CS&T/AA Monday Sports News Update, 01/12/2015.

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Sports Quote of the Day:

“You will never do anything in this world without courage. It is the greatest quality of the mind next to honor.” ~ Aristotle, Philosopher, Scientist and Educator

How 'bout them Chicago Blackhawks? Blackhawks cruise past Wild 4-1.

By Tracey Myers

Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Duncan Keith (2) battles for the puck with Minnesota Wild center Charlie Coyle (3) during the first period of an NHL hockey game in Chicago, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2015. (AP Photo/Kamil Krzaczynski)

Bryan Bickell isn’t sure why he has such a scoring touch against the Minnesota Wild.

“Yeah, I wish I played them 82 games but I don’t know,” he said. “Something about them the puck finds the back of the net. I wish I knew what the reason was.”

He isn’t going to think too much about it. He’ll just go with it.

Bickell had a goal and an assist, as did two of his teammates, as the Blackhawks beat the Wild 4-1 on Sunday night. The Blackhawks, who now have 58 points, remain two behind the Central Division-leading Nashville Predators.

Corey Crawford, who looks to be getting back to pre-injury form, stopped 36 of 37 shots for his second consecutive victory against the Wild. Marian Hossa and Brad Richards also had a goal and an assist. Johnny Oduya scored his second goal of the season and Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews each had two assists.

For Bickell, Sunday marked another successful night against a team he’s thrived against the past few seasons. In 29 games (regular season and playoffs combined), Bickell now has 14 goals and five assists. He also had a game-high five hits.

“He’s had success against that group,” coach Joel Quenneville said. “That line [of Bickell, Richards and Kane], in three games, not bad; two good games and production as well. [Bickell] is adding to our team’s physicality, getting his hits. I think it helps him get space and separation in puck areas.”

The Blackhawks, who don’t play again until Friday, wanted to enter this four-day break the right way. They did, starting strong and staying that way throughout against a beleaguered Wild team that has just two victories in its last 13 games. For a team that’s struggled in putting together 60-minute efforts lately, Sunday was a much-needed outing.

“It’s a lot better than we played the last couple of games,” Duncan Keith said. “We talked about having a better start, knowing we have some days off coming up here. We wanted a good start and wanted to carry it through, and we did that for the most part.”

The Blackhawks had an early lead on Minnesota when the two teams played on Thursday. The problem that night was, the Blackhawks’ final 40 minutes – outside of Corey Crawford – was forgettable. They struggled, they were outshot badly and they held on thanks to their goaltender. There were few hiccups on Sunday. The Blackhawks scored two in the first period (Hossa and Bickell), added two in the second (Richards and Oduya) and had a solid finish.

“That was great,” said Crawford, who was once again staked to an early lead vs. Minnesota. “Everyone came to play today and it’s nice to get some goals early. That was just a solid game all around. It was a tough loss for us in Edmonton so guys were ready for tonight.”

Bickell had his usual strong game against the Wild. The Blackhawks got as close to a 60-minute effort as they’ve had in some time. They wanted to go into their four-day break on a high note. That, they did.

“I liked how we’ve started. We had some good and tough stretches, but we were a lot more complete than in recent games,” Quenneville said. “With the four days off, at least we go in feeling better about ourselves than our recent couple of games. We had such a busy stretch, it’ll be nice to get a breather here and get excited about a busy stretch going into the all-star break.”

Goal-oriented Patrick Kane making a run at NHL scoring title.

By Mark Lazarus

 

Patrick Kane is on pace for a career-high 40 goals this season. (AP Photo)

Patrick Kane’s been here before — in the thick of the race for the scoring title, in the conversation for the Hart Trophy, in the zone. 

He was here during the lockout-shortened 2013 season, before a relatively quiet March dropped him out of the picture. He was here at this same point last season, the league’s first star of the month in both November and December, before fading in January with an 11-game goal drought, and then getting injured.

“It seems like I’ve been in this position a couple times before, where I’m right around there, and it kind of slips off for whatever reason,” Kane said. “You try not to think about that stuff, about winning a scoring title or winning anything like that.”

Kane’s made no secret over the years that a scoring title is among his individual goals, something that drives him to work harder and get better. Maybe 100 points, too. Forty goals, as well. And while recent history suggests Kane might not be able to sustain the remarkable pace he’s on, anyone watching Kane play all season would think otherwise.

In his last 26 games, Kane has 16 goals and 19 assists, rocketing him to third place on the league scoring list with 45 points, just four back of league-leader Jakub Voracek of the Philadelphia Flyers, and two behind Dallas center Tyler Seguin. 

What’s most eye-catching is the goal total — 20 at the halfway point of the season, on pace for an even 40. For all his skill and all his highlight-reel goals — spin-o-ramas and roofed backhanders and dangles through the defense — he’s only hit the 30-goal mark once, in the 2009-10 season (when he also had a career-high 88 points). He’s been consistent, with at least 20 goals in each of his eight seasons, but not prolific.

It’s been different this season. Always labeled a playmaker, Kane is becoming a true goal-scorer, too.

“I think when I was a younger kid, especially coming into the NHL, I always kind of viewed myself more as a goal-scorer,” said Kane, who had 62 goals in 58 games in his one season of junior hockey. “But as I came into the league, I was more of a playmaker, and I think that’s just the way it kind of developed. Who knows why?”

Well, it’s not hard to see why his game is evolving. After years of a revolving door of centers, including defensive-minded guys such as Michal Handzus and Marcus Kruger, Kane finally has a playmaker of his own beside him, Brad Richards. It’s no coincidence that Kane’s scoring binge has coincided with those two being put on the same line. Kane insists that he didn’t mind playing with different guys over the past few seasons, but freely admitted that Richards has been a difference-maker for him.

“Yeah, it helps, for sure,” Kane said. “I’ve really enjoyed playing with Richie, and I think we’ve done a lot of good things.”

Hawks coach Joel Quenneville has noticed Kane working more on his shot in practices, too, honing his one-timer on the power play, becoming more than just a stick-handler, finding holes in the offensive zone from which to shoot. It’s something he’s gotten better at each year.

“You look at Kaner’s career, the way he came into the league as an 18-year-old,” said Patrick Sharp, who has undergone his own evolution from a pure shooter to a more well-rounded offensive player. “I know he scored [21] goals as a rookie, but he really wasn’t a goal-scorer at that time. He was more of a playmaker. That was his bread and butter. You look at him now, he’s a threat all over the ice.”

It’s made one of the league’s most dangerous players that much more scary for opposing teams to defend, especially when the top line of Brandon Saad, Jonathan Toews and Marian Hossa is clicking as it has been, forcing coaches to pick their poison in terms of defensive matchups. 

Kane’s enjoying the run, and hoping that this time it will last all season. He’s not dwelling on the scoring race, but he’d certainly like to win it. And as for those seemingly unreachable benchmarks — 40 goals, or 100 points? Well, why not?

“I don’t know if you ever really want to set any type of limitation or any type of goals,” he said. “You just want to get as many as you can.”

NHL reveals 2015 NHL All-Star Game rosters.

By Pat Iversen

The NHL released the list of 36 players selected to the 2015 NHL All-Star Game, and the most notable names are the ones left off it.

 

For the first time in what seems like a decade, players like Pavel Datsyuk, Joe Thornton, Jarome Iginla, Henrik and Daniel Sedin won't be a part of the all-star festivities in Columbus.

 

Instead, the roster features at least one player from each team and is headlined by a group of first-time all-stars. Oliver-Ekman Larsson, Patrice Bergeron, Mark Giordano, Ryan Johansen and Vladimir Tarasenko are just a couple of players selected to their first All-Star Game.

