CS&T/AllsportsAmerica Wednesday Sports News Update, 01/14/2015.

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Sports Quote of the Day:

"Some people may have greatness thrust upon them. Very few have excellence thrust upon them. They achieve it. They do not achieve it unwittingly, by 'doing what comes naturally'; and they don't stumble into it in the course of amusing themselves. All excellence involves discipline and tenacity of purpose.” ~ John William Gardner, Former Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare.

How 'bout them Chicago Blackhawks? Break in schedule coming at good time for Blackhawks.  

By Tracey Myers

Bryan Bickell was one of many Blackhawks excited for the team’s four-day “break”— there will be a few practices, sure. But there are no games and no traveling for a bit.

“I don’t sleep good on the plane which is hard to believe,” Bickell said with a grin. “It’s just nice to shut the brain off, hang with the family and then come back to work in a couple of days.”

The Blackhawks, who don’t play again until Friday, entered their break on a high note with their 4-1 victory over the Minnesota Wild on Sunday. They took Monday off and will do the same Tuesday before returning to practice on Wednesday. You can’t do anything about the schedule but this break seems to be coming at a good time for the Blackhawks. Sunday’s victory was their fifth game in eight days. When the break ends they’ll play four games in six days, beginning Friday with their Central Division matchup vs. Winnipeg.

So they’ll happily take a few days off now.

“Playing more than half the season already, it’s always nice to get a bit of a break and maybe work on some stuff on the ice and off it, too,” said Marcus Kruger. “Everyone gets a chance to get a little more healthy, too. It’s going to be nice to sleep in your own bed for a bit, get some good nights’ sleep. It’s coming at a good time.”

The Blackhawks have been relatively healthy lately— Kris Versteeg is the lone exception, out for a few more weeks with a fractured left hand sustained on Jan. 1. Still, with 43 games played, the Blackhawks have their bumps and bruises, and this is a good time to heal.

“It’s always nice after a pretty busy schedule to have some days without a game to try to just relax and not think about hockey too much,” said Niklas Hjalmarsson, who sat out several practices and skates earlier this season to be more ready for game nights. “Then we’ll get a few good practices, good workouts in.”

As Hjalmarsson stated, the break will be as good for the Blackhawks mentally as it will be physically. Hey, even when you love your job you enjoy those few days when you don’t have to think about it; you’re only human.

“You’re preparing yourself mentally every game,” said Corey Crawford, who turned in two strong performances prior to this break. “We’re playing so much that rest will definitely do us some good, for sure.”

The Blackhawks will get away from hockey on Monday and Tuesday. It will rejuvenate them. It will refresh them. It will have them getting rest they may not get on those flights. And come Wednesday, they’ll be ready to practice and prepare for the second half.

“It’s been a lot of hockey lately. We’ll just charge the batteries a little bit, get away from the rink,” Kruger said. “But when you get a few days off, you want to come back and see the boys. And you always get energy from that.”

Around the Central: Blackhawks closing in on Predators.

By Nina Falcone

The Blackhawks got off to a fast start Sunday night and it rewarded them nicely in their 4-1 win over the Minnesota Wild.

After a bit of a tough stretch — which included a 5-2 loss to the Edmonton Oilers last week — the Blackhawks were back to playing more of a complete game at the end of a busy stretch they've had since the new year.

Now they'll have the next few days off before hosting the Winnipeg Jets on Friday, so we're taking this time to look at what's going on around the Central Division.

Nashville Predators (28-9-4) — The Preds lead not only the Central Division, but the NHL as a whole as they stand tied with the Anaheim Ducks (27-10-6) with 60 points this season. After finishing the 2013-14 campaign with just 88 points, Nashville continues to make a strong case this season as the Predators most recently won five of their last six games.

Chicago Blackhawks (28-13-2) — The Blackhawks stand just two points behind the Predators with 58 on the season. After playing six games in 11 days, the Hawks finally have a little break, and they're happy to go into that on a high note. Now the Blackhawks will face off against two division rivals next as they host the Winnipeg Jets and Dallas Stars over the weekend.

St. Louis Blues (26-13-3) — It's safe the say the Blues have been enjoying their last week as they've won four straight and out-scored their opponents 25-8. Captain David Backes led the NHL with five goals and eight points in three games to be named the NHL's first star of the week on Monday. He opened the week by scoring four straight goals in the Blues' 6-0 win over the Arizona Coyotes on Jan. 6.

The Blues will face off against a struggling Oilers team on Monday night as they try to put more pressure on the Blackhawks and Predators as they stand at 55 points.
Winnipeg Jets (21-14-8) — The Jets' numbers are starting to slip, as Winnipeg's won just two of its last seven games. They most recently dropped their matchup against the Ducks in a shootout on Teemu Selanne's night, and will face both the Florida Panthers and Dallas Stars before arriving in Chicago at the end of the week.

Colorado Avalanche (18-16-8) — Head coach Patrick Roy recently said that last season, lucky bounces and plays seemed to work in his team's favor, while this year's seemed like the complete opposite. The Avs' numbers aren't what they were last season, but the team's won five of its last six games to pull ahead of both Dallas and Minnesota with 44 points.

Goaltender Semyon Varlamov was named the NHL's second star of the week (following Backes on Monday) after going 3-0-0 with a 1.67 goals-against average and .962 save percentage, which included the 54 stops he made against the Blackhawks to earn his 16th career shutout. But now the Avs will have a tough task ahead as they kick off a five-game road trip Monday night against the Washington Capitals.

Dallas Stars (18-16-7) — The Stars have been finding ways to pull ahead in regulation, but things haven't been looking great on the score sheet as the team's dropped its last four games straight. With 43 points this season, the Stars stand just one point behind the Avalanche. They'll look to make a jump up to fifth place beginning Tuesday night against the Ottawa Senators.

Minnesota Wild (18-18-5) — Between coach Mike Yeo's on-ice rant a few days ago and the fact the Wild dropped six of its last seven games, things aren't pretty in Minnesota. Sunday's loss to the Blackhawks — which marked their second loss to Chicago in four days — leaves the Wild with 41 points on the season. 

Whether changes will be coming in Minnesota in regards to the player and/or coaching roster remains to be seen, but for now the team is focusing on getting back in the win column one game at a time.

Just Another Chicago Bulls Session… Wizards-Bulls Preview. 

AP - Sports
                                    

Given that the Chicago Bulls had key players coming back from injuries and newcomers trying to fit in, Joakim Noah figured there would be some difficult stretches.

The Bulls are in one at the moment.

The Central division leaders have dropped three of four after winning 13 of 15 heading into Wednesday night's game against John Wall and the visiting Washington Wizards.

''This is our story,'' Noah said. ''This is the journey. In the season, there's always going to be ups and downs. When there's adversity, people (are going to show) their true colors. That's the way it is. And we're going through something right now. We got to stick together and make it work."

For the most part, it has worked quite well for the Bulls.

At 26-13, they are one of the favorites in the Eastern Conference even though Derrick Rose is still working his way back after two season-ending knee injuries and Noah is still adjusting after offseason surgery on his left knee. The reigning Defensive Player of the Year also has been slowed by a right ankle injury.

That has not stopped the Bulls from dominating at times. The emergence of Jimmy Butler along with the addition of Pau Gasol gives Chicago one of the league's deepest rotations.

Even so, there are issues.

The Bulls have allowed 100 or more points 18 times and are giving up just over 99 per game after allowing a league-low 91.8 a year ago. They have also dropped seven games against teams with sub-.500 records, with five of those losses coming at home.

Two were to Utah and Orlando during this 1-3 stretch.

''They also have shown times where they've played great defense,'' coach Tom Thibodeau said. ''So it's in them.''

They did not show it against Orlando on Monday. The Bulls fell 121-114, with the Magic setting season highs for points and shooting (59 percent) while snapping a six-game losing streak, and Thibodeau lit into the team afterward.

Part of the problem is Noah still seems to be limited. He does not look as agile as he did last season and, at least on the surface, it appears he and Gasol have not quite meshed on the court the way the Bulls envisioned.

There is more to it, though.

''You also have to ask what's happening with the ball?'' Thibodeau said. ''It's not just them. It's are we doing the proper things to direct the ball where it should go? Are the smalls coming at the bigs with speed? If we do go to help are we getting the proper support behind the ball?''

Thibodeau has trimmed Noah's minutes from 35.3 per game last season to 31. His rebounding is down from an average of 11.3 to 9.6. But Thibodeau sees that knack for cleaning up on the glass returning and believes his game will be there at some point.

