CS&T/AllsportsAmerica Monday Sports News Update, 12/22/2014.

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Sports Quote of the Day:

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How 'bout them Chicago Blackhawks? Kane leads Blackhawks past Maple Leafs 4-0.

By MATT CARLSON (Associated Press)
                                  

Patrick Kane #88 of the Chicago Blackhawks reacts after Kris Versteeg #23 scored against the Toronto Maple Leafs in the first period during the NHL game at the United Center on December 21, 2014 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Bill Smith/NHLI via Getty Images)

Patrick Kane had a power-play goal and two assists, leading Antti Raanta and the Chicago Blackhawks to a 4-0 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Sunday night.

The Blackhawks played with a ''CR'' on their helmets after assistant equipment manager Clint Reif died earlier in the day. The team said it was ''deeply saddened'' by the loss and declined further comment while asking for respect for the privacy for Reif's family and friends.

Coach Joel Quenneville, fighting back tears during his pregame media availability, said it was a tough day.

Raanta made 31 saves for his second shutout of the season, helping Chicago rebound from a 3-2 shootout loss Saturday night in Columbus.

David Rundblad, Kris Versteeg and Jonathan Toews also scored, and Patrick Sharp had three assists as the Blackhawks won for the 14th time in their last 17 games. Chicago has just one regulation loss in its last 13 games.

James Reimer made 30 saves in Toronto's third straight loss following a six-game winning streak.

Although No. 1 goalie Corey Crawford was available, Raanta started for the third time in four games and recorded his third career shutout. Crawford faced the Blue Jackets on Saturday after missing eight games with a foot injury.

Rundblad put the Blackhawks in front with a screened shot from the left point with 4:30 left in the first period. Sharp and Toronto's Korbinian Holzer were tussling in front of Reimer as the shot sailed in.

It was Rundblad's first goal since the defenseman had his first NHL goal for Ottawa on Nov. 27, 2011.

Versteeg made it 2-0 with just .4 seconds left in the first on a nifty move. He kicked Kane's off-target centering pass to his stick before beating Reimer on the glove side from the right circle.

The Maple Leafs, who entered with an NHL-leading 3.39 goals per game average, fired some prime chances at Raanta in the scoreless second. Jake Gardiner's shot from the blue line clanked off the left post midway through the frame.

Kane made it 3-0 at 9:07 of the third when he pounced on a rebound of Brent Seabrook's shot from the point. It was Kane's 16th goal of the season.

Raanta was sharp in the third, especially when Toronto fired six shots during a power-play midway through the period.

NOTES: The Blackhawks observed a pregame moment of silence for Reif. ... Blackhawks C Brad Richards was sidelined by an upper-body injury and is day to day. D Tim Erixon was a healthy scratch. ... Toronto D Stephane Robidas sat out with an undisclosed injury suffered Saturday against Philadelphia. Leafs C Leo Komarov (concussion) missed his 11th game. ... It was the second and final regular-season game between the Original Six rivals. The Leafs won 3-2 in Toronto on Nov. 1.

Blackhawks mourn loss of assistant equipment manager Clint Reif.

By Nina Falcone

The Blackhawks lost one of their own Sunday as they announced the passing of assistant equipment manager Clint Reif, who was in his ninth season with the team.

Joel Quenneville was visibly upset when he addressed the media on such a tough evening inside the United Center.

"Tough day," Quenneville said, his voice shaken. "Certainly our hearts and our prayers go out to (Reif's wife) Kelly and the four children. Our training staff, the trainers are a fraternity, and as tight as any fraternity out in any field, they all lost a brother today. Tough day. Great guy."

The Blackhawks released this statement:

"We are deeply saddened by the untimely loss of one of our own family members this morning, assistant equipment manager Clint Reif. Like all trainers and support staff within our organization, Clint was instrumental in helping our players and coaches prepare and compete both on and off the ice. Our sincerest sympathies go out to the Reif family."

The Blackhawks held a moment of silence prior to their game against the Toronto Maple Leafs and the players wore these decals in remembrance of Reif.

Blackhawks let one get away in shootout loss to Blue Jackets 3-2. (Saturday night's game, 12/20/2014). However, we got 1 point!!!

By Tracey Myers

Coach Joel Quenneville was frustrated with not getting two points out of this one.

The Blackhawks did a lot of things right. They had a lot of good scoring opportunities, ones that would normally be goals. They had nine rounds’ worth of shootout opportunities, with only one getting past Sergei Bobrovsky.

Therein lay Quenneville’s frustration: a lot of good and not another point to show for it.

Ben Smith scored the game-tying goal in the third period but Jack Johnson got the shootout winner as the Columbus Blue Jackets beat the Blackhawks 3-2 on Saturday night. It was the Blackhawks’ first shootout loss of the season, snapping their two-game winning streak. It was also the first time they didn’t win in Columbus since March of 2010.

“I thought we did everything but win the game tonight,” Quenneville said. “We played well in all areas. We did a lot of good things. Couple of power plays at the end didn’t generate much but give their goalie credit. And in a shootout, anything can happen.”

That last statement is true, considering this shootout went nine rounds. Jeremy Morin and Johnson got pucks past Crawford, with Andrew Shaw the lone Blackhawks player beating Bobrovsky. 

Patrick Sharp scored his fifth goal of the season for the Blackhawks.

Corey Crawford, playing for the first time in more than two weeks (left-leg injury), stopped 17 of 19 shots in the loss. Former Blackhawks forward Jack Skille beat Crawford on a redirect and Kevin Connauton’s goal got through a Matt Calvert screen.

“I was seeing the pucks pretty well; a tip and a screen on the goals,” Crawford said. “Maybe I could’ve battled or changed position on the second goal on the tip. Usually have a good lane for those shots and just picked a bad lane on that one. Those are the hardest things when you come back, tips and screens in front of the net.”

The Blackhawks fired 41 shots at Bobrovsky. They had some high-quality offerings in there but Bobrovsky stopped just about all of them. All he allowed was Sharp’s high goal on a 2-on-1 and the long-reviewed goal from Smith. On the Smith goal, Marcus Kruger slid into the goal and officials originally ruled the puck went off his skate in a kicking motion. But replays showed Smith got a stick on it after that.

“I saw them wave it off and I was just trying to let them know I touched it,” Smith said. “I thought it was good; we all thought it. It was just a long wait there.”

The Blackhawks didn’t come away with the second point on Saturday night. They’ve come away with plenty of second points already this season but this one was a bit frustrating. The chances were there. The extra point was not.

“I mean as a team I thought we outplayed them,” Crawford said. “We had some great chances; their guy played well. Maybe a few chances in the shootout but we definitely played a great game.”

Just Another Chicago Bulls Session… Raptors-Bulls Preview.

By JACK CASSIDY (STATS Writer)

The red-hot Toronto Raptors have the best record in the Eastern Conference and are on pace to be the best team in franchise history, but they've enjoyed much of their early success at home.

They're about to see just how well they can handle a lengthy and challenging road trip.

Prior to heading out west, the Raptors look for a bit of revenge against one of the few teams to beat them north of the border as they kick off their trip Monday night against the Chicago Bulls.

