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How 'bout them Chicago Blackhawks? Blackhawks hand Flames fifth consecutive loss 2-1.

By Brian Hedger

Chicago Blackhawks center Andrew Shaw (65) battles for the puck against Calgary Flames defenseman Raphael Diaz (33) during the second period of an NHL hockey game in Chicago, Sunday, Dec. 14, 2014. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

Brandon Saad's goal at 12:57 of the third period lifted the Chicago Blackhawks to a 2-1 win against the Calgary Flames at United Center on Sunday.

Saad scored his seventh goal to cap a great period for the 22-year old forward, who came up big to help kill an early Calgary power play in the third with the game still tied.

Less than 10 minutes later, he was rewarded for it. A great defensive play by Niklas Hjalmarsson got the puck to center Jonathan Toews for an uncontested rush against Flames goalie Jonas Hiller (26 saves). Toews got it to Saad, who put a wrist shot into the upper left corner of the net.

Patrick Sharp scored the other goal for the Blackhawks (21-9-1), Toews had two assists and goalie Antti Raanta earned the win with 23 saves. The victory moved Chicago past the St. Louis Blues into first place in the Central Division.

Jiri Hudler scored for Calgary (17-13-2), which has dropped five straight games.

Hard hits and good goaltending dominated the first, which ended 0-0 with the Flames ahead 9-7 in shots.

Hiller made a great skate save early off a close-range backhand by Andrew Shaw to keep the Blackhawks scoreless, and Raanta matched it at the other end with a sprawling save against Johnny Gaudreau after a nifty move.

Hudler and Sharp scored 4:16 apart in the second to send the game into the final period tied 1-1.

Hudler's goal, his 12th, gave Calgary a 1-0 lead at 4:27 to cap a 3-on-2 rush with TJ Brodie and Gaudreau, who got the assists. After a pass from the left wing by Gaudreau, Hudler buried a slap shot from the slot past Raanta's glove side to open the scoring.

Sharp tied it at 8:43 on a power play by beating Hiller high with a one-time shot from the left circle for his fourth goal and first in four games since missing a month (14 games) because of a lower-body injury.

It was the first power-play goal for the Blackhawks since Dec. 5 against the Montreal Canadiens, which snapped an 0-for-10 slump over a four-game span.

Blackhawks 'outworked' by Islanders, win streak snapped, 3-2. (Saturday night's game, 12/13/2014).

By Tracey Myers

Scott Darling #33 of the Chicago Blackhawks makes a save on a shot from Frans Nielsen #51 of the New York Islanders at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum on December 13, 2014 in Uniondale, New York. (Photo by Mike Stobe/NHLI via Getty Images)

The Blackhawks had a variety of victories in their eight-game winning streak.

In some games they dominated. In some they just outlasted their opponent. In some they got a little lucky. Sooner or later, they were going to hit a bump in the road. The bump came in the form of a New York Islanders team with something to prove.

Patrick Kane scored his 14th of the season but the Islanders came back with two in the third to beat the Blackhawks 3-2 at Nassau Coliseum. The loss snapped the Blackhawks’ eight-game winning streak, which began in Colorado the day before Thanksgiving.

Scott Darling stopped a career-high 38 shots — he faced 41 — in the loss. Darling has been strong in four consecutive starts but he blamed himself on this one.

“When there were breakdowns I didn’t come through with any big saves and that ended up being the difference in the game,” Darling said. “[The Islanders] threw a lot at the net, had a lot of traffic. They were battling. The [defense] did a great job of getting rebounds out of the way for me.”

Darling’s teammates weren’t pinning this one on the goaltender.

“Not a chance he should be beating himself up,” Kane said. “He was unbelievable tonight and he’s been amazing ever since he got in the net. Both his losses, we didn’t give him much help, 1-0 vs. Anaheim and tonight they had 41 shots and took it to us. He can’t play much better than that.”

The Blackhawks, however, could’ve played better. The Islanders were stronger and more aggressive, especially in the second period when they outshot the Blackhawks 17-7.

“They played a good game. They worked harder than us,” Daniel Carcillo said. “It looked like that, anyway.”

The Blackhawks had a solid first period, one that ended up tied after two interesting plays. Carcillo’s shot went off Jaroslav Halak, into the air, off Halak’s back and in to give the Blackhawks a 1-0 lead. But just six seconds later Duncan Keith turned the puck over straight to Cal Clutterbuck, who scored to tie the game 1-1.

Despite outplaying the Blackhawks in the second, the Islanders couldn’t capitalize. Kane could, however, early in the third when he lifted a backhand shot over Halak for a 2-1 edge. It would stay that way until midway through the third period when Kyle Okposo scored a power-play goal to tie it 2-2. Just 51 seconds later, Lubomir Visnovsky skated deep into the Blackhawks’ zone and recorded the game-winner.

“Despite not playing our best, give them credit,” coach Joel Quenneville said of the Islanders, who snapped a three-game losing streak. “Dangerous game. They lost a couple tough ones and they were going to be excited.”

The Blackhawks won’t be lamenting this one long. They won’t have time, with the Calgary Flames facing them back in Chicago on Sunday night. The Blackhawks had a lot of different victories in their eight-game winning streak. On Saturday, they just had one of those off nights against a team happy to take advantage.

“For whatever reason it seems like when we come to this building they get the best of us,” Kane said of Nassau Coliseum. “We went on a nice little streak there. We kind of put this one in our back pocket, learn from it and move on.”

Blackhawks deal Morin to Columbus for defenseman Erixon.

By Tracey Myers

Jeremy Morin reportedly wanted to be traded if he wasn't going to get playing time with the Blackhawks. On Sunday, the Blackhawks made that happen.

Morin was traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets in exchange for defenseman Tim Erixon. The 23-year-old Erixon will report to the Blackhawks and wear No. 34.

Erixon played 19 games with the Blue Jackets this season, recording a goal and five assists. He scored his first career NHL goal on Oct. 26 at Los Angeles.

Morin was sent to Rockford earlier this week on a conditioning assignment, a way to avoid placing the forward on waivers while the Blackhawks explored trade options. Morin had been a healthy scratch for some time. He talked about trying to get back into the Blackhawks’ lineup earlier this week before he was assigned to the IceHogs. At the time, he added he was “not even thinking about” the potential trade reports.

“I’m just trying to work on my game, get back into the lineup and improve every day,” Morin said. “We talk a little bit but the team’s obviously playing good hockey. It makes sense. Again, I just keep working hard and try to push through it.”

Not long after acquiring Erixon, the Blackhawks reassigned Klas Dahlbeck to the Rockford IceHogs. Dahlbeck played in the last four games, recording his first career NHL goal against the Boston Bruins on Thursday night. The Blackhawks currently have seven healthy defensemen on the active roster. When Erixon plays is not yet known.

Session… Dunleavy's hot hand paces Bulls in blowout win over Heat 93-75.

By David Furones

Mike Dunleavy (34) had 22 points for the Bulls as they beat the Heat on Sunday night in Miami. (Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)

The Bulls can go from winning like they did in 2011 and 2012 when Derrick Rose was an MVP-caliber player to their winning style from the past two seasons — where Rose missed all but 10 games — in a matter of a couple of nights.

Coming off a 31-point performance Friday against Portland — Rose’s highest scoring output since March 2012 — Rose was held in check with just three points to his name early in the fourth, but behind a stingy defense and a second-half shooting display from Mike Dunleavy, the Bulls proved they can still pull through on an off night for Rose a 93-75 victory over the Miami Heat at American Airlines Arena on Sunday night.

