CS&T/AllsportsAmerica Wednesday Sports News Update, 01/28/2015.

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Trending: "Super Bowl Week"; AP Explains: What makes the Super Bowl such a big deal.

By JOHN MARSHALL (AP Sports Writer)

An NFL worker secures the Vince Lombardi Trophy in a case after it was delivered at the NFL Experience in preparation for Super Bowl XLIX Saturday, Jan. 24, 2015, in Phoenix. The New England Patriots face the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XLIX on Sunday, Feb. 1, 2015, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

The Super Bowl, at its most basic level, is a game that determines the NFL championship.

It has become so much more since the first game was played in 1967.

Super Bowl Sunday has become an unofficial holiday in the United States, a day when families and friends to gather to watch the game, the over-the-top commercials and big-name musical acts at halftime.  

The game and the two weeks of hype, parties and the annual Media Day leading up it have turned the Super Bowl into a spectacle along the lines of the Olympics or World Cup, a royal wedding or papal celebration, the Oscars or Grammys. 

A rundown of what makes the Super Bowl so special: 

FABRIC OF AMERICA 

Baseball is known as America's pastime, but football is woven into the country's fabric. 

The NFL's rise came at the same time as television's and turned into a $9 billion enterprise. The NFL season has far fewer games than the other major North American sports - 16 compared to 162 in baseball - which makes every game an event. 

But once the season gets to the Super Bowl, many of the fans don't get a chance to go. Tickets started around $800 for this year's and most are snapped up by corporations, creating an American version of the Prawn Sandwich Brigade, those European soccer fans who attend games for the corporate hospitality rather than cheer on the teams.

WHERE IT'S PLAYED  

Cities bid for the right to host the Super Bowl and many use the game as a rallying point to build a new stadium and bring in revenue.

The game is rotated every year, usually to a warm-weather city or one with a domed stadium.

Last year's game was played in the stadium the New York Jets and Giants share in East Rutherford, New Jersey - the first outdoor game in a cold-weather city - and future games will be in San Francisco, Houston and Minneapolis.

Arizona's University of Phoenix Stadium, site of this year's games, has a retractable roof and a field that is wheeled outside so the grass can get sunlight.

TELEVISION AUDIENCE
 

The Super Bowl is one of the most-watched events in the world, routinely drawing more than 80 million viewers every year since 1990. The game has eclipsed 100 million viewers each of the past five years, with a record 111.5 million watching Seattle roll over Denver a year ago.

Millions more watch the game around the world.

THE COMMERCIALS

Super Bowl commercials have become a part of the show, luring in non-sports fans who might not otherwise watch the game.

The trend of making get-them-talking commercials started in 1984, when Apple created a memorable 1-minute spot based on George Orwell's 1984. Since then, the commercials have included talking animals and babies, supermodels and Clydesdales, sophomoric humor and tear-jerking moments.

The rate for this year's game is $4.5 million for a 30-second spot.

 

GAMBLING

According to the American Gaming Association, Americans will place $3.8 billion in illegal bets on the Super Bowl this year. Nevada sports books hauled in a record $19.7 million in legal wagers on last year's game.

The Super Bowl also has some of the most exotic proposition bets anywhere.

For this year's game, bettors can put money on the what color Gatorade will be dumped on the winning coach, how long Idina Menzel will take to sing the Star-Spangled Banner, whether Patriots coach Bill Belichick will smile on camera during the game and the color of pop star Katy Perry's hair when she performs during the halftime show.

HALFTIME SHOW

The halftime show has become must-watch TV instead of just a throw-in with the game.

This year's halftime show will feature Perry and rock guitarist Lenny Kravitz, extending a long line of big-name performers that has included Bruce Springsteen, The Who, Prince, Madonna and Bruno Mars with the Red Hot Chili Peppers last year.

And, of course, everyone remembers Janet Jackson's ''wardrobe malfunction'' while performing with Justin Timberlake in 2004.

MEDIA DAY

Originally set up for media members to have access to every player on both teams, the annual Media Day has become an event in itself, a spectacle filled with sometimes-wacky questions and attention-grabbing stunts.

In 2008, a reporter from Mexico's TV Azteca wore a wedding dress and asked New England's Tom Brady to marry her. Another media day featured a reporter showing up with a puppet of Pittsburgh's Troy Polamalu, calling it his son.

Thousands of media members attend Media Day and fans can buy tickets to watch the festivities for $28.50.

THE PARTIES

Outside of the Oscars or Grammys, there may not be a bigger place for celebrity parties than the Super Bowl.

The parties before the big game are almost all star-studded and this year's bashes include DIRECTV Saturday Night with Rihanna, Nelly performing at Playboy's and Drake at Bootsy Bellows' Pop Up. There also will be live performances in the Phoenix area by Snoop Dogg, Imagine Dragons, Enrique Iglesias with Pitbull and Zac Brown Band.

Millions of fans also gather in households around the country to watch the game together.

How 'bout them Chicago Blackhawks?  All-Star Game was fun, but Blackhawks focused on upcoming trip.

By Tracey Myers

Five Blackhawks had their entertaining weekend, one that wrapped up with Team Toews’ 17-12 victory over Team Foligno. The game produced the most goals in All-Star history but was otherwise fairly bland.

But that’s all over now. After Sunday night the mindset for Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Duncan Keith, Brent Seabrook and Corey Crawford changed: Fun time is over, now let’s get back to the regular season.

The Blackhawks will head to Los Angeles on Monday, beginning their six-game road trip against the Kings on Wednesday night. It’s a quick switch of gears, mentally and physically, after a laid-back All-Star Game that was devoid of hits. But considering the tough schedule upcoming, it’s easy to regain focus fast.

“It’s not hard,” Keith said. “You want to get the rest this weekend. You’re focused on having fun and enjoying yourself. But as soon as we’re out of Columbus here, we’ll turn the page and be ready to go and focused for Los Angeles.”

It’s not hard to see why the focus will be there. The Blackhawks have played well through most of this season, but they’re nevertheless third in the Central Division — 62 points like St. Louis, but the Blues have a game in hand. Nashville comes out of the break atop the Central with 65 points.

Lengthy road trips, however seem to have a good effect on the Blackhawks. They were in a funk, thanks mainly to their scoring struggles, before heading on their annual Circus Trip in November. They came home with a 5-1-0 record from that trek. The Blackhawks also enter this trip in a bit of a malaise, going 5-5-0 entering the All-Star break. They did play better in back-to-back victories against Arizona and Pittsburgh and want to pick up where they left off with that.