Chicago hopes to turn things around while avoiding its second loss to the Wizards (26-12) in six days. Wall had 16 points and 12 assists in Friday's 102-86 home win to beat Rose head-to-head for the first time in six meetings.

''We know they're going to hold this in their head,'' Wall said after the game, ''because we play them again Wednesday.''

The All-Star point guard also had 25 points and eight assists Tuesday to help Washington recover from Sunday's 31-point loss to Atlanta with a 101-93 home win that ended a 17-game skid versus San Antonio.

The Wizards now seek their fifth straight victory at the United Center, three of which came in last season's playoff series.

Bulls have no answer for Vucevic, fall to Magic 121-114. 

By Mark Strotman

Nikola Vucevic jab-stepped right, took one dribble left toward the basket, gathered himself and threw down a left-handed dunk over the defending Pau Gasol, sending the Bulls forward sprawling to the floor and leaving the United Center crowd in awe.

It was the Magic center’s 30th point of the evening — he’d finish with 33 — and was a a microcosm of just how poorly the Bulls defense played against one of the worst offenses in the league. The result was a 121-114 loss to a Magic team that entered with a six-game losing streak and marked yet another uninspiring home performance from the Bulls, who now have lost three of their last four games.

The Bulls pulled within five points multiple times in the fourth quarter, but each time they did it was a combination of Vucevic, Victor Oladipo and Elfrid Payton waiting to respond. The defense that had become a staple of Tom Thibodeau-led teams disappeared as the Magic scored a season-high 121 points.

It was a rough ending for the Bulls defense — the Magic scored 12 points in the final three minutes — but more troubling was another slow start. The Bulls allowed 22 points in the paint to the Magic, with 12 of those coming from Vucevic, who on the heels of a career-best 34-point effort on Saturday had his way inside on Gasol. The Magic shot 61 percent from the field, opening up a 29-21 lead. The Magic pushed their lead to as many as 14 in the stanza, with the Bulls’ second unit unable to generate any offense. Instead it was the Magic bench that kept the offense going, shooting 10-for-13 and tallying 25 points.

The Magic entered Monday ranked 28th in the NBA in points per game (93.8) and 29th in efficiency (98.4) but behind the speedy point guard play of Payton and the inside prowess of Vucevic, they tallied a season-high 63 points in the first half. Vucevic led the way in the opening half with 16 points, helping the Magic to 36 points in the paint.

Derrick Rose’s and Gasol’s reinsertion to the lineup allowed the Bulls to battle back late in the second quarter, getting as close as three before Vucevic and Payton returned and pushed the lead back out to eight, 63-55, at the break.

Rose was the only bright spot in the first half, scoring 11 points on 5-for-8 shooting. He finished with 18 points and seven assists in the loss.

The Bulls again showed life to open the third quarter, with Gasol hitting three straight shots and Rose continuing to attack the basket. They pulled within three for the second time in as many quarters following a Rose layup. But as was the case all night, the Bulls had no answer for Vucevic inside.

He and Victor Oladipo were the driving forces behind a 12-2 run for the Magic that stretched the lead back out to 13, 85-72. The Magic shot 60 percent in the period, with Vucevic and Oladipo combining for 25 of their 30 points.

The Bulls managed to close the gap to as few as five points, but Oladipo continued to attack the rim and finished with 24 second-half points. With less than two minutes remaining Joakim Noah missed a pair of free throws that would have pulled the Bulls within three points. That sparked a quick 6-2 run from the Magic that put the game away.

The last time the Bulls lost three of four came in November on the team’s annual Circus Trip, with defeats at Sacramento, Portland and Denver. They’ll square off against the Wizards on Wednesday.

After disheartening loss, Bulls searching for defensive swagger.

By Mike Singer

It was no surprise that following Monday night’s disheartening 121-114 loss to Orlando, all Tom Thibodeau wanted to discuss at practice on Tuesday was the team’s lackluster -- at times effortless -- defense.

The Bulls have carved their identity on the defensive end of the court for the past few years, but that identity was smashed on Monday to the tune of 58 points in the paint, 63 points in the first half alone while Orlando shot 59 percent from the field. That was to a Magic team that visited Chicago ranked 27th in the league in scoring. Two different Magic players had more than 30 points while the Bulls’ interior defense was battered.

The disconcerting part was that Monday’s game wasn’t the first home loss to a sub-.500 team; it was the fifth. It was also the latest example of an explosive offensive team still searching for its defensive swagger.

“There’s two things you look at first,” Thibodeau said when dissecting film. “The intensity and the execution, was it done properly. There were a lot of things that we could’ve done better. We’ve gotta get back to that, make corrections, obviously can’t work on everything, so you try to prioritize the things that you feel need the most work. … Right now, for whatever reason, we’re low energy and we gotta get that corrected.”

Specifically, the Bulls need to improve their post defense, both in terms of initial pressure and rebounding. After outrebounding opponents in 16 of 17 games from the end of November through the end of December, the Bulls have been hit or miss on the glass over the last seven games (4-3). They’ve been outrebounded four times over that stretch, which also coincides with another concerning trend. Chicago’s lost the battle for points in the paint in six of its last seven games, including allowing a season-high 62 points against Houston last Monday.

The offense, specifically the phenomenal play of Pau Gasol and Jimmy Butler, has masked that streak, but there are real concerns about the Bulls’ ability to defend near the bucket. Part of that is that teams are attacking Derrick Rose through the pick-and-roll, which forces the Bulls’ big men into unwanted rotations. But in terms of protecting the paint, Thibodeau said it’s a matter of the team functioning as a cohesive unit.

"That's where you get your team being tied together and is the emphasis too much on covering the line? If somebody is beat, are we hesitating to pull the trigger? And if we do pull the trigger, is that next guy helping the guy who went to help?"

Not many teams boast the size that Chicago has up front nor do most teams have anything close to that kind of depth. But Joakim Noah, returning from offseason knee surgery, and Gasol haven’t been defending their territory like one would expect. Since the new year, each of their defensive rebounding percentages are down significantly from their season averages, and as a team, opponents are shooting 52 percent on shots within the 5-9 foot range. The Bulls’ season average for defending those same shots is at 37.9 percent, which ranks in the top-10 of the league.

“I just know our defense isn’t very good right now,” Noah said. “We’ve just got to keep working at it. We saw the film, the energy wasn’t very good the last couple of games.”

And in terms of playing alongside Gasol, Noah described their chemistry as a work in progress.

“Pau’s in a groove offensively,” Noah added. “We’ve just got to find ways defensively to make it work as well.”

All of this isn’t to say the Bulls are in a dire situation. They’re 26-13 and are comfortably in the fourth seed within striking distance of the East’s top teams. But games this week against Washington (which had their way in a physical win over the Bulls last week) and conference-leading Atlanta will test this team’s mettle, especially in the paint.

“This is our story and this is the journey,” Noah said. “We’re going through something right now and we’ve got to stick together and make it work. The injuries, the new guys –- we can make excuses, but this is who we are. It’s not going to change. So it’s on us to fix it or it’s not going to work.”

Bear Down Chicago Bears!!!!! What the Bears can learn from NFL Divisional-round games.

By John Mullin

Run-pass balance has never been an end in itself, simply a means to an end. The bigger issue lies in knowing yourself, your limitations and your strengths.

The New England Patriots got past the Baltimore Ravens, at home, calling 53 pass plays and 13 running plays, counting kneel-downs. That worked because the quarterback is Tom Brady.

The Seattle Seahawks did what they do – 28 runs, 24 pass plays – as did the overmatched Carolina Panthers – 38 pass plays, 30 runs. Even the Baltimore Ravens, with the playoff-proven arm of Joe Flacco, ran 28 times in losing on a fourth-quarter New England score.

Indianapolis lives on the arm of Andrew Luck but ran the football 28 times (two by Luck) vs. 43 pass plays. Denver trailed and eventually needed to throw, which is no longer the strength it once was with Peyton Manning. So the 48 pass plays were too much when juxtaposed to just 20 rushing plays, given the Manning limitations.

The Green Bay Packers, even with Aaron Rodgers behind center, ran 26 times for 123 yards, plus Rodgers’ four kneel-downs, and called 36 pass plays. The Dallas Cowboys, in the playoffs in large part because they stopped putting more on Tony Romo than he was capable of carrying, called 27 run plays for 138 yards, vs. 24 pass plays.

