CS&T/AllsportsAmerica Friday Sports News Upate and What's Your Take? 12/12/2014.

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“I have nothing in common with lazy people who blame others for their lack of success. Great things come from hard work and perseverance. No excuses.” – Kobe Bryant, NBA Player and Five Time NBA Champion

How 'bout them Chicago Blackhawks? Blackhawks lose Toews, but go on to beat Bruins 3-2. 

By Tracey Myers

Jonathan Toews didn’t return on Thursday night, the Blackhawks deciding to keep him out as a precaution after taking a big second-period hit that sent him head first into the boards.

So the rest of the team set the mantra from that point on.

“He’s our leader,” goaltender Scott Darling said. “So we tried to get the win for him.”

Get the win, they did.

Klas Dahlbeck scored his first career NHL goal and Patrick Kane’s 13th of the season was the game-winner as the Blackhawks beat the Boston Bruins 3-2 at TD Garden on Thursday night. The Blackhawks have now won eight in a row and 11 of their last 12.

But the scary moment came in the second period, when Dennis Seidenberg hit Toews into the boards. Toews was slow to get up but, surprisingly, stayed in the game as the team went on a 5-on-3 power play off Seidenberg’s boarding penalty. Not long after taking a penalty, however, Toews left the game for good with about seven minutes remaining in the second.

Entering the third period, assistant coach Mike Kitchen said on the television broadcast that Toews was being held out for precautionary reasons.

Coach Joel Quenneville said after that Toews, “seemed all right. We’ll see how he is tomorrow [but] it looks like he’s going to be all right.”

Asked about the protocol in a situation like Toews’, Quenneville said, “as a staff, it’s up to everyone in that situation.”

Patrick Sharp said, “it was tough lose Johnny to a hit like that. Seidenberg has a reputation as a clean hockey player. He has a lot of respect. Having said that, we didn’t like that hit. We needed to bear down more on the 5-on-3 and make them pay.”
 
The Blackhawks pressed on in Toews’ absence, although they didn’t make the Bruins pay on that 5-on-3, their second two-man advantage of the night. The Blackhawks, already up 2-0 at that point on Dahlbeck and Ben Smith’s goals, did take a 3-0 lead on Kane’s second-period goal.

The Bruins pushed back, with Reilly Smith scoring late in the third to cut the Blackhawks’ lead to 3-1. Torey Krug added one midway through the third to bring the Bruins to within one, but they would get no closer. Darling, who stopped 32 of 34 shots for his third victory in as many starts, stopped nine of 10 in the third period.

The Blackhawks would rather not be motivated by losing their captain for a game — or games if it turns out Toews is not OK. But they wanted to come through for him on Thursday, and they did.

“There are so many leaders in this room. He wears the C but there are a lot of leaders in here. We just said, we’ll do it for [Toews] and that’s what the guys did,” Darling said. “They went out and played hard for him.”

Jonathan Toews' neck bends awkwardly on hit by Dennis Seidenberg (Update).

By Josh Cooper

Seeing their all world two-time Stanley Cup winning captain's neck bend in an awkward position is probably not the way Chicago Blackhawks fans would have liked to have spent their Thursday night. Alas, that is what happened to Jonathan Toews who was slammed hard into the boards by Bruins punishing defenseman Dennis Seidenberg at TD Garden. 

The attached photo is from Dennis Bernstein of The Fourth Period who seemed to get it with a screen capture. Looks pretty ugly. 

Toews was slow to get up and stayed in the game, but eventually left. Notes Mark Lazerus of the Chicago Sun-Times:

"He skated toward the bench during the break in action, but stayed on the ice for the ensuing 5-on-3 power play, during which he took a hooking penalty. He played a three-second shift after that before leaving the game."

 

(Photo credit @DennisTFP)

Seidenberg was given two minutes for boarding. 

Curious here as to why Toews -- who missed time in 2012 with a concussion -- stayed in the game even for a little bit, or was allowed to for that matter, when it's pretty clear that he suffered some sort of neck/head injury. 
 

Also, would this hit merit a call from Stephane Quintal? When a hit like that happens to a star player like Toews, you have to think the Department of Player Safety will take a look at it. Then again, they supposedly look at every hit. 
 

Update: Following the game, Chicago coach Joel Quenneville was asked about Toews' status and why he stayed in the contest initially. CSN Chicago's Tracey Myers with the below report. 

Coach Joel Quenneville said after that Toews, “seemed all right. We’ll see how he is tomorrow [but] it looks like he’s going to be all right.”

 

Asked about the protocol in a situation like Toews’, Quenneville said, “as a staff, it’s up to everyone in that situation.”

 

Also from Patrick Sharp in the same story on the Seidenberg hit:

“it was tough lose Johnny to a hit like that. Seidenberg has a reputation as a clean hockey player. He has a lot of respect. Having said that, we didn’t like that hit. We needed to bear down more on the 5-on-3 and make them pay.”

 

And it appears Seidenberg might have his day in DoPS court. The Boston Globe's Amalie Benjamin reports that the Department of Player Safety will "be reviewing" the Seidenberg hit, citing an NHL source. 
 

Boston coach Claude Julien predictably took his players' side, asking "should he be weak in those situations?"
 

And Seidenberg said to CSN New England's Joe Haggerty:

"At last second, he might have turned"

 

Judging by the video, it looked like Seidenberg drove him hard into the boards all the way, without Toews turning at the last second, but it's still tough to be 100 percent sure. They looked to be shoulder-on-shoulder, but it's hard to know exactly how it completely unfolded on ice level. 

So much stuff to digest here, between Seidenberg's hit and whether supplemental discipline will be involved, why Toews stayed in the game, how long will the Blackhawks captain be out... and the story is still unfolding. 

 
Patrick Sharp 'unbelievable' in return to Blackhawks lineup.

By Tracey Myers

Scott Darling let out an I’m-not-surprised laugh when asked about Patrick Sharp’s return.

“He’s unbelievable,” the Blackhawks’ backup goaltender said. “He didn’t skip a beat.”

In his first game off a knee injury, Sharp didn’t. Sure, he was in an unfamiliar spot, playing the right wing for the first time in many years. He was on the third line, placed there mainly because the top two lines have been great and weren’t worth changing – yet.

Didn’t matter. Sharp looked much like he did prior to the injury that cost him 14 games. He played 17 minutes, 22 seconds, set up the Blackhawks’ first goal – a Bryan Bickell wrister coming off an odd-man rush – and recorded five shots on goal, tying for the team lead with Marian Hossa.

“He was fine; he played pretty good,” coach Joel Quenneville said after the game. “His action sometimes came off the left side but to me, left or right, he would be fine.”

Sharp said all was fine with him out there. The Blackhawks took their time making sure Sharp was ready to return. The injury was healed, but it was about Sharp getting accustomed to the speed again, as well as the knocks he’ll take every game. He weathered everything on Tuesday and said timing was not an issue.

“I think it’s back now,” he said. “The first couple of periods it was shaky. It was just playing the opposite side. By the third period I felt back to normal. It was fine.”

As they’ve done in the past, the Blackhawks got through a few weeks without an injured player. Credit their depth, defense, goaltending and lines/players getting hot on the score sheet. The Blackhawks are that much stronger now that he’s back.

“Obviously he created a big chance for Bicksie and got that first goal tonight,” Jonathan Toews said. “He missed 14 games. When you’re playing every day, it doesn’t feel like you’re missing a guy like that for that long. It goes by pretty fast. But it’s never easy for anyone to step back in and he did a pretty good job of it tonight.”

Just Another Chicago Bulls Session… Trail Blazers-Bulls Preview. 

By ALAN FERGUSON (STATS Writer)

Derrick Rose's latest performance had him expressing a firm belief that he can regain his MVP form following a series of injury-plagued seasons.

Rose can provide even more proof in Friday night's visit from the first-place Portland Trail Blazers, who have dominated the Chicago Bulls of late.

Rose has experienced ups and downs in eight games since returning from his latest ailment, a strained left hamstring. He scored nine points on 2-of-11 shooting in a 112-102 loss to visiting Golden State on Saturday but bounced back with one of his best efforts Wednesday.

Rose scored 23 points - one shy of his season high - on 8-of-15 shooting in a 105-80 rout of Brooklyn that ended the Bulls' three-game home losing streak. He went 3 for 7 from 3-point range after shooting 26.8 percent from beyond the arc in the prior six games.

Coach Tom Thibodeau said his star guard also showed more aggressiveness, especially in driving to the basket and making the kinds of plays that netted him the league's MVP in 2010-11. Rose's eight consecutive starts are his most since a string of 11 in a row Feb. 20-March 12, 2012.

"You all are going to be surprised by the way that I am playing. Just give me a little minute," Rose said. "I know where I am going to be. I know how good I am, and I'm very confident with my craft and how good I am. Period.

