CS&T/AllsportsAmerica Monday Sports News Update, 12/29/2014.

Chicago Sports & Travel, Inc./AllsportsAmerica

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Sports Quote of the Day:

“I do it because I can; I can because I want to; I want to because you said I couldn’t.” ~ Unknown

How 'bout them Chicago Blackhawks? Predators-Blackhawks Preview.

By ALAN FERGUSON (STATS Writer)

The Chicago Blackhawks should have no shortage of enthusiasm later this week for one of the league's premier games.

They'll have a chance to get properly revved up for the Winter Classic on Monday night when they try to maintain sole possession of the Central Division lead after their final matchup with the Nashville Predators this season.

The Blackhawks (24-10-2) are set to make their second appearance in the Classic and play their third outdoor game in franchise history on New Year's Day against the Washington Capitals. They appeared in the 2009 Classic at Wrigley Field and will play in another baseball stadium, Nationals Park, on Thursday.

Chicago topped Pittsburgh 5-1 at Soldier Field on March 1 and is chasing its 16th win in 20 games. The Blackhawks only have a two-point advantage over Nashville (23-9-2) in the Central because the Predators have largely kept pace by winning 11 of 15.
 

"This is a huge game for us," Nashville forward Eric Nystrom said. "(Chicago) has been playing really well, we've been playing well all season long, and we've had some good matchups so far this year."
 

Nashville has generated 18 goals in its last four games and bounced back from Tuesday's 5-3 loss in Boston with a 4-1 win over Philadelphia on Saturday. Colin Wilson scored a pair of goals, giving him four in three contests, and Filip Forsberg added to his sterling rookie campaign with a goal and an assist.

The Predators also scored three times on the power play after going 3 for 49 in their previous 14 games.

Nashville will next face one of the league's best penalty kill units in Chicago, which has yielded nine goals in 100 power plays. Chicago has killed off 39 of its last 42, including all three in a 5-2 win at Colorado on Saturday.
 

After having an eight-game home win streak end with Tuesday's 5-1 drubbing by Winnipeg, the Blackhawks got back to showcasing the league's stingiest defenses (2.03 goals allowed per game) and two players continued their hot streaks at the other end of the ice.
 

Patrick Kane had two goals and an assist, giving him 13 points (six goals, seven assists) in his last eight games. Defenseman Brent Seabrook's go-ahead goal in the second period gave him two goals and four assists in his last five contests.
 

"I think (Seabrook) has gotten better every game, defensively and offensively," coach Joel Quenneville said. "I think the offense is coming because he's been defending so well."
 

The Blackhawks also boast one of the league's best scoring attacks (3.0 goals per game) and have scored 17 times in their last five contests, but have totaled seven goals in their three games against Nashville.
 

The Predators, who are second in the league with 2.06 goals allowed per contest, have been stymied offensively by the Blackhawks, scoring just five times while going 1-1-1.
 

Minor league call-up Scott Darling started a 3-1 win in Nashville on Dec. 6 with Corey Crawford out because of an injured left leg. Crawford was pulled from his second game back Tuesday after giving up three goals on 13 shots, then made 23 saves Saturday.
 

Crawford stopped 19 shots in his only start against the Predators this season, a 2-1 overtime victory Oct. 18 at the United Center. Nashville regrouped at home five days later, riding a hat trick by James Neal against Antti Raanta to a 3-2 win.
 

Neal has nine goals and four assists in his last 12 games against Chicago. Kane has none in his last four versus Nashville.

Blackhawks net five goals in win vs. Avalanche. 

By Tracey Myers

    

Colorado Avalanche center Matt Duchene #9 tries unsuccessfully to gain control of the puck in front of Chicago Blackhawks goalie Corey Crawford's net in the second period at Pepsi Center December 27, 2014. Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Brent Seabrook #7 defends. (Photo by Andy ...... Cross/The Denver Post) 

Waking up: the Blackhawks had to do it very early on Saturday morning, flying into Colorado the day of the game after the three-day Christmas break.

Their overall game, power play and some players needed some time to wake up, too, on Saturday night. But as the night wore on the Blackhawks did wake up in every facet, capping a long day with a strong game.

Brent Seabrook and Patrick Sharp scored power-play goals, with Seabrook’s being the game-winner, as the Blackhawks beat the Colorado Avalanche 5-2 at the Pepsi Center. It was a good finish for the Blackhawks, who remain atop the Central Division.

Patrick Kane scored twice, including an empty-net goal with 5.4 seconds remaining in the game. Brandon Saad also scored and Jonathan Toews had two assists.

The Blackhawks had to fly in today because the current collective bargaining agreement says no NHL games, practices or travel from Dec. 24-26. Colorado had to do the same last Dec. 27, although they lost an hour while the Blackhawks gained one heading to their destination this season.

Still, the first few minutes, well, they were shaky. Corey Crawford, who was pulled in the Blackhawks’ loss to Winnipeg on Tuesday, allowed two early ones. They didn’t get a shot on either of their two first-period power plays. It wasn’t typical clean and technically sound Blackhawks hockey.

“Our whole team, the first 10 minutes were hard to watch,” coach Joel Quenneville said. “Then after that we did a lot of good things.”

Despite the tough first period, the Blackhawks finished it tied 2-2 thanks to Saad and Kane’s goals. The second, however, was where things turned. With 21 seconds left on the Blackhawks’ third power play, Seabrook fired one high and over Calvin Pickard’s stick side for a 3-2 edge.

“I didn’t see much. I just tried to shoot it as hard as I could,” Seabrook said. “[David Rundblad] made a great play up top. It looked like he was going to go back to the winger but sent it to me. I had a lot of room and space and it was a good effort by all five [Blackhawks] out there.”

Then Sharp celebrated his 33rd birthday with his sixth of the season, another power-play goal, for a 4-2 lead.

“It was not a pretty start; we were fighting the puck a little bit in the first,” Toews said of the early power plays. “But Seabs had a big one and so did Sharp to distance ourselves in the third. Even if they’re not the way you draw them up, you’ll take them and it gives you confidence going forward.”

Crawford also got past some early game goals to stop 23 of 25 for the victory.

“I felt really good,” Crawford said. “I had a couple tricky ones there to start but I was able to settle down and not start thinking too much after that.”

Waking up: it’s not always easy to do, especially after the holidays. The Blackhawks eventually did, though, and ended a long day the right way.

“The boys handled it well,” Seabrook said. “We got an extra day yesterday but we paid for that a little bit this morning. Tough day, but everyone was going through it and we did a good job of doing it as a team.”

Blackhawks: 'Road to the Winter Classic' to air on NBCSN.

By Nina Falcone

Since the "Road to the Winter Classic" series moved from HBO to EPIX, there have been complaints from fans about limited access to the show. 

 

Since it began airing, many have had to watch on their computers through a free trial of the network, but now NBCSN is stepping in to help. 

 

Awful Announcing has discovered that NBCSN will air three episodes of "Road to the Winter Classic" in primetime on New Year's Eve, leading up to the outdoor game on Jan. 1.

NBC has yet to officially announce the marathon, but these TV listings make it look pretty official. 

 

 

Full coverage of the Winter Classic will also be found on NBC. 

Just Another Chicago Bulls Session… Bulls-Pacers Preview. 

By JEFF BARTL (STATS Senior Writer)

Jimmy Butler said recently that he's never been the best player on his team, and he doesn't have any interest in being an NBA star.

His strong season has put the first part up for debate. He may not have any choice about the latter if he continues playing at an elite level.

Butler looks to help the Chicago Bulls earn a seventh consecutive victory and end a four-game road losing streak to the Indiana Pacers on Monday night.

Although he prefers to complement teammates like Derrick Rose, Joakim Noah and Pau Gasol, Butler has risen his game to an All-Star level in his fourth season while averaging career highs of 22.0 points, 6.1 rebounds and 3.3 assists.

He's averaging 26.3 points during Chicago's six-game winning streak after hitting 12 of 18 from the field and netting 33 in Saturday's 107-100 win over New Orleans.

Rose had 19 points, while Noah and Gasol combined for 15 and had nine rebounds apiece.

''I feel like we got a lot of easy baskets as a team,'' Butler said. ''We rebounded the ball well and we got out into the open court and we got a lot of layups. When we're playing like that, I think we're really, really hard to beat.''