The Raptors (22-6) have won 20 games before Christmas for the first time in team history, are primed to blow past last season's franchise-best 48-win mark and on Monday can win their seventh in a row - which would stand as Toronto's longest win streak since a nine-game run late in the 2001-02 season.

Any impending success, however, will have to take place on the road. The Raptors' stop in Chicago marks the start of a season-high six-game trip after they've played an NBA-high 17 home games so far.

"I'm ready for it,'' coach Dwane Casey told the team's official website. "I've been preaching it, and we should be ready for it. Everyone is all excited."

The Bulls (17-9) are the first of four opponents on this trip with a winning percentage of at least .654. Each of the Raptors' victories during this streak has come against teams with sub-.500 records, including a 118-108 win over New York on Sunday.

"It's important that we play good teams because it's really going to test our character,'' said Greivis Vasquez, who scored 21 points and joined Kyle Lowry and Lou Williams (22 each) with 20-plus.

"We haven't really faced adversity and everything right now is great, but I think we're ready for a couple of premium tests."

Even without DeMar DeRozan since Nov. 30, the Raptors have managed to lead the NBA in points per 100 possessions (113.1) in December.

Chicago managed to disrupt Toronto's offense at the Air Canada Centre on Nov. 13, holding the Raptors to a season-worst 39.3 percent mark from the field in a 100-93 win. Pau Gasol led the way with 27 points and 11 rebounds while Jimmy Butler added 21 points, nine boards and six assists.

The Bulls are 13-2 when they hold opponents to fewer than 100 points - a feat they've accomplished in each of their last four games, most recently in a 103-97 win at Memphis on Friday.

After scoring a career-high 35 in a victory over New York on Thursday, Butler followed it with 31 and 10 rebounds against the Grizzlies.

"Jimmy, every time that game was hanging in the balance he came through with a big play for us," coach Tom Thibodeau told the Bulls' official website. "Clutch play after clutch play. Great defense. No possessions off. Plays were great. Intensity was great. Great concentration. You can't say enough about what he does. Huge, huge."

Butler helped the Bulls get by Friday without Derrick Rose and Taj Gibson, both of whom are expected to return Monday. Rose, who had 13 second-half points in the first meeting with Toronto, has missed the last two games with an illness, while Gibson sat out both with a right ankle injury.

The Bulls have lost their last three home games against the Raptors - all without Rose - while being held to an average of 84.7 points.

Bulls get big nights from Butler, Mirotic in win over Grizzlies 103-97. (Friday night's game, 12/19/2014).

By Pete Wickham

(Photo/Joe Murphy/NBAE/Getty Images)

A night after slogging their way past the New York Knicks, one of the NBA’s tire fires, at home, the Bulls took down one of the association’s best, snuffing out the Memphis Grizzlies, 103-97, Friday night at FedEx Forum.

Jimmy Butler rolled up his second straight 30-plus game with 31 points on 11-of-21 shooting and 9-of-9 from the foul line. But it was rookie Nicola Mirotic who set the tone with a career-high 27 points, including a 6-of-6 effort from the 3-point line. Sub Aaron Brooks added 17, including three triples, and Joakim Noah added 10 points and 13 rebounds, hitting four big free throws down the stretch.

“We’re still a work in progress with a long way to go,” Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau said, “but I liked the toughness we showed. I thought we had a number of guys step up and play well for us. Niko was terrific, Jimmy Butler was phenomenal again. When you look at the rebounding, particularly against on the road ... that goes a long way.”

It was the second sweep in eight back-to-backs for the Bulls (17-9), who are now 5-5 at home and 12-4 on the road, and it snapped a six-game winning streak for the Grizzlies (21-5), who came into the contest one game shy of the NBA’s best record.

“We’ve always played pretty well on the road. We have to turn around and do the same at home,” Butler said. “This is definitely a big win. Rebounding was the biggest thing. They’re a really good team. We just had to maintain and stay focused to get the win.”

The Bulls ended the Grizzlies’ 2013 home schedule with a 95-91 decision on Dec. 30. And the Bulls snapped a 13-game Memphis home winning streak against East teams during the calendar year 2014.

The Grizzlies, who had played three overtime games in the past week, never could get on track, shooting 39.4 percent from the field and only 2-of-13 from the arc. But they kept chipping away and closed to within two at 99-97 on a 3-pointer by Mike Conley, who led the Grizzlies with 21 points despite shooting 7-of-18 from the field, with 13.8 seconds left. The Bulls let Memphis get no closer as E'Twaun Moore hit his first two free throws of the year and Butler closed things out with a pair with 5.8 seconds left.

Marc Gasol added 13 points for Memphis, despite going 5-of-15, with 10 rebounds. Backup point guard Beno Udrih chipped in 15 and Vince Carter 10.

Pau Gasol finished the night with just six points but added 11 rebounds as the Bulls had a 51-45 advantage on the glass.

After 16 minutes of trading baskets in tight space with Memphis, Mirotic literally opened space at the arc, hitting three of his four 3-point baskets in a 14-4 run that propelled the Bulls to a 51-43 halftime lead.

“He spaced the floor for us and opened things up,” said Butler of Mirotic.

Mirotic doubled his season average at the break with 15 points. Brooks added nine points, including a triple in the definitive second-quarter run. And a night after torching New York for a career-high 35 points, Butler added a dozen as the Bulls slowed down one of the NBA’s hottest teams.

The Grizzlies, coming off back-to-back win over Golden State and San Antonio — the latter a 117-116 triple-overtime thriller on Tuesday — shot a chilly 15-of-45 from the field and never were allowed to get in an offensive rhythm by the methodical Bulls. Three of the Grizzlies’ last four wins came in overtime.

Early in the third, it seemed the Bulls were on the verge of a blowout, stretching the lead to 14 before the Grizzlies mounted a comeback behind Courtney Lee’s run of five points and a spurt by the veteran Udrih, who left the game in the fourth quarter after jamming a finger diving for a loose ball. He closed the gap to 71-66 with a three-point play with seven seconds left, driving past Noah and drawing his third foul. But at the buzzer Butler delivered a circus baseline jumper for the highlight reels, and the Bulls entered the fourth up 73-66.

The Bulls played without Derrick Rose (flu-like symptoms) and Taj Gibson (ankle), while the Grizzlies were minus Tony Allen (corneal abrasion). The Bulls are off until Monday, when they face Toronto at the United Center.

Gasol, Butler proving more than Melo consolation prizes.

By Mike Singer

Even though Carmelo Anthony didn’t play on Thursday night as the Bulls hosted the Knicks — Anthony’s first foray back to Chicago since nearly joining the team during this summer’s free agency period — it was a sore reminder of what could’ve been.

 

That being said, Thursday was also a resounding endorsement of what currently is.

 

Thursday’s win, a 103-97 victory over a stumbling New York team that was ultimately closer than it should’ve been, was by no means pretty. The Knicks, without Anthony or J.R. Smith healthy, were actually leading the Bulls, 77-75, with 9:38 left in the game. The effort on the glass was abysmal on the Bulls’ part, and a 5-23 team shouldn’t be within striking distance of a legitimate title contender, with or without a healthy Derrick Rose.

 

But for all that went wrong on Thursday night, there were two examples of what went exactly right as a result of the Bulls missing out on Anthony during the free agency period: Pau Gasol and Jimmy Butler.