“Hopefully we can look at it the same way we did the trip in November. We took advantage and started playing the right way,” said Toews, who had a goal and four assists in Sunday’s All-Star Game. “We’ve been stumbling around lately, but the last two games were better. We’ll try to carry that into this trip coming up.”

The Blackhawks just know how to play on the road. They block out what distractions there might be and play a simple game that garners victories. The All-Star weekend was fun, but it’s over now. It’s time to turn the page and get back to regular-season games and back on the road that’s been very beneficial for the Blackhawks.

“Usually we’re good because we focus one game at a time. We try not to look too far ahead. That’s the biggest thing with these,” Kane said. “We’ve had success in the past, so hopefully that’ll continue. We’ll just take it one game at a time, see what happens.”

Blackhawks recall Dennis Rasmussen ahead of road trip.

By Tracey Myers

Coach Joel Quenneville said the Blackhawks would bring up another forward before embarking on their Ice Show trip. On Sunday, they did.

Dennis Rasmussen was recalled from the Rockford IceHogs a day before the Blackhawks head to California to start a six-game road trip. Rasmussen will wear No. 70 for the Blackhawks.

Meanwhile, the Blackhawks also placed forward Kris Versteeg (fractured hand) on long-term injured reserve. Versteeg suffered his injury on Jan. 1 against the Washington Capitals. While Versteeg still has some time to go before returning, Quenneville said he could join the Blackhawks at some point on the trip.

The Blackhawks were at the forward minimum after Daniel Carcillo was suspended six games for his crosscheck on Winnipeg’s Mathieu Perreault. Quenneville said the team wanted to have an extra forward for the long trip. The 24-year-old Rasmussen has eight goals and eight assists in 44 games with the IceHogs this season.

Blackhawks-Kings Preview

By KEVIN CHROUST (STATS Writer)

The Western Conference finalists from a season ago are returning from the All-Star break looking up at more teams in the standings than some might have expected.

While the Chicago Blackhawks could quickly improve on their third-place position in the Central Division, the Los Angeles Kings have dug themselves a larger hole in the Pacific.

The teams meet Wednesday night in Los Angeles, with the Kings trying to avoid their longest losing streak of the season and the Blackhawks looking to extend their regular-season dominance in the series.

Los Angeles (20-15-12) entered the break on its second four-game skid of the season, including a three-game home slide. The 0-2-2 stretch culminated with a 4-2 loss at San Jose last Wednesday.

"We're disappointed in where we are in the standings right now," center Anze Kopitar said. "... It's time to play desperate coming out of the break."

The Kings have gone 9 of 14 on the penalty kill during the skid, and Jonathan Quick has struggled for even longer, going 0-3-3 with a 3.64 goals-against average in his last seven games. Quick's last five regular-season matchups with Chicago have resulted in a 1-4-0 record and 4.06 goals-against average.

Coach Darryl Sutter doesn't expect the time off to have magically corrected the fifth-place team's shortcomings.

"I think the break is same for every team," he said. "Everybody's got the same break ... so I don't know why it would be special to our group or special to anybody else."

Chicago (30-15-2) has won four straight and five of six over Los Angeles in the regular season. It's also taken three in a row and seven of eight at Staples Center, winning the first matchup of this season by a 4-1 score there Nov. 29.

Brad Richards scored twice in the November meeting, giving him nine goals and four assists in his last 10 regular-season contests against Los Angeles.

The Blackhawks entered the break with back-to-back wins, the latest a 3-2 shootout victory in Pittsburgh last Wednesday.

"Even if things aren't going so well, we're good at taking responsibility for it and not dragging our feet around and dwelling on what we're not doing or what's not going our way," All-Star captain Jonathan Toews said. "We just find ways that we can make things better, and we showed an example of that in the last two games."

Extending the run would certainly show continued progress. The Pittsburgh contest began a seven-game road stretch for the Blackhawks that continues with matchups against Los Angeles, Anaheim and San Jose before returning home to face three Central opponents.

Chicago's Corey Crawford would welcome consistency on a personal level, as he's 6-5-1 with a 2.89 GAA since returning from an eight-game absence in November and December. His last game before the leg injury was in Los Angeles, where he's 6-1-0 with a 2.33 GAA during the regular season.

The break wasn't without personnel moves for both teams.

The Kings put Mike Richards on waivers Monday, acknowledging the veteran center's declining play after being a key part of the club's two Stanley Cup championships. No team picked up Richards, who has five goals and 10 assists in 47 games but is making $7 million this season, and he was assigned to their AHL affiliate Tuesday.

The Blackhawks placed forward Kris Versteeg on long-term injured reserve because of a left hand injury suffered Jan. 1 that was originally expected to keep him out for only a month.
 

Just Another Chicago Bulls Session… Rose's shot lifts Bulls over Warriors 113-111 in overtime.

By ANTONIO GONZALEZ (AP Basketball Writer)

Derrick Rose hit a step-back jumper with 7 seconds remaining in overtime, and the Chicago Bulls ended Golden State's franchise-record 19-game home winning streak with a thrilling 113-111 victory over the Warriors on Tuesday night.

Rose dribbled to his left and created space to get the shot off over Klay Thompson, skipping around the court after the Warriors called timeout. Rose finished with 30 points, and his final basket overshadowed a night when he committed a career-high 11 turnovers and made just 13 of 33 shots.

Thompson misfired on a running bank shot as time expired to finish off Golden State's first loss at rowdy Oracle Arena in more than two months.

The Warriors forced overtime on Draymond Green's tying tip-in with 1.4 seconds left. But they couldn't do enough to slow down a rejuvenated Rose and Chicago's front line with center Andrew Bogut out with flu-like symptoms.

Pau Gasol had 18 points and 16 rebounds, and Joakim Noah had 18 points and 15 rebounds as the Bulls pounded the Warriors down low. They outrebounded Golden State 61 to 48.

Thompson had 30 points and 10 rebounds, and David Lee scored a season-high 24 points for the NBA-leading Warriors (36-7), who lost on their home floor for the only the second time all season and the first time since San Antonio knocked them off on Nov. 11.

The teams finished a wildly entreating game in dramatic finish.

Stephen Curry capped a 7-0 spurt to start the fourth quarter with one of his biggest highlights, faking a behind-the-back pass with his left hand and throwing a no-look toss over his right shoulder to Lee for a dunk to put the Warriors up 88-79.

But just as he did throughout the night, Rose brought the Bulls back - bringing a louder-than-usual visiting crowd in Oakland to a light roar each time. The Warriors still led 105-100 with 2:18 left before the Bulls made their final charge.