The Bulls (15-8), playing without Joakim Noah for a third straight game, won their third in a row and improved to an East-best 11-3 on the road, picking up a half a game on their lead over the idle Cavaliers in the Central Division in the process.

After going scoreless on 0-of-2 shooting in the first half, Dunleavy went 7-for-8 and hit all three of his 3-pointers, scoring 19 in the third quarter alone.

“We came out and we were going to kind of slow roll them in the first half and then Coach really wanted to unleash me in the second,” Dunleavy said sarcastically. “That was the game plan all along.”

He paced the Bulls as they outscored the Heat 33-16 in the period to pull away after leading by seven at halftime.

Dunleavy hit one more triple in the fourth to finish with 22 points.

“You know it’s going in. It’s a great feeling to have. There’s not much suspense as a shooter,” Dunleavy said. “It’s sort of like the NBA Jam arcade game. You get to the third one where you make three in a row, then if you get to four you know you’re in the zone and you keep shooting it.”

Defensively, the 75 points the Bulls gave up is the fewest by an opponent this season. The 35 percent the Heat shot from the field is second-lowest to the 33 percent the Brooklyn Nets shot against Chicago on Wednesday.

According to Rose, the defense is what helped the Bulls get out in transition for 12 fast-break points in a game where scoring was tough to come by early on.

“The reason why we’re getting out in the open court is because we’re able to rebound and make it hard on guys,” said Rose, who after struggling to score early had 11 points in the fourth quarter to finish with 14 on 6-of-14 shooting. “I would say the communication is getting better.”

Rose was held scoreless until the 4:22 mark in the second quarter when he hit one of two free throws and then hit his first field goal closer to halftime.

Jimmy Butler and Taj Gibson scored 17 and 15 points, respectively, and Pau Gasol went for nine points and nine rebounds, snapping his double-double streak at eight games in a row.

“Taj played terrific, but Pau’s line doesn’t reflect how well he played because Pau is a tough matchup. A lot of [Dunleavy’s] shots came off of what was happening inside with Pau,” said Thibodeau, adding that Rose made a number of solid reads as well to set him up.

In his first game against the Bulls in a Heat uniform, Luol Deng, who spent his first nine and a half NBA seasons in Bulls red and black, scored 17 points — tied for the Heat’s team high with Dwyane Wade — and led Miami with 10 rebounds.

The Bulls went on an 11-0 run early in the second quarter to take a lead they would never surrender. Aaron Brooks scored eight consecutive points to lead that charge, hitting back-to-back 3-pointers and then putting in a ceiling-scraping floater from the baseline.

Miami (11-13), after trailing by as many as 26 cut the lead down to 15 at one point in the fourth, but never got much closer. The Heat built an early advantage Sunday with a 13-1 run in a nondescript first quarter that saw the Bulls shoot 5-of-16 from the field and turn the ball over six times.

“We were sluggish at the start today — first quarter was mainly because of our turnovers,” Thibodeau said. “Can’t score if we’re turning it over. I like the way we dug out of that and got going again.”

The Bulls will look to start faster as they have a quick turnaround, visiting the Atlanta Hawks (16-7) Monday on the second night of a back-to-back.

Behind Derrick Rose's season-high 31, Bulls take down Blazers 115-106. (Friday night's game, 12/12/2014).

By Mark Strotman

Derrick Rose has played much of this season with a passiveness in his return from back-to-back knee surgeries, admitting earlier in the year to taking more what opposing defenses gave him rather than attacking and creating on his own.

That wasn’t the case Friday night.

Rose lived in the painted area all night against a talented Blazers defense, scoring a season-high 31 points and hitting a crucial late jumper as the Bulls fended off LaMarcus Aldridge’s and Damian Lillard's 70 combined points in a 115-106 victory, their first in their last eight tries against the Blazers.

It was a battle between superstars in the opening period, as Aldridge scored 13 of the Blazers’ first 15 points, while Rose did his best to keep pace by scoring nine of the Bulls’ first 11, all on drives to the basket, to open the game. Aldridge finished the stanza with 21 points, nearly topping his per-game average (21.7), on 10-for-12 shooting, to give the Blazers a 28-24 advantage. Aldridge finished with 35 points in 39 minutes.

Yet even with Taj Gibson starting in place of the injured Joakim Noah (ankle), the Bulls, who had lost seven straight to Portland, held a distinct advantage off the bench, and it showed in the second quarter.

With Aldridge on the bench the Bulls reserves, which scored 25 first-half points, came roaring back with a 19-2 run spurred primarily by the hot shooting of Nikola Mirotic. The rookie, who had career-highs in points (24) and rebounds (11) in the Bulls’ loss in Portland last month, scored 13 points as part of that run to help the Bulls lead by as many as 12 in the quarter. Mirotic finished with 15 points in 18 minutes.

The Blazers backcourt, which had been quiet most of the first half, responded well at the end of the second quarter as Lillard and Wesley Matthews scored their team’s final 12 points of the half, ultimately cutting the deficit to eight, 59-51. Lillard finished with 35 points.

The Blazers outplayed the Bulls for much of the third quarter, eventually pulling within as close as two, 69-67. But the Bulls’ offense came to life with an important stretch that included a Rose floater and Mike Dunleavy 3-pointer to push the lead back out to seven.

Much of the Bulls’ offense in that period ran through Pau Gasol, who added six points, five rebounds and three assists in the third stanza alone. He also grabbed his 10th rebound in that period, giving his league-leading 14th double-double of the year.

Aaron Brooks provided a spark in the fourth quarter by scoring four quick points to push the lead back out to eight. And when Rose re-entered at the seven-minute mark of the final stanza, his first offensive possession was an attack toward the rim that ended with a successful floater over Steve Blake. A similar Brooks floater the next trip down extended the lead to 10, 98-88.

The Blazers got within four, 108-104, in the final minute, but a Rose pull-up jumper extended the lead to six to close things out. It was just the second time the Blazers had lost back-to-back games after they lost in Minnesota on Wednesday.

During the game the Bulls announced that rookie forward Doug McDermott would undergo arthroscopic surgery on his right knee on Saturday. The rookie had missed the last five games, and his timetable for a return won’t be known until after the procedure.

Bear Down Chicago Bears!!!!! Saints, Bears try to put chaos behind them.

By ANDREW SELIGMAN (AP Sports Writer)

If the New Orleans Saints are looking for comfort, they can take some in this: Their week was almost smooth compared to their opponent's.

And unlike the Bears, they're still in the playoff hunt.

The Saints will try to shake off their most lopsided loss of the season and give their postseason hopes a boost when they visit Chicago on Monday night. It's a matchup between two of the league's most disappointing teams.

They come in with identical records (5-8) and are trying to put a difficult week behind them. The Saints got blasted 41-10 at home last week by Carolina. The Bears got hit with another round of turmoil, with offensive coordinator Aaron Kromer acknowledging he was a source behind a critical report by the NFL Network about quarterback Jay Cutler.

''Man, this is a humbling league,'' New Orleans coach Sean Payton said.

The Saints began the week tied for the NFC South lead with Atlanta - their next opponent - despite dropping four of five. They allowed 497 yards and got pounded by a Carolina team that came in with six straight losses.

Payton said during the week he would not rule out lineup changes, and safety Kenny Vaccaro said Thursday his role is changing. He would not say exactly how, and his coach offered few details.