One NFL executive told CSNChicago.com recently that the plan was never to build a franchise around Jay Cutler, if for no other reason than his limitations as a decision-maker. The early guess is that Cutler will be the starting quarterback for 2015, but without the ill-conceived strategic plan of two-thirds of the offense running through his right arm.

The Bears have suffered some personnel setbacks at the hands of offensive minds who ignored strengths, weaknesses and their teams’ characters. Mike Martz had no use for a pass-catching tight end so the organization shipped Greg Olsen off to Carolina and the Pro Bowl. Marc Trestman didn’t need fullbacks so Tony Fiammetta was gone.

Meanwhile the Cowboys and Packers were hammering away behind fullbacks, ex-Bear Tyler Clutts for Dallas, John Kuhn for Green Bay. Ooops.

What people say is generally less important than what they do, and that applies to new Bears GM Ryan Pace. But Pace clearly has a sense of what works in the NFL, alluding to defense and running the football in Chicago and has seen effective play balancing.

The New Orleans Saints won their Super Bowl (2009) with 55-45 pass-run balance, and that with Drew Brees as their quarterback. The Bears last year were more than 65 percent pass last season and more than 60 percent pass even the year before under Marc Trestman.

John Fox exit from Broncos presents 'turnaround' option for Bears.

By John Mullin

If the Bears are serious about going from 5-11 to a Super Bowl contender in short order, their best head-coaching candidate may have come available Monday afternoon.

 

John Fox and the Denver Broncos agreed to sever ties after the Broncos lost Sunday to the visiting Indianapolis Colts after Fox had guided Denver to its fourth consecutive AFC West championship. Fox won one with Tim Tebow as his primary quarterback and after Denver had gone four years without a winning season.

 

He took over the Carolina Panthers in 2002 as they came off a 1-15 season, used his first draft choice (No. 2 overall) on Julius Peppers, and improved the Panthers to 7-9 in year one and into the Super Bowl in year two.

 

Fox, 60, made it apparent that he has his cell phone handy and on: "I am eager to continue my coaching career and look forward to the opportunities that lie ahead," Fox said in a statement issued through the Broncos.

 

Fox becomes the immediate high point in a thin coaching market, particularly of proven, successful head coaches, with Rex Ryan already hired in Buffalo. Fox has taken two teams to Super Bowls: the Panthers in 2003, losing to the New England Patriots on a 41-yard Adam Vinatieri field goal with 4 seconds to play; and the Broncos last year, when they were blown out by the Seattle Seahawks.

 

Fox also had the Panthers in the NFC Championship game as a Wild Card in 2005, a postseason that began with an upset of the Bears in Soldier Field.

New Bears general manager Ryan Pace laid out a philosophy of building on defense and solid running football, suggesting putting on-field matters in the hands of a strong defensive leader. Pace has had one interview with a defensive coordinator (Todd Bowles last week), has another schedule with one Tuesday (Detroit Lions D-coordinator Teryl Austin) and is expected to be in touch with Fox, either directly or through consultant Ernie Accorsi.

 

Fox has prior connections with Accorsi from serving as defensive coordinator for the New York Giants from 1997-2001 while Accorsi was Giants general manager. Fox was part of another Super Bowl team in New York as the Giants reach the 2000 Super Bowl but lost to Ray Lewis and the Baltimore Ravens.

 

Sean Payton, who is one of Pace’s leading models for a head coach, was offensive coordinator for that Giants team.

 

Speculation Update: Bears roster control not likely to be problem for John Fox, GM Ryan Pace.

 

By John Mullin

 

The buzz surrounding the quest for the next Bears head coach took an understandable bump in volume Monday when the Denver Broncos put an end to the tenure of coach John Fox.

While Fox and Bears general manager Ryan Pace will talk, and Fox has interest in the Chicago job, one very significant point will need to be clear up front if the two sides are going to strike a deal:

Control.

Fox and Broncos VP/GM John Elway had myriad friction points, culminating in what was tantamount to a mutual decision that Fox could no longer work under Elway’s regime. Some of that friction involved results – Elway wanted more than just four straight AFC West titles – and some involved control.

Fox is 60, out of the general mold of Arizona Cardinals coach Bruce Arians, and he has been successful with a spectrum of different rosters. He has had major roles of the final 53 he takes into a season.

But Pace was clear last week on who will have control of the 53-man roster: himself.
“The 53-man roster, yes,” Pace said.

Pace comes from a franchise – New Orleans – where the general manager (Mickey Loomis) had roster authority ahead of the head coach (Sean Payton).

“But my experience in New Orleans… . The relationship between the head coach and general manager, that’s critical,” Pace said. “So is the head coach and the quarterback. Those are the two most important relationships in the building. In my 15 years in New Orleans, I’ve never seen Mickey and Sean come to a major argument on something like that.

“And what’s the reason for that? Because they have a great relationship. They talk every single day. All those decisions, those are all hashed out because we’re communicating in the relationship we have. That’s what I’m looking forward to.”

Significantly perhaps, Fox has roots in the New York Giants organization that used a strong general manager (George Young until 1997, then Ernie Accorsi). And with the Carolina Panthers, GM Marty Hurney was hired the same year (2002) as Fox and made the major personnel calls.

Accorsi is serving as consultant for the Bears’ search, knows Fox and knows the Bears. If the road to the hiring had any fatal potholes ahead, best guess is that Fox would not be interviewing.

ESPN's Olney: White Sox have 8th-ranked rotation in baseball.

Posted by David Just

Chicago White Sox starter Chris Sale delivers a pitch during the first inning of a baseball game against the Oakland Athletics in Chicago, Thursday, Sept. 11, 2014. (AP Photo/Paul Beaty)

 

ESPN baseball writer Buster Olney ranked the top 10 2015 pitching staffs in Major League Baseball and placed the White Sox eighth.

Here’s what he had to say about the South Siders:

Maybe this will be the year that Chris Sale wins his first Cy Young Award, although more could be on the way; only three pitchers allowed a lower opponents’ OPS last season. The 25-year-old Jose Quintana allowed just 10 homers and 52 walks in 200 1/3 innings, and now the White Sox have Jeff Samardzija to be their rotation plow horse, an innings-eater, in his last season before reaching free agency. John Danks is the No. 4 starter, and at some point in 2015, prospect Carlos Rodon, the third player taken in last summer’s draft, could join the White Sox rotation, having already reached Triple-A by the end of 2014. The improvement in Rodon’s command will be the most significant question about his development.

Olney’s top 10 looked like this:

1. Washington Nationals
2. Los Angeles Dodgers
3. St. Louis Cardinals
4. Seattle Mariners
5. New York Mets
6. Detroit Tigers
7. Tampa Bay Rays
8. Chicago White Sox
9. San Diego Padres
10. Cleveland Indians

I’m not sure exactly what criteria Olney used in making his list, but I’d argue the White Sox have a case for a spot in the top three.

The White Sox have a 1-2-3 punch in Chris Sale, Jose Quintana and Jeff Samardzija that can go toe-to-toe with any rotation in the the game.

The Dodgers, which Olney ranked second, have Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke at the top, then three pieces that have spent much of the last few years on the disabled list.

Olney praises the Cardinals for their “elite depth,” but admits Adam Wainwright’s fragility makes him a question mark.

Sale, Quintana and Samardzija had a combined WAR of 14.1 last season, which is just a half of a run behind the top three of the Dodgers and well ahead of the Nationals and Cardinals.

Sale is a bona fide Cy Young candidate, and I wrote late last season that Quintana is substantially better than anyone gives him credit for. Samardzija is in a contract year and will be playing for a big payday.

John Danks, Hector Noesi and super prospect Carlos Rodon make up the back end of the rotation, and there’s enough stability, consistency and potential there to, I think, merit a top-three ranking.

Years later, Jon Lester and Anthony Rizzo become building blocks for Cubs.

By Patrick Mooney
                                                                   

So Sporting News picked the Cubs to win the World Series this year, which just might be the perfect Internet story when it feels like 30 degrees below zero in Chicago.

Joe Maddon’s free agency overshadowed the World Series. Jon Lester’s decision dominated the winter meetings and made the cover of Sports Illustrated. Theo Epstein’s front office still hasn’t mortgaged one of baseball’s strongest farm systems (after making a play for Ben Zobrist). The national media will be flooding the zone when pitchers and catchers report to Mesa, Ariz., next month.

Another buzz indicator: The team announced weekend passes and hotel packages are sold out for the 30th annual Cubs Convention that begins Friday at the Sheraton Chicago Hotel & Towers.

Whether the Cubs live up to the hype — or flame out — will depend in large part on two cancer survivors who once connected at Fenway Park. They hung out in the office of Terry Francona, the Boston Red Sox manager at the time.