 

Of course, the usuals also made the cut. Alex Ovechkin was selected for the sixth time, followed by the likes of Ryan Getzlaf (third), Patrik Elias (fourth), Shea Weber (fourth) and Sidney Crosby. Interestingly enough, Crosby hasn't played in an All-Star game since 2007.

 

Here is the roster for the game. Two captains, announced next week, will select their teams from this pool of players.

 

Forwards

 

Name	Position	Team
Jonathan Toews	C	Blackhawks
Patrick Kane	LW	Blackhawks
Ryan Getzlaf	C	Ducks
Claude Giroux	C	Flyers
Patrice Bergeron	C	Bruins
Jakub Voracek	RW	Flyers
Nick Foligno	LW	Blue Jackets
Sidney Crosby	C	Penguins
Ryan Johansen	C	Blue Jackets
Tyler Seguin	C	Stars
Vladimir Tarasenko	RW	Blues
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins	C	Oilers
Steven Stamkos	C	Lightning
Anze Kopitar	C	Kings
Tyler Johnson	RW	Lightning
Patrik Elias	LW	Devils
Phil Kessel	RW	Maple Leafs
John Tavares	C	Islanders
Radim Vrbata	RW	Canucks
Rick Nash	LW	Rangers
Alex Ovechkin	RW	Capitals
Bobby Ryan	RW	Senators
Zemgus Girgensons	C	Sabres

Defensemen

Name	Team
Duncan Keith	Blackhawks
Brent Seabrook	Blackhawks
Oliver Ekman-Larsson	Coyotes
Ryan Suter	Wild
Mark Giordano	Flames
Shea Weber	Predators
Justin Faulk	Hurricanes
Brent Burns	Sharks
Erik Johnson	Avalanche
Kevin Shattenkirk	Blues
Drew Doughty	Kings
Dustin Byfuglien	Jets

Goalies

Name	Team
Sergei Bobrovsky	Blue Jackets
Carey Price	Canadiens
Jimmy Howard	Red Wings
Pekka Rinne	Predators
Roberto Luongo	Panthers
Corey Crawford	Blackhawks

Brandon Saad scores twice, but Blackhawks fall to Oilers 5-2. (Friday night's game, 01/09/2015).

By Michael Arcuri

The Blackhawks looked much like a one-line team in a 5-2 loss Friday night against the Edmonton Oilers.

Brandon Saad scored twice, his 11th and 12th of the season, and Marian Hossa picked up two assists, but it wasn't enough to win their sixth straight game over the last-place Edmonton Oilers.

“They were dangerous. That line does a lot of good things,” Quenneville said after the game. “A couple two-on-ones and Saad-er just goes to the net. That’s how you score a lot in this league,”

The freshly acquired Derek Roy lead the way for Edmonton, picking up a goal and two assists on the night.

The Blackhawks looked like a team in the second game of a back-to-back. The Hawks were fighting the puck all night; whiffed shots, errant passes and poorly timed bobbles highlighted the uncharacteristically sloppy play.

An inch here and one less bobble there, and you might be talking about a completely different game.

“No excuses. We’ve played back-to-back games, and we’re generally better,” Quenneville said.

“It’s tough, but there are no excuses,” Saad reiterated after the game. “We can blame it on the schedule, but we got out-worked tonight.”

It was Saad who opened the scoring for the Blackhawks on a 2-on-1 break. Oilers goaltender Ben Scrivens kicked a Jonathan Toews shot right onto Saad’s waiting stick, and the forward slapped home the rebound for the 1-0 lead.

Edmonton struck back 8:52 into the period. Benoit Pouliot was left unattended in front of Antti Raanta and quickly slid a loose puck around the sprawling keeper.

The Oilers jumped ahead fewer than five minutes later. With David Rundblad in the box for high-sticking, Roy found himself on the other end of a Teddy Purcell cross-crease feed, which he quickly tapped past Raanta to give the home side a 2-1 lead at the end of the first period.

At 5:47 of the second period, Saad scored what might as well have been an instant replay of his first goal. Hossa took the shot off the 2-on-1, and Saad quickly tidied up the rebound to tie the game at 2.

“It pretty much was (a replay),” Saad said. “Same side, same bounce, same tap-ins. I’m fortunate for the bounces.”

Edmonton struck back less than a minute later. Jeff Petry, who missed a wide-open net minutes earlier, chipped a sloppy Raanta rebound over the goaltender's shoulder for a 3-2 lead.

“If you let that kind of bad rebound straight to guys stick you have to recover,” Raanta said. “You can't let that kind of goal in.”

The Blackhawks had several opportunities to knot up the game in the third, but each attack was stifled by Scrivens. The Oilers goalie made 20 saves to pick up his eighth victory of the season.

Nail Yakupov iced the game with 3:09 remaining in the game. The Russian winger found himself on a 2-on-0 break with Taylor Hall. Yakupov kept and whipped a nifty backhand over Raanta’s glove to give Edmonton a two-goal lead.

Hall added his team-leading 11th goal with Raanta pulled to add insult to injury.
Raanta gave Corey Crawford the night off, stopping 17 of 21 shots in his eight start of the season.

With the loss, the Blackhawks record falls to 27-13-2, and they remain two points behind Nashville for the top spot in the Central Division.

Just Another Chicago Bulls Session… Magic-Bulls Preview.

By ALAN FERGUSON (STATS Writer)

Thanks to Pau Gasol's big night, the short-handed Chicago Bulls avoided their longest losing streak of the season.

They might not need as much assistance from Gasol on Monday night against the scuffling Orlando Magic, a team they've dominated recently.

Gasol had a career-high 46 points and 18 rebounds in a 95-87 win over visiting Milwaukee on Saturday that followed back-to-back defeats.

With 16 points, Kirk Hinrich was the only other Bulls player in double figures. Jimmy Butler was held to less than half of his team-best season average with nine points, though he registered a career-high 10 assists.

"(Gasol has) been big time for us all year. You can't really say enough about what he does for our team," Hinrich said. "Everybody talks about on the court, you know, he's a double-double machine. In this locker room, he's the voice of a guy who's been there and been through it.

"Tonight was a monster game. I don't know if I've seen someone rolling like that in a long time."

Chicago (26-12) played without Derrick Rose and Mike Dunleavy. The statuses of both players are uncertain.

"The depth of our team and the character of this team takes care of injuries. That's the most important part," Gasol said. "Adversity is going to come our way, and we just have to overcome it."

The Bulls haven't needed Rose in most of their recent games against Orlando (13-27).

He's missed the past nine matchups, but Chicago has won 12 of 14, including the last three.

The Bulls won 98-90 on Nov. 4 in their only meeting with the Magic this season. Joakim Noah was out due to illness and Dunleavy provided just three points.

This time, they'll face a Orlando team that's dropped a season-high six in a row. The Magic are 0-3 on their four-game trip after a 103-92 loss to Portland on Saturday and in danger of a season-high fourth consecutive road defeat.

Nikola Vucevic had a career-best 34 points and 16 rebounds, but his teammates combined to shoot 22 of 69 (31.9 percent).

The Magic played without leading scorer Tobias Harris, who injured his ankle in a 101-84 defeat to the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday, and Evan Fournier (knee). Despite being depleted, they managed to rally from a 19-point deficit in the first half to take a one-point lead with 7:44 remaining, which Vucevic said could give the struggling club a lift.

"It's tough when you lose a lot of games lately, but you always want to find something out of a loss," Vucevic said. "We played a much better game (than Friday) without two of our important players, and we were right there. That approach has to be very important for us."

Harris, whose status is uncertain, had a team-best 21 points and nine rebounds Nov. 4.

Butler scored a team-leading 21 points for the Bulls, but he's totaled 19 and missed 17 of 21 shots in the past two games.

Bulls: Humbled Pau Gasol 'takes pride' in scoring career-high 46 points. Bulls beat Bucks 95-87.