The Bulls (21-9) also got 37 points from their reserves.

''I thought our bench gave us a great lift,'' coach Tom Thibodeau said. "Then down the stretch, Derrick and Jimmy made one big play after the next."

Butler scored 32 points as Rose sat out against the Pacers on Nov. 15, but Chicago fell 99-90 at home as Luis Scola and Solomon Hill scored 21 points apiece for Indiana.

Scola finished with 13 off the bench Saturday as the Pacers (11-20) got another strong effort from their reserves in a 110-85 rout of Brooklyn. Rodney Stuckey scored a team-high 20 points despite blurred vision in his right eye after being hit in Friday's 119-109 loss at Detroit.

''I'm fine. It's a little blurry,'' Stuckey said. ''Just got to play through it. We were short-handed. C.J. Miles was out (with an upper respiratory infection). (Donald Sloan) didn't make the trip. Just needed to play.''

Indiana ranks among the league leaders in points per game off the bench with 40.2, and it outscored the Nets' reserves 52-16. Former Bull C.J. Watson led the bench with 17 points as the Pacers won for the third time in four games after dropping 10 of 11.

"I'm really pleased with how we're moving the basketball," coach Frank Vogel said. "We had a sour taste in our mouth from how we played (against Detroit). We recognized we're not as bad as it looked when we watched the tape. We stayed true to what we're building here."

It's unclear if Miles or Sloan will be able to play, but George Hill appears ready to increase his minutes. Hill made his first start Saturday and is averaging 13.3 points in three games since returning from a left knee contusion suffered in the preseason.

Chicago has been playing without Kirk Hinrich, who has missed three straight with a strained left hamstring.

"Just day to day right now," Thibodeau said. "We'll see how he feels (Sunday)."

Rose has missed three meetings during the Pacers' home winning streak against the Bulls, who are tied with Golden State for the league's second-best road record at 13-4.

Butler, Bulls win sixth straight, spoil Davis' Chicago homecoming 107-100. 

By Mike Singer                       
                                      

Chicago Bulls Jimmy Butler #21 (L) goes up for a shot over New Orleans Pelicans Anthony Davis #23 (R) at the United Center in Chicago, IL Saturday night, December 27, 2014. (Photo: Bill Smith/Chicago Bulls) 

It took three years, but Chicago native Anthony Davis finally returned home. Unfortunately for Davis’ fans, the Bulls spoiled the party.

The Bulls won their sixth straight game in a 107-100 effort behind another massive performance from Jimmy Butler, who had 33 points, including 19 in the second half. Derrick Rose chipped in 19 points, and the Bulls out-rebounded New Orleans, 45-37. The Bulls have now out-rebounded their opponents in 14 of the last 15 games and are 12-3 over that span.

 

After a late 6-2 Pelicans run drew the game closer at 99-92, Rose came out of a timeout, found an open seam down the right lane and stuffed a momentum-swinging jam. Butler hit the next five points via a post-up, a free throw and another bucket as the Pelicans faded down the stretch.

 

The Bulls’ one-two backcourt punch was far too much for New Orleans’ star to handle.

 

The No. 1 pick in the 2012 draft had missed playing in front of his hometown crowd for the past two seasons due to injury, having to settle for a Team USA exhibition against Brazil this past summer. Suffice it to say he made up for lost time.

 

Davis finished with 29 points, 11 rebounds and six blocks — the sixth time this season he’s had at least 20 points, 10 rebounds and five blocks. Several, including one face-up swat against Rose, were bound to end up on the highlight reels.

 

Butler and Aaron Brooks ran the offense in the third quarter, accounting for 17 of the Bulls’ 31 points. Both were pests on defense, sticking and poking the ball away at any chance they got in hopes of igniting a fastbreak. At 78-71 with just seconds left in the quarter, Brooks stripped Davis and finished at the other end to extend the lead to nine. The two connected on another fastbreak midway through the quarter and underscored how this year’s version of the Bulls prefers to run instead of plod.

 

The Bulls owned a 49-45 lead at half that would’ve been significantly more had Davis not terrorized the paint. The Bulls shot just 37 percent from the field — the exact same success rate they found near the hoop throughout the first 24 minutes. Davis, along with 16 first-half points, blocked four shots, including a driving layup attempt from Aaron Brooks that settled in the third row along the baseline. Another clean chase-down block on Niko Mirotic left the rookie so disheveled he tumbled into press row.

 

Rose returned after a five-point first quarter and led a personal seven-point swing to give the Bulls a 40-35 lead at the 4:26 mark of the second. Rose’s run featured his second 3-pointer and a signature split-the-defense, cradle lay up — a telltale sign that his injury history is far from his mind.

 

Davis connected on two more outside jumpers to cut into the lead. Davis, who’s still growing into his body, didn’t have many back-down chances with the Bulls’ sizable frontcourt, but his outside shooting has become a giant asset. Despite having to deal with his size, the Bulls racked up a 29-18 rebounding advantage thanks to eight boards from Taj Gibson, six from Mirotic and five each from Gasol and Butler.

 

The Bulls backcourt took off at the start. Rose and Butler combined for the team’s first 13 points before Mike Dunleavy connected on a 3-pointer from the wing to give the Bulls an early 16-10 lead. Gasol, with Davis matched up on, was content as a facilitator and dished out three early assists. He also didn’t have much room to operate in the paint with Davis lingering. On a post-up late in the quarter, Gasol couldn’t get the ball of his hands before Davis lunged and recorded his first swat of the game.  

Aaron Brooks' fourth-quarter role proving valuable to Bulls.

 

By Mark Strotman

(Photo/Getty Images)

When Aaron Brooks learned of the interest the Bulls had in this offseason, he admitted it was a quick decision to sign.

He also knew that, as the third guard behind a healthy Derrick Rose and a re-signed Kirk Hinrich, his role largely would consist of whatever Tom Thibodeau needed from him on a night-to-night basis, rather than anything concrete.

"I have a lot of roles. Coach Thibs uses me however he wants to. And I knew that would be my role: Just do whatever’s needed at the time, and (it) just gives you different options," Brooks said following Friday's practice. "I think with this team we have a lot of different pieces that work and at any given time you could use something different.

"I try to do what’s necessary, what’s needed. Just being a glue piece, if that’s scoring, if that’s taking a charge, not rebounding but making an assist, just making a right play. You feed off what’s going on in the game."

Recently that role has been that of an offensive spark in the fourth quarter. With Kirk Hinrich missing the last three games with a hamstring injury — he's doubtful for tomorrow's contest against the Pelicans — and Derrick Rose having played in 19 games, Brooks, who has played in all 29 games, has seen more time in the final stanza, when Thibodeau uses a two point-guard system with Jimmy Butler shifting to small forward.

And the results have been telling. In fourth quarters this season, Brooks is averaging 4.8 points on 49 percent shooting, including nearly 45 percent from beyond the arc. He's averaged 7.4 minutes per fourth quarter, and his points rank 30th in the NBA, and seventh among bench players. He's third on the Bulls, behind Rose (5.8) and Jimmy Butler (5.3), and been a major reason why the Bulls, ranked 8th in the NBA in points per game, are third in points per fourth quarter (26.9).

In what Thibodeau called a "good problem to have" last week, the Bulls' newfound depth this season has meant a handful of different options he can go with on a given night. Riding the hot hand of late has been Brooks, but more important to Thibodeau is how a certain player, when given time, works with the lineup as a whole. And Brooks fits the bill there, too, as he's ranked third in the NBA in fourth-quarter +/- (+3.5).

Brooks scored nine fourth-quarter points in Thursday's win over the Lakers and seven straight to begin the Bulls' historic fourth quarter against the Raptors last week, all in extended minutes with Hinrich out.

"You may have a group playing well, you’ll ride that. Someone gets a hot hand, you’ll go with that," Thibodeau said. "You have a pretty good idea of who you’re going to finish with, but that could change. It’s not an individual thing; it’s how the group is performing. So we look at everything."

Still, Brooks knows his role can — and probably will — change going forward. Once Hinrich is back in the fold, and as long as Rose is healthy, it's likely that Thibodeau uses that duo more often that not down the stretch for defensive purposes.