Payton also made some roster changes this week, cutting receiver Joe Morgan on Tuesday and promoting receiver Seantavius Jones from the practice squad.

''A lot of it is the expectation that showing up and playing is enough,'' right tackle Zach Strief said. ''It's not: 'OK, I put my uniform on, I look good, I walk out on the field and now that we're here and we're the Saints and we have this history where we'll win games, now we're just going to win this game.' ... That's not the reality of this league.''

For the Bears, this season has been one harsh reality check. They came in with visions of a playoff run, only to fall out of contention for the seventh time in eight years. The situation with Kromer was just another in a line of distractions.

He owned up in public to what he did on Friday after asking players and coaches for forgiveness on Monday.

That happened after he complained to the NFL Networks about Cutler's ability to audible out of run plays that might not work. The story also suggested the Bears had ''buyer's remorse'' for signing their quarterback to a contract extension after last season. But according to the Chicago Tribune, Kromer insisted in his apology to the team that he never mentioned that.

Kromer said he never considered quitting over this and coach Marc Trestman insisted he did not think about firing him. But the episode raised more questions about the leadership and the direction of the franchise in a season when there were already more than a few.

The Kromer situation was just another log in a fire that includes linebacker Lance Briggs missing practice to open a restaurant near Sacramento in the week leading up to the opener; defensive end Lamarr Houston suffering a season-ending injury celebrating a meaningless late sack at New England; and some eyebrow-raising incidents involving Brandon Marshall. Among them was a long, rambling news conference over past allegations of domestic abuse; flying to New York weekly to record Showtime's ''Inside The NFL'' program; and challenging a Detroit fan on Twitter to a boxing match for charity.

Kromer's leak cuts to one of Trestman's pillars, and that is building relationships based on trust. There appeared to be a breach even if Cutler insisted the offense came away from Monday's meeting in a better position.

''He owned up to it,'' Cutler said. ''He let everyone know, 'Hey, I made a mistake. This is where we stand. And this is where we need to move on to.' I wish more guys were like that.''

He said the Bears have to ''continue on'' and that the offense ''will come together.''

But they have looked more like a broken bunch.

The Bears have been hit hard by injuries, with Briggs, Charles Tillman and Marshall among the key players on injured reserve. Chicago joined the 1923 Rochester Jeffersons as the only teams to give up 50 or more points in consecutive games when it got pounded by New England and Green Bay.

The struggles on defense and regression on offense have added up to the most disappointing season in recent memory.

''We know the (offensive) system works,'' Kromer said. ''It worked last year. And it's worked in the past in places both myself and Marc have been.''

Question is: Who will be around to fix the Bears after this season?

Bears-Saints QB Viewer's Guide: Cutler must out-play Brees.

By John Mullin

Drew Brees a eu le dessus sur Jay Cutler. (Source d'image: PC )

New Orleans Saints Drew Brees #9 (L) and Chicago Bears Jay Cutler #6 (R). (Source d'image: PC )

The Bears this season are just 1-5 in games against teams with quarterbacks ranked ahead of Jay Cutler for passer rating. Two losses to Green Bay (Aaron Rodgers), one each to Dallas (Tony Romo), New England (Tom Brady) and Miami (Ryan Tannehill).

The only “elite” quarterback the Bears have defeated has been Matt Ryan with Atlanta. Other wins have come against Teddy Bridgewater, Colin Kaepernick, Josh McCown and Geno Smith.

Drew Brees at 98.8 is well above Cutler (91.7) in passer rating. And since opposing quarterbacks are averaging a composite 103.4 rating against the Bears, Brees projects to move his rating back above 100, based on Bears performances to date.

Cutler was accorded a franchise-quarterback contract in order to be the tip of an offensive spear staffed to be better than just the lower-tier quarterbacks in the NFL. “Buyer’s remorse” would be a reasonable guess at the organization’s feeling about paying Cutler, and his future is suddenly on the table even with what has been one of his best statistical seasons.

“I think that’s a fair question [about his future],” Cutler said. “I don’t know if I can answer it for you, though. It’s something at this point in my career is out of my hands. I’m trying to worry about the Saints and how I can improve my game for this game. Whatever happens, management, (Marc) Trestman, Phil (Emery), those guys will make that decision and we’ll talk about that when that happens I guess.”

Keep a special eye on… Cutler under pressure.

Cutler’s turnovers have been the offensive story of the 2014 season. Too many have happened in the Chicago end of the field, putting the defense in often untenable positions where the only real hope for the Bears is a missed field goal.

One knock on Cutler has been his decision-making under pressure, failing to recognize situations and making mistakes either in play selection or execution, or both.

Cutler will be without Brandon Marshall for the first time as a Bear. Marshall represented a comfort-level outlet for Cutler, who now becomes tasked with going through progressions and his other receivers without the security blanket in No. 15.

White Sox: Melky Cabrera move could pay off for Jose Abreu.

By JJ Stankevitz

White Sox No. 2 hitters combined for a .237/.279/.355 slash line last year, making it the third least-productive spot in the team's batting order. Only the club's No. 7 and No. 9 hitters compiled a lower OPS.

In other words: The guy hitting in front of Jose Abreu didn't do much hitting. Melky Cabrera should change that.

The White Sox reportedly agreed to sign the 30-year-old outfielder to a three-year deal late Saturday night, likely solidifying one of the most important spots in Robin Ventura's lineup. Chances are Cabrera will hit second, a spot he occupied last year in front of another big-ticket slugger in Toronto's Jose Bautista.

Cabrera owns a career .286/.339/.415 slash line and hit .301/.351/.458 with the Blue Jays a year ago. FanGraphs' Steamer projections have Cabrera hitting .291/.340/.430 in 2015, which if he primarily bats second would represent a massive upgrade for the White Sox lineup.

Specifically: A jump of 54 points in batting average, 61 points in on-base percentage and 75 points in slugging percentage. If he hits his projected .770 OPS, that'll be 136 points better than what Robin Ventura got out of his No. 2 hitters in 2014.

The most significant improvement would be in on-base percentage. Thanks to Adam Eaton's .362 OBP, Abreu came to the plate with at least one runner on base in 45 percent of his plate appearances (in which he primarily hit third). But that .279 OBP out of the No. 2 spot -- which, if compiled by a single player, would've ranked third-worst among qualified hitters in 2014 -- wound up affording Abreu fewer chances to drive in runs. MLB hitters averaged a .314 OBP in 2014, so even a below average OBP (say, around .300) would've been a major upgrade.

Having men on base 45 percent of the time isn't bad, though, compared to other primary No. 3 hitters with at least 100 RBIs last year: Bautista hit with at least one runner on base in 46 percent of his plate appearances; Giancarlo Stanton's men-on-base rate was 49 percent, Albert Pujols' was 48 percent and Miguel Cabrera's was 42 percent.

Abreu totaled 73 extra-base hits in his rookie season, in which he hit third in 486 of his 622 plate appearances. Half of Abreu's 36 home runs came with the bases empty, while 27 of his 35 doubles and one of his two triples came with nobody on base.

Of course, pitchers throw differently with men on base and with the bases empty -- in Abreu's case, especially early in the season, they may have been more willing to get the ball over the plate behind in the count rather than nibbling and risking a walk. But Abreu proved last year his hitting ability translates no matter who's pitching or what the situation is.

