bears survived the Bucs, what does it all mean?

By John Mullin

It really doesn’t matter whether anyone believes the Bears after consecutive 21-13 wins over third-tier teams. Like them or not, they’re 5-6 and going to face the Detroit Lions; they have the two-game winning streak, and Detroit is the one with the two-game losing streak (the Lions lost at New England by 25, just about as badly as the Bears did); and they don’t really care whether anyone thinks they’re playoff material or not.

 

“We’re going into Detroit, and it’s a whole new game now,” said defensive tackle Stephen Paea, who turned in the most dominant game of his career with two sacks, one forcing a fumble, two tackles for loss and three other hits on Tampa Bay quarterback Josh McCown. “It’s still one game at a time and that’s our mentality. We need to go get a huge win this Thursday.”

 

That would indeed be “huge” and would draw the Bears (5-6) to within a game of the Lions (7-4).

 

But that is then and Sunday is now, and the now was at times alarming against a Tampa Bay (2-9) team among the NFL’s worst at scoring and stopping points.

 

Alarming because other than the four turnovers and five sacks, all by defensive linemen, the Bears remained somewhere on the inept scale on offense, supposedly the foundation pillar of the 2014 team.

 

Another team meeting

 

Multiple players said that this halftime was anything but relaxed. Players talked together in position groups and challenges were made among themselves.

 

“We understood the task at hand,” said left tackle Jermon Bushrod. “We were down at 10 at halftime and we needed to come out with the mindset that we were going to run the rock. We needed to get extra push, needed to score, because our defense was doing the job.

 

“We had to show the defense that we appreciated their hard work.”

 

Jay Cutler noted, “verbally we challenged guys. The players, we challenged each other. We knew if we continued down this road, we were going to lose this game.”

 

For all of that, to say that the Bears played down to the level of their opponents isn’t really accurate; they are at the level of teams like Minnesota and Tampa Bay until proven otherwise.

 

With chances to put the game firmly away in the fourth quarter, the offense that was fine if the defense handed it the ball inside the Tampa Bay red zone punted all four times it had the ball in the fourth quarter and went three-and-out on the last two of the four.

 

The Chicago offense managed zero points and just 68 total yards in the first half against a team allowing an average of nearly 28 points and 385 yards per game. The Bears have now been outscored 51-0 over the last six first quarters.

 

“We have continually had penalties and specific breakdowns that we have to get better at, stopping ourselves,” coach Marc Trestman said. “It happened [vs. Minnesota]. We’re not going to give up on it.”

 

The defense had its positives but also shanked the first half: 211 yards, five of 10 third downs converted by Tampa Bay. With the ball at midfield, the defense allowed Tampa Bay to convert a third-and-23 from midfield just before halftime, contributing to a drive for a field goal despite three penalties on the Buccaneers’ offense.

 

Coaching questions

 

Despite Cutler struggling with accuracy and his receivers struggling to catch a number of the footballs he did put comfortably within their catch radius, coaches who talked about balance last week called a first half that was 75 percent pass (seven runs, 21 drop-backs). The Bears finished the half trailing 10-0.

 

In a third quarter when the Bears went 63 percent run (nine runs, five drop-backs), the Bears scored 21 straight points with the help of their defense giving the ball to the offense at the Tampa Bay 13- and 15-yard lines on successive possessions, both leading to Matt Forte rushing touchdowns.

 

With a chance in the closing seconds of the first half, to have the ball around the Chicago 35 and one play because of a personal foul on Tampa Bay, Trestman declined the penalty and opportunity for a Hail Mary despite having one of the NFL’s strongest arms in his arsenal.

 

The situation again points to questions of trust between coach and quarterback, or perhaps between coach and the entire offense, given that protection was spotty (three sacks). Trestman’s caution, which he acknowledged had been excessive last week in an end-of-half situation vs. Minnesota, reasonably stems from limited upside (TD pass, pass interference setting up a field goal) vs. proven downside (sack, strip, interception).

 

Regardless, the Bears won in spite of their issues.

 

“We found a way to win today,” Trestman said. “It wasn’t pretty from an offensive standpoint early but we hung together.”

How 'bout them Chicago Blackhawks? Blackhawks fall to Canucks 4-1 as Jannik Hansen records hat trick.

By Chris Kuc

The puck flies over the shoulder of Corey Crawford #50 of the Chicago Blackhawks for a goal by Jannik Hansen #36 of the Vancouver Canucks during their NHL game at Rogers Arena November 23, 2014 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. (Photo by Jeff Vinnick/NHLI via Getty Images)

Summary

Jannik Hansen scored three times and Radim Vrbata also had a goal to lead the Canucks to a 4-1 victory over the Blackhawks on Sunday night at Rogers Arena. Kris Versteeg had a goal for the Hawks but it wasn't enough as they fell to 2-1-0 at the midway point of their six-game trip. Canucks goaltender Ryan Miller outdueled the Hawks' Corey Crawford to earn the victory.

Highlight reel

With the game tied 1-1 late in the second period, Crawford made a sensational stop on a power-play chance by the Canucks' Henrik Sedin after a terrific dish by brother Daniel. Crawford lunged to get his left skate on Henrik Sedin's shot from just outside the right post that was headed toward an open net.

Tribune's Three Stars

1: Hansen: Picked up his first career hat trick to propel the Canucks to the win.

2: Derek Dorsett, Canucks: Assisted on two of Hansen's goals, including a nice feed on the winning score.

3. Crawford: Didn't get much help in front of him but kept the Hawks in the game until late.

Hanging in

Despite still feeling ill, Antti Raanta served as Crawford's backup. Raanta had been scheduled to start against the Oilers on Saturday night but missed it after feeling sick.

Roster report

Andrew Shaw (upper body), Jeremy Morin (healthy) and David Rundblad (healthy) were scratches for the Hawks. Sitting for the Canucks were Alexandre Burrows (upper body), Dan Hamhuis (lower body) and Frank Corrado (healthy).

Big number

1,000 Career NHL games for Canucks' Daniel Sedin.

Big number II

300 Career NHL games for Hawks' Bryan Bickell.

 

The quote

"We just didn't take control of the game. We let them move the puck side-to-side across the ice and get their rush game going a little bit too easily. Pucks were just going through us everywhere. We weren't checking very well. We made their puck possession game really easy. We didn't deserve to win that one." — Hawks captain Jonathan Toews
 Up next

At Avalanche, 8 p.m. Wednesday.

Blackhawks erupt, score seven goals in win vs. Oilers. (Saturday night's game, 11/22/2014).

By Tracey Myers

Viktor Fasth #35 of the Edmonton Oilers watches the puck go past him on a shot from Patrick Kane #88 of the Chicago Blackhawks on November 22, 2014 at Rexall Place in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. (Photo by Andy Devlin/NHLI via Getty Images)

The goals kept adding up, the Chicago Blackhawks tallying six of them before the Edmonton Oilers even got that many shots on goal.

There have been a few lopsided games between these two teams at Rexall Place the past few seasons, the Blackhawks having the convincing victories more often lately. They had another one on Saturday night.

Jonathan Toews scored twice and Marian Hossa had a goal and three assists as the Blackhawks beat the Oilers 7-1 on Saturday. It was a one-sided affair from the start for the Blackhawks, who have now won three in a row and five of their last six.

The Blackhawks, who were struggling to score goals in games earlier this season, have had no problems there as of late. They’ve now scored 17 goals in their last three games.