But it's that unselfishness — not only from Brooks, but the rest of the team — that Thibodeau says is the key to success. 

"We’re asking everyone to sacrifice and put the team first. And so we have quality depth," he said. "Some nights guys will play a little more than others, but they’re all sharing and they’re all going to have to sacrifice. And that’s what’s important for our team.

"The guys that are at the end of the bench, they’ve worked extremely hard and when they’re called upon they’ve stepped up and gotten the job done. It’s a long season and we need everyone."

Bear Down Chicago Bears!!!!! Bridgewater, Vikings get by Bears 13-9.

By DAVE CAMPBELL (AP Pro Football Writer)

The Minnesota Vikings were just getting started, with a rookie quarterback and a first-time head coach in Mike Zimmer so eager to maintain momentum he told the players to report to practice in a few days.

The Chicago Bears played again as if they were ready for this season to be over.

Teddy Bridgewater threw the go-ahead 44-yard touchdown pass to Adam Thielen in the third quarter, guiding the Vikings to a 13-9 victory on Sunday to slap one more blemish on a forgettable year for the Bears.

''I don't want to stop. I want to keep going,'' Zimmer said, joking that he gave the players a day off on Monday. They countered that they'd see him in April instead.

Bears coach Marc Trestman might not make it until Tuesday.

''I expect to be back. I couldn't look at it any other way or with any other kind of focus,'' Trestman said.

Blair Walsh kicked two field goals, linebacker Audie Cole had 11 tackles, three assists and a pass breakup in his first start of the season and the Vikings (7-9) ended Zimmer's first season on a winning note. Bridgewater was so thrilled by Zimmer's first NFC North win that he gave him the ball from the last snap of the game.

''I was so excited and so caught up in how well the guys played today. We showed a lot of character,'' said Bridgewater, who went 17 for 25 for 209 yards to finish 6-6 as a starter in his first year.

Jay Cutler returned from a one-game benching with 172 yards on 23-for-36 passing without a fumble or an interception, but he rarely threw long and the offense was off all afternoon with a series of unforced errors. The Bears (5-11) finished with their worst record in 10 years.

''I don't think anyone knows what's going to happen,'' said Cutler, acknowledging his own uncertain status. ''No one knows what direction we're going. But I'm pretty confident that we'll know relatively soon.''

After the Vikings drove to the 3, Matt Asiata was stuffed for no gain on the same play on third-and-1 and fourth-and-1 to give Cutler and the Bears one last opportunity with 2:53 left and a four-point deficit.

They bungled it, metaphorically for this mess of a season. Three penalties, including two false starts, plus an incompletion doomed the drive.

''Just boneheaded mistakes sometimes, and it happens to all of us,'' said Matt Forte, whose eight receptions gave him an NFL-running-back-record 102 for the season.

From players to coaches on up to general manager Phil Emery, just about every key figure entered the offseason on a tenuous note as the Bears missed the playoffs for the fourth straight year after reaching the NFC championship game following the 2010 season.

Alshon Jeffery had only two catches for 34 yards after totaling 23 receptions, 384 yards and three touchdowns over the past two games against the Vikings. Without Brandon Marshall to attract attention elsewhere, the Vikings led by cornerback Xavier Rhodes had Jeffery well under control.

Kyle Fuller intercepted a short pass by Bridgewater that was behind Cordarrelle Patterson but bounced off both of the wide receiver's hands. Fuller reached the end zone with his return, but the replay revealed his knee was down at the 9-yard line.

That was the second of three touchdowns, two by the Bears, overruled by an official review. The Bears had to settle for the second of three field goals by Jay Feely, who later missed a 43-yard try.

Bridgewater responded with a bang, connecting with Thielen for 22 yards and finding him wide open for the score on the ensuing play for a 10-6 lead when Fuller and safety Brock Vereen blew the coverage.

''It's huge for our confidence going into next year. We had a good team, and we just had a lot of close games that we lost,'' Thielen said. ''We want to be in the playoffs.''

NOTES: Forte took the record from Larry Centers, who had 101 catches for Arizona in 1995. Forte also topped 1,000-yard rushing mark for the fifth time in seven years. ... Asiata had 91 yards on 19 carries, including a season-long 19-yard run, to finish with a team-leading 570 yards rushing. He had 10 touchdowns and 882 yards from scrimmage. ... Cole had an interception negated by an offside penalty on Corey Wootton, but Cutler finished turnover-free for only the third time in 15 games this season. ... Bridgewater finished with a 64.4 completion rate, the third-highest by a rookie in NFL history behind Ben Roethlisberger (66.4) and Robert Griffin III (65.6).

Chicago Sports & Travel, Inc./AllsportsAmerica Take: As with all Chicago fans, we had high expectations for the Bears this year and were very disappointed with the season's outcome. We're not going to speculate on what the future holds, we'll just wait for the team's news conference later today and see what happens. It should be noted that we will have comments on our thoughts with regards to the moves that the Bears make. Stay tuned for our Wednesday Sports Update as this is going to be very interesting.

2015 NFL playoff schedule

The Denver Post
                                                               

                                                     

Wild Card Weekend - Saturday, Jan. 3

 

Game

Time (ET)/Score

TV

NFC: No. 5 Arizona Cardinals at No. 4 Carolina Panthers

4:35 p.m. ET

ESPN

AFC: No. 6 Baltimore Ravens at No. 3 Pittsburgh Steelers

8:15 p.m. ET

NBC

Wild Card Weekend - Sunday, Jan. 4

Game

Time (ET)/Score

TV

AFC: No. 5 Cincinnati Bengals at No. 4 Indianapolis Colts

1:05 p.m. ET

CBS

NFC: No. 6 Detroit Lions at No. 3 Dallas Cowboys

4:40 p.m. ET

FOX

Divisional Playoffs - Saturday, Jan. 10

Game

Time (ET)/Score

TV

AFC: TBD at No. 1 New England Patriots

4:35 p.m. ET

NBC

NFC: TBD at No. 1 Seattle Seahawks

8:15 p.m. ET

FOX

Divisional Playoffs - Sunday, Jan. 11

Game

Time (ET)/Score

TV

NFC: TBD at No. 2 Green Bay Packers

1:05 p.m. ET

FOX

AFC: TBD at No. 2 Denver Broncos

4:40 p.m. ET

CBS

Conference Championships - Sunday, Jan. 18

Game

Time (ET)/Score

TV

NFC: Team TBD vs. Team TBD

3:05 p.m. ET

FOX

AFC: Team TBD vs. Team TBD

6:40 p.m. ET

CBS

Pro Bowl -- Jan. 25 -- University of Phoenix Stadium (Glendale, Ariz.)

Game

Time (ET)/Score

TV

Team Carter vs. Team Irvin

8 p.m. ET

ESPN

Super Bowl XLIX -- Feb. 1 -- University of Phoenix Stadium (Glendale, Ariz.)

Game

Time (ET)/Score

TV

AFC Champion at NFC Champion

6 p.m. ET

NBC

What is life on the road like for professional baseball players? 

By Quora Contributor; Answer by Randy Newsom, Former minor league pitcher for Red Sox, Indians and Pirates systems

I can only speak to baseball, as I played in the Red Sox, Indians and Pirates systems for 6 seasons. I didn't get to the Major Leagues, but I did take a few MLB road trips for various things.

First of all, as one of my old managers always said, "if you don't like it, play better!" He was referencing accommodations and the day to day grind of one of the lower levels in baseball and that was the absolute truth. The higher you get, the nicer the accommodations.

When you first start out, in short-season A or Rookie Ball, road trips are basically put together to be as inexpensive as possible. The leagues and teams don't make a ton of money and they do as much as they can to cut down on player/travel costs. Thus, players have roommates on the road and the starting city for the road trip is usually planned out so that you can drive to the first city the day of the first game — saving an extra night in a hotel. The per diem for the minor leagues stays pretty much the same if I recall, so basically every day you're on the road, you receive $20 dollars.

In Rookie and A ball, when you're leaving for a road trip, you typically pack your own bag, and when you arrive at the visiting clubhouse, you grab it from the bus and unpack it. Believe it or not, this changes as you get higher up (although it varies from clubhouse manager to clubhouse manager). When you arrive at the ballpark as a visiting player, you are taken to the locker room and usually introduced to the visiting clubhouse manager. He'll usually tell you what "services" he performs and what the daily dues are. Depending on the type of food spread, toiletries he has in the showers, and snacks he has for the game (seeds, gum, etc.), dues can range anywhere from $5-$15 dollars. The biggest service a low level clubhouse manager can provide is cleaning cleats. The guys who do a good job cleaning cleats often get the best tips. 

As you get promoted and get to High A and AA, you start noticing some subtle changes. The hotels you stay at get nicer. You go from Holiday Inns to Hampton Inns to Doubletrees. The hotels are also usually closer to the field, so that you can either walk to it or grab a cab there. This is really helpful if you want to do something during the day, as catching the shuttle buses from the hotel usually allows players just enough time to eat lunch and little else.

Also, in the higher levels, the road trips typically get a bit longer. The leagues are more spread out. For instance, in the Eastern League, the southernmost teams are Richmond and Akron (Ohio), while the northernmost teams are New Hampshire and Portland (Maine). The league will typically schedule it so that you travel from Akron or Richmond up north, and play both New Hampshire and then Portland. These bus trips are long and usually you have to spend an off day (one of two or three for the month traveling).

On the way up to these places its typically a pretty boring bus ride. The biggest drama is typically who gets their own seat. Most teams do it by furthest level reached. That way, if a guy has been in the MLB or AAA, they get their own seat. You wouldn't believe how complicated this system can get though, with players trumpeting a AAA spot start as a reason they should have their own seat. The easiest part is to get on the bus early, put your stuff down and let the younger players figure out who they can or cannot "double up" with. When I first got promoted to High-A, this was my biggest nightmare. I got on the bus and saw nothing but "don't sit with me or I'll kill you" faces. Lucky for me, one of the Venezuelan pitchers on the team that was impressed that I at least tried to speak Spanish with him the day before and let me sit next to him. Ironically that night, I got him out of a bases-loaded jam and picked up my first High-A save. He's gone on to do some big things in Miami and Detroit. As an aside, I typically found that a lot of the nicer guys I met playing, ended up being the best players. Call it karma, or maybe they were just more secure in their talent and place, but either way, a lot of guys who I came up with that made it are genuinely good guys. 

As another aside, players are very cognizant of what to look forward to on a road trip. In AA, one of the most popular road swings was the trip to Connecticut. Not because either park was all that great (although New Britain has one of the best minor league front office staffs in the game), but because both Connecticut stadiums (although one has moved now) were close to casinos. Guys would typically grab a cab after the game and go out and hit the tables for a few hours (or more...) after the game.

Likewise, each league I played in had a personal favorite place for road trips. Everyone loves Myrtle Beach in the Carolina League for obvious reasons, Greenville in the South Atlantic League is a good time because of the ballpark and downtown, and I personally loved Durham (N.C.) in the International League because of the atmosphere and surprisingly incredible food culture. 

On the way back from these farther away road trips, if you've had a decent road trip, managers let the rules go just a bit and as you drive through the night, coolers of beer and drinks will be on board as well. Once in Portland, Maine, because I had a random connection, the manager drove the bus to the local Lobster shack where he let me jump out and grab 30 lobster rolls for the team. While I was doing that, one of the other players loaded up the coolers in the bus with just about every type of domestic beer you could think of. I don't think this would have happened had we not gone 6-0 on that road trip.

The biggest thing about the bus — and this is something every knows about potential managers — is whether or not you are allowed to watch movies. Now with iPads and smart phones, this has changed a bit, but you always wanted the manager that wasn't afraid to let his team throw on the TV and watch a comedy or two as part of an eight-hour road trip. One of my AA teams got very into TV shows and we watched the entire series of Entourage in one month during road trips.

The biggest change is really AAA. Once you get there, the quality of life improves pretty significantly. Bigger cities, MLB veterans, and everyone is really just a phone call away from being in the big show. As a result, road trips are typically done by plane. Although this sounds better, AAA flying isn't exactly the most fun thing in the world. Often, after a night game, you have to be at the airport by 5 a.m. to grab the first commercial flight to whatever city you're going to. If you do bus trip it in AAA, many teams often provide two buses, which means everyone gets their own seat. For closer road trips, most of the guys in AAA with families, will drive themselves and grab a hotel for them and their family.

A common practice at that level is for two married guys to be "road roommates" and split one hotel room when both their families come along. That way one stays in the team provided hotel room and the other gets their own, for the price of one room. The really 'big deal' guys (guys who have made an MLB all-star team or played 10 years and are just getting ready to go back to the big leagues) will often get their own room regardless. The hotels are usually downtown in whatever city you are in and typically nicer than AA (Sheraton, Hyatts, etc.).

At the AAA levels, you might pack your own bag for road trips, but you don't usually do anything else. A clubhouse assistant will put it on the bus and make sure it gets to the opposing clubhouse where its put in front of your locker by a visiting clubhouse assistant. It's much the same in the Majors from what I understand, as on one of the exhibition road trips I took, I once came back on "get away" day to find my bag completely packed with everything I could have wanted in there and the only thing in my locker, the itinerary for the road trip, and a couple of baseball cards that I was asked to sign. The hotels in AAA are usually pretty decent, the MLB Hotels are usually the top of the top — although a few cities have been known to cut deals with a tier below.

All in all, my experience was that road trips are actually the hardest and sometimes the most fun part of the job. Traveling with a group of guys with a common goal is an experience that not a lot of people get to have. Some of my best friends and best stories came out of road trips. Whether it be drinking in a Durham bar with three guys I used to watch playing in the World Series when I was in HS, or hanging out with a random college girl's soccer team you meet in a college town in A ball, the experiences were varied and typically a lot of fun. That said, you can't leave a road trip or take a day off. If your best friend is getting married during the season, you're typically out of luck. And no matter how nice the spread is and what level you are at, sleeping in a hotel, eating the same types of meals day in and day out, can be a grind.

Road trips are easier at the MLB level but from what I've seen and heard, but they can still be quite the grind as well. Traveling from the East Coast to the West Coast and trying to perform at your very peak is a challenge. As a result, despite getting paid to do what you love, professional sports isn't all glamour -especially at the lower levels- there is a lot of work and planning that has to go into being successful at it. And the guys who understand that and are willing to work at, the true professionals, are the ones that end up succeeding. Unless they're just a freak of nature armed with a 98 MPH fastball or lighting speed. Those guys exist too...

Golf: I got a club for that; The best major venue of the year?

By Ryan Ballengee

On an annual basis, we drum up a discussion about which major is the best. There are variations on the topic: which you'd best like to attend, the one you most want to win, maybe the one with the best storylines. The question we're asking is which of the 2015 major venues is the best course.

Now, we're taking Augusta National out of the running. For one, it's the only major venue that doesn't change. Secondly, it's the best or second-best course in the country, depending on who you talk to, so that would skew the discussion. Instead, let's focus on the three majors with rotating venues.
 

In 2015, Chambers Bay in Washington (U.S. Open), the Old Course at St. Andrews (Open Championship) and Whistling Straits in Wisconsin (PGA Championship) are up for debate.
 

The Old Course speaks for itself. It's the Home of Golf and home to the game's oldest major every five years -- at least, in modern times. Golf lovers know the Old Course. Casual fans even know it, and it's probably the only course in the Open rota that can make that claim.
 

However, modern technology has passed the Old Course by, leaving it susceptible to very low scores, like we saw in 2010 when Louis Oosthuizen blew away the field. Wind protects the Old Course from absurd scoring, but it's still fun to watch in almost any circumstance. The only true blemish is the new tee box on the Road Hole 17th, which stands as one of the greatest failures of R&A chief executive George O'Grady, whose otherwise largely successful runs is coming to a close.
 

Whistling Straits hosts its third PGA Championship this coming August. The prior two PGAs ended in playoffs, with Vijay Singh coming through in 2004 and Martin Kaymer breaking through in 2010. Both should have been three-way playoffs, but Dustin Johnson's penalty for grounding his club in a bunker that shouldn't have been a bunker cost him a spot alongside Kaymer and Bubba Watson.
 

The Pete Dye design has wonderful scenery and can be, as many of Dye's courses, visually intimidating. However, it's never been considered an unfair track and the elite golf world's familiarity with it as host of the season's final major should make for a great stage.
 

Chambers Bay is the wild card this year. Robert Trent Jones Jr. shaped a beautiful course on this land situated with views of Puget Sound. Most golf fans won't be familiar with it, but it showed as host of the 2010 U.S. Amateur that it can play firm and fast, which makes for the perfect U.S. Open host. Chambers will likely have been softened by the USGA and executive director Mike Davis in the intervening years, but it should prove as unique a challenge as a browned-out Pinehurst No. 2 did in 2014. Looking at the lineup of future U.S. Open venues, Chambers Bay, along with Erin Hills in 2017, should excited architecture aficionados. However, without seeing how it yet as a major host, it's hard to rate Chambers the best of the three.
 

The Old Course is, well, old, but hard not to feel sentimental about seeing. Whistling Straits was slightly ahead of its time. Chambers Bay is part of the game's modern reclamation movement.
 

We're partial to the Old Course, so we'll rate it best, but check back in after the Wanamaker is awarded in August; we might change our tune.

Sweet Caroline interruption proves awkward for McIlroy.

Reuters

Rory McIlroy, the world's number one golfer, experienced an awkward moment when he went to watch Ulster take on Connacht in a rugby match on Friday.

The Ulster supporter was in the middle of a television interview with the BBC when the Neil Diamond song 'Sweet Caroline' was played over the public address system at halftime.

McIlroy responded by smiling sheepishly, looking down at the ground and exclaiming "Oh dear".

The Northern Irishman broke off his engagement to former world number one tennis player Caroline Wozniacki in May, the same week as he won the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth.

McIlroy went on to score a rare title hat-trick later in the season, reeling off three straight victories in the British Open at Royal Liverpool, the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational in Ohio and the U.S. PGA Championship in Kentucky.

The 25-year-old is having some time off before returning to competitive golf in the new year.

"I'm in my off-season so I can enjoy myself, enjoy my Christmas dinner and have a few drinks," said McIlroy with a big grin.

Five stories to watch during the 2015 Sprint Cup season.

By Jay Pennell
  

(Todd Warshaw/NASCAR via Getty Images / Getty Images North America)

While the NASCAR season does not get underway until mid-February, it is never too early to start thinking about the upcoming year. The 2014 season saw some of the most intense on-track action and off-track drama in quite some time, but will that continue into 2015?

New rules package

The 2015 season will see a host of changes for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, including reduced horsepower, a reduced rear spoiler, driver-adjustable track bar, new automated pit road officiating and more.

Whenever NASCAR implements new rules, a handful of teams hit on the package right away while others struggle to wrap their heads around it. Many teams began working on the 2015 rules before they were even announced, as to get a head start on the competition.

With a ban on testing another part of the 2015 rules package, teams will rely more heavily on their in-house technology such as seven-post shaker rigs and computer simulation.

Whether or not the new rules package creates better racing will not be known until the cars hit the track in 2015, particularly once they leave Daytona International Speedway and really dive into the start of the season.

Second year of Chase format

When Brian France introduced the new 16-driver Chase for the Sprint Cup format during the 2014 NASCAR Media Tour, the goal was to place a larger emphasis on winning races, create more drama on the race track, and produce 'Game 7' moments in the post-season.

The first season of the new format seemed to accomplish all of those goals. The racing in the late stages of the regular season and throughout the Chase was among the most intense in quite some time.

Kasey Kahne, Brad Keselowski and eventual champion Kevin Harvick all scored must-win victories to advance their title hopes.

That must-win attitude also led to a number of drivers getting upset and showing their displeasure on the track, on pit road, and in the garage -- leading to some increased media attention from outside the typical NASCAR world.

Yet despite it all, Ryan Newman was able to finish second in the series standings and nearly win the title with no wins, and just five top-five finishes (three of which came in the Chase).

With little to no changes expected to the Chase format for the 2015 season, teams will have one year's worth of notes to plan for this year's championship battle. How they plan their season and how they proceed through the first 26 races in an attempt to make the Chase may evolve from where it was in 2014.

Also, will the off-track drama be replicated again in 2015 or was last year's extracurricular activities some sort of fluke? Again, only time will tell.

Kyle Larson's sophomore season

When the 2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup rookie class was announced, many figured Richard Childress Racing's Austin Dillon would run away with the Rookie of the Year honor.

Instead, it was Chip Ganassi Racing's Kyle Larson that was knocking on the door of Victory Lane, turning the heads of Sprint Cup veterans, and taking the ROTY title at the end of the season.

In his rookie campaign he proved he could run with the likes of Jeff Gordon, Kevin Harvick, and Kyle Busch, but can he take what he learned from 2014 and do even better this season?

Still searching his first Sprint Cup Series victory and first Chase berth, there will once again be many eyes on the 21-year-old driver in 2015.

Can Tony Stewart get back to Victory Lane?

The 2014 season marked the first time since 1999 that three-time Sprint Cup Series champion Tony Stewart did not earn a victory. The co-owner of Stewart-Haas Racing has a turbulent year, to say the least.

His driver Kevin Harvick won the Sprint Cup Series title, the company's second in four years. Yet he was forced to deal with a host of off-track issues surrounding the death of sprint car racer Kevin Ward Jr., who Stewart struck while racing at Canandaigua Motorsports Park.

As a result of the tragic incident, Stewart missed three races, was isolated from many of his friends and fellow competitors, all while the possibility of criminal charges lingered over his head.

Stewart did not face any charges from the incident, but was unable to score a victory once he returned to the car.

This was the second season in a row Stewart was forced to miss Sprint Cup Series action as a result of a sprint car incident in his free time. In 2013, Stewart was involved in a sprint car wreck and severely broke his right leg, forcing him to miss 15 races.

With sprint car racing now on the back burner, can Stewart rebound in 2015 and make his way back to Victory Lane?

Will Toyota rebound?

The 2014 season was anything but ideal for Toyota Racing. Despite putting three drivers into the 16-driver Chase field, Toyota struggled throughout the season to match the speed and reliability of their Chevrolet and Ford counterparts.

After winning 14 races in 2013, Toyota was only able to visit Victory Lane twice in 2014 -- Kyle Busch at Auto Club Speedway and Denny Hamlin at Talladega Superspeedway.

Given the new rules package and the disappointment of the 2014 season fresh in their minds, how the Toyota teams rebound in 2015 will be another of the big storylines to watch as the season gets underway.

Southampton 1-1 Chelsea: Saints hold leaders in pulsating draw.

Joe Prince-Wright

Chelsea remain top of Premier League, but their poor form on the road continued as they drew 1-1 with Southampton on Sunday at St Mary’s.

Despite impressive play from both teams, they each scored with their only shots on target in a feisty game down in the sun on the south coast of England. Southampton went ahead through Sadio Mane’s cool finish in the first half but Eden Hazard equalized right on the stroke of half time to hand Chelsea a point.

Saints ended the match with 10-men as Morgan Schneiderlin was sent off but after all their pressure Chelsea could not find a winner. Jose Mourinho’s men stay top of the PL with 46 points from 19 games, while Saints stay in fourth place on 33 points.

Hazard bamboozled Saints’ defense early on with his trickery but it was the home side who went close inside the first 15 minutes as a corner from the right was headed towards goal by Mane but John Terry cleared the danger just as Jose Fonte was ready to pounce.

Then Southampton took the lead as Dusan Tadic flicked the ball through to Mane who ran clear of the defense and lobbed the ball over Thibaut Courtois. 1-0 to Saints. Chelsea found it hard to recover after that setback as Schneiderlin tried his luck from distance, then the Blues almost drew level as Cesc Fabregas‘ surging run down the left saw his cross deflected and it looped just past Andre Schurrle at the back post.

Graziano Pelle went close to making it 2-0 to the hosts but drilled an effort just over, but then right on the stroke of half time an equalizer arrived with Chelsea’s first shot on target. Hazard made the most of some slack defending from Saints as the Belgian wonder cut in from the left and drilled it into the far corner. 1-1.

In the second half Chelsea were buoyed by their equalizer but Southampton weren’t going down without a fight. Fabregas was booked for diving in the penalty box after 54 minutes, as he went down under pressure from Matt Targett in a real moment of controversy. Hazard flashed an effort wide with 30 minutes left as Chelsea kept the ball superbly but Saints dug in to try and seal a point.

Didier Drogba arrived from the bench late in the game to try and help grab that winner and they nearly got it when James Ward-Prowse’s awful back pass was picked off by Costa but as the Brazilian went in on goal, he slipped at the vital moment. A huge let of for Saints who had Schneiderlin sent off two minutes from time for his second booking after a cynical foul on Fabregas, but Saints held on to frustrate Chelsea and grab a much-deserved point.

LINEUPS

Southampton: Forster, Yoshida (Gardos, 62′), Fonte, Alderweireld, Targett, Schneiderlin, Wanyama, Tadic (Ward-Prowse, 58′), S Davis (Long, 77′), Mane, Pelle

Goals: Mane (17′)

Chelsea: Courtois; Ivanovic, Cahill, Terry, Filipe Luis; Matic, Mikel (Drogba, 74′); Schurrle (Willian, 46′), Fabregas, Hazard; Diego Costa (Remy, 89′)

Goals: Hazard (45′)

West Ham United 1-2 Arsenal: Gunners prevail at the Boleyn Ground.

By Nicholas Mendola

Goals from Santi Cazorla and Danny Welbeck were just the tip of the iceberg as often dangerous Arsenal won a London derby date at West Ham United on Sunday.

Arsenal dominated the chances and possession, calling Hammers keeper Adrian into action all day, but West Ham did enough to keep the match interesting all the way to the final whistle of a 2-1 match.

The win moves Arsenal into fifth place with 33 points, while West Ham drops to sixth with 31.

West Ham looked to have gone up early when Alex Song tore into a rebound volley from about 20 yards away, but Diafra Sakho was adjudged to be offsides as the ball whizzed past him and into the Arsenal goal. Disallowed.

Winston Reid took down Santi Cazorla in the box to give Arsenal a penalty late in the first half. Reid was on the ground and tried to claim his momentum made the foul, but replays proved his anger unfair. Cazorla finished to make it 1-0.

And the lead doubled when Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain slid a pass across the six for Welbeck to finish moments later. It was 2-0 at half.

West Ham closed the gap in the 55th minute, as Kouyate headed home off a James Tompkins cross, and it was game on again.

Arsenal was the team that came knocking for the next stanza, though, with Welbeck and company regularly threatening only to be denied by Adrian. An Enner Valencia headed popped just over the bar in injury time was the final chance of the day.

Lineups

West Ham United: Adrian, Reid, Cresswell, Tomkins, Kouyate (Nolan, 78′), Carroll, Downing, Sakho (Valencia, 62′), O’Brien (Demel, 78′), Amalfitano, Song

Goal: Kouyate (55′)

Arsenal: Szczesny, Debuchy, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Monreal, Flamini, Coquelin, Oxlade-Chamberlain (Chambers, 90′), Cazorla, Alexis, Welbeck (Gibbs, 85′)

Goal: Cazorla (PK, 41′), Welbeck (44′)

Tottenham Hotspur 0-0 Manchester United: Chances squandered at the Lane.

By Joe Prince-Wright

Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United played out an entertaining 0-0 draw at White Hart Lane on Sunday, with both teams flattering to deceive in front of goal.

United had the better of the chances but were denied on several occasions by Spurs ‘keeper Hugo Lloris and Juan Mata’s first half free kick hit the post, while Tottenham went close late on but Ryan Mason lifted an effort over the bar.

With the point Spurs extend their unbeaten streak to five games and sit in seventh, while United haven’t tasted defeat in nine matches as they sit in third on 36 points.

It was an even opening to the game at White Hart Lane, as Spurs and United eased into the encounter.

In the 20th minute the first real chance arrived following patient build up play from United, as Mata slotted the ball into Radamel Falcao but the Colombian striker couldn’t get the ball out from under his feet as Lloris saved easily. Moments later Spurs came close to scoring the opener as Andros Townsend clipped in a cross which Harry Keane met but David De Gea saved down low.

That sparked the game into life as Mata’s deflected free kick hit the post in the 22nd minute, as Spurs managed to scramble the ball clear with Vlad Chiriches the hero for Tottenham. As half time arrived United continued to press in an entertaining clash in north London with Phil Jones‘ header just crossing the line but the referees whistle had already blown for offside and then Robin Van Persie and Ashley Young were both denied by Lloris.

In the second half Tottenham were more of an attacking threat as Townsend and Federico Fazio tested De Gea, then Mata squandered a great chance to put the Red Devils ahead. Mason was then guilty of missing a glorious chance late on after a great through ball from Kane, as the game closed out with both teams happy to take a point and extend their unbeaten run.

LINEUPS

Tottenham Hotspur: Lloris, Chiriches, Fazio, Vertonghen, Davies; Mason, Stambouli; Chadli (Lamela, 79′), Eriksen, Townsend (Dembele, 79′); Kane

 

Manchester United: De Gea, Jones, McNair (Shaw, 76′), Evans  (Smalling, 72′), Valencia (Rafael, 45′), Carrick, Rooney, Mata, Young, van Persie, Falcao

Sources: Jim Harbaugh Expected to Take Michigan Job.

By Jason Cole

Two members of the San Francisco 49ers staff and a third NFL source said Saturday they expect 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh to accept a six-year, $48 million contract to become the head coach of the University of Michigan.  

    

"That's what everybody on staff believes is going to happen this week," one of the sources said. "Jim has figured out that his style is best suited for the college game. His shtick works better with young guys who are gone after three or four years."

There have been multiple reports out of Michigan in recent days that Harbaugh will join his alma mater. In addition, he is expected to bring several coaches from the 49ers with him, including longtime assistants Reggie Davis and John Morton, according to sources.

Harbaugh's agent, David Dunn, did not respond to a text regarding the matter. 

While there remains a chance that Harbaugh will listen to overtures from the Oakland Raiders and other NFL teams, he is scheduled to meet with Michigan officials shortly after the 49ers conclude their season Sunday against Arizona. Interim Michigan athletic director Jim Hackett is part of a contingent from the school already in California waiting to talk to Harbaugh, according to NFL.com's Ian Rapoport.

 Any interest from NFL teams is complicated by the fact that the 49ers would have to give permission to speak to Harbaugh until the point that he's let go by the team. San Francisco considered trading Harbaugh a year ago and is now unlikely to get anything for him.

Harbaugh was the head coach at the University of San Diego and Stanford prior to making the jump to the NFL. Sources said that previously, he was strongly leaning against going back to the college ranks because he dislikes the rigors of recruiting and dealing with alumni. However, sources said he has been swayed over the past two weeks as he measured those issues against the opportunities that might be available around the pros.

Jim Harbaugh coaching record:

 

Season	Team	W-L
2004	University of San Diego	7-4
2005	University of San Diego	11-1
2006	University of San Diego	11-1
2007	Stanford	4-8
2008	Stanford	5-7
2009	Stanford	8-5
2010	Stanford	12-1
2011	49ers	13-3
2012	49ers	11-4-1
2013	49ers	12-4
2014	49ers	7-8

sports-reference.com

 

Oakland, the New York Jets, Chicago and possibly Atlanta are the spots most often mentioned as being open at the end of the NFL season. Of those, sources said Harbaugh has questions about the ownership situations with the Raiders and Jets and doesn't believe that Chicago will meet his financial demands.

As for Atlanta, it's unclear if the Falcons will keep or fire current head coach Mike Smith. The Falcons play Carolina on Sunday with the NFC South title and a playoff spot on the line.

Unbeaten or not, Kentucky's latest run will challenge history.

By Mike DeCourcy

Kentucky's Trey Lyles, center, goes in for a layup around the defense of Louisville's Chinanu Onuaku, right, and Wayne Blackshear during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game Saturday Dec. 27, 2014, in Louisville, Ky. Kentucky won 58-50. (AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley)

History started today. Or yesterday. Or two days ago. It depends on when you’re reading this, really. It began on Saturday afternoon, OK?

Kentucky’s 2014-15 college basketball season transformed from a pursuit of a ninth NCAA championship into an all-out assault on history as the top-ranked Wildcats completed a 58-50 victory over rival Louisville that was more imbalanced than the score suggests but closer than they are accustomed to experiencing.

The Wildcats have defeated four teams that were ranked in the top 10 at some point this season. They’ve won three times against major powers away from Rupp Arena.
At last they’ve won a true road game, something that was not demanded of them for the season’s first 43 days.

And they’ve beaten their rivals in a game Kentucky fans cannot help but elevate above all others this side of the NCAA Tournament, no matter how many times their coach cautions to treat it as merely another on the schedule.

At this point, with Kentucky having won its first 13 and defeated Kansas, North Carolina, UCLA and Louisville – teams with a combined 22 national championships, by a combined 83 points – it seems inescapable UK’s season will be measured not against the current squads representing Duke, Virginia, Arizona or Wisconsin, but against teams that come with years attached: 1976 Indiana, 1969 UCLA, even one or two previous iterations of Wildcats.

There is one escape from this: the walls of the Joe Craft Center. Inside that building on the University of Kentucky campus in the nine days that will pass from the close of this game to the Jan. 6 start of Southeastern Conference play against Ole Miss, the Wildcats will attempt merely to improve on the team they’ve been through the first third of the season.

Calipari wants to try some new tricks with his offense, "because we’ve got time,” he said.

He will try some different rotations with his fullcourt pressure. He wants to add a different zone defense both for what UK will see in SEC play but also when the tournament arrives in March. He will work with sophomores Dominique Hawkins and Derek Willis to see if either can become worthy of joining the team’s nine-man rotation.

More than any of the minor tactical adjustments, though, Calipari will continue to hammer away at the psychology of his team. How much of its astonishing chemistry is his responsibility is impossible to say; he attributes the selfless blending of individual ambitions into this team’s collective drive toward greatness to pure serendipity.

There’s more good coaching in this than good fortune, though. And part of that involves assuring that however much the rest of us try to assess these Wildcats against the best teams from our personal memories, the players themselves must use their own potential and each night’s opponent as their gauge.

“We’re not going to think about it. We’re going to take it one game at a time,” sophomore center Dakari Johnson said. “We’re not even thinking about that ‘undefeated’ talk.”

Kentucky’s elevation in college basketball discourse is largely the product of its defense, which is No. 1 in efficiency according to KenPom.com and No. 1 in field goal percentage allowed according to the NCAA.

Louisville coach Rick Pitino had this to say after watching his Cardinals miss 43 of their 58 shots: It would be a mistake to conflate Kentucky’s potential to enter the NCAA Tournament unbeaten with its potential to become one of the great college basketball teams. Many past champions that now are viewed with the greatest reverence dropped a game or two on the way to claiming national titles.

Duke’s 1992 champs lost twice. Kentucky’s 1996 squad didn’t even make it out of November with a perfect mark, then lost again on the eve of the NCAAs. The 1990 UNLV champions lost five times, including twice in the Big West, but crashed through history’s threshold by running up a record margin in the championship game.

The primary requirement to becoming a historic team is to win the final six games, not all of the first 34. That achieving perfection appears to be possible is as much a product of the remaining opposition as of Kentucky’s excellence. The SEC owns a collective 32-41 record against the other nine leagues in the top 10. Only two of UK’s future opponents have a chance to enter league play with fewer than two defeats.

For all of the recent assaults on perfection – Saint Joseph’s in 2004 against a rebuilding Atlantic 10, Illinois in 2005 against a sub-par Big Ten, Wichita State a year ago against a Creighton-less Missouri Valley – the level of opposition was an accelerant.

Great champions, though, regardless of their conference challengers eventually had to conquer mighty challenges in the NCAAs: Duke ’92 against Kentucky in what author Gene Wojciechowski called “The Last Great Game;" Kentucky ’96 against Calipari’s Marcus Camby-led UMass squad; Florida ’07 over Ohio State in what became the defining game of Buckeyes center Greg Oden’s career.

The team that wins every game surely holds a special place, as the ’72 Miami Dolphins haughtily remind everyone annually. But perfection is as much about what is asked of a team as what it has to offer. Just as that Dolphins team rightfully is brushed aside when the greatest Super Bowl winners are discussed, the ’68 UCLA Bruins are not when the subject turns to NCAA basketball. Those Bruins lost to Elvin Hayes in Houston in the televised extravaganza from the Astrodome. They met again in the Final Four. UCLA won by 32.

“I have a pretty confident team,” Calipari told the media after defeating Louisville. “I’ve been on these guys; I was hard before the game. My point was, I don’t want arrogance. I want a swagger. “Arrogance is not earned. Arrogance is, ‘I wear the Kentucky uniform; don’t you know who I am?’ That’s arrogance. A swagger is you work so hard, you spend extra time, you have demonstrated performance: Kansas, UCLA – you’ve demonstrated performance and the third thing is you trust your teammates. Now your team has a swagger.”

Kentucky will play no one quite like Duke or Virginia or Wisconsin until it reaches the NCAA Tournament and eventually plays one of them, or perhaps Arizona or Gonzaga or even these Cardinals yet again.

It does not matter precisely how many teams they beat along the way, only that they find their way into games against one or more of these teams. Because they will come deep in the NCAA Tournament, and they will carry greater consequences than anything that has transpired to date.

History is kindest to champions. That is an element of history Kentucky will not change.

The 10 Richest American Athletes.

By Matt Reevy

Americans have a particular relationship with money that seems to be particularly potent. More than any other first world nation, the U.S. is driven by the acquisition of assets. It rules everything around us, like the Wu Tang Clan explained in 1993. Subsequently, our culture showers the most visibly great with the most visible bling. Nike had $3.8 billion in endorsement commitments this last year, according to Forbes. Obviously, Nike doesn’t just deal with American athletes, but many of the most famous athletes are American, and a lot of them have deals that make them wear Nike boots.

Athletes exist in a constant state of competition. They’re hardwired into it — that’s why they make the personal sacrifices necessary in order to become professionals in the first place, because they’re determined to prove that they are that good. No one makes it into the highest level of pro sports by accident. Call it Jordan Syndrome.

Call it whatever you want. These athletes are in competition off the clock, too, comparing incomes, outspending each other on the finer things in life. Here are the wealthiest American Athletes of 2014, with figures gathered from TheRichest.com, Forbes, and CelebrityNetWorth.

10. Shaquille O’Neal — $250 million (Lisa Lake/Getty Images)

 

The Shaqtus. The Big Aristotle. The $250 million man. Shaquille O’Neal, the sixth all-time leading NBA scorer, four time NBA champion, and biggest personality in the sports universe, has managed to keep his finances in check beyond his eighteen-year basketball career.

A media presence that defies the word ‘big,’ Shaq has made movies, video games, rap records, been a member of TNT’s Emmy-winning Inside the NBA and, as of 2013, is a minority owner of the Sacramento Kings, a franchise that saw its championship hopes dashed by Shaq during his tenure with the Los Angeles Lakers.

Shaq has never been shy about being flashy, and in 1993, well before he made his big money, recorded this classic jam from his platinum album Shaq Diesel. It’s definitely, uh, a thing that Shaq did. It’s called “I’m Outstanding.” Again, this is from a platinum record. It sold a million copies back when people still bought CDs.

 9. Jack Nicklaus – $280 million (Scott Halleran/Getty Images)

Golf is not a cheap sport, so it makes sense that Jack Nicklaus, one of the two or three best golfers of all time, shows up on this list. Holding down a record eighteen career championships, the 74-year-old golfer has been pro since 1961, raking in that athlete cash for over 50 years. He also wrote the seminal golf instruction manual Golf My Way, which was first published in 1974 and remains in print to this day.

Nicklaus was also instrumental in the founding of IMG, the media company now based out of New York City. Along with Arnold Palmer and Gary Player, Nicklaus was one of the first three athletes to sign with the management company — laying the groundwork for one of the most influential endorsement agencies in sports history. With a speaking schedule and a full off-the-green slate of appearances and licensing fees, Nicklaus made a staggering $28 million a year as recently as 2012 — only one tenth of his estimated net worth.

Nicklaus also founded Nicklaus Design, a design firm that crafts world-class golf courses. The legend has been involved with at least 290 of the 300+ courses designed by the group, per the company’s website.

 

 

8. Don King — $290 million (Theo Wargo/Getty Images)

While Don King is not an athlete in the technical sense — he never competed at a professional level in a sporting event — he has been inextricably linked with the rise of boxing and is far and away the most famous promoter in the country. And, besides all that, King’s efforts certainly constitute as much work as training for the actual matches, especially in the shady world of watching people punch each other.

King made his bones in the boxing world after convincing Ali to fight in a match that would help support a black hospital in Cleveland from shuttering its doors. After that, the floodgates were open, and, as Grantland’s Jay Caspian Kang put it, “Don King has nostalgia by the balls. Fights are best enjoyed through old film, which means that if you want to watch Muhammad Ali or Larry Holmes or Mike Tyson or Julio Cesar Chavez or Evander Holyfield raise his arms in triumph at the end of a fight, you’re also going to see the big man with the bigger hair climbing in through the ropes.”

He was an integral part of boxing’s rise, and while the cleanliness of King’s money is in question. Beyond the Mob associations that boxing has always had through its connection with gambling, he has routinely stiffed boxers that he helped champion — his pole position on this list cannot be in doubt. Only in America, indeed.

5. Dale Earnhardt Jr. — $300 million (Jerry Markland/Getty Images)

From punching people in the face to perpetually turning left, spot No. 7 on this list is also the place for the highest earning “junior” in American sports. Earnhardt, who is the son of the Hall of Fame NASCAR driver of the same name, has reportedly pulled in over $300 million from endorsements and race victories. He has won two Daytona 500 races (’04 and ’14), and won the “most popular racer” award every year from 2003 to 2013.

Beyond racing, Earnhardt is the principle owner of Hammerhead Entertainment, which produces Back In The Day for the Fox Sports Speed Channel. The driver also owns a pair of bars, as well as a car dealership. Because of course he does.

According to Sporting News, Earnhardt had sponsorship deals with Diet Mountain Dew, Chevrolet, TaxSlayer.com, Nationwide Insurance, National Guard, and Hellmann’s as of 2012.

6. Alex Rodriguez — $300 million (Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)

 

How rich is Alex Rodriquez? He’s so rich that he owns both the #1 and the #2 spot on the “largest American sports contracts ever” Wikipedia page, having inked a $252 million deal with the Texas Rangers in 2001 and following that up with a contract with the New York Yankees worth $275 million in 2008. Good money if you can get it. The wiki page also, helpfully, breaks down each deal into a per/contest average — so you can easily see that Alex Rodriguez has made more money, per game, than the GDP of Vietnam since 2001. For each one of the 162 baseball games that make up a season.

Yeah. He’s made a bunch of money. Unlike many of his contemporaries on this list, Rodriguez “earns very little in endorsement deals,” according to ABCSports. Very little, we assume, is relative. A-Rod is slated to take a bit of a hit with his upcoming suspension, though — since he’ll miss the entire 2014 season on a steroid suspension, he will forfeit at least $25 million dollars in salary, according to Bloomberg News. Which is a lot of money to lose, but somehow we think he’ll be fine.

 

5. Tiger Woods — $500 million (Andrew Redington/Getty Images)

Surprised he’s this low? Woods, the legendary golfer who broke $1 billion in career earnings back in January, or so says Golfer’s Digest (Via ESPN), made $78 million last year, mostly off endorsements. That’s not a surprise, as Woods hasn’t been at the top of the PGA tour for a while now, despite still being near the top of the golf world’s collective rankings.

 

Golfer’s Digest estimated that almost 90 percent of Tiger’s $1.16 billion take came from endorsements, noting that the golfer had earned over $100 million from his sponsors in 2008 and 2009, a figure that dropped all the way down to $62 million in the wake of his messy, and very public, divorce.

With Woods struggling to regain his championship form, and his lucrative partnerships with EA and others reaching their end, it remains to be seen how the golfer will respond in his new business ventures. Like Nicklaus, Woods is the head of a golf course design firm, Tiger Woods Design, that he founded in 2006.

 

4. Magic Johnson — $500 million (Chelsea Lauren/Getty Images)

Magic Johnson, the point guard for the Los Angeles Lakers during the Showtime Era that turned the NBA from an also-ran American sports league into an international phenomenon, is quite well off. Johnson was able to parlay his $18 million earnings from his sixteen-year NBA career (courtesy of basketball-reference) into Magic Johnson Enterprises, a billion-dollar company that has managed to snag Magic a comfortable personal net worth of $500 million.

Johnson, who made headlines in 2012 when he lead a group purchase of the Los Angeles Dodgers for $2 billion, has also done basketball commentary for ESPN, as well as promoted a number of noble and altruistic causes. Publicly HIV positive since 1991, Johnson has contributed heavily to AIDS/HIV activism.

3. Michael Jordan — $650 million (Andrew Redington/Getty Images)

 

The highest basketball player on this list, Michael Jordan is perhaps the most brand-esque athlete in the history of sports. While other athletes are inseparable from their sponsors, Jordan is his own sponsor. At least, that’s what it feels like. While Jordan shoes are technically a subset of Nike, they may as well be their own line — with their own series of endorsed basketball players and all. Also, there’s the whole Jordan-as-godhead thing that he definitely pulled off, a combination of the spread of technology before the rise of social media.

So for the most famous athlete in the world, money gets stacked pretty fast. While Jordan was, by today’s standards, criminally underpaid by the Chicago Bulls (total NBA salary: $90 million over thirteen seasons), his endorsement deals with Gatorade, Hanes, and 2k Sports have more than shored up the gap — in 2013, ten years after his retirement, His Airness still pulled $60 million, according to Forbes. Seems like being like Mike is still a pretty admirable goal.

2. Arnold Palmer — $675  million (Harry How/Getty Images)

It’s all that iced tea and lemonade, isn’t it? Well, that and the endorsements from golf-appropriate sponsors Rolex and Ketel One, because Arnold Palmer is a badass. Obvious, there’s the Arizona Iced Tea collaboration, which debuted in 2000 and “was set to hit the $100 million mark in 2010,” according to CNBC. At the time, the Arnold Palmer represented 10 percent of the company’s business and 40 percent of its growth.

So for Palmer, who went pro in 1955 and, if you remember from the beginning of the list, was one of the instrumental initial signees of IMG along with Jack Nicklaus, things have been pretty gravy since then. The golfer’s business interests have also expanded into, of course, a Golf Design Firm (Arnold Palmer Design), and his own tournament (the Arnold Palmer Invitational). The 84-year-old golfer continues to be involved with the golf community, kicking off the Masters Tournament every year since 2007.

1. Vince McMahon — $850 million (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

While the merits of Professional Wrestling may be as sports entertainment, rather than a sporting event in the proper sense of the word, there is no denying that Vince McMahon, who started as a World Wrestling Federation announcer back in 1971 and bought the company from his father in the 1980s, has made an absolute killing with it. McMahon did not actually wrestle until the mid-’90s when he became Mr. McMahon — coincidentally, this was also when he was revealed to be the actual owner of the league, which would change its name to the WWE  (WWE:NYSE), for World Wrestling Entertainment, in 2002.

McMahon, highlighted by Forbes as one of the most notable newly minted billionaires of 2014, has a pretty good head start on his athlete contemporaries. The 68-year-old has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Update: After losing $350 million in one day after the devaluation of WWE stock, McMahon is no longer a billionaire, and we have changed his value accordingly.

 
On This Date in Sports History: Today is Monday, December 29, 2014.

Memoriesofhistory.com

1934 - The first regular-season college basketball game was played at Madison Square Garden in New York City. New York University defeated Notre Dame 25-18.

1937 - Babe Ruth returned to baseball as the new manager of the Class D, DeLand Reds of the Florida State League. Ruth had retired from baseball in 1935.

1961 - Wilt Chamberlain (Philadelphia Warriors) scored 60 points against the Los Angeles Lakers.

1965 - CBS acquired the rights to the NFL regular-season games in 1966 and 1967, with an option for 1968, for $18.8 million per year.

1984 - Wayne Gretzky (Edmonton Oilers) scored his 100th point in the 35th game of the season.

2007 - The New England Patriots became the first NFL team in 35 years to finish the regular season undefeated (16-0) when they beat the New York Giants 38-35.

 

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