So getting a guy in Cabrera who can get on base more frequently than the guys who split time at No. 2 last year -- primarily Alexei Ramirez, Gordon Beckham and Marcus Semien -- should present a proven run producer in Abreu with more opportunities to drive in runs. Even if Eaton or Cabrera merely takes a walk or slaps a single, his power should result in more scoring for the White Sox. There's a good chance he'll surpass the 107 RBIs he had in his rookie year.

And the benefit of Cabrera locking down the two-hole extends beyond Abreu -- it'll trickle down the lineup to Adam LaRoche and Avisail Garcia, too, presuming those guys hit No. 4 and No. 5. It'll allow Ramirez to drop lower in the order and take some of the pressure off whoever wins the second base battle, Carlos Sanchez or Micah Johnson.

Couple the improved lineup with a rotation headlined by Chris Sale, Jeff Samardzija and Jose Quintana and a deep bullpen led by David Robertson and the White Sox have the look of a contender heading into the new year.

Cubs' big moves have made the Cardinals take notice.

By Tony Andracki

Maybe the Cubs-Cardinals rivalry is alive and well, after all.

After five straight fifth-place finishes, the Cubs haven't really been fulfilling their end of the rivalry with the team down South, as late-season matchups between the two squads haven't carried the same fire of late.

But that all changed this week.

After netting Joe Maddon in a wild series of events in October/November, the Cubs went out and beefed up their rotation with Jason Hammel, traded for an All-Star catcher in Miguel Montero and, of course, convinced the biggest free agent to sign a $155-million megadeal.

Suddenly, the Cubs are looking like potential contenders.

In the words of Cardinals GM John Mozeliak, the sleeping giant has awoken:

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"We always refer to them as a sleeping giant, and I think they've awoken." #Cardinals GM John Mozeliak on the #Cubs. #MLBTonight

8:45 PM - 10 Dec 2014

"They certainly have their foot on the pedal," Mozeliak told reporters, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Lester will likely face off against Adam Wainwright in the MLB season opener April 5 and Wainwright expects Wrigley Field to be rocking once again, a welcome sight for the Cardinals ace.

“This is what I came up seeing. Crowded Wrigley. Cubs-Cards and everybody coming to see the rivalry. Seats packed for batting practice. Place rocking during the game," Wainwright told the Post-Dispatch. "I expect the fan base there to be excited with all that’s happening for their team. They’ll be talking trash, yelling at us as we warm up, like they used to do. Like they haven’t been doing.

“Man, we love that stuff.” Even Cardinals manager Mike Matheny - who took part in the Cubs-Cardinals rivalry for five years as a player before taking the reins as the Redbirds' skipper - has taken notice at what Chicago executives Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer are building.

“I think Theo and Jed were all very clear that that was their goal,” Matheny told the Post-Dispatch. “It was going to take a little time, but they’re making an investment. I think it’s very similar to what was in Pittsburgh. They go out and get a solid leader behind the plate (Montero). An accomplished receiver, game-caller and bat threat (like the Pirates did with Russell Martin). Then they start bringing in the pitchers, like Pittsburgh with A.J. Burnett. They’ve got young talent already. This is a model that obviously Pittsburgh has had success with."

That strategy worked out pretty well for the Pirates, who made the playoffs the last two seasons. Can the Cubs follow suit?

Former big league player becomes a US ambassador.

By Ben Walker

This undated photo provided by the Chicago White Sox shows outfielder Mark Gilbert at Comiskey Park in Chicago. Gilbert is the new ambassador to New Zealand and Samoa. The Senate approved his nomination by voice vote on Friday, Dec. 12, 2014. (AP Photo/Chicago White Sox)

A former outfielder for the Chicago White Sox is all lined up for the diplomatic field.

Mark Gilbert, who played seven games in July 1985, has become the first major leaguer to be confirmed as a U.S. ambassador. The Senate approved his nomination to New Zealand and Samoa by voice vote on Friday.

U.S. State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf said the agency could not find any other record of a former major league player having served as an ambassador.

Gilbert hit .273, scored three runs and drove in three, and started alongside future Hall of Famers Tom Seaver and Carlton Fisk with the White Sox.

His manager in the majors was Tony La Russa, also a Hall of Fame member.

The 58-year-old Gilbert was nominated by President Barack Obama in October 2013. At the time, La Russa was told that ambassadors are mostly addressed as "His Excellency" or "Your Excellency."

"I think if Mark walks into a clubhouse with his old teammates, I don't think they're going to call him 'Your Excellency,'" La Russa said then, laughing.

Cal Ripken Jr. and Barry Larkin are some of the ex-big league players who have served the U.S. State Department in various capacities, including goodwill ambassadors and sports envoys.

Former Texas Rangers President Tom Schieffer was the U.S. ambassador to Japan and Australia.

Gilbert has worked as a banking executive and was on the Obama for America national finance team.

Rugby, cricket and America's Cup sailing are prominent sports in New Zealand. The Kiwis have played in the qualifying tournament at the World Baseball Classic.

Golf: I got a club for that; Greg Chalmers wins Aussie PGA from Adam Scott on 7th playoff hole.

By Ryan Ballengee

Greg Chalmers - 2014 Australian PGA Championship - Day 4

Greg Chalmers of Australia celebrates as he holds up the Kirkwood Cup after day four of the 2014 Australian PGA Championship at Royal Pines Resort on December 14, 2014 in Gold Coast, Australia. (Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images AsiaPac)

If anything, Adam Scott has one weakness in his golf game: putting. He ranked a modest 55th on the PGA Tour last year in strokes gained putting, but an abysmal 137th in one-putt percentage from inside 5 feet. It was the latter liability that lead to losing the Australian PGA Championship to Greg Chalmers on the seventh hole of a grueling, sudden-death playoff.

Scott had several opportunities to win the championship outright, which would have allowed him to savage a home-country run that, a year ago, had him a few strokes away from winning the country's Triple Crown. He had won the Australian Masters and Australian PGA, but a final-hole birdie from world No. 1 Rory McIlroy denied him the Crown-clinching Australian Open.

In the extra frames, Scott's putter seemed off, no more so than on the final playoff hole. Scott missed a 20-footer for birdie and the victory by going some 4 feet past the hole and outside of the lefty Chalmers' mark for his par putt. Still his turn, Scott missed the par bid, opening the door for Chalmers to win.

It took a minor miracle for Chalmers to even get into the playoff. Chalmers carded 8-under 64 on Sunday at Royal Pines Resort to overcome a seven-stroke deficit, tying Scott and Wade Ormsby, the 54-hole co-leaders who both shot a final-round 71, at 11-under total.

Ormsby lasted three holes in the playoff, booted when Scott and Chalmers made birdie to his par. With Ormsby gone, Scott had ample chances to win but couldn't take advantage. Chalmers won when Scott made his mistake.

It's the second Aussie PGA for Chalmers, who won in 2011, also as part of a three-way playoff.

For Scott, who shared this week that he will become a dad in February, he didn't lament the playoff putting but the final-round iron play that left him on the defensive.

"I didn't hit it close enough today to the hole," Scott said. "It wasn't like I missed 10 footers today all day long. When you hit it outside 25 feet, there is almost the same chance you are going to three-putt as two-putt on tour. You have to hit it closer."

Colin Montgomerie says Rory McIlroy is better than Tiger ever was. You think???

By Kyle Porter, Golf Writer

Rory McIlroy and two Tigers. (Getty Images)

Who knows, maybe Colin Montgomerie invented the hot take back in the 90s and we just didn't know it.