“We just want to get the killer instinct,” said Hossa. “We tried to jump on them and, as soon as we get a couple, we want to get more and play the right way.”

Marcus Kruger scored what proved to be the game-winning goal. Duncan Keith, Kris Versteeg and Patrick Kane also scored for the Blackhawks. Hossa’s four-point outing was his best in a Blackhawks uniform, and his goal was his first since Oct. 30 vs. his former team, the Ottawa Senators. Hossa was frustrated by the drought, but only so much.

“As long as I know I feel good out there, things will happen,” Hossa said. “I don’t try to squeeze the stick too hard. I just try to relax and good things happen. I think the most important thing is we know we can score goals, but when we play good defensively we get more chances.”

Antti Raanta was supposed to start this one but fell ill. Coach Joel Quenneville said Raanta was feeling better late Saturday but he wasn’t sure which goaltender would start on Sunday vs. the Vancouver Canucks. Corey Crawford, who was told he would start against the Oilers after morning skate, stopped 24 of 25 for the victory.

“The more experience I have I’ve learned that, throughout the years, anything can happen,” said Crawford. “You have to stay ready, no matter what.”

The Blackhawks were ready for this one immediately. Toews started it just three minutes, 48 seconds into the game, finishing a 2-on-1 with Brandon Saad by beating Ben Scrivens 5-hole for a 1-0 lead. Just 55 seconds later, Kruger’s third of the season put the Blackhawks up 2-0. Toews netted his second of the game later in the first.

It continued in the second period, which hasn’t been the most productive 20 minutes for the Blackhawks this season. They had just seven total second-period goals entering this game; they scored three in the second tonight, from Versteeg, Hossa and Keith. Kane recorded his eighth of the season in the third.

The Blackhawks were looking to start the Circus Trip well. They have. Two games have resulted in two victories, two performances that have pleased Quenneville. Now they look to keep it going.

“Excellent start,” Quenneville said. “I like the way we’re playing and how we’re getting the four-line rotation, but it’s an excellent start to the trip. It’s exciting going into Vancouver tomorrow with some momentum. Let’s try to sustain it.”

Shannon Szabados wins first game for Cottonmouths, makes SPHL history.

By Jen Neale

Shannon Szabados #40 of the Columbus Cottonmouths during warm ups at Columbus Civic Center on March 13, 2014 in Columbus, Georgia. The Pensacola Ice Flyers defeated the Columbus Cottonmouths 5-0. (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images)

It's apropos the Columbus Cottonmouths of the SPHL hosted Girl Scout Night when three women make history in the league.

Shannon Szabados, goaltender for the Columbus Cottonmouths, made 34 saves on her way to become the first female goaltender to win a game in the SPHL. Columbus beat the Fayetteville FireAntz (offical name, not kidding) 5-4 in overtime on Friday night.
 

This is Szabados second season with the Cottonmouths. She originally signed with the franchise in March as a backup to goaltender. Some were wary this was a gimmick by the SPHL, but she impressed the organization enough to where she re-signed in the backup role for a second go in August.
 

Szabados is more commonly known as the stellar goaltender for Team Canada. She backstopped the women's national team to two gold medals in the 2010 and 2014 Olympics.

Two other women made SPHL history tonight. Erin Blair and Katie Guay became the first female officials to referee a SPHL game. From the press release:

"A native of Lisle, IL, Blair has been officiating for 14 years, after finishing her playing career in Division 1 Women’s Hockey as a goaltender for the University of Findlay (OH).  She has over a decade of international hockey experience with the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) including working the 18-and-under World Championships in Germany and the IIHF World Championships in Switzerland.  Blair’s career highlight came in 2014 when she was one of just six referees selected to officiate in the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics."

"Guay, a native of Westfield, MA, played four seasons at Brown University where she was named the team’s Most Valuable Player her sophomore season and was also a member of the women’s U22 National Hockey Team.  In October, she was selected to officiate the 2015 IIHF Ice Hockey Women’s World Championship in Malmo, Sweden.  Guay previously worked the 2014 IIHF Under-18 Women's World Championship in Budapest, Hungary and currently officiates both men’s and women’s hockey in Hockey East and the ECAC ..."

Congrats to Shannon, Erin, and Katie on the trail they've blazed for women in hockey. Keep putting cracks in those glass stanchions!

Just Another Chicago Bulls Session… Bulls-Jazz Preview.

By TAYLOR BECHTOLD (STATS Writer)

Injuries continue to mount for the Chicago Bulls, who are on the verge of losing three straight regular-season games for the first time in almost a year.

With three key players already considered game-time decisions, the Bulls are also likely to be without Taj Gibson on Monday night when they try to improve to 2-2 on their annual circus trip against the Utah Jazz.

Derrick Rose missed his fourth straight game due to a sore left hamstring, Pau Gasol sat his third in a row with a left calf strain and Kirk Hinrich was out with a chest contusion for Friday's 105-87 loss at Portland.

It's unknown whether any of them will be available when the club's season-high seven-game road swing continues in Salt Lake City.

Things only got worse Friday when Gibson sprained his left ankle in the third quarter. Gibson, averaging 12.9 points and 5.9 rebounds coming in, isn't likely to suit up after leaving Moda Center in a walking boot and on crutches.

"You've got to keep moving forward because the games keep coming," center Joakim Noah said. "Nobody feels sorry for you so you've got to keep going and getting better. Hopefully Taj will be all right."

Since beating the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday for its sixth straight road win, short-handed Chicago (8-5) has lost at Sacramento and Portland by a combined 33 points.

The Bulls haven't scored more than 88 in either contest while shooting 39.5 percent from the field. After averaging 25.7 points in his previous three games, Jimmy Butler hopes to bounce back after scoring nine on 3-of-13 shooting Friday.

Nikola Mirotic might be able to provide a lift after finishing with a season-high 24 points while hitting 4 of 7 from 3-point range to go with 11 rebounds against the Blazers.

Chicago is in the midst of an uncharacteristic defensive slump, allowing an average of 104.0 points on 50.3 percent shooting in its past two. The Bulls had given up 97.1 points per game and a 42.9 field-goal percentage over their previous 11 games.

They haven't lost three straight since a four-game skid from Dec. 14-19.

The Jazz (5-9) averaged 103.2 points in their first five games, but have scored 93.0 per game over the last nine. They had 38 turnovers in losing their last two and are on the verge of a third straight defeat following Saturday's 106-94 home loss to New Orleans.

Utah also has allowed opponents to reach 100 points in five of its last six contests, surrendering a 48.9 field-goal percentage in that span. Pelicans star Anthony Davis had his way with the Jazz, finishing with a career-high 43 points and 14 rebounds.

"We just weren't able to (get stops)," Gordon Hayward said. "We dug ourselves too big of a hole."

Hayward, averaging a team-high 19.1 points, scored 31 after putting up 12.3 per game in his previous three. The swingman totaled 30 points while missing 20 of 30 shots in last season's series with Chicago.

Trey Burke finished with a season-high 20 points on 8-of-12 shooting Saturday after he scored two while going 1 for 8 from the field in a 101-88 loss at Golden State on Friday.

Burke hit a 3-pointer in overtime to help the Jazz snap a six-game slide in the series with an 89-83 home win against the Bulls on Nov. 25.

Bulls circus trip update: Gibson out, Rose questionable.

By Mark Strotman

The Bulls will be without Taj Gibson for Monday's game in Utah, as the forward has flown back to Chicago for evaluation on the left ankle he sprained in Saturday night's loss in Portland.