By Mike Singer

Pau Gasol shoots over the Rockets' Josh Smith and Donatas Motiejunas in the first half. (Photo/Tannen Maury, EPA)

On a night when the Bulls were without Derrick Rose and were reeling from consecutive dispiriting losses, Bulls center Pau Gasol decided to post a career-high 46 points and 18 rebounds. No matter what creative defensive opposition the Bucks heaved at his seven-foot frame, nothing seemed to deter him.

 

“He wasn’t going to let us lose tonight,” Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau said following Saturday’s 95-87 victory over Milwaukee, which ended a two-game slide.

 

He didn’t head into Saturday night’s game against Milwaukee looking to score, and in fact, having already lost both of his prior 40-plus point games in his career, Gasol wasn’t particularly fond of such lopsided scoring.

 

“I don’t usually like guys having that amount of points because it takes away rhythm of the other players and I’m all about balance and team game,” Gasol said, whose monster night marked his 20th double-double of the year, which ranks second in the NBA.

 

That perspective is a unique view into Gasol’s thinking, and it’s partly why his teammates were so proud of him on Saturday night.

“He’s such a good person. People don’t understand that,” Taj Gibson said perched in the locker room stall that sits next to Gasol’s. “People see the political, the good words that you say after you win a game, but people don’t really see how he comes in, he asks you how you’re doing, he always talks to you in practice, he helps work on your game, and then he feeds off everybody else.”

 

On Saturday, the entire Bulls offense fed off Gasol.

 

He poured in 20 points in the first quarter, outscoring the entire Bucks’ team by a point. He used jumpers, hook shots, back downs, tip-ins, free throws and just about every other method one could conceivably use to score to dominate. The Bulls’ points in the paint would have been significantly in their favor had Gasol not found his stroke outside the paint as well. 

 

There was simply nothing Bucks coach Jason Kidd could do to stop him, not that he didn’t try. Zaza Pachulia tried to check him, but Gasol was more lithe than the Bucks’ big man. Next Kidd tossed John Henson at Gasol to try and get a hand in his face on jumpers. That didn’t work, either. The Bucks tried Jared Dudley, then guard Khris Middleton and finally they just resorted to double teams because he was rolling.

 

“They kept putting different bodies on him, but you got to understand he’s a legit seven-foot, seven-one guy with a long wingspan,” Gibson said of his frontcourt mate. “It’s just one of those nights you gotta throw everybody at him and they just didn’t do that right away.”

 

Added Thibodeau: "You're talking about a guy who's as highly skilled a big guy as there is in the NBA." 

Gasol had another eight points in the second quarter before dropping 12 in the third. Although he made 17 of 30 attempts — the next highest shots attempt came from Kirk Hinrich at 13 — you never got the sense that he forced his opportunities. After the Bucks finally put two defenders on him, Gasol was completely content to kick the ball outside along the perimeter or absorb the attention and dish to a cutting Gibson. Winning, not scoring records, has always been what motivates the two-time champion.

 

“We’ve got a team of guys that are unselfish, they play for the team, they play to win, and that’s who he is,” Thibodeau said.

 

That being said, Gasol, who is always cognizant of his statistics, clearly wanted to set his career-high once the opportunity presented itself. Sitting on 44 points, Jimmy Butler — who probably deserves a ton of credit given that he recorded a career-high 10 assists — tried to hit Gasol along the baseline for what would’ve been an easy lay-in. The ball got knocked out, but Gasol thanked Butler for the thought. Next Hinrich ran an isolation play for Gasol on the right block where he’d thrived all evening. Pachulia fouled him and Gasol drained both of his free throws as the United Center crowd roared with M-V-P chants.

 

Asked what it meant to him to record his career-high in his 14th season, and Gasol couldn’t help himself.

 

“It’s humbling. It’s very satisfying,” he said. “Playing well at this point in my career, not a lot of guys are able to do that. I’m happy and fortunate that I can. It’s important and I take pride in it.”  

Bulls' frontcourt drops the ball in loss to Wizards 102-86. (Friday night's game, 01/09/2015).

By Rich Dubroff

For the second straight game, the Bulls shot poorly, and it resulted in a double-digit loss. And, for the second consecutive game, the Bulls’ frontcourt was subpar.

In Wednesday’s loss to Utah, Jimmy Butler, Pau Gasol and Joakim Noah combined to shoot 10-for-29 in a 20-point loss.

On Friday night, it was a nearly identical 8-for-29, and this time, the Bulls' loss by 16 points.

No matter that Derrick Rose somewhat emerged from his slump, the Bulls are going to need the three up front to be better.

The team was behind by 20 points in the first quarter, and though they made it cosmetically close, the Bulls never got within five points in the final three quarters.

“I’m concerned about the team being in a big hole early. If Derrick doesn’t shoot the ball well, and we win, and the team functions well, then he’s done the job. I’m not concerned about him as much individually as I am collectively with our team. We have to play better,” coach Tom Thibodeau said. 

Even though Gasol and Noah combined for 23 rebounds, most of them came in the second half when the team was trailing by a considerable margin.

Gasol was the best shooter of the three, going 5-for-12 in 32 minutes.

“We got the ball quite a bit into Pau, and that was our best offense,” Thibodeau said.

Noah had just one point against the Jazz, and scored just three against Washington.

“They did a great job. They were definitely more physical than us. They moved the ball better than us. They executed better than us. They just played a better all-around game,” Noah said. ”We’ve got to find better ways to attack them.”

Last year, the Wizards beat the Bulls in a five-game Eastern Conference playoff series. The teams have split their two games in Washington, and will play again at the United Center on Wednesday.

Rose was surprised when he was reminded of that after the game.

“We’ve got to figure it out. I think we’re good enough, I think we’re smart enough to figure it out,” Rose said.

Thibodeau said that Butler, who came into the game leading the Bulls with 21.7 points per game, didn’t play badly, and a lot is being asked of him on defense.

“I thought he drove the ball hard. He didn’t get some calls,” Thibodeau said. “Jimmy scores so many different ways. He’s got to remember to run the floor and get some easy baskets…We’re putting a lot on him.”

As for Noah, his scoring (8.2) and rebounding (9.8) are markedly lower than last season, something Thibodeau ascribes to his offseason knee surgery.

“You hate to see him get frustrated. It’s been a very long rehab for him,” Thibodeau said. “He can’t get frustrated with it. He’s just got to keep working, and it will get better.”

On Saturday, Noah will try again when the Bulls host Milwaukee.

“I’m a worker, and I’m never going to stop until I get it right,” Noah said.

NFL Divisional Playoffs Weekend Scores.

Yahoo.com

Saturday, 01/10/2015

Baltimore Ravens 31
New England Patriots 35

Carolina Panthers 17
Seattle Seahawks 31

Sunday, 01/11/2015

Dallas Cowboys 21
Green Bay Packers 26

Indianapolis Colts 24
Denver Broncos 13

Bear Down Chicago Bears!!!!! Hiring coach tops priority list for new Bears GM Pace.

By ANDREW SELIGMAN (AP Sports Writer)

New Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Pace recalled driving from Eastern Illinois to New Orleans in a beat up car for a job interview all those years ago.

 

From working in game-day operations with the Saints for a year to rising through their front office and landing Chicago's general manager job, it has been quite a climb.

Pace was introduced Friday as the Bears' GM, charged with turning around a franchise with just one playoff appearance in the past eight years.

''I'm really proud of the path that I took. It just makes me smile,'' said Pace, who at 37 is the league's youngest general manager.

Pace comes to Chicago after 14 years with the Saints - 13 in their personnel department.

He has a big task rebuilding a team that went 5-11 and fired GM Phil Emery and coach Marc Trestman after one of the most disappointing seasons in recent memory.

Pace, a defensive end at Eastern Illinois in the late 1990s, helped build a championship team with the Saints. He also was the interim GM during the ''Bountygate'' sanctions.

