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Sports Quote of the Day:

"Learn from the past, set vivid, detailed goals for the future, and live in the only moment of time over which you have any control: now." ~ Denis Waitley, Motivational Speaker, Writer, Consultant and Author.

 

Trending: Done deal: Floyd Mayweather will fight Manny Pacquiao on May 2.

By Kevin Iole

                      

  Floyd Mayweather (L) and Manny Pacquiao (R)  

 

The Fight is finally on.

 

Floyd Mayweather Jr. will meet Manny Pacquiao on May 2 in a welterweight showdown that will be boxing's richest fight ever. Mayweather himself announced the bout Friday after months of negotiations, posting a picture of the signed contract online.

"I promised the fans we would get this done and we did," Mayweather said.

The long anticipated bout at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas will almost surely break every financial record, and make both boxers richer than ever. Mayweather could earn $120 million or more, while Pacquiao's split of the purse will likely be around $80 million.

The fight, which matches boxing's two biggest attractions of recent years, has been in the making for five years. It finally came together in recent months with both fighters putting aside past differences over various issues — including drug testing and television rights — to reach agreement.

Pacquiao was sleeping in the Philippines when the fight was announced, but his camp issued a statement saying the fans deserve the long awaited fight.

"It is an honor to be part of this historic event," Pacquiao said. "I dedicate this fight to all the fans who willed this fight to happen and, as always, to bring glory to the Philippines and my fellow Filipinos around the world."

While the fight rivals the 2002 heavyweight title bout between Lennox Lewis and Mike Tyson for interest, it comes more than five years after the first real effort to put the fighters together in their prime. Most boxing observers believe both have lost some of their skills, though Mayweather remains a master defensive fighter and Pacquiao showed in his last fight against Chris Algieri that he still has tremendous quickness in his hands.

Still, Pacquiao is 36 and has been through many wars in the ring. And while Mayweather has been largely untouched in his career, he turns 38 on Tuesday.

"I am the best ever, TBE, and this fight will be another opportunity to showcase my skills and do what I do best, which is win," Mayweather said in his announcement. "Manny is going to try to do what 47 before him failed to do, but he won't be successful. He will be No. 48."

Oddsmakers believe Mayweather will do just that, making him a 2 1/2-1 favorite in the scheduled 12-round bout. The fight is expected to do record business in Nevada's legal sports books, with tens of millions wagered on the outcome.

It will also do record business at the box office — with the MGM expected to be scaled far higher than the $20 million live gate for Mayweather's 2013 fight with Canelo Alvarez. The pay-per-view revenue also is expected to be a record, though television executives said Friday they had yet to actually fix a price for people to buy the fight at home.
 

The fight will be televised as a joint venture between competing networks Showtime and HBO, which will share announcers with Jim Lampley and Al Bernstein reportedly handling the task at ringside. 

Pacquiao began pushing hard for the fight after beating Algieri in November in Macau, and negotiations picked up last month when the two fighters met by chance at a Miami Heat basketball game and later talked with each other in Pacquiao's hotel room about making it happen.

"It's one of those fortuitous circumstance we couldn't have planned," Showtime boxing chief Stephen Espinoza said. "But we were lucky that it happened." 

As part of the agreement, Mayweather insisted on having the right to announce the bout. He also won concessions from the Pacquiao camp on who enters the ring first, what type of gloves are used, and a number of other issues, including a reported 60-40 split of the purse.  

But it didn't take long for Pacquiao's camp to start talking, either. Promoter Bob Arum expressed his elation in making the fight, while trainer Freddie Roach predicted a big win for his fighter.  

"Floyd should enjoy being the A-Side while he can because on May 2 Manny is going to put him on his backside," Roach said.  

Arum, who has promoted some of the biggest fights in history, said this one would be bigger than them all.  

"This boxing match will have the interest in the U.S. of a Super Bowl," Arum told The Associated Press. "I think it will set all kinds of pay-per-view records and gate records. It will be the biggest boxing event of all time."  

Both fighters will bring 147-pound titles into the ring, but the fight is about far more than belts. Mayweather, who is unbeaten in 47 fights, wants to stake his claim as one of the greatest fighters ever, and remove any doubts about his legacy by fighting the boxer who is thought to be the greatest challenge of his career. 

Pacquiao, meanwhile, will try to show that a knockout loss to Juan Manuel Marquez in 2012 and a disputed decision loss to Timothy Bradley should not define a remarkable career that began 20 years ago in the Philippines.

Don't tune in looking for a big knockout, either. The last time Pacquiao stopped anyone was in 2009 when he finished off Miguel Cotto in the 12th round, while Mayweather has only stopped one fighter (Victor Ortiz) in the last eight years.