If only every contingency plan (Gasol) could yield 15 double-doubles, good for second-best in the NBA, 18.7 points per game and 11.9 rebounds per game, which ranks third in the league. Gasol has been nothing short of revitalized under Thibodeau and the Bulls’ tight-knit locker room.

 

“We ended up fine, as we did in 2010,” Thibodeau said on Thursday referencing the free-agency process. “Free agency, there’s no guarantees. Everyone is trying to get everyone. You’re hopeful. It’s really designed to keep the player with the team that he’s with. I feel we came out great with Pau.”

 

Great would be an understatement, as Gasol has galvanized the frontcourt with Joakim Noah and Taj Gibson missing significant time with various injuries. On Thursday night, as just one example, Gasol had 20 points and seven rebounds, which marked just the second game of his last 11 that the 34-year-old failed to log a double-double.

In the middle of his postgame press conference more-or-less dedicated to Butler, Thibodeau slipped in this understated nugget.

 

“Pau very quietly just gets things done,” Thibodeau said, who pregame acknowledged that he was playing at an All-Star level. 

“When you look at the type of season Pau is having in all areas, there’s his scoring, his shot blocking, his rebounding, his passing. Just the way he approaches everything, the type of leader he’s been for our team. I don’t think there’s any question he’s one of the best big men in the league.”

 

Technically, Anthony’s decision to rejoin the Knicks opened the door for Gasol and Nikola Mirotic and perhaps allowed the Bulls to keep Mike Dunleavy and Gibson. But of even bigger on-court significance was that Anthony's absence (along with Rose’s continued health concerns) has given Butler the chance to flourish. In the open court, late in games, on pick-and-rolls, in catch-and-shoot situations, backing down defenders, Butler has been the team's go-to scorer through 25 games.

 

While the Bulls were busy bolstering their frontcourt this summer, Butler was training hard this offseason in Texas, seemingly unconcerned with what type of moves his team was making.

 

Logic serves that had the Bulls ultimately landed Anthony, there’s no way that there would be enough shots to go around and certainly not enough to boost Butler’s scoring average from 13.1 points per game a year ago to a 20.9 average this season. On Thursday night, Butler scored a career-high 35 points, perhaps as an unintended reminder to Bulls management that it doesn’t need an albatross like Anthony dragging the team down.

 

Asked, pointedly, whether he could be putting up the type of numbers he has, taking over games in an isolation role, camping out at the free-throw line like he’s done this season if Anthony was on the team, and he simply said “I don’t know. ... I can’t say whether or not I’d be like this. I can only focus on right now and just pray that the future holds the same.”

 

Butler’s 35 points came on a night when the team lacked energy and typical contributions from Rose and Gibson. He took over in the second half, in particular, with 18 points and eight trips to the free-throw line. With the Knicks gnawing at the Bulls’ heels, Butler nailed a 3-pointer from the corner to extend the lead to 96-91 with just more than three minutes remaining. Though they didn’t quit, the shot deflated the Knicks’ chances.

 

“He’s not afraid of taking a big shot,” Thibodeau said of his growth. 

 

When asked in particular whether Butler can maintain his furious early-season pace, Thibodeau seemed to acknowledge that this big an improvement was surprising, even to him.

 

“My thing to him is, ‘Why put a lid on it?’ Where can it go? I don’t know. All I know is it keeps going up.” 

 

So while Thursday might have opened up old wounds with Anthony's return to the United Center, it also illuminated just how much better off the Bulls are with Gasol stabilizing the frontcourt and Butler emerging as a star.

Bear Down Chicago Bears!!!!! Despite spirited effort, Bears come up short against Lions 20-14.

By Tony Andracki

Bears safety Brock Vereen, left, intercepts a pass in the end zone, intended for Lions Calvin Johnson (81) or Corey Fuller (10) in the second quarter. (Daniel Mears/Detroit News)

It looked like Jimmy Clausen might suddenly be the most popular guy in Chicago after giving the Bears a 14-10 lead heading into the fourth quarter.

But the Bears (5-10) fell just short in a gritty team effort, losing 20-14 to the NFC North-leading Detroit Lions (11-4) in the final game at Soldier Field this season.

Clausen did not turn the ball over until the Bears' final offensive play (a prayer on 4th-and-10 that was intercepted), throwing two touchdown passes and racking up 181 yards against the NFL's top-ranked scoring defense and No. 2 unit in terms of yardage.

Bears head coach Marc Trestman made the move to bench $127 million quarterback Jay Cutler before Sunday's game, handing the reins of the Chicago offense over to Clausen, who hadn't started an NFL game since 2010.

The Bears stayed committed to the run game, pounding the ball with Matt Forte and taking pressure off of Clausen. Forte finished with just 2.9 yards per carry but still racked up 95 yards from scrimmage on six catches and 19 carries.

The Lions took an early lead with a Reggie Bush 13-yard touchdown run in the first quarter, but Matthew Stafford gave away two other scoring opportunities with red-zone interceptions.

After the Bears failed on a 4th-and-goal try in the second quarter, the Lions handed Clausen & Co. the ball at the 11-yard line just before half with a botched punt. Clausen found Forte on the first play to tie the game heading into the locker room.

The Lions came out and kicked a field goal on their first drive of the second half, but Clausen hit Alshon Jeffery for a 20-yard touchdown to cap off a 14-play, 80-yard drive that took 7:39 off the clock and give the Bears a 14-10 lead.

Detroit went ahead for good in the fourth quarter after a 46-yard pass-interference penalty from Tim Jennings set up a 17-yard touchdown run from Joique Bell, boosted by some suspect Bears tackling.

The Lions added another field goal with just under three minutes left in the game to close out the scoring.

Up until the fourth quarter, the Bears defense had come up big, securing the two red-zone interceptions, sacking Stafford four times and even blocking a field goal with 11 minutes left in the game.

But the Lions finished with 367 total yards of offense (to the Bears' 234) as the Bears defense withered late.

Calvin Johnson had another big game against the Bears, following up on his Thanksgiving domination of the Chicago secondary (11 rec, 146 yds, two touchdowns) with another six catches for 103 yards Sunday. 

The Lions clinched a playoff spot with the victory.

Sports Business: Bears must make a statement this winter.

CSN Staff                                                                                                                    

The once storied Chicago Bears franchise is on pace for their worst season in nearly a decade and will push their Super Bowl drought to 29 years with no end in sight.

Major changes are on the horizon this offseason with the possibilities of quarterback Jay Cutler and head coach Marc Trestman and his entire coaching staff searching for new jobs come 2015.

The Bears, a founding member of the NFL, are feeling the pressure in their own city with the Blackhawks winning two out of the last five Stanley Cups, the likelihood of the Bulls competing for an NBA title this season and the rise of both the Cubs and White Sox after a plethora of offseason moves.

CSN Chicago Sports Business Insider Rick Horrow stopped by the AT&T U-verse Lounge on Thursday to discuss why the Bears, Forbes' 8th most valuable NFL franchise, must make a statement this winter for the sake of their own brand.

"It's always been a Bears town," Horrow said. "But with the White Sox spending prolifically and the Cubs doing the same thing with $150 million for Jon Lester, the Wrigley Field renovation, the Bulls looking toward a championship and with the Blackhawks winning the Stanley Cup two out of the last five years, there's certainly more competition.

