CS&T/AllsportsAmerica Wednesday Sports News Update, 01/07/2015.

Chicago Sports & Travel, Inc./AllsportsAmerica

"America's Finest Sports Fan Travel Club, May We Plan An Event Or Sports Travel For You?"

Sports Quote of the Day:

"Teamwork is so important that it is virtually impossible for you to reach the heights of your capabilities or make the money that you want without becoming very good at it.” ~ Brian Tracy, Training Professional

Correction: On Monday's Today in Sports History, we had the wrong date. It stated Friday, January 2, 2015. The history was correct for Monday, January 5, 2015, the date of the update. We apologize for this error. 

How 'bout them Chicago Blackhawks? Varlamov, Avs stifle Blackhawks in shutout loss 2-0. 

By Tracey Myers

For 48-plus minutes the Blackhawks recorded plenty of time in Colorado’s zone, had plenty of puck possession and threw plenty of shots on Semyon Varlamov.

But they had a forgettable opening 77 seconds of the game, and that was ultimately the difference.

Nathan MacKinnon and Maxime Talbot scored in the opening 1:17 and Varlamov stopped all 54 shots he saw as the Colorado Avalanche beat the Blackhawks 2-0 at the United Center on Tuesday night. It was a tough end and even tougher beginning for the Blackhawks, who couldn’t recover from the latter.

Varlamov, who has been so-so this season, was looking like his 2013-14 self in this one. Coach Joel Quenneville said this whole game reminded him of some past Avs-Blackhawks games.

“That was exactly what happened last year, happened tonight against that team,” he said. “They come down, they score, then we put everything at the net – but in the third period we put everything in front of the net including bodies, which we didn’t do a good job of the first 40 minutes. [Varlamov] made a couple big saves in the third with traffic.”

Patrick Sharp agreed the quality wasn’t there.

“[Varlamov] made a lot of saves but we were shooting right at him,” he said. “The first shot wasn’t an issue but we just had to have guys in front for tips, second and third opportunities. It’s the same story we talk about whenever we get shut out.”

But back to that start, which was forgettable. Defensive lapses and opportunistic Avs put the Blackhawks in a 2-0 hole barely a minute into this one. Nathan MacKinnon started it with a rebound goal, a high, tight shot that gave the Avalanche a 1-0 lead just 53 seconds into the game. A whole 24 seconds later, Maxime Talbot pushed one through Corey Crawford for a 2-0 lead.

“We didn’t defend well and they both ended up where we didn’t want them,” Quenneville said. “[That] we give up a 2-on-0 break right after a goal on the same shift is hard to believe.”

The Blackhawks struggled against Varlamov last season. They did so again on Tuesday, the first time they’ve seen him this season – Calvin Pickard started the previous two contests. And a lot of offensive zone time, puck possession and shots couldn’t make up for a bad start.

“It was not a very good start at all; we’re down 2-0 before we even knew what happened,” Duncan Keith said. “We’ve had comebacks before but tonight it seemed like we couldn’t generate momentum. We had shots but at the end of the day we didn’t create what we normally can.”

Blackhawks grateful for All-Star selections, 'definitely a big honor'.

By Tracey Myers

The Blackhawks’ popularity has steadily risen these last few years, as the franchise has gone from dismal to garnering dynasty talk.

Individual players have also become popular; voting for this season’s all-star outing reinforced that.

Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Duncan Keith, Brent Seabrook and Corey Crawford were voted into five of the six top spots for the NHL All-Star Game, which will be later this month in Columbus, Ohio. Kane was the top vote getter among the Blackhawks, receiving 1,232,201. Toews was right behind him with 1,217,210.

The top vote getter was Buffalo Sabres center Zemgus Girgensons, who collected 1,574,896 votes. The remaining All-Star roster will be determined by the NHL and announced on Jan. 10.

“That's a lot of teammates that will be represented and hopefully there will be a few more there just by selections. It shows that it's a great fan base we have here in Chicago and how crazy people are about the Blackhawks and hockey in this city,” Kane said. “It’s definitely exciting and definitely a big honor.”

Toews was also grateful for the all-star election.

“It shows the talent of our team and how recognizable some of these guys are now,” he said. “It should be fun to join those guys and have a good weekend in Columbus.”
That recognizable aspect is especially true for Crawford and Seabrook, two players who have flown under the radar in past years.

“I think Seabs is having a really good year [and] Corey got off to an outstanding start,” coach Joel Quenneville said. “I think they’re rewarded [with] some of it on how well they play here, not just the way the things turned out in the ballot box. It’ll be good for both of them getting the big stage. Certainly, both guys are having that type of year where it makes sense.”

Canada beats Russia 5-4 for record 16th world junior title.

AP - Sports
                                 

Canadian players celebrate Canada's 5-4 win over Russia in the title game at the hockey World Junior Championship in Toronto on Monday, Jan. 5, 2015. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Frank Gunn)

Arizona Coyotes prospect Max Domi helped lead Canada to its record 16th world junior hockey title and first since 2009, scoring a goal and adding two assists in a 5-4 victory over Russia on Monday night.

 

''That was a once in a lifetime opportunity and we took advantage of it,'' Domi said about winning at home.

Anthony Duclair, Nick Paul, Connor McDavid and Sam Reinhart also scored to stake Canada to a 5-1 lead. Dmitri Yudin, Ivan Barbashev, Sergey Tolchinsky and Nikolai Goldobin scored for Russia.

Zach Fucale made 26 saves for Canada.

Duclair scored 23 second into the game and Paul made it 2-0 at 2:32, chasing Russian goalie Igor Shestyorkin. Yudin scored for Russia midway through the first.

McDavid, the Erie Otters star expected to the top pick in the NHL draft, made it 3-1 early in the second, and Domi and Reinhart increased the lead to 5-1.

Russia countered with three goals - two on power plays - in a 3:16 span.

''We were able to brush it off,'' McDavid said. ''We're world junior champions. It's joy. Right now, this is just absolute joy.''
 

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper was in the crowd of 19,014 at Air Canada Centre.
 

''Congratulations to TeamCanada on their outstanding performance tonight. You've made your country extremely proud,'' Harper tweeted after the victory.
 

Russia won the last of its 13 titles - nine as the Soviet Union - in 2011.
 

''It was 5-4,'' Goldobin said. ''Just one goal. And we had the whole third period to score. We started pretty badly. We allowed two goals, weak goals. But we have a great team.''
 

In the third-place game, Slovakia beat Sweden 4-2.
 

In the semifinals Sunday, Canada beat Slovakia 5-1 and Russia topped Sweden 4-1.
 

Pavol Skalicky broke a tie on a power play early in the third period for Slovakia.
 

Slovakia started the final period on a 5-minute power play after Julius Bergman received a major penalty for interference and a game misconduct for felling Patrik Koys at the end of the second.

''I think the Swedes were disappointed from yesterday's game and we wanted to win today a little more,'' Slovak goalie Denis Godla said.

Godla made 26 saves to help Slovakia win its second medal after also finishing third in 1999.

''He's our hero. He's a rock star,'' forward Samuel Petras said Godla.

David Soltes, Mislav Rosandic and Koys - into an empty net in the final minute- also scored.

''This is like history,'' Soltes said. ''We will be happy forever.''