Kirk Hinrich (chest) is doubtful, Derrick Rose (hamstring) is questionable and Pau Gasol (calf) is probable.

Hinrich suffered the chest injury in the fourth quarter of Friday night's loss in Sacramento. X-rays were negative and he was a limited participant in Sunday's practice, thought it appears Tom Thibodeau may give his point guard an extra day to recover.

Rose hasn't played since suffering a left hamstring strain late in the fourth quarter of the Bulls' win in Toronto on Nov. 13, and the Bulls may be without their starting point guard for a fifth straight game. Rose already has missed eight of the Bulls' first 13 games with the hamstring injury and a sprained ankle suffered on Oct. 31 against the Cavaliers.

If both Hinrich and Rose are unable to play Monday it will mean more extended action for Aaron Brooks. The reserve guard started in Portland on Saturday and finished with 12 points and three assists. E'Twaun Moore also saw time in the loss, finishing with nine points, four rebounds and three assists in 24 minutes.

Gasol arguably has been the Bulls' best performer this season, averaging 18.6 points, 10.6 rebounds and 2.5 blocks in 34.8 minutes per game. He's missed the last three games with the calf injury but appears likely to make his return to the lineup.

It'll be needed with Gibson potentially out an extended period of time, and also will give Nikola Mirotic more time on the second unit. Without Gasol and Gibson going down in Portland, Mirotic had a career night on Saturday, going for 24 points and 11 rebounds in 35 minutes, all of which were career-bests for the talented rookie.

The rash of early-season injuries have meant that only four players (Mike Dunleavy, Doug McDermott, Mirotic and Brooks) have played in all 13 games for the Bulls this season. They currently sit atop the Central Division at 8-5, good for third in the Eastern Conference almost one month into the season.

Bulls' injuries continue to pile up in loss to Lillard, Blazers 105-87. (Friday night's game, 11/21/2014).

By Aaron Fentress

Chicago Bulls Taj Gibson going up for the score against the Portland Trailblazers, 11/21/2014. (Cameron Browne/NBAE/Getty Images)    

With 2:46 remaining in the first quarter of the Bulls' 105-87 loss at Portland Friday night, the scoreboard read 28-11, Blazers.

The stat sheet read 18.8 percent shooting for the Bulls.

Head coach Tom Tom Thibodeau’s face read disgust.

And the tea leaves read that this game was over, for all intents and purposes.

The Bulls never came close to recovering from their dismal start, save for a short-lived run in the second quarter, and fell for the third time in four outings.

“I can’t really say too many positives about tonight except that our bench competed,” center Joakim Noah said. “We have a long ways to go.”

Maybe. But let’s be real here. What Thibodeau put on the court at the Moda Center is not the team many expected to contend in the Eastern Conference.

Chicago (8-5) played without injured guards Derrick Rose (hamstring) and Kirk Hinrich (chest), and forward Pau Gasol (calf).

Now add forward Taj Gibson to the list Bulls on the injured list.

He re-aggravated his left ankle and went down with 6:04 remaining in the third quarter and the Bulls down 72-51 after awkwardly stepping on the foot of Portland guard Wesley Matthews.

X-rays were negative but Gibson said he must take time to fully heal an ankle that he has repeatedly injured.

The only good to come out of Gibson’s absence was that it allowed rookie forward Nikola Mirotic to get more playing time. He responded with a game-high 24 points on 7-of-14 shooting off the bench.

Chicago shot 36.1 percent for the game.

Thibodeau was pleased with his rookie’s performance.

“He can build on every game,” he said. “That’s what you want him to do. You want him to continue to improve. But the winning part is important.”

The reality is that the Bulls this season are not going to win many games, if any, with Mirotic leading the team in scoring.

The frustration for the Bulls became palpable when forward Mike Dunleavy issued a hard foul on Portland point guard Damian Lillard in the third quarter.

Dunleavy’s flagrant foul came after Noah crumbled to the floor in pain while going for a defensive rebound. He clutched his face, which had been accidentally struck by teammate, Jimmy Butler, also going for the rebound. 

“I just got hit in the head,” Noah said.

With Noah down, the ball ended up in the hands of Portland forward LaMarcus Aldridge, who passed to a wide-open Lillard, who led Portland with 21 points.

Dunleavy, who finished with two points in 17 minutes, said he fouled Lillard in order to avoid giving him a shot with Noah on the floor. But Lillard went up with the shot before Dunleavy got there.

“I had to foul him hard,” Dunleavy said. “I didn’t want to give up a four-point play. Just an awkward moment because I was going to take a foul, but he was shooting a three.”

Dunleavy said he didn’t to go for Lillard’s legs, or his head, so he went for his body. That resulted in Lillard going down hard to the floor.

Matthews responded by pushing Dunleavy before he was pushed back by an official.

His push led to Chicago guard Aaron Brooks running toward the collection of players growing at center court and shoving Matthews.

Referees got Brooks away from Matthews, and that led to Brooks moving aggressively toward an official and jawing at him before being held back by Portland forward Nicolas Batum and coach Terry Stotts.

Dunleavy said he meant no harm.

“Nice kid, I have nothing against him,” he said. “It was totally unintentional in terms of trying to injure or hurt somebody.”

Lillard said he didn’t buy Dunleavy’s explanation for the hard foul.

“I've had worse things happen,” he said. “I mean, that was the last thing I was expecting on a wide open three-point shot. It was a cheap play. I don't know what else to say about that.”

Thibodeau didn’t say much about the incident.

“I don’t know,” he said. “Just part of the game. A lot of frustration.”

For Chicago, the frustration could continue until it finally becomes whole again.

Chicago looked good on Tuesday during a 105-89 dissection of the Clippers in Los Angeles without Rose and Gasol.

But two blowout losses to Sacramento (Thursday night) and to Portland show that the Bulls, nor any team for that matter, is deep enough to compete with so many key players out.

“It’s no excuses,” Noah said. “I think we’ve got to do a better job. Just a tough loss tonight. We have to shake it off and get ready for the next one.”

Chicago has the rest of the weekend off to rest up and maybe get some bodies back before continuing the seven-game road trip Monday at Utah (5-8).

"At least six" teams interested in Jon Lester.

By Drew Silva

The Red Sox and Cubs have long been considered the favorites to sign free agent Jon Lester, with the Braves and Cardinals also lingering. But there may be a surprise coming.

FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal reports that there are “at least six” teams expressing serious interest in the left-handed starter and other clubs “continue to jump into the bidding.” The Yankees have denied that they’re going to make a big push in free agency, but Rosenthal writes Sunday that “the entire sport is bracing for them to snap to attention, as they always do.”

Lester, 30, had a 2.46 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, and 220/48 K/BB ratio in 219 2/3 innings this past season between Boston and Oakland. The Red Sox reportedly offered him $110-$120 million over six years, but that was just an initial proposal. It sounds like he’s going to top $150 million.

White Sox reform 1-2 punch in signing Adam LaRoche to two-year, $25 million deal.

By Mark Townsend

Adam LaRoche ((USA TODAY Sports)

The Chicago White Sox stayed active in free agency on Friday, inking first baseman Adam LaRoche to a two-year, $25 million deal, according to a report from USA Today's Bob Nightengale. 