Monty was at it again recently while discussing the current world No. 1 and the golfer who reigned for so long back when he was playing.

"Tiger Woods is going to come back into the frame," Mongomerie told Kicca.com regarding the 2015 Masters. "Is he going to be able to get back, not just to the levels he was but better than that? Because that's where Rory McIlroy's taken the standard of golf: to one level beyond where Tiger was."

Oh boy.

It's true that McIlroy has been immense -- beyond even what he thought he could do -- but it's also true that Woods won the US Open by 15 (and by 27 over Montgomerie), so maybe we need to pump the brakes on this a little bit.

Montgomerie didn't stop though.

"Can he win all four in a year?" Montgomerie asked. "That's another question on people's lips within our game. Can he win all four in a year, never mind two? That means six in a row. Wow, that'll be something."

Uh yes, that would be something.

"If you're a betting man -- I'm sure there's a lot of people putting money on it -- I'm sure it's a 100-1 shot but it's worth a punt."

Actually that's exactly what it is...and nobody is betting on it.

NASCAR announces 2015 Sprint Cup testing policy.

By Kenny Bruce

Sanctioning body, Goodyear team up for 13 sessions throughout the season.

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series organizations will be allowed to participate in 13 one-day "open" tests in 2015 as part of a revamped testing policy for the series.

The tests will be part of a 14-track Goodyear tire test schedule, and will be held the day after almost all of the scheduled two-day tire tests by the tire supplier.

The NASCAR National Series Unified Testing policy, outlined in the 2015 rule book, breaks down the schedule into three types of tests -- NASCAR-approved tire manufacturer tire tests, NASCAR tests and Open Team tests.

"I think we've got a system here that can breathe and evolve as the industry requires," Gene Stefanyshyn, NASCAR vice president innovation and racing development, told NASCAR.com. "I think we've got enough flexibility to manage this. It's all in the electronic rule book now so everybody can understand it, the schedules will be there so hopefully we can also communicate very, very well with everybody."

NASCAR announced earlier this year that it was eliminating private team testing beginning with the conclusion of the 2014 racing season. Previously, organizations were provided four open NASCAR tests at tracks that hosted Sprint Cup Series events, and were allowed to test as often as they chose on tracks not hosting NASCAR-sanctioned events.

After meeting with teams in July, Stefanyshyn said the general consensus was that testing was expensive, its value was questionable because of the venues and "it was very time and travel intensive."

"It doesn't necessarily line up with Goodyear testing and because it's unlimited it can drive some inequity between big teams and small teams," Stefanyshyn said officials were told.

When NASCAR announced the testing ban, he said, what was lost in the conversation was the fact that the sanctioning body was trying to develop a consolidated testing plan going forward.

When the 2015 rules package was announced in September, "we announced the ban on private testing," he said. "But at the same time we did signal to everybody that we were ... in flight on trying to develop a new proposal for testing.

"At the time when we said ... it was banned, I think that might have been lost to a few people. They didn't hear the 'we're trying to work ... to come up with a better alternative.' "

Four teams (unless otherwise specified) will participate in each Goodyear tire test based on their position in the 2015 NASCAR owners' points standings.

One representative from each of the four will take part, and that team will be the only one allowed to participate from that organization in the open test at that track. The open tests are not mandatory.

The team pairings for the Goodyear tests are broken down into the following three groups:

Stewart-Haas Racing, JTG Daugherty Racing, Team Penske and Joe Gibbs Racing;

Richard Childress Racing, Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates; Roush Fenway Racing, Michael Waltrip Racing;

Hendrick Motorsports, Furniture Row Racing, Richard Petty Motorsports, BK Racing.

Most organizations will be involved in five Goodyear tests, although the grouping of Hendrick, Furniture Row, RPM and BK Racing will take part in only four.

The only variations to the policy thus far come at Las Vegas, which will host a Goodyear tire test only (Jan. 19) with individual teams from SHR, JTG, Penske and JGR taking part; and there will be an open team test on Thursday, Feb. 26, at Atlanta Motor Speedway leading into that track's race weekend activities.

"The … beauty of this is, we were all three (NASCAR, Goodyear and the individual teams) going off independently, doing things," Stefanyshyn said. "Goodyear's trying to do a tire test, they’re trying to get teams to participate, teams are busy going off testing (elsewhere), so they have difficulty getting the participation they want.

"We try to put a NASCAR test together and we've got to get Goodyear and the teams to come and they’re all busy. And then you've got the teams that are doing their testing on tracks they're not going to run on.

"So … we've created a schedule for the whole of next year that enables everybody to do their testing but also we can now work together on the things we need to work together on. If I need 10 cars, the cars are there and the tires are there. It gives us more ability to do more work together and it gets rid of a lot of the organizational friction of trying to bring people together."

No tests are scheduled for nine of the 23 tracks hosting Sprint Cup events in 2015.
Here's a complete look at the 2015 testing schedule:

Date	Track	Type	Teams
Jan. 19	Las Vegas Motor Speedway	Goodyear	Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR); JTG Daugherty Racing (JTGD); Team Penske (TP); Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR)
Feb. 26	Atlanta Motor Speedway	Team	One car/one driver from any organization
March 2-3	Atlanta Motor Speedway	Goodyear	Richard Childress Racing (RCR); Chip Ganassi Racing (CGR); Roush Fenway Racing (RFR); Michael Waltrip Racing (MWR)
March 10	Charlotte Motor Speedway	Goodyear	Hendrick Motorsports (HMS); Furniture Row Racing (FRR); Richard Petty Motorsports (RPM); BK Racing (BK)
March 11	Charlotte Motor Speedway	Team	One car/one driver from any organization
April 7	Richmond International Raceway	Goodyear	SHR, JTGD, TP, JGR
April 8	Richmond International Raceway	Team	One car/one driver from any organization
April 13-14	Kentucky Speedway	Goodyear	RCR, CGR, RFR, MWR
April 15	Kentucky Speedway	Team	One car/one driver from any organization
April 27-28	Indianapolis Motor Speedway	Goodyear	HMS, FRR, RPM, BK
April 29	Indianapolis Motor Speedway	Team	One car/one driver from any organization
May 11-12	Dover International Speedway	Goodyear	SHR, JTGD, TP, JGR
May 13	Dover International Speedway	Team	One car/one driver from any organization
June 9-10	Darlington Raceway	Goodyear	RCR, CGR, RFR, MWR
June 11	Darlington Raceway	Team	One car/one driver from any organization
July 13-14	Chicagoland Speedway	Goodyear	HMS, FRR, RPM, BK
July 15	Chicagoland Speedway	Team	One car/one driver from any organization
July 28-29	Bristol Motor Speedway	Goodyear	SHR, JTGD, TP, JGR
July 30	Bristol Motor Speedway	Team	One car/one driver from any organization
Aug. 24-25	Homestead-Miami Speedway	Goodyear	RCR, CGR, RFR, MWR
Aug. 26	Homestead-Miami Speedway	Team	One car/one driver from any organization
Sept. 14-15	Kansas Speedway	Goodyear	HMS, FRR, RPM, BK
Sept. 16	Kansas Speedway	Team	One car/one driver from any organization
Oct. 12-13	Phoenix International Raceway	Goodyear	SHR, JTGD, TP, JGR
Oct. 14	Phoenix International Raceway	Team	One car/one driver from any organization
Oct. 27-28	Auto Club Speedway	Goodyear	RCR, CGR, RFR, MWR
Oct. 29	Auto Club Speedway	Team	One car/one driver from any organization

How did Kyle Larson's rookie season stack up?