Soltes and Rosandic scored in a 39-second span early in the first period, and William Nylander and Jens Looke tied it for Sweden in the period.

''It feels terrible right now,'' Swedish defenseman Gustav Forsling said. ''If we played our best hockey, we'd beat them every day of the week. So, it's not good.''

Just Another Chicago Bulls Session… Jazz-Bulls Preview.

By JORDAN GARRETSON (STATS Writer)

The Chicago Bulls aren't as dominant defensively as they have been in recent seasons, though they're locking up opponents in the fourth quarter.

Combined with a more potent offense, Chicago looks like a championship contender.

 

The Bulls look to continue their surge Wednesday night when they host the Utah Jazz.

Chicago (25-10) has won 10 of 11 and is within 1 1/2 games of Eastern Conference-leading Atlanta despite allowing 98.8 points per game, its most since giving up 99.1 in 2009-10. The Bulls had allowed no more than 92.9 per game over the past four seasons after Tom Thibodeau took over as coach.

They've played their best defense in the fourth quarter, however, limiting teams to an average of 23.6 points on a league-low 39.1 percent shooting, which would be the club's lowest mark of the past decade.

Chicago outscored Houston 31-16 and held it to 6-of-23 shooting in the final period of Monday's 114-105 home win.

"We picked up our defense," Joakim Noah, who had six blocks and two steals, told the team's official website. "It was a competitive game. It had almost a playoff feel to it, especially toward the end. Probably one of our biggest wins of the year."

James Harden, who had scored 15-plus second-half points in four of five, was held to three points in the final 24 minutes on 0-for-9 shooting while being primarily guarded by Jimmy Butler.

"He's an incredible defender," said Pau Gasol, who had 27 points and 14 rebounds. "No question about it. For me, probably the best perimeter defender in the league right now. It's great to see him play the way he's playing on both ends of the floor. He's not content and satisfied just scoring points."

Offensively, the Bulls are averaging 103.1 points, their most since the Michael Jordan-led 1996-97 squad. They hadn't averaged more than 96.3 over the last three seasons.

While Butler has been regarded as a quality defender virtually since he entered the league, he's improved immensely on offense. He's averaging 21.9 points, 8.8 more than he did last season - the largest jump by anyone who played in at least 75 percent of his team's games in both seasons. He's also shooting 48.1 percent after hitting only 39.7 percent in 2013-14.

Chicago has won seven of eight meetings with Utah, including a 97-95 road win Nov. 24 when it held the Jazz to 18 fourth- quarter points on 8-for-25 shooting. Butler scored 25 while Utah scoring leader Gordon Hayward was held to six points on 2-of-11 shooting and was 0 for 4 in the final 12 minutes.

The Jazz (12-23) are hoping to be healthier after Trey Burke sat out Monday's 105-101 loss to Indiana with strep throat. Rookie Dante Exum matched a season high with 13 points while making his first start in Burke's place, though Burke is expected to join the team for its three-game trip.

Alec Burks also missed a sixth straight game with a sore shoulder while Enes Kanter missed his second in a row due to a sprained right ankle.

"I thought our guys showed a lot of resolve and a little bit of toughness that I haven't seen up to this point," coach Quin Snyder told the team's official website. "There was a little edge I like and I hope we see more of."

The Bulls are looking for a seventh straight win against a West opponent for the first time since winning their last nine such matchups in 2010-11.

Butler, Bulls come back in fourth quarter to top Harden, Rockets 114-105.

By Mark Strotman

Joakim Noah and Pau Gasol team up against Rockets center Dwight Howard during the second half. (Photo: Nuccio DiNuzzo/Chicago Tribune) 

Jimmy Butler proved Monday there was more than one elite shooting guard on the United Center floor.

The Bulls swingman played stifling defense on James Harden after halftime, scored 22 points and connected on a 3-pointer with less than two minutes to go that gave the Bulls the lead for good in a 114-105 victory over the Houston Rockets.

The Bulls had inched their way back from an eight-point deficit in the fourth quarter, with a 12-4 run beginning midway through the period featuring baskets from five different players. A Pau Gasol three-point play was followed by a Butler jumper from the left wing that tied the game at 100.

From there the Bulls defense went to work. After reaching the century mark with more than six minutes to play, the Rockets went scoreless for better than four minutes, a stretch that also included four turnovers the Bulls turned into four points, with the latter two coming via a pair of Gasol free throws to give the Bulls their first lead since midway through the third quarter.

A Josh Smith 3-pointer briefly gave the Rockets the lead, but the next trip down Butler was left open on the left wing and connected on a 3-pointer that gave the Bulls a 105-103 lead. Including that bucket, the Bulls outscored the Rockets, 12-2, to finish the game. They outscored Houston, 26-9, in the final nine minutes.

 Much of that defensive effort came from Butler’s work on Harden. With Kirk Hinrich replacing Mike Dunleavy (ankle) in the lineup, Butler shifted to small forward where he guarded Trevor Ariza — not Harden — in the first half. Harden was able to get whatever he wanted with Hinrich on him, scoring 17 first-half points to pace the Rockets.

But in the second half Harden, guarded primarily by Butler, managed just three points and missed all nine of his attempts. He entered the game as the league’s leading scorer and had attempted the most free throws in the NBA, but he finished with just 20 points and attempted only three free throws.

The Bulls also received a spirited effort from their bench, led by Nikola Mirotic. Earlier in the day he had been named Eastern Conference rookie of the month, and he responded with 17 points and eight rebounds. Taj Gibson, facing an athletic Houston frontcourt, added nine points, six rebounds and four assists.

Gasol did most of his damage in the opening half, scoring 16 of the Bulls’ first 24 points to help the Bulls erase a nine-point deficit. He went 8-for-10 in the period, primarily scoring over former teammate Dwight Howard in the paint and perimeter, finishing the quarter with 18 points. His personal 8-0 run was part of an 18-8 Bulls run to close the period, giving the hosts a one-point lead. He finished with 27 points and 14 rebounds, his 18th double-double of the season.

Bulls' team-first attitude becoming standard in locker room.

By Mike Singer

Chicago Bulls, a team deep with talent.

The Bulls are revealing a side of themselves that, until recently, wasn’t apparent that they even had.

For two-plus months, they’d won thanks to a revived offense built around the emergence of Jimmy Butler and the post presence and interior passing of Pau Gasol. Their consistencies allowed Derrick Rose to return at his own pace, a crucial note after Rose admitted he put too much pressure on himself during last season’s brief return.

However recently, the Bulls’ offense has sputtered. In their last four games, only once (the win over Denver) did the offense shoot better than 40 percent and even then it only connected at a 42 percent clip. The other three games, the Bulls have shot a combined 99-of-270 or 36 percent from the field.

Rose has struggled to find which shots make him most effective, Butler missed a game on bereavement leave, starter Mike Dunleavy injured his right ankle and even Gasol had an off night.

Still the Bulls managed to win three of four (and nine of their past ten), ugly as the last few wins may have been.

Gasol’s spectacular showing against the Celtics (29 points, 16 rebounds, five blocks) was about the only thing that didn’t muddy the box score, but the Bulls are learning to win even when they’re ice cold from the field or not at full strength. For a team with championship aspirations — and championship potential according to Gasol — it’s an essential tool to have.