"It's very, very important for the Bears to make a statement for the sake of their brand. But when all of the teams do well and compete with each other who wins? The Chicago Sports Fan."

No NFL team moving to Los Angeles for 2015, report says.

By Frank Schwab

Until we have some actual progress involving an NFL team moving to Los Angeles, maybe it's best to stop the breathless speculation about which teams will move there.

There won't be a team moving to Los Angeles in 2015. ESPN.com's Adam Schefter said commissioner Roger Goodell told the Oakland Raiders, San Diego Chargers and St. Louis Rams – the three hottest candidates to move to L.A. if that ever happened – that there will be no team in Los Angeles next season.

This news shouldn't surprise you, because the NFL has a clear strategy for Los Angeles. The league lets the market stay open (no team has been there since 1994), does nothing to discourage numerous reports which say that this is the year a team is coming to L.A. (there were reports this year that two teams might even come, which the NFL must have enjoyed tremendously) and then the NFL can use that negotiating power to get cities to publicly finance new stadiums.

This is what the league has done repeatedly for two decades. And it's working, so why change now?

If the NFL, which makes so much money despite not being in the Los Angeles market that it gave Goodell a bonus of more than $40 million in 2013 just to get rid of its cash, wanted to be in L.A. it would have been done years ago. Quit with any other discussion about that market and an NFL team. Again: If the incredibly profitable NFL thought it was important to have a team in Los Angeles, there would be a team in Los Angeles. Period. That's it. Anything that runs contrary to that statement is intellectually dishonest.

Maybe the NFL will finally change its agenda and put a team in Los Angeles one of these years, but nobody should be pretending it's a priority for the league. The Raiders don't even have a home yet for next year because their stadium lease is up, they might be playing their last game ever in Oakland this weekend, and already the NFL has ruled out them returning to L.A. If that doesn't tell you how little the NFL cares about getting a team in that market, nothing else will.

So next year, when there are more reports that an NFL team going to L.A is really, really, really going to happen this time, you might want to remember that the NFL doesn't care if it happens or not. Though, it does care that there are reports saying it might happen. It's probably better for the league if that market remains vacant, but we should all understand that by now.

Big moves bring big hope for Chicago baseball. (And we all know, "Hope springs eternal").

By ANDREW SELIGMAN (AP Sports Writer)

As the cranes and trucks hummed just beyond the chain-link fence along Waveland Avenue, Erika Pflederer stopped to take it all in.

She could see the exposed back of Wrigley Field's brick outfield wall and the grandstand seats with the bleachers torn out. In the transformation of the famous ballpark she sees a change for the better for the Chicago Cubs, too.

''I think it's insanely exciting,'' says Pflederer, a longtime Cubs fan. ''It finally feels like we're on the verge of really trying to accomplish (something big). We've all said maybe someday, maybe next year. It feels like we're finally on the verge or really making it happen.''

It's not just Cubs fans who are thinking big. So are the White Sox faithful.

North Side and South Side, there's a big baseball buzz in Chicago. Both teams have made sweeping changes after 73-win seasons and sent enthusiasm soaring.

The Cubs brought in one of the game's best managers in Joe Maddon in October and landed top starter Jon Lester with a six-year, $155 million deal during baseball's winter meetings this month. In the process they made it clear that they are serious about bringing home a championship.

The White Sox, not to be outdone, added a front-line starter who grew up rooting for them in Jeff Samardzija and closer David Robertson to a pitching staff that already includes All-Star Chris Sale. They gave their lineup a boost, too, bringing in Melky Cabrera and Adam LaRoche to help support AL Rookie of the Year Jose Abreu.

''I loved every move they have made this off-season,'' said Craig Coleman of Chicago, a White Sox fan since the late 1970s.

There's hope that his favorite team is poised to make a move after enduring 188 losses the past two years and that the Cubs are ready to put five straight losing seasons behind them, not to mention a certain title drought.

The last time they won it all in 1908, Teddy Roosevelt was in the White House. But with the revamped roster and Wrigley Field finally getting its makeover after years of wrangling with the city and neighboring rooftop owners, the team's fans might have to do a double take once the baseball caps replace the hard hats.

Besides the different faces on the field, they will see new, expanded bleacher sections in left and right field along with video boards and outfield signs. It's the first phase of a four-year, $575 million that will overhaul a stadium that just completed its 100th season and bring a hotel to the neighborhood.

The moves made by the two baseball teams could not have come at a better time for Chicago fans. After all, the NFL's Bears are in a complete meltdown even if the NBA's Bulls and NHL's Blackhawks are not.

''I think it's exciting,'' said Theo Epstein, the Cubs president of baseball operations who has been busy since he was hired in October 2011. ''Chicago baseball hasn't been what it should be the last few years and with both teams taking a big step forward this winter, it only benefits Chicago baseball fans.''

All the moves have led to a surge in activity on the business side.

''Our moves combined with the moves that the Cubs have done, it's really put - at a time of year when you don't see this - baseball at the forefront,'' White Sox senior vice president of sales and marketing Brooks Boyer said. ''To hear all the chatter about baseball and kind of supplanting football on the front page, that's certainly not a bad thing for baseball in Chicago. It really shows you the interest that the market has.''

Both teams have seen a decline in attendance in recent years, with the Cubs drawing 2,652,113 last season after a franchise-record 3,300,200 on the way to the NL Central championship in 2008. The drop has been even steeper for the White Sox, who went from a franchise-best 2,957,411 in 2006, when they were coming off a championship run, to 1,650,821 in 2014.

Good seats might not be as easy to find after all the deals.

''I have been a Sox fan for over 30 years and I don't remember an offseason quite like this,'' said Tom Dorsey, who grew up near the ballpark in the Bridgeport neighborhood and still lives there.

He can see why Cubs fans are excited, too.

''Theo and (general manager Jed Hoyer's) vision can finally be seen by the common fan,'' Dorsey said.

Boyer says last week was the busiest for full and partial season-ticket sales in December since the White Sox signed Adam Dunn four years ago. Acquiring Samardzija and Robertson sparked such a huge surge in interest that general manager Rick Hahn credited the increase in sales for convincing chairman Jerry Reinsdorf to sign off on the budget-breaking $42 million, three-year deal the team gave Cabrera.

Apparel is in higher demand, too.

''With the signing of Maddon and the signing of Lester, it just slingshots the enthusiasm to the next level,'' said Bradley Rosen, part-owner of Sports World across the street from Wrigley. He said the interest trickles down to ''all things Cubbies.''

Jim Pisani, president of apparel manufacturer Majestic Athletic, said the timing of the moves was ''almost perfect'' for business with the holiday season. He also can't remember a situation like this, with two teams in the same market making huge splashes.

''We can't remember ever having both teams in a city bringing in so many stars in the same season, much less week,'' he said.

For all the big moves they made this offseason, the teams took different approaches on the road back to contention. The White Sox rebuilt on the fly, focusing more on the major league roster as they went through the transformation, while the Cubs underwent a top-to-bottom overhaul. They loaded up the farm system and vowed to strike big deals when the time was right.

That time was this offseason.

Besides Lester and Maddon, they added All-Star catcher Miguel Montero, starter Jason Hammel after trading him to Oakland last season and former Cardinals closer Jason Motte. They join young All-Stars in shortstop Starlin Castro and first baseman Anthony Rizzo along with a core of promising prospects.