 

How 'bout them Chicago Blackhawks? Blackhawks surrender six goals in loss to Bruins 6-2. 

By Nina Falcone

After their 4-1 loss to the Colorado Avalanche on Friday, the Blackhawks spoke about the need to elevate their game and bring a higher, more desperate level of play onto the ice as the playoff race continues to heat up in the Central Division.

Their response on Sunday, however, was the exact opposite of that.

Patrice Bergeron opened the scoring just three minutes into Sunday's game and five more of his teammates went on to find the back of the net as the Boston Bruins tallied a 6-2 win over the Blackhawks.

The matinee loss marked the second consecutive less-than-stellar performance from the Blackhawks. So what's been going wrong?

"It's a combination of things," Jonathan Toews explained. "We just didn't seem to have that jump in our step tonight and played more of a relaxed game. It felt like everything that could go wrong did go wrong for us. We didn't get the penalty kills that we needed, I think our power play didn't give us the energy that we needed in the second period there and it just fell apart after that. It was unfortunate."

The Bruins came out with some punch right from the start, recording the first two goals of the game before Toews narrowed their lead with just 1.4 seconds remaining in the opening frame.

That last-second goal could have been a turning point for the Blackhawks, but instead led to a disastrous second period in which they surrendered four more goals.

"It's not fun to lose one like that at home," Toews said. "But we're gonna try our best as a team to move past it and to be better from that experience because obviously we're not happy."

The Blackhawks and Antti Raanta -- who came in after Corey Crawford was pulled following Boston's fourth goal -- managed to keep the Bruins off the scoresheet in the third and Bryan Bickell went on to tally the second goal for Chicago. But by that point, it was already too late.

Sunday's game was something coach Joel Quenneville described as being "disjointed to a different level."

"There wasn't much to say after that one," Quenneville said. "We'll talk about it as we go along here, but that was one of those games where you can't be happy about anything that went on."

Despite the poor back-to-back performances, the Blackhawks are still confident they have all the talent in the room they'll need to snap out of this slump. But they know it's not going to be an overnight fix.

"I think if anything it just shows that if you're struggling, it's not one of those things where you can flip a switch and things are gonna change right away," Patrick Kane said. "It's a process to get through. No matter how much skill or how much talent is in the room, you can't just turn it on and off. So it's a process and we have to be way better starting right now."

Not much was said among the players following the loss. The Blackhawks know what level they have to get to as a group; now it's just about finding ways to make that happen.

The Blackhawks aren't hitting the panic button, but there's no doubt that Sunday's outing got their attention and served as a wakeup call.

"Everyone's gonna have some funks throughout the season," Kane said. "Is it concerning to a point that we lost the last couple games in not good fashion? For sure, but I think we have the right group in here to get ourselves out of it. Hopefully we're at a point a couple months from now where we're looking back and saying this made us stronger."

Blackhawks recall F Nordstrom, G Darling from minors.

AP - Sports

The struggling Blackhawks have recalled forward Joakim Nordstrom and goalie Scott Darling from Rockford of the American Hockey League.

Chicago also reassigned goalie Antti Raanta and forward Ryan Hartman to its top minor league affiliate after Sunday's 6-2 loss to Boston.

Nordstrom has two assists in 24 games with the Blackhawks this season. Darling is 5-2 with a 1.97 goals-against average in seven games with Chicago.

Raanta made a relief appearance against the Bruins and stopped 14 of 16 shots. The 25-year-old Raanta is 7-4-1 with a 1.89 GAA in 14 games for the Blackhawks this season.

The 20-year-old Hartman made his NHL debut on Feb. 13 against New Jersey. He had no points in five games with Chicago.

The Blackhawks have lost three straight (0-2-1) for the first time since last March.

Blackhawks crumble in third period, lose to Avs 4-1. (Friday night's game, 02/20/2015).

By Tracey Myers

Patrick Sharp and Niklas Hjalmarsson sat in the Blackhawks’ penalty box midway through the third period. With the game tied 1-1 against the Colorado Avalanche, the ensuing 5-on-3 kill was critical.

The Avs, struggling power play and all, took full advantage.

Gabriel Landeskog and Tyson Barrie scored power-play goals within 24 seconds of each other and the Avalanche beat the Blackhawks 4-1 on Friday night. The Blackhawks went point-less for the first time on this home stand.

On Wednesday the Blackhawks played one of their best games of the season, a 2-1 shootout loss to longtime rival Detroit. On Friday, outside of the first few minutes when they were buzzing around the Avalanche zone, the Blackhawks did little. It was a tough pill to swallow against an Avs team that has struggled all season.