Staff Reports, NASCAR.com

Comparing Larson to some of the all-time greats

Editor's note: Graphics by Jenna Wagner

Kyle Larson completed one of the best rookie season in premier series history in 2014.

While Victory Lane was just out of grasp for the 22-year-old, his overall numbers were comparable to some of the greatest drivers in NASCAR history.

Take a look below to see how Larson compares to Dale Earnhardt, Jeff Gordon and Richard Petty in their rookie years, and then use the second graphic to see how those three NASCAR legends performed in their second year -- perhaps a comp that Larson can target in 2015.

Manchester United Lackluster but lucky once again, as David De Gea excels.

By Joe Prince-Wright

Take a bow, David De Gea. In fact, take several.

Not for the first time this season the majority of the 75,000 plus fans inside Old Trafford sung his name in unison as the Spanish goalkeeper put on a clinic of fine saves to shutout bitter rivals Liverpool and help Manchester United win their sixth-straight match to solidify third place in the Premier League.

Speaking after the game Louis van Gaal spoke of his delight with De Gea’s display, who won the Man of the Match award in perhaps the most lopsided vote in recent times, but was reluctant to heap too much praise on the 24-year-old’s shoulders as he added this performance against Liverpool to fine displays against Everton, Stoke and Arsenal already this season.

“I’m proud we have a clean sheet but that is also because David De Gea has superb reactions,” van Gaal said. “We scored fantastic goals – one-touch – and I’m very pleased with that,” van Gaal said. “In spite of the goals we gave a lot of chances away. That was every time we gave unnecessary passes away and that is how we have to improve.”

He’s right, there’s plenty of room for improvement as United put in their third lackluster display in a row but have come out with wins against Stoke City, Southampton and now Liverpool and are now on 31 points in third. Many would say that’s the sign of a good team, winning when not at your best, but van Gaal is eager to improve his teams performances as soon as possible and praised his coaching staff for highlighting Liverpool’s weaknesses and causing them “pain” with the similar goals they scored.

Plus, having lady luck on your side always helps.

“Okay you need luck but you can force the luck, van Gaal admitted. “We are forcing the luck now. That was not the case at the start of the season. Our players have the belief in our philosophy and they are fighting to the end. Nevertheless they could improve.”

Asked if United can challenge for the title this season, they sit five points behind Manchester City and eight behind leaders Chelsea, van Gaal was cautious.

“I think the most important is match by match. We are winning now, six matches in a row, which is fantastic. But we have to improve our playing style. I am saying that nearly every week,” van Gaal said. “Only after the matches against QPR and Hull City have we dominated the game for 90 minutes. We could have dominated today, but we didn’t do that. We kept unnecessarily giving ball away. We have a lot of time and space in the second half and we could have killed the game easy. We have to improve. But we are very pleased because we know what it is to win against Liverpool.”

The Red Devils may have plenty to improve on but they are ruthless as they converted three of their six shots on target and made Liverpool pay for failing to get the better of De Gea. The Spanish goalkeeper got the majority of the plaudits, and rightly so, but van Gaal believes another player stood up to the occasion in an unfamiliar role. Michael Carrick.

“You can always say that some players are the most influential in a game and of course David De Gea has a big influence. He did it very well but I can mention others who were also very good and had a big influence,” van Gaa said. “You can single out as many players as you want. Yes, Michael Carrick did well in defense.”

In truth, it was De Gea and Carrick holding back Liverpool’s offense, as both Ashley Young and Antonio Valencia offered plenty going forward but Raheem Sterling and Mario Balotelli exposed United’s defensive weaknesses horribly. Carrick, 33, excelled in the unfamiliar role of center back as he marshaled the backline and sprayed the ball around effortlessly as he held the three-man defense together with the 3-5-2 formation in place. United must improve and they have their goalkeeper to thank after he thwarted Balotelli and Sterling three times each.

Even Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers, who saw his side lose for the seventh time this season and they’ve scored just 19 goals in 16 matches, was in awe of De Gea’s performance.

“De Gea is a top class goalkeeper,” Rodgers admitted. “He made the saves, some big saves today, the first goal we conceded he makes the save and they go on to score. Some of them, they look like goals and he saved them. He is a top class goalkeeper. We had enough chances to get something from the game.”

However sadly for Liverpool and luckily for United, De Gea was, not for the first time this season, in indomitable form.

Marta scores hat trick in Brazil's 3-2 win over US.

AP

Brazil’s Marta Vieira, right, fights for the ball with United States' Christie Rampone, during a match of the International Women's Football Tournament at the National Stadium in Brasilia, Brazil, Sunday, Dec. 14, 2014. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres)

Five-time world player of the year Marta scored three goals to lead Brazil to a 3-2 come-from-behind win over the U.S. women's soccer team in the International Tournament of Brasilia on Sunday.

Carli Lloyd and Megan Rapinoe scored a goal each in the first 10 minutes to give the U.S. an early lead, but Marta netted in the 19th, 55th and 66th minutes to guarantee the hosts a spot in the final of the four-team competition.

"Those early goals could have been costly, we can't let those mistakes happen again," Marta said. "I'm glad that I was able to take advantage of the chances that I had. It wasn't a good start but we fought hard until the end and got the result that we needed against a very good team."

The match brought together Marta and American playmaker Abby Wambach, two of the candidates for this year's world player of the year award.

"It feels good to win a match like this, knowing that I was going against Wambach," Marta said.

Brazil reached six points from two matches, while the United States remained on one. China, which routed Argentina 6-0 earlier Sunday, also has four points. Argentina has zero.

The top two teams will meet for the title on Dec. 21. The other two nations will play for third place. The U.S. needs to beat Argentina by several goals in the last round on Wednesday and hope that China loses to Brazil.

Brazil opened with a 4-0 win over Argentina and the U.S. drew China 1-1.

The Americans took advantage of Brazil's defensive mistakes to take the lead at the Mane Garrincha Stadium in the nation's capital. After a corner by Rapinoe from the right side, the ball was headed toward Lloyd in front of the net and she turned for an easy goal in the sixth minute.

Rapinoe then found the net with a shot from outside the penalty area in the 10th. She seemed set to make a cross but the ball went straight toward the net, with Brazil goalkeeper Luciana unable to make the stop.

Marta put Brazil back in the game after one of her trademark runs through the middle of the defense, entering the area and firing a shot past U.S. goalkeeper Hope Solo.

Marta's second goal came after she cleared two defenders at the top of the area and fired a left-footed shot into the far corner. The winner was a low shot from outside the area that found the near corner. Solo was near the ball but couldn't make the stop as she dived to her left.

The Americans had two great chances to equalize in second-half injury time. Lloyd's free kick was saved by goalkeeper Luciana, and Christen Press' shot from outside the area hit the far post in the final seconds.

Oregon's Marcus Mariota wins Heisman Trophy in historic landslide.

By Pat Forde

NCAA Football: Heisman Trophy Presentation

Marcus Mariota led the Ducks to a Pac-12 title and a spot in the first College Football Playoff. (USAT)

It was a milestone night as Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota won the Heisman Trophy in a landslide Saturday.

Mariota becomes the first Oregon Duck to win the award, the first Hawaii-born winner and the first player from a Pacific Northwest university since 1962 to take the most prestigious individual award in college football. Terry Baker of Oregon State was the only previous winner from the states of Oregon and Washington.