By 2008, Lester had already beaten anaplastic large-cell lymphoma and won the clinching game in the 2007 World Series, just beginning to put together the resume that would get him a $155 million megadeal this winter. Anthony Rizzo — a teenager with his baseball career on hold — needed treatment for limited-stage classical Hodgkin’s lymphoma at Massachusetts General Hospital.

“Jeez, I don’t remember how old he was when he got diagnosed, but this baby-face kid comes into Tito’s office,” Lester recalled. “Tito told me: ‘Hey, we got this kid just diagnosed with cancer. Would you mind talking to him?’

“(We were) hanging out, just talking. (It’s) seeing the disappointment and kind of seeing the flashbacks to myself. But at the same time, it’s seeing that desire: ‘Hey, this isn’t it for me.’”

Rizzo eventually got traded to the San Diego Padres in the Adrian Gonzalez deal. Three years ago, the Cubs executives with Boston roots acquired Rizzo for Andrew Cashner. Last season, Rizzo answered some of the questions about his maturity and leadership ability, going to the All-Star Game and putting up 32 homers and a .913 OPS.

As Lester said: “To see him come full circle — he’s been a part of some big trades for some big guys — (and) cement himself in MVP voting (is) pretty unbelievable.”

After Game 162 last September, Rizzo set the expectations at winning the National League Central in 2015. After five straight fifth-place finishes, the Cubs added a two-time American League Manager of the Year (Maddon), an All-Star catcher (Miguel Montero) and multiple clubhouse glue guys (pitcher Jason Hammel, potential closer Jason Motte, backup catcher David Ross).

With two World Series rings and a 2.57 career postseason ERA, Lester is exactly the kind of been-there, done-that winner Rizzo hoped the Cubs would sign this winter, a leader for all that young talent in the room.

“I’m not a guy that’s going to walk into that clubhouse and say: ‘Look at me. Follow me. We’re gonna go,’” Lester said. “That’s not who I am. And first of all, this isn’t my team. This is Rizzo and (Starlin) Castro’s team. They’ve been here the longest. They’ve put in their time. I’m sure they want to win more than I want to win — especially for this city. So I’m going to let those guys do their thing.

“But at the same time, I’m going to do (my thing). I’m going to put my head down. I’m going to work my butt off every single day. And if that, in turn, makes me a leader, then that makes me a leader. I’m not going to sit there and pound my fist on the table and say you need to follow me, because by no means am I like that.

“I just try to work as hard as I can, day in and day out. And if that gives the younger guys some sort of example, then that’s great. But like I said, I’m not going to force guys to do anything they don’t want to do.”

Ultimately, that means more than clickbait or Las Vegas odds or winning the offseason. That’s the way championship organizations are wired. All these years later, Lester and Rizzo will become building blocks at a renovated Wrigley Field.

Another big deal could accelerate youth movement for Cubs.

By Patrick Mooney

Do the Cubs have another big move left this offseason?

It would be hard to top the Joe Maddon thunderbolt, opting out of his contract with the Tampa Bay Rays and coming to the North Side with a five-year, $25 million deal. Or Jon Lester choosing to sign with a last-place team for $155 million guaranteed and the chance to make history.

A series of complementary moves designed to give the clubhouse some veteran presence — adding catchers Miguel Montero and David Ross, pitcher Jason Hammel and reliever Jason Motte — hasn’t left Theo Epstein’s front office with a lot of wiggle room financially.

But at least this doesn’t have the same all-or-nothing feel as last winter, when Masahiro Tanaka rumors/misinformation dominated Cubs Convention. The diehard fans, true believers and season-ticket holders will be there when the 30th annual festival opens Friday at the Sheraton Chicago Hotel & Towers.

If it’s crazy to talk about the World Series now, it’s also absurd to keep kicking the can down the road, writing off the big-league team and foreclosing on seasons before pitchers and catchers even report to spring training — with no timeline for when a big-market team might be competitive.

“Youth and athleticism” is what struck Maddon about what the Cubs have built to this point. “Unique hitting abilities for young players. In the game today, there’s kind of a dearth of offense, as we all know. I’m here to tell you, man, I don’t know the answer to that, either, other than just signing good hitters. I mean, because it’s really hard to grow them. It’s hard to come up with this physical/mechanical panacea that’s going to make you a good hitter all of a sudden.

“So (what) stands out to me is the young players that really swing the bat well.
There’s an athleticism about them. There’s some speed (and) the defense overall (is) pretty good. The thing that jumps the most is youth here, youth on the way, more offensive (talent) than the average young group of players that I’ve seen over the last couple of years.”

Lester won two World Series rings with the Boston Red Sox and has the kind of broad shoulders and serious personality that could impact the entire staff.

But the Cubs have actually been a bad team with pretty good pitching, a rotation that’s been dominant, at times, and gutted by the trade deadline in each of the last three summers.

It’s not like the Cubs can change their offensive identity overnight, even if Anthony Rizzo and Starlin Castro keep performing at an All-Star level, and even with so many elite prospects having their best years in front of them (at least on paper).

It’s unfair and unrealistic to expect Kris Bryant to be a middle-of-the-order savior whenever he gets called up to Wrigley Field and makes his big-league debut — even after an unbelievable 2014 season in the minors (43 homers, 110 RBI, 1.098 OPS).

Only four teams across the majors scored fewer runs (614) last season. The Cubs ranked 13th out of 15 National League teams in on-base percentage (.300), and next-to-last in hitting with runners in scoring position (.223).

The Bill James Handbook has some 2015 projections for Javier Baez and Jorge Soler (60 homers and 176 RBI combined) that seem overly optimistic given that they will play this season at the ages of 22 and 23. Not to mention Javy’s swing-and-miss, all-or-nothing tendencies — 225 strikeouts between the Cubs and Triple-A Iowa last season — and Soler’s injury history.

“There’s never been pitching as good in the major leagues as there is right now,” Epstein said. “It’s a very rare hitter who can step right in from the minor leagues and perform against this modern pitching that we have.

“There’s probably only — I don’t know — three dozen hitters on the planet who can hit big-league pitching really consistently right now and make an impact. It’s that good. It’s probably unreasonable to expect young players to step right in and dominate and fulfill whatever those lofty projections are.”

It used to sound crazy comparing the Cubs to a small-market team like the Kansas City Royals. But given some of the franchise’s financial realities and payroll limitations, it’s a blueprint worth remembering now.

General manager Dayton Moore took over in Kansas City during the middle of the 2006 season and a 100-loss campaign. In the previous two years, the Royals had used first-round picks on Alex Gordon (second overall) and Billy Butler (No. 14). The next two years, the Royals would grab Mike Moustakas (second overall) and Eric Hosmer (third overall) near the top of the draft.

Between 2007 and 2012, Kansas City’s losses piled up: 93, 87, 97, 95, 91, 90. That translated to an average finish of 21.5 games out of first place each year. The Royals went 29 years between playoff appearances before their core finally came together, getting hot at the right time and winning the American League pennant last season.

“If you look at the Royals,” Epstein said, “count the number of plate appearances and at-bats that all those players had. You have to have patience. For talent, the light will go on eventually. But it doesn’t necessarily happen right away.”

So the Cubs can’t flip a switch and become contenders. But another big deal might accelerate the youth movement. At the very least, flipping catcher Welington Castillo and left-hander Travis Wood could address a weakness and bring back a useful piece or two.

It might also make sense to hold onto the trade chips and again keep the “powder dry” for an in-season addition, to see what happens with Philadelphia Phillies ace Cole Hamels, or in case the Yoan Moncada situation drags out into the summer.

Either way, if you’re a Cubs fan, anything’s better than listening to existential questions about a Wrigley Field Jumbotron, or pasting Tanaka reports out of Japan into Google Translate.

Golf: I got a club for that; David Feherty: ‘Gutsy’ Tiger Woods will reclaim No. 1 world ranking by 2016.

By Emily Kay

David Feherty thinks if Tiger Woods can stay healthy -- a big ‘if,’ given the former world No. 1’s history -- he’ll overtake Rory McIlroy and 32 others on his way back to the top of rankings.

Tiger Woods flashed some back-to-the-future form last month when he made his first foray back to tournament golf since August but he still finished in a tie for last. Despite his DFL (the result largely of a horrendous short game), advanced age (Woods turned 39 on December 30), and a new/old swing untested in competition anywhere but his own no-cut limited-field tourney, Golf Channel analyst David Feherty expects to see Woods atop the world golf rankings come 2016.