''I was in a good situation in New Orleans,'' he said. ''I worked with great people there in a good environment. I wasn't one of those guys looking to jump to the next job.
 

This was a very thorough and calculated decision by me and my family. And that's because this is a historic franchise that desperately wants to win and they're willing to do whatever it takes for that to happen. And I want to be leading that charge.''

Topping Pace's to-do list is hiring a coach.

As for Cutler, who signed a seven-year, $126 million deal after the 2013 season, Pace is not ready to draw any conclusions. The contract makes him tough to trade. Cutting Cutler could be an option if the Bears decide not to keep him.

''I want to get to know Jay,'' he said. ''I want to get to know him further before I come to these conclusions.''

Pace beat out Kansas City Chiefs director of player personnel Chris Ballard, who spent 12 years in Chicago working under Emery and his predecessor Jerry Angelo, along with Tennessee Titans vice president of player personnel Lake Dawson and Houston Texans director of pro personnel Brian Gaine.

Pace will report directly to team president Ted Phillips and will ''lean heavily'' on him along with chairman George McCaskey and consultant Ernie Accorsi in the coaching search. But he will have final say on that as well as the makeup of the roster.
 

''I want to win,'' he said. ''The challenges, the first step, again is hiring the right head coach to help me lead that charge. And that's all I'm focused on right now. That's the most critical thing we can do right now. I think it helps me, again, to have a step-by-step plan in my head - a progressive plan - and right now, that's hiring a head coach, Step 1.''
 

Phillips said Pace impressed the Bears during his interview.
 

''He just did a great job, from showing intensity, from showing toughness, from really being able to articulate the kind of head coach he wants and how to build the roster,'' he said.

 The Bears interviewed Seattle defensive coordinator Dan Quinn and Denver offensive coordinator Adam Gase before Pace was hired. They also interviewed Arizona defensive coordinator Todd Bowles on Thursday right after they hired their GM.

Pace, who was in on that session, indicated he won't hire a coach based on a certain scheme. He said more interviews have been lined up since he was hired, but would not reveal names. Previous head coaching experience in the NFL is not a requirement.

He mentioned how the Saints' hiring of Sean Payton in 2006 sparked a jump from 3-13 in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina to the NFC South championship. Signing Drew Brees obviously helped, but the new coach was quickly able to get his players to buy in.

''Sean came from (Bill) Parcells, so discipline was important right off the bat,'' Pace said. ''But Sean has a charisma, a confidence and an energy to him that's infectious. I think that's important, you know? When a head coach gets in front of the room, think about it, he's selling his plan to the players. And there needs to be buy-in. Sean Payton has that, and we'll be looking for some of those qualities.''

He mentioned re-establishing Chicago's identity as a team that relies on the run and tough defense, areas it veered from under Trestman.

Pace also insisted he is fine with the Bears maintaining their chain of command, with the GM reporting to the president rather than the chairman. He said Phillips reminds him of Saints general manager Mickey Loomis and that there's ''an automatic connection.''

''It's a structure that we like,'' McCaskey said. ''It's a structure that we think works. But as Ryan pointed out, more important than the structure are the people that you have in the various positions. We think we have a good one in general manager.''

Note: McCaskey does not expect Accorsi to remain on the payroll after the coaching search is completed.

 

Two early kickoffs from London coming our way in 2015.

Posted by Josh Alper

American football viewers will get a chance to enjoy an English breakfast while watching Rex Ryan patrol the sideline this season.

The NFL tried something different this season when they had a 9:30 a.m. ET kickoff for one of the three games contested in London and it seems they liked the results. The league has announced that two of the three games taking place at Wembley Stadium in 2015 will have the same early kickoff time.

On October 4, the Jets will take on the Dolphins while their fans are spreading cream cheese on bagels and tucking into stacks of pancakes. Three weeks later, it will be the Jets’ former coach leading his Bills club against the Jaguars. That game will kick off at 1:30 p.m. in London, leaving fans there to choose between breakfast or lunch fare. Bangers and mash sounds appropriate for the occasion, especially if the two offenses are in similar shape to the 2014 editions.

The league hasn’t announced the start time for the November 1 game between the Lions and Chiefs.

Sporting News predicts Cubs to win 2015 World Series, but don't call it a jinx.

By Tony Andracki

Can you really jinx a team that has finished in fifth place for five straight years?

Between "Cubbie occurences" and the Curse of the Goat and more than a century without a championship and now Jon Lester on the cover of Sports Illustrated, there are enough jinxes surrounding the Chicago Cubs organization right now.

Sporting News' prediction is not one of them.

SN is picking the Cubs to win the 2015 World Series and it's not just because of the Back to the Future 2 reference.

Jesse Spector breaks it down and while he brings up all the usual suspects in his defense of SN's prediction - Joe Maddon's arrival, Lester's arrival, Kris Bryant's long-awaited debut, pitching depth, etc. - it's not clear why they believe the Cubs can jump from a 73-89 team all the way to the top team in Major League Baseball.

Which is a big reason why it's tough to see this as a jinx, even the last line:

The Cubs are the pick to win the 2015 World Series because, after 107 years, they’re good enough to get there and, honestly, aren’t they due a couple of breaks?

It's a bold prediction from SN and meant to be fun and thought-provoking. Sure, the Cubs CAN win the World Series in 2015. Will they? Probably not.

But if they don't win it all, it won't be because of a "jinx" instituted by a national outlet.

Cubs ink three players to minor-league deals. 

#CUBSTALK

The Cubs have signed three players to minor-league deals on Saturday, per Matt Eddy from Baseball America.

The team signed veteran catcher Taylor Teagarden, and right-handed pitchers Jorge De Leon and Andres Santiago.

Teagarden, 31, was a member of the New York Mets last season and played in nine games. Teagarden began his career with the Texas Rangers from 2008-2011 and then played for the Baltimore Orioles for the next two seasons. In his seven-year career, he's hit 21 homers and batted in 68 with a .202 batting average.

Jorge De Leon, 27, made his MLB debut in 2013 with the Houston Astros. Late in the 2014 season, De Leon was placed on waivers and claimed by the Oakland Athletics, but never played for the A's. In 19 games with the Astros, he recorded an ERA of 5.19 in 17.1 innings pitched and threw 10 strikeouts.

Santiago, 25, was drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2007, but hasn't seen time in the MLB yet. His first four seasons were spent in the Gulf Coast League and Arizona League. In 2011, he was promoted to the California League before being moved up to Double-A Chattanooga in 2012. On Aug. 28, 2014, Santiago pitched a no-hitter for the Lookouts. In 24 starts that season, he went 6-8 with a 4.47 ERA throwing 98 K's.

Golf: I got a club for that; Walker, Matsuyama tied entering final round of Tournament of Champions.

By Doug Ferguson

Tournament of Champions
Plantation Course at Kapalua
January 9 - 12, 2015

Jimmy Walker and Hideki Matsuyama are tied for the lead going into the final round of the Hyundai Tournament of Champions.

Matsuyama matched the best score of the week Sunday with a 7-under 66. He made three consecutive birdies on the front nine and back nine, and closed with a delicate pitch down the slope to 2 feet for birdie on the par-5 18th.

Walker began to pull away with five birdies in 10 holes. But he didn't make another birdie until a 4-foot putt on the last hole for a 67. They were tied at 17-under 202.

Sang-Moon Bae (69) and Patrick Reed (68) were two shots behind. Defending champion Zach Johnson, among four players tied for the lead at the beginning of the round, stumbled to a 73 and was six shots behind.

Andy Sullivan has 'no regrets' as he wins South African Open.

By Ryan Ballengee

Andy Sullivan was playing with house money in his sudden-death playoff against Charl Schwartzel for the South African Open Championship. Facing a difficult escape after a lousy tee shot on the first extra hole, his caddie reminded him to have "no regrets."