There were so many small instances in Saturday’s game that were easy to go unnoticed, but without them, could’ve meant a loss to a team Chicago should beat.

There was the hustle play from reserve E’Twaun Moore as he lunged on the floor late in the second quarter to grab a loose ball that led to a quick hoop. There was the leaping block from Taj Gibson on Evan Turner as the Bulls clung to a 98-97 lead with just :23 seconds left in regulation. There was the massive rebound from Kirk Hinrich in overtime as he wrestled the ball from Boston’s Tyler Zeller, a guy eight inches taller than the Bulls’ feisty guard. There were screens that went unnoticed, tipped rebounds that earned extra possessions and multiple efforts on the offensive glass that all contributed to the win and the Bulls' 24-10 record.

“What you’re doing is you’re asking them all to sacrifice, to put the team first, and they’ve all been great about it. Joakim, he sat some in the fourth, he’s there cheering like crazy on the bench. Pau, same thing. Taj, they’re all sacrificing. We have to put the team first,” coach Tom Thibodeau said.

That attitude is so pervasive around the Bulls’ locker room and partially responsible for why the Bulls have such a dangerous bench. If reserves like Nikola Mirotic or Aaron Brooks are in rhythm, Thibodeau has shown a propensity to stay with them on the floor in lieu of the regular starters. And instead of grumbling about playing time or being selfish, the Bulls’ leaders have all embraced their role whether it’s on the court in crunch time or remaining engaged on the bench.

“It’s tough for everybody (to split fourth quarter minutes). Everybody wants to play,” Noah said from the locker room on Saturday night. “But it’s the sacrifice we have to make. I know it sounds cliché but it’s true. We have a lot of talent on this team and you can’t get caught up in yourself. You have to play for your team, especially in the fourth quarter.”

Noah’s attitude doesn’t sound too dissimilar to Gasol’s, another veteran voice that has the team’s ear.

“We have a great group of guys, very unselfish who work hard. Guys are very humble, selfless. To me, that’s extremely rewarding to be part of this team.” 

Bear Down Chicago Bears!!!!! Who are the Bears' building blocks?    

By Sam Householder

 

Kyle Fuller, #23, Chicago Bears Cornerback. (Photo/Matt Marton-USA TODAY Sports)

As the rubble of the 2014 Bears season gets picked through and we await word on who will be tasked with rebuilding it, a quick look at the roster says there isn't much hope for 2015.

The Bears are entering the second week of their search for a new coach and GM. As the search continues and going back to when it began, it's been debated about where the jobs ranked among the other openings arounds the league.

Many fans were offended or taken aback to see the job ranked so low, some having it ranked last among the vacancies in the league, lower than perennial cellar-dwellers Oakland and the New York Jets.

 

There are varying opinions on what makes job so unappealing; everything from the presence of Jay Cutler to the lack of playmakers on defense, or even just being in the same division as Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers, or the position that Ted Phillips holds allegedly being a turn off to some candidates.

 

The fact is that for everything the franchise history has been, it is currently not. There is a lot of work to be done and the schedule does not appear to offer much reprieve.

 

The team might not be in a position for a quick turnaround, and it could even be two years before they are competitive again, as much a testament to the division with Detroit and Green Bay - as well as a young and surging Minnesota Vikings squad - as it is the state of the roster.

 

That roster is among the oldest in the league and has the fewest first round picks on it, as well as the most over-30 players. The new GM will have quite a task to undertake.

 

With that said though, there are some bright spots. Which players can the Bears use going forward? Who are the building blocks for the new regime? Who is in place that the new GM and coach can build around?

 

In order to be a building block they need to be under the age of 27 and have shown enough ability to be a major part of future teams. They should also be worthy of a new contract, if they are still on rookie deals or have a deal that expires in the next two seasons.

 

On offense the Bears have several players who can be built around: Kyle Long and Alshon Jeffery are obviously the first two players that come to mind. Long has developed into one of the top young guards and, with the struggles of Jordan Mills, some think the Bears would be wise to move him to tackle.

 

Jeffery just finished his second-straight 1,000 yard season. While he seemed to have fewer game-changing plays this year he is still the most talented receiver the Bears have ever had and can be an absolute beast. A contract extension for him should be near the top of the new GM's shortlist.

 

Ka'Deem Carey and Marquess Wilson didn't get a chance to show much this season, but both have promise and could be building blocks. Each will be just 22 at the start of next season. I wouldn't expect Carey to surpass Matt Forte anytime soon but, at worst, he could be a solid No. 2 down the road.

 

On defense there are fewer answers.

 

Kyle Fuller appears to have a bright future, but beyond him there aren't a lot of up and comers.

 

Jon Bostic will 24 at the start of next season, but has he shown enough to say that he'll be anything but serviceable in the future? He is, unfortunately, an average-at-best starter in the league, unless a new defensive staff somehow takes him to a level we haven't seen.

 

Christian Jones, on the other hand, does appear to have building block potential. Jones will be 24 at the start of next season and is coming off a strong finish to his rookie year. He was highly thought of by the old regime but, since they are on the way out, who knows what Jones' future is.

 

Will Sutton and Ego Ferguson are certainly promising players but it may be too soon to tell if they are anything more than rotational depth. Stephen Paea had a strong season, playing in 16 games for the first time in his career. He could be a candidate for a new contract and will turn 27 in May. He may not be a building block but, if the incoming GM and coach like what they see, he could be an important veteran moving forward.

 

Elsewhere on defense are young players like Brock Vereen, Demontre Hurst, Al Louis-Jean and David Bass. These young players have shown flashes but have also been exposed or disappeared at times.

 

Vereen will have just turned 23 at the start of the 2015 season but, after an up and down rookie season, I'm not sure what his future is.

 

Bass played well down the stretch, but I'm not sure he's anything more than rotational depth.

 

Louis-Jean will be 21 when the starts next year and has some desirable traits, like his 6'1" frame, but he struggled at times. He, like Jones, lost some of his biggest backers with the ouster of Emery and Trestman. Where does he fit into the future?

 

The same could be said of Hurst, who looked overmatched at times in the nickelback spot but could be a nice depth player.

 

Unfortunately, there are a lot more questions than answers for whoever takes over this roster. Whom do you see as the team's foundation for the future?

Baseball Hall of Fame voters elect four: Randy Johnson, Pedro Martinez, John Smoltz, Craig Biggio.

By Mike Oz

(Photo/Getty Images)

Randy Johnson, Pedro Martinez, John Smoltz and Craig Biggio have reached baseball immortality. They will be inducted into the Hall of Fame in July, after the Baseball Writers Association of America announced Tuesday that the four of them earned the necessary votes for Cooperstown.

This is the third time in history that the BBWAA has elected four players. The others were 1947 and 1955. Had one more player reached the 75-percent threshold, it would have been the largest BBWAA class since 1936, when the first Hall of Fame vote enshrined Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb, Honus Wagner, Christy Mathewson and Walter Johnson.
 

Johnson and Martinez, two dominant pitchers on the ballot for the first time, were elected easily, earning 97.3 percent of the vote and 91.1 percent, respectively. Smoltz, another first timer who was dominant as both a starting pitcher and a closer, received 82.9 percent. This was Biggio's third time on the ballot. He missed Cooperstown by two votes in 2014, but earned 82.7 percent of the vote this time, thanks in large part of those 3,000 hits he compiled.
 