"My body is healthy. Mind is good, spirit is good, just trying to keep it going."

Rose sat out during a visit to Portland on Nov. 21 because of his hamstring as the Bulls (13-8) endured their most-lopsided loss of the season, 105-87. Injuries also kept Pau Gasol and Kirk Hinrich from playing in that game.

Rose has played in two of the Blazers' seven consecutive wins in the series and has scored a combined 56 points. Portland (17-5) has taken three straight at the United Center, holding the Bulls to an average of 84.0 points.

This will be Rose's first appearance against the Trail Blazers since he suffered his second major knee injury Nov. 22, 2013, at Portland.

The Northwest Division leaders are in Chicago after having a five-game win streak and a run of seven consecutive road victories snapped with a 90-82 loss to Minnesota on Wednesday.

Portland was held to its fewest points and had its worst shooting performance of the season at 38.8 percent. The Blazers got production from their backcourt of Damian Lillard (23 points) and Wesley Matthews (18), but the frontcourt combined for 23 points and LaMarcus Aldridge had 10 on 3-of-14 shooting.

"We've got to bounce back from it. We didn't shoot the ball well. Hopefully, the next game it will come back to us," Aldridge said.

Aldridge has averaged 11.0 points and shot 27.9 percent in his last three games against the Bulls after averaging 28.3 points on 59.6 percent shooting in his prior seven.

Bulls rookie forward Nikola Mirotic had 24 points - nine more than in any other game - in last month's visit to Portland along with 11 rebounds.

Bulls rebound after slow start, cruise past Nets 105-80. (Wednesday night's game, 12/10/2014).

By Mike Singer

The Bulls needed a remedy for their home woes, and Brooklyn’s porous defense proved the perfect fix.

For two days, players and coaches had stewed over lingering trust issues and the team’s perplexing 2-5 home record, but Wednesday offered a reprieve as the Bulls dismantled Brooklyn 105-80. The win improved the Bulls' record to 13-8.

Derrick Rose had a game-high 23 points, while Pau Gasol finished with 16 points and 16 rebounds for his seventh-consecutive double-double. He has 13 on the season, tied for the league lead. The Nets, led by 17 points from Deron Williams, shot just 33 percent from the field and were just 3-for-14 from 3-point range. Add it all up, and the Bulls, who shot 47 percent from the field with eight 3-pointers, had reason to be relieved.

The game featured the return of Rose, at least in the sense of the attacking phenom the team saw prior to his two knee injuries. Before Wednesday’s game, Rose had relied on an over-abundance of 3-pointers. He’d taken at least six in five straight games, and while he did hoist seven from deep on Wednesday, he drained three of them.

More importantly, all were in rhythm and the result of a productive offense. He also established himself in the paint during a second quarter run that opened things up for him later on. Two fourth-quarter 3-pointers rocked the United Center as the Bulls outscored Brooklyn 28-12 in the final period.

The Bulls came out for the second half on fire and outscored Brooklyn 26-17 to stake a nine-point lead heading into the final stanza. In his second game since returning from a recurring ankle injury, Taj Gibson bullied Mason Plumlee in the paint, and finished an emphatic, two-handed dunk to build the lead to 11, 66-55. Gibson finished with 11 points and 10 rebounds for his second double-double of the season. As envisioned, much of the Bulls’ offense was predicated on Rose’s penetration.

He found Gibson inside for an easy look and then dished to Mike Dunleavy for another dagger 3-pointer, his fourth of the game. A 19-7 run was punctuated by Rose’s 3-pointer at the 5:43 mark from the left wing. After his outside basket, he backpedaled staring down Brooklyn’s bench, underscoring the confidence he insists has never vanished.

Recently Rose has been criticized in that he’s been settling for too many outside shots, but on Wednesday his game worked inside-out. He established his speed, and then once Deron Williams sagged, Rose flexed his range.

The entire dynamic of the game changed in the second quarter as the energy and offensive rhythm improved dramatically. Down eight, Mike Dunleavy hit back-to-back 3-pointers to cut the lead to 32-30. Nets guard Deron Williams, frustrated with the Bulls’ enhanced hustle, picked up a technical foul jawing at the referees after an offensive foul drawn by Hinrich. Once Rose returned at the 6:33 mark, the Bulls’ offense operated at full-throttle.

From there, the former MVP took a more aggressive approach and pounded the lane on consecutive possessions. First he converted on a swerving and-1 through the lane, finished another driving lay-in, then dropped a floater from inside five feet off a screen from Pau Gasol. He scored seven-straight points in a span of fifty seconds to flip a three-point deficit into a four-point, 43-39 lead. He finished the first half with a game-high 13.

After two hard days of practice, the Bulls opened Wednesday’s game extremely sluggish. They were out-hustled on defense, careless with the ball and pummeled inside early as the Nets jumped out to a 20-8 lead. Rose picked up two fouls, including a technical, after an offensive foul called in the backcourt. After his second foul, Rose was subbed out for Kirk Hinrich, but not before he directed words in the direction of referee Brian Forte.

Mike Dunleavy's consistency helping injury-plagued Bulls.

By Mark Strotman

Seven different Bulls have missed a combined 30 games this year, forcing Tom Thibodeau to play musical chairs with his starting lineup more than a handful of times this year.

But the one constant within those lineups has been Mike Dunleavy, who has appeared in all 21 games this season. This comes a year after Dunleavy appeared in all 82 regular-season games and five postseason games, something only Taj Gibson accomplished.

And it's that consistency that has helped a Bulls team dealing with injury more than any other group afloat as the calendar flips to 2015 at the quarter mark of the season.

"He's been great all year," Thibodeau said of the 12-year veteran. "And again, you go back to he's a consummate pro. He has one of the best plus-minuses on the team, he functions well when he's out there. I think when you have guys that can pass the ball the way he can, and shoot, it adds a lot to your team. And his team defense is vastly underrated; he's always in the right place, makes hustle plays, takes charges, so it makes your team go."

Dunleavy's numbers haven't been earth-shattering, or even significantly better than a year ago, his first season in Chicago. In those 21 games, Dunleavy has averaged 10.3 points and 1.8 3-pointers per game on 38.4 percent shooting in nearly 31 minutes per game. He's also been the leading catalyst behind a Bulls team that has seen a major uptick in its 3-point shooting.

The Bulls rank 13th in both 3-pointers made (7.7) and 3-point field goal percentage (36.1%), significant improvements from last year's team that averaged 6.2 made 3-pointers and 24th in 3-point field goal percentage (34.8%).

"I think when you look at it you realize the points you get on a 3-point shot versus the points you get on a 2-point shot makes more sense to take more threes," Dunleavy said. "Teams have adapted to that, taken that philosophy on and they want to spread you out, shoot 3's and get layups. That's what's worked. It's been effective."

Of course, Dunleavy's play within the Bulls' offensive improvements have been a byproduct of the team getting back Derrick Rose and signing Pau Gasol to a three-year deal in the offseason. Throw in Jimmy Butler's All-Star-like campaign as well as contributions from rookie Nikola Mirotic, Aaron Brooks and  Kirk Hinrich and the Bulls are playing their best basketball since Thibodeau arrived in Chicago. The Bulls enter Thursday's play ranked 12th in offensive efficiency after finishing 28th in the same category a year ago. 

"I think we're getting there, still getting it to where we want to be," Dunleavy said. "I think we'd like to get out in transition a lot more and get some easier baskets, but we just have more weapons. Last year we had the injuries, the [Luol Deng] trade; [this year] we brought in some new guys and have a presence with Pau. Obviously Derrick is back and it's a different dynamic."

Part of that dynamic has been a much more improved inside-out game. Whereas much of the offense ran through Joakim Noah last season without much movement in between his touch and the final shot, Rose's and Butler's ability to drive to the basket and Gasol's presence as both a post-up, outside shooting and passing threat has generated much better looks for a Bulls team averaging 102.7 points per game.

But every championship-caliber team needs a player like Dunleavy, and the 34-year-old is giving the Bulls both a shot of offense, all-important team defense and consistency in the lineup that he knows has meant plenty to his team.

"It's just good luck, I guess," he said of his injury-free track record. "Keeping up after your body, make sure you stay in shape and try and stay injury-free."

Bear Down Chicago Bears!!!!! Saints-Bears Preview. 

By ALAN FERGUSON (STATS Writer)

The New Orleans Saints sport the same lackluster record as the Chicago Bears but have much more left to play for.

The Saints could boost their hopes in the NFC South by bouncing back from a lopsided defeat in Monday night's visit to a Bears team that's been eliminated from playoff contention.