Mariota became the clear choice as the season wore on, and that clarity was reflected in the voting: the Oregon QB garnered 90.9 percent of the total points possible - the second-highest total ever, behind Ohio State QB Troy Smith in 2006. Mariota finished with 2,534 total points, including 788 first-place votes.

Runner-up Melvin Gordon of Wisconsin received 1,250 points, while third-place finisher Amari Cooper of Alabama had 1,023 points. Defending Heisman winner Jameis Winston of Florida State finished a distant sixth place, and was not one of the three finalists brought to New York City for the ceremony.

Fifty-three weeks after Mariota surprisingly said he was returning to Oregon for his senior season, the decision has paid off in every facet. In the course of leading the Ducks to a 12-1 record, the Pac-12 championship and a spot in the first College Football Playoff, Mariota posted dazzling individual numbers.

The Oregon quarterback has a pass efficiency rating of 186.33. That’s third-highest in FBS history, trailing only Russell Wilson (191.78) and Robert Griffin III (189.7), both from 2011 – and by the time the season is over he might surpass them. Only five quarterbacks in the last seven years averaged more than his 10.2 yards per attempt.

Mariota has thrown 38 touchdowns and two interceptions, a 19-to-1 ratio bettered by only one QB in the last seven seasons (South Carolina’s Connor Shaw was 24-to-1 last year). His 9.1 yards per play yards per play running and passing is third-highest among all quarterbacks in the last seven seasons.

With 53 total touchdowns (38 passing, 14 rushing, one receiving) Mariota has an outside shot at Colt Brennan’s NCAA FBS record of 63 TDs set in 2006 if he plays two more games.

Yet while making a slew of big plays, he has simultaneously been fastidious with the football – especially in an up-tempo offense, where the decisions come fast and furious. Yet Mariota has done it. He’s run or passed on more than half of Oregon’s 966 plays, with just five turnovers all season.

Depending on team need, Mariota could end up being the No. 1 player selected in the 2015 NFL Draft.

Wisconsin running back Gordon leads the nation in rushing yards (2,336), rushing yards per game (179.7) and rushing touchdowns (26). He also leads the nation in yards per carry (7.56) for anyone with more than 200 carries – and Gordon has 309.

Gordon is Mr. Big Play. His 54 rushes of 10 yards or more, 31 rushes of 20 yards or more, 20 rushes of 30 yards or more and 16 rushes of 40 yards or more all lead the nation.

He’s single-handedly rushed for more yards than 85 FBS teams. And he’s single-handedly rushed for more yards than Wisconsin has gained passing – by a margin of nearly 400 yards.

Cooper already was a star receiver at Alabama, but his numbers skyrocketed in the first season with Lane Kiffin as offensive coordinator. He leads the nation in receptions (115) and receiving yards (1,656) and has scored 14 touchdowns for the No. 1-ranked Crimson Tide, who will begin the playoff as the favorites to win the national championship.

No. 1 Kentucky rolls No. 21 North Carolina 84-70.

By GARY B. GRAVES (AP Sports Writer)

North Carolina's J.P. Tokoto (13) is pressured by Kentucky's Trey Lyles (41) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game, Saturday, Dec. 13, 2014. (AP Photo/James Crisp)

Moving gingerly on crutches and showing little emotion two days after sustaining a season-ending knee injury, soft-spoken Kentucky forward Alex Poythress didn't hesitate when coach John Calipari asked him to lead the pregame remarks.

The junior's words and presence provided motivation for the top-ranked Wildcats to make sure No. 21 North Carolina didn't take advantage of his absence.

Devin Booker and Willie Cauley-Stein each scored 15 points and Kentucky shook off the shock of losing Poythress by rolling past No. 21 North Carolina 84-70 on Saturday.

''It was good because I didn't know if he was going to be able to (be there),'' Cauley-Stein said of his friend's arrival at Rupp Arena after tearing his left anterior cruciate ligament in practice on Thursday.

The Wildcats (11-0) used their superior depth, length and strong shooting to post a convincing win over the Tar Heels (6-3).

Booker returned from a one-game absence to make all three long-range attempts and 5 of 8 overall on a day that Kentucky shot 57 percent from the field - including a season-best 7 of 15 from behind the arc after struggling the past few games.

The Wildcats never trailed and eventually built a 19-point second half lead, though North Carolina got within 66-57 midway through as Marcus Paige (14 points) warmed up from outside. The Wildcats answered with a 14-5 run over 5:56 for another safe cushion.

Aaron Harrison added 14 points, Andrew Harrison had 11 and freshman Trey Lyles had nine starting in Poythress' place.

Brice Johnson's 15 points led the Tar Heels, who won the rebounding battle 31-24 but found little success against the Wildcats' size.

''They were far more superior on the defensive end than our offense was,'' North Carolina coach Roy Williams said. ''I thought they dictated what we did on the offensive end with their athleticism, quickness, strength and size.''

Kentucky conquered another challenging opponent, no easy feat considering how Poythress' injury left a somber mood around the practice facility.

Players showed support for their injured teammate by wearing blue ''Roar for 22'' T-shirts during warmups, and Poythress entered on crutches to a loud ovation before a showdown between two of college basketball's three winningest programs.

Kentucky answered the question about the injury's effect on its two-platoon system, with Poythress starting on the first unit. The Wildcats used it at times but mostly went with a combination of its nine-deep group of regulars.

''There's a lot of things (that) we got to try,'' Calipari said. ''I platooned today, but I did it with nine guys instead of doing it with 10.''

Kentucky's second platoon featuring Booker and Tyler Ulis was especially productive, as the two hit consecutive 3-pointers against the zone to spark a 16-8 lead. Ulis finished with a career-high eight assists and Marcus Lee added eight points.

''There was nothing to prove, just to ourselves that we can't have letdowns like we did the last game (a 10-point win over Columbia),'' said Cauley-Stein, who also had six rebounds and four steals. ''If we can play this way against top teams in the country, we should be playing like this all the time.''

FIGHTING THROUGH

With his right calf wrapped in ice, Ulis said his two-game absence was because the leg was a ''little hurt.'' The 5-foot-9 freshman left the game briefly in the second half with a cramp in the leg, but said it wasn't related to the previous injury.

TIP-INS

North Carolina: Paige became the 71st Tar Heel with 1,000 career points.

Kentucky: Last season's leading scorer, Los Angeles Lakers forward Julius Randle, came out to cheers to spell the ''Y'' in Kentucky during a second-half timeout. Randle is out for the season with a knee injury.

UP NEXT

North Carolina: Visits North Carolina-Greensboro on Tuesday.

Kentucky: Plays UCLA on Dec. 20 in Chicago.

Buffalo Bills Cheerleaders’ Routine: No Wages and No Respect. (This has to be addressed ASAP!!!)

By Michael Powell

Alyssa, left, and Maria, at Ralph Wilson Stadium, are among five cheerleaders who sued the Buffalo Bills in May. (Photo/Brendan Bannon for The New York Times)

Alyssa cannot recall the precise moment she realized her dream gig as a Buffalo Bills cheerleader had turned into a nightmare.

Each week held so many indignities.

Supervisors ordered the cheerleaders, known as the Buffalo Jills, to warm up in a frigid, grubby stadium storeroom that smelled of gasoline. They demanded that cheerleaders pay $650 for uniforms. They told the cheerleaders to do jumping jacks to see if flesh jiggled.