''You never get too excited with the Cubs, but (I'm) very optimistic,'' said Brenden Horn of suburban Palatine, who was outside Wrigley recently with his girlfriend, videotaping construction along Sheffield Avenue, just beyond right field, for his grandfather. Horn is 22 and just put himself on the season-ticket list; he is ''like 69,000'' so he could be on there for a while.

Pflederer, a North Side resident, found out recently that her wait for season tickets is over. After six or seven years, she will have them for the first time next season. And she feels like she struck gold.

''It's sort of like a new era for the Cubs and a new era for me,'' she says.

Golf: I got a club for that; Would a 'general manager' help the U.S. in the Ryder Cup?

By Ryan Ballengee

 

One of the biggest knocks on how the PGA of America handles the Ryder Cup is the lack of continuity from one captain to the next.

Ben Hogan was the last man to lead the U.S. into consecutive matches, back in 1947 and '49. While there's some discussion from one administration to the next, the degree of knowledge sharing really depends on the relationship between the incoming and outgoing captain -- and how receptive the new captain is to suggestion.

Another problem is the PGA of America's election cycle. Its membership elects a new president in a two-year cycle that lines up with Ryder Cup years. While the organization plans the elevation of its officers all the way to the presidency, each president has their own biases in identifying a good Ryder Cup leader. 

 

Meanwhile, the Europeans all sing from the same hymnal. Future captains get to serve as understudy vice-captains. Past captains come back to help their buddies as assistants. There's a committee of players and prior captains that pick future leaders. It's easy to see the value of a shared philosophy: eight wins in 10 Ryder Cup matches.
 

Could the U.S. benefit, then, from a single person -- not a temporary, 11-person task force -- whose sole job it is to oversee the PGA of America's approach to the Ryder Cup? 

ESPN college basketball analyst Jay Bilas thinks so, looking at the example of USA Basketball as proof.
 

“I think there’s a lot that can be learned from what USA basketball has accomplished in a 10-year period,” Bilas said this fall to Golfweek.

After embarrassing losses in the Olympics and other international competition, USA Basketball hired former Phoenix Suns owner and general manager Jerry Colangelo to the position of managing director. Since then, the U.S. has won Olympic gold in consecutive games and the last two World Cup titles.

Bilas knows the commitment made to Colangelo and his program made all the difference.

“Now people are saying, Oh, we’re just more talented," Bilas said, according to Golfweek. "Well, we weren’t saying that a few years ago. So it’s really changed, and I think the program that’s been put in place has been the primary reason why.”

Paul Azinger for general manager?

Marketers optimistic NASCAR will land company to replace Sprint.

By Bob Pockrass

Sprint Cup (Getty Images)

Don't worry, NASCAR fans, about Sprint leaving as the sponsor of the stockcar racing's premier series.

At least not yet.

Those in the marketing world think NASCAR will find a sponsor to replace the telecom company when it exits after the 2016 season.

It remains to be seen whether NASCAR can attract a company to spend an estimated $70 million-$75 million annually as it did when it first signed Nextel back in 2003 to start in 2004.

But the quick service restaurant industry (Subway, Burger King, etc.), packaged goods (Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Unilever, etc.), consumer products (Panasonic, LG, etc.) or companies looking to boost their product line (as was Nextel) will be prime candidates for NASCAR's next deal. There also could be interest from new or quickly developing industries, such as the energy sector.

"It's got to be a big, consumer brand," said Just Marketing International CEO Zak Brown, whose company has worked with Verizon and other firms on their motorsports sponsorships. "It's one or two approaches. It's someone like Nextel, who made a really bold step because they were number three or four or five in the category and they wanted to take a big leap.

"Or you go to someone who already is the leader in a category. … I'd be very surprised if they didn't find one."

These types of sponsorship deals typically take three to six months to complete, and NASCAR likely needs to have a good idea of who will sponsor the series by next July, Brown said.

That would be a little late to Humpy Wheeler, the former president of Charlotte Motor Speedway and parent company Speedway Motorsports Inc.

He'd like to see a sponsor in place by this time next year, and he's optimistic that NASCAR will land one.

"A new sponsor, particularly if it is in a category that we've never had before like a software, Microsoft, Apple-type thing, would sure bring new vigor to the whole thing," Wheeler said.

It obviously needs to be a company that has money, but that money can be divided up in many ways. The series points fund was about $22 million. Then there is money to NASCAR for branding as well as a significant media buy as far as promoting the sport and advertising on NASCAR telecasts.

"People say it's terribly expensive," Wheeler said. "We know it's a lot of money. But if you compare it to a company that is engaged in advertising with the NFL for a whole season including the Super Bowl, somebody who has taken a big new sitcom on, it's really not out of that realm of possibility.

"It's not something 200 companies can afford. It's probably down to 50. I think we will find somebody that will come in here and sponsor it and we'll probably be better off as a result."

Mike Boykin, CEO of Bespoke Sports & Entertainment, said it would be difficult to put a number on the possible companies that could sponsor. He said he also views energy or petroleum companies as possibilities in addition to the traditional firms.

"What if it's somebody from offshore?" Boykin said. "It could be an energy company, a petroleum company, a CPG [consumer packaged goods], it could be technology.

"In the old days, you could narrow it down to U.S. companies. But right now, while I think the likelihood it will be a North American company, I wouldn't rule out the other."

Wheeler said if NASCAR's aerodynamic changes work and the racing is better in 2015, the sport could ride the upswing in landing a good deal with a sponsor.

"There is only a few big entitlement opportunities," Will Pleasants said. He is senior vice president for consulting for Wassmeran Group, which coordinated Nationwide's marketing efforts. "And this is one of them. … There is still value in the entitlement in this setting. We saw it with Nationwide. You can make an impact in a relatively short amount of time."

Marketers do have reason to be optimistic — if one of their clients secures the sponsorship, it could be big for their business. But they also deal in a sports marketing world that continues to see significant advertising agreements.

Pleasants said a series sponsorship gives a company year-round publicity with consistent ratings while also not being dependent on the performance of a specific driver. He said it will come down to the right value for what the company is looking to gain and activate the sponsorship.

"People will definitely take a look at it because it doesn't come along very often, at least in this sport and the pinnacle of the sport," Pleasants said. "Absolutely it's something that will be considered because of the unique ownership position that platform and sponsorship provides."

NASCAR's most recent deals for its top two series were for seven and 10 years, so it likely will want this one will to have a similar term. But with things changing so quickly in so many industries, a potential sponsor's executive might prefer a shorter term considering the price.

"That could be a challenge to get somebody to invest 10 years," Boykin said. "Do I think there is a brand out there that will see this as a huge opportunity?

"Yeah. … There might be brands that are willing to put 70-plus (million dollars) but three or four years. The longer the length, the more traditional the partner, somebody who has been around."

What does NASCAR have to offer?

According to NASCAR's latest fan demographic survey done by Nielsen Scarborough earlier this year, stockcar racing's fan base is 63 percent male.

It says that 23 percent of its fan base is multicultural, including 10 percent African-American and 9 percent Hispanic. Half of NASCAR fans live in a household with an annual income of $50,000 or more, and one in four NASCAR fans are 18-34.