“We have enough experience in this room not to fall into those traps but obviously it was the case tonight,” Jonathan Toews said when asked if the Blackhawks played down to the competition. “We played a great game the other night vs. Detroit, hard-fought game both ways, and tonight we just fell off the horse.”

The Avalanche did their part, blocking 26 of the Blackhawks’ shots. Still, the Blackhawks weren’t doing what’s necessary against goaltender Semyon Varlamov. After pelting him with 54 shots here earlier this season, the Blackhawks didn’t challenge him enough on Friday.

“Give them credit but we have to do everything quicker, quicker, quicker,” coach Joel Quenneville said. “The last time we saw them here we had a lot of chances, lot of shots. Today they had a lot of blocks, but [there was] not enough net presence. That’s something we’re stressing, taking the puck to the net, but we didn’t do a good job in that area.”

Then came the two Blackhawks penalties. Just 21 seconds into the 5-on-3 Landeskog scored on a rebound to give the Avalanche a 2-1 lead. And 24 seconds after that, with the Avs now on a 5-on-4, Barrie scored his second of the evening for a 3-1 advantage.

“We let it get to us. We have to keep playing,” Corey Crawford said. “Obviously pretty frustrated with that call but you can’t let it affect your game. Obviously it did.”

Brad Stuart added a late one when Crawford misplayed his long-distance chip-in.

“I just saw a guy up ice and thought maybe I could make something happen. No way I should ever play the puck like that,” Crawford said. “That close to the net, it took a hop, it was just a stupid play on my part. Should never happen. Just a dumb play.”

The Blackhawks were doing well getting points here and there on this home stand. That ended on Friday night in a rather uninspired effort. Nashville and St. Louis keep winning and the Blackhawks need to get it together soon if they want to keep pace.

“It’s that stretch after the all-star break; it gets more and more like a playoff game every single day. We’re feeling that right now. We’re just not answering,” Toews said. “It’s up to each individual to bring a little bit more. Tonight we didn’t have anyone giving us that spark.”

Just Another Chicago Bulls Session… Bucks-Bulls Preview. 

By ALAN FERGUSON (STATS Writer)

The Chicago Bulls have often handled the Milwaukee Bucks in recent seasons, though this time they're facing a team that's making a considerable push in the Central Division.

The Bucks will try to bounce back from just their second loss in 11 games while denying the division-leading Bulls their sixth win in seven contests Monday night.

Chicago (35-21) has won 15 of 18 meetings with Milwaukee after Pau Gasol scored a career-high 46 points to lead the Bulls to their fifth consecutive victory in the series, 95-87 at United Center on Jan. 10.

The Bucks - and Cleveland - were both 6 1/2 games back in the Central after that defeat. While the Cavaliers have surged within a half game of Chicago, Milwaukee (31-24) has trimmed its deficit to 3 1/2 after winning nine of 11.

The Bucks missed their chance to top Eastern Conference-leading Atlanta on Sunday when the Hawks opened the fourth quarter with a 24-9 run. They played again without Michael Carter-Williams, acquired Thursday from Philadelphia, because of a foot injury.

"We can't feel sorry for ourselves. It was just one game. We've got to take the bus down and get ready for Chicago," forward Jared Dudley said.

Like Milwaukee, the Bulls have split their first two games after the All-Star break. They bounced back from a 100-91 defeat in Detroit on Friday with a 112-107 victory over Phoenix the next night.

Gasol had 22 points and 14 rebounds after ending his career-best streak of 14 consecutive double-doubles in the loss to the Pistons, which was also the longest by a Bulls player since Michael Jordan's 15-game stretch in 1988-89.

Chicago shot 48.3 percent, including a 12-of-24 performance from 3-point range, in its third straight home win after connecting on 42.3 percent at Detroit.

"The time is now," said forward Taj Gibson, who had 10 of his 12 points in the fourth quarter. "We've got no excuses. We have to make our adjustments now. Hopefully, tonight was one of those sparks."

The Bulls have won their previous two at home against the Bucks following three straight losses there in the series. They also claimed a 95-86 win in Milwaukee on Nov. 5 with Gibson providing a season-high 23 points and 10 rebounds.

Gasol had 22 points and 14 boards in that game and was four shy of his career high with 18 boards in the January victory. He was the first Bulls player with at least 46 points and 18 boards since Jordan had 69 points and 18 rebounds on March 28, 1990.

Dudley's 15 points in Chicago marked the highest individual scoring performance in this season's series among current Milwaukee players. Brandon Knight, who had 20 points in that game, was traded to Phoenix on Thursday in the three-team deal that brought Carter-Williams, Mason Plumlee and Tyler Ennis to the Bucks.

"We need some time. To be realistic, we haven't even had a chance to practice yet with the new guys," center Zaza Pachulia said. "Every day, we've got to get better and start feeling comfortable with each other."