New Orleans (5-8) stayed tied for the division lead even after a 41-10 home loss to Carolina last Sunday because co-leader Atlanta couldn't rally past Green Bay in a 43-37 defeat Monday. The Falcons currently hold the tiebreaker because they won the only meeting this season and have a 4-0 division record to the Saints' 2-2 mark.

New Orleans, however, faces Atlanta next weekend at home. Carolina remains in contention at 4-8-1.

The NFC South winner is guaranteed to become the fifth division champion with a non-winning record after a 16-game season. It could also become the second division winner with a losing record, joining the 2010 Seattle Seahawks, or the first with at least 10 losses.

"The only reason we're sitting here still with that small sliver of hope is just because the way the division has unfolded this year," coach Sean Payton said.

Oddly enough, maybe heading out of town could help get his team on track. The Saints' four-game home losing streak is the longest of the Payton era, but they've won their last two road games at Carolina and Pittsburgh.

Payton hinted Monday that he could make some changes after his team's most lopsided defeat since 2007 and its fourth in five games. The Saints cut beleaguered receiver Joe Morgan on Tuesday and are reportedly benching safety Kenny Vaccaro.

The Saints have given up at least 27 points in five straight games and allowed an average of 472.3 yards in the past four. They're yielding the second-most yards per game this season at 398.7, just ahead of Atlanta's 410.8.

"Guys understand, hey, this is serious. It's their profession. It's our profession. It's going to be our job and the leaders of this team to lead. This is exactly when you find out who your guys are," Payton said. "If it's not happening ... then we're going to look at other options."

New Orleans will get to face another struggling defense Monday night. Chicago (5-8) has allowed a league-worst 29.1 points per game and an average of 377.8 total yards.

The Bears, set to miss the playoffs for a fourth straight year, have allowed a combined 75 points in back-to-back losses after last Thursday's 41-28 defeat to Dallas.

Because of that performance, Chicago will reportedly let go of defensive coordinator Mel Tucker at the end of the season. There are also rumors that the franchise is regretting the sizable contract it gave turnover-prone quarterback Jay Cutler this past offseason.

Cutler has a league high-tying six fumbles and the second-most interceptions (15) since signing his seven-year, $126.7 million deal that includes $54 million guaranteed. Coach Marc Trestman said he plans on keeping him as the starter despite the Bears' elimination.

"Jay and I talk daily. I think he has a very good understanding of how we feel about him. There's a lot of noise out there. We're all aware of that," Trestman said. "All we're trying to do here is to get our football team in a position that we can be better on Monday night.

"The focus inside this building is exactly that and has always been exactly that week to week. That's all that's been important to all of us here."

Cutler led the Bears to only seven points through 40 minutes against the visiting Saints when these teams met last season, and Chicago couldn't overcome a 16-point deficit in a 26-18 loss.

The Bears have rushed for a combined 48 yards in their past two games but are facing a New Orleans run defense which has surrendered an average of 183.8 during the team's 1-4 slump.

Drew Brees has led the Saints to wins in the teams' last two meetings with five TD passes and no interceptions, completing 76.4 percent of his passes for 558 yards. He had season lows for yards (235) and completion percentage (59.2) in the loss to Carolina.

It's unknown if Bears kicker Robbie Gould's injured right quad will keep him out of a second straight game. Chicago lost star receiver Brandon Marshall for the season because of rib and lung injuries suffered against the Cowboys.

The Bears placed starting middle linebacker D.J. Williams on injured reserve Thursday because of a neck injury and signed fullback Montell Owens. Williams appeared in 12 games in his second season with Chicago.

Bears won’t stand in Tucker’s way if Wisconsin comes calling.

By John Mullin

As if embattled defensive coordinator Mel Tucker didn’t have enough to worry about with Drew Brees, Jimmy Graham and the New Orleans Saints bearing down on Soldier Field next Monday….

The Bears lost then-offensive coordinator Gary Crowton with three games remaining in the 2000 season when Crowton left to take the top job at BYU. Now Tucker’s name has turned up amid speculation surrounding the head-coaching vacancy at Wisconsin, where Tucker was a defensive back from 1992-95.

If Wisconsin is interested in Tucker, “it would be something that would be through our organization, someone in our organization, generally through Phil [Emery, GM] and through football operations and that standpoint,” coach Marc Trestman said on Thursday.

“But we always want everybody to have opportunities. If they feel, and that's as a general rule whoever they might be, if they have a chance to grow in this profession we're in a position to want to help them do that whoever that might be.”

For now, the Badgers will have to wait until after New Orleans, too, and probably after games against Detroit and Minnesota.

“That’s a hypothetical,” Tucker said. “I try to stay out of those. Ultimately, the sole focus is New Orleans and preparing for those guys. That’s the only thing I’m thinking about right now.”

Tucker has been an object of Bears job-loss speculation at the end of last season, the off-week of this one, and last weekend when a national news story broke the news that the Bears will “likely” terminate Tucker’s contract after this season and that he “could” be the fall guy for another year of defensive disasters.

“It’s really nothing new,” Tucker said. “I’ve been doing this 18 years, eight in college and 10 in the NFL. It’s about staying focused at the task at hand. That’s being a professional and focusing on what you can do and what you can control.”

He can control what’s talked about with his players and job security isn’t among the topics: “We’re just talking about the rest of our season and New Orleans in particular,” Tucker said. “That’s where our focus is.”

NFL passes new conduct policy; NFLPA says it hasn't seen it.

By Frank Schwab

NFL owners unanimously passed a new conduct policy, which wasn't a surprise. With all the off-field turmoil the NFL has been through, it didn't need the appearance of a disagreement about the new policy among its owners.

The new conduct policy was promised by commissioner Roger Goodell in September after the Ray Rice and Adrian Peterson situations became a national topic of conversation. The biggest change to it, according to a copy of the memo obtained by ESPN that outlined the new policy, is that the NFL will "no longer defer entirely to the decisions of the criminal justice system, which is governed by processes and considerations that are not appropriate to a workplace, especially a workplace as visible and influential as ours."

In other words, it won't help a player if the legal system goes light on him for a indiscretion that the NFL frowns upon. That especially applies to domestic violence, child abuse and sexual assault, ESPN's report said. There will be "specific criteria for paid leave for anyone charged with a crime of violence," according to the Associated Press. The AP reiterated a previous report that there will be a six-game suspension for "assault, sexual assault, battery, domestic violence, child abuse and other forms of family violence," although circumstances will be considered.

"The policy is comprehensive. It is strong. It is tough. And it better for everyone associated with the NFL," Goodell said, according to the AP.

Another big key to the new policy is that a special counsel for investigations and conduct will oversee initial discipline, ESPN said. Goodell said a "highly qualified individual with a criminal justice background" will be hired for the role, the AP said, and the league will use independent investigators as needed. Goodell will keep the authority to rule on appeals, which likely won't make the NFL Players Association happy.

Yes, the union. That group is the other big story about the new policy. The fact that the NFL unilaterally made a new conduct policy without including the NFLPA in meaningful negotiations has upset the union. NFLPA assistant executive director of external affairs George Atallah didn't try to hide his displeasure in a series of tweets on Wednesday.
                                                                            

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George Atallah        ✔                                                                               Follow
@GeorgeAtallah
    

There will be a lot of analysis about the differences in our formal proposal and what the NFL will present today on personal conduct policy.

 

10:51 AM - 10 Dec 2014

                     

11 Retweets 2 favorites

 

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George Atallah        ✔                                                                                 Follow 

@GeorgeAtallah   

Sadly, those discussions will be through the media, not through formal negotiations, which the NFL has said they're not interested in.

 

10:52 AM - 10 Dec 2014                   

12 Retweets 4 favorites 
 

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George Atallah        ✔                                                                                   Follow
@GeorgeAtallah     
 

We expected today's vote by the NFL owners from before Thanksgiving. Our union has not seen their new policy.

 

12:41 PM - 10 Dec 2014                 

50 Retweets 23 favorites 

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It seems like an arrogant move by the NFL, which has always held a good deal of power over the union, to agitate the NFLPA by cutting it out of the negotiating process in the new conduct policy. This terse statement by the union sums up its discontent:

"Our union has not been offered the professional courtesy of seeing the NFL's new personal conduct policy before it hit the presses. Their unilateral decision and conduct today is the only thing that has been consistent over the past few months."

The NFL has a new, tough conduct policy that could garner the positive publicity it seeks after a bad run of off-field incidents. How it went about pushing that conduct policy through might create problems with the union, problems that will be hard to smooth over.

 

Theo Epstein says Cubs aren't selling out to win in 2015.

By Patrick Mooney



Theo Epstein isn’t buying the narrative that the Cubs are now all-in for next season.