Sullivan swung freely, executed the recovery shot brilliantly and left his ball 10 feet from the hole to set up a tournament-clinching birdie for his first European Tour win.

"I just dug in there yesterday and today and found myself in a position where I had a chance to win," Sullivan said. "My caddie said over the last few holes `no regrets` and I`ve definitely got no regrets over the last few holes, especially that playoff hole."

The 28-year-old Englishman overcame a seven-shot deficit to Schwartzel with a final-round, 5-under 67 at Glendower Golf Club. Schwartzel, who came into Sunday with a five-shot lead over second place, stumbled on the final four holes -- including two bogeys and a double bogey -- to shoot a 74 that still had him reeling in the playoff.

The South African was also dealing with the pressure of seeking his first national open.

Sullivan, who became just the second English-born player to win the South African Open, the game's second-oldest tournament, could not have been more thrilled with the surprise breakthrough.

"To just play on the European Tour is something I`ve wanted to do my whole life," Sullivan said, "so to win an event just caps it all off and to do it in South Africa where I have always enjoyed playing, it has just been an incredible week."

The problem with stock car racing.

Written by Slant6- Drives a Purple Taco 

The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, (NASCAR) is one of the best known stock car racing franchises in the world, but is it really "stock" car racing? Not a single Sprint Cup race car (with the exception of the pace car) is an actual production vehicle. Sure, Toyota might say their current stock car is a Camry, but Toyota has never made a rear-wheel-drive V8 solid axle Camry with a tube frame. Which brings up the question: how is this a stock car?

By definition a stock car is a standard model of automobile changed in various ways for racing purposes. These purpose-built racers we see in NASCAR are not in fact stock cars, they're race cars. But why are they called stock cars? Early auto racing used open wheeled race cars, built from the ground up specifically for racing circuits. These vehicles were complex and expensive to build. As popularity grew more people wanted to enter races but couldn't due to the high cost of building a car. Open wheeled racing was seen as an aristocratic sport, one that the average man couldn't compete in. This didn't stop the people from racing though. By the 1920s dirt tracks across the South East began hosting stock car racing events, often between Moonshiners who would race their souped up get away cars. Although modified, their cars were still based on production vehicles.

In 1948 NASCAR was founded as a sanctioning body for stock car races. One of the first NASCAR series was the Strictly Stock series, which was a race exclusively for late model cars, unmodified (not to say that all teams followed this rule) with the exception of crude safety equipment. This requirement to remain unmodified drove manufactures to produce faster cars. Similar to the development of technology induced by NASA in landing on the moon, NASCAR stimulated technological growth within the automobile industry. Manufacturer's benefited from their participation not only by having a more refined product but by the marketing strength that came with winning races. Bob Tasca, a Rhode Island Ford dealer and racing team owner coined the phrase "Race on Sunday, sell on Monday".

NASCAR regulation originally required manufacturers to sell at least 500 cars to be considered stock and later one for every two dealerships. Teams and manufacturers began to get more creative with how the cars were built to give mechanical advantages in races. NASCAR began it intervene banning fuel injection in 1957. Imagine if NASCAR didn't ban fuel injection and the industry adopted it way back in 1957 instead of the 1990s. What would an extra 40 years of fuel delivery technology do to cars today? The 1969 NASCAR season saw the rise of the iconic Plymouth Superbird, an aerocar designed with aerodynamics to give better traction and cut through the air better. Aerocars were promptly limited to a 305 cubic inch engine which was small in comparison to engines of the time which were around 400 cubic inches. Imagine aerodynamic styled cars catching on sooner than the 1980s. Imagine how much fuel could have been saved had all this technology been developed sooner.

Eventually NASCAR intervened more and more, in efforts to make the race more about driving than the cars. Today the stock cars in NASCAR races only share names with their assembly line counterparts. Regulation has gone as far that all cars, regardless of manufacturer has to have a 4 speed manual transmission, 5.8 liter naturally aspirated pushrod V8 engine and a solid rear axle. This combination hasn't been sold in a production car since the late 1970s. NASCAR only began allowing the use of fuel injection starting in 2012. While NASCAR isn't the only franchise racing "stock cars" these days, it's one of the few who get steady manufacturer support.

With the world oil supply dwindling we need technological development in our cars now more than ever. A new racing series that uses production vehicles could be mutually beneficial to NASCAR, manufactures, race car drivers, and car buyers. This new series could kindle the development of fuel efficient vehicles, or adapt electric vehicles to be more appealing to the mass market all while providing entertainment to the world and publicity to automobile makers.

Diesel-powered drag racing body affiliates with NHRA. 

By Jerry Bonkowski
                                            

(Image courtesy National Hot Rod Diesel Association)

While the National Hot Rod Association is the big daddy of drag racing sanctioning bodies, one of the newer up-and-coming alternative series is the National Hot Rod Diesel Association.

The two sanctioning bodies of the straight line have united for the first time in 2015, as the NHRA has made the NHRDA an approved alternate sanctioning organization.

While that doesn’t mean you’ll see NHRDA diesel-powered vehicles at NHRA races any time soon, it does indicate that the two bodies will likely start working together with each other on improving the overall sport of drag racing – whether the race cars are powered by gas, alcohol, nitromethane or, now, diesel fuel.

“After five years of reaching out to the NHRA about this certification and not hearing anything back, we were beyond excited when they responded this year willing to consider us for this prestigious certification,” NHRDA president Randy Cole said, according to DieselArmy.com.

“Then when they looked into our organization and found us to be worthy of this new designation, we couldn’t help but smile and wanted to tell the world about it,” Cole added. “We truly strive to keep all of our events at a highly efficient, professional level and this just proves we are moving in the right direction.”

NHRA approval essentially means that after studying the way NHRDA conducts itself and its events, the NHRA believes NHRDA runs professional events, adheres to strict safety standards, accurate record keeping, a variety of racing class designations and a system to keep track of points earned in national events.

“There are like over 200 racing organizations in the USA and there are only handful that meet the NHRA standards and get ASO status,” Cole said. “This is not only a good thing for the NHRDA, but for diesel motorsports in general as the NHRA is the biggest race organization in the world and it now recognizes our sport as a legitimate form of drag racing and that the NHRDA has proven over the years we deserve this status.”

Manchester United 0-1 Southampton: Saints stun wasteful United at Old Trafford.

By Kyle Bonn

Ronald Koeman got back on level terms with Dutch rival Louis van Gaal, avenging their loss at St. Mary’s with a 1-0 win at Old Trafford that sent Southampton above van Gaal and Manchester United into third place.

Dusan Tadic came off the bench and scored the breakthrough in the second half as it appeared Koeman purposely shut down in the first hour to frustrate the home side, and then open things up from there.

The game started with Manchester United on top, but after a few half-chances, Southampton grew into the game and it became a physical and edgy midfield battle through the first half-hour, just like Koeman would have hoped.

Misfortune struck Southampton in the 20th minute as Toby Alderweireld, one of Southampton’s top young defenders this season on loan from Atletico Madrid, went to ground clutching his left thigh after a clearance, and amid sharp grimaces of pain, he exited. Florin Gardos came on to replace him in the back line.

Manchester United had a big chance with 5 minutes to go before halftime, as Wayne Rooney weaved his way to the top of the box and laid off to Robin Van Persie, but he scuffed the shot as he slid to ground, and Fraser Forster collected to end the opportunity.

No goals came from the first half, but that’s not to say there was a lack of quality. The finishing was poor, but both sides produced good defending and canceled each other out.