LaRoche, 35, fills a couple of big needs that Sox general manager Rick Hahn was looking to address this winter. First and foremost, LaRoche brings left-handed power, having averaged 26 homers over his last three seasons with the Washington Nationals. His .256/.346/.458 batting line over that time frame isn't eye-popping, but that would suffice as a complementary player to offensive centerpiece Jose Abreu.

Abreu, of course, also factors into this deal in many ways. Not only does he have another proven run producer to help carry the offense, as a plus defender at first base, LaRoche also gives manager Robin Ventura options and opportunities to keep both guys fresh by limiting time in the field. 

 

Essentially it's Paul Konerko and Adam Dunn 2.0. The right-handed slugging Abreu fills the centerpiece role, as Konerko did so well for the majority of his 16-year run with Chicago. From 1999-2012, Konerko averaged 30 homers and 93 RBIs while hitting .285. Abreu went .317/.383/.581 with 36 homer and 107 RBIs in his rookie campaign, so it's safe to assume he can equal or surpass Konerko's averages for the next several seasons.

While LaRoche won't walk or homer as often as Dunn, he also won't strike out as frequently. In his 3 1/2 seasons with Chicago, Dunn was a true three-outcome hitter, hitting .202 while averaging 32 homers, 96 walks and 219 strikeouts per 162 games. As noted, during that same time frame LaRoche hit for better average with almost equal power. He also averaged 81 walks and 137 strikeouts per 162 games.

In many ways, LaRoche makes the White Sox offense more dynamic, in addition to offering the defensive support. Dunn proved unplayable in the field early in his White Sox tenure and almost exclusively DHed throughout. If the White Sox hold on to shortstop Alexei Ramirez and get a full season from right fielder Avisail Garcia, you're suddenly looking at a potentially deep and well balanced lineup that could make them a factor in the AL Central.

Of course, there's still a long way to go this winter, and obviously a lot of ground to cover to catch Detroit, Kansas City and Cleveland. With the signing of reliever Zach Duke earlier in the week and now LaRoche, Hahn and company have at least put Chicago on the radar and likely on a lot of short lists as 2015 dark horses.  

Golf: I got a club for that; Ice man Stenson overcomes nerves to retain Dubai title.

Reuters; by Matt Smith, Editing by Ed Osmond 

Henrik Stenson of Sweden lines up his putts on the third green during the final round of the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai November 23, 2014. (REUTERS/Nikhil Monteiro)

Defending champion Henrik Stenson retained the $8 million DP World Tour Championship on Sunday, carding a final-round 70 to finish two shots clear and cement his status as Europe’s number two golfer.

Overnight leaders Stenson and Rafael Cabrera-Bello started the day on 14-under, three strokes clear of England’s Justin Rose, with four players including world number one Rory McIlroy a stroke further back.

As the turn approached, Swede Stenson and Spaniard Cabrera-Bello were a further stroke ahead and they seemed set for a straight shootout before nerves got the better of them.

Stenson bogeyed the eighth and dropped two more shots at the 11th after shanking an iron out of bounds as Cabrera-Bello, ranked 104th in the world, led with three holes to play despite a 12th hole bogey.

“I'm exhausted,” Stenson told reporters. “On the back nine I didn't play my best. I had a shocking hole 11. That kind of put me back.”

Cabrera-Bello's golf veers between brilliant – his second round 64 was the tournament’s best - and lamentable. The latter trait became apparent as he found water at 16 and 17, dropping four shots on another sweltering desert day.

McIlroy and Rose, almost unnoticed, had closed to 14-under to tie with Stenson.

Rose, 34, made up six shots in nine holes on Stenson and Cabrera-Bello as the former U.S. Open champion birdied 14-16, while McIlroy sunk four birdies to be back in contention for a title he appeared to have thrown away with successive double bogeys on Saturday.

The Northern Irishman rued three lip-outs on the final-round front nine, but was fortunate on the 18th when his tee-shot hit a rock by the water and bounced 30 yards on to the fairway.

He then luckily hit the grandstand behind the green, but fluffed an eight-foot birdie chance.

Meanwhile, Stenson – the player his rivals refer to as "Ice Man" - landed a tee-shot on the par-three 17th within a foot of the pin. He converted that for 15-under and birdied the next to end on 272 to clinch the $1.33 million first prize.

“On 17, it was good for a five‑iron. I hit a nice shot pretty much straight at it coming in off the left,” added Stenson.

McIlroy (68), Rose (69) and France’s Victor Dubuisson (68) were joint-second on 274.

Stenson’s win put him second on Europe’s money list - McIlroy was crowned champion last week – and he will earn a further $800,000 from a $5 million bonus pool shared among the Tour’s top 15 players.

Whaley voted first female PGA of America officer.

AFP

Connecticut native Suzy Whaley watches the ball at the start of the second round of the Greater Hartford Open, 25 July, 2003 in Cromwell, Connecticut (AFP Photo/Elsa)

Suzy Whaley, a former LPGA player who qualified and played in a 2003 men's PGA event, was elected Saturday as the first woman officer in the PGA of America's history.

The balloting all-but assures that Whaley, who was voted into a two-year term as secretary, will become the first president in the organization's history in 2018 as officers typically rotate into higher PGA roles.

Derek Sprague was elected president and Paul Levy was elected as vice president. Each will serve in his post for the next two years, when Levy would typically rotate into the presidency and Whaley would move into the vice president's role.

Each step requires another vote but typically the rotation approval is routine.

The PGA of America also announced that the role of honorary president, which outgoing president's serve for two years, will be retained by Allen Wronowski for two more years rather than passed along to Ted Bishop, who was outsed as the PGA of America president last month for a remark made in a Twitter posting.

Whaley, a golf teacher, became the first woman to qualify and play in a PGA event in 58 years when she took part in the 2003 Greater Hartford Open. The only other woman to qualify and play in a tournament on the US men's tour was Babe Zaharias.

Tiger Woods names new swing coach Chris Como.

By Ryan Ballengee

 

Tiger Woods (Getty Images)

Tiger Woods has a new pair of eyes looking at his golf swing. On Saturday, Woods tweeted he had found a new golf coach.

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Tiger Woods        ✔                                                                              Follow
@TigerWoods
    

Happy to have Chris Como consulting and working with me on my swing. I’m excited to be back competing.

 

10:59 AM - 22 Nov 2014

                     

1,566 Retweets 2,052 favorites 

 

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The 36-year-old Como is based in Plano, Texas, and was named to Golf Digest's list of "best young teachers" in 2013. This year, Como was named to Golf Magazine's "golf innovators" list.
 

Como says he prefers to think of the golf swing in biomechanical terms, a subject in which he's nearly finished a Masters degree. He has an interest in debunking long-held theories about the golf swing.

Woods discovered Como through friend and former Stanford roommate Notah Begay III, who was also thought to have been providing some guidance for Woods since firing former coach Sean Foley in August.
 

"I was introduced to Chris this summer by Notah [Begay], and subsequently we had several good conversations about the golf swing," Woods said in a release provided by agent Mark Steinberg. "I've worked with him about a month since I started practicing. Chris will consult and work with me during the year."
 

Como has worked with several tour players in the past, including Aaron Baddeley.
 

Como will be Woods' fourth coach since turning pro in 1996. Woods worked with Butch Harmon from '96 through 2003, at which point Hank Haney took over until May 2010. Foley and Woods parted ways after the PGA Championship, capping an injury-plagued season where Woods failed to post a single top-10 finish on the PGA Tour.

NASCAR: College student: Phoenix turned me into believer.