There was the Big Bat Theory floating around the Manchester Grand Hyatt in San Diego and the Twitter rumors about another frontline pitcher. But the Cubs won’t have that much financial flexibility after they leave the winter meetings — or a sudden change of heart once Jon Lester’s name is in lights on the Wrigley Field marquee.

“We’re not selling out for ’15,” Epstein said Wednesday. “We care about ’15, and we’re trying to win in ’15. But we’re not selling out for anything but a long run of sustained success.”

The president of baseball operations wouldn’t comment on Lester or the six-year, $155 million megadeal or stealing a No. 1 starter away from his old bosses with the Boston Red Sox.

But what Epstein said at the general manager meetings last month still holds true today — the Cubs signing two pitchers to nine-figure contracts this winter is “not happening.” (Translation: Forget about James Shields.)

“Unless they’re on sale,” Epstein said with a laugh. “Two-for-one.”

The Cubs are the hot team now, fueling speculation about the Atlanta Braves and Justin Upton and win-now, go-for-it deals. No doubt, Epstein would like another outfielder and a veteran hitter to take some pressure off the kids and lead by example, but the Cubs won’t extend themselves for any one-year rental.

“It’s all about long-term thinking,” Epstein said. “People ask if we’re all-in for ’15. I think the best response is we’re all-in for the future, and the future starts in ’15.”

New manager Joe Maddon has the security of a five-year, $25 million contract and a strong background in player development and keeps talking about his philosophical alignment with the front office.

To get All-Star catcher Miguel Montero from the Arizona Diamondbacks, the Cubs didn’t have to trade off their 40-man roster or from the upper levels of their farm system. (Though Jeferson Mejia, a 6-foot-7-inch right-hander, has a lot of potential at the age of 20.)

Lester couldn’t be tagged with a qualifying offer once the Red Sox traded him midseason to the Oakland A’s and essentially checked all the boxes in terms of performance, personality and mechanics.

“We’re aware of what we’re growing,” Epstein said. “We haven’t given up any of our most significant prospects in these deals. We haven’t given up a draft pick in any of these deals. We’ve preserved our future.

“That’s always going to be something that’s important to us, because we’re trying to build towards a long run where we can have success year-in, year-out. We’re not going to sacrifice that.”

Offseason buzz has already helped White Sox at box office.

By Dan Hayes

It won’t match Roland Hemond’s “Open For Business” performance, but the White Sox activity at the Winter Meetings has created quite a stir.

Whether it was in the lobby of the Grand Hyatt Hotel the past four days, on social media platforms or in the ticket offices at 35th and Shields, the offseason moves made the team of Rick Hahn and Kenny Williams have received notice from a fan base that hasn’t paid as much attention the past two seasons.

White Sox officials said they have already seen a heavy increase in the sale of tickets for SoxFest even though Jeff Samardzija and David Robertson’s names have yet to be added to the weekend’s events and the team has lost 188 games the past two seasons. The club has also seen a significantly higher percentage of season-ticket renewals and new season-ticket sales over last year, said the club’s senior vice president of sales and marketing, Brooks Boyer.

The team’s mentions on Twitter and Facebook were off the charts on Monday when both pitchers were acquired and the ticket office saw increased activity by Tuesday, Boyer said. For a club whose attendance has declined for eight straight seasons, these are encouraging signs.

“There was a lot of buzz and energy yesterday around Rick's moves,” Boyer said in an email. “(Tuesday was a) very active day for us on the phones as we complete our season ticket renewals and new sales. … (Tuesday) was our most active day this offseason and our renewal percentage and new sales for season tickets are significantly ahead of last year's pace.”

The White Sox began to make noise early this offseason, first with declarations from both Williams and Hahn. Williams struck first saying he doesn’t want to “take it on the chin any more” while Hahn followed with a declaration the White Sox “Want to win, we want to win again quickly and we want to win again repeatedly.”

They back up those strong messages with aggressive signings of both reliever Zach Duke and first baseman Adam LaRoche that fill significant voids on the roster. But neither gained as much traction as the six-player deal that brought Samardzija to the South Side or the signing of Robertson to a four-year, $46-million deal.

The names “White Sox,” “David Robertson” and “Jeff Samardzija” all trended nationwide late Monday into early Tuesday, according to Twitter reps. Robertson had the longest reach, trending for four hours while Samardzija lasted for 140 minutes. The White Sox trended for 125 minutes.

Variations of “White Sox” received 28,900 hits between 7 p.m. and midnight on Monday. “David Robertson” gathered 20,983 hits between 9 p.m. and midnight while “Jeff Samardzija” collected 19,012 between 6 p.m. and midnight.

Hahn has said since November the team’s goal isn’t to grab headlines but improve the team. But he also knows positive attention goes hand in hand with a better ball club that fans are excited about. Shortly after the White Sox finished their busy week with a trade for left-hander Dan Jennings, Hahn said he likes where the White Sox are though he has some other items left to acquire.

“It was a good week,” Hahn said. “We picked up three of our targets, addressed three different needs. We’ll take that any old week. I don’t know if we’re necessarily going to be able to replicate it next week, but we’re certainly going to try.”

It would be nearly impossible to reproduce the week had by Hemond and brand new White Sox owner Bill Veeck in 1975. Right after the American League approved the sale of the club to Veeck, he and Hemond set up a table and chairs in the lobby of the Diplomat Hotel in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

Veeck’s edict to Hemond was “let your imagination run rampant,” Hemond told Sabr.org.

Veeck then spent the next few days fielding phone calls, some real and others coming from team media relations man Buck Peden, who reportedly called every 30 minutes with a possible trade.

At 10:15 p.m. on Friday, Veeck turned to Hemond and said they’d make four trades by midnight “and we did,” Hemond said.

Over three days, Hemond made six trades including 22 players according to BaseballAmerica.com.

The current White Sox marketing and sale office has begun to make a few pitches of their own after Hahn and Williams’s work has begun to bring some fans back to their door.

On Friday, the team announced a variety of ticket packages, including their Holiday Packs and Pick 14 Plan. The team’s Pick 7 Plans also go on sale at 10 a.m. next Tuesday.

Sales for Holiday Packs are up, Boyer said, as are the clubs smaller ticket package plans. Adding fuel to the interest is a crosstown offseason rivalry of sorts with the Cubs, who have made several nice moves of their own.

“Our fans have become more engaged,” Boyer said. “Further, with the Cubs making moves, there is clearly a shift of attention going on in the city. Baseball's hot stove has heated up and no place is greater than Chicago. Hopefully, we can maintain the momentum through the Holidays to SoxFest.

Our fans are excited and we believe it will translate at the box office.”

Golf: I got a club for that; The PGA Tour playoffs will be less volatile in 2015.  

By Ryan Ballengee

The PGA Tour is making its regular season more meaningful in determining its season-long champion. 

On Thursday, tour officials announced it would award fewer points in the four events making up the FedEx Cup playoffs. Going forward, the winners of The Barclays, Deutsche Bank Championship, BMW Championship and Tour Championship will receive 2,000 FedEx Cup points, down from the 2,500 that has been awarded since 2009. That 20 percent reduction will be applied to all points awarded through the playoffs. At the conclusion of the Tour Championship, the surviving player with the most points wins the $10 million first-place prize.

The change, the first significant alteration to the concept in five years, places more emphasis on regular-season events. Common PGA Tour events offer 500 FedEx Cup points to the winner, with World Golf Championships events offering 550 points. The four majors and Players Championship offer 600 first-place points. Opposite-field events offer 300 points.

The idea is to make it more difficult for a player who barely gets into the 125-player starting playoff field to advance through each successive leg, which cuts down to 100, then 70, then 30 players, respectively, after each of the first three events. 

The 30 players who qualify for the season-ending Tour Championship in Atlanta are guaranteed entry into the next year's first three majors, as well other perks as a reward for season-long play. The current system has drawn complaints that a below-average player could get hot at the right time and earn these coveted benefits with three good weeks.

No matter how the Tour Championship 30 make it to East Lake, they'll continue to have a mathematical chance of winning the FedEx Cup and $10 million after a points reset is applied. The top five players in the standings coming into the final playoff event will also still be able to win the FedEx Cup if they win the Tour Championship. 

While these changes certainly do place more of an emphasis on regular season events, they may not do much to help participation among top players. With the golf schedule so back-loaded, particularly from mid-July through September, it's tough to convince the best players to tee it up much before the Florida Swing in March.

PGA: Top 10 Surprises in 2014.

By T.J. Auclair

Whether it was an unlikely winner, a dominating performance, or an incredible shot under the gun, there were plenty of surprises in the world of golf in 2014.

Here's a look back at 10 of the biggest surprises over the last 12 months.

10. Billy Horschel gets hot, wins FedExCup

Talk about getting on a roll at just the right time. In the course of three tournaments, the Florida Gator turned a rather forgettable year on the course into the best season of his career. Before the start of the PGA Tour Playoffs for the FedExCup, Horschel had two top-10 finishes to his name in 2014.