The Bucks have won eight of 11 on the road but had a three-game win streak there snapped with a 117-111 defeat at Houston on Feb. 6.

Late bench surge propels Bulls in victory over Suns 112-107. (Saturday night's game, 02/2015).

By Vincent Goodwill

The Suns keep stumbling. (Photo/USATSI)

 
Joakim Noah stood around in a controlled panic near the elbow, waiting on a Bull to emerge as feisty Phoenix Suns players swiped at the ball.

But in the corner of his eye, he noticed Taj Gibson with a sliver of daylight, then lofted a pretty pass for an alley-oop dunk, the start of the Bulls waking up from an All-Star hangover.

It started a frenetic transfer of energy led by the Bulls bench, as they pulled away in the fourth quarter then held off a late charge Saturday, winning 112-107 at the United Center, the first of a season-long seven-game home stand between now and March 6.

Pau Gasol and Derrick Rose each scored late driving baskets to put the game away, as Gasol hit on a driving hook shot with 31 seconds left after the Suns cut the lead to 106-104. But they wouldn't have gotten there without contributions from their bench, as Gibson and Aaron Brooks issued the wake-up call for the Bulls.

Brooks had two triples in the fourth, including an off-balance leaner that had no business going in, while Gibson was all over the paint and was Brooks’ safety valve when he got in trouble.

“I thought Aaron was struggling most of the game but in the fourth he got going pretty good,” said Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau. “That really gave us life. Taj was terrific in the way he defends and makes hustle plays.”

For many parts of Saturday evening, they looked like the lifeless team that succumbed to the energetic Detroit Pistons 24 hours previously, and the long, rangy Suns were all-too eager to follow the blueprint.

They forced turnovers, got out on the break and pounced on every Bulls mistake, as PJ Tucker, Marcus Morris and Archie Goodwin played as if shot from a cannon, enabling the Suns to hit 10 triples, shoot 53 percent from the field and force a 14-turnover evening.

“In the second half, I think we had six so it was better,” Thibodeau of the turnovers. “We were a little loose with the ball tonight. Some of it has to do with the fact we have a lot of rotations.”

It had some to do with Suns guard Eric Bledsoe. He was a whirling dervish early, doing more ball handling duties after the trade of Goran Dragic, but was equally effective on the defensive end, disrupting the Bulls’ ball movement and using his freakish athleticism to give the Bulls’ bigs trouble.

“The first half was choppy, we were not in rhythm. Derrick got a tough whistle (three fouls),” Thibodeau said. “That’s one of their strengths, they’re a high-scoring team.
Bledsoe really pushed the game and (Brandon) Knight, for his first game, I thought he did terrific.”

Rose facilitated more, with five of the Bulls’ 27 assists. Noah didn’t score much but dished out eight assists from the center spot, and had to deal with a springy Alex Len with a long, rangy Brandon Wright behind him.

It would be enough to tire out even the most seasoned frontcourt, as the Bulls appeared they couldn’t stop a Suns team that scored with ease in the first three quarters (83 points).

But the Bulls soon discovered what they had in the reservoir, as Brooks scored or assisted on all but one basket in the Bulls’ 13-4 run with the game tied at 85 with 9:32 left in the fourth.

Gasol was steady again, with 22 points and 14 rebounds in 32 minutes, while Jimmy Butler scored 19, helping keep the Bulls afloat while the Suns ran around and through the Bulls early.

Gibson and Brooks each finished with 12, while Mike Dunleavy scored 15.

PJ Tucker led the Suns with 20 points and six rebounds, and Marcus Morris scored 17.

It took over three quarters, but the alarm clock went off for the Bulls—and not a moment too soon.

Bulls start fast, fade in second half against Pistons 100-91. (Friday night's game, 02/20/2015). 

By Vincent Goodwill

Derrick Rose blocked Spencer Dinwiddie’s jumper and rushed to save it from going out of bounds, only for the ball to wind up in Dinwiddie’s hands as the shocked rookie dashed ahead to the rim, scoring on a layup.

On a night when the Bulls looked like their old selves for extended stretches, they eventually looked like the Bulls team they thought they left behind a couple weeks ago, falling 100-91 to the shorthanded Detroit Pistons at the Palace, snapping their four-game winning streak—and perhaps giving credence to the belief that the All-Star break came at perhaps the worst possible time for a team finding its rhythm.

Andre Drummond led the Pistons with 18 points and 20 rebounds, while Greg Monroe scored 20, as the Pistons were without new additions Reggie Jackson and Tayshaun Prince, whom they added at the trade deadline.