By Melissa Conrad

(Robert Laberge/Getty Images)

At first race, Penn State student got great view of NASCAR action.

Melissa Conrad, a senior at Pennsylvania State University, attended the race weekend in Avondale, Arizona, and filed this story.

I grew up watching and playing all sports, from field hockey to tennis to cross country and everything in between. I traveled up and down the East Coast watching my brother play summer league baseball and competing in AAU basketball tournaments myself. I watched NFL games every Sunday with my dad. I pined over Olympic figure skating and gymnastics with my mom, the one non-sports-oriented person in my family.

I chose to attend Penn State University for the well-respected education I would receive from the College of Communications and the athletic involvement opportunities that would present themselves at such a high-profile institution.

Now, as a senior having completed a multitude of internships in the industry, I thought I had accomplished a diverse, well-rounded background in sports knowledge.

That is, until Nov. 7 when I arrived at Phoenix International Raceway to experience NASCAR.

Before arriving in Phoenix to participate in an exclusive student immersion program for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and NASCAR Nationwide Series races, NASCAR was defined as such: The sport of which I have almost no knowledge or opinion.

My definition today? The best-kept sports secret of my generation.

Per my own observation, it seems that the buzz for NASCAR exists mostly within an older-than-college crowd. However, my experience in Phoenix is proof to why the buzz needs to spread (and will).

As soon as we landed at the airport, we were immediately whisked away to the track. Tom Bryant, director of communicators for Touring and Weekly racing, met us at the track entrance to get us set up with credentials that would allow us access to people and areas that thousands of others would beg for during the weekend.

I can genuinely say that the scene we walked into was unlike any other sports scene I’ve been a part of, from Penn State’s Beaver Stadium filled to capacity to Gaelic football playoffs in Ireland.

It was an organized chaos of pit crews handling hundreds of tools and parts, passionate fans looking on and waiting for autographs, media members fighting for interviews and cars zooming by in tight lanes to enter the raceway for practice or qualifying rounds.

Friday consisted of meeting the on-site NASCAR Competition Communications team from top to bottom, who welcomed us as if we were one of their own. The group was not only quick to offer any and all background information on the sport, but was also just as interested to hear our stories -- where we were from, what our majors were, what brought us here and so on.

 

We looked on in amazement as the final practice round for the NASCAR Nationwide Series took place, followed by NASCAR Camping World Truck Series qualifying. I never realized that NASCAR isn't just the race itself; it’s the compilation of qualifying and practice rounds that are just as crucial.

The sun went down and it was time for NASCAR under the lights at Phoenix International Raceway. There was one problem though: a power outage in the region. Half of the race track was completely darkened beside the Arizona desert mountains, and the main attraction of the day (not to mention, my first ever NASCAR race) was delayed by an hour.

When the lights turned on and the race did get going, a crash occurred before some of the trucks even reached the start/finish line, thus rendering 18 ensuing caution laps. Everyone in the press box made a point to stop by the Penn State students' chairs and whisper: "Don't worry, it's not usually like this." However, what they didn't realize is that you never forget your first experience with a particular sport. Power outages and cautions laps or not, NASCAR was beginning to make sense to me.

Saturday was another full day of practice rounds, qualifying, media interviews, press conferences and most notably a 100 mph, adrenaline-spiking pace car trip around the track. The NASCAR Nationwide Series race was set for 2 p.m. that afternoon.

We had the amazing opportunity to sit atop Kyle Larson's pit box, an experience I'm sure would be envied by many NASCAR loyalists. I almost felt guilty taking such an incredible viewing spot for the race, having had no previous knowledge of a sport in which millions live and breathe.

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Melissa Conrad                                                                                       Follow
@melissaconradPR
    

Watching the @NASCAR_NNS race at @PhoenixRaceway from @KyleLarsonRacin's pit box.

 

3:47 PM - 8 Nov 2014 Arizona, US, United States

 

4 favorites

 

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What an experience it was to see the race from that vantage point. Listening to the radio, watching Larson's team go to work in less than eight seconds each pit stop and being that close to the track was a sports moment I will never forget. I learned in those three hours that you do not need to fully understand a sport to truly grasp its intensity.

The beauty of sports is just that. If you have a passion for competition, it doesn't matter whether it's a ball bouncing on a court, a puck skimming across the ice, a glove making a catch, or a high-speed car revving its engine. All sports matter.

I arrived at the Phoenix International Raceway as a NASCAR doubter and left as a believer.

Lewis Hamilton seals Formula 1 title with win at Abu Dhabi.

By Nick Bromberg

Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton of Britain celebrates after winning the Emirates Formula One Grand Prix to clinch the Formula One world championship at the Yas Marina racetrack in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Sunday, Nov. 23, 2014. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)

Lewis Hamilton got his 11th win of the season Sunday at Abu Dhabi and clinched the 2014 Formula 1 championship.

The points leader entering the race, Hamilton needed to finish second if teammate Nico Rosberg won the race to clinch the title. But as the race unfolded, Rosberg faded from the front and Hamilton would have been the champion had he cruised home in fifth or pushed for the win.

He pushed for the win.

Rosberg, who started on the pole, had a terrible start and it allowed Hamilton, who started second, to sprint away into the first corner with the lead. Rosberg never got close again, and a brake issue derailed any chances he had of finishing the race in the points. As Rosberg's car slowed over the last half of the race, he ended up 14th and a lap behind Hamilton.

After Rosberg's issues, Hamilton was told to conserve the car as he could coast to the finish ahead of Rosberg to guarantee the title. He did so for a bit, briefly giving up the lead to Felipe Massa after a pit stop. But before Massa pitted for the final time, Hamilton ran his fastest laps of the race. The cushion he built with the fast laps and the time Massa lost on the stop was enough to hold off the Williams driver for the win.

The title is Hamilton's second of his career. He won his first in 2008 in a driving rainstorm at Brazil, snatching positions at the end to finish fifth and a point ahead of Massa, the race winner, in the season standings.

Mercedes won 16 of the season's 19 races as Rosberg had five victories. Daniel Ricciardo, in his first season at Red Bull Renault, won the other three. Mercedes also won 18 of the season's 19 poles. The only one team Mercedes didn't win was at Austria, where Massa, in a Mercedes-powered car, got the top starting spot.

Sunday's race was also the last for some stars of Formula 1 at their current teams. Four-time champion Sebastian Vettel is moving from Red Bull Renault to Ferrari for 2015 to be teammates with Kimi Raikkonen. Two-time champion Fernando Alonso is leaving Ferrari and likely headed to McLaren, where he'll drive for the team as it switches to Honda from Mercedes power. It's currently unknown whether his teammate will be Kevin Magnusson or 2009 champion Jenson Button, who both drove for McLaren this season.

Crystal Palace vs. Liverpool: Final score 3-1 as Liverpool's nightmare continues.

By Kirsten Schlewitz

     (Steve Bardens/Getty Images)

 

That's four games without a win and three losses straight for Brendan Rodgers' side, but the win lifts Palace to safety.

Liverpool scored within two minutes at Selhurst Park, but the hosts had equalized by the time 20 minutes were up. But it was the second half that proved the death of the Reds, with Crystal Palace scoring two goals in three minutes, finishing the game with a 3-1 victory.

With Mario Balotelli out with injury, Brendan Rodgers gave a rare league start to Rickie Lambert. Fellow ex-Southampton man Adam Lallana was in the starting lineup as well, and before three minutes were up, the two had combined as though they'd never left St. Mary's.