After a missed cut in the playoffs-opener at the Barclays, it looked like there was a real chance his postseason would end the following week at TPC Boston. But as coach Lee Corso would say, "Not so fast, my friends!"

Horschel tied for second at the Deutsche Bank Championship (even after a terrible mishit on the final hole cost him a chance at a win). He then won a week later at Cherry Hills in the BMW Championship and capped it off with a victory the following week in the Tour Championship to snag the FedExCup and the $10 million bonus that comes with it. And, for good measure, just a few days later Horschel and his wife welcomed their first child -- a beautiful little girl -- into the world.

9. Martin Kaymer blows away the field at Pinehurst No. 2

All the talk leading into the newly renovated Pinehurst No. 2 for the 2014 U.S. Open was about how difficult the conditions would be... even without the true U.S. Open rough. Some wondered if the winning score would even come in under par.

Well, it certainly was difficult and in the end, only three players finished 72 holes under par. That said, it was no contest. The man who won -- Kaymer -- looked to be playing a different course from all the others. Kaymer, now a two-time major champ, smoked the field with an eight-shot victory, finishing a remarkable 9-under par. That wasn't supposed to happen on that course under those conditions.

Erik Compton and Rickie Fowler tied for second at 1 under.

It wasn't a surprise that a player like Kaymer won... but the fashion in which he did sure was.

8. Rickie Fowler records top-5 finishes in all four majors

The biggest surprise here? That he didn't win any of them! For the first time in the game's long history, a player recorded a top-5 in all four majors without winning one of them.

Disappointing? Maybe a little for Fowler. But, man, what an impressive run.

It all started in April when Fowler tied for fifth at the Masters -- his worst finish in 2014 at the majors. Worst!

Fowler then tied for second in the U.S. Open and British Open before tying for third at the PGA Championship. Again, an amazing run.

7. Jimmy Walker wins three times before the middle of February

It's fair to say that Walker, 35, is a late bloomer. He was a journeyman who many times put himself in a position to win, but could never quite close out a tournament on the PGA Tour.

Well, in 2013-14, the floodgates opened for the feisty Walker. After convincing renowned coach Butch Harmon to give him some tutelage, Walker's game became "next-level" good.

Walker snagged his first Tour win at the Frys.com Open in October of 2013. He followed it up with a victory in Hawaii at the Sony Open and then another two starts later at Pebble Beach.

Were we surprised that he finally won? Not at all. But, for a three-month span, Walker was the hottest player on the planet.

6. Matt Jones holes out to win in Houston, punches ticket to Masters

One of the many perks of winning on the PGA Tour is an invitation to play in the Masters.

For several years now, the Shell Houston Open has been the final opportunity for players not otherwise exempt to earn a spot in the Masters field -- it's played the week before the season's first major.

Jones, an Aussie who had never won on the PGA Tour, holed a 42-yard pitch shot on the first hole of a playoff with Matt Kuchar to not only win the tournament, but to earn a spot in the Masters.

5. Miguel Angel Jimenez wins first Champions Tour start

What can you say about the world's most interesting golfer that hasn't been said?

"He once contended against the young guns finishing fourth in the Masters at age 50 and then won the following week in his Champions Tour debut. He is, the most interesting man in golf."

Yes, that's exactly what Jimenez did. After the fourth-place showing at Augusta, he won the next week in the Greater Gwinnett Championship on the Champions Tour.

He also won twice on the European Tour in the 2013-14 season -- once at age 49 and once at age 50.

Asked about his longevity after his Open de Espana win in May, Jimenez said: "There is no secret. Good food, good wine, good cigars and some exercise!"

Awesome.

4. 11-year-old qualifies for U.S. Women's Open

A sixth-grader competing in a major championship? Come on!

That's precisely what 11-year-old Lucy Li (now 12) did this year, making it through qualifiers to earn her spot in the U.S. Women's Open at Pinehurst No. 2. Simply put -- remarkable.

Li could be one of those players on the ladies side who we'll be hearing about for years to come. Our favorite thing about Li's appearance at the Women's Open -- aside from incredibly respectable scores of 78-78 -- is that she remained a kid throughout the week.

While many would think she'd be understandably shy, or nervous, she couldn't have been anymore loose. We particularly loved this photo below during one of her post-round interviews:

     

 

3. Michelle Wie wins the U.S. Women's Open

 

While we're at it, let's keep the focus on the U.S. Women's Open at Pinehurst No. 2. It was the crowning achievement for Michelle Wie.

She has been under the microscope since she was 10 years old and became the youngest player ever to qualify for a USGA event. After that, she was known for making appearances in PGA Tour events and everyone thought she'd be the next most dominant player in the women's game (she still may be one day).

However, not everything pans out when it comes to realizing the expectations others have for you.

Wie never truly had a chance to be a kid, which is why it was refreshing that she decided to attend Stanford and enjoy the college life, while also mixing in LPGA starts.

With her U.S. Open win, though, the monkey was finally off Wie's back. She's now forever a major champion.

2. Mo Martin wins the RICOH Women's British Open

Mo Martin is the complete opposite of Wie. With all due respect to Martin, she was little known before her magical week at Royal Birkdale in the RICOH Women's British Open.

If you like the story of the underdog -- and who doesn't? -- Martin is about as good as it gets.

Winless in her career on the LPGA, Martin hit the most magical of shots on the final hole at Birkdale to set up a short eagle putt that would eventually win her not only her first LPGA event, but also her first major.

Our favorite part of this story? Martin used her winnings to save her family's ranch in Porterville, Calif. How cool is that?

1. Christina Kim wins the Lorena Ochoa Invitational

Our final entry is also the most recent of the listed events. Christina Kim, 30, has one of the biggest personalities on the LPGA.

She's funny, charismatic and easily one of the best Twitter follows (@TheChristinaKim).

And, as we learned in July of 2012 in a blog Kim penned entitled, "I guess it's time to address the elephant in the room," it turns out she was a sad clown.

In the blog, Kim detailed her battle with depression and thoughts of suicide.

Writing can be therapeutic. It was also brave and dare we say "courageous" of her to put it all out there.

There are no statistics to measure how many people Kim influenced with that blog. But, surely it's refreshing for those struggling to know they're not alone.

So, when Kim won the Lorena Ochoa Invitational in November in a playoff over Shanshan Feng, it was extra special.

It was Kim's first LPGA title in nine years and arguably the biggest of her career.

Did the win put an end to the world's depression? Of course not.

But it was an example of how a person -- when confronting their issues head on -- can accomplish anything.

Kim's victory was the biggest surprise and greatest comeback story of 2014.

Christina Kim in the winner's circle. (Photo/ @TheChristinaKim; Twitter)   

Ryder Cup task forces convenes for first time.

By Ryan Ballengee

The journey back to U.S. Ryder Cup success started Tuesday, with the PGA of America's 11-person Ryder Cup task force meeting for the first time. 

The group convened for a four-hour teleconference emanating from the organization's headquarters in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.

“We discussed a wide array of issues including the selection process for captains and vice captains and more,” said PGA president Derek Sprague in a statement. “Today was the beginning of a process that is designed to create the conditions for long-term Ryder Cup success. We have more work to do and look forward to gathering again to complete the work of the task force.”

The committee, formed in October after the U.S. lost the biennial matches against Europe for the third-consecutive time, aims to stem the tide of eight U.S. losses in the last 10 matches. Its members include Sprague, PGA of America CEO Pete Bevacqua and vice-president Paul Levy; former captains Raymond Floyd, Tom Lehman and Davis Love III; as well recent players Rickie Fowler, Jim Furyk, Phil Mickelson, Steve Stricker and Tiger Woods.

The committee is set to meet next ahead of the Farmers Insurance Open in February in San Diego, according to GolfChannel.com. Meanwhile, the PGA of America will delay announcing a 2016 Ryder Cup captain. Sprague has suggested the task force will meet several times before Tom Watson's successor will be revealed.

Adam Scott believes PGA Tour should go to Australia.

By Ryan Ballengee

Considering its rich golf history, Australia should host a PGA Tour event of some kind -- especially since the tour has expanded it schedule across the Pacific, with events in Malaysia and China. 

World No. 3 Adam Scott agrees, suggesting there's hope for Oz to hold a sanctioned PGA Tour event in the not-too-distant future.

"I'd be hopeful, and there was talk of it a few weeks ago, maybe getting a World Golf Championship down here as a permanent spot in Australia," Scott said ahead of this week's Australian PGA Championship.