“Our intensity was pretty good in the beginning but the start of the third was really bad,” said Bulls center Joakim Noah, who had his hands full with Drummond. “When our intensity is high, we’re a tough team to beat. But I don’t know why. I gotta look myself in the mirror and do better.”

The Bulls certainly made it harder on themselves, adding another loss to the ledger against a team with a sub-.500 record. But Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau believes that’s somewhat misleading considering their turnaround from a 5-23 start.

“The Pistons are a good team. If you take away their start, you’d understand they played very well since they made their changes,” Thibodeau said. “You get a team like this, and they’re waiting on some players, they’re playing at a high intensity level. You let your guard down, you’re gonna get beat.”

Jimmy Butler led the Bulls with 30 points, five rebounds and five assists, but turnovers doomed the Bulls, as they gave it away 20 times for 26 Pistons points, negating an early 11-point lead.

“You come back, that first game, you gotta get that edge back to you,” Thibodeau said. “I thought we played well in the first half. The second half they hit us right away.”

The Bulls began the night with balance, but the Pistons kept it up for 48 minutes, and despite being shorthanded, surged ahead in the third quarter after the Bulls controlled the first 24 minutes.

Thibodeau marveled at how Stan Van Gundy has been able to reshape and re-chart the Pistons’ course this season, and saw first-hand evidence as the Pistons blitzed the Bulls with a 22-7 run, as veteran Caron Butler temporarily discovered the fountain of youth, hitting step-back jumpers and contested triples, scoring a season-high 20 points in 32 minutes.

“The first five minutes of the third were critical,” Thibodeau said. “It gave them the belief they could win and made it harder on us.”

The Bulls began to go nearly exclusively to Taj Gibson after the Pistons made their surge to start the third, as the Pistons had no one to match his quick feet and all-out aggressive nature, as he was the one consistent bench contributor with 15 points and nine rebounds.

An 11-point Pistons lead began to methodically decrease, and the ease in which Pistons bigs Monroe and Drummond dominated slightly diminished, giving the Bulls just enough room for a comeback.

The Bulls were surviving without reasonable contributions from Mike Dunleavy and Tony Snell, who combined to go scoreless for their first 31 combined minutes on the floor.

But with Rose unable to recapture the form he’s played with for the past few weeks, as he was responsible for six of the turnovers, it erased the Bulls’ margin for error—as they couldn’t take advantage of fouling Drummond on four out of five possessions, after the lead was cut to 80-76 midway through.

But the young Pistons played with new life and new energy, stabilizing themselves down the stretch in front of a game Palace crowd, evening the season series and giving the Bulls a little something to think about as the unofficial second half of the season gets underway.

Bear Down Chicago Bears!!!!! Bears entitled to expect fast turnaround under John Fox.  

By John Mullin

John Fox understandably would rather not get into things like win or playoff projections; most head coaches would, save the occasional Ryan family spasm — Buddy's “You’ve got a winner in town!” to the Arizona Cardinals (they didn’t) or Rex's “I guarantee we’ll [Jets] win it this year!” (they didn’t, either).

“I’d rather at this point understate and overproduce,” Fox said last week at the NFL Scouting Combine. But he did win enough to reach two Super Bowls and "drawing on earlier experiences, I think you don’t put a ceiling on it. I think if you just keep the focus small and improve every day, you can get where you want to and that’s winning games.”

“Don’t put a ceiling on it” is perhaps the action phrase there, and in fact a ceiling should not be put on expectations of Fox and the 2015 Bears.

And not only because of Fox’s history in Carolina and Denver, where he increased win totals by six and four, respectively, in his first year as head coach in those spots.
Those teams had less core talent than the current Bears, one of the NFL poster teams for under-achievement after degrading from 10-6 to 8-8 and 5-11 under general manager Phil Emery and coach Marc Trestman.

The Ryan Pace coup of landing Fox positioned the Bears for the fastest possible turnaround, because veteran coaches from traditions of winning NFL organizations are more likely to effect near-immediate reversals of fortune than newbies in game-day headsets.

Consider:

The Detroit Lions in 2013 finish the Jim Schwartz era 7-9, the fourth losing year of five under Schwartz. The Lions hire Jim Caldwell, who’d won two AFC South titles in three years as Indianapolis head coach (with Peyton Manning) and a Super Bowl as Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator.

Detroit finished 11-5 in 2014.

The Houston Texans wobble to 2-14 in 2013 under Gary Kubiak and Wade Phillips. In 2014 they hire Bill O’Brien, on the New England Patriots’ offensive staff for five years and then college coach of the year after rebuilding the scandal-rocked Penn State program.

Houston finished 9-7 in 2014.