 

Lallana had no trouble getting the better of Martin Kelly, after which he sent a long ball across the top. Lambert cut inside behind the Palace defense, and had no trouble beating Julian Speroni for his first goal in a Liverpool shirt.

 

But while Liverpool may have got off to a dream start, their defense let them down yet again. Yannick Bolasie exploited the space in front of the Reds' backline, sending in a great shot from outside the area. The shot smacked the woodwork, but the rebound fell to an onrushing Dwight Gayle, who sent it into an empty net for a 1-1 tie.

 

After the restart, Palace made it clear that they weren't going to sit back and play for a point. Their first attack was ended by the offside flag, but Bolasie continued to make it a personal mission to torment the poor Liverpool defense.

 

As the rain continued to soak Selhurst Park, it also dampened the pitch. The majority of chances were coming from free kicks, and even those were barely threatening. The game seemed crying out for substitutions. Instead the players, possibly growing a bit bored, started picking up the pace, resulting in decent chances at both ends.

 

Rodgers finally made a change at the 72nd minute, bringing off Lambert for Fabio Borini. Two minutes later, off came Joe Allen, his head wrapped festively in a bandage from an early injury, in favor of Emre Can. Neil Warnock then countered by putting on James McArthur for Jason Puncheon, who'd been rather ineffective all afternoon.

 

Minutes later, Palace were ahead. Bolasie, switched to the right flank, had absolutely no trouble holding off Dejan Lovren to capitalize on a throw-in. Joe Ledley, speeding -- unmarked -- toward the center of the area, latched on to the pass from Bolasie and sent his shot through Simon Mignolet's legs.

 

A one-goal lead just wasn't enough for the hosts, however, and within four minutes they'd doubled their advantage. The whistle blew for Martin Skrtel's pull on Gayle's shirt, setting up a free kick for Mile Jedinak. The captain sent in an absolutely delicious free kick, curling around and over the wall before flying into the top corner of Mignolet's net.

 

Crystal Palace: Speroni; Ward, Delaney (Hangeland 36), Dann, Kelly; Bolasie (Bannan 86), Ledley, Jedinak, Puncheon (McArthur 75); Chamakh; Gayle

 

goals: Gayle 17'; Ledley 78'; Jedinak 81'

 

Liverpool: Mignolet; Johnson, Lovren, Skrtel, Manquillo; Allen (Can 74), Gerrard, Lallana; Coutinho, Lambert, (Borini 72), Sterling

 

goals: Lambert 2'

Manchester United might have hit a turning point with their win over Arsenal.

By Andi Thomas

 

(Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)

Yes, they were lucky, and yes, Arsenal were Arsenal. But taking three points from north London might just be the making of Louis van Gaal's United side.

A few weeks ago, as Manchester United prepared to face Chelsea, Louis van Gaal spoke to the press of the need for his United to have their "Juventus moment". He was referring to his time in charge of Bayern Munich, when a 4-1 win over the Italians in crystallised what he was trying to do with the Germans, and turned an inconsistent team into a double-winning machine.

Some felt that the Juventus moment arrived after that game, thanks to Robin van Persie's late equaliser. More likely, though, is that Monday's papers will hail Saturday evening's 2-1 win over Arsenal as that moment. Obviously, this is an exercise in projection: how will the present look in the future, once it's the past? But writing tomorrow's history books today is half the fun of football — the other half is own goals — and there is a decent case for this win amounting to something significant. At least for United.

 

After a startlingly shambolic opening 25 minutes, in which Arsenal strolled through United's defence with casual, almost insulting ease, United firmed up. More to the point, United looked, for perhaps the first time this season, like a side with a plan and with the chops to execute that plan. Marouane Fellaini was excellent in his familiar role as a huge inconvenience to the opposition, but also looked remarkably decent as a midfielder. Ashley Young — Ashley Young! — looked like a wing-back. And Tyler Blackett and Paddy McNair managed not to look like the children they are.

 

More generally. United at times looked like they knew what they were trying to do. Before kick-off, the switch back to the three-man defence was largely ascribed to the ongoing hilarity with injuries, but it's worth bearing in mind that van Gaal's use of the formation with the Netherlands was designed to let a defensively vulnerable shaky side defend deep, then counter-attack against possession-heavy teams. With Angel di Maria pretending to be Arjen Robben, and Wayne Rooney running farther and harder than Wesley Sneijder ever did, United were able to cope with the fact Robin van Persie's impression of Robin van Persie is getting ever more depressing.

 

Obviously, there was much good fortune involved. David de Gea dealt excellently with nearly everything Arsenal kicked straight at him, but they really did kick nearly everything straight at him. Alexis Sanchez, perhaps feeling the effects of his efforts with Chile, was unusually subdued. Jack Wilshere's forced removal from the midfield certainly helped, as did Arsene Wenger's strange removal of Aaron Ramsey. And no plan can claim credit for an own goal as profoundly farcical as the first goal, as Kieran Gibbs first injured himself and his own goalkeeper before deflecting a Valencia clank into his own net. Unless, of course, that plan reads: let Arsenal Arsenal themselves in the face.

 

But then, perhaps that's what a Juventus moment takes: not just a suggestion of footballing ability, but also for the luck to start running the right way. Van Gaal and his players have certainly been guilty of some peculiar, mistaken and downright baffling decisions this season, but they have also run into some strange rubs of the green, most notably the extraordinary catalogue of fitness issues. Luck plays a part in almost everything that happens on and off the pitch, and when Luke Shaw limped off and Jack "Hold Me Back" Wilshere mysteriously stayed on, it looked like United were going to subside. Then, mysteriously, they didn't.

 

Maybe Arsenal are just the only big side more cursed than United. But more luck comes from the league table. United have two points fewer than they did at this stage last year, and they sit two places higher, in a Champions League place. Everybody, Chelsea aside, is rubbish; in such company, even a side as unbalanced as United can get away with it from time to time. With two friendly-looking home games coming next, van Gaal has the chance to stitch a few wins together, as he was supposed to do at the beginning of the season, and to build a bit of confidence and momentum ahead of their next tricky moment, back-to-back games against Southampton and Liverpool.

 

When it comes to Juventus moments, United have their own: that ludicrous, lunatic, Keane-covering-every-blade-of-grass performance by in the 1999 Champions League semi-final. This United team, compared to that one, are a miserable rabble. Yet it is to that level that van Gaal is charged with returning United: to the top of the table, to the sharp end of Europe, to the relentless, remorseless machine. The path from one Juventus moment to another still looks like a long one, but United will be feeling that after this victory — strange confection of spirit and luck and oh, Arsenal though it was — it might not be completely unnavigable.

2014 NCAA Football Rankings Top 25 - (Nov. 23, 2014)

CBSSports.com

Associated Press Top 25   1. Florida State 2. Alabama 3. Oregon 4. Mississippi State 5. Baylor 6. TCU 7. Ohio State 8. Georgia 9. UCLA 10. Michigan State 11. Kansas State 12. Arizona 13. Arizona State 14. Wisconsin 15. Auburn 16. Georgia Tech 17. Missouri 18. Ole Miss 19. Marshall 20. Oklahoma 21. Colorado State 22. Minnesota 23. Clemson 24. Louisville 25. Boise State   11/23/2014

Coaches Poll   1. Alabama 2. Florida State 3. Oregon 4. Mississippi State 5. TCU 6. Baylor 7. Ohio State 8. Michigan State 9. Georgia 10. UCLA 11. Kansas State 12. Arizona 13. Arizona State 14. Wisconsin 15. Georgia Tech 16. Auburn 17. Missouri 18. Oklahoma 19. Ole Miss 20. Marshall 21. Colorado State 22. Minnesota 23. Louisville 24. Clemson 25. Boise State

Oklahoma's Samaje Perine breaks single-game rushing record with 427.