Currently, the PGA Tour hosts the CIMB Classic in Malaysia and co-sanctions the WGC-HSBC Champions in China. The latter, which also is considered part of the European Tour's Final Series, attracts a world-class field each year. Scott would love to see that kind of field for any of the events in Australia's Triple Crown: the Aussie Masters, Australian Open or Aussie PGA.

"Something like that or something affiliated with the PGA Tour potentially, would be great for the game down here and kind of solidify Australia's importance to the game of golf because we've been a significant part of golf for a long time," Scott said.

With so many astounding courses Down Under, including Royal Melbourne, The Metroplitan and The Australian Golf Club, Scott thinks a PGA Tour event would pretty much sell itself to the best in the world.

"[The course] plays a big part in the decision making of guys' schedules," he said. "It does for me and I know some of the other guys, too."

NASCAR: Gordon back for 2015, not quite ready to move on.

By Zack Albert

Driver's back not healed 100 percent, but Gordon feels just fine in the car.

Had it been spoken in more than a mostly joking manner, Jeff Gordon's off-the-cuff statement back in January that he'd ride off into stock-car racing retirement if he won his fifth title in NASCAR's premier series would likely have been the bombshell of the year.

"I wish I was standing here with that issue right now," Gordon said after accepting sixth-place honors at last week's NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Awards show in Las Vegas.

After coming oh-so-close to cashing in on that big if, a rejuvenated Gordon said that his heart was never in it to walk away and close the books on his Hall of Fame-worthy career. After enjoying a season with four wins and a championship bid that thrived until the next-to-last race, the 43-year-old veteran is eager to keep the momentum -- and a near-record streak -- rolling next year in what will be his 23rd season at NASCAR's top level.

"I never had any intentions of doing that," Gordon said at mention of the word retirement. "I love this sport, I love being competitive. Yeah, I had that health scare with my back in May but was able to pull it all back together and go on and have a great year and not have to miss that race. I was asked that question and I answered it as honestly as I could, but also I'm having some fun with it, and I'd have liked to have had that issue, like I said.

"Don't worry, I'll be back next year. Maybe I'll say the same joke in January and we'll see where it goes."

The Hendrick Motorsports driver has a streak of consecutive starts that currently stands at 761. He is expected to tie the all-time record of 788 set by Ricky Rudd next season in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup playoffs opener Sept. 20 at Chicagoland Speedway; he'd break the mark the following weekend at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

But the back ailment Gordon referenced threw that ironman streak into peril last spring, when spasms during Coors Light Pole Qualifying caused him to sit out practice on the eve of the Coca-Cola 600, the series' longest race. Gordon eventually completed all 600 miles. His back, though, still isn't quite without lingering pain.

"No -- 100 percent? That was a long time ago," Gordon said. "But it doesn't seem to affect me inside the car and that's the most important thing. It hurts afterward, it hurts during the week, but once I'm inside the car, I'm able to focus on what I need to do."

While Gordon drew a fair amount of teasing because of his age during some of Champion's Week's more candid moments, his stature among his peers was unquestioned. During the NASCAR After the Lap tell-all, all 16 Chase qualifiers were asked if they were fans of Gordon as they took their first steps into the sport; nearly every hand went up.

"It was humbling, I'll be honest," Gordon said. "Maybe even if they were (fans), they might not want to admit it. The fact they were admitting it means a lot to me."

Premier League Power Rankings: Chelsea knocked off the top, Tottenham falling.

By Joe Prince-Wright

Wow. Chelsea lost. It actually happened. With the Blues going down last week and as the two Manchester clubs just keep on winning, we have a new team at the top. (Scroll down to find out who… come on!)

There’s plenty of movement elsewhere, especially in the middle of the pack, but the teams at the bottom are starting to get cut adrift in our rankings.

Each week we put our neck on the line to analyze the strength of each Premier League team, forget about the official league standings (here they are in case you actually do want them) that doesn’t mean squat.

The Power Rankings take into account the strength of schedule, injuries, suspensions, playing well but still losing and plenty of other variables. The W-D-L bracket shows each PL team’s current record and you can now see how many spots each team has moved, up or down, from week-to-week.

Let’s get to it!

RANKING	Up/Down
	1	UP 1	Manchester City: We have a new leader! Pellegrini’s boys have won six on the spin in all competitions and even without Sergio Aguero, they are playing superb and qualified for the last 16 of the UCL. Leicester up next. (10-3-2)
	2	DOWN 1	Chelsea: After losing for the first time this season, there will be no “invincibles” and Mourinho seems okay with that. They’ve had their lead cut to three points at the top. Hull at home next. (11-3-1)
	3	-	Manchester United: The Red Devils are flying and have won five-straight going into their huge match against rivals Liverpool. Not pretty but van Gaal’s boys are getting it done. (8-4-3)
	4	-	West Ham: Hammers fans are happy as they have Andy Carroll back scoring goals. All is well in east London. Can they really challenge for a top four spot? Sunderland away this weekend. (8-3-4)
	5	UP 3	Newcastle United: The Magpies are flying high after they beat Chelsea last week. Can Alan Pardew’s side shock Arsenal this weekend? (6-5-4)
	6	UP 7	Stoke City: Stoke played extremely well and beat Arsenal 3-2 last week. They deserved that after going close vs. Liverpool and Man United. Tricky trip to Palace, but all is well at the Brit. (5-3-7)
	7	DOWN 1	Southampton: Saints continue to battle hard, but are coming up just short against the big boys. Should have beat Man United, but silly mistakes cost them. That said, big chance for a W away at Burnley. (8-2-5)
	8	DOWN 3	Arsenal: The Gunners were spanked in the first half at Stoke and restored a little pride in the second. Wenger has been getting plenty of abuse. Is that right? Must beat Newcastle at home. (6-5-4)
	9	DOWN 2	Swansea City: Garry Monk said his side deserved nothing at West Ham… and that’s exactly what they got. It has been an inconsistent season for the Swans. Spurs at home this week. (6-4-5)
	10	UP 6	Aston Villa: It’s not exactly vintage stuff from Villa, but it’s two wins on the spin and five games unbeaten. Lambert’s boys are scraping for victories. (5-4-6)
	11	UP 4	QPR: The R’s continued their superb home form after beating Burnley 2-0. Charlie Austin is a machine. Can they finally get something on the road this weekend? (4-2-9)
	12	UP 2	Sunderland: Battling draw at Liverpool saw Jozy Altidore start. The Black Cats are tough to beat and will fancy their chances at home to West Ham. (2-9-4)
	13	DOWN 4	Liverpool: Just when you thought the Reds had turned a corner… A lackluster draw with Sunderland was followed up by crashing out of the UCL. Not a good week. Can they recover in the huge derby vs. United? (6-3-6)
	14	DOWN 4	Everton: Same could be said for the Toffees who huffed and puffed but went down to City last week. If Martinez’s men don’t beat QPR, there will be plenty of up-tight Toffees. (4-6-5)
	15	DOWN 4	Burnley: The Clarets missed a big chance away at QPR as Sean Dyche’s boys just didn’t take their chances. Home game vs. Saints will be very tough. Can the Turf Moor crowd roar themon? (2-6-7)
	16	DOWN 4	Tottenham Hotspur: Spurs fans are starting to lose their patience with Pochettino. Another blank at home to Palace, and a largely unimpressive display. Heading to Swansea is never easy. (6-3-6)
	17	-	Crystal Palace: The Eagles performed very well once again, but just failed to take chances vs. Spurs. They must grab the initiative early on against Stoke at Selhurst this week. (3-5-7)
	18	-	West Brom: No goals once again for the Baggies who are looking solid but are without a win in five games. BIG Midlands derby vs. Villa this weekend. (3-5-7)
	19	-	Hull City: They drew 0-0 with WBA in a dull draw, and Steve Bruce must be worried his summer buys just aren’t giving him a creative spark. The Tigers are in the bottom three… (2-7-6)
	20	-	Leicester City: Poor old Leicester City. The Foxes have now lost three on the spin, eight of their last 10 and are without a win in that stretch. Next up: Man City… (2-4-9)

'Big 4' will be hard to topple in Champions League.

By STEVE DOUGLAS

With nine different winners in the last 11 years, no one could ever accuse the Champions League of being predictable.

It does appear, however, that an established "Big 4" has been created in Europe's premier club competition — and this year's group stage backs up the theory.

Barcelona, Chelsea, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid, the last four winners of European soccer's top prize, were the top teams in group play, which finished Wednesday. In each of the last three seasons, at least three of that quartet has reached the semifinals of the Champions League. Madrid and Barcelona did so in 2011, too.

So, heading into the knockout stage that kicks off in February, it would be a big surprise if this season's champion didn't come from this small pool of juggernauts — teams who currently are playing football at another level to the rest.

"Everybody's there, so the Champions League starts now," Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho said of a last-16 lineup that contains 11 of the teams who advanced in the 2013-14 season.