Mike Piazza was believed to have a shot to make it this year, but he finished with 69.9 percent. Of the remaining players on the ballot this time, the next closest to reaching the magic 75-percent threshold were: Jeff Bagwell (55.7), Tim Raines (55) and Curt Schilling (39.2). See the entire rundown of results at the BBWAA website.

 

A few other notable results from the 549 ballots cast by BBWAA members:
 

• None of the players most closely tied to PEDs has swayed enough voters yet. Barry Bonds (36.8), Roger Clemens (37.5), Mark McGwire (10) and Sammy Sosa (6.6) still aren't close to reaching the Hall of Fame, but Bonds and Clemens were up slightly this year. We'll wrestle with that moral dilemma of the PED era for at least one more year, and probably more.
 

• Don Mattingly, who was in his final year of eligibility, received 9.1 percent of the vote. He'll have to depend on the veteran's committee to put him in the Hall of Fame, but even that doesn't seem too likely. 
 

• The most notable player who didn't get the 5 percent vote necessary to remain on the ballot for next year is Carlos Delgado, who earned 3.8 percent, or 21 votes.
 

Also worth noting: Biggio will be the first player to be enshrined as a member of the Houston Astros. Johnson, if he chooses either the Arizona Diamondbacks or Seattle Mariners, would be the first player enshrined as a member of either team.

White Sox add to depth with Emilio Bonifacio signing.

By Dan Hayes

The White Sox have added speed and versatility as they have signed Emilio Bonifacio to a one-year deal worth $4 million on Monday, a baseball source confirmed. 

Bonifacio, who plays all three outfield spots and everywhere on the infield but first base, immediately strengthens the team’s bench. He also gives the White Sox a contingency at second base where rookies Micah Johnson and Carlos Sanchez are expected to compete for the Opening Day assignment.

Bonifacio, who had a .259/.305/.345 slash line with three homers and 26 steals in 426 plate appearances for the Cubs and Atlanta Braves last season, is set to earn $3 million this season and has a $4 million option for 2016 with a $1 million buyout, pending a physical. 

“Giving ourselves some depth insulates us not only against injury but on any given game makes sure that (Robin Ventura) is able to play to his advantage the matchups that lay ahead of him,” general manager Rick Hahn said in November. “You can win and lose close games that way. … Being able to squeeze across an extra one or two late because you’ve got the right weapons on your bench is a benefit as well.”

Bonifacio, who turns 30 in April, has been successful in 164 of 208 career stolen base attempts.

He has played 271 games in the outfield, including 175 in center field, 196 games at second, 141 at third and 101 at shortstop. That versatility is significant after the White Sox traded infielder Marcus Semien to the Oakland A’s last month in a deal that netted pitcher Jeff Samardzija.

Bonifacio also gives Ventura a solid option to start with a left-handed pitcher on the mound; he’s a .291/.341/.380 hitter against southpaws and a .250/.311/.326 hitter against right-handers. That could be especially important with Conor Gillaspie at third base and if Johnson were to be the starting second baseman.

“It’s our responsibility to try to think as many of those contingencies that could come up and insulate ourselves against,” Hahn said in December.

This latest signing comes after an active first two months of the offseason. The White Sox acquired Samardzija and reliever Dan Jennings in a pair of trades at the Winter Meetings. They also signed Adam LaRoche, Zach Duke, David Robertson and Melky Cabrera to big league deals and claimed catcher Rob Brantly off waivers. And, they added veteran catcher George Kottaras on a minor-league deal last month as well.

Cubs announce spring training reporting dates.

By Tony Andracki

The Cubs announced several changes and updates to their 2015 spring training schedule Monday.

Pitchers and catchers are set to report Feb. 19, with the first team workout slated for Feb. 20. Position players are scheduled to report Feb. 24 with the first full squad workout coming Feb. 25.

The Cubs added four games to the spring training schedule, including a pair of games against the Oakland A's in Las Vegas on March 13 and 14.

The Cubs also added two games to the end of the schedule - squaring off against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field April 3 and 4.

The 2015 regular season begins when the Cubs host the St. Louis Cardinals April 5 on Sunday Night Baseball on ESPN.

Golf: I got a club for that; Keegan Bradley still hasn't unpacked from the 2012 Ryder Cup. 

By Ryan Ballengee

Keegan Bradley needs to watch "Frozen." He can't seem to let go of the 2012 Ryder Cup.

Bradley, who was a revelation as a Ryder Cup rookie in the matches at Medinah two years ago, claims in an interview with Golf Magazine that he still hasn't unpacked his suitcase after the record Sunday meltdown that ceded a second straight match in the biennial series to the Europeans. 

"It's still packed up," Bradley said. "It's such a bummer, because I had all these plans. I had a bottle of Champagne that was left over from Chicago. I had a bunch of things I wanted to do with the guys, but we've got such a great group of guys that we're going to be tough for years to come."

The 2011 PGA champion said he would unpack the suitcase if the U.S. managed to win the Ryder Cup at Gleneagles this past fall. They didn't, suffering a five-point loss for the third setback in a row for the U.S.

Of course, there are plenty of follow-up questions Bradley should probably answer:
 

• Is he going to keep the suitcase?
• Will he open it if the U.S. wins the 2016 Ryder Cup at Hazeltine, even if he's not on the team?
• If he does plan to open the suitcase -- with a win or for any other reason -- does he have a hazmat suit ready?

It's probably best to just throw that suitcase in the garbage. It's a step toward recovery.

Medinah Country Club OKs $3.6 million renovation of Course No. 2.

Business Ledger news services

With the restoration of Course No. 2, Medinah Country Club will have invested more than $14 million since 2008 to upgrade its three courses. (Photo/Getty Images)

Medinah Country Club has approved a $3.6 million project to restore the club’s Course No. 2 to its original character while upgrading its infrastructure to 21st Century standards.

Members voted overwhelmingly to undertake the project, which is aimed at restoring the course – opened in 1927 - to the aesthetic character imparted by architect Tom Bendelow while building state-of-the-art USGA greens, new tees, new bunkers, bentgrass fairways and extensive storm drainage improvements.

With the restoration of Course No. 2, Medinah will have invested more than $14 million since 2008 to upgrade its three golf courses – including the Rees Jones-renovated No. 3 championship course and Tom Doak’s renovation of Course One, which opened in June 2014.

“Having three courses each with a different character offers our members and their guests three different golf experiences, and that’s what really separates Medinah from other country clubs,” said club president Matt Lydon.

“We have something for everyone,” Lydon said. “If you want to play a course that has hosted multiple major championships and a Ryder Cup, you can play No. 3.  If you want a minimalist-style course that’s more of a members’ course, you can play Course One.  And if you’re looking for a family-friendly experience on a classically-designed course, Course Two is a perfect option.”

Curtis Tyrrell, Medinah’s Director of Golf Course Operations, will lead the project, while Jones will serve as architectural consultant.

Course No. 2 opened in 1927 and has remained virtually untouched since then, except for regular maintenance, and remains a Bendelow original. The course when complete will play from 4800 to 6400 yards, with varying tee options that are intended to enhance the family-friendly experience.