After halftime, it was much of the same. After an opening spell which saw Southampton hold much of the possession and creativity, Manchester United shared the chances. Robin van Persie, Wayne Rooney, and Angel Di Maria all had decent looks, but couldn’t produce the moment of quality needed. On the other end, Morgan Schneiderlin and James Ward-Prowse were influential but created little. The game finally saw Forster into his first action, collecting a ball down low in the 69th minute.

That was a sign of things to come. Just a minute later, the opener arrived. Straight off the punt from Forster, Ward-Prowse found Graziano Pelle on the right edge of the box, and he slammed the post. The Manchester United defenders switched off after the Pelle shot, expecting it to go in. Instead, the rebound came right to the feet of substitute Dusan Tadic, and he poked home the opening goal pas De Gea on the ground.

Mata should have equalized eight minutes later after a cross from Daley Blind pushed Forster off his line. His palm fell right to Mata who flashed the shot across goal. He then had an even better chance from six yards out on another cross from Blind, but he inexcusably blasted it over.

United continued to pour on the pressure following the goal, but Southampton did well to frustrate the hosts. With the final whistle, United finished without a shot on target, and Southampton picked up the three points to jump the Red Devils in the table into third.

LINEUPS

Manchester United: De Gea, Valencia, Jones, Smalling, Shaw (Blackett 64′), Blind, Carrick, Rooney, Mata, Di Maria (Fellaini 72′), van Persie (Herrera 61′).

Southampton: Forster, Clyne, Fonte, Alderweireld (Gardos 21′), Bertrand, Wanyama, Schneiderlin, S. Davis (Reed 80′), Ward-Prowse, Elia (Tadic 63′), Pellè.

Goal: Tadic (69′)

Mark Hughes admits Stoke was soundly beaten by Arsenal at the Emirates.

By Kyle Bonn

Mark Hughes admitted it was tough against Arsenal Sunday as Stoke City slumped to a 3-0 defeat at the Emirates. His team went down early in the sixth minute, and it could have been a lot worse had Asmir Begovic not performed admirably in goal.

“On the day, we were just a little bit poorer in our work. Certainly in recent weeks we’ve been at a lot higher of a level than we were able to show today. We got off to a poor start obviously, giving Arsenal the lead within minutes of the start of the game, and from that point on they grew in confidence, and our confidence went to be perfectly honest. We were just a little bit slower in our work, they were a little bit sharper in anticipation and all elements of the game.”

Ultimately, there was little to say and few excuses to point fingers at.

“On the day we were well beaten, no complaints. It was one of those days where we needed to do everything in the game correctly and at a good level, but for whatever reason we weren’t quite able to make that.”

Jurgen Klinsmann has more surprises for USMNT's January camp roster.

By Leander Schaerlaeckens

U.S. national soccer team head coach Jurgen Klinsmann speaks during a press conference at Fulham's Craven Cottage stadium in London, Thursday, Nov. 13, 2014. The U.S. are due to play Colombia in an international friendly soccer match at the stadium on Friday. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham)

Nothing United States men's national team head coach Jurgen Klinsmann does should really surprise us anymore. In the last year alone, he has called up a college player and another from the second-tier North American Soccer League. But on Friday, jaws dropped even further than biologists and respected surgeons the land over thought was possible, when the German announced his annual January camp roster.

As ever, he will assemble his domestic-based national teamers and those in their offseasons abroad. After 12 days of practice in Los Angeles, the team will travel to Chile for a friendly on January 28. Upon returning to California and some more practice, they close out camp with a second friendly, against Panama this time, on February 8.

But none of that is what catches the eye. Rather, the eclectic mix of 28 players Klinsmann called up is. He retained just eight players from last year's January camp and a mere seven players on the roster played in last summer's World Cup. Half the players called in have never represented the USA, and a full 19 of them were born in the 1990s – including seven in 1993.

Sprinkled in with veteran stalwarts like Michael Bradley, Jermaine Jones – still listed as a defender – and Clint Dempsey are some highly regarded prospects as well as little-known or totally unknown newcomers.

Defenders Steve Birnbaum and Shane O'Neill have been on the serious USA fan's radar for a while, as have midfielders Perry Kitchen – also listed as a defender – Luis Gil, Dennis Flores, Marc Pelosi, Dillon Serna and Wil Trapp. Forwards Tesho Akindele, the 2014 MLS Rookie of the Year, and Gyasi Zardes, scorer of 16 regular season goals in MLS last year, were also due for a look.

But then there are those, like goalkeeper Alex Bono, defenders Christian Dean and Oscar Sorto, and forward Julio Morales, who are largely anonymous for their lack of exploits at senior-level professional soccer.

Klinsmann's reasoning for putting together such a haphazard roster is his desire to simultaneously prepare for the summer's senior team Gold Cup and the under-23's Olympic qualifying, for which a dozen players on the roster are eligible.

"When putting this roster together, a lot of different pieces kind of came together and came into place," he sort of explained. "One, we definitely want to have a competitive group together that plays two friendly games. … The other big thought was, ‘How can we continue building the Olympic team cycle early enough to build that group towards the Olympic team qualifiers by the end of the year?' That's kind of how we put the process together."

Alrighty, then.

Here is the roster in full:

Goalkeepers: Alex Bono (unattached), Sean Johnson (Chicago Fire), Jon Kempin (Sporting Kansas City), Nick Rimando (Real Salt Lake)

Defenders: Matt Besler (Sporting Kansas City), Steve Birnbaum (D.C. United), Christian Dean (Vancouver Whitecaps FC), Brad Evans (Seattle Sounders FC), Jermaine Jones (New England Revolution), Perry Kitchen (D.C. United), Shane O'Neill (Colorado Rapids), Oscar Sorto (LA Galaxy)

Midfielders: Michael Bradley (Toronto FC), Mix Diskerud (out of contract), Dennis Flores (Club Leon), Luis Gil (Real Salt Lake), Miguel Ibarra (Minnesota United FC), Lee Nguyen (New England Revolution), Marc Pelosi (Liverpool), Dillon Serna (Colorado Rapids), Brek Shea (Orlando City SC), Wil Trapp (Columbus Crew SC)

Forwards: Tesho Akindele (FC Dallas), Clint Dempsey (Seattle Sounders FC), Julio Morales (Tepic), Chris Wondolowski (San Jose Earthquakes), Bobby Wood (1860 Munich), Gyasi Zardes (LA Galaxy)

Phoenix Suns' owner makes bid to buy Scottish side Rangers F.C.

By Kyle Lynch

Robert Sarver

Robert Sarver has submitted his second bid to purchase Scottish side Rangers F.C.

After having his initial offer rejected, Sarver upped his bid to over $30 million in attempt to secure ownership of the club.

Sarver, who made his millions as a banker in America, currently owns the Phoenix Suns of the NBA and the Phoenix Mercury of the WNBA. In a statement to the stock exchange, Sarver explained his proposal for the club.

This revised proposal hopefully helps the board deal with its short-term cashflow crunch and also addresses my desire to see the club on a solid long-term financial footing. 

It would also enable Rangers to repay the loans from Mike Ashley and Sandy Easdale, and free it of debt. 

I know that there are various groups of prominent fans who have been working hard for a long time to bring change to the club and they can rest assured that, if my proposal is accepted, I am committed to building a strong partnership with fans and key stakeholders to do what is best for the club.”

Rangers are one of the most historic clubs in the world, winning the Scottish league a record 54- times and a European Cup title in 1972. However, the club has been facing an uphill battle due to financial troubles over the past few years.

The club was liquidated after the 2011-12 season, and despite finishing second in Scotland’s top division, were forced to move down into the fourth tier after gaining a new corporate identity.

Rangers won back-to-back promotions, and are currently in second place in the Scottish Championship, the second tier of Scottish football. Sarver is clearly making an investment in a side that he believes will return to the Scottish Premiership and regain the glory of the old times.

Ohio St. - Oregon to crown 'true champion'; Ohio St.-Oregon Preview.