No club has ever successfully defended the Champions League title since the competition's inception in 1992. Could Madrid be about to end that jinx?

At top of the Spanish league, a team boasting the attacking talents of Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale, James Rodriguez and Karim Benzema was the only one to pick up a maximum 18 points in the group stage. Madrid has won its last 19 games in all competitions and Ronaldo, the reigning world player of the year, has already reached 30 goals for the season.

"I know I've got an extraordinary team," Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti said after Tuesday's 4-0 win over Ludogorets Razgrad. "I don't tire from saying this."

Any side that contains Lionel Messi will always have a great chance, and Barcelona will be expected to reach the semifinals after missing out last season. Barcelona's defense remains a concern — although it has only conceded seven goals in 14 games in the Spanish league — but Wednesday's 3-1 win over Paris Saint-Germain at Camp Nou gave a taster of what to expect from its expensively assembled, all-star attack.

Messi — with his record-extending 75th Champions League goal — was on the score sheet along with Neymar and Luis Suarez. The trio is six weeks into its new partnership and when the last 16 comes around it could be unstoppable.

"We know that together we can go places," Suarez said Wednesday after Barcelona sealed first place in its group for the eighth straight season.

Bayern's only defeat in a tough-looking Group E came at Manchester City after playing more than 70 minutes with 10 men and conceding twice in the last five minutes to lose 3-2. The German champions have few weaknesses in their team, with their attack looking even stronger with the addition of Robert Lewandowski, and have a coach in Pep Guardiola who has gone all the way before in the Champions League, with Barcelona in 2009 and '11.

Chelsea, meanwhile, has found a cure to its attacking frailties of last season with the signing of Spain striker Diego Costa and was the top-scoring team in the group stage, with 17 goals in six games. Traditionally strong in defense, Eden Hazard is developing into one of the world's best wingers and Cesc Fabregas has brought more creativity into the team's midfield.

"Last season, for sure we were not one of the top four and we played in the Champions League semifinals," Mourinho said. "Let's see what we can do this season."
 

Mourinho said there will be some "sharks in the ocean" in Monday's draw for the last 16. He was probably referring to Man City, PSG and Italian champion Juventus, who appear to be the strongest teams among the runners-up.

 

Europe has been waiting for big-spending City, English champions twice in the last three seasons, to find its feet in the Champions League. And a 2-0 win at Roma on Wednesday that sealed advancement was viewed by some as a coming-of-age result, secured without arguably its four key players in Sergio Aguero, Yaya Toure, David Silva and Vincent Kompany.
 

City's flaws and tactical limitations in Europe were exposed previously in the group stage, though, and it is unlikely to infiltrate the four favorites.

US women draw 1-1 with China in Brazil tournament.

AP - Sports

The United States women's soccer team conceded a second-half equalizer to draw 1-1 against China in the opening match of the International Tournament of Brasilia on Wednesday.

Carli Lloyd put the U.S. ahead in the 22nd minute, but Hang Peng equalized in the 66th to close the scoring in the first game of the four-team competition. Host Brazil defeated Argentina 4-0 in the late match at the Mane Garrincha Stadium.

Lloyd redirected the ball into the net from close range after a perfect low cross from the right side by Megan Rapinoe, scoring her 57th goal with the national team. China equalized thanks to its midfielder's remarkable right-footed shot from the right side of the box, finding the upper left corner over goalkeeper Hope Solo.

The Americans struggled to control possession and China had most of the dangerous scoring opportunities throughout the match in the Brazilian capital. Neither team had many significant chances to break the deadlock, although the Americans complained of a hand ball by a Chinese defender inside the penalty area near the end of the game.
 

Abby Wambach, nominated for the world's best player award, entered the match after halftime. Only 300 people attended the game at the Mane Garrincha Stadium, which hosted seven World Cup matches.
 

The top two teams after round-robin play will meet for the title on Dec. 21. The other two nations will play for third place.
 

The U.S. will face Brazil on Sunday and Argentina on Dec. 17. All matches will be played in Brasilia.
 

Brazil made its debut with an easy win over Argentina. Debinha opened the scoring with a header in the 13th, veteran midfielder Formiga added to the lead in the 41st and Raquel got on the board in the 78th before Formiga netted again in the 82nd. Five-time world player of the year Marta had a goal ruled offside near the end of the game.
 

It is the sixth edition of the international tournament. The hosts have won four of the previous five tournaments, finishing second to Canada in 2010. It is the second year in a row the competition is being played in Brasilia. The first four were played in Sao Paulo.
 

The U.S. is in the tournament for the first time. It's the team's last competition of the year.
 

The Brasilia tournament serves as preparation for the 2015 World Cup in Canada. Brazil, China and the U.S. have qualified.

NCAA chief: UAB cutting football is 'troubling'.

By RALPH D. RUSSO (AP College Football)

NCAA president Mark Emmert is seen on a studio video monitor listening, during an interview at the Associated Press, Tuesday Dec. 9, 2014 in New York. NCAA President Mark Emmert said Tuesday that it was troubling to see the University of Alabama-Birmingham drop its football program, but he believes Olympic sports are more vulnerable to cuts as schools look at athletic budgets. (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews)

NCAA President Mark Emmert said Tuesday that it was troubling to see the University of Alabama-Birmingham drop its football program, but he believes Olympic sports are more vulnerable to cuts as schools look at athletic budgets.

In an interview with The Associated Press, Emmert said he worries that while autonomy for the Big Five conferences will lead to more money being spent on athletes it could decrease the overall number of opportunities in college sports for students.

UAB dropped its football program last week. The school cited rising costs of college athletics, including pressure to pay the full cost of attendance for athletes. That proposal was supported by Emmert and pushed by the wealthiest conferences.

''I think it's really hard and hard for people to understand when you have to back away or make a decision to back away from a sport,'' Emmert said. ''But schools do that fairly often, actually, they just rarely do it in football or men's basketball or women's basketball.''

Emmert was president at the University of Washington when the school dropped its men's and women's swimming program.

''Those were hard decisions but they were the right ones for us,'' he said. ''I know UAB and their administration has to make the decisions that work for them over the long run.''

UAB said it estimated paying the entire cost of attendance for an athletic scholarship would cost the school $5,442 for each football player on full scholarship. FBS schools are allowed to carry 85 scholarship football players, a limit that is usually reached.

''What everybody pays attention to and what we all love as a country is football and basketball,'' he said. ''But when schools are trying to support those programs they are starting to feel the pinch in the Olympic sports: volleyball, soccer, gymnastics, wrestling and a variety of other things.

''I do worry a lot we may well see in the coming years a reduction of commitments from our campuses in those programs.''

The NCAA earlier this year approved a new governance structure that would allow the Big Five conferences - Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12, Atlantic Coast Conference and Southeastern Conference - to create rules in some areas without the support of the rest of Division I.

UAB competes in Conference USA. C-USA Commissioner Britton Banowsky, along with the commissioners of the other four FBS conferences, has said his league will try to increase benefits for athletes and do things such as pay cost of attendance, provide free meals and long-term medical benefits.

''Any time you're increasing the financial commitment for student athletes or any part of your program, whether it's for your students or whether it's for your facilities, or whatever the model is, it increases competition,'' Emmert said. ''And so there's folks that are right now wringing their hands saying 'Wow, I don't know if we can compete at that same level financially.'''

Self says No. 10 Kansas is 'not good right now', and that should scare you.

By Rob Dauster

Brannen Greene #14 of the Kansas Jayhawks drives to the basket during a college basketball game against the Kansas Jayhawks at the Verizon Center on December 7, 2014 in Washington, DC. The Jayhawks won 75-70. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)

Bill Self is not happy with where his Kansas team is a month into the season.

Not even close.

And to understand that, you really don’t have to look much farther than who is currently starting for the Jayhawks. Svi Mykhailiuk, a 6-foot-8 wing from Ukraine with a ton of potential, might be the best NBA prospect in the Kansas program, but he’s also a 17-year old living in the United States for the first time. As head coach Bill Self likes to say, “he’s pretty good for a high school junior.” At center, Landen Lucas has been starting of late, and as one longtime scout told me recently of Lucas, “I’m not convinced he’s more than a low-major player.”

While those two get major minutes for the Jayhawks, Cliff Alexander and Kelly Oubre, two top 10 recruits and projected lottery picks, come off the bench. Alexander has been a major part of the rotation, but Oubre? He played 16 minutes on Wednesday night, which was his season-high. He had logged 23 total minutes the previous four games.

“We’re not good right now,” Self said. “I think we have the potential to be good because we’re so young. We’re just trying to figure it out. We don’t know where our shots are coming from consistently. We don’t know who to play through at times. Sometimes Frank [Mason] is the best player on our team. Sometimes Wayne [Selden] is. Sometimes Perry [Ellis] is. We haven’t quite figured it out yet.”