By Graham Watson

Oklahoma's Samaje Perine re-breaks FBS rushing record 1 week after Melvin Gordon.

The single-game rushing record that last week took 15 years to break has been broken once again.

Oklahoma’s Samaje Perine rushed for 427 yards and five touchdowns on 34 carries against Kansas on Saturday, breaking the record of 408 yards set just last week by Wisconsin’s Melvin Gordon.

TCU’s LaDanian Tomlinson set the original record of 406 against UTEP in 1999.

Perine, a freshman, made and surpassed the record on a 42-yard scamper early in the fourth quarter.

The Sooners called timeout, got the game ball and celebrated the accomplishment on the field.

Perine was then taken out of the game.

“I really didn’t have [the record] at the forefront of my mind,” Perine said in the postgame television interview with Fox Sports 1. “I just went out there, played the game and we did a really good job up front and on the perimeter with our blocking. And, you know, it just so happens that I came up with the record.”

While many were in awe of Gordon’s performance last week, Perine’s was perhaps a little anticlimactic because of the competition.

Gordon, who achieved the record on 25 carries in three quarters, did so against a ranked Nebraska team with a top-20 rushing defense in the heat of a Big Ten West Division race.

Perine’s record, while still impressive, was set on a rainy day against a Kansas team that had the 84th-best rushing defense and had won just two Big 12 Conference games in the past three seasons.

That said, Tomlinson’s record came against a 5-7 UTEP team that finished the season ranked 100th nationally against the run.

Perine came into the contest ranked 25th nationally in rushing with just over 1,000 yards. He was actually coming off a 213-yard performance against Texas Tech last week.

 

The 400-yard game was just his fourth triple-digit rushing performance of the season.

“We knew it was going to be a running day,” Perine said. “With this rain, we just had to do what we had to do and we came out fired up about it. And it was just a great day to run the ball."

Shaq, Hill join 6 others in college hoops Hall.

By DAVE SKRETTA (AP Sports Writer)

By now, the story of how longtime LSU coach Dale Brown discovered Shaquille O'Neal has been told many times: Brown happened upon a massive 13-year-old at an army base in Germany, stayed in touch with him and eventually became like a second father.

 

What is often forgotten is just how far fate stretched for it to happen.

It wasn't a large army base - Wildflecken was so remote that the nearest large city in what was then West Germany was several hours away. There was one gym, one commissary. Soldiers despised the high altitude and lousy weather.

''For him to show up,'' O'Neal said, ''that meant everything to me.''

Brown would ultimately give O'Neal the confidence he needed to attend college, something he had never dreamed possible, and make it into the NBA, back then not even a dream. So it made sense - maybe fate intervened again - that O'Neal and Brown would be inducted together into the College Basketball Hall of Fame on Sunday night in Kansas City.

They were joined by six other luminaries, including former Duke star Grant Hill, Louisville standout Darrell Griffith, longtime Maryland coach Gary Williams, Stetson's Glenn Wilkes Sr., Five-Star Basketball Camp founder Howard Garfinkel and the late Prairie View A&M star Zelmo Beaty.

 

''I'm most excited to be here next to the guy who gave me the opportunity,'' O'Neal said, ''because at 13, 6-foot-9, I had zero confidence. I wasn't even thinking about going to college, going to the NBA. And Coach Brown sent me letters every week, 'How are you doing?'

''One letter was my favorite letter,'' O'Neal recalled. '''Even if you never become a basketball player, I want to offer you a scholarship to LSU.'''

O'Neal went on to win two national player of the year awards, average 22 points and 14 rebounds and set school records for blocks in a game, season and career. While he never made it to the Final Four - one of his biggest regrets - he still accomplished plenty in just three years.

Drafted first overall by Orlando in 1992, O'Neal would embark on an NBA career that would include four championships, 15 All-Star appearances and a league MVP award. He would score more than 25,000 points and tally more than 19,000 rebounds over 19 seasons.

This year's class joins dozens of other players, coaches and contributors who have been enshrined in Kansas City since the inaugural 2006 class, headlined by John Wooden and Oscar Robertson. The annual Hall of Fame induction takes place on the eve of the CBE Classic at the nearby Sprint Center.

No. 14 Iowa State plays Alabama and Maryland faces Arizona State in Monday night's semifinals. The championship and consolation games are Tuesday night.

The Terrapins were synonymous with Williams during his coaching tenure from 1989-2011, during which Maryland won 461 games and the 2002 national title. He recalled ruefully the 2007 CBE Classic, saying ''we did not play well.'' But his return to Kansas City was much more enjoyable.

''It's just been a big thrill, the whole thing,'' Williams said Sunday. ''I really appreciate this opportunity to be here tonight because this is really special.''

Williams also cherished the chance to face Hill's teams all those years, even if Duke often came out on top.

The Blue Devils won two national titles with Hill and lost the championship to Arkansas in his senior season. While he had a long NBA career that included seven All-Star appearances, Hill always will be remembered for those Duke teams, playing alongside Christian Laettner and Bobby Hurley.

''I grew up in college,'' Hill said. ''I grew up, and certainly it prepared me for 19 years in the NBA, and certainly life after basketball. But really, I'm just so grateful.''

Hill may be the tie that binds so many of the inductees. He played against Shaq in the NBA, faced Wilkes's Stetson teams, attended Garfinkel's Five-Star camp. And he remembers watching Griffith - Dr. Dunkenstein, as he was known - flying high at Louisville.

On Sunday night, the Hall of Fame brought them all of them - O'Neal and Brown, too - together.

Pacquiano knocked Algieri down six times, dominates.

Associated Press

Manny Pacquiao, right, and Chris Algieri (Getty Images)

Manny Pacquiao got the big knockdowns he so desperately craved, battering Chris Algieri around the ring at will Sunday on his way to a decision win in one of the most lopsided welterweight title fights imaginable.

Pacquiao chased Algieri from the opening bell, knocking him down repeatedly and dominating.

About the only thing Pacquiao didn't get was his first knockout in five years, settling instead for a lopsided 12-round unanimous decision against an opponent who seemed unwilling to engage.

By the time it was over, Algieri had gone down six times. And Pacquiao had a signature win that should put to rest the idea he's declining and maybe even set up a fight next year with Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Pacquiao prayed in his corner while waiting for the decision. But it was Algieri who never had a prayer.

Pacquiao knocked Algieri down once in the second round, two more times in the sixth and twice more in the ninth. After a final knockdown in the 10th round, he seemed to back off in a fight that had long been decided.

Two ringside judges scored the bout 119-103 while the third had it 120-102. The Associated Press had Pacquiao winning 120-102.

Pacquiao went into the fight saying he needed a signature win to entice Mayweather to fight him in a bout that boxing fans have wanted for years. He vowed to put on a power performance like some of his earlier fights and did, never letting Algieri get close.

"I really want that fight," Pacquiao said of Mayweather. "The fans deserve that fight."

Some of the sold out crowd of 13,202 at the Venetian Macau may have wondered whether Algieri deserved this fight, as he spent more time trying to stay away from Pacquiao than trading punches.