The 2012 Arizona Cardinals finished 5-11 in Ken Whisenhunt’s sixth and final year. They hired Bruce Arians in 2013 after Arians had garnered coach of the year honors directing the Indianapolis Colts to the playoffs while Chuck Pagano was forced to take a leave to battle cancer.

Arizona finished 10-6 in 2013.

The Kansas City Chiefs under Romeo Crennel were 2-14 in 2012. They hired Andy Reid after the latter’s 14-year run in Philadelphia that included nine playoff appearances, five trips to the NFC championship game and one to the Super Bowl.

Kansas City finished 11-5 in 2013.

Making negative forecasts is typically much safer than predicting success. Twenty of 32 teams don’t make the playoffs each year; 30 of 32 won’t win a conference championship; and 31 of 32 won’t win a Super Bowl regardless of preseason projections. So it’s always safer to predict mediocrity or even calamity than success, and then proclaim, “See! Told’ja!”

But the record of Fox and his ilk suggest otherwise.

John Fox has proven he can win with non-franchise QBs.

#BEARSTALK

It appears the Bears will enter the 2015 season with Jay Cutler under center.

That means newly tabbed head coach John Fox will need to get the most out of a quarterback who has thrown 44 interceptions in his last 41 games over the last three years.

But as Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio pointed out at the NFL Scouting Combine this week in Indianapolis, Fox has proven he doesn't necessarily need an elite quarterback to have success.

"Well John Fox has been a head coach every year since he was hired in 2002 by the Panthers, led two different teams to the Super Bowl - has yet to win one - but he's shown that he can now navigate the regular season, the postseason and at least get in position. He almost beat the Patriots in his second year with Carolina with Jake Delhomme at quarterback, and on top of that won a playoff game in 2011 with Tim Tebow at quarterback.

He's won a lot of games with a lot of bad quarterbacks, or at least mediocre quarterbacks, not franchise quarterbacks, and what ultimately did him in in Denver (with future Hall of Famer Peyton Manning) was the inability to win enough games in January and February with one of the best quarterbacks of all-time."

Major League Baseball issues new rules to speed up games.

Reuters; Reporting by Steve Ginsberg, Editing by Susan Heavey

Major League Baseball instituted several rule changes on Friday designed to step up the pace of play amid growing concerns that its games are growing too long.

Among the changes is that batters must keep at least one foot in the batter's box unless one of several exceptions occurs, like time is called or the pitcher throws a wild pitch. Timers will also be added to better track time and guide players, the league said.

MLB began to look for ways to address the issue in September amid fears that fans of the national pastime will become bored with the escalating length of games and flee to other quicker-paced sports.

The average MLB game took 3 hours 2 minutes last season, nearly 30 minutes more than it did in 1981.

"These changes represent a step forward in our efforts to streamline the pace of play," Commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement. "The most fundamental starting point for improving the pace of the average game involves getting into and out of breaks seamlessly."

The new timers will measure non-game action and the time between innings and pitching changes, counting down from 2:25 for locally televised games and from 2:45 for nationally televised games. Batters will be "encouraged" to get into the batter’s box with 20 seconds left on the timer, MLB said.

Pitchers can throw as many warm-up pitches as they want prior to 30 seconds remaining on the clock but will forfeit any of their traditional eight warm-up pitches that they cannot complete by that deadline.

Atlanta Braves President John Schuerholz, the chairman of MLB's Pace of Game and Instant Replay committees, said he wants to take "measured steps" to quicken baseball's pace.

"It is not an objective of ours to achieve a dramatic time reduction right away," he said. "It is more important to develop a culture of better habits and a structure with more exact timings for non-game action."

All of the new rules will be enforced through a warning and fine system, MLB said, with discipline resulting for flagrant violators.

MLB also announced several changes to its use of the instant replay system, including allowing managers to challenge a call from the dugout rather than by approaching an umpire.

"We're confident that today's announcements will have a positive impact on the pace of the game without jeopardizing the integrity of the competition," said MLB Players Association Executive Director Tony Clark.

The rule changes will be effective in spring training, the regular season and the postseason.

Rules Change Update. Most Cubs, White Sox not in favor of proposed rule changes.

By Dan Hayes

Adam Eaton doesn’t want to see Major League Baseball experience a Dez Bryant moment of its own.

The White Sox center fielder understands why MLB announced rules Friday to speed up the pace of what many fans consider a slow game but thinks the changes could have a drastic impact on players, especially hitters.

 

Given how much turmoil was created in 2014 by the collision rule — “we still don’t know what it really means,” he said — Eaton is concerned by the latest additions to the rulebook.

 

Though MLB stopped short of requiring a shot clock for pitchers, the league will encourage faster play by requiring hitters to stay in the batter’s box once they have arrived. MLB also now requires managers to make instant replay challenges from the dugout and innings would immediately begin after a broadcast returns from a commercial break.