“Most people don’t know what a special gem Course No. 2 is,” Tyrrell said.  “When we restore the design elements and upgrade the playing surfaces, it’s going to bring an exciting new dimension to the overall Medinah golf experience.”

Medinah Country Club is the Chicago area’s best-known and most frequent major championship venue.  Home of the 2012 Ryder Cup, Course No. 3 has hosted three U.S. Opens (1949, ’75, and ’90), two PGA Championships (1999, 2006), three Western Opens (1946, ’62, and ’66).  Medinah’s champions include such historic figures as “Lighthorse” Harry Cooper, Gene Sarazen, Byron Nelson, Billy Casper, Gary Player, Hale Irwin, and Tiger Woods.

Founded in the 1920s by a group of Shriners, Medinah features three golf courses, all designed originally by highly respected Scotsman Tom Bendelow.  The massive 120,000-square foot clubhouse designed by Richard Schmid is a unique architectural blend of styles that include Byzantine, Oriental, and Louis XIV influences.

IndyCar and NASCAR presence basically set for Rolex 24.

By Tony DiZinno

One of the best parts about the Rolex 24 at Daytona is the volume of Verizon IndyCar Series and NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stars that will be in the race, considering their seasons don’t start for at least another month or two.

There’s inevitably a bumper crop of drivers from both that pop up. Thus far, that includes at least 13 of the 33 starters in the 2014 Indianapolis 500 (more than one-third of the field), and three from NASCAR Sprint Cup.

Here’s a rundown of confirmed and possible drivers from IndyCar and NASCAR set for the Rolex 24:

INDYCAR

• Sebastien Bourdais, No. 5 Action Express Racing Corvette DP (P)
• Ryan Hunter-Reay, No. 7 Starworks Motorsport Riley-Dinan BMW (P)
• Charlie Kimball, No. 01 Chip Ganassi Racing Riley-Ford (P)
• Sage Karam, No. 01 Chip Ganassi Racing Riley-Ford (P)
• Tony Kanaan, No. 02 Chip Ganassi Racing Riley-Ford (P)
• Scott Dixon, No. 02 Chip Ganassi Racing Riley-Ford (P)
• Jack Hawksworth, No. 11 RSR Racing Oreca FLM09 (PC)
• Martin Plowman, No. 61 BAR1 Motorsports Oreca FLM09 (PC)
• Ryan Briscoe, No. 3 Corvette Racing Corvette C7.R (GTLM)
• Simon Pagenaud, No. 4 Corvette Racing Corvette C7.R (GTLM)
• Graham Rahal, No. 24 BMW Team RLL BMW Z4 GTE (GTLM)
• Townsend Bell, No. 63 Scuderia Corsa Ferrari 458 Italia GT3 (GTD)
• James Davison, No. 007 TRG-AMR Aston Martin Vantage (GTD)

Bourdais, Hunter-Reay, Kimball, Kanaan, Dixon, Hawksworth, Briscoe, Pagenaud and Rahal all raced the full 2014 season, with Karam, Bell, Davison and Plowman each racing in the Indianapolis 500. Bell also serves as NBCSN’s IndyCar analyst.

 NASCAR

• AJ Allmendinger, No. 60 Michael Shank Racing Ligier JS P2 Honda (P)
• Jamie McMurray, No. 02 Chip Ganassi Racing Riley-Ford (P)
• Kyle Larson, No. 02 Chip Ganassi Racing Riley-Ford (P)

The NASCAR contingent is much smaller but it’s three full-timers in Allmendinger, McMurray and Larson, plus Max Papis, who of course races sporadically in Cup, XFINITY and Camping World Trucks, in the No. 31 Whelen/Action Express Racing Corvette DP. Papis did not run a single NASCAR race in 2014.

More to come?

Chances are strong at least two more IndyCar-affiliated drivers will be joining the IndyCar list later this month.

Beyond the ones already listed, James Hinchcliffe is a likely candidate somewhere. Hinchcliffe told this writer last month he was close on a couple things, but wouldn’t be returning to the SpeedSource Mazda team he’s driven for the last three years.

Justin Wilson does not have a confirmed IndyCar ride for 2015, but would be a good get for any team for the Rolex 24. Wilson is out at Michael Shank Racing, replaced by teenaged rookie Matt McMurry.

The 2014 Indy Lights champion, Gabby Chaves, figures to return with the DeltaWing team. Chaves is seeking a full-time ride in IndyCar next season.

It’s doubtful any further NASCAR-affiliated drivers will join beyond the four mentioned above.

Most P and GTLM class rides are confirmed, which leaves only the pro-am PC and GTD classes as outlets for drivers to go.

Either way, the already confirmed drivers will have a chance to shake the rust off and get going starting with this weekend’s Roar and the Rolex 24 later this month, January 24-25.

Jurgen Klinsmann, Olympic bronze medalist, focuses on U.S. Soccer qualifying for Rio.

 

By Nick Zaccardi

Jurgen Klinsmann won a pair of international prizes in his German playing career that he would like to deliver to the U.S. Soccer program — a World Cup, of course, but also an Olympic medal.

Klinsmann, a member of the 1988 West German Olympic team that won bronze in Seoul (pictured to the right), said “the main task for 2015 definitely is the Olympic team,” according to reports citing audio distributed by U.S. Soccer.

Klinsmann coaches the U.S. Men’s National Team that’s eyeing the 2015 Gold Cup, but as U.S. Soccer’s technical director he realizes the importance of the Olympics.

The Olympic team will not be the World Cup-level senior national team, but instead at least primarily — if not wholly — members of the Under-23 team that does not currently have a full-time head coach.

The U.S. U23 team cruelly missed the 2012 Olympics, giving up a stoppage-time goal in CONCACAF qualifying to El Salvador when it was seconds away from advancing to a winner-goes-to-London match.

“We want to make sure what happened with London 2012 doesn’t happen again,” Klinsmann said.

The U.S. hasn’t won an Olympic men’s soccer medal since 1904, when only three teams competed at the St. Louis Games. Two of those three were U.S. teams.

Klinsmann’s “main task for 2015″ comment is particularly interesting given the CONCACAF Olympic qualifying tournament is not scheduled to happen in 2015, but instead in March 2016, according to this Olympic soccer qualifying procedure document.

Qualifying could be easier this time around. In 2012, CONCACAF had two berths for the Olympics. In 2016, it gets 2.5, meaning the third-place nation from the Olympic qualifying tournament will play a South American nation in a winner-goes-to-Rio match.

At the Seoul 1988 Olympics, Klinsmann was 24 years old when he scored a hat trick for West Germany to beat Zambia in the quarterfinals (highlights here). Zambia had shocked Italy 4-0 earlier in the tournament.

West Germany went on to lose to Brazil in the semifinals. Brazil’s roster included the great Romario, whose late equalizer helped force the Brazil-West Germany match to a penalty shootout. Klinsmann’s penalty kick struck the post (watch here). West Germany beat Italy in the bronze-medal match.

Two years later, Klinsmann and West Germany won the World Cup.

If the 1988 Olympics were played under today’s Olympic rules, Klinsmann might not have been on the team. The 1988 Olympics were the last Games before the 23-and-under rule was instituted.