Chicago capped its closing burst by trapping Curry in the backcourt and forcing him into an errant pass. Rose came up with the ball and fed Kirk Hinrich, whose 3-pointer put the Bulls up 107-105 with 15.8 seconds remaining.

Andre Iguodala missed a 3 after a timeout, but Green pushed Noah aside for the tying tip-in. Rose's long-range heave at the end of regulation was never close.

Neither team could create much separation in the extra session.

Green stole Hinrich's inbound pass in the final minute before Thompson missed a 3-pointer on the other end. Rose dribbled out the shot clock, then hit the jumper over Thompson to put the Bulls up for good.

After a timeout, Nikola Mirotic fouled Iguodala behind the basket as he went up.

Officials ruled Iguodala was not in the act of shooting, giving Golden State the ball on the side - which Warriors coach Steve Kerr argued.

Thompson broke free on the inbounds pass, but missed an open bank shot to finish off Golden State's loss.

TIP-INS

Bulls: Shooting guard Jimmy Butler sat out with an illness. ... Coach Tom Thibodeau was called for a technical foul in the second quarter after arguing with an official.

Thompson missed the technical free throw. ... Forward Taj Gibson limped off the court just before the half with an apparent right leg injury. He came back in the third quarter.

Warriors: Golden State fell to 14-1 against Eastern Conference opponents. ... The Warriors were trying to sweep the season series against the Bulls for the first time since 2000-01.

UP NEXT

Bulls: At Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday.

Warriors: At Utah on Friday.

Bear Down Chicago Bears!!!!! Role change for Bears assistant hints at move toward 3-4 defense.

By Dan Wiederer

At first glance, the Chicago Bears’ latest coaching announcement may not seem like a landmark move.

On Tuesday, the team announced it would retain assistant coach Clint Hurtt, who had been an assistant defensive line coach under Marc Trestman last season and now will work as the outside linebackers coach under John Fox.

But Hurtt’s role change signals a more significant overhaul of the Bears’ defense, the latest pointer that the team will be revamping its system in 2015 and readying to transition away from its traditional 4-3 roots.

Last week, the Bears hired Glenn Pires to be their new linebackers coach. By keeping Hurtt on board as the outside linebackers coach, a position most often utilized by teams that run some form of a 3-4 defense, the Bears have begun to make noteworthy system alterations.

Fox, at his introductory news conference last week, wouldn’t say what kind of defensive system he preferred to install, noting only that he planned to be adaptable to the players on his roster. But the Bears’ hiring of Vic Fangio as defensive coordinator pushed them closer toward a major defensive change.

Fangio, who spent the past four seasons as the San Francisco 49ers’ coordinator, is known for running a 3-4 defense and seems likely to stay near that path in Chicago. That’s not to say the Bears will completely abandon the 4-3; they're more likely to install some form of hybrid defense that will allow them to be more unpredictable.

Fox, it’s worth noting, preferred a 4-3 front during his four seasons as the head coach of the Denver Broncos but also utilized system with hybrid looks.

At the very least, the system change with the Bears also will require a major transition in the way new general manager Ryan Pace builds and fortifies the team’s roster.

As January comes to a close, the Bears have made major changes this month within their front office and coaching staff and the ripple effect now seems to have the team readying for on-field philosophy changes as well.

Why does the Super Bowl use Roman numerals?

By Rowena Lindsay

The NFL has used Roman numerals since Super Bowl V. Why has this seemingly archaic tradition lasted?

Roman numerals may have gone the way of cursive penmanship for the average American, but once a year, during the Super Bowl, America gets a crash course in counting with letters.

The championship game has been keeping count in Roman numerals since Super Bowl V in 1971, and Roman numerals for the first four Super Bowls were retroactively used. Lamar Hunt, former owner of the Kansas City Chiefs, is credited with the idea of using Roman numerals, according to Chiefs historian Bob Moore.

"It was [Hunt’s] brainchild," said Moore of the numbering system in an interview with Yahoo. "I think people felt from the start that it had something to it, even if they couldn’t quite put their finger on exactly what it was. Before long it was just part of it. Now it wouldn’t be the same without it."

 

Hunt, who also gave the Super Bowl its name, is one of the founders of the American Football League and was on a committee to organize the first Super Bowl in 1967, when it was still officially called the NFL-AFL Championship.

"The NFL didn't model after the Olympics," Dan Masonson, director of the league's corporate communication, told the AP. 

Instead, NFL and AFL representatives decided to number the games, rather than referring to them by year, to prevent confusion due to the fact that the championship game is played in a different calendar year than the regular season.

The Roman numerals were used to make the game seem more prestigious, back when the Super Bowl was not yet the most watched television event of the year. “It’s much more magisterial,” Moore told the AP.

In the early years, the Roman numerals were simple and recognizable, but they got more complex as the years went on. Many people have complained about the Roman numeral system, saying it is pretentious and outdated.

But the NFL is committed to honoring its roots.

However, for next year's Super Bowl 50, the NFL is taking a one-year break from the traditional Roman numerals and will opt for the Arabic numerals instead. This move was made because of concerns about confusion arising from using only an L, the Roman numeral for 50, in the event's name. The NFL will return to Roman numerals for Super Bowl LI.

Memorial services set for Cubs legend Ernie Banks. 

By Patrick Mooney

Memorial services are set for Ernie Banks, the Hall of Fame player who connected with generations of Cubs fans and became a Chicago icon.

There will be a public visitation on Friday at Fourth Presbyterian Church (126 E. Chestnut St.) from noon to 8 p.m. The memorial service will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at the same North Michigan Avenue church (with limited public seating).Beginning Wednesday morning, the Banks statue normally seen outside Wrigley Field will be on display downtown at Daley Plaza. The Cubs and Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s office coordinated plans to unveil the statue, which had been getting restored at an off-site facility during the stadium renovations.

“Ernie Banks was a great player and an even better person,” Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts said in a statement. “He was a kind, gentle man who loved his fans as much as they loved him. We couldn’t think of a better way to honor Ernie than to allow those fans a way to pay their final respects to this great man.”

Family attorney Mark Bogen said Banks died last Friday after suffering a heart attack at the age of 83, and the tributes have poured in from all around the country.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Banks’ memory to Cubs Charities, 1060 W. Addison St., Chicago, IL 60613, or by going to www.cubs.com/give and clicking on “Donate Now.”

The Cubs have now lost two giants in Banks and Ron Santo. They were excellent players who wore their hearts on their sleeves, larger-than-life personalities engaged in the community.