"It would surprise me if, by the end of this season, he’s not No. 1 in the world again," Feherty, a Tiger-watcher from way back, told SB Nation by phone Friday.

 

Of course, like any golfstradamus prognostication regarding the ex-king of the hill, Feherty’s forecast came with the usual caveat.

 

"I think, if he’s durable, if his body’s in good shape [italics added], that we’re going to see [Woods] in contention again," said Feherty. "The only mistakes I’ve ever made with Tiger Woods are underestimating him. If you think he can’t do that, well, he kind of thinks he can."

 

Woods, thanks to a wretched, injury-wracked 2013-2014 PGA Tour campaign, lost top billing to Adam Scott in May and has plummeted down to No. 34 in the world. Scott, whose reign was short-lived after Rory McIlroy overtook him in August, ended Woods' most recent dominion after 60 straight weeks.

 

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Kelly Tilghman✔                                                                          Follow
@KellyTilghmanGC
    

Adam Scott takes #1 spot in world rank on Monday. Worth a reminder that Tiger Woods has held that spot for 13.13 yrs of his career.

 

11:24 AM - 13 May 2014

                     

41 Retweets 23 favorites

 

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Feherty reminded us that pretenders have staged coups before and Woods has ascended again to the throne. Indeed, the 14-time major champion fell to 52nd in 2011 before he played his way back to the apex two years later on the strength of three wins in 2012 and two more in 2013 (he cemented his status with another three Ws that year).

 

Woods, who will launch his quest for his 80th tour win later this month at the Phoenix Open, hasn’t nailed the only type of win that matters going on seven years but has still had little trouble ascending to the pinnacle.

 

"He hasn’t played well since 2008," said Feherty, referring to the last year Woods secured a major title, "and yet he’s returned to No. 1 in the world relatively easily."

 

One could debate that the 14 victories Woods has compiled since that legendary U.S. Open victory would make anyone else’s career and weren’t all that shabby even for Eldrick, but Feherty was on a roll. Though fields are deeper and the competition younger and stronger than when Woods set an impossible bar as he was achieving the Tiger Slam and otherwise dominating golf, Feherty believes the second-winningest player in tour history does not have to match his feats of yore to reclaim his fiefdom.

 

"People have forgotten what happens when he does play well. It’s been so long since he did, I think, just by the law of averages, it’s [reassuming the No. 1 ranking ] going to happen again and he doesn’t have to play as well as he did around the turn of the century to be No. 1," said Feherty, who, as a commentator since he quit competitive golf in 1997, has had a front-row seat to Woods’ entire career. "He doesn’t have to play that well at all."

 

For sure, today’s competition -- led by McIlroy, big-hitting Bubba Watson, and the likes of 2014 FedEx Cup champ Billy Horschel, Jordan Spieth, and Patrick Reed -- is stouter and the kids can out-slug the old guy. But Feherty will not count out a healthy Woods.

 

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Justin Ray                                                                                          Follow

@JustinRayGC

    

Rory McIlroy (Dubai), Jordan Spieth (Torrey Pines) and Patrick Reed (Isleworth) have now all carded 63's playing with Tiger in 2014.

 

3:34 PM - 5 Dec 2014

                     

22 Retweets 11 favorites 

 

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"People forget just how deep and strong [Woods] was. He won a U.S. Open [in 2000 at Pebble Beach] by 15 strokes," averred Feherty, who tested the memories of even the most devoted of golf observers. "No one won a major championship like that since Tom Morris in the 1860s [Old Tom won four Open Championships between 1861-1867] and he was playing with a badger testicle stuffed with seagull feathers."

 

Which may be exactly what Woods should toss to the well-lubricated bleacher creatures when he reaches the renowned par-3 16th hole at TPC Scottsdale during Super Bowl week. About Woods' announcement that he planned to kick off his 2015 season at the loudest, zaniest venue on tour during the run-up to the NFL finale in nearby Glendale, Feherty termed his decision audacious.

 

"It’s a pretty gutsy move for Tiger to show up there," Feherty said.

 

Feherty expects as many as 20,000 loudmouths each day to gamble on which caddie will make it to the green first ("Oh, yes, of course they did, that’s not going to happen," Feherty snickered about the tour’s ban on such shenanigans) -- and imbibe their favorite adult beverages from the 16th's sky boxes and grassy knoll.

 

"There’s a lot of distractions. We’ll see how well [Tiger’s] doing physically and if he can get through that week in a strong frame of mind," Feherty said. "It’ll be general debauchery."

 

The Golf Channel personality, by the way, humorously anticipated that this year’s premiere of his "Feherty" show, in two live events from the Super Bowl the same week as Woods’ 2015 debut and the NFL’s showcase affair, would "demolish" the competition.

Reed tops Walker in playoff for Hyundai title.

By Will Gray
                                                         

Patrick Reed

He's not quite a top-five player just yet, but Patrick Reed has cemented a spot as one of golf's rising stars. Here's how things ended up at the Hyundai Tournament of Champions, where Reed topped Jimmy Walker in a playoff for the win:

Leaderboard: Patrick Reed (-21, won on first extra hole), Jimmy Walker (-21), Hideki Matsuyama (-20), Jason Day (-20), Russell Henley (-20)

What it means: Walker began the day with a share of the lead and appeared on cruise control at the halfway point, but a stumble down the stretch combined with a rally from Reed led to a playoff. After a poor approach from Walker on the first extra hole, Reed calmly rolled in a 19-foot birdie putt for the win - his fourth PGA Tour victory since August 2013, joining Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy and Sergio Garcia as the only players with that many wins before age 25 in the last 20 years.

Round of the day: Day began the final round seven shots off the pace, but he gave the leaders quite the scare with an 11-under 62 that tied the course record. The Aussie birdied four in a row on Nos. 5-8 then caught fire on the back nine, with six birdies in a seven-hole stretch from Nos. 10-16 before a final circle on the home hole.

Best of the rest: Day wasn't the only player to earn a piece of the course record, as Chris Kirk also shot an 11-under 62. Kirk began the day in last place but, playing by himself, notched 11 birdies on the Plantation Course without dropping a shot to move all the way up into a share of 14th place.

Biggest disappointment: While Reed's rally was impressive, this tournament was Walker's to lose and he did just that. A poor iron off the tee led to a bogey on the short 14th hole, then Walker got two cracks at the easy par-5 18th - once in regulation, once in the playoff. He failed to make a birdie either time, squandering the last of what once was a three-shot lead in the process.

Shot of the day: Reed was coming off a birdie on No. 15 when he hit a wedge from 83 yards to the short par-4 16th. The approach landed just past the hole, spun back and dropped for an unexpected eagle that took Reed to 6 under on his round and gave him a share of the lead.

Quote of the day: "The confidence level is really high." - Reed

Looming putter ban a belly ache for some.

Reuters; By Mark Lamport-Stokes, Editing by Frank Pingue

Less than a year remains before PGA Tour players have to accept a ban by golf's rulemakers on long putters being anchored to the body and Tim Clark is among those who expect "some challenges along the way."

South African Clark has been using the anchored technique for 17 years, and the same putter for more than a decade, and he was vocal in his opposition to the proposal when it was first suggested in December 2012.

The PGA Tour also expressed initial disagreement with the move but later fell in line with the Royal & Ancient and United States Golf Association, acknowledging that the ban on anchored strokes would apply to its events from Jan. 1, 2016.

             
Several PGA Tour players who have been regularly using either belly or 'broomhandle' putters have already started experimenting with the shorter versions but Clark plans to stick with his long putter for most of this year.

"Maybe there's a tournament where I'm dead-last playing on Sunday and I might do something, but it's not really a move I want to do this year," Clark told Reuters while competing in the Hyundai Tournament of Champions at Kapalua Resort.

"But at some point, I'm going to have to do it because you don't want to come out cold turkey next year and start using a new putting technique."

Clark, who uses a long putter with the top of the shaft pressed against his chest and his hands spread well apart, has a good idea of how his technique will change for next year but he was not prepared to divulge details.

"I'm not going to tell you just in case they try to ban those," 39-year-old South African grinned.

DIFFICULT TO ADAPT

Clark said he would visit the Scotty Cameron putting studio in the San Diego area after the Feb. 5-8 Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines to experiment with a revised technique but he knows it will not be easy to adapt.

"It is going to be tough, for sure," said the two-time PGA Tour champion, who booked his place in the elite winners-only field of 34 at Kapalua by winning last year's Canadian Open.