If the U.S. qualifies for the Rio Olympics, its roster must be made up of players who will be no older than 23 in 2016 — with three exceptions for over-age players.

Nations have added stars with those exceptions — such as Ryan Giggs for Team Great Britain and Thiago Silva and Hulk for Brazil in 2012.

In 2008, the U.S. added three-time World Cup forward Brian McBride as an over-age player, two years after his retirement from the senior national team. That was before Klinsmann joined the program.

In 2016, the U.S. could put 2014 World Cup players John Brooks, Julian Green and DeAndre Yedlin on the Olympic roster without using over-age spots.

Premier League transfer needs: Where does each club need to strengthen?

By Joe Prince-Wright

Where does each club need to strengthen during the January transfer window?

Here’s a quick look at all 20 Premier League teams and the business they should do, if possible, over the next few weeks before the window slams shut on February 2.

Let’s get to it, as PL managers and chairman will be scheming on how to shift players on and bring in reinforcements.

CLUBS	MUST-BUY
	Striker		Manchester City: The Citizens have been hit with injuries up top and adding a new forward will bolster their charge in the UCL and the PL. Playing Milner in the false nine role should not be an option. Wilfried Bony to arrive?
	Center Back		Chelsea: An injury to John Terry or Gary Cahill would be pretty disastrous right now. Kurt Zouma & Ivanovic can step in, but Jose should look to bolster his slightly leaky backline. Maybe Micah Richards?
	Defenders		Manchester United: Well, United certainly do not need forwards. Reports continue to link the Red Devils with Mats Hummels. That would be a perfect buy.
	Center Back		West Ham: The Hammers are going to lose Winston Reid on a freebie and although they’ve signed Doneil Henry, he’s one for the future. Big Sam has a little work to do.
	CB/Holding Mid		Arsenal: Ah, the Gunners. Every transfer window they should sign a new center back or holding midfielder… then they go and buy another forward. Arsene, never change. Expect for this window, as Morgan Schneiderlin and Moussa Sissoko could arrive.
	Striker		Stoke City: Mark Hughes’ men are pretty well stocked across the board but they could certainly do with some more goals. Peter Crouch has been linked with a move to QPR. Maybe Hughes can trade him in for a younger, more prolific model?
	CB/Striker/GK		Everton: Roberto Martinez has spoken about getting a new ‘keeper in during Tim Howard‘s injury as Joel Robles has struggled. The Toffees need a new CB and a striker too, as their PL woes continue. They are in the knockout stages of the Europa League, so need reinforcements.
	Defender/GK		Newcastle United: With Alan Pardew gone and no new manager in place, the Magpies need more than a few new faces. With Tim Krul out, an experienced ‘keeper on loan could do the business. But they must not let Sissoko and others leave.
	Striker		Burnley: We all know Burnley have the lowest budget in the PL and probably won’t do much business. If they are going to stay up, against all the odds, they need to score more. Getting a striker in on loan is a must.
	Striker		Southampton: Saints are set, despite losing a few players to injury and the Asia Cup and African Cup of Nations. They have already signed Eljero Elia on loan and may need one more attacking option in case Graziano Pelle goes down.
	Winger		Tottenham Hotspur: Spurs are looking decent, with DeAndre Yedlin arriving and Kyle Walker coming back from injury, they look okay across the board. Rumors of Pochettino buying Jay Rodriguez persisted in the summer. Can Spurs afford him?
	Striker/Attacking mid		Sunderland: With Jozy Altidore likely to head out of the door in January, Sunderland will replace him and need goals. The third-lowest scoring team in the PL have been linked with Brown Ideye from West Brom.
	Striker/Winger		Aston Villa: Talking about low-scoring, Villa have scored 11 times in 20 games this season. Awful. The Villains need a new man to partner Benteke, but all the rumors are about Delph, Vlaar and others leaving.
	CB/Striker		West Brom: Tony Pulis is now in charge at the Hawthorns so expect him to wheel and deal this January. Does he get the final say on deals? He should do, as the new guys brought in this summer are struggling. Crouch could arrive, but Berahino may leave.
	Central defender		QPR: Going forward the R’s look dangerous every game. They just need to shore things up at the back. With Richard Dunne and Rio Ferdinand not getting any younger, is Virgil van Dijk the answer?
	CB/Striker		Liverpool: The Reds will need to get another forward in if their recent upsurge is to continue. Balotelli and Lambert just aren’t doing it and who knows how rusty Sturridge will be? Bony and Berahino should be their main targets. Also, another CB is needed badly.
	Striker/CB		Crystal Palace: With Alan Pardew on board, he needs to strengthen his squad to sustain a battle against relegation. Arsenal striker Yaya Sanogo on loan has been rumored, another CB would be decent too.
	Striker/Center mid		Swansea City: Bony could leave so the Swans will need to line up another forward. They have Nelson Olivera arriving on loan from Benfica, but he’s young and unproven. With Jonjo Shelvey struggling, they need extra bodies in midfield too.
	Striker/CM/CB		Hull City: Steve Bruce went for it on the summer window, but not all of those moves have panned out. The Tigers have been linked with Vedran Corluka but have been priced out of a move for Jermain Defoe.
	Striker/CB		Leicester City: Defoe is the main man linked with Leicester as Nigel Pearson wants to add more goals to his front line (who doesn’t?). Some more experienced bodies here and there will help the Foxes, big time.

NCAA Football: Ohio St.-Oregon Preview.

By RALPH D. RUSSO (AP College Football Writer)

Ohio State is looking for its first national title since 2002. Oregon is seeking its first, period.

Pac-12 champion Oregon and Big Ten champion Ohio State will meet in Arlington, Texas, at the home of the Cowboys on Jan. 12 in the first College Football Playoff championship game.

''It's perfect,'' Oregon linebacker Derrick Malone Jr. said. ''I need another game. I'm glad I can still be a part of this. If we didn't have another game I wouldn't know what to do with myself.''
 

The Ducks (13-1) and Buckeyes (13-1) last played in the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, in 2010. Ohio State won that game 26-17. Now the Rose Bowl comes to Texas, but with so much more at stake.
 

Cardale Jones, Ezekiel Elliott and fourth-seeded Ohio State rallied, and then held on for a 42-35 victory over No. 1 Alabama at the Sugar Bowl on Thursday night.
 

Heisman Trophy winner Marcus Mariota and Oregon had it much easier. The second-seeded Ducks crushed Florida State 59-20 at the Rose Bowl.

''Oregon won by 40?'' Ohio State coach Urban Meyer said, startled when he heard about the results during his postgame news conference in New Orleans. ''I gotta go. We gotta go get ready for that one.''
 

The oddsmakers have installed the Ducks as seven-point favorites.
 

The College Football Playoff, a four-team tournament that replaced the Bowl Championship Series, has provided a jolt to the sport.
 

The BCS matched the top two teams and didn't allow much room for error. An early slip often could spell doom for a team's national title hopes.
 

In the old system, it would have been very difficult for Ohio State to recover from a September home loss to Virginia Tech. The Buckeyes were a team looking for an identity back then. They had lost star quarterback Braxton Miller to a preseason injury and redshirt freshman J.T. Barrett was still developing.