Santo’s funeral procession drove around Wrigley Field in December 2010 after people packed into Holy Name Cathedral to remember No. 10. With a statue already built – and No. 14 being the first jersey retired in franchise history – the Cubs are planning other ways to honor Banks throughout the 2015 season. “It’s tough to really comprehend,” Hall of Famer Billy Williams said. “Because you spend so many happy hours with those individuals. When you talk about Santo, we started out in Double-A baseball together and all those years in the minor leagues. (And) then when we get to the big leagues, we get a chance to play with Ernie Banks. To lose those two individuals, it’s just like losing your brother.” 

Girardi on Cubs World Series: 'There's going to be a lot of people dancing in heaven once it happens'.

By Tony Andracki

Ron Santo and Ernie Banks, maybe the two biggest Cubs fans of all time, will not be around if - or when - the Cubs win the World Series.

With Banks' passing over the weekend, it's gotten many thinking about what it will be like when the Cubs win it all.

That prompted David Kaplan to ask Joe Girardi what he thinks it will be like when the Cubs reached the promised land on the Kap and Haugh Show:

"I think the impact will be as big as any city has ever seen," Girardi said. "... We all know it's going to happen. You can't predict exactly what year, because there's a lot of things that have to go right and you have to catch a break every once in a while.

"But the impact on the city is going to be humongous and there's going to be a lot of people dancing in heaven once it happens."

Kap also asked Bob Costas what he thought, and the legendary sportscaster pointed to the 2003 potential meeting of the Cubs and Boston Red Sox in the World Series.

Costas references how the TV ratings that year were larger for the Championship Series (Red Sox/Yankees and Cubs/Marlins) than the World Series ratings, though obviously neither the Red Sox or Cubs broke their drought that season.

"If and when the Cubs make it to the World Series - especially at Wrigley Field - that's not just a Chicago story," Costas said. "That's a national story."

New-look White Sox already building chemistry.

By Chuck Garfien

Adam Eaton knows he can't replace Paul Konerko. Certainly not in the home run department. Last year, the 5-foot-8 center fielder finished with a grand total of one.

"My wife has made fun of me for that," Eaton says laughing. "She's like, 'I have to feed you more. You're not eating enough because you're not hitting any home runs.' She's feeding me beer, potatoes and steak and saying, 'We gotta get some more butt in the ball.'"

Eaton only got to play with Konerko for one season, but he soaked up everything he could. Konerko might be retired now in Arizona, but the essence of the White Sox captain is still around, thanks to Eaton.

It all started this offseason with a phone call. Actually, a whole bunch of them.

"The one thing I noticed last year and it's going to continue on was Paul Konerko always did a great job of welcoming new guys in," Eaton explains. "He'd basically call everybody and say welcome to the team, this is how it's supposed to be done, this is how we're going to play the game. He did that for me and now I'm doing it to the other guys."

Zach Duke, Adam LaRoche, David Robertson, Jeff Samardzija, Melky Cabrera, Dan Jennings, Rob Brantly, etc., they all received a "Welcome to the White Sox" message from Eaton.

He and Samardzija live in Arizona in the offseason and quickly realized that they're both big car enthusiasts. So last week, they went together to a Barrett Jackson auction event in Scottsdale.

"He was looking at a truck and I was looking at a couple Corvettes so we went together," Eaton says. "We didn't end up buying anything, but it was just a good time. Get with the guys. I think that's how you create (chemistry). You have off the field stuff that you're both interested in and you run with it."

General manager Rick Hahn has received glowing reviews this winter for bringing all these new pieces to the White Sox. However, it'll be up to the players (and coaches) to be the glue that makes them all fit together.

It started this past weekend at SoxFest. The new and old players who attended got to hang out and get to know each other.

"It's difficult when you play 162 games in 180 days plus spring training. You don't get to pick your friends so to be able to find interests within each other it's key," Eaton says.

One thing all the players spoke about was what they saw in the faces of White Sox fans.

"They know the city of Chicago wants a winning team. They want a winning team so bad and they know that," Eaton explains. "Just talking to any of the players they're like, 'This fanbase wants a winning team and get behind their team,' and they see that excitement and they want to run with it. They really do. They want to get off to a good start in spring training, keep it going to April and May and hopefully be playing baseball in October."

AP Interview: Selig says MLB could expand internationally. (Past Commissioner of MLB.)

By Ronald Blum

Bud Selig began his 8,173rd and final day in charge of baseball by waking up in a Manhattan hotel, having breakfast and working out. After nearly 22 1/2 years that began with unprecedented labor unrest, unfolded with rapid innovation and ended with unparalleled prosperity, he predicted a future filled with more transformation, perhaps with expansion to other countries.

"My dream is for this sport to really have an international flavor," he said Saturday during a half-hour interview with The Associated Press. "Does it need teams in other countries? ... If one uses a lot of vision it could."

Selig headed the group that forced Commissioner Fay Vincent's resignation in September 1992. Owner of the Milwaukee Brewers since 1970, he was put in charge as chairman of the executive council and finally elected commissioner in July 1998 after years of saying he would never take the job.

His reign saw expanded playoffs and wild-card teams, interleague play, video review to aid umpires, expansion to Arizona and Tampa Bay, the formation of baseball's Internet and broadcast companies and the start of drug testing - too late for some critics. The only person who headed baseball longer was Kenesaw Mountain Landis, the first commissioner from 1920-44.

"Bud will go down in history as the No. 1 commissioner that has served baseball, and without question," said Peter Ueberroth, baseball's commissioner from 1984-89. For Ueberroth, Selig's time heading baseball can be compared only with "what Pete Rozelle has done in football and David Stern has done in basketball."

Selig's final task was to accept a long and meritorious service award from the New York chapter of the Baseball Writers' Association of America at a black-tie dinner Saturday night. Now 80, Selig becomes commissioner emeritus Sunday when Rob Manfred, his top deputy, takes over as the 10th commissioner.

"It's been quite a journey, and the journey I think has changed me in a lot of ways," Selig said. "I wish I knew in 1992 what I knew today."

Revenue has risen from about $1.7 billion in '92 to just under $9 billion last year. Attendance, which averaged 26,978 in 1992, has been above 30,000 in 10 straight seasons, peaking at 32,785 in 2007 before the Great Recession.

With the start of revenue sharing and a luxury tax that has slowed spending by large-market teams, every club except Toronto has made playoffs this century.

Selig emphasized consensus over confrontation.