According to a survey NASCAR commissioned in 2013, about 40 percent of fans are loyal to NASCAR sponsors and buy their products. And 33 percent participate in sponsor promotions that use NASCAR to push the campaign.

But the facts also show NASCAR attendance is dipping. For 26 Cup race weekends included in the most recent reports by the sport's publicly traded racetracks, admissions revenue (including non-NASCAR events) was down 3.3 percent.

As far as television, NASCAR reports that it averaged 5.3 million viewers per event, down 9 percent overall (7 percent when taking out the rain-delayed Daytona 500).

Fox saw a 10 percent ratings dip for its 13 races. ESPN was flat for its 17 races for the fourth consecutive year at a 2.9. The 10-race Chase was flat for the third consecutive year at 2.7 with a 3 percent increase in viewership.

"Obviously there is probably a little bit of anxiety that comes along with replacing a sponsor like that because it's not an easy world to be selling in right now," Brown said. "That's not a NASCAR issue. That's a state of the world.

"These things always come and go. … (Sprint has) had a tremendous amount of business change from ownership to mergers to not-mergers to big financial problems, so I don't see it as a poor reflection on NASCAR. It's really just kind of the state of play with Sprint and where their world is."

NASCAR, which declined to make an executive available to speak for this article, points to viewership being up 11 percent over the final three races as a sign that the new Chase format is adding value. NASCAR also says it has seen significant increase in social engagement.

"I'd say it's very high that they'll find a partner," Boykin said. "I just don't know the terms. … The overall engagement, like those (statistics say), people are just consuming it differently."

One key could be exclusivity. When Nextel came in, it allowed for existing telecom contracts and sponsorships to remain (not just with teams, but with tracks also) and to be renewed, but no new relationships could start.

Amid the telecom mergers, that squeezed out sponsors at Richard Childress Racing (Cingular to AT&T) and Team Penske (Alltel to Verizon).

In its latest series sponsorship deal, NASCAR sold some exclusivity to Xfinity, although the only current team sponsor was Charter, which had sponsored races in what was then the Nationwide Series with two different teams. It won't be allowed to sponsor a team in that series, but can sponsor a team in other NASCAR series.

"We encourage NASCAR to find an active, supportive and long-term sponsor with broad consumer reach and minimal category conflict that proves beneficial to the entire industry in the future," Texas Motor Speedway president Eddie Gossage said.

WEC: 2015 sporting regulations for series released by FIA.

By Chris Estrada

(Getty Images)

Multiple tweaks have been made to the World Endurance Championship sporting regulations by the FIA ahead of the 2015 season, which begins April 12th at Silverstone.

A single LMP1 category will go into effect next season with the LMP1-H and LMP1-L classes now known as hybrid or non-hybrid respectively.

Qualifying will change as only one timed lap from two drivers will count towards the official time. Also, a Silver or Bronze-rated LMP2 driver or a Bronze-rated GTE-Am driver must be one of the qualifying drivers. The length of the sessions are also set to be reduced from 25 to 20 minutes.

Tire limits will also come into play. LMP1 teams will be limited to six sets of tires per six-hour race and four sets per practice. LMP2 cars will have four sets per race and three per practice, and GTE classes will have six sets per race and four per practice. Also, tire makers no longer have the right to refuse supply to teams.

Those are among the already approved changes but other potential changes are also possible according to John Dagys of SportsCar 365, and they could be approved during the next World Motor Sports Council meeting in March.

The potential changes include adjustments in drive time amounts for several categories; engine restrictions in the LMP1 category; driver weight/ballast rules; new testing rules, including what would be a mandatory rookie test from LMP1 manufacturers; and personnel restrictions in LMP1.

The WEC will once again visit the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas in mid-September.

Liverpool 2-2 Arsenal: Wounded Skrtel turns away Gunners at the death.

By NBC Sports
 

A wild match at Anfield finished level as Martin Skrtel and 10-man Liverpool equalized at the death to salvage a point after a wasteful 90 minutes.

Skrtel was on the receiving end of a nasty gash on his head when he took an inadvertent boot from Olivier Giroud, causing a six minutes delay early in the second half. The result was nine minutes of stoppage time added on later, and Liverpool took full advantage.

The home side started with vigor, but were wasteful at many points during the match. Raheem Sterling and Adam Lallana both found spaces in the Gunners back four early on. Lallana missed just over the top corner with a shot after a one-two with Lazar Markovic.

The visitors, meanwhile, were woeful passing the ball, with just 18 completed passes in the first 20 minutes. Arsenal hardly saw a sniff of the ball, while Liverpool continued to look for the final ball. On the half-hour mark, Liverpool had out-passed their opponents 223-67.

Markovic was a marauding force down the left-hand side, but produced a number of poor efforts on goal when given space and service. Finally, they pulled out a breakthrough just before halftime. Olivier Giroud’s pass backwards was stolen by Jordan Henderson, and he found Countinho at the top of the key, with the Spaniard making no mistake off the post and in.

It was a deserved lead for the Reds, while Arsenal also consequently had done nothing to show they belonged. But Liverpool couldn’t get to halftime – just a minute away – without conceding. Arsenal snatched one back to put things level, when a free kick connected to the heads of Mathieu Flamini and Mathieu Debuchy – arguably Arsenal’s two worst players in the first half – and into the back of the net.

Steven Gerrard came ever so close to putting Liverpool back in front as things opened up in the second half on 60 minutes. Arsenal goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny came off his line to stop Raheem Sterling on the wing but whiffed, leaving the goal open. Liverpool worked the ball back to the middle, and in order to beat Szczesny back to the goal, the Liverpool captain rushed a diving header and it went right over.

On the other end, Liverpool would pay for the miss. Gerrard gave the ball away in the midfield, and Olivier Giroud played a one-two with Santi Cazorla before slamming home for a 2-1 lead. The goal marked the sixth score for Arsenal in its last six shots on target.

Sterling and Coutinho missed beautiful chances on counter-attacks over the next five minutes, and Lucas almost scored a stunner with 15 minutes to go, but they all succumbed to the pressure of the moment. Szczesny was forced into a brilliant save by substitute Fabio Borini with four minutes to go, and Arsenal held on. It initially appeared the stoppage time would only cause more pain for Liverpool with Borini sent off for a second yellow.

But the Reds continued to press as Rodgers urged them on, and Adam Lallana found a trailing Skrtel who struck home the equalizer. They still have just two wins in their last nine, but the point will put them above rivals Everton into 10th. Meanwhile, Arsenal had a chance to pip derby foes Tottenham in the table, but the two points dropped only pulls them level on points with Spurs.

Liverpool: Jones, Toure (Lambert 81′), Skrtel, Sakho, Lucas, Henderson, Markovic (Borini 74′), Coutinho, Gerrard, Lallana, Sterling.

Goals: Coutinho 45′, Skrtel 90+6′

 Discipline: Borini (second yellow) 90+2′

Arsenal: Szczesny, Debuchy, Mertesacker, Chambers, Gibbs, Flamini, Oxlade-Chamberlain (Campbell 90′), Cazorla, Alexis (Monreal 90′), Giroud (Coquelin 82′), Welbeck.