Ohio State lost by 14 to the Hokies on the same day Oregon beat Michigan State.
 

Two weeks into the season, the Big Ten was already being counted out for the first playoff.

But a funny thing happened. Ohio State just kept getting better.

Barrett turned into a Heisman contender, but then in the season finale against Michigan, he broke his ankle. In stepped Jones, who helped Ohio State blast Wisconsin in the Big Ten title game to earn the final spot in the playoff.

It was no fluke. The Buckeyes beat Alabama, eliminating the Southeastern Conference from title contention. After winning seven straight national championships in the BCS, it's now two straight seasons in which the SEC won't wear the crown.

Oregon's loss came at home, too, in early October against Arizona.

The Ducks have been a juggernaut since, winning nine straight games, all by double digits and scoring at least 42 points in each. Ohio State can put up some points, too.

The Buckeyes haven't scored less than 31 since losing 35-21 to Virginia Tech.

The Ducks and Buckeyes run similar spread offenses.

''We know Oregon. I'll probably be able to call Oregon's plays because we study them and they study us,'' Meyer said. ''There's a mutual respect.''

For what it's worth, Ohio State is 8-0 all-time against Oregon.

And think about this: Alabama and Florida State were Nos. 1 and 2 in the final regular-season Associated Press and USA Today coaches' polls. There's a good chance that in the BCS the championship game would have been Tide vs. Seminoles with Oregon and Ohio State playing a traditional Big Ten-Pac-12 Rose Bowl for nothing but pride.

Now they'll take it to Texas for a championship game with which no one can argue.

NCAA The Top Twenty Five Basketball Teams. 01/05/2015.

By The Associated Press

Record Pts Prv

1. Kentucky (64) 13-0 1,600 1

2. Duke 13-0 1,535 2
 

3. Virginia 13-0 1,446 3

4. Wisconsin 14-1 1,397 4

5. Louisville 13-1 1,322 5

6. Gonzaga 14-1 1,275 7

7. Arizona 13-1 1,260 8

8. Villanova 13-1 1,089 6

9. Utah 12-2 1,059 10
 

10. Texas 12-2 976 11

11. Maryland 14-1 966 12

12. Kansas 11-2 884 13

13. Notre Dame 14-1 775 14

14. West Virginia 13-1 712 17

15. Wichita St. 12-2 686 16

16. Oklahoma 10-3 674 18

17. Iowa St. 10-2 663 9

18. North Carolina 11-3 591 19

19. Seton Hall 12-2 448 -

20. VCU 11-3 311 -

21. Baylor 11-2 186 22
 
22. Ohio St. 12-3 184 20

 

23. Arkansas 11-2 103 -
 

24. St. John's 11-3 92 15
 

25. Old Dominion 12-1 80 -
 

Others receiving votes: N. Iowa 72, Iowa 63, Butler 53, LSU 50, George Washington 39, TCU 33, Temple 33, Colorado St. 31, Stanford 29, South Carolina 16, Washington 13, Wyoming 11, Indiana 9, Oklahoma St. 9, Georgetown 7, Cincinnati 6, Dayton 5, BYU 3, Xavier 2, Davidson 1, Hofstra 1.

The origins of all 30 NHL team names.

By Scott Allen, Mental Floss 

1. New York Rangers

In 1925, the New York Americans joined the National Hockey League and played their home games at the old Madison Square Garden. Tex Rickard, the boxing promoter and ex-gold prospector who built and owned the arena, decided he wanted his own NHL team, which he was awarded in 1926. Rickard's team was immediately dubbed "Tex's Rangers" as a pun referencing the paramilitary force founded in Texas during the 1830s. The Americans folded in 1942, while Tex's Rangers remain.

2. New Jersey Devils

Given that New Jersey has never been known for its mountains, the team needed a new nickname after the Colorado Rockies relocated to the Garden State in 1982. The New Jersey Sports and Exhibition Authority sponsored a statewide newspaper contest to determine the new nickname and some of the other finalists included Americans, Blades, Coastals, Colonials, Gulls, Jaguars, Meadowlanders, and Meadowlarks. While some fans objected to the winning selection on religious grounds — one threatened the life of a reporter who was covering the search — the Devil has an entirely non-religious folk history in New Jersey. According to legend, a harmless creature known as the Leeds Devil, or the Jersey Devil, roamed the Pine Barrens in the southern part of the state from 1887 until 1938.

3. New York Islanders

When New York's expansion Major League Baseball franchise held a name-the-team contest in 1961, Islanders finished third behind Mets and Empires. Eleven years later, Islanders was selected as the nickname for New York's new hockey team, which plays its home games on Long Island.

4. Philadelphia Flyers

The team sponsored a name-the-team contest after Ed Snider, then-vice president of the Philadelphia Eagles, brought hockey back to the City of Brotherly Love in 1966. Snider's sister, Phyllis, reportedly suggested the name Flyers, which sounds good when paired with Philadelphia but doesn't have any real meaning.

5. Pittsburgh Penguins

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette sponsored a name-the-team contest, but Carol McGregor, the wife of one of the franchise's part owners, Jack McGregor, was the one responsible for the nickname. In his book, Pittsburgh Penguins: The Official History of the First 30 Years, Bob Grove describes how Carol McGregor came up with the name. "I was thinking of something with a P. And I said to Jack, 'What do they call the Civic Arena?' And he said, 'The Big Igloo.' So I thought, ice...Pittsburgh...Penguins." More than 700 of the 26,000 contest entries were for Penguins.

6. Boston Bruins

When grocery store tycoon Charles Adams brought a team to Boston, he hired former hockey great Art Ross to serve as his general manager. Adams tasked Ross with coming up with a nickname, with one of the requirements being that the team's colors would be the same as his grocery store chain's: brown and yellow. Ross decided on Bruins.

7. Buffalo Sabres

When Buffalo entered the league in 1970, owners Seymour Knox III and Northrup Knox wanted the nickname for their new team to be unique. The brothers sponsored a name-the-team contest and decided on Sabres, with a buffalo featured prominently in the team's logo.

8. Montreal Canadiens

In 1909, John Ambrose O'Brien created the Club de Hockey Canadien. Ambrose wanted his team, a charter member of the National Hockey Association, to appeal to Montreal's francophone population and he hoped to drum up a rivalry with the city's established team, the Wanderers. The Canadiens are often referred to as "The Habs" or "Les Habs," an abbreviation of "Les Habitants," the name for the early settlers of New France.

9. Ottawa Senators

The original Ottawa Senators, founded in 1883, won 11 Stanley Cups. When an NHL team returned to Ottawa in 1992 after a nearly 60-year hiatus, the nickname, a reference to Ottawa's status as Canada's capital city, was an obvious choice.

10. Toronto Maple Leafs

Conn Smythe purchased Toronto's hockey team in 1927 and one of his first orders of business was renaming the team. The franchise that began play as the Arenas in 1917 changed its nickname to St. Patricks in 1919 to attract Toronto's Irish population. Smythe eventually decided on Maple Leafs, for a couple possible reasons. Smythe fought in the Maple Leaf Regiment during World War I, and there was a former Toronto hockey team called the East Maple Leaves.