"All these 30-0 votes that everybody is now talking about were important to me because I learned over the years that unity was so important," he said. "We had no unity in the `70s and the `80s and early `90s. It was very fractured, and that was destructive."

And that infighting led to stasis.

"The sport had been not active, really had spent two decades stuck in neutral," he said. "It was harmful because other forms of entertainment and sports were gaining in great popularity."

To many, he seemed like a rumpled uncle or grandfather. But owners listened to him because he was one of their own.

"I had a style that was I guess unique, to say the least," Selig acknowledged. `I was always very cautious, always very thorough but maybe even became more so over the years. But it worked out well, because I understand my political constituency. A lot of people would be critical. They would say, well, after all, `Why does it take him so long to do that?'"

He calls canceling the 1994 World Series his worst moment. Players struck for 232 days, fearful owners would implement a salary cap. Since then, the sport has had labor peace, and Manfred has two seasons before the current labor deal expires.

"The foundations of the stability that have been present in baseball and not in the other three sports since then come from the agreements that were made then," said Donald Fehr, then head of the baseball players' union and now head of the NHL players.

Selig's best nights were when Cal Ripken Jr. broke Lou Gehrig's consecutive games streak in 1995 and when players and owners agreed to a labor deal in 2002, ending a streak of eight work stoppages dating to 1972.

He lists Ripken, Derek Jeter and Edgar Martinez as his favorite players to dine with, although he quickly adds "and others" in fear of leaving someone out. He won't compare players of this era with the stars of his youth, because the game has changed so much, but his voice softened with nostalgia when he said: "Henry Aaron, Joe DiMaggio, Ted Williams, Stan Musial - they don't get any better than those guys."

Selig leaves Manfred with several unsolved issues.

While 20 new ballparks opened during Selig's tenure, Tampa Bay and Oakland want new ones, and the Athletics want to build in San Jose, which is on the territory of the San Francisco Giants. Baltimore and Washington are in court over their regional sports network. There is the need to attract young fans and cut down on long game times. Selig never ruled on Pete Rose's 1997 application to end his lifetime ban.

"I wish that's all I had in 1992," Selig said.

Even though Selig helped force him out, Vincent concludes Selig has done an exemplary job.

"He is a masterful internal baseball politician and he was able to keep the owners from fragmenting, from looking for a salary cap, which some of the new guys used to scream about," Vincent said.

Selig already has started teaching at the University of Wisconsin and Marquette's law school. He's getting help from Doris Kearns Goodwin to organize preparations for his memoir - he doesn't plan to sit in front of a computer parsing prose.

"I'll be talking into something, a little microphone of some kind," he said.

He plans on going to Wimbledon with wife Sue. And, as usual, he'll be on the telephone with baseball buddies.

"I've had a lot of calls today," he said, "and they all said, `Well, I'll talk to you tomorrow or on Monday.'"

Woods draws Reed, Spieth for first two days of WMPO.

By Jason Sobel

Jordan Spieth (L) and Tiger Woods (R). (Photo/Getty Images)

As if Tiger Woods needed any reminder that he hasn’t won a tournament in 18 months and will turn 40 years old later this year, he’ll receive one during the first 36 holes of the Waste Management Phoenix Open, grouped with youngsters Patrick Reed and Jordan Spieth.

Teeing it up for the first time in 2015, Woods is making a triumphant return to TPC Scottsdale after a 14-year absence. He admitted Tuesday that a pair of incidents – a heckler toting a handgun in 1999 and a spectator who tossed an orange in his direction two years later – first sparked his decision to discontinue playing here.

“That's one of the reasons why I hadn't played in a while,” he explained. “You know, I think the people here have done a fantastic job over the years and making sure things are a lot more safe.”

Partners at last year’s Ryder Cup, Reed and Spieth are two of the brightest stars in the upcoming generation. Reed, 24, has won four titles since Woods’ last win in August of 2013, and Spieth, 21, is fresh off victories in his last two worldwide starts, including at Woods’ own Hero World Challenge last month.

That group will tee off No. 1 at 2:07 p.m. ET on Thursday and No. 10 at 9:57 a.m. on Friday.

In another featured group, three-time champion Phil Mickelson – trying to become the first player to win this event four times – will play with Hunter Mahan and Rickie Fowler, beginning at 9:57 a.m. ET on Thursday.

Other groups include Jason Dufner, Keegan Bradley and Matt Kuchar (10:06 a.m.); and Bubba Watson, Billy Horschel and Hideki Matsuyama (2:16 p.m.).

Thursday also marks the return of Robert Allenby, who will compete for the first time since an alleged attack following a missed cut at the Sony Open two weeks ago. He will play alongside Brendon de Jonge and Nicholas Thompson, beginning at 1:40 p.m. on Thursday.

Golf: I got a club for that; Bill Clinton says 'golf is best therapy a president can have'.

NBC on Yahoo Sports

Presidents (L to R): R. Nixon, D. Eisenhower, J. Kennedy, B. Obama, B. Clinton, W. Taft

 

Presidents (L to R): G. W. Bush, G. H. W. Bush, R. Regan, G. Ford

President Barack Obama – and every golf-loving commander-in-chief before him – has taken a lot of grief for his numerous trips to the course.

But former President Bill Clinton said Sunday golf is a great release for the high-stress job of running the country.

"I think golf is about the best therapy a president can have,” Clinton said during an interview in the booth with Golf Channel's Rich Lerner and Nick Faldo. "It’s not like they can’t get in touch with anybody in the world. I’ve had any number of international conversations on the phone on the golf course."

It's also important to remember Obama's played more than 200 rounds of golf in office, which is a far cry from President Dwight Eisenhower (more than 800 rounds) and Woodrow Wilson (more than 1,000).

LPGA Tour opener hosted on course with replicas of golf's greatest holes.

By Ryan Ballengee

The 2015 LPGA Tour season kicks off this week with the inaugural Coates Golf Championship at Golden Ocala Golf and Equestrian Club in Ocala, Fla.

While the tournament and venue are new for the LPGA, at times, the host course might feel rather familiar. That's because Golden Ocala sports eight holes that are replicas of the some of the most famous in the world.

Here's a look at the replicas, which were pulled from five courses and largely leaned on the Open Championship rotation.

1. The par-3 fourth hole is a replica of No. 8 at Royal Troon, also known as "The Postage Stamp", complete with bunkering and a very small green. It's target golf at its best.

2. Muirfield's par-5 ninth inspired Golden Ocala's fifth hole. The driving area is pinched with a bunker guarding and blocking the left side of the fairway. A slew of bunkers up the right-hand side can capture a wayward, aggressive second shot.