             
"Seventeen years of putting one way, I don't think there's too many of the guys out here that have putted with a short one for that long would like to switch to something else that they haven't used.
 

"I'm sure there's going to be some challenges along the way but I feel what I'm going to do will be just fine, though you're only going to really know when you start in competition."
 

Most players believe users of the belly technique will find the adjustment easier to make than the 'broomhandle' brigade, and a few could end up following the example of Matt Kuchar.
 

American Kuchar uses a putting stroke which will not be outlawed by the rulemakers' proposal since his putter rests against his left arm and not against his chest, stomach or chin.
 

Asked by Reuters if he had been sought out by players for advice on his technique, Kuchar replied: "I haven't had that many guys ask me too much at this point but I wouldn't be surprised if there are more mid-year and late year.
 

"It will be interesting to see what guys do -- whether the guys that anchor go to a counter-balance style or something else.
 

 "Whether it's the Adam Scotts and Tim Clarks (broomhandle putters) or the Webb Simpsons and the guys who put the putter in the belly, there will be a lot of eyes focused to see how those guys transition."

Ganassi first 2015 test offers chance to build off latest second half surge.

By Tony DiZinno

The 2015 Verizon IndyCar Series season is still a couple months away from starting, but on-track preparation is about to begin this week.

Chip Ganassi Racing will be testing at NOLA Motorsports Park on Wednesday, the team’s first outing at the track.

“It’ll be the first time I’ve been to New Orleans since I was six years old,” noted CGR managing director Mike Hull, speaking to MotorSportsTalk at this weekend’s Roar Before the Rolex 24 test at Daytona International Speedway.

But while thoughts of New Orleans always seem to center on its culture, nightlife and atmosphere, the team will be focused for its first day of running at the track itself, and building off winning three of the last four races to end 2014.

If there’s been one rare area where CGR hasn’t excelled in recent years, it’s in starting strong out of the gate, and it’s something Scott Dixon, driver of the No. 9 Target Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet, feels is important to correct in a year when aero kits are coming.

“We do NOLA (this) week and we did some other stuff before Christmas,” Dixon told MST at Daytona. “There isn’t any more body (kit) stuff until Barber I think. Some of the Chevy teams have completed it. We had our Sebring test in December (without the kits), and that helped to clarify a couple changes we did toward the end of the year.”

Dixon expects that along with longtime engineer Eric Bretzman, the team should be in a better spot earlier in 2015, having already had a year under its belt with the Chevrolet engine after switching from Honda last offseason.

“It should be easier now,” he explained. “We pushed pretty hard through the first part of the season with adjustability per driver. It should transition well now. We haven’t got the new engine specs yet. Right now we’ve had big breaks and not much testing. But once the season hits, it should be full go.”

Tony Kanaan, who ended the year on a tear with some excellent qualifying efforts, several podiums and a win in the season finale at Auto Club Speedway, also expects his second year to be even better in the now No. 10 NTT Data Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet.

“I think it was the entire team, we started off slower than we wanted to,” Kanaan said. “We were all getting used to it. Even Scott was struggling.

“Once we found out what we had to do to make it better, we were both extremely strong. We won three races as a team, and in a championship that is so tight, that was a very good result.

“By the time I got used to it, and made changes in how I wanted to the car to be, we got to where we wanted to be the whole year.”

Both Dixon and Kanaan were at Daytona this weekend as part of CGR’s “all-star” second car, the No. 02 Riley-Ford they’ll share with CGR NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers Kyle Larson and Jamie McMurray.

Red Bull GRC announces 2015 schedule.

By Tony DiZinno

Red Bull Global Rallycross will have its biggest season schedule yet, with a 12-race calendar starting May 31 in Tampa and ending November 5 in Las Vegas. There are three doubleheader weekends, in Detroit, Los Angeles and Barbados.

Here is the full release, below: Red Bull Global Rallycross is pleased to announce a 12-race schedule, its largest ever, for the 2015 season. Once again featuring marquee stops in major urban environments, the race calendar kicks off in sunny Florida on May 31 and ends with a return to the bright lights of Las Vegas on November 5.

“The 2015 Red Bull Global Rallycross schedule stands to be our best yet,” said Colin Dyne, Red Bull GRC CEO. “The combination of one of the strongest calendars in all of motorsports, as well as one of racing’s best broadcast packages, thanks to our partnership with NBC Sports Group, is one that will take the racing world by storm this year. With more races and points on the line, we expect to see a thrilling chase for the championship. We are grateful to our many partners for their support throughout the 2014 season, as well as NBC for a fantastic job in their event broadcasts, and we look forward to bringing these relationships into 2015.”

The full 2015 Red Bull Global Rallycross points championship schedule is featured below. Broadcast dates and times will be released at a later date.

May 31: Tampa/St. Petersburg, FL
June 21: Daytona, FL
July 5: United States Military Base
July 25: Detroit, MI (I)
July 26: Detroit, MI (II)
August 15: Washington, DC
August 30: Seattle, WA
September 12: Los Angeles, CA (I)
September 13: Los Angeles, CA (II)
October 3: Barbados (I)
October 4: Barbados (II)
November 5: Las Vegas, NV

The 2015 points championship features 12 rounds at nine unique venues, including several of the series’ most familiar stops from seasons past. This year’s calendar is also marked with three doubleheader events, including the second straight doubleheader in the series’ home city of Los Angeles, and the expansion of the series’ popular Barbados race.

Red Bull Global Rallycross will also return to the NBC family of networks for the 2015 season, with 14.5 hours of original content, an increase of 4.5 hours from the 2014 season. For the first time, GRC Lites will have its own broadcast slate, with 30-minute broadcasts of all events airing on weekdays on NBCSN.

CONCACAF hexagonal to start in November 2016.

Associated Press

United States soccer fans cheer as they unfurled a large American flag before a World Cup qualifying soccer match against Guatemala in Kansas City, Kan. The start of the final round of World Cup qualifying in North and Central America and the Caribbean will be moved up by three months to November 2016. Seeking its eighth straight World Cup berth, the United States has a bye until the fourth round, when it will be in a four-nation group with double match dates Nov. 7-17, 2015; March 21-29, 2016; and Aug. 29-Sept. 6, 2016. (AP Photo/Reed Hoffmann, File)

The start of the final round of World Cup qualifying in North and Central America and the Caribbean will be moved up by three months to November 2016.

The hexagonal will start Nov. 7-15, 2016, and run through Oct. 2-10, 2017, CONCACAF said Monday. Since the 1998 World Cup, the final round had begun in February or March of the year before the tournament, but CONCACAF had to make a change after FIFA eliminated international fixture dates for February and August 2017.

Just six months after the end of the 2014 World Cup, the first qualifying draw for the 2018 tournament will take place Thursday, when CONCACAF determines matchups for its opening two rounds. Qualifying will start March 23-31 with matches involving the 14 lowest-ranked nations in the region as of last August.

Seeking its eighth straight World Cup berth, the United States has a bye until the fourth round, when it will be in a four-nation group with double match dates Nov. 7-17, 2015; March 21-29, 2016; and Aug. 29-Sept. 6, 2016. Mexico, Costa Rica, Honduras, Panama, and Trinidad and Tobago also have byes until the fourth round.

The top two nations in each of the three groups advance to the hexagonal. While FIFA has not yet announced the allocation of berths for the 2018 tournament, which will be played in Russia, CONCACAF said the top three nations will qualify and the fourth-place team will advance to an intercontinental playoff.

Additional double-match dates for the hexagonal are March 20-28, 2017; June 5-13, 2017; and Aug. 28-Sept. 5, 2017.

Competing in the first round will be Anguilla, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Curacao, Dominica, Montserrat, Nicaragua, St. Kitts and Nevis, Turks and Caicos and U.S. Virgin Islands.

The seven winners of the home-and-home matchups will be joined in the second round by Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, Canada, Cuba, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Puerto Rico, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Suriname. They will be drawn into 10 home-and-home series to be played June 8-16 this year.

Those winners will be joined in the third round by Jamaica and Haiti for six home-and-home series to be played Aug. 31-Sept. 8. Those six teams will advance to the fourth round.

Matchups for the third round and groups for the fourth round will be determined at the World Cup qualifying draw July 25 in St. Petersburg, Russia.

The CONCACAF representative for the 2017 Confederations Cup could have a quick turnaround to get to that tournament, to be played in Kazan, Moscow, St. Petersburg and Sochi from June 17-July 2. The United States will play the winner of this year's CONCACAF Gold Cup for a Confederations Cup berth and will earn the berth without a playoff if it wins the tournament.