11. Winnipeg Jets

The Winnipeg Jets, formed in late 1971, got their moniker from a team of the same name that played in Canada's Western Hockey League. The current franchise is actually the second incarnation; the first relocated to Phoenix, Arizona, in 1996 and became the Phoenix Coyotes. The current franchise was originally called the Atlanta Thrashers — named by Ted Turner after Georgia's state bird, the brown thrasher — before it was sold to a Canadian group, True North Sports & Entertainment, in 2011, and relocated.

12. Carolina Hurricanes

After the Hartford Whalers moved to Raleigh in 1997, new owner Peter Karmanos Jr. named his team after the devastating storms that regularly ravage the region.

13. Florida Panthers

Had Tampa Bay been awarded a baseball team in the early '90s, they likely would've been called the Florida Panthers, a reference to the endangered species of the same name. Instead, the nickname was adopted by Florida's second NHL team. When Panthers President Bill Torrey revealed the nickname, he told reporters, "A panther, for your information, is the quickest striking of all cats. Hopefully, that's how we will be on the ice."

14. Tampa Bay Lightning

In 1990, a thunderstorm served as inspiration for then-president of the Tampa Bay Hockey Group Phil Esposito's decision to name his team the Lightning. Esposito said that, in addition to being a natural characteristic of the Tampa Bay area, Lightning expressed the fast action of a hockey game.

15. Washington Capitals

Washington owner Abe Pollin decided on the perfectly apt nickname Capitals after staging a name-the-team contest.

16. Chicago Blackhawks

The Chicago Blackhawks, 1926. (Underwood & Underwood/Corbis)

World War I veteran and coffee tycoon Frederic McLaughlin was the team's owner when it entered the NHL in 1926. McLaughlin named the team after the 86th Infantry Division in which he served. The "Black Hawk Division" was named after Chief Black Hawk of the Sauk American Indian tribe, who fought the Illinois militia in 1832. The nickname was officially changed from Black Hawks to Blackhawks in 1986.

17. Columbus Blue Jackets

Blue Jackets was the winning entry in a name-the-team contest. According to the team's website, the name "celebrates patriotism, pride, and the rich Civil War history in the state of Ohio and, more specifically, the city of Columbus." Ohio contributed more residents to the Union Army than any other state during the Civil War.

18. Detroit Red Wings

After purchasing the Detroit Falcons in 1932, James Norris renamed the team after the "Winged Wheelers," the nickname of the Montreal Hockey Club for which he once played. Norris chose a winged wheel as the team's logo, a nod to Detroit's growing reputation as the heart of the automobile industry.

19. Nashville Predators

A vote by the fans helped determine Nashville's nickname, a reference to the saber-toothed tiger remains that were discovered during an excavation in the city in 1971.

20. St. Louis Blues

According to the team's website, owner Sid Saloman Jr. selected the nickname Blues in 1967 after W.C. Handy's song, "St. Louis Blues." Mercury and Apollo were two of the other nicknames that were considered.

21. Calgary Flames

The Flames played in Atlanta from 1972 until 1980 and their nickname was a reference to the burning of Atlanta by General William T. Sherman during the Civil War. While the team moved, the nickname remained.

22. Colorado Avalanche

Rockies, the nickname for Colorado's hockey team that left for New Jersey in 1982, had been adopted by Denver's baseball team by the time the Quebec Nordiques left Canada for the Front Range in 1995. Management originally wanted to name the team Extreme, but received all sorts of negative feedback, and justifiably so. Avalanche, which eventually beat out Black Bears, Outlaws, Storm, Wranglers, Renegades, Rapids, and Cougars, drew some criticism, as well, given their deadly nature. A member of the marketing group responsible for naming the team replied: "This is the NHL, a rough and tough sport, and Avalanche is something that matches the 'on the edge' feel they want to create. Hey, Cougars and Bears kill people, too. People shouldn't get so excited about Avalanche being a disrespectful name or something.
It's just a name."

23. Edmonton Oilers

Edmonton, the capital of Alberta, is also the oil capital of Canada. Edmonton began play in 1972 in the World Hockey Association and retained the name Oilers when it joined the NHL in 1979.

24. Minnesota Wild

In 1998, Wild was chosen from a field of six finalists, which also included the Blue Ox, Northern Lights, Voyageurs, White Bears, and Freeze. (Voyageurs were the working-class employees of fur trading companies in the region during the 1700s.)

25. Vancouver Canucks

Johnny Canuck, who originally appeared as a Canadian political cartoon character in 1869, was reinvented as a comic book action hero who fought Adolf Hitler, among other villains, during World War II. Canuck is also slang for Canadian, making Vancouver's hockey team the Canadian equivalent of the New York Yankees — with a little less money.

26. Dallas Stars

When the Minnesota North Stars, whose nickname was decided by a fan contest, moved to Texas in 1993, they ditched the "North" and didn't feel compelled to replace it with "South" or "Lone."

27. Los Angeles Kings

The late Jack Kent Cooke, who owned the Los Angeles Lakers and later the Washington Redskins, settled on Kings as the team nickname from entries submitted in a fan contest. The Los Angeles Monarchs played in the Pacific Coast Hockey League during the 1930s and Cooke's new team adopted the same royal color scheme as the Lakers.

28. Anaheim Ducks

Quack. Quack. Quack! Quack! QUACK! Anaheim joined the NHL in 1993 and its team was known as the Mighty Ducks, after the wildly popular Disney movie and cross-marketing vehicle of the same name. The nickname was changed to Ducks and the logo was changed in 2005 after Disney sold the team.

29. Arizona Coyotes

The Winnipeg Jets moved to Phoenix in 1996 and Coyotes was the winner in a name-the-team contest that attracted more than 10,000 entries. Scorpions was the runner-up.

30. San Jose Sharks

Sharks was chosen from 2,300 entries in San Jose's name-the-team contest. The other finalists included Rubber Puckies, Screaming Squids, Salty Dogs, and Blades. Blades was the most popular entry, but ultimately rejected because of its gang implications. When the nickname was chosen, seven shark species made their home in a stretch of the Pacific Ocean off the California coast called The Red Triangle.

On This Date in Sports History: Today is Wednesday, January 7, 2015.

Memoriesofhistory.com

1920 - Joe Malone (Quebec Bulldogs) scored two goals and became the NHL's all-time leading goal scorer with 59.

1927 - In Hinckley IL, the Harlem Globetrotters played their first game.

1972 - The Los Angeles Lakers set a National Basketball Association (NBA) record when they won their 33rd consecutive game.

1980 - The Philadelphia Flyers set a National Hockey League (NHL) record with 35 consecutive games without a loss.

1981 - Marcel Dionne (Los Angeles Kings) scored his 1,000th career point.

1991 - Pete Rose left an Illinois federal prison and checked into a halfway house in Cincinnati. He was completing a sentence for cheating on his taxes.

1994 - Tonya Harding won the U.S. Figure Skating championship.

1994 - Nancy Kerrigan withdrew from the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Detroit. The previous day her right leg was severely bruised in an attack following a practice session.

1995 - The NHL Board of Governors threatened to cancel the regular season if the striking players did not agree with raising unrestricted free agency from 30 years to 32 years of age.

1997 - Grambling State University was charged with eight rules violations by the NCAA.

2002 - George Seifert was fired as head coach of the Carolina Panthers after a 1-15 season.

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