 

“That’s their time out there,” Eaton said. “I get that there can be some cut down, ‘Step in the box please.’ But at the same time, we’re talking about people’s money, people’s families, big situations, cutting down on time called.

 

“If we’re in the World Series, it’s a 3-2 count and you want to call time and they’re held up? … Every pitch is important.”

 

Most players and coaches for the two Chicago clubs share a similar opinion with Eaton, who along with White Sox catcher Tyler Flowers represented his team in rules meetings with the Players’ Association.

 

Eaton’s concern is that hitters step out of the box because it’s part of their routine for every at-bat. Cubs manager Joe Maddon backs that assertion and said it’s critical for the mental processes of players.

 

“The guy that’s stepping out of the box all the time — the part that has to be considered there also is we have sports psychologists now, which I’m all about,” Maddon said from Cubs camp in Mesa, Ariz. “I think it’s great. And part of that is routine. And part of that is when you go through a bad moment, what do you do to refocus and get back to a better moment? Sometimes that takes time.”

“Guys need to do certain things to get ready.” 

Cubs pitcher Jason Hammel is skeptical umpires would be able to keep hitters in the box. He’s also afraid expansion of the rulebook can diminish the product. Much like Eaton, who considers himself an “old-school player,” Hammel doesn’t see baseball’s issues as critical. 

“Good luck enforcing that,” Hammel said. “Everybody’s trying to change the game now. It’s a great game. How many times are we going to flip these things and change the rules and bend them here and there? 

“Even all the other sports — football’s going to become flag football pretty soon, right? The foot-in-box-rule — I thought they were already trying to enforce that.” 

Not all players are in opposition to the rule changes. White Sox starter Chris Sale expressed satisfaction with a speedier game.

“I like it,” Sale said. “Get the ball and throw it. It’s pretty simple. I think it’s something that will be, people, this is a culture and generation of right now, people don’t feel like sitting through four hour games. We are not too fond of them either. Anything to pick up the pace and get it going will be good.”

 

Eaton’s OK with that as long as the game isn’t impacted and said he’ll abide by any new rules, it’ll just take time to adjust.

 

But Eaton doesn’t even want to see the strike zone changed, even though recently proposed alterations would favor hitters as the bottom of the zone would be raised above the knees. He watched Bryant’s catch that wasn’t cost the Dallas Cowboys a playoff victory and a spot in the NFC championship game and doesn’t want baseball to ever find itself in a similar position.

 

“Use some common sense,” Eaton said. “For me that’s common sense. Dez caught the ball, he went to reach for the goal line and (the ground knocked) the ball away.

But the rule states you have to make a football move and what is that, a football move? Use some common sense.”

Robin Ventura predicts playoffs for confident White Sox.

By Dan Hayes

Robin Ventura, Chicago White Sox Manager (Photo/Leon Halip/Getty Images)

Hitters continue to roll in early, pitchers and catchers are underway and a festive atmosphere has enveloped the White Sox clubhouse.

“Welcome to the party,” White Sox center fielder Adam Eaton said Friday morning prior to the team’s pitchers and catchers holding their first work out of the spring at Camelback Ranch. 

While the first day of spring normally takes on a positive tone, this year’s version has an almost downright giddy feel as the White Sox officially convened for the first time Friday after one of the most active off seasons in club history. 

Ace pitcher Chris Sale applauded the acquisitions made by the front office, manager Robin Ventura made a bold statement regarding his team’s chances and general manager Rick Hahn said he detects a distinct attitude in the clubhouse. Hahn said he expected a change after learning 27 hitters had already arrived and saw further evidence during Friday’s workout. 

“There’s a different feel around here,” Hahn said. “There’s a level of confidence and expectations and even some swagger in terms of how guys are going about their business. It’s a great feeling.” 

There’s enough belief for Ventura, now in his fourth year at the helm, to predict a postseason appearance for a club coming off consecutive losing seasons. 

With Jeff Samardzija, Adam LaRoche, David Robertson, Melky Cabrera, Zach Duke and Co. added to an already promising core, Ventura likes the look and feel of his new club. 

Not only did the White Sox purchase big-ticket items — they handed out $134 million in new free agents contracts — they crossed their T’s and dotted their I’s with a number of potentially strong minor league signings, too. Many national writers have suggested the White Sox are one of the most improved clubs based on a group of offseason moves that also includes the signings of Emilio Bonifacio, Gordon Beckham, Geovany Soto and Jesse Crain. Though everyone won’t be together under the same roof until Tuesday, Ventura thinks big things are in store for his club. 