3. The par-3 sixth attempts to copy the par-3 16th at Augusta National. With a long carry over water and three bunkers to catch balls short left and right, as well long, the best place to put the ball is on the lower left-hand portion of the putting surface.

4. Golden Ocala's 11th hole is a replica of the par-3 12th at Augusta National. The original is probably the best short hole on the planet, with a carry over Rae's Creek to a wide-but-narrow green guarded front and back by bunkers.

5. What kind of tribute course would Golden Ocala be if the next hole, the 12th, wasn't modeled after the par-5 13th at the home of the Masters? That's right. The big dogleg left is in play, and there's a replica bridge to give that Augusta National feel leaving the tee box.

6. The 13th hole at Golden Ocala starts the jump to the Home of Golf, with the first of two back-to-back St. Andrews replicas. This hole is an homage to the Road Hole 17th at the Old Course. Though there's no Old Course Hotel, pretty much every other detail was nailed in building this hole, including the stone walls, road behind the green and the infamous Road Hole bunker.

7. The next hole is modeled after No. 1 at the Old Course, which is a straightforward par 4 whose putting surface is guarded by a stream. The green is deceptively large.

8. The final replica hole is at the 15th. Shaped after the par-3 fourth at Baltusrol's Lower Course, this long par 3 is guarded by water in front and four large bunkers on the other sides. The putting surface is large, but club selection is still an important factor.

 

NASCAR to leave championship format unchanged in 2015.

By JENNA FRYER (AP Auto Racing Writer)

NASCAR CEO Brian France speaks to the media during the NASCAR Media Tour in Charlotte, N.C., Monday, Jan. 26, 2015. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton)

NASCAR won't change its new championship format, which chairman Brian France said Monday is ''overwhelmingly popular'' with fans.

The Chase was revamped last year into an elimination-style system that created a winner-take-all final race among four drivers. Kevin Harvick won the season finale at Homestead in November to claim his first Sprint Cup title.

France called it ''perhaps the best Chase ever'' and said the excitement will carry into this season.

''It's overwhelmingly popular with our most important stakeholder, the fans,'' France of the Chase during the kickoff to the annual NASCAR media tour. ''They (fans) like the fact that it tightened up competition. They liked the drama down the stretch. They like the emphasis on winning. And one of the things they told us that they really liked is the idea that we weren't going to change anything. And they strongly suggested that we didn't. And we're not going to.''

NASCAR launched the Chase in 2004 and tweaked it several times in the first 10 years. But it got a dramatic overhaul before the 2014 season, when the field was expanded to 16 drivers with four eliminated after every third Chase race. The final four drivers then went to Homestead even in the standings, with the highest finisher guaranteed the championship. The system worked in creating an eventful finale in which all four contenders raced for the win.

France said he believed the simple formula that did not require following points - drivers made the Chase by wining a race, and advanced through the rounds with wins - was embraced by fans.

''One of the magical parts of this Chase, and we want to make sure we keep it this way, is the simplicity of it: Win and you're in,'' said France.
 

One change coming into 2015 will be that NASCAR will no longer permit teams to alter their car's side skirts during a race, a widespread practice last season. Many crew chiefs believed the flaring of the skirts violated the rules, but because NASCAR was not acting on it, they were forced to manipulate the sheet metal to keep up with other teams.
 

Steve O'Donnell, executive vice president and chief racing development officer, said cars will be brought back in if NASCAR sees the skirts have been manipulated during a pit stop. Policing the flared skirts will be done ''by any means possible,'' O'Donnell said.
 

Other topics covered Monday by France: 

- Sprint is not likely to be replaced as title sponsor before its deal expires at the end of next season. Sprint said last month it will not renew its contract with NASCAR, but will honor the remainder of its deal. The last time NASCAR needed a new sponsor, when R.J. Reynolds said in 2003 it wanted out of its deal that expired at the end of 2007, the sanctioning body nabbed Nextel to take over in 2004.

''I don't anticipate anybody being in a position to leave early, but we'll get out into the marketplace and see,'' France said.

- NASCAR would like to have the 2016 rules decided and delivered to teams earlier than ever, and is eyeing the All-Star Race in May as a possible deadline. Teams received the 2015 rules last September, and the 2014 rules were not set until last January.

- France took a moment to acknowledge Jeff Gordon, who said last week this 23rd season will be his last as a full-time driver.

''Jeff is a friend of ours, a friend of mine personally, and certainly I don't have to tell you what he's done for the sport,'' France said. ''I don't have to tell you the amazing accomplishments on and off the track. From everybody at NASCAR, (we) wish him a strong final season.''

France has previously acknowledged that attention in NASCAR is increased when Gordon is a part of the title race. The four-time champion is one of the very few drivers who transcends NASCAR and is famous beyond the sports landscape. It will be difficult to replace his star power, but France said it's part of sports.

''The changing of the guard, that's always part of sports, part of NASCAR,'' he said. ''That's what you count on, to have great farm system of aspiring talent, hopefully of a diverse background, to let their talents and their abilities land with the Sprint Cup Series.''

Danica Patrick enters final year of contract but wants to stay at Stewart-Haas.
 

By Dustin Long

Stewart-Haas Racing drivers, from left, Tony Stewart, Kevin Harvick, Kurt Busch, and Danica Patrick pose for a photo during the NASCAR Charlotte Motor Speedway media tour in Charlotte, N.C., Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2015. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton)

“We would love to see Danica come back,’’ Haas said during the NASCAR Sprint Cup media tour. “We want to see Danica succeed as much as anybody does. I think NASCAR wants to see her succeed. So there’s an awful lot of vested interest to have Danica succeed in this man’s sport.’’

Patrick finished 28th in the points last year, her second full year in the Sprint Cup series, but said she made progress. Her best finish was sixth at Atlanta. It was one of three top-10 finishes she had last year.

“Stewart-Haas is an amazing team,’’ Patrick said. “It’s been the closest thing to family. Most every team says it’s family. Well, sometimes it is and sometimes it isn’t, but at Stewart-Haas for me it’s felt like that and they care.

“I’ve been lucky enough to have a sponsor like GoDaddy and have the faith of the people around me that I could really name the team I wanted to drive for, and Tony (Stewart) and Gene made it happen, and GoDaddy made it happen. I didn’t even want to run anywhere else. I didn’t pick to run anywhere else – and I still don’t. I believe in what they do and the hard work they put in and their philosophies and the way they take care of each other.’’