By RALPH D. RUSSO (AP College Football Writer)

Ohio State and Oregon will meet in a game that has never been played for a trophy that has never been raised.

The winner Monday night in North Texas can be called the truest champion in the history of major college football.

The first College Football Playoff national championship game matches the second-seeded Ducks and fourth-seeded Buckeyes at AT&T Stadium.

''It's college football history,'' Ohio State coach Urban Meyer said Sunday during a news conference with Oregon coach Mark Helfrich, with that new championship trophy sitting in between them.

The days of bowls, polls and the BCS having the final say about who is No. 1 are over. The playoff that fans wanted for so long - and finally got - will determine a champion without a doubt.

Oregon (13-1) and its Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Marcus Mariota are in search of the program's first national title, the last remaining goal for a school that has barged onto the national stage over the last two decades with ostentatious flare and flashy uniforms.

Ohio State (13-1) is shooting for national championship No. 5, but the first under coach Urban Meyer, who returned to his home state three years ago to take over a college football goliath that was looking to start its next golden age.

Tradition rich vs. cutting edge.

The Ducks from the Pac-12 raced into the championship game with an emphatic 59-20 victory against Florida State last week at the Rose Bowl.

The Buckeyes from the Big Ten upset Alabama 42-35 at the Sugar Bowl to cap an improbable rebound from an early season loss and injuries to two star quarterbacks.

''This is much more of a business trip, this time around,'' Ohio State All-America defensive end Joey Bosa said. ''Last week we went, we hung out and had some fun. This week it's all about business; no going out, no messing around. We're just preparing.''

Ohio State has won 12 straight since stumbling at home to Virginia Tech in September.

The Ducks have won nine in a row since, all by double-digit margins, since losing to Arizona in October.

''We've been playing, both our program and Ohio State have played with that kind of early loss, and your back was against the wall to get to this point every play of every game, the entire rest of the season, it was to the those words: do or die,'' Helfrich said.

For decades college football's best team was picked by poll voters and postseason matchups were set with little regard for determining a national champion.

The Bowl Championship Series was implemented in 1998, a system designed to create a No. 1 vs. No. 2 national championship game to end the season. It was an awkward and imperfect step in the right direction, often leaving everyone involved unsatisfied. The conference commissioners who ran the BCS relented a couple of years ago and decided to create a four-team playoff.

Here are some things to know about the ultimate winner-take-all-game:

SUPER MARIOTA

Mariota can become the seventh Heisman Trophy winner since 1996 to win the national championship in the same season he won the Heisman. Florida State's Jameis Winston did it last season.

Another victory in what is very likely his last college game would top off a career that can go down as one of the best in college football history.

Mariota has thrown for 10,463 yards, 103 touchdowns passes and just 13 interceptions while winning 35 games in three seasons as Oregon's starter.

''Our No. 1 concern is their quarterback,'' Meyer said.

 

The Buckeyes hope to contain the fast-moving Mariota with a defensive line, led by Bosa, that is among the best in the nation.

''They've got an awesome front seven,'' Mariota said. ''Big, physical guys that really control the line of scrimmage.''

MEYER'S MILESTONE

Meyer can become the second coach in college football history to win national championships with two schools, joining Nick Saban, who won the BCS title in 2003 with LSU and then three more titles with Alabama.

Meyer won national titles with Florida in 2006 and 2008. A third championship would make Meyer the ninth coach in college football's poll era (dating to 1936) to win at least three championships. Bear Bryant leads with the six he won at Alabama.

MISSING

The Ducks will be down their most productive receiver over the last two games.

Darren Carrington is ineligible after failing an NCAA administered drug test. He is second on the team in yards receiving with 704 and averages 19 yards per catch. He's been especially good lately.

In the Pac-12 championship game against Arizona and the Rose Bowl against Florida State, Carrington had 14 catches for 292 yards and three touchdowns.

Oregon also lost Devon Allen, second on the team in catches (41) and touchdown receptions (seven), at the Rose Bowl to a knee injury.

''We don't have things in our system that it's, hey, we need to throw this guy the ball in this play period,'' Helfrich said. ''That doesn't exist.''

OH-FER OHIO STATE

This will be the ninth meeting between Oregon and Ohio State. The Buckeyes have won the previous eight.

Playoff director says no talks of expanding 4-team bracket.

By STEPHEN HAWKINS (AP Sports Writer)

College Football Playoff executive director Bill Hancock sits on stage before a news conference announcing the 2015 College Football Hall of Fame Class, Friday, Jan. 9, 2015, in Dallas. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

There has been no discussion among the group that runs the college football playoff about adding more teams.

College Football Playoff executive director Bill Hancock said Friday that there were plenty of reasons why a four-team model was picked, and nothing has changed that after the first of a 12-year contract.

''We know we were able to keep the regular season and keep the bowls, keep the experience and the tradition of the bowls,'' Hancock said. ''So this worked out really, really well. We couldn't be happier.

 

Larger brackets were toyed with when the playoff concept was first being put together. But some things are preventing an expansion: notably, more travel for teams and fans and the locations for extra games.
 

As for the committee selecting the teams, there could be fewer meetings with fewer rankings next season, though those will still be in person.
 

That committee gathered seven times over a six-week period this season at a resort hotel near the Dallas-Fort Worth airport. The group put out its initial ranking after meeting in late October, and the final one that determined the teams in the first four-team playoff came the first weekend in December.
 

''With a shorter season, I think it will be pretty easy to lop off one week and we might knock another one off,'' Hancock said, noting there are 14 weeks, instead of 15, between season openers and conference championship games next season.
 

Hancock said the playoff group will get together a few weeks after Monday night's championship game between Oregon and Ohio State to start talking about next year.
 

''I don't think there will be significant tweaks,'' Hancock said. ''If there are changes, I think they will be very minor.''
 

The process to select sites for championship games after the 2017-19 seasons will begin in February and completed by September. Hancock expects ''maybe 12 cities'' to bid for those three games, following next year's game in Phoenix and the 2016 season in Tampa.
 

''The first time around, we had lots of interest, but I don't think it had quite dawned on people what a significant event this is and what it's going to grow into,'' Hancock said. ''So there will be robust competition among the cities.''
 

There will be at least one change in the 13-member selection committee. Hancock said the Big 12 will nominate one of its athletic directors to replace Oliver Luck, who left his job as West Virginia's AD to go to work with the NCAA.
 

Archie Manning, who took a leave of absence from the committee this season because of surgery, said he has been asked to come back and wants to if he is medically cleared to participate.
 

Despite the demands of weekly travel for the committee members, Hancock said it is easier to debate in person instead of trying to do occasional conference calls.
 

''It'd probably help everybody out, but that's not my deal,'' Manning said. ''But all the pre-meetings I went to, it didn't seem like a Skype group. I think that's what separated them from all the other polls that have ever been is those two days together every week hacking it around. Throwing it out there.''

Texas A&M staggers Kentucky but can't deliver a knockout blow.

By Jeff Eisenberg

As unbeaten Kentucky was dismantling opponents with startling ease in late December, coach John Calipari lamented that his team hadn't been tested frequently enough.

"We need somebody to punch us in the face," he said.  

Calipari has certainly gotten his wish now that SEC play has begun. Kentucky withstood a barrage of body blows Tuesday night against visiting Ole Miss before winning in overtime. Then Texas A&M staggered the Wildcats once again on Saturday in College Station. 

Kentucky only escaped with a 70-64 double-overtime victory because freshman forward Trey Lyles came up big after the Wildcats' top big men Willie Cauley-Stein and Karl-Anthony Towns both fouled out.