FA Cup preview: Premier League teams embroiled in third-round replays.  

By Joe Prince-Wright

FA Cup replays are upon us, as seven games take place this week with the victors heading to the fourth round of soccer’s oldest knockout cup competitions.

The replays will end on the night, as extra time and penalty kicks will be used if necessary.

[ FOLLOW – Live FA Cup scores ]

Premier League sides West Ham United and Everton square off after Romelu Lukaku‘s late equalizer at Goodison Park set up a replay at Upton Park on Tuesday. Lukaku is expected to play against the Hammers despite being badly affected by the tragic death of his close friend Junior Malanda in a car crash in Germany over the weekend. The winners of this will face either Bristol City of Doncaster who else square off on Tuesday in a replay of their own.

Two former PL teams, who are now in the Championship, face off at Molinuex as Wolverhampton Wanderers host Fulham for a spot in the last 32 on Tuesday. On Wednesday high-flying Southampton head to Portman Road to face Ipswich Town in a tough test for the Saints as the Tractor Boys are pushing for promotion to the Premier League from the Championship. The winners will face Crystal Palace at home in the fourth round. Elsewhere on Wednesday there is an all-Premier League clash between Tottenham and Burnley at White Hart Lane, as the winners will face Leicester City at home in the fourth round.

Below is the schedule for the FA Cup replays this week, as you can follow the scores by clicking the link above.

Tuesday’s FA Cup replays

West Ham United vs. Everton – 2:45 p.m. ET
Bristol City vs. Doncaster Rovers – 2:45 p.m. ET
Wolves vs. Fulham – 2:45 p.m. ET
Chesterfield vs. Scunthorpe – 2:45 p.m. ET

Wednesday’s FA Cup replays

Ipswich Town vs. Southampton – 2:55 p.m. ET
Tottenham vs. Burnley – 3 p.m. ET
Bradford City vs. Millwall – 2:45 p.m. ET

Urban Meyer gets third title as Ohio State wins first College Football Playoff 42-20.

By Dan Wetzel

Ohio State wins the NCAA college football playoff championship game. (Photo/Morry Gash/AP)

The promise of returning the Ohio State Buckeyes to national prominence was enough for Urban Meyer to end a brief coaching sabbatical back in 2011.

Three seasons later, the job is done, although the program is just getting started.

Ohio State won the inaugural College Football Playoff National Championship here Monday, defeating Oregon 42-20.
 

"This goes down as one of the great stories in college football history," Urban Meyer said in regards to Buckeyes' improbable championship run.
 

The Buckeyes overcame four turnovers thanks to the power running of Ezekiel Elliott (36 carries, 246 yards, four touchdowns), the brilliant play of quarterback Cardale Jones (16-of-23 passing for 242 yards, a passing TD and a rushing TD) and a defense that swallowed the vaunted Ducks attack, forcing six punts.
 

For Meyer, a 50-year-old native of Ashtabula, Ohio, this is his third national title, adding to his two at Florida (2006, 2008). He also posted non-championship undefeated seasons at Utah (2004) and Ohio State (2012).
 

"This is a surreal moment," Elliott said. "It's why we all came [to Ohio State]. After all we went through, this is crazy. It doesn't feel real."
 

The most remarkable thing about this team is that it arrived seemingly a year ahead of schedule, full of talented sophomores Meyer believed would form a title contender next season. OSU will certainly open the year at No. 1 in the polls and a favorite to repeat.
 

The dominance of these Buckeyes (14-1) opens up the question whether Meyer is college football’s top coach, a title most often given to Alabama’s Nick Saban.
 

It’s a subjective title that spurs debate online and through talk radio. Saban’s four national titles (three at 'Bama, one at LSU) still trumps Meyer by one.
 

However, these Buckeyes showed Meyer at his best, recruiting and then meshing talent into a cohesive unit, developing players to maximize their ability and finally instilling them with confidence and motivating them to victory.
 

Ohio State was a betting underdog in each of its past three games against Wisconsin, Alabama and Oregon. Jones, a redshirt sophomore, started the season as the third-stringer but was more than ready to step in immediately and, if anything, improve the offense when needed.
 

And a defense that was physical enough to go toe-to-toe with 'Bama, proved versatile enough to contain a tricky, fast-paced Oregon offense led by Heisman Trophy winner Marcus Mariota, who played well (23-of-34 passing for 310 yards and two touchdowns) but after the game’s first drive couldn’t get the Ducks moving like they often do.
 

This was Meyer at his finest.

A combination of old-school, smash-mouth strength and modern spread principles made the Buckeyes offense a nightmare to prepare against. The defense was both physical and fluid. And the team just doesn’t rattle, overcoming an early season loss to Virginia Tech and running off 13 consecutive victories to give the Big Ten much-needed national credibility.

"The chase is complete," Meyer said. "These guys accepted their final mission and did it. ...This is a heck of a football team in scarlet and gray and I want to celebrate with the guys I love."
 

Meyer is now 142-26 overall and 37-3 at Ohio State, where he coveted the chance to revitalize a program he grew up rooting for under legendary coach Woody Hayes.
 

He left coaching for a year to concentrate on his health and spend more time with his family. He returned, in part, because the possibilities at Ohio State were too great. He vowed to bring an SEC mentality to the Big Ten, stepping up recruiting and competitiveness.
 

Now he has the title to signal the return to excellence.
 

And who knows how many more are coming to Columbus, where he is just getting started.

Ohio State No. 1 and TCU No. 3 in final AP poll of 2014 season.

By Nick Bromberg

The four teams that made the College Football Playoff are in the top five of the final AP poll, but two are behind a team that missed out.

Ohio State finishes the year atop the AP poll after beating Oregon 42-20 in for the national title Monday night and TCU, which demolished Ole Miss in the Peach Bowl, jumps up to No. 3 from No. 6 in the pre-bowl poll.

TCU was at No. 3 in the next-to-last set of College Football Playoff rankings but fell out of the top four in the final rankings after Baylor beat Kansas State and Ohio State beat Wisconsin in the Big Ten Championship.

Oregon finishes the year at No. 2 and Alabama is at No. 4. Florida State, which lost to Oregon in the Rose Bowl, is at No. 5 in a tie with Michigan State.

After beating Mississippi State in the Orange Bowl, Georgia Tech moved up to No. 8. The entire poll is below.

1. Ohio State (59 first place votes)
2. Oregon
3. TCU
4. Alabama
5. Florida State
5. Michigan State
7. Baylor
8. Georgia Tech
9. Georgia
10. UCLA
11. Mississippi State
12. Arizona State
13. Wisconsin
14. Missouri
15. Clemson
16. Boise State
17. Ole Miss
18. Kansas State
19. Arizona
20. USC
21. Utah
22. Auburn
23. Marshall
24. Louisville
25. Memphis

Kentucky still No. 1 in AP Top 25 - though not unanimously.

By The Associated Press

Kentucky remains No. 1 in the AP Top 25, though two overtime games loosened its hold on the top spot a bit.

The Wildcats (15-0) were atop 63 of 65 votes cast Monday, ending a run of five straight weeks as the unanimous No. 1. Kentucky beat Mississippi at home in overtime then won in double overtime at Texas A&M.
 

Virginia (15-0) earned the other two first-place votes and moved up a spot to No. 2 as the only other unbeaten team after Duke's loss at North Carolina State.
 

Gonzaga was third, followed by Duke - which fell from second and was among five top-10 losers - and Villanova.
 

Northern Iowa, Oklahoma State and Wyoming were new to the poll, with 25th-ranked Wyoming in for the first time since 1988.

 

RANK	SCHOOL		RECORD	POINTS	PREVIOUS
1	Kentucky (63)		15-0	1,623	1
2	Virginia (2)		15-0	1,561	3
3	Gonzaga		16-1	1,446	6
4	Duke		14-1	1,432	2
5	Villanova		15-1	1,358	8
6	Louisville		14-2	1,264	5
7	Wisconsin		15-2	1,200	4
8	Utah		13-2	1,185	9
9	Kansas		13-2	1,100	12
10	Arizona		14-2	1,037	7
11	Iowa State		12-2	922	17
12	Notre Dame		15-2	903	13
13	Wichita State		14-2	832	15
14	Maryland		15-2	801	11
15	North Carolina		12-4	719	18
16	West Virginia		14-2	627	14
17	VCU		13-3	578	20
18	Oklahoma		11-4	485	16
19	Arkansas		13-2	431	23
20	Texas		12-4	345	10
21	Seton Hall		13-3	298	19
22	Baylor		12-3	278	21
23	Northern Iowa		14-2	212	NR
24	Oklahoma State		12-3	132	NR
25	Wyoming		15-2	71	NR

Dropped out:  No.22 Ohio State, No. 24 St. John's, No. 25 Old Dominion

Others receiving votes:  Ohio State 70, Michigan St 67, Dayton 55, Providence 17, Indiana 15, LSU 12, St. John's 10, Georgetown 7, Alabama 7, NC State 6, Syracuse 3, Green Bay 3, TCU 2, San Diego St 2, Butler 2, Oregon 2, SMU 1, Davidson 1, Hofstra 1, Colorado St 1, Old Dominion 1

Promoter says Manny Pacquiao has agreed to terms for a Mayweather fight.