But while Algieri could run, he couldn't hide. Pacquiao caught him repeatedly with power punches and dropped him as he tried to back away.

"The master boxer was given a master class by professor Pacquiao tonight," trainer Freddie Roach said. "I was disappointed in Algieri's performance tonight. All he did was run."

Algieri said he was simply beaten by a better fighter.

"It's not just his hand speed," Algieri said. "He's a great fighter. He does everything well. Manny has perfected his style of boxing."

Pacquiao's second fight in China was held at midday to accommodate the pay-per-view sales in the U.S., but the time of day didn't matter much to the Filipino fans who cheered on their 35-year-old national hero.

Pacquiao knocked Algieri down in the corner in the second round, though Algieri claimed it was a slip. He easily fought his way through Algieri's tentative defense, landing punches on the inside and piling up points.

Algieri came into the fight with a reputation for his jab, but he refused to commit to it early and simply pawed at Pacquiao with his left hand. Still, Algieri's corner somehow thought he was carrying out the game plan just the way they had drawn it up.

"You're doing beautiful man," trainer Tim Lane told his fighter after the third round. "Everything stays the same. Keep it up."

By the end of the fourth round, Pacquiao had already thrown more than 100 more punches than Algieri. But Algieri rarely stopped to set his feet to punch, and kept trying to run away from the champion's punching power.

Unfortunately for Algieri, things then went from bad to worse. Pacquiao caught him with a big left hand that sent Algieri sprawling on the canvas in the sixth round, almost turning a reverse somersault before finally landing in the corner.

Pacquiao was right back on him, and Algieri went down again late in the round as he tried desperately to survive.

Still, Algieri's corner urged him to continue to do what he was doing, long after he needed a knockout to win.

"This is the way we want to be," Lane told him. "This is what you wanted".

Algieri was an unlikely opponent despite being unbeaten in 20 fights after ending a kick boxing career to concentrate on boxing. He got the bout after being knocked down twice in the first round in his June fight with Ruslan Provodnikov and coming back to win a 12-round decision, and was supremely confident in the weeks before the fight that he would beat Pacquiao, too.

Still, oddsmakers made him a 7-1 underdog against the Filipino great, who came into determined to show he still had his punching power.

The bout was for a piece of the welterweight title held by Pacquiao, though it was fought at a catch weight of 144 pounds instead of 147.

No One Wants To Host The 2022 Olympics — Here's The Master Plan To Fix It.

By Tony Manfred                                     

(Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)

There's a lot to like in the International Olympic Committee's "Olympic Agenda 2020" — IOC president Thomas Bach's 40-point reform plan designed to make the Olympics more desirable to potential host cities.

The plan calls for the use of existing venues, rather than the construction of expensive stadiums that could become white elephants, as we saw with the 2004 Olympics in Athens.

It calls for common-sense reforms like promoting gender equality and placing limits on the number of total events in the Olympics. It also calls for a bunch of cost-reduction measures, like letting international federations run events rather than the IOC, allowing host cities to stage some events in other cities or countries, and having the IOC eat much of the logistical costs of bidding.

Sure, there's some brand-conscious nonsense and empty platitudes in there (one of the 40 recommendations is "comply with the basic principals of good governance"), but after the disastrous 2022 bidding process, this reform plan is a step in the right direction.

 

Despite that, the plan fails to answer the one question that will define the future of the Olympics: Who pays?

The bidding for the 2022 Winter Olympics was such a train wreck because democratic nations have realized that hosting the Olympics is not a sensible economic investment. For decades the IOC was able to persuade governments to foot the bill for the games, producing economic impact studies that showed how hosting the Olympics would make you rich in the long term. Academics and researchers have long maintained that this is a lie — the things a city needs for daily life are not the things you need to host the Olympics — and now cities agree.

The IOC acknowledges this new reality in its reform plan:

The changing political and economic world climate has impacted preparations for and the costs involved in staging the Games. Greater public debate on costs versus benefits has ensued. Reports on the escalating cost of the Olympic Games have impacted public enthusiasm towards bidding for and hosting the Games.

Every potential 2022 host city with a democratically elected government eventually pulled out of the bidding, many citing cost concerns. Norway's prime minister told Reuters that the public would not support the bid because it was "so expensive."

A Swedish politician told the Associated Press after Stockholm dropped out: " 'To organize Winter Games would mean a big investment in new sports facilities, for example for the bobsled and luge. There isn't any need for that type of that kind of facility after an Olympics.''

The Sochi Olympics cost a record $51 billion.

The only two cities left in the 2022 bidding are Beijing and Almaty, Kazakhstan.

Oslo was the potential host city that got the best scores in the IOC's evaluation of the bids. When the city dropped its bid, the IOC released this angry statement:

This is a missed opportunity for the City of Oslo and for all the people of Norway who are known world-wide for being huge fans of winter sports. And it is mostly a missed opportunity for the outstanding Norwegian athletes who will not be able to reach new Olympic heights in their home country.

It is a missed opportunity to make the most of the $880 million investment the IOC would have made to the Games that would have built a considerable legacy for the people.

That $880 million sounds like a lot, but it's less than one-fifth of the estimated $5 billion the Oslo games would have cost. For the $51 billion Sochi games, that IOC contribution would have been a drop in the bucket.

And this is where the reform plan fails.

The 40-point plan doesn't mention increasing the IOC's financial contribution to the staging of the Olympics. Instead, the plans recommends, "The IOC contribution to the Games to be further communicated and promoted."

It's a matter of advertising the amount of money the IOC contributes rather than increasing the amount it contributes.

It also calls for the budget to be broken into two categories: 1) operational budget; and 2) "long-term investment in infrastructure and return on such investment." A semantic trick that redefines costs as "investments."

Basically, the IOC knows the Olympics needs to be more affordable for cities, but it doesn't want to pay the tab. As a result, it recommends measures that will reduce costs across the board rather than saying simply, "Fine, we'll pay."

Some examples of cost-reduction measures from the plan (paraphrasing here):

• The IOC should promote the maximum use of existing facilities and the use of temporary and demountable venues.
• The IOC should allow, for the Olympic Games, the organization of entire sports or disciplines outside the host city or, in exceptional cases, outside the host country notably for reasons of geography and sustainability.
• The IOC should consider as positive aspects for a bid: the maximum use of existing facilities and the use of temporary and demountable venues where no long-term venue legacy need exists or can be justified.
• The IOC should reduce the cost and reinforce the flexibility of Olympic Games management.
• The IOC should pay much of the logistical cost of bidding.
• The IOC should "review the level of services, Games preparation and delivery, with a view to containing cost and complexity."

 

These are all good things! But it doesn't change the reality that cities have to foot a huge proportion of the bill for the Olympics — which is why no democracy wants to host the winter games right now.

On This Date in Sports History: Today is Monday, November 24, 2014.

Memoriesofhistory.com

1960 - Wilt Chamberlain (Philadelphia Warriors) set an NBA record with 55 rebounds against the Boston Celtics.

1991 - Monica Seals set a female tennis record by winning $2,457,758 in a year.

1996 - Barry Sanders (Detroit Lions) set an NFL record when he recorded his eighth straight 1,000-yard season.

1996 - Rusty Wallace won the first NASCAR event to be held in Japan.

1996 - Clyde Drexler (Houston Rockets) became the 24th NBA player to record 20,000 career points.

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