When Aaron Harrison badly missed a heavily contested jumper with nine seconds left in the first overtime and Kentucky trailing by two, Lyles outfought Texas A&M's Antwan Space for the rebound and drew a foul underneath the basket. The 68.6 percent free throw shooter then calmly sank a pair of game-saving free throws to force a second overtime as several of his teammates clasped their hands together in prayer on the bench.

Kentucky still couldn't shake Texas A&M in the second overtime until the Aggies made the mistake of leaving Tyler Ulis free behind the arc and the freshman point guard made them pay. Ulis' 3-pointer gave the Wildcats the lead for good with 1:27 remaining, enabling them to improve to 15-0 and keep hope of an undefeated regular season alive for at least another game.

Tough tests from Ole Miss and Texas A&M have been a huge surprise for Kentucky because of the ease in which the Wildcats had dominated far better competition earlier this season. Kentucky's average margin of victory in non-league play was 27.5 points per game even though the Wildcats had faced the likes of Kansas, North Carolina, UCLA, Texas and Providence. 
 

All those teams figured to provide superior competition than Ole Miss (9-5) and Texas A&M (9-5), neither of which had distinguished themselves before facing Kentucky.

The Rebels suffered non-conference losses to Charleston Southern, Western Kentucky and TCU, yet they controlled tempo against Kentucky, held their own on the glass and sank big shot after big shot in an 89-86 loss. The Aggies were coming off a 21-point loss to Alabama and were without injured leading scorer Jalen Jones, yet they will go to sleep Saturday night regretting several missed chances that could have turned a heartbreaking loss into a season-making win.
 

Freshman Alex Robinson wasted far too much time dribbling up court after Lyles' game-tying free throws at the end of the first overtime session, forcing him to settle for a 30 footer at the buzzer that missed badly. The Aggies also sank only 16 of 30 free throws during the game, with nine of the misses coming in the last 10 minutes of regulation and the overtime sessions. 

Kentucky also helped Texas A&M stay in it with its own ineptitude on offense. Seven-footers Cauley-Stein, Towns and Dakari Johnson didn't finish consistently around the rim and the Harrison twins shot a combined 6 of 30 from the field, contributing to the Wildcats shooting 28.1 percent as a team. The only ray of light on offense was freshman Devin Booker, who had 18 points and nailed four threes.

Credit Kentucky for finding a way to win when it wasn't at its best for the second consecutive game. The experience of being challenged will only help the Wildcats going forward as they'll be able to draw from it when it happens again in league play or during the postseason.

Two near losses to middling foes should chip away at the myth that Kentucky is invincible this season and provide Calipari a receptive audience in practice next week.

Calipari wanted his team to be tested. The last two games, he has gotten his wish.

USOC Chooses Boston as Candidate City for 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Summer Games.

SportsTravel Magazine Staff

The U.S. Olympic Committee has selected Boston as its candidate city for the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Summer Games. The USOC board of directors met in Denver to choose between what had been four finalist cities. The decision to select Boston over Los Angeles, San Francisco and Washington, D.C., came after what the USOC described as a “spirited” discussion and more than one round of votes. Boston ultimately received a unanimous endorsement by the board, according to the USOC.

“We’re excited about our plans to submit a bid for the 2024 Games and feel we have an incredibly strong partner in Boston that will work with us to present a compelling bid,” said USOC Chairman Larry Probst. “We’re grateful to the leaders in each of the four cities for their partnership and interest in hosting the most exciting sports competition on Earth. The deliberative and collaborative process that we put in place for selecting a city has resulted in a strong U.S. bid that can truly serve the athletes and the Olympic and Paralympic movements.”

Boston had proposed the most compact Games of the four finalists, with venues located in under-utilized areas near existing or planned public transit lines as well as a “partially or entirely” temporary stadium that would be built for the opening and closing ceremonies. Each of the four finalist cities made presentations to the USOC board in December, prompting the board at the time to announce it would submit a bid for the Games with one of the cities. The U.S. has not hosted an Olympic Summer Games since Atlanta in 1996. The four finalists were culled from an initial list that included 35 of the largest cities in the United States.

The International Olympic Committee’s deadline for 2024 bid submissions is September 15, 2015. A host city will be chosen in 2017. Boston is expected to have competition from European cities including Rome and Paris, as well as a city in South Africa. Several other cities have expressed interest in bidding for the Games as well.

“Today’s decision begins the next phase in our 2024 bid campaign, and we couldn’t be more excited about the partnership we’ve established with the leadership team in Boston,” said Scott Blackmun, CEO of the USOC. “This bid uniquely combines an exciting, athlete-focused concept for hosting the Olympic and Paralympic Games with Boston’s existing long-term vision. We look forward to working with Mayor (Marty) Walsh and the Boston 2024 team to fully engage with the local community and identify ways we can make the bid even better.”

Walsh called the decision an “exceptional honor.” “This selection is in recognition of our city’s talent, diversity and global leadership,” he said. “Our goal is to host Olympic and Paralympic Games that are innovative, walkable and hospitable to all. Boston hopes to welcome the world’s greatest athletes to one of the world’s great cities.”

“Today’s selection by the USOC is the beginning of an incredible opportunity for Boston,” said Boston 2024 Chairman John Fish. “This bid has already provided our many educational institutions, community and business leaders, and elected officials a unique opportunity to collaborate like never before to promote our city to the world. Going forward, Boston 2024 is committed to a thorough and extensive process to discuss the potential opportunity the Olympic and Paralympic Games present our community. Boston is a global hub for education, health care, research and technology. We are passionate about sports because we believe in the power of sport to transform our city and inspire the world’s youth. A Boston Games can be one of the most innovative, sustainable and exciting in history and will inspire the next generation of leaders here and around the world.”

The move also drew praise from several national governing body leaders. “Boston is a tremendous sports town and will rally around becoming America’s choice for the 2024 Olympic Games,” said Steve Penny, president of USA Gymnastics. “Given the city’s strong sense of patriotism along with its very diverse base of citizens, it offers a wonderful stage for the world’s most important sports event.”

“Boston is well-known for its passionate support of its sports teams, and that will carry over to make it an extraordinary Olympic Games host,” said Chuck Wielgus, USA Swimming executive director. “This is a fantastic opportunity to grow the sport of swimming in Boston and the New England region, with additional participation opportunities, enhanced aquatic facilities and an avid support base of swim parents.”

The IOC intends to meet with representatives from each applicant city in October, in Lausanne, Switzerland, to establish rules and procedures for the international bidding campaign. Cities will then have until January 8, 2016, to submit final bids to the IOC.

“The Olympic Games are unique in their ability to bring the world together in celebration and unity,” said IOC Executive Board Member Anita DeFrantz. “I very much want to bring the Games to the United States to share the incredible spirit of the Games with another generation of Americans, and advance the Olympic and Paralympic movements.”

On This Date in Sports History: Today is Monday, January 12, 2015.

Memoriesofhistory.com

1906 - The forward pass was legalized by the football rules committee.

1921 - Kennesaw Mountain Landis became the first commissioner of baseball.

1946 - The Cleveland Rams were granted permission to move to Los Angeles.

1958 - Major league baseball players Stan Musial and Johnny Padres were guests on the "Ed Sullivan Show."

1960 - Dolph Schayes of the Syracuse Nationals became the first pro basketball player in the NBA to score more than 15,000 points in his career.

1966 - Red Auerbach won his 1,000th game as coach of the Boston Celtics.

1993 - It was announced that Mario Lemieux (Pittsburgh Penguins) had Hodgkin's disease.

1999 - Mark McGwire's 70th home run ball was sold at auction in New York for $3 million to an anonymous bidder.

2000 - Charlotte Hornets guard Bobby Phills was killed in a crash during a drag race.

2002 - Brenden Shanahan (Detroit Red Wings) got his 1,000th career point in a 5-2 win over the Dallas Stars.

2004 - Cam Neely's No. 8 was retired by the Boston Bruins.

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