“I expect us to make the playoffs,” Ventura said. “I expect us to make a good run at it and make the playoffs. Again, you look at the commitment the front office has made, the guys they brought in here and you look at the depth we have, again it's all on paper, but you're looking at guys going out with the idea of making the playoffs.”

 

Sale stayed away from any bullish predictions, but said he hopes to win a World Series. He said the moves made by Hahn provided additional energy for his offseason workouts and also thinks the White Sox have “everybody in the right position,” which should give them a chance to compete in the American League Central.

 

“We have a team to fight back now,” Sale said.

 

Samardzija agrees the White Sox have assembled a strong club on paper. But he and Hahn pointed out that teams don’t receive trophies for winning the offseason.

 

While they will spend the next six weeks getting acclimated, Samardzija knows its all about how much work the White Sox put in and how they perform starting on April 6 that matters.

 

“Nobody played any games in the offseason,” Samardzija said. “All we did was put together a heck of a squad that needs to come together as a team, come early this season and start fast and really set the tone early in the year.

 

“On paper we have everything we need to win. It’s about us proving it every day in and day out.”

Golf: I got a club for that; James Hahn wins first PGA Tour title in Northern Trust Open playoff. 

By Ryan Ballengee

James Hahn poses with his trophy after winning the Northern Trust Open golf tournament on the third hole of a playoff at Riviera Country Club, Sunday, Feb. 22, 2015, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

It took three playoff holes, but James Hahn ended Sunday solo atop the Northern Trust Open leaderboard. 

Hahn won his first PGA Tour title on Sunday, defeating Dustin Johnson and Paul Casey in overtime at Riviera Country Club. 

The three players finished regulation at 6-under 278. Casey, who overcame a shank on the 13th hole and made what turned out to be a critical par, hit a poor tee shot at the last that led to a bogey that cost him the win. Hahn and Johnson, who each shot 2-under 69 on Sunday, made par on the long finishing hole. 

In the playoff, all three players made par in their second crack at No. 18 on the afternoon. Casey got up-and-down for par from off the green, with two-putt pars for Hahn and Johnson. 

The extra session moved to the short par-4 10th, with all three players in precarious position to the right of the treacherous green. In succession, all three players hit good shots, with Johnson last to play and ending up closest to the hole. After Casey missed for birdie, Hahn and Johnson poured theirs in to extend the playoff to a third hole, the par-3 14th. 

Both Johnson and Hahn found the green with their tee shots. Hahn, putting first, drained the left-to-right-breaker for birdie. When Johnson's attempt to match didn't scare the hole, Hahn had won.
 

Third-round leader Retief Goosen stumbled on Sunday, shooting 4-over 75 in weather conditions that deteriorated as the day progressed. 

Sergio Garcia needed a pair of pars on the final two holes to pick up his first win since the 2012 Wyndham Championship, but made bogey on both instead to come up a shot short of the playoff. 

Hahn is now in the Masters and has a two-year exemption on the PGA Tour -- and finally something for people to remember him for other than his Gangnam Style dance at the Phoenix Open.

 

Nicklaus: Woods' struggles are 'between his ears'.

By Will Gray

With Tiger Woods' sabbatical now poised to stretch into the spring, questions remain as to what the former world No. 1 will need to do to return to his former glory.

According to Jack Nicklaus, the man whose major championship record he chases, the issue for Woods is mental, not physical.

"Tiger's struggling, I don't think there's any question about that. We all know that, he knows that," Nicklaus said Friday on "Morning Drive." "I think he's struggling more between his ears than he is any place else."

Woods has struggled mightily around the greens in each of his last three starts, and he has not played since withdrawing from the Farmers Insurance Open because of a back injury. He announced Thursday that he would be skipping next week's Honda Classic, and he will not be eligible for the WGC-Cadillac Championship the following week as a result.

Nicklaus explained that he went through a similar short-game struggle in 1979, which he termed the worst year of his career.

"I was actually putting it around bunkers. I couldn't chip it," he said. "I was terrible, I was just awful."

The answer for Nicklaus came in the form of a short-game tip from former PGA Tour winner Phil Rodgers, one that helped him win the U.S. Open the following year at the age of 40.

"You go through things, and you have to have a positive thing happen to you to turn it around," Nicklaus said. "That was a positive thing for me."

Woods switched instructors late last year, moving from Sean Foley to Chris Como, but Nicklaus believes that the solution to Woods' current struggles will likely come from within.

"Personally, I think he needs to figure it out himself, because a teacher can't teach what's inside your head," Nicklaus said. "You've got to be able to put that positive thought into your head yourself."

Nicklaus' total of 18 major titles remains four clear of Woods' current haul. While he has held to his belief that the 39-year-old will someday break his record, Nicklaus' answer Friday showed signs of doubt about