The Jills were required to attend a golf tournament for sponsors. The high rollers paid cash — “Flips for Tips” — to watch bikini-clad cheerleaders do back flips. Afterward, the men placed bids on which women would ride around in their golf carts.

A not-incidental detail: The carts had no extra seats. Women clung to the back or, much more to the point, were invited to sit in the men’s laps.

For these and more humiliations, and for hundreds of hours of work and practices, Alyssa and her fellow cheerleaders on the Buffalo Jills received not a penny of wages, not from the subcontractor and certainly not from the Buffalo Bills, a team that each year makes revenue in excess of $200 million.

Bills cheerleaders performing during a game in September 2013. Faced with a lawsuit, the team disbanded the squad for this season. (Photo; Bill Wippert/Associated Press)

The National Football League, that $10 billion “nonprofit” business, is the occasionally repulsive gift that keeps on giving. An all-American empire, the N.F.L. is structured with various and many principalities and emirates, and fixers who cushion the leadership from the unsightly details of league business as usual.

So owners and lobbyists handle the shakedown of cities for publicly funded stadiums; Commissioner Roger Goodell alights when a grip and grin is needed to seal the deal. Lawyers and doctors on the league’s pad handled the league’s war against payouts for concussions, which began with denial and segued into discredit, until lots of not-so-hot publicity made that unbearable.

Now the league claims credit for its bravery in confronting the scourge of wrecked brains.

And that brings us back to cheerleaders.

Alyssa, joined by her friend and fellow cheerleader Maria, talked of their work in downtown Buffalo, in the office of their lawyer, Sean Cooney. Petite and blond, an experienced dancer and a lifelong Bills fan, Alyssa worked a year as a Jill.

“I grew up in Buffalo, and was captain of the cheerleading team in high school,” said Maria, who is an accountant. “I busted my butt to make the Jills. To make it! What a thrill.”

Alyssa recalled that team managers herded the winning cheerleaders into a darkened room to watch a slide show. They saw screen shots of their Facebook pages, obtained without their permission. “You’re thinking, oh my God, this is so embarrassing,” she said. “And they never asked you about any of this.”

We will monitor everything you do, the women were told.

The team’s contractor handed the women a contract and a personnel code, and told them to sign on the spot. The team dictated everything from the color of their hair to how they handled their menstrual cycle.

The contractor required they visit a sponsor who was a plastic surgeon. He offered a small discount if they opted for breast augmentation and other services. Larger breasts, however, were not a condition of nonpaid employment.

“If you complained, you were told: ‘This is a privilege. Deal with it!’ ” Alyssa recalled.

Many pro football clubs maintain cheerleading teams, although times are changing, maybe a little bit. The Oakland Raiders recently settled a pay lawsuit with the Raiderettes. The team agreed to pay minimum wage and overtime, which counts as a come-to-Karl Marx moment for the N.F.L.

Other cheerleaders have sued the Bengals, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Jets. The Buffalo Bills, however, stand out as the only one of these teams that insists cheerleaders kick and dance in heat and arctic cold for zip. Cash-flow problems have nothing to do with it. Terry and Kim Pegula, who made their fortune in fracking, recently purchased the Bills for $1.4 billion. That is the highest price yet paid for a league franchise.

The Pegulas are big donors to Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo. New York State contributed tens of millions to rehabilitate the team’s stadium before the Pegulas took over. Now there is pressure for the state to fork over for a new stadium. No doubt I am unfair to place these facts in the same paragraph.

Faced with the lawsuit, the Bills disbanded the Jills for this season. A team spokesman emailed me that the Bills appreciated this “ancillary service” provided by “third-party vendors.” Its statement complained of “allegations” that “attempt to give the impression that our organization employs cheerleaders.”

Impressions can be so unfair. The Bills, however, might not have helped their case much by keeping the Jills’ calendar-release video on the team website. The case is now before Justice Timothy Drury of State Supreme Court, and no trial date has been set. But the judge has ruled that the team set the terms and approved contracts for the Jills. “These facts are further indication of the control the Bills exercised over the Jills,” he wrote.

The Jills’ subcontractor, Stejon Productions, readily acknowledges that it is a front operation.

“The Bills control everything, from the moves to the uniforms to the dances,” said Dennis Vacco, the lawyer for Stejon. “The Bills have a long history here of wanting their cake and eating it too.”

A Jill’s life can shine an unforgiving light on fraught questions of gender in the N.F.L. Alyssa and her friend Maria loved to dance, and their faces lighted up as they recalled performing before tens of thousands of fans.

Their jobs could swing just as fast into the land of the humiliating. The women were required to attend a “Men Show” at one casino and a Jills calendar release party that started at midnight at another casino. The women walked amid men who leered and grabbed.

The National Football League, as is its practice, has little to say on the question of uncompensated work by these high-profile women. Goodell offered his patented I-know-nothing routine.

“I have no knowledge,” he wrote in an affidavit, of the Jills’ “selection, training, compensation and/or pay practices.”

A contract surfaced that laid out the terms and was signed by Goodell. A league lawyer asserted that Goodell’s signature was affixed by a stamp. Alyssa and Maria shook their heads. They have resolved not to return to the Jills, even if the squad is brought back.

“It came down to this,” Alyssa said. “What self-worth do I have? I am 100 percent happy with myself without this.”

You wonder if the Bills owners and N.F.L. commissioner can say as much of themselves.

Chicago Sports & Travel, Inc./AllsportsAmerica thoughts: I don't know why anyone would want a job like this. When the applicants accepted the job, I'm sure they were told up front that there was no pay involved. The sub-contractors may have made the job seem more glamorous than it actually was, however, when the cheerleaders found out what the job entailed, they should have bailed out immediately if not sooner. Now with that said, the expectations from the team and/or sub-contractors is atrocious. No one should ever be treated that way.

I can say we don't have this problem in Chicago as the Bears cheerleaders were disbanded many years ago. Also, let me say that all professional sports teams do not treat their cheerleaders this way. As usual, it just takes a few to ruin it for all. The NFL needs to take a good look at itself, clean up some very discouraging situations and get back to concentrating on getting professional football back to what made it America's #1 sport.

Do you really think cheerleaders are needed in professional sports? Let us know what you think in the comment section at the end of this blog.

On This Date in Sports History: Today is Monday, December 15, 2014.

Memoriesofhistory.com

1917 - The NHL's first exhibition game was played four days before the start of the regular season. The Montreal Canadiens and the Montreal Wanderers played a benefit game for victims of the Halifax Explosion, which had occurred 10 days earlier.

1925 - The third Madison Square Garden was opened with a game between the Montreal Canadiens and the New York Americans.

1966 - The New Orleans Saints became the 16th NFL franchise.

1974 - The Miami Dolphins won at the Orange Bowl for the 31st consecutive time.

1982 - Paul "Bear" Bryant announced his retirement as head football coach at the University of Alabama.

1992 - Arthur Ashe was named Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year.

1996 - Troy Aikman surpassed Roger Staubach's Dallas Cowboy record of 22,700 passing yards.

1996 - John Elway (Denver Broncos) won his 126th game to set an NFL record.

1997 - The San Francisco 49ers retired Joe Montana's number 16 during halftime of a game against the Denver Broncos.

2002 - Edgardo Alfonzo and the San Francisco Giants agreed on a four year contract worth $26 million.

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Monday, December 15, 2014

CS&T/AllsportsAmerica Monday Sports News Update, 12/15/2014.

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