Goals: Debuchy 45+1′, Giroud 64′

Brazil draws with US to win home tournament.

AP
                                                                                                                                                       

United States' Lauren Holiday, center, (12) heads the ball during a final match of the International Women's Football Tournament at the National Stadium in Brasilia, Brazil, Sunday, Dec. 21, 2014. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres)

Brazil's women's soccer team held on for a 0-0 draw with the United States to win the International Tournament of Brasilia on Sunday.

Brazil had the tiebreaker in the final because it finished with the best result in group play at the four-team competition in the nation's capital.

Five-time world player of the year Marta and the rest of the Brazilians celebrated in front of a crowd of more than 11,000 at the Mane Garrincha, which hosted seven World Cup matches earlier this year.

Brazil controlled possession during most of the game but the Americans pressured late and almost scored a winner just before the final whistle when a header by defender Becky Sauerbrunn struck the crossbar after being tipped by Brazilian goalkeeper Luciana.

The U.S. also had a late goal disallowed for offside. Brazil appealed for a penalty earlier in the second half.

Brazil had won its previous three matches. It beat Argentina 4-0, the U.S. 3-2 and China 4-1. Marta scored a hat trick in the come-from-behind win against the Americans a week ago.

Abby Wambach, contending for this year's world player of the year award along with Marta, had a few chances off headers in each half.

The U.S. opened with a 1-1 draw against China and closed with a 7-0 rout of Argentina. It only qualified for the final because it had a better goal differential than China.

The competition in Brazil marked the final match of the year for the Americans.

China finished third after a 0-0 draw against Argentina in the first game of the day at the Mane Garrincha Stadium.

It was the sixth edition of the international tournament in Brazil. The hosts had won four of the previous tournaments, finishing second to Canada in 2010. It was the second year in a row the competition was being played in Brasilia, and the first time the Americans participated.

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

John Harbaugh, Sean Payton, Doug Marrone, others on Michigan's radar.

By Jason La Canfora

Where will 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh be coaching next season? (Getty Images)

While the University of Michigan's interest in Jim Harbaugh has sprung a cottage industry, and garnered daily attention, it remains far more likely Harbaugh remains in the NFL in 2015 according to numerous sources close to the coach, while the school is exploring several NFL options, knowing that Harbaugh may well reject their overtures again.

Harbaugh initially briefly accepted the Michigan job back in 2011, when he was preparing to leave Stanford for other opportunities, then reached out to the search firm running the process shortly thereafter to say he had changed his mind. With Harbaugh seeking $8 million a year or more in his next job, and his departure from the 49ers imminent, there are several NFL teams prepared to meet those sort of demands, most notably the Raiders.

Michigan has maintained a desire to land Harbaugh's brother, John, as well, sources said, but the Ravens coach has made it clear he has no interest in leaving Baltimore. Other NFL coaches on the school's radar include New Orleans' Sean Payton, Buffalo's Doug Marrone and Dallas' Jason Garrett (who is expected to sign an extension with the Cowboys shortly after the season).

 As for Harbaugh, Michigan's interest in him only increases his leverage and the likelihood that despite him having a year left on his 49ers contract and the team preferring to get draft pick compensation for him in trade, that's going to be difficult to execute. Having him around the office everyday, during a hypothetical negotiation to trade him, would be toxic, Harbaugh will have no inclination to delay the process and the 49ers would be delaying their own coaching search by holding out for draft picks for Harbaugh.

Given their interest in Denver's Adam Gase, who will have several teams seeking to interview him during what will likely be a playoff bye week for the Broncos, the 49ers could weaken their ability to land top candidates while doing a contractual dance with Harbaugh.

Other teams realize the 49ers' relationship with Harbaugh is broken, and his departure is inevitable, so they have little leverage in that regard, and with any team that would trade for Harbugh needing to work out an extension with him, he holds all the cards in the end. San Francisco's ability to dictate where he goes, despite having a year left on his deal, is being seen as negligible around the industry.

Kentucky holds overmatched UCLA to seven first-half points.

By Jeff Eisenberg

UCLA Bruins guard Norman Powell (4) attempts to shoot the ball against Kentucky Wildcats forward Willie Cauley-Stein (15) during the second half at United Center. Kentucky defeats UCLA 83-42. (Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports)

All the pregame talk regarding the impact of UCLA's lack of depth sure seems pretty silly now.

The Bruins couldn't stay competitive against top-ranked Kentucky through the first TV timeout, let alone long enough for their starting five to get worn down.

The top-ranked Wildcats throttled UCLA 83-44 Saturday in Chicago in a game that was even more lopsided than the margin of victory indicated. Kentucky led 24-0 before surrendering a point, 41-7 at halftime and 43-7 before the overmatched Bruins finally reached double figures.

UCLA's seven first-half points were the least it has ever scored in a half, shattering the program's previous all-time low of 14. The only sliver of good news for the Bruins was that they avoided eclipsing the program's worst-ever loss, a 109-61 throttling at Stanford in 1997 known as the "Maples Massacre."

Saturday's margin of victory reflected the chasm of a talent gap between two of college basketball's most decorated programs. 

Eight-time national champion Kentucky boasts an unbeaten record and a roster so loaded with future NBA talent that John Calipari has gone to a two-platoon system to accommodate it all. Eleven-time national champion UCLA already has lost four games, has yet to defeat anyone of consequence and only has three scholarship guards and six rotation players on its roster. 

In spite of those differences, the beatdown UCLA endured Saturday was eye-opening. 

Top perimeter threat Norman Powell had nightmare 1 of 13 shooting night and neither Tony Parker nor Kevon Looney were effective in the paint against Kentucky's superior size and length. Bryce Alford and Isaac Hamilton enjoyed some success long after the outcome had been determined, but UCLA was at a disadvantage in size, athleticism and depth all over the floor.

It also didn't help the Bruins that Kentucky rained down threes against their porous defense. Devin Booker sank five and Aaron Harrison hit three as the Wildcats went 12 of 26 from behind the arc, a worrisome development for future Kentucky opponents hoping to spring an upset by forcing John Calipari's team to hit from the perimeter.

The possibility of whether Kentucky can go unbeaten should be a frequent topic of conversation this week in the wake of Saturday's rout, and quite frankly it's a reasonable question. The SEC is vulnerable, Louisville is the only non-conference challenge remaining and the Wildcats are winning by an average of 29.1 points per game so far this season.

It's possible Louisville or Florida can challenge Kentucky or someone the Wildcats don't respect catches them napping the way Columbia almost did, but one thing is abundantly clear after Saturday's game.

The team that topples Kentucky certainly will not be UCLA.

Texas Southern stuns Michigan State 71-64 in OT. Chicago Sports & Travel, Inc./AllsportsAmerica has stated previously that, "The smaller schools (Davids) continue to knock off the bigger schools (Goliaths); it's going to just keep happening and that's the beauty of NCAA basketball!!!"

By NOAH TRISTER

Texas Southern players, including Chris Thomas (2) and David Blanks, left, huddle during overtime of an NCAA college basketball game against Michigan State, Saturday, Dec. 20, 2014, in East Lansing, Mich. Texas Southern won 71-64 in overtime. (AP Photo/Al Goldis)

Early in overtime, after a call went against his team, Texas Southern coach Mike Davis wandered down to the end of the bench, sat down and begin joking with some Michigan State fans a few feet away.