Chelsea 1-0 Liverpool: Ivanovic insures Blues trip to Cup final after testy second leg.

By Nicholas Mendola

(Photo/Getty Images)

There were chances a-plenty and just as much controversy in Liverpool’s second leg against Chelsea, as referee Michael Oliver had his hands full at Stamford Bridge.

When all was said and done, Chelsea’s Jose Mourinho showed a rare bout of exuberant emotion after Branislav Ivanovic’s header in extra time proved insurance for Chelsea. The Blues won 1-0 on the match and 2-1 on aggregate to move on the League Cup final versus Wednesday’s winner of Spurs and Sheffield United.

The first half saw two legitimate shouts for Chelsea penalty kicks, as an early Lucas handball and later Martin Skrtel foul on Diego Costa were not deemed worthy of spot kicks. In the case of Skrtel, his mistimed tackle stopped Costa from a cross near the end line.

 Liverpool had far more clear-cut chances in the first half but couldn’t convert, while Chelsea’s Nemanja Matic couldn’t score on decent chances from the edge of the 18. And Thibaut Courtois made a stunning leg save on Philippe Coutinho to keep things scoreless.

That was prelude to more, as Costa used his trailing leg to stamp on Skrtel’s foot in the 55th minute, and a dust-up ensued once the Liverpool defender replied by whipping his legs toward the Chelsea striker.

The second half saw Simon Mignolet shine between the sticks for Liverpool. He made a “whaaat?!?” save on a deflected Oscar shot and later tackled the ball away from a wide-open Costa.

Could Mario Balotelli make the difference? He came on for Lazar Markovic in the 70th minute, as Liverpool had a minimum of 20 minutes and a max of 50 to find a road goal winner.

And so we went to extra time, with Chelsea knowing 30 minutes of defending would get it to the garage. But the Blues would not stay back, as Willian’s free kick found a leaping Ivanovic to make it 2-1 on aggregate.

Report Manchester City to play New York City in Yankee Stadium friendly.

By Joe Prince-Wright

A meeting of the two City’s in the City.

According to reports from the UK, reigning Premier League champs Manchester City will head to the USA this summer after the conclusion of the 2014-15 PL season to play against their sister club, New York City, FC at Yankee Stadium.

But the big question is: which club will Frank Lampard play for…?

Removing my tongue from my cheek, The Telegraph claims that City are planning a trip to New York at the end of May, the current PL season finishes on May 24, and will take on NYCFC in a friendly game.

Manuel Pellegrini and his staff recently faced plenty of criticism after travelling to Abu Dhabi for a midseason break, before returning to England just 20 hours before their FA Cup fourth round match against second-tier side Middlesbrough on Saturday which they shockingly lost 2-0 at home.

At the end of their title-winning campaign last season City traveled to play a friendly in the UAE in late May before the bulk of their side jetted off to the World Cup in Brazil.

With the Citizens already slated to tour Australia in the International Champions Cup and be based in Melbourne this summer (the home of Melbourne City, another club owned by City’s owner Sheikh Mansour under the umbrella of the City Football Group) a trip to the U.S. will see the Manchester club continue to rack up the air miles as their pursuit of becoming a global brand continues.

Following a summer tour to the U.S. in 2014 and a huge growth in their commercial revenue, Man City are fast becoming one of the most recognizable brands in world soccer. Playing games on foreign soil continues to be a huge part of the Citizens’ marketing strategy. This game in particular, if it does happen, will help to ease the tension felt from NYCFC fans over the Lampard saga which badly damaged City’s reputation in the States.

A potential window for the friendly is on June 2 or 3 as the Yankees play three home games at the end of May and from June 5 onwards. As for NYCFC, they play Houston Dynamo at Yankee Stadium on May 30 and then travel to Philadelphia to play the Union on June 6, so a friendly in-between those MLS matchups could work.

ProSoccerTalk has requested confirmation from the club as to their plans and is waiting to hear back.

Unbeaten Kentucky, Virginia still sit atop AP Top 25 poll.

By The Associated Press

Kentucky stays in its season-long perch atop the AP Top 25 and has taken back one of its lost first-place votes from No. 2 Virginia.

The Wildcats (19-0) were No. 1 on 64 of 65 votes cast Monday. They were the unanimous choice for five straight weeks before losing a pair of votes to the Cavaliers (19-0) two weeks ago.

Kentucky and Virginia have been 1-2 for three straight polls.

Gonzaga stayed at No. 3 while Duke moved up a spot to fourth after coach Mike Krzyzewski earned his 1,000th career victory. Wisconsin rounded out the top five.

No. 21 Georgetown, No. 23 Miami and No. 25 Butler were new to this week's poll, while Dayton, Seton Hall and Iowa fell out of the rankings.

Associated Press Top 25 1. Kentucky 2. Virginia 3. Gonzaga 4. Duke 5. Wisconsin 6. Arizona 7. Villanova 8. Notre Dame 9. Kansas 10. Louisville 11. Utah 12. Wichita State 13. North Carolina 14. VCU 15. Iowa State 16. Maryland 17. West Virginia 18. Northern Iowa 19. Texas 20. Baylor 21. Georgetown 22. Indiana 23. Miami (Fla.) 24. Oklahoma 25. Butler

Coaches Poll 1. Kentucky 2. Virginia 3. Gonzaga 4. Duke 5. Wisconsin 6. Arizona 7. Villanova 8. Notre Dame 9. Louisville 10. Utah 11. Kansas 12. Wichita State 13. Maryland 14. North Carolina 15. VCU 16. Iowa State 17. West Virginia 18. Northern Iowa 19. Baylor 20. Texas 21. Indiana 22. Georgetown 23. Miami (Fla.) 24. Colorado State 25. Arkansas

Arkansas' Jeff Long re-elected as CFP chairman.

By Graham Watson

College Football Playoff selection committee chairman Jeff Long speaks during fanfest at Dallas Convention Center. (Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports)

Arkansas athletic director Jeff Long has been re-elected as the chairman of the College Football Playoff committee.

“Jeff has been a terrific chair and I am delighted that the committee elected him to serve again,” executive director Bill Hancock said in a statement. “Jeff is a thoughtful and dedicated leader who conducted the meetings skillfully. He also did a very good job answering questions about the rankings so fans could gain insight into the committee’s decisions. It’s clear that he has the full respect and confidence of the other committee members.”

Long served as the committee chairman during the inaugural season and took a lot of heat throughout the year by pundits and fans for the lack of consistency in the committee’s weekly voting. Long often was left to explain during ESPN’s weekly rankings show the reasoning behind the committee’s decisions.