And that should terrify you.

Because while you’re still hung up on that 32-point shellacking that No. 10 Kansas took at the hands of No. 1 Kentucky during the Champions Classic, what you may not have noticed is that over the course of the last five days, the Jayhawks have landed a pair of wins that you rarely see young, still-learning teams earn.

On Wednesday night, Kansas went into the Verizon Center and knocked off Georgetown, 75-70, in a game that the Jayhawks seemed primed to lose. Kansas was up by as much as 12 in the first half, and while they kept making runs during the final 20 minutes, they were never really able to get separation from the Hoyas. Georgetown always had an answer, whether it was in the form of an L.J. Peak three, a pair of low-post buckets from Josh Smith or an easy transition layup created by the defensive play-making of Mikael Hopkins.

This had Georgetown-steals-a-win-at-home written all over it, but Kansas, when they needed to make a play, made it.

“It was a toughness win,” said Brannen Greene, who finished with a career-high 19 points, hitting 5-for-5 from three. That included a trio of massive threes in the second half, the last of which pushed the Kansas lead to 68-63 with less than three minutes left. “We grinded it out.”

“We didn’t play great, but I thought we competed pretty hard. We won some important possessions,” Self said. “When we had to have a good possession, we got a good possession.”

Georgetown’s record may not show it, but that’s a very good basketball team. By the end of the season, don’t be surprised to see them sitting in the top 20 of the national polls and slotted right behind Villanova in the Big East standings.

Now let’s rewind to last Friday, when the Jayhawks hosted an underwhelming and undermanned Florida team and proceeded to get absolutely run out of the gym for the first 24 minutes. At one point early in the second half, Kansas was down 45-27. It was ugly. Everyone in Phog Allen Fieldhouse was getting ready to write off any chance of winning an 11th straight Big 12 title, and every writer on press row was prepping to write their ‘Will Kansas ever turn this around?’ column.

And then, all of a sudden, the Jayhawks woke up, attacking the rim, hitting open threes and pounding the glass as they completed a massive comeback, winning 71-65.

“It was just like Jekyll-and-Hyde the first half and second,” Self said.

Bad teams don’t do that.

They don’t erase 18-point second half deficits against NCAA tournament teams coached by a Hall of Famer, regardless of how banged up they are. They don’t hold on to beat quality opponents on the road when they commit 17 turnovers. They don’t do things like win the Orlando Classic, which Kansas did last month, and beat Michigan State in the process.

Right now, at this very moment in time, Kansas is a good basketball team. Good enough to win the Big 12? Probably not. Good enough to make the Final Four? Doubtful. But they’re good enough to play less than their best and do the things that good teams do.

So what happens when they do play their best?

What happens when Alexander and Oubre fully get the hang of what Self is looking for out of his star freshmen? What happens when Oubre gets the hang of where he’s supposed to be defensively? What happens when Selden irons out his inconsistencies? What happens when all-Big 12 forward Ellis goes back to being the guy you always forget about because there’s just so much talent around him?

They’re starting to get there. You can see it with the touches Cliff gets and the confidence that Selden is starting to build back up. You can see it with Oubre, who attacked the basket off of ball-screens quite a bit on Wednesday. Perhaps more telling is that after blowing a defensive rotation — he was late on help-side and allowed Smith to catch an over-the-top pass in the post for a dunk — Oubre was yanked, yelled at on the bench … and put right back into the game a minute later.

The future is bright for Kansas, and the future will be here sooner than you realize.

If Kansas keeps moving in the direction they’re currently moving, we’ll find out sooner rather than later.

Bears' problems have deep roots, herds of scapegoats, few easy solutions. What's Your Take?

By Ray Slover

It's a question that requires more than a crystal ball or a divining rod to answer. What's wrong with the Chicago Bears?

Critics point to quarterback Jay Cutler with some justification. They look at coach Marc Trestman and wonder whether his scheme is more than a notion. Or worse, that Trestman is a good offensive coordinator but lacks the wherewithal to be an NFL head coach. They look at personnel and come away scratching their heads.

SN's David Steele calls the Bears the NFL's biggest letdown midway through the season. Culprits are everywhere, and chaos best describes the atmosphere surrounding the team.

Others point fingers at management. ESPN this week suggested GM Phil Emery was grasping at straws and spinning wheels in trying to defend players and schemes that aren't meshing. It also points to comments from wide receiver Brandon Marshall that the offense is out of whack.

Or worse, the team is shell-shocked after yet another blistering, the Chicago Sun-Times says.

Yahoo! Sports picks on hapless Lamarr Houston, who injured himself doing a sack dance in a blowout loss to the New England Patriots. The suggestion is ripe that Houston and his teammates instead should have been engaging in self-flagellation for their sins.

Rodney Harrison offered his assessment of the Bears after their Sunday night game.

“Bears fans keep asking me what’s wrong with their team. I tell them, everything is wrong with the team," Harrison said, according to the Chicago Tribune. “I’m just looking at the Bears and how bad they played. No sense of urgency. It was very disappointing to me.”
 Observer Hub Arkush believes both Emery and Trestman are near the point of no return, and suggests the team should consider a housecleaning that includes team president Ted Phillips. The Bears, Arkush believes, need a rock-ribbed football guy in charge.

Team chairman George McCaskey told CSNChicago he supports Emery and Trestman, and agrees Bears fans have a right to be disappointed at the team's 3-5, (now 5-8), record.

What's next? At best the team rides out the storm, finishes 6-10 (hopefully) and retools in the offseason. There are plenty of reasons to believe things could, or will, get worse.

Chicago Sports & Travel, Inc./AllsportsAmerica take: First let me tell you that I am a diehard Bears fan for over 50 years. In 1963 when I was 13 years old, I lived in Clarksville, Tennessee. All of the Bears' games were replayed at 10:30 PM, Monday nights on WLAC TV, (Channel 5, CBS affiliate), during their championship season. I believe we were able to see all of those games because Bill Wade was the quarterback and a Vanderbilt graduate. Now you know how I became a Bears fan and have continued to follow them all of my life. This was supposed to be a good year for our beloved Bears and everything has gone haywire. Like many other fans, I am angry, frustrated and bitter at this point. We love our Bears and they represent the city of Chicago and the sentiments of all of it's residents. We are a blue collar city with a tremendous work ethic, will to win,  desire to succeed and a mindset that hates to lose. 

The above article was written six weeks ago and not much has changed since then.
Chicago has always been a Bears town, don't they understand that at Halas Hall? All of Chicago's sports teams are striving to win championships and become #1. The Blackhawks, the Bulls and now the White Sox and Cubs, (who haven't won a championship in 106 years) are pulling out all of the stops to be competitive and bring home the championship hardware. Where's the Bears sense of urgency? I hope the Bears management realize that this is unacceptable and work hard to make our team competitive again. I don't think many of us fans could take the Bears being the worst professional franchise in the city of Chicago!!!!

That's how we feel at CSAT/AA, what are your thoughts? Tell us, we'd love to know what you think and what's your take? Please use the comments section at the bottom of this blog.   

On This Date in Sports History: Today is Friday, December 12, 2014.

Memoriesofhistory.com

1899 - George Grant patented the wooden golf tee.

1968 - Arthur Ashe became the first black man to be ranked #1 in tennis.

1971 - Bobby Hull (Chicago Black Hawks) scored his 1000th point.

1976 - Joe Namath played his last game with the New York Jets.

1981 - Wayne Gretzky became the quickest to reach 50 goals in a season. It was in the 39th game.

1988 - Sandra Miller sued Mike Tyson for sexual harassment.

1998 - Mark Recchi (Montreal Canadiens) ended his consecutive game streak. He had played in 569 straight games.

2000 - The Texas Rangers signed Alex Rodriguez to a record breaking 10-year, $252 million contract. The contract amount broke all Major League Baseball records and all professional sports records.

2001 - Jere Lehtinen (Dallas Stars) scored his 100th NHL goal in a game against the Buffalo Sabres.

2001 - Denver Nuggets coach Dan Issel was suspended for four games by his team for shouting a profanity and an ethnic remark at a fan.

2001 - Former Dallas Cowboy Nate Newton, and two others, were arrested on charges of carrying at least 175 pounds of marijuana. It was his second arrest in six weeks.

2010 - The collapse of the inflatable roof at Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, Mall of America Stadium caused the cancellation of a game between the New York Giants and the Minnesota Vikings. The teams played the next day at Detroit's Ford Field.

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Please let us hear your opinion on the above articles and pass them on to any other diehard fans that you think might be interested. But most of all, remember, Chicago Sports & Travel, Inc./AllsportsAmerica wants you!!!!!