One of the most shocking victories in school history was at stake, and Davis and his players were determined to enjoy themselves.

"It's really important for them to see me loose and having fun," Davis said. "I can get upset sometimes, and it kind of makes them nervous, and so I try to make sure that no matter what happens, I move to the next play."

Chris Thomas scored 22 points, and Texas Southern became the latest unheralded team to surprise a Big Ten school, beating No. 25 Michigan State 71-64 in overtime Saturday. The Tigers were coming off a 40-point loss to Gonzaga, but they remained poised throughout against the Spartans. Texas Southern never trailed in the extra session.
 

The Tigers (2-8) had not beaten an AP Top 25 team since a win over 16th-ranked Minnesota on Dec. 21, 1994, according to STATS.  

 

"We did know it was possible as long as we stayed as a team," Thomas said. "We've played good teams before. We knew we were getting better."  

 Michigan State fans were giddy after rival Michigan was upset by the New Jersey Institute of Technology on Dec. 6, but now it's the Spartans who must deal with the aftermath of an almost unthinkable defeat. It's another tough result for the Big Ten this December. Nebraska lost at home to Incarnate Word less than two weeks ago.

Michigan State coach Tom Izzo said he didn't have his team prepared for Texas Southern.

"As you get older, you start worrying about people liking you, and I did not work my team. I felt sorry for them. I did not work them like I normally do," Izzo said. "We didn't practice as hard — too worried about my little guys getting tired. ... That was a coaching loss, and I take full responsibility for it, and I plan on rectifying it starting at 8:30 tomorrow morning."

The Spartans (8-4) were without starting forward Branden Dawson, who fractured his wrist in a win over Eastern Michigan on Wednesday. Michigan State needed a free throw by Javon Bess with 6.8 seconds left in regulation just to force overtime.

The Spartans came in leading the nation at 44 percent from 3-point range, but they went 4 of 21 against the Tigers, who represented the Southwestern Athletic Conference in last season's NCAA tournament. Texas Southern had endured predictable struggles against a tough nonconference schedule in 2014-15. The Tigers lost by 19 to Indiana, by 12 to Tennessee, by 26 to Baylor and by 25 to Florida.

Then came the rout against Gonzaga — and there was no indication that the Michigan State game would be any different.

But belief began building in the second half, when the Texas Southern bench started yelling its approval of every key basket — while the Michigan State crowd tried to process what was happening.

In the final seconds of overtime, with the Tigers still shooting free throws to finish off the game, a couple Texas Southern players posed on the sideline for what looked like a picture or a video.

The Spartans led 30-25 at halftime, and after Tigers tied it early in the second, Michigan State seemed to assert itself. But after Denzel Valentine's 3-pointer gave the Spartans a 50-42 lead, Texas Southern went on an 11-2 run and took a 53-52 advantage on Jason Carter's 3-pointer with 1:26 remaining.

The Tigers were up one when Bess came up with an offensive rebound and was fouled in the final seconds of regulation. A freshman playing only his second game, Bess made one of two free throws to tie it at 55.

Texas Southern regrouped and scored the first four points of overtime, and Michigan State's anemic shooting day continued. The Spartans didn't make a field goal in overtime until the final minute.

POISE

Texas Southern turned the ball over only 11 times and shot a season-best 53 percent from the field. The Spartans did not do much to push the pace or fluster the Tigers.

"It means a lot, but we're not done yet," Thomas said. "We've got to win a lot more games to get to the tournament. It doesn't stop here."

Malcolm Riley scored 20 points for Texas Southern.

WHAT NOW?

Izzo made it clear the Spartans will be working hard before their next game.

"I'm going to find out what the NCAA will legally allow me to practice tomorrow, and then I'm going to probably exceed it," he said.

Michigan State's Bryn Forbes went 1 of 9 from the field, and Travis Trice was 3 of 13. Matt Costello had 17 points and 10 rebounds.

TIP-INS

 

Texas Southern: This was the first game all season for the Tigers that was decided by single digits. Their only previous win was 71-59 over Lamar on Nov. 28. That was also their only home game so far.

 

Michigan State: The Spartans had 18 offensive rebounds, but they were outscored 36-32 in the paint.

 

UP NEXT

 

Texas Southern plays at Auburn on Tuesday night.

Michigan State hosts The Citadel on Monday night.

 

Muhammad Ali hospitalized with pneumonia.

By Bruce Schreiner 
                                                                                                           

         Muhammad Ali (Bildquelle: WENN)      

 

Boxing great Muhammad Ali was hospitalized with a mild case of pneumonia that was caught early and should result in a short hospital stay, an Ali spokesman said Saturday night.

 

The three-time world heavyweight champion, who is battling Parkinson's disease, is being treated by his team of doctors and is in stable condition, said his spokesman, Bob Gunnell.

 

"He went into the hospital this morning," Gunnell said in a phone interview. "He has a mild case of pneumonia and the prognosis is good."

Gunnell declined to say where the 72-year-old Ali is hospitalized. No other details are being released due to the Ali family's request for privacy, he said.

 

Ali appeared in public in September to attend a ceremony in his hometown of Louisville for the Muhammad Ali Humanitarian Awards. He did not speak.

 

Ali retired from boxing in 1981 and devoted himself to social causes. He traveled the world on humanitarian missions, mingling with the masses and rubbing elbows with world leaders. Ali received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President George W. Bush in 2005.

 

The Muhammad Ali Center, in Louisville, is dedicated to Ali's humanitarian causes and also showcases his boxing career.

 

Ali and his wife, Lonnie, have homes in Arizona, Michigan and in Louisville.

On This Date in Sports History: Today is Monday, December 22, 2014.

Memoriesofhistory.com

1877 - The "American Bicycling Journal" went on sale for the first time.

1894 - The United States Golf Association (USGA) was formed in New York City.

1920 - Joe Lynch beat Peter Herman in the first blow-by-blow radiocast of a boxing match.

1943 - Sporting goods manufacturers received permission to use synthetic rubber for the core of baseballs.

1962 - Vince Lombardi, coach of the Green Bay Packers, was on the cover of TIME magazine.

1962 - The 1,000,000th NBA point was scored.

1974 - Phil Esposito (Boston Bruins) scored his 500th goal as a Bruin.

1983 - The New York Islanders scored three shorthanded goals against the Washington Capitals.

1986 - Joe Paterno was named Sportsman of the Year by "Sports Illustrated" magazine. It was only the second time a coach had won the award.

1993 - The Dallas Mavericks lost their 20th consecutive game in a 20-game streak.

1996 - Kordell Stewart (Pittsburgh Steelers) ran 80 yards for a touchdown against Carolina. It was the longest scoring run by a quarterback in NFL history.

1996 - Vinny Testaverde (Baltimore Ravens) became the eighth quarterback in NFL history to pass for 4,000 yards and throw at least 30 touchdown passes in a single season.

1996 - Karl Malone (Utah Jazz) became the 11th player to get 20,000 career points and 10,000 career rebounds.

1996 - Brett Hull became the 24th player in NHL history to score 500 goals. Brett and his father Bobby became the first father-son combination to score 500 goals apiece.

1998 - The American Basketball League (ABL) announced that it was suspending operations and filing Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

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