He was also the target of ire from Baylor and TCU fans, who thought the two Big 12 teams were treated unfairly during the final week of the rankings.

Long is one of 13 members of the College Football Playoff selection committee, though only 12 voted this year after Archie Manning resigned from the committee because of health concerns. Each member serves a three-year term, but it is unclear whether Manning will be back or replaced.

College Football Playoff not interested in moving semis of New Year's Eve.

By RALPH D. RUSSO (AP College Football Writer)

The College Football Playoff is not interested in ESPN's suggestion to move next season's semifinals from New Year's Eve to Saturday, Jan. 2.

The Sports Business Journal first reported high-ranking ESPN executives had talked to College Football Playoff officials about switching the dates for the 2016 semifinals.

College Football Playoff executive director Bill Hancock and ESPN acknowledged having discussions about a one-time schedule shift in separate statements to The Associated Press on Monday.

 

''We understand and appreciate their interest in this,'' Hancock said about ESPN. ''The fact is that we have started a new tradition of back-to-back tripleheaders on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day. We're not interested in changing for one year, then returning for the next 10. This event has been very well received and we are excited about the future and about enhancing the concept of a 'holiday within a holiday' on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day.''

The College Football Playoff semifinals are scheduled to be played on New Year's Eve eight times during a 12-year contract with ESPN.

The playoff debuted this past season with the semifinals on New Year's Day at the Rose Bowl and Sugar Bowl. The Rose Bowl kicked off at about 5:30 p.m. ET, and the Sugar Bowl soon after the first game was completed. The games drew record-breaking ratings for ESPN.

The Rose, and its conferences partners, the Big Ten and Pac-12, and Sugar, along with the Southeastern Conference and Big 12, have locked in those TV time slots for the length of the ESPN deal. So when the semifinals move to the four other bowls that make up the six-site playoff rotation, they will be played on New Year's Eve. 

 Next season's semifinals are scheduled for Thursday, Dec. 31, at the Cotton Bowl and Orange Bowl. The following weekend is the last of the NFL regular season, when the league plays all its games on Sunday, leaving Saturday relatively free.

''We completely support the New Year's scheduling connections for the College Football Playoff throughout our 12-year agreement,'' ESPN spokesman Josh Krulewitz said. ''For the one year in 2016 when the calendar falls a certain way, the idea was to consider moving the games from Thursday, Dec. 31 to Saturday, Jan. 2, to allow for a more accessible, fan-and participant-friendly experience for all. It's strictly a one-year concept.''

ESPN pays about $470 million a year for TV rights to the playoff.

The College Football Playoff is also facing the possibility of scheduling conflict for the championship game with the NFL if the league expands its playoffs and decides to play one of its extra wild-card games on Monday night.

The College Football Playoff national title game is scheduled to be played each season on Monday night at least a week after the semifinals.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell is pushing for playoff expansion, though Pittsburgh Steelers president Art Rooney told the AP last week he doesn't expect it to happen in 2015.

Lance Armstrong: I would dope again. (This guy just doesn't know when to shut his mouth!!!)

By Jay Hart
    

Lance Armstrong has been banned for life from cycling. (Photo/Reuters)

Lance Armstrong would dope again, which might be the most honest thing he's said since, well, ever.

"If I was racing in 2015, no I wouldn't do it again because I don't think you have to do it again," he said in an interview with BBC. "If you take me back to 1995, when it was completely and totally pervasive, I would probably do it again. People don’t like to hear that."

People won't like to hear him say that, and the quote will provide more fodder for those who now see Armstrong as the biggest fraud sports (any sport) has ever known. But here's the thing: he's just providing an honest assessment of his sport circa 1995 and beyond.

In his book "The Secret Race," Tyler Hamilton, Armstrong's former teammate, writes of his decision to start doping. Hamilton explained that for most professional cyclists the decision is made in your third year of competition, or after about 1,000 days. The first year, he wrote, is all about just being happy to be there. The second, you realize your best isn't good enough. The third you approach a fork in the road: you either dope and continue or don't and quit, because without doping you won't be competitive.

Hamilton wrote:

"… In my opinion this decision isn't really about honor or character. I know wonderful people who doped; I know questionable people who decided not to. For me, the only fact that mattered was that for a thousand days I had been cheated out of my livelihood, and there was no sign that things were going to get better. So I did what many others had done before me. I joined the brotherhood."

Stripped of his seven Tour de France titles and banned for life from competition, Armstrong said in the BBC interview that his life has been "brutal" since he told Oprah Winfrey that he cheated. 

"The fallout has been heavy, maybe heavier than I thought. It was, you know, pretty brutal afterwards. It's been tough." 

For that he only has himself to blame. 

Armstrong certainly wasn't the reason for doping's introduction to cycling. He may have helped perfect it, but it was a problem before he ever showed up. 

However, the lengths he reportedly went through to cover it up were, for many, unconscionable. He publically assassinated characters, threated people legally, did whatever he needed to do to protect his image and, by extension, his brand. 

"I would want to change the man that did those things, maybe not the decision, but the way he acted," he said. "The way he treated people, the way he couldn't stop fighting. It was unacceptable, inexcusable."

On This Date in Sports History: Today is Wednesday, January 28, 2015.

Memoriesofhistory.com

1904 - The University of Chicago awarded blankets with the letter C to all seniors that played football during the 1903 season. This event marked the beginning of the sports letter tradition.

1922 - The National Football League franchise in Decatur, IL, transferred to Chicago. The team took the name Chicago Bears.

1948 - Max Bentley (Chicago Blackhawks) scored 4 goals and his brother Doug assisted on all of them. Doug also had a goal in the game.

1957 - The Brooklyn Dodgers announced that circus clown Emmett Kelly had been hired to entertain fans at baseball games.

1958 - Roy Campanella (Brooklyn Dodgers) was seriously injured in an auto accident in New York. He would never return to play again.

1990 - Aaron Neville sang the U.S. national anthem at Super Bowl XXIV. Joe Montana got his third MVP award. The San Francisco 49ers beat the Denver Broncos 55-10.

1996 - Diana Ross performed as the featured halftime performer at Super Bowl XXX in Tempe, AZ. The Dallas Cowboys beat the Pittsburgh Steelers 27-17. It was the fifth Super Bowl for the Cowboys.

2003 - The WNBA announced that Connecticut had been awarded a franchise for the 2003 season. The team, the Connecticut Sun, was the first WNBA team to be owned by a non-NBA owner (the Mohegan Sun).

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