By Kevin Iole

Promoter Bob Arum told Yahoo Sports on Tuesday that Manny Pacquiao has agreed to terms for a May 2 bout with Floyd Mayweather, and that the only thing in the way of the long-awaited fight occurring is Mayweather's approval.

Arum said Mayweather's representatives have also agreed to the deal but have not been able to get Mayweather's agreement. However, there is no verification from anyone representing Mayweather whether Arum's side is accurate.

On Friday, the Los Angeles Times reported that progress was being made on making the match a reality. Multiple sources told Yahoo Sports over the weekend that a deal for the two superstars to fight at the MGM Grand Garden was imminent.

The sources told Yahoo Sports that not only have the sides agreed for the fight to be May 2 at the MGM, but also on a 60/40 purse split that would favor Mayweather. Mayweather could make in the range of $120 million. An MGM spokesman told Yahoo Sports that there was no deal for the fight to be held at the Grand Garden as far as he is aware.

In order to pay the astronomical salaries the fighters will command, ticket prices will be scaled at an all-time high. The top ticket at the MGM Grand Garden is expected to go for $5,000 so that the arena can be scaled to produce a $40 million live gate. 

 A $40 million live gate would be virtually double the existing record gate of $20,003,150, which was set at the MGM in 2013 by Mayweather and Canelo Alvarez.

Arum refused Tuesday to speak about details, but said Pacquiao was on board with all terms.

"I want to get some movement here, with bringing Mayweather to the table so we can go out and get everything signed and get the networks together and get the thing finished," Arum told Yahoo Sports on Tuesday.

Mayweather has an exclusive contract with Showtime and Pacquiao is obligated to HBO. It is not immediately clear which network will broadcast the fight, though it is expected that both will be involved. That was the solution worked out in 2002, when Mike Tyson (Showtime) fought Lennox Lewis (HBO) in Memphis, Tenn. 

A Mayweather-Pacquiao bout first began to be seriously discussed in 2009.

Mayweather ended a brief retirement by routing Juan Manuel Marquez at the MGM on Sept. 19, 2009. Two months later, in perhaps the defining performance of his career, Pacquiao stopped Miguel Cotto at the MGM in the 12th round on Nov. 14, 2009. 

It was clear at that point that they were not only the best welterweights in the world, but also the two best pound-for-pound fighters, period. While Mayweather is now widely acknowledged as the No. 1 fighter in the world, there was some debate in 2009 after Pacquiao stopped Cotto. Pacquiao was on a streak of 11 wins in a row that included dominant one-sided victories over Cotto, Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton, Marco Antonio Barrera and Erik Morales. 

An agreement was close in 2009 for a March 2010 bout, but it fell apart when Pacquiao declined Mayweather's last-minute demand for drug testing.

Former HBO Sports president Ross Greenburg tried to mediate a deal between the sides in 2011, and talks seemed promising at one point before it lost momentum. And in 2012, Mayweather personally called Pacquiao and offered him a flat $40 million for the fight. Pacquiao declined because there was a lot more money in the fight and he wouldn't have gotten any pay-per-view revenue.

Arum declined to speak on the record over the weekend when reached by Yahoo Sports to discuss the rumors circulating that the fight was on the verge of being made. But early Tuesday, he spoke to Brad Cooney of Examiner.com and told Cooney that Pacquiao had agreed to terms.

In a conversation later Tuesday with Yahoo Sports, Arum was asked if he were trying to force Mayweather's hand by speaking publicly after he was so tight-lipped and adamantly refusing to comment over the weekend. 

"I'm not trying to force anybody's hand, I'm just saying, 'Hey, we've agreed to everything, period,' " Arum told Yahoo Sports. "The people we have talked to on Mayweather's side have agreed to everything. Now we need Mayweather to step up and say, 'Yeah, I'm on board. I agree.'

"I'm not going to put a deadline on there. I'm just going to hope that everybody does the right thing and we get this concluded. It would be really sad if we went through this stuff again like we did before."

Arum said he and Pacquiao were "ignorant about the drug-testing stuff," when Mayweather first made the request for testing in the 2009 negotiations. He said Pacquiao has educated himself on it and has no problem to being tested and readily agreed to testing as part of his deal in getting the Mayweather fight.

He declined to talk specifics on Tuesday about purses, venue and the like, but said his only goal was to get a deal consummated. Pacquiao is flying to the U.S. on Wednesday and has meetings with Arum and then is doing publicity for a movie.

Arum said he hopes to avoid getting close to a deal, getting hopes up and then having it dashed. 

If that's his position, it doesn't make sense to talk publicly about private negotiations, but that's always been Arum's style.

"The point is that I don't want what happened the other times to happen again," Arum said. "I want this fight to actually happen. I want everybody to make a lot of money on the fight. I want the public to be satisfied. And I think it will be a terrific event. That's what I want, and I've done everything in my power to make that happen.

"I think Manny has been very reasonable and demonstrated that he wants the fight to happen. Now, we're waiting on Floyd. That's not to say that Floyd has been obstinate, that Floyd won't do it, but we're waiting on him."

Top Rank is also working on a middleweight title fight between Alvarez, the Golden Boy star from Mexico, and WBC champion Miguel Cotto. Promoter Oscar De La Hoya of Golden Boy is on record saying he wants Alvarez to fight on May 2, and Arum has agreed that it made sense to have Alvarez fighting on a Mexican holiday.

But Arum said that if fighting on May 2 meant that much to Mayweather, he would look to make the Cotto-Alvarez fight for some other date. That fight still isn't finalized, though, and it's no guarantee that it will be.

On This Date in Sports History: Today is Wednesday, January 14, 2015.

Memoriesofhistory.com

1936 - Cecil "Tiny" Thompson (Boston Bruins) became the first NHL goalie to receive credit for an assist.

1943 - Alex Smart (Montreal Canadiens) scored three goals in his first NHL game.

1948 - Plastic helmets were prohibited in the NFL.

1951 - The first National Football League Pro Bowl All-Star Game was played in Los Angeles, CA.

1954 - Marilyn Monroe and Joe DiMaggio were married. The marriage only lasted nine months.

1973 - The Miami Dolphins became the first NFL team to go undefeated in a regular season. They also defeated the Washington Redskins in Super Bowl VII.

1974 - The World Football League was founded.

1976 - Ted Turner completed the purchase of the Atlanta Braves.

1985 - Martina Navratilova won her 100th tournament. She joined Jimmy Connors and Chris Evert Lloyd as the only professional tennis players to win 100 tournaments.

1989 - Bobby Knight won his 500th career victory as a college basketball coach.

1990 - Joe Montana (San Francisco 49ers) set an NFL record when he threw his 30th and 31st post-season touchdown passes. Terry Bradshaw held the previous record of 30.

1993 - NFL Commissioner Tagliabue announced the establishment of the "NFL World Partnership Program."

1996 - Fox aired the San Francisco 49er/Dallas Cowboy NFC championship game. The game pulled a 34.2/57 Nielsen rating.

1997 - Dennis Rodman got his 10,000th NBA career point.

2002 - Barry Bonds signed a contract with the San Francisco Giants worth $90 million for five years.

2002 - Lance Armstrong ran the final leg of the Olympic torch relay in San Diego.

2002 - The NBA announced a three game suspension for Shaquille O'Neal (Los Angeles Lakers) and a one game suspension for Brad Miller (Chicago Bulls) for a fight that occurred during a game.

2002 - TNT world premiered the TV movie "Monday Night Mayhem."

2003 - In Dallas, Dwayne Goodrich (Dallas Cowboys) was charged with two counts of manslaughter and was released after posting a $50,000 bond. The charges stemmed from Goodrich's involvement in a hit-and-run accident that killed two people.

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