CS&T/AllsportsAmerica Wednesday Sports News Update, 12/24/2014.

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May your family have a very "Merry Christmas" and a fantastic day of Celebration and Appreciation. 

                                                                

Sports Quote of the Day:

“Every time you stay out late; every time you sleep in; every time you miss a workout; every time you don’t give 100%… you make it that much easier for me to beat you.” ~ Unknown

How 'bout them Chicago Blackhawks? Perreault scores 2, Jets ease past Blackhawks 5-1

By JAY COHEN (AP Sports Writer)

Anthony Peluso #14 of the Winnipeg Jets scores on goalie Corey Crawford #50 of the Chicago Blackhawks, as Marian Hossa #81 attempts to block, during the NHL game at the United Center on December 23, 2014 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Bill Smith/NHLI via Getty Images)

Mathieu Perreault got off to a slow start in his first season with the Winnipeg Jets. He looks quite comfortable in his new home now.

Perreault scored two goals while extending his point streak to eight games, and the Jets routed the listless Chicago Blackhawks 5-1 on Tuesday night.

Bryan Little had his team-best 13th goal as Winnipeg stopped Chicago's eight-game home winning streak. The Jets are responsible for two of the Blackhawks' four regulation home losses, also winning 1-0 at the United Center on Nov. 2 in their first meeting of the season.

''Anytime you can go up against the league's best and get a win, you get to keep that for a while,'' Winnipeg coach Paul Maurice said. ''Real powerful team, and they're elite in some of the things that they do and because of that, that's a confidence booster for your team.''

Perreault signed a $9 million, three-year contract with Winnipeg last summer. But the center had no goals and three assists in his first 19 games with his new team.

''I had a little bit of a rough start to the season, but as of late it's been going OK with (Mark Scheifele) and (Michael Frolik), two good players,'' Perreault said. ''Right now it's clicking for our line so, I'll just go with it.''
 
Winnipeg (18-10-7), one of the NHL's biggest surprises, won for the third time in four games, bouncing back from a 4-3 overtime loss to Philadelphia on Sunday. The Jets led the Flyers 3-1 after two periods, but were unable to close it out.

It was the Blackhawks' worst loss of the season; they have only three losses by more than one goal. Chicago (23-10-2) had won 14 of 17 overall.

''All year long, I think we've been in every hockey game except for tonight,'' coach Joel Quenneville said.

 Marian Hossa scored his seventh goal in the second period, but the Blackhawks struggled to generate quality chances. Jets goalie Michael Hutchinson, who began the day with an NHL-best .940 save percentage and 1.73 goals-against average, finished with 38 saves.

It was the Blackhawks' second game since the sudden death of assistant equipment manager Clint Reif on Sunday morning. They beat Toronto 4-0 that night, but looked all out of sorts against the Jets.

''Today was a letdown for us in the game,'' forward Kris Versteeg said. ''You want to channel your energies in the right direction and do that the best you can. Today we just felt flat.''

Winnipeg jumped on Chicago for three goals in the first, chasing Corey Crawford while outshooting the Blackhawks 15-7 in the period. Perreault started the flurry with a wrist shot that went over Crawford's glove at 9:04.

Little took a pass from former Blackhawks forward Andrew Ladd to make it 2-0 at 13:18, and Anthony Peluso slammed home a loose puck for his first goal since Dec. 31, 2013. Peluso's third career goal put an end to Crawford's night after 13 shots, and Antti Raanta entered with 4 1/2 minutes left in the period.

Perreault added a power-play goal in the second for his eighth of the season. He has five goals and four assists in the NHL's longest active point streak.

Chicago got on the board when Brandon Saad set up Hossa for a breakaway, and the veteran forward beat Hutchinson into the upper left corner at 12:05. The Blackhawks then turned up the pressure, but Hutchinson made a couple of nice stops on Patrick Kane in the final minute of the second.

''We've been doing it all season. We've been getting good starts and good jumps on every team,'' Hutchinson said. ''It's always easier to play with the lead.''

Blake Wheeler added an empty-net goal for Winnipeg, which dropped three of four against Chicago last season. Ladd finished with two assists.

NOTES: Blackhawks D Michal Rozsival did not play in the third period due to a lower-body injury, but Quenneville said he should be OK. ... Perreault's point streak is the longest of the season for the Jets. ... Blackhawks C Brad Richards missed his second straight game with an upper-body injury. He skated with the team on Tuesday morning and could return Saturday at Colorado in Chicago's first game after the NHL's Christmas break. ... The Jets scratched Ds Mark Stuart and Julien Brouillette, and LW T.J. Galiardi. ... Winnipeg's next game is Saturday at Minnesota.

Clear vision: Blackhawks' Bryan Bickell not taking any chances.

By Tracey Myers

The discoloring and swelling around Bryan Bickell’s right eye was just starting to go away this past weekend.

The high-sticking that caused them was more than two weeks ago against the Nashville Predators. It’s taken a while to fully heal, and Bickell said even his wife is counting the days until it looks better.

“My wife said, ‘Hopefully this goes away because it’s tough looking at you,’” Bickell said with a grin. “It’s tissue and blood. [The discoloration] is not going away as soon as it could.”

While Bickell waits for that to fully heal, he wasted no time in putting on a visor again. The Blackhawks forward hadn’t worn one in several years. But given how close that high-stick got to his eye – he said his vision was “a little blurry, but not bad,” because of the tissue/blood buildup – he wasn’t taking chances.

Plenty of players don visors these days. Entering the 2013-14 season, wearing one became mandatory for any player who had played in fewer than 25 NHL games. Some Blackhawks still play without one; Andrew Shaw does, as does defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson, who took a puck near his eye earlier this season.

For Bickell, though, it was an easy decision to go back to wearing one. It wasn’t entirely new to him. He’d worn one when he played in the American Hockey League; the AHL made visors mandatory in 2006, after a Portland defenseman Jordan Smith lost his left eye after being hit by a puck. The only reason he took it off at the time? He wasn’t playing so well.

“It was my first year [in the NHL] and I was in a slump,” he said. “So I took off the visor and started doing well, so I kept it off.”

So now the visor is back on – that last high-sticking was enough to convince Bickell to start wearing one again.

“For this happening, being a close call, it gets you wondering why you’re not wearing one,” said Bickell. “So I am now.”

Just Another Chicago Bulls Session… Rose's 25 lead Bulls over Wizards 99-91. 

AP - Sports

Derrick Rose (C) of the Chicago Bulls celebrates after making a shot in the second half of the Bulls 99-91 win over the Washington Wizards at Verizon Center on December 23, 2014 in Washington, DC (AFP Photo/Rob Carr)

After Derrick Rose ignited a late fourth quarter rally that helped the Chicago Bulls stave off John Wall and the Washington Wizards, Rose exaggerated a strut as he came back to the bench.

Rose had just scored six of the Bulls' eight points in a rally that sent them on their way to their fourth straight win, 99-91 over the Wizards on Tuesday night.

In his first meeting with Wall since Jan. 30, 2012, Rose scored 25 points. The Bulls have won all five games when Wall faced Rose.

''I think it was just the moment, being in the game like that, on the road,'' Rose said. ''The emotional side is going to come out a little bit.''

After Washington scored 12 straight - 10 by Wall - to take an 87-86 lead with 3:44 remaining, Chicago steadied and scored eight straight - six by Rose to lead 94-87 with 1:48 to play.

''You saw two people go at it tonight, two good teams,'' Rose said.

Rose missed most of the last two seasons after knee surgery, and he's rounding into form.

''I know where I'm going to be in a couple of months. You all are going to be the ones that are going to be surprised by the way I'm going to play,'' Rose said.

Wall led the Wizards with 18 points.

The Bulls outrebounded Washington 52-41.

On Monday, Chicago scored a franchise-record 49 points in the fourth quarter as they beat Toronto 129-120. Points were harder to come by a night later.

Coach Tom Thibodeau is an admirer of Wall's, and enjoyed the matchup between his player and the upstart Washington point guard.

''They're both dynamic players, hard to guard,'' Thibodeau said.

''They're both unselfish. They make the right plays.''

Wall tried to downplay his meeting with Rose.

''Everybody is going to make it a big rivalry. I know every time I go against any good point guard it's going to be a big one. It's fun to have him back out there,'' Wall said.

It was the first meeting of the teams this season. Washington defeated Chicago in the first round of last year's playoffs, 4-1.

Gasol made his first 3-pointer of the season at the first quarter horn, and Rose hit one as the second quarter ended to give Chicago a 46-40 lead.

TIP-INS

Bulls: G Kirk Hinrich did not make the trip due to tendinitis in his left knee. Thibodeau said he thought Hinrich, who injured the knee in Monday night's game would miss ''probably a couple of days. I'm not sure yet. . Thibodeau said that rookie F Doug McDermott, who had arthroscopic surgery on his left knee, was making progress. He's not expected back before the middle of next month.

WIZARDS: F Marcin Gortat was assessed a technical foul in the second quarter. ... The Wizards have lost consecutive games for only the second time this season and two straight at home for the first time.

CHRISTMAS APPEARANCE: The Wizards are excited about their Christmas Day game in New York against the Knicks.

''This is our first time,'' coach Randy Wittman said. ''Everybody else is at home opening presents. They're going to be opening presents and watching us.''

The Bulls are glad to be home on Thursday against the Lakers.

''It's an honor,'' Rose said. ''To play Christmas but not have to leave the town, it's a huge change.''

BUTLER DIDN'T DO IT: Chicago G Jimmy Butler was held to 11 points. In his three previous games, he had 35, 31 and 27.

UP NEXT:

Bulls Host Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday.

Wizards Visit Knicks on Thursday.

Rose keys Bulls' big 4th in victory over Raptors 129-120. (Monday night's game, 12/22/2014).

AP - Sports
                                                                                                                        

Derek Rose #1 of the Chicago Bulls goes up for a shot against the Toronto Raptors on December 22, 2014 at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Gary Dineen/NBAE via Getty Images)

Even surrounded by an array of offensive talent, Derrick Rose proved he is still the go-to guy in Chicago.

Rose scored 29 points, Jimmy Butler added 27 points and 11 rebounds, and the Bulls snapped the Toronto Raptors' six-game winning streak with a 129-120 victory on Monday night.

Rose scored 15 of the Bulls' franchise-record 49 points in the fourth quarter.

''We know we can always count on him, go to him. That's just the type of guy he is,'' Butler said. ''He wants the pressure on him. He produces. He produced. I think we're going to keep on going back to him and he's going to do the same thing every night.''

Chicago, which has won three straight, got Rose and Taj Gibson back after each missed two games. Rose was ill and Gibson was out with an ankle injury.

''I felt good. I was kind of surprised. I wasn't as fatigued as I thought I would be missing a couple of days,'' Rose said.

Rose's jumper over Kyle Lowry put the Bulls up 106-100 with 4:12 left. He put away the game with a 3-pointer to make it 118-105 with 1:17 left.

The Eastern Conference-leading Raptors wanted to make a statement in Chicago after losing earlier this season to the Bulls at home.

''We've been hearing about it all week, the last couple of days. They wanted to play us, we beat them there and they wanted to come here and get revenge. Tonight I think was a big game for us,'' Rose said.

Lowry scored 34 points and Jonas Valanciunas finished with 20 for Toronto, which led by 12 in the third quarter. Lowry scored 18 points in the fourth.

''We didn't play defense and they executed extremely well,'' Lowry said. ''Derrick Rose looked like his old self and he played extremely well. They executed extremely well. Forty-nine points, give them credit. Whatever play they called they got good shots, and they got where they wanted to get on the floor. But we didn't give them any pushback. That's one thing we have to make sure we do from now on.''

After Lowry's runner gave the Raptors a one-point lead, Chicago scored six straight to make it 100-95. Rose and Joakim Noah had back-to-back baskets and Nikola Mirotic capped it off with a pair of free throws before Raptors coach Dwane Casey burned a timeout with the Chicago crowd on its feet.

Mirotic finished with 12 points and Aaron Brooks had 17 points off the bench.

James Johnson put the Raptors up 80-68 with 6:35 left in the third quarter, but the Bulls scored eight unanswered to tie it in the final minute of the period. Pau Gasol found Gibson for an alley-oop dunk to tie the game at 80.

The Raptors began a six-game road trip on Monday after playing a league-high 17 home games.

Lowry had a follow shot with 0.1 seconds left to give the Raptors a 66-60 lead at the half.

TIP-INS

Raptors: James Johnson is making a defensive impact for the Raptors after struggling to get minutes with the Bulls in his first two seasons. ''Like all of us, we get a little older and wiser and smarter,'' Casey said of the five-year veteran. ''Hopefully, that's the case with him, that he's matured.''

Bulls: Rose played in 10 straight games before getting sick. He's missed 10 games this season with various injuries and illness. ''In Derrick's case, it was good where he was stringing some games together. Unfortunately, he got sick and now we have to hope he can pick up where he left off,'' coach Tom Thibodeau said.

HE SAID IT

Casey on Butler: ''I've had a man-crush on him for a while now. He's a strong, physical kid and now he's knocking down shots, handling the ball and he's just developed into an all-around, All-Star type player. He's one of those kids you really admire because he's made a lot of who he was coming out of college. I don't think anybody projected him to be where he is now.''

TRAINER'S ROOM

Bulls guard Kirk Hinrich left the game with a strained left hamstring in the second half.

Bear Down Chicago Bears!!!!! Bears’ early call on Clausen simplifies QB decision vs. Vikings.

By John Mullin

When Chris Conte suffered a concussion in the loss at Carolina, he went on the injury report the following week, practiced on a limited basis a couple of days and was back starting against the Atlanta Falcons.

Jeremiah Ratliff suffered a concussion against the San Francisco 49ers and did not participate in practice the first two days of the following two weeks, then was limited before being ruled out against the Panthers.

Typically coach Marc Trestman and the Bears do not make out decisions until closer to game days and times, if only to conceal their available players from opponents.

But the declaration of quarterback Jimmy Clausen as out for Sunday's season finale against the Minnesota Vikings comes less than 24 hours after Clausen suffered a concussion from a hit by Detroit Lions defensive end Ziggy Ansah, from which symptoms did not develop until Sunday evening, according to the team.

The situation does allow the Bears to re-insert Jay Cutler as the starting quarterback without either controversy on who should start – Clausen or Cutler? – and it removes the prospect of leaving Cutler on the bench a second straight game.

Trestman, who dodges what he calls “hypotheticals” anyway, in fact declined to say whether Clausen would have started again if healthy.

“That’s not an issue right now. Because of the injury ... So obviously Jay’s the choice here.”

The timing of the announcement was somewhat surprising, however, given the use of delayed announcements keeps the Vikings from knowing whom they will face. But the issue was resolved by medical personnel, Trestman said.

“I think that’s really a doctors’ decision,” Trestman said. “That’s the doctors’ decision. Medically speaking, he’s been ruled out. And that was done today ... I know that each and every situation is dealt with independently. Doctors said that it would be best that he not play.”

Pro Bowl rosters released, who were the snubs?

By Frank Schwab

When an all-star team gets released, the story right away is always about who didn’t make it.

And there were plenty of Pro Bowl snubs.

The worst snub was probably Cincinnati Bengals offensive tackle Andrew Whitworth, who has had a tremendous season but did not get a spot. He probably should have grabbed Denver Broncos tackle Ryan Clady’s spot, because Clady's play has been more up and down than usual.

But offensive linemen don’t move the needle, so there are probably three snubs everyone will focus on: Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson, New York Giants receiver Odell Beckham and Detroit Lions receiver Golden Tate.

Wilson’s case is a little harder to argue because it’s tough to remove any of the six quarterbacks who made it, but Beckham or Tate should have made it over Detroit Lions star Calvin Johnson or A.J. Green of the Cincinnati Bengals. Johnson made it despite an injury-plagued season in which he barely got more than 1,000 yards and had just six touchdowns. Even though Johnson is headed to the Hall of Fame, this year’s Pro Bowl selection was a pick made on reputation. The same argument can be made for Green, who has just 959 yards this season but made it to the Pro Bowl.

Who are some others that were snubbed? Dallas tight end Jason Witten, Tennessee Titans tight end Delanie Walker, New York Jets defensive end Sheldon Richardson, Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Fletcher Cox, Detroit linebacker DeAndre Levy, Oakland Raiders outside linebacker Khalil Mack, New England Patriots linebacker Jamie Collins, San Francisco 49ers safety Antoine Bethea and Minnesota Vikings safety Harrison Smith all have good resumes and were left off the team. Others have good cases too.

The teams weren’t picked by conference. The best at each position were selected and the teams will be selected playground-style by Hall of Fame receivers Michael Irvin and Cris Carter before the game in Glendale, Ariz. on Jan. 25. It's the second straight year for that format. Here are the players who Irvin and Carter will be picking from (although some will be dropping out due to injuries or if their team makes the Super Bowl), the 2015 Pro Bowl rosters:

Quarterbacks

Tom Brady, Andrew Luck, Peyton Manning, Aaron Rodgers, Ben Roethlisberger, Tony Romo

Running backs

Le’Veon Bell, Jamaal Charles, Arian Foster, Marshawn Lynch, LeSean McCoy, DeMarco Murray

Fullbacks

John Kuhn, Marcel Reece

Receivers

Antonio Brown, Dez Bryant, A.J. Green, T.Y. Hilton, Calvin Johnson, Julio Jones, Jordy Nelson, Demaryius Thomas

Tight ends

Jimmy Graham, Rob Gronkowski, Greg Olsen, Julius Thomas

Offensive tackles

Ryan Clady, Jason Peters, Tyron Smith, Joe Staley, Joe Thomas, Trent Williams

Centers

Travis Frederick, Jason Kelce, Nick Mangold, Maurkice Pouncey

Guards

Jahri Evans, Mike Iupati, Kyle Long, Zack Martin, Josh Sitton, Marshal Yanda

Defensive ends

Calais Campbell, Robert Quinn, Cameron Wake, DeMarcus Ware, J.J. Watt, Mario Williams

Defensive tackles

Marcell Dareus, Aaron Donald, Gerald McCoy, Dontari Poe, Ndamukong Suh, Kyle Williams

Outside linebackers

Connor Barwin, Elvis Dumervil, Tamba Hali, Justin Houston, Clay Matthews, Von Miller

Inside linebackers

Luke Kuechly, C.J. Mosley, Lawrence Timmons, Bobby Wagner

Cornerbacks

Vontae Davis, Brent Grimes, Joe Haden, Chris Harris, Patrick Peterson, Darrelle Revis, Richard Sherman, Aqib Talib

Safeties

Kam Chancellor, Tashaun Gipson, Glover Quin, Earl Thomas, T.J. Ward, Eric Weddle

Kickers

Stephen Gostkowski, Adam Vinatieri

Punters

Kevin Huber, Pat McAfee

Kick returners

Devin Hester, Darren Sproles

Special teams

Justin Bethel, Matthew Slater

Typical NFL season: smiles for some, frowns for others.

By BARRY WILNER (AP Pro Football Writer)

This Dec. 21, 2014 file photo shows Chicago Bears quarterback Jimmy Clausen (8) yelling at a Detroit Lions defender after he was tackled by Lions defensive end Ezekiel Ansah as Detroit Lions linebacker Josh Bynes (57) looks on in the second half of an NFL football game in Chicago. Clausen will miss the final game of the season because of a concussion, and Jay Cutler will move back into the lineup. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh, file)

Smiling or frowning.

''Woe is us'' or ''Wow for us.''

Heading into the final week of the NFL regular season, hardly anyone has a neutral feeling about the 32 teams. There are success stories and there are flops.

Here's a look at both sides.

SMILING

The biggest and widest grins should be worn in Dallas, of course; everything is huge in Big D, right? No one outside of Jerry's Palace could have predicted the Cowboys (11-4) would be NFC East champs and in line for a first-round playoff bye. Not with a defense that lost its best player, linebacker Sean Lee, to preseason injury. Now with quarterback Tony Romo coming off back surgery. Not with a coach, Jason Garrett, who seemed lost in big spots.

 

''This team is so special because we built this thing from the ground up,'' defensive end Jeremy Mincey said. ''Guys came to work, from (training camp) all the way to now, and the results are definitely paying out. And if we keep playing the way that we're playing, anything is possible.''
 

Folks in the Valley of the Sun also should be thrilled by what their Cardinals (11-4) have provided. Until injuries tore apart the roster - they've used four quarterbacks and have seen offensive and defensive playmakers go down nearly every week - the Cardinals were the feel-good story of 2014.
 

Even as they reel a bit, their faithful should, well, keep the faith heading into the postseason.
 

''You have to wipe it away, get the 12th win. Use that momentum, hopefully, to go into the playoffs,'' running back Stepfan Taylor said. ''We still have football left. That's the best thing about this. We're not out of anything.''

Then there are the two favorites for the Super Bowl, the defending champion Seahawks (11-4) and the AFC East winners, the Patriots (11-3).

A little more than a month into the season, their fans were shaking their heads, wondering what was wrong.

Now, those same fans are nodding pleasurably at what they see.

Seattle is hitting top speed at just the right time, its defense looking just as overpowering as last year, its quarterback, Russell Wilson, making magic on the ground and through the air.

New England has been invincible at home, which could be enough to get it to yet another Super Bowl. Tom Brady is having a vintage season despite a non-stellar surrounding cast other than tight end Rob Gronkowski and receiver Julian Edelman. The defense has found some new stars (Jamie Collins, Chandler Jones) to go with vets Rob Ninkovich and Darrelle Revis.

Two more teams few counted on to make an impact: Detroit and Buffalo.

The Lions (11-4) not only can waltz off with the NFC North by winning at Lambeau Field on Sunday - a tall task, for sure - but have a shot at the top seed in the conference.

Regardless, under new coach Jim Caldwell they have exorcised many of the disciplinary demons that plagued them under the previous regime.

As for the Bills, well, their NFL-high drought is now at 15 seasons, but they at least sniffed the playoffs this year. They also put together a defense that nearly anyone east of Seattle would envy.

FROWNING

We could lump together the teams that brought in new coaches and totally floundered: Washington, Tennessee, Tampa Bay. Not many people seeing the bright side there.

Instead, though, let's concentrate on the horror shows in Chicago, New Orleans, New Jersey and San Francisco.

It's a sign of how much turmoil the Bears (5-10) have experienced in 2014 that one week after benching Jay Cutler for Jimmy Clausen - yes, Jimmy Clausen - the team has to go back to the failed veteran. Clausen was concussed in his start on Sunday, and coach Marc Trestman has to go back to Cutler against Minnesota.

Regardless, things have gotten so ugly in the Windy City that the only thing capable of bringing smiles might be a total housecleaning.

Just as dysfunctional are the Saints (6-9), who lost five straight at home, can't stop anyone defensively and have lost their mojo with the ball. They've rarely looked the same since the bounty scandal and Sean Payton's year-long suspension in 2012.

At least folks aren't wearing paper bags at the Superdome as in the old days.

Instead of resorting to the paper bags, Jets fans hire airplanes to fly banners asking to fire the general manager. They could get their wish as owner Woody Johnson may show John Idzik the door, along with coach Rex Ryan.

The Jets (3-12) still play hard, particularly on defense, but the overall talent level would make any observer frown.

Not so in the Bay Area, where there is plenty of skill. When Jim Harbaugh leaves the 49ers (7-8), he will be praised for taking them to three straight NFC championship games, and one tight Super Bowl loss. His departure will be blamed on discord in the front office.

No one will be smiling.

MLB: Who deserves to be in the Hall of Fame?

By Rich Dubroff

Ten Baseball Hall of Famers pose outside the museum in Cooperstown, June 12, 1939. Front row; Eddie Collins, Babe Ruth, Connie Mack, Cy Young. Back row: Honus Wagner, Grover Cleveland Alexander, Tris Speaker, Napoleon Lajoie, George Sisler and Walter Johnson. (Photo/File, Associated Press)

On December 31, 2014, Hall of Fame ballots are due. Since I’m not a voter, I don’t have to adhere to the deadline. But, I always enjoy figuring out who I would vote for if I did have a one.

There are 34 players on the ballots, 17 from the first time. Most of the 17 will not get the requisite five percent to remain on the ballot next year.

A week ago, I made the case for Mike Mussina, who returns for his second year. He’s not going to be elected this year, but he deserves serious consideration.

Three pitchers to be considered for the first time deserve first ballot enshrinement: Randy Johnson, Pedro Martinez and John Smoltz.

Johnson should have no trouble getting in. He may be the last 300 game winner for a very long time. He won his 300th in 2009, and the leading active pitcher is Tim Hudson, who’s 86 wins away from 300.

The Big Unit’s winning percentage was an outstanding .646. His ERA was 3.29, which is great for his time. His prime years were 2001 and 2002 when he was 37 and 38. At those advanced ages, Johnson combined to go a mindboggling 45-11 while throwing over 500 innings.

Johnson led the league in strikeouts nine times, and from 1999-2002, struck out more than 1,400 batters. He won the Cy Young award all four years. In his career, Johnson struck out 4,875, second only to Nolan Ryan. The active leader, CC Sabathia has about half as many.

Pedro Martinez didn’t win as many as Johnson, but his winning percentage was even better, .687, and his ERA even lower, 2.93. In his way, Martinez was just as dominating.

Martinez’s best years came with the Red Sox when he was 23-4 with a 2.07 ERA in 1999 and 20-4 with a 2.26 ERA three years later. He won three Cy Youngs and led the league in strikeouts three times.

Johnson and Martinez are no-brainers for the Hall of Fame.

Smoltz may not get in the Hall on his first try, but he shouldn’t have to wait long. He was an excellent starting pitcher, but out of need was sent to the bullpen for four years. Smoltz had just four of his 213 wins during those years, but was a dominating reliever with 154 saves.

It’s safe to say he lost perhaps 60 wins by going to the bullpen, but his excellence as a starter and reliever, convinces me. Smoltz was a key pitcher on 14 postseason teams.

Craig Biggio missed getting into the Hall of Fame by just two votes last year. He had 3,060 hits and was a key player on six postseason teams for the Houston Astros.

The players who Biggio compares statistically with most closely include Hall of Famers Robin Yount, Joe Morgan, Paul Molitor, Roberto Alomar, Cal Ripken, Brooks Robinson and George Brett as well as future Hall of Famer Derek Jeter and another player who should be in the Hall, Lou Whitaker.

Johnson, Martinez, Smoltz, Biggio and Mussina are my choices. Voters are currently allowed to vote for 10, and the Baseball Writers favor an increase to 12.

I am not in favor of Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa’s admissions because I feel they are known cheaters.

Other popular candidates are Mike Piazza, Jeff Bagwell and Tim Raines, all of whom received more than 45 percent of the vote a year ago.

Piazza was a terrific hitter and a 12-time All-Star. He had nine seasons of more than 30 home runs and six with more than 100 RBIs.

As a catcher, he left something to be desired, and that’s why I can’t support him. He threw out just 23 percent of the runners who tried to steal against him. A wonderful hitter, but his catching keeps him out.

Bagwell, who played with Biggio on the Astros, would be the next player on my list, and in future years, I could support him. His great offensive numbers nearly have me convinced. The same with Raines, who stole 70 or more bases six straight years. Raines also had far more walks than strikeouts (1330 to 966) and a .385 on-base percentage.

As for Gary Sheffield, who is also on the ballot for the first time, he had 509 home runs, but most of those came in a time when home runs were plentiful. His defense was lacking.

Cases for Curt Schilling, Edgar Martinez, Alan Trammell, Fred McGriff and Larry Walker can also be made.

Even though the fashion is to submit fuller ballots, I’ll keep my imaginary one to five for now.

Ken Griffey is the only surefire first ballot Hall of Famer on next year’s ballot, and perhaps I’ll reconsider some of the others in a year.

Cubs active on the waiver wire during the holiday season.

By Tony Andracki

The Cubs have been very active on the waiver wire during the holiday season.

Four days after claiming catcher Ryan Lavarnway and outfielder Shane Peterson off waivers, the Cubs lost both players. Lavarnway went to the Baltimore Orioles and Peterson is headed to the Milwaukee Brewers as of Tuesday afternoon.

The Cubs also claimed left-handed pitcher Mike Kickham from the San Francisco Giants.

Kickham turned 26 earlier this month and was a sixth-round draft pick of the Giants in 2010 out of Missouri State University.

Kickham has struggled mightily in the big leagues over the last two years, posting a 10.98 ERA in 14 games (three starts) while allowing 54 hits in 30.1 innings.

But in the minors, Kickham has been quite a bit better with a 3.97 ERA over five seasons working mostly as a starting pitcher. He has a career 8.0 K/9 rate and 1.409 WHIP in the minors, including a 15-15 record and 4.38 ERA in Triple-A in 2013-14.

US-Cuba thaw likely to shake up baseball Major Leagues.

AFP; By Rebecca Bryan 

Cuban players celebrate after winning the Gold medal against Nicaragua, at the XXII Central American and Caribbean Games, in Veracruz, Mexico on November 21, 2014 (AFP Photo/Ronaldo Schemidt)

A seismic shift in relations with Cuba had many in US baseball salivating Thursday at the prospect of a flood of talent from the Caribbean country where America's "national pastime" is a passion.

Major League Baseball made a measured response to the news on Wednesday that the United States and Cuba would end five decades of Cold War hostility and move to revive diplomatic ties and ease a crippling US trade embargo.

The sanctions, and Cuba's refusal to allow players there to seek employment in the United States, have made for an arduous path for Cuban baseballers who defy their government and seek to pursue careers in America.

Amid speculation that the trickle of talent from Cuba could become a torrent, and the country could surpass the Dominican Republic and Venezuela as top Latin American sources for Major League players, MLB and the players' union were cautious.

"While there are not sufficient details to make a realistic evaluation, we will continue to track this significant issue, and we will keep our clubs informed if this different direction may impact the manner in which they conduct business on issues related to Cuba," Major League Baseball said in a statement.

Added the union: "We will watch this situation closely as it continues to unfold and we remain hopeful that today's announcement will lead to further positive developments."

- Perilous path -

Before Fidel Castro's rise to power in 1959, Cuban-born players played in Major League Baseball and the American Negro Leagues.

Once ties were cut between the countries, Cuban players often faced an arduous journey if they were to pursue professional careers.

In April, Los Angeles Magazine published a dramatic account of Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Yasiel Puig's flight from Cuba involving human trafficking, a Mexican drug cartel and death threats.

In November, a federal judge in Miami sentenced Eliezer Lazo to 175 months in prison for smuggling more than 1,000 Cubans, including several baseball players, to the United States.

The department of justice said the group he led charged $10,000 or more per head and increased the fee for baseball players who also had to pledge part of their earnings as professional athletes.

Leonys Martin of the Texas Rangers was among those smuggled into the country by Lazo, who was already serving a five-year term for money laundering.

Puig and Martin certainly aren't the only Cubans who have made it.

Pitcher Orlando "El Duque" Hernandez pitched for the New York Yankees in their World Series championship seasons of 1998, 1999 and 2000 and also won a World Series title with the Chicago White Sox in 2005.

He defected from Cuba in 1997, two years after his half-brother Livan Hernandez, who won a World Series with the Florida Marlins in his rookie season in 1997.

Normalization of relations between the United States and Cuba could make dangerous defections a thing of the past, but Cuban players will still be bound by rules that govern the signing of international players and Cuba's Serie Nacional will be reluctant to see a wholesale exodus of the country's best players.

- 'An exciting development' -

It's possible MLB and Cuban baseball will agree to an arrangement similar to the posting system by which the Japanese league receives up to $20 million to release a player to Major League Baseball.

"We are hopeful that President Obama's plan for normalization will prove to be a good and productive thing for both nations and for the baseball communitys in both countries," Red Sox president Larry Lucchino told the Boston Herald. "It is an exciting development."

Cincinnati Reds catcher Brayan Pena, who came to the United States at the age of 16, had a more emotional reaction as he thought of the Cuban players -- and others -- separated from their families by their decision to pursue careers in the United States.

"I'm very happy, very grateful to the Cuban government, very grateful to the American government, to President Obama, for finally thinking about the Cuban people, for thinking about our families, for thinking about the exiles and the Cubans who live in this country."

MLB: There will be some new rules for agent certification.

By Craig Calcaterra

Eno Sarris of FanGraphs/Fox reports that the MLBPA will be tightening up the rules which must be followed in order to be certified as a player agent:

The revised process will ask new agents to complete an in-person test, available twice a year. Fees may be raised (sources conflicted on this issue). Background checks will be beefed up. And the more informal rule governing having a player on the forty-man will be relaxed in one way and strengthened in another: agents must have a player on the forty-man once every three years, but presumably this will be enforced more often than it has been in the past.

We hear about Scott Boras and guys at his level all the time, but rarely do we hear about the host of agents who only have a couple of clients and operate below the radar. Anecdotally you hear about some bad practices among these folks. Sometimes unethical but more often just some straightforward malpractice when it comes to the day-to-day management of their clients’ affairs. Presumably the new rules are aimed at that.

Of course, oftentimes, such professional certification measures are also aimed at reducing the number of new people entering a given field too.
 

Golf: I got a club for that; Who could win their first major in 2015?

By Ryan Ballengee

A fresh slate of majors at mostly familiar places await us in 2015, with the Masters at its home, the Open Championship making its every-fifth-year rotation to the Old Course at St. Andrews and the PGA Championship returning to Whistling Straits in Wisconsin, site of Dustin Johnson's bunker quagmire in 2010. The only new major championship site this year is for the U.S. Open, when Washington's publicly accessible Chambers Bay hosts for the first time after a stunningly rapid rise to become one of the game's biggest stages.

You'd think, then, that experience at these venues would pay off and it might be hard for first-timers to win majors in 2015. Bolstering how important experience might be this coming year is that 2014 was the first year without a first-time major winner since 2000. However, with four 20-something players, including three without major titles, in the Official World Golf Ranking top 10, the talent is there for some new blood to win at least one major in 2015. 
 

Here are four names that we're looking at for a major breakthrough in 2015:

Jordan Spieth: Spieth ended his 2014 with two very impressive wins. He ended a 21-year American drought in winning the Australian Open by six shots, then flew 9,000 miles to Florida and won the Hero World Challenge by a dominating 10 shots. The 21-year-old (who doesn't turn 22 until July) also had a lead at the Masters on the first nine of the final round until Bubba Watson came storming in to win his second green jacket in three years. Spieth said in Australia he has a long way to go to win a major. That's being modest. He can do it now, anywhere.

Jason Day: At 27, Day already has a remarkable record in the majors for a guy who's never won one. He has five top-four finishes in majors and seven top 10s overall. His knack is in the U.S. Open, where he's been in the top four in three of his four appearances. Closely behind that is the Masters, where he has a second- and third-place finish. 

Rickie Fowler: Fowler did something in 2014 no player has ever done in golf history, finishing in the top five in all four majors without actually winning one of them. He was just the third player in major-championship history to finish in the top five in all four majors. Under the watchful eye of Butch Harmon, Fowler has fine-tuned his swing to become more reliable and repeatable in the most nerve-racking of situations. Hard not to like his game at Chambers Bay or St. Andrews.

Henrik Stenson: The Swede clearly bucks the trend we've set up with our first three names. At 38 years old, Stenson is not a young gun, but he hits the ball like he's still in his 20s. Stenson seems to have found some comfort in the majors in his late 30s, sporting top-four finishes in half of his last eight major-championship starts. He's knocking on the door like Lee Westwood did a few years ago. The only hang-up may be the mental game because he has all the physical tools to win a slew of majors if he can notch the first.

90 players currently eligible for Masters.

AP - Sports

Rory McIlroy was among 90 players who already have qualified and are expected to compete in the 2015 Masters.

The 90 players is the same number eligible at this time a year ago. A total of 97 players started the 2014 tournament. Augusta National prefers the field to be under 100 players.

McIlroy was eligible in nine of the 12 categories available to professionals. The exceptions were the lifetime exemption for Masters champions, the three-year exemption for winning The Players Championship and top four and ties from the 2014 U.S. Open.

Players still can qualify by winning a PGA Tour event (except for the Puerto Rico Open) or getting into the top 50 in world ranking one week before the Masters.

The Masters is April 9-12.

Golf-World Rankings

Reuters

Dec 22 (Infostrada Sports)

1. Rory McIlroy (Britain) 11.04

2. Henrik Stenson (Sweden) 8.13 

 
3. Adam Scott (Australia) 7.71 
 
4. Bubba Watson (U.S.) 7.27 
 
5. Sergio Garcia (Spain) 6.70 
 
6. Justin Rose (Britain) 6.69 
 
7. Jim Furyk (U.S.) 6.62 
 
8. Jason Day (Australia) 5.81 
 

9. Jordan Spieth (U.S.) 5.75 

 
10. Rickie Fowler (U.S.) 5.47 
 
11. Matt Kuchar (U.S.) 5.11 
 
12. Martin Kaymer (Germany) 4.86 
 
13. Billy Horschel (U.S.) 4.48 
 
14. Phil Mickelson (U.S.) 4.45 
 

15. Graeme McDowell (Britain) 4.16 

 

16. Hideki Matsuyama (Japan) 4.12 

 

17. Victor Dubuisson (France) 4.02 

 

18. Zach Johnson (U.S.) 3.83 

 

19. Dustin Johnson (U.S.) 3.78 

 

20. Chris Kirk (U.S.) 3.76 

 
21. Jimmy Walker (U.S.) 3.72 
 
22. Hunter Mahan (U.S.) 3.61 
 
23. Patrick Reed (U.S.) 3.51 
 
24. Jamie Donaldson (Britain) 3.44 
 
25. Kevin Na (U.S.) 3.31 
 
26. Lee Westwood (Britain) 3.28 
 

27. Ian Poulter (Britain) 3.23 

 

28. Keegan Bradley (U.S.) 3.16 

 

29. Joost Luiten (Netherlands) 3.16 

 

30. Ryan Moore (U.S.) 3.08

Carl Edwards: "I plan on winning 10 races and the championship".

By Tony DiZinno

(Getty Images)

There was a time in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series when an orange car from Joe Gibbs Racing was winning races and championships left and right.

Tony Stewart in the No. 20 Home Depot car – either as a Pontiac or Chevrolet before the team’s semi-recent switch to Toyota – was a regular in victory lane.

The best and now only hope for a primarily orange JGR car returning to victory lane in 2015 and beyond is Carl Edwards‘ No. 19 ARRIS Toyota, the paint scheme of which was revealed late last week.

Edwards told FOX Sports’ Jay Glazer during a Sunday 2015 NASCAR preview show that the move of Atlanta to the second race of the season presents an opportunity for him to get on the board early and, like fellow driver-at-new-team Kevin Harvick did for Stewart-Haas Racing this year, bank a win in his second start and qualify for the Chase.

“My first win in Nationwide and Cup came the same weekend in Atlanta (spring 2005),” Edwards said. “You head into a corner at 195, slide it sideways, and there’s bumps all over the place. I have an opportunity with this schedule change to get a win early.

“I grew up racing at my local dirt track. Atlanta drives like a big nasty dirt track. It’s so fast, to me that’s fun. You’re manhandling the car that whole time.”

About winning, though. Edwards won’t be satisfied with just one win, or, as LeBron James once famously put it, not 2, not 3, not 4, not 5, not 6, not 7…

“I plan on winning 10 races and the championship,” Edwards declared.

If it sounds like a crazy declaration, we need only remember two years ago Matt Kenseth transferred to JGR and won seven races, and came second in the championship.

“People will be like, ‘Ah, he’s crazy.’ But if we don’t win the championship, it will not be a success,” Edwards said.

“Everyone’s putting in these resources to win a championship, and that’s what we’re going to do.”

Edwards also reflected on how he hopes to improve not just as a driver, but as a person, in his move over to JGR.

“Matt Kenseth has helped me a lot. We started as teammates (at Roush),” Edwards said. “I didn’t understand Matt. I wasn’t the best teammate when I came into the sport.

“There’s a couple things. I’ve been doing this 10 years, and I don’t have a title. And two, I didn’t have the best relationships with my teammates.

“Now I know I need to work together. I think I come in here a lot more humble and wanting to learn from these guys.”

The interview showcased Edwards as humble to learn, but also eager to dominate – somewhat akin to what Harvick achieved this year in his first year at SHR.

If Edwards can match Harvick’s fast start, and then get rolling with his new team, then perhaps this declaration could actually come to fruition. Otherwise, it’s a lofty statement to make.

Robbie Keane says no to Premier League loan deals, talks MLS future.

By Nicholas Mendola

(Getty Images)

Robbie Keane’s rich vein of form for club and country had many European clubs monitoring his postseason plans.

But apart from playing for Ireland, the L.A. Galaxy forward won’t be taking the field much until February. That’s when he’ll don the Galaxy uniform for a preseason friendly in his home country.

Keane was on hand as the Shamrock Rovers announced a friendly with the Galaxy for Feb. 21, and made several remarks on his future.

From Independent.ie:

“I’ve been asked to go on loan by clubs, mostly in the Premier League, but it’s not going to happen,” admitted Keane yesterday, sitting in the Glenmalure Suite. 

“Medically, I’ve been advised to take a break. Two days I after I came home from America last year, I had the operation on both of my Achilles and was back doing intensive training two days later. That’s 22 months without a break, so I need one now. 

“After a few weeks off, I start to get the itch and I’ve got that now. I was playing five-a-side with my mates 10 days after the MLS Cup final. I feel the best I’ve felt for years.

Keane also said he just loves playing the game, but doesn’t expect to accept loan offers. Other highlights:

– He expects to play “three or four more years”

–  He’s unsure about his immediate future because, reading between the lines, he’d like assurances about his future as he plans for what he hopes will be a Euro year in 2016. His contract with LA will end after this season.

“I never said I was going to leave the Galaxy but I need to see what’s best for myself in the long term,” he said. “That’s the reason I was being honest, too much perhaps, but I don’t want to see myself going the Euros year [in 2016] wondering what’s going to happen.”

– As for the Euros, he feels Ireland has a great chance to qualify.

Read the whole thing here, but it sounds like Keane isn’t exactly committal on his future despite being at a press conference promoting a Galaxy friendly in Ireland. Any reason to be concerned, L.A. fans?

Watch: 30 games in 7 days, here's the festive Premier League TV schedule.

By Joe Prince-Wright

Is everybody ready? Things are about to get crazy in the Premier League.

Over the festive season 30 PL games will take place, as the busiest time of the year arrives. While the rest of the soccer world takes a well-deserved break over the holidays, the Premier League comes alive as there will be full stadiums and massive games galore. Lovely stuff!

We will have you covered here at NBC, as every single game will be live online or on your TV set, plus on New Year’s Day there will be the first-ever Premier League Breakaway show. More details on that here.

You can watch NBC Sports Group for our feature games and watch every single second of every single game live this season online via NBC Sports Live Extra and the NBC Sports Live Extra App. Via your TV you can watch the games live on Premier League Extra Time.

If you’re looking for full-event replays of Premier League games, you can find them here. They are available soon after the final whistle, but rights limit us to a certain number each week. Looking for game highlights? Try this.

Here’s your full TV schedule for the festive period. Enjoy.

Friday, December 26 – Boxing Day

7:45 a.m. ET: Chelsea vs. West Ham United – NBCSN
10 a.m. ET: Manchester United vs. Newcastle United – NBCSN
10 a.m. ET: Crystal Palace vs. Southampton – Premier League Extratime
10 a.m. ET: West Bromwich Albion vs. Manchester City – Premier League Extratime
10 a.m. ET: Leicester City vs. Tottenham Hotspur – Premier League Extratime
10 a.m. ET: Burnley vs. Liverpool – Premier League Extratime
10 a.m. ET: Everton vs. Stoke City – Premier League Extratime
10 a.m. ET: Swansea City vs. Aston Villa – Premier League Extratime
10 a.m. ET: Sunderland vs. Hull City – Premier League Extratime
12:30 p.m. ET: Arsenal vs. Queens Park Rangers – NBCSN

Sunday, December 28

7 a.m. ET: Tottenham Hotspur vs. Manchester United – NBCSN
9:05 a.m. ET: Southampton vs. Chelsea – NBCSN
9:05 a.m. ET: Manchester City vs. Burnley – Premier League Extratime
9:05 a.m. ET: West Ham United vs. Arsenal – Premier League Extratime
9:05 a.m. ET: Aston Villa vs. Sunderland – Premier League Extratime
9:05 a.m. ET: QPR vs. Crystal Palace – Premier League Extratime
9:05 a.m. ET: Stoke City vs. West Bromwich Albion – Premier League Extratime
9:05 a.m. ET: Hull City vs. Leicester City – Premier League Extratime
11:15 a.m. ET: Newcastle United vs. Everton – NBCSN

Monday, December 29

3 p.m. ET: Liverpool vs. Swansea City – NBCSN

Thursday, January 1 – New Year’s Day - (Plus, Premier League Breakaway show on NBCSN)

7:45 a.m. ET: Stoke City vs. Manchester United – NBCSN
10 a.m. ET: Premier League Breakaway – NBCSN
10 a.m. ET: Southampton vs. Arsenal – Premier League Extratime
10 a.m. ET: Liverpool vs. Leicester City – Premier League Extratime
10 a.m. ET: Manchester City vs. Sunderland – Premier League Extratime
10 a.m. ET: Aston Villa vs. Crystal Palace – Premier League Extratime
10 a.m. ET: Hull City vs. Everton – Premier League Extratime
10 a.m. ET: Newcastle vs. Burnley – Premier League Extratime
10 a.m. ET: QPR vs. Swansea City – Premier League Extratime
10 a.m. ET: West Ham vs. West Brom – Premier League Extratime
12:30 p.m. ET: Tottenham vs. Chelsea – NBCSN

Big 12 would look 'East not West' if league decides to expand.

By Brent Sobleski

Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby

Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby provided the first hint of possible expansion during an interview on 740 AM the Game with the Orlando Sentinel‘s Mike Bianchi.

Expansion could be vital for the league as it moves forward after being left out of the first College Football Playoff.

Once the Baylor Bears and TCU Horned Frogs weren’t included as one of the nation’s top four teams, the Big 12 Conference became the only Power Five league without representation in the inaugural playoff system.

Two reasons became evident why the Big 12 was left out of the mix.

First, the Big 12 only has 10 teams. The NCAA prevents a league from hosting a championship game if it has less than 12 teams. As a result, the champions of the Big 12 played one less game than those teams that won their championship game.

 In an attempt to make both the Baylor and TCU enticing candidates — because the Horned Frogs were rated higher even though they lost to the Bears — the conference decided its “One True Champion” would include both teams and the College Playoff Committee could decide which team should be more highly ranked.

Instead, the league’s decision backfired since neither team was seen as a true champion of their conference.

The most likely solution to the Big 12’s problem is to acquire a waiver from the NCAA to hold a championship game. After all, the Big 12 places a higher value on monetary gain than true competitive balance.

“We divide the money 10 ways,” Bowlsby told Bianchi, via UCFSports.com. “Right now, we’re distributing the largest amount of money to each of our members in any league in college athletics. I don’t know that our members are prepared to take a reduction in that distributable revenue. It’s certainly about TV sets. It’s certainly about recruiting. It’s certainly about the possibility of competitive implications in all of our sports, but particularly our high-profile sports. At the present time we have no strategy. We haven’t had any discussions around expansion. Our CEOs have said they like 10. I expect that we’ll be at 10 for a while. Could that change down the road? Sure it could… I don’t think we’re going to take a kneejerk reaction and think immediately about expansion just because on this occasion we got left out of the playoff.”

While Bowlsby expects an answer for the league’s appeal within six months, expansion might quickly develop into a legitimate option if the NCAA doesn’t approve the waiver.

The commissioner provided an initial hint of what the league might do once league expansion is back on the table.

“We have one member in West Virginia that’s on the East Coast,” Bowlsby said. “We have to be mindful of their situation. If we took somebody in that was on the far West Coast it would certainly do a disservice to our member in West Virginia. As I mentioned earlier, it may be a different set of criteria to some of our members than it is to other members. As the commissioner, I certainly have to take all 10 institutions and their sensitivities into play.”

The two obvious candidates would be the Cincinnati Bearcats and the UCF Knights. Cincinnati would provide a travel partner and a rival for West Virginia. UCF, meanwhile, is an burgeoning program that would allow the Big 12 to get into the talent-rich state of Florida for recruiting purposes.

Bowlsby’s inclination to look at teams in the eastern half of the United State would exclude the BYU Cougars and Boise State Broncos, both of which would be strong candidates as football programs.

“We don’t have any schools on our radar at the present time,” Bowlsby said. “As you know, the Grant of Rights was noted earlier in the previous question. Our institutions all have granted their rights to the Big 12. Several other conferences have Grants of Rights. There are some institutions that are essentially off the table. We don’t have any expansion initiative. We don’t have any list of prospects. We don’t have any plans to expand. As our athletic directors, our CEOs, talk about what the model looks like, talk about the challenges of the future and talk about the immediate past experience we had with the playoff, you know, those are things that are going to get discussed. But we don’t have any list. We don’t have any initiative. I would say that the status quo is by far the most attractive status to most of our members.”

While the Big 12 doesn’t have any current plans to expand, Bowlby’s stance has slightly softened in the past 11 days.

The league’s future expansion now hinges on the NCAA’s decision to allow the Big 12 to hold a championship game with on 10 members. If the appeal is denied, the expansion conversation will intensify.

NCAA The Top Twenty Five Basketball Teams. 12/22/2014.

Associated Press

RANK	SCHOOL	RECORD	POINTS	PREVIOUS
1	Kentucky (65)	12-0	1,625	1
2	Duke	10-0	1,548	2
3	Arizona	12-0	1,502	3
4	Louisville	10-0	1,344	4
5	Virginia	11-0	1,336	6
6	Wisconsin	10-1	1,322	5
7	Villanova	11-0	1,214	7
8	Gonzaga	12-1	1,170	8
9	Texas	10-1	1,149	9
10	Kansas	9-1	1,096	10
11	Wichita State	8-1	966	11
12	Iowa State	9-1	821	13
13	Washington	10-0	798	16
14	Utah	8-2	796	14
15	Maryland	11-1	678	17
16	Notre Dame	11-1	536	21
17	St. John's	9-2	517	20
18	West Virginia	10-1	464	22
19	Oklahoma	7-3	436	15
20	North Carolina	9-3	414	24
21	Ohio State	9-2	411	12
22	Baylor	9-1	203	NR
23	UNI	10-1	162	NR
24	Colorado State	11-0	144	NR
25	TCU	11-0	120	NR

Dropped out: No. 18 Miami (Fla.), No. 19 San Diego State, No. 23 Butler, No. 25 Michigan State.

Others receiving votes: Georgetown 85, San Diego State 72, VCU 70, California 32, Miami (Fla.) 27, Arkansas 22, Indiana 11, Old Dominion 7, LSU 7, Florida 4, Penn State 4, Seton Hall 3, Oklahoma State 3, Butler 2, Minnesota 2, Davidson 1, Valparaiso 1.

Kentucky still has one more major test to pass this season and it might not come against Louisville. 

By Scott Phillips

(Photo/AP)

If you try to compare the 2014-15 Kentucky Wildcats to something else in the world of sports, you might be best served linking them to the early version of Mike Tyson from the ’80s.

Before Tyson ran into problems with arrests and issues with outside influences later in his boxing career, he was the “Baddest Man on the Planet” often destroying the confidence of opponents before they even stepped in the ring. Tyson’s ferocious combinations — and the fear he generated before the fight itself — often left opponents on the mat within the first few rounds of the fight.

Sound familiar?

It should.

Because Kentucky is currently knocking opponents out before the Wildcats even get a chance to break a sweat.

Saturday’s 83-44 drubbing of UCLA at the United Center was just the latest example of the Wildcats’ quick-strike ability. Much like the Kansas game in the Champions Classic in late November, Kentucky ended the game before the other team could even get acclimated. The Wildcats jumped out to a 24-0 lead that grew to 41-7 by halftime and a reeling UCLA never recovered.

The win moved No. 1 Kentucky to 12-0 on the season, and although the Wildcats had some first-half battles with the likes of Buffalo, Boston and Columbia earlier this season, they’ve won every game by double digits in 2014-15.

If there is still one thing we have yet to see Kentucky face this season, it’s how they will handle the pressures of being in a close game late in the second half. At some point this season, it’s bound to happen, and it could change the chemistry of the team just enough to throw things off.

Kentucky has already handled the preseason hype of being No. 1, the unique concept of platoons to get 9-to-10 talented players nearly equal playing time while also overcoming the loss of junior starting forward Alex Poythress to a season-ending knee injury. But Kentucky hasn’t been punched in the mouth and tasted their own blood late in a game yet.

“We were down 11-0 to Columbia, we were down five to Buffalo at the half. We were down to Boston. They’re not machines and they’re not computers. They don’t play great every time out,” Kentucky head coach John Calipari said of his players after the win on Saturday.

Calipari is correct, his players can’t be counted on to bring their ‘A’ game every single time, they’ve just been so good at bringing waves of athletic players at opposing teams that they really haven’t been seriously tested yet. So what happens if an opponent faces Kentucky on an off night and a veteran team with some hot perimeter shooting keeps the game close? History showed last season that returning Wildcat players like Andrew and Aaron Harrison will step up their play in big games, but there are still four freshmen — two of them “starters” — who have yet to play in a close game in their college careers.

“Clutter” was a word that Calipari often threw around during Saturday’s press conference. If the Wildcats can continue to avoid the pitfalls from pressure and hype generated by those that watch them, they are less likely to come out flat and avoid a letdown. So far this season, it seems like the only team that might be able to beat Kentucky is themselves.

“Jay Bilas gave a great talk about the clutter. That the media will try to break you down, how they’ll evaluate one against the other,” Calipari said. “They’ll really promote one guy to try to separate the team and make the other guy out to be a schmo. I’ve got no schmos on this team.”

This week could be the biggest test of all for Kentucky before the 2015 NCAA Tournament. Not only will the Wildcats face their biggest rival in No. 4 Louisville, but their players will go home for Christmas and hear the outside influences within their own circles. Family and friends will question each player on why their individual numbers are so small, or how they can give up minutes and shots when NBA millions are so close.

Going back to Tyson, he didn’t get upset by Buster Douglas in 1990 because he was the inferior fighter — Iron Mike was 37-0 and the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world entering the fight while Douglas was a 42-to-1 underdog.  Tyson lost the fight because he let outside distractions seep in and gave a ‘C’ effort while his opponent fought the fight of his life.

Even if the Louisville game turns out to be another blowout Kentucky win — which is doubtful, but could happen — every opponent Kentucky faces this season is going to circle their name on the calendar and give their best effort facing the Wildcats. There is going to be some game when Kentucky goes cold from the field, comes out flat and an opposing team will run clock and keep it tight in the second half.

So far, nothing has been able to distract Kentucky from its quest of a national championship, and a potential perfect season, but there are plenty of talented teams featuring future pros that won’t be intimidated by Kentucky. All that it takes is for one off night to happen and the dream of a perfect season — and a national title — could be ruined.

It doesn’t look like anyone can beat Kentucky at their best this season, but things can change quickly when things aren’t going as planned. Will Kentucky still buy into the team concept if times get tough and a limited rotation is forged at the end of a close game? Will certain players be upset not being able to take big shots in key moments? How will John Calipari’s coaching style change if he has to worry about subbing individual players instead of line shifts.

“I don’t have to worry about subbing. Think about taking that off of a coach’s plate,” Calipari said.

Those are questions that still remain unanswered about Kentucky this season, and minor as they might appear on the surface, they could still come up at any moment and change the delicate complexion of the team dynamic.

All eyes will continue to be on Kentucky this season as they’ve already made national headlines for blowing out two storied programs, but all it takes is 40 minutes of mediocre play for everything to change.

NFL domestic violence is AP sports story of year.

By RACHEL COHEN (AP Sports Writer)

The NFL's troubles with domestic violence were selected the sports story of the year Tuesday in an annual vote conducted by The Associated Press.

Ninety-four ballots were submitted from U.S. editors and news directors. Voters were asked to rank the top 10 sports stories of the year, with the first-place story receiving 10 points, the second-place story nine points and so on.

NFL domestic violence received 659 points and 29 first-place votes.

The No. 2 sports story, Clippers owner Donald Sterling forced out by the NBA after his racist statements, had 518 points.

Here are 2014's top 10 stories:

 

1. NFL DOMESTIC VIOLENCE: Baltimore Ravens star running back Ray Rice knocked his now-wife unconscious in an Atlantic City casino elevator Feb. 15, but it wasn't until July 24 that domestic violence cases spiraled into a crisis roiling the NFL. Commissioner Roger Goodell suspended Rice for just two games, which drew widespread derision. More than a month passed before Goodell admitted he ''didn't get it right'' and announced harsher sanctions for future domestic violence offenses.

But the NFL's problems were only beginning. On Sept. 8, TMZ Sports released video from inside the elevator that showed Rice punching his then-fiancee; the Ravens responded by releasing him and Goodell suspended him indefinitely. And on Sept. 12, one of the league's biggest stars, Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson, was indicted on felony child abuse charges for using a wooden switch to discipline his 4-year-old son. The Vikings initially planned to play him just over a week later, reversing course only after the ensuing uproar.

The year ends with Rice reinstated by an arbitrator but without a team and Peterson suspended and suing the NFL. Chastened by those and other cases, the league is pushing a new personal conduct policy, but the players' union is balking at Goodell's role in the disciplinary process.

2. CLIPPERS' STERLING BANNED: Donald Sterling had withstood accusations of racism throughout his more than three decades as owner of the Los Angeles Clippers. But when audio surfaced April 25 of Sterling spewing racist remarks, he was banned for life by new NBA Commissioner Adam Silver just four days later and forced to sell the team.

3. LEBRON GOES HOME: This time, LeBron James decided to return home. Four years after spurning Cleveland to sign with the Miami Heat, the Northeast Ohio native and four-time NBA MVP announced July 11 that he was rejoining the Cavaliers to try to end the city's half-century title drought.

4. FIRSTS FOR GAY ATHLETES: Jason Collins became the first openly gay man to play in the big four North American pro sports leagues when he made his debut with the Brooklyn Nets on Feb. 23. The veteran center had come out 10 months earlier, a trailblazing moment that helped inspire other athletes and sports officials to follow his lead in 2014. That included Missouri All-American Michael Sam, who went on to be drafted into the NFL, though he has yet to play in a game.

5. GIANTS WIN WORLD SERIES: Madison Bumgarner pitched seven dominant innings to win Game 1 of the World Series. Then the San Francisco ace topped himself with a shutout in Game 5. He outdid himself yet again with five scoreless innings of relief in Game 7 to clinch the Giants' third championship in five years.

6. COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF PAYS OFF: Ohio State lost to Virginia Tech on Sept. 6. Oregon was upset by Arizona on Oct. 2, and Alabama fell to Ole Miss two days later. The rest of those teams' regular-season games still mattered because of the new College Football Playoff, which made more and more matchups meaningful deep into the fall.

7. TONY STEWART: One of NASCAR's biggest stars, Tony Stewart, was taking part in a small sprint car race in upstate New York on Aug. 9 when he struck and killed 20-year-old driver Kevin Ward Jr. A grand jury decided not to bring criminal charges against Stewart, who skipped three NASCAR races as he grieved.

8. WORLD CUP: Brazil's World Cup was a big celebration until those German goals started piling up. The expected massive protests didn't materialize, and the construction delays caused few headaches. The major disappointment came on the field when the hosts, without injured star Neymar, were thrashed 7-1 in the semifinals by eventual champion Germany.

9. SEAHAWKS WIN SUPER BOWL: Richard Sherman's Seattle defense was way too much for Peyton Manning's Denver offense. The Seahawks flustered and flattened the Broncos with a 43-8 victory in the Super Bowl, when the weather cooperated outdoors in New Jersey.

10. SOCHI OLYMPICS: The Sochi Olympics opened amid fears of terrorist attacks and denunciations of Russia's so-called ''gay propaganda'' law. The games went on peacefully, with the hosts winning 33 medals - though not in hockey. But by the closing ceremony, darkness lurked nearby in the world in violence in Ukraine.

On This Date in Sports History: Today is Wednesday, December 24, 2014.

Memoriesofhistory.com

1967 - Joe Namath (New York Jets) became the first NFL quarterback to pass for 4,000 yards.

1981 - Reggie Jackson announced that he would join Gene Autry’s California Angels for the 1982 season.

2000 - 36 minutes after the end of a game, both the New England Patriots and the Miami Dolphins were called back to the playing field. The teams had to play the final 3 seconds of the game which the Dolphins had won 27-24. The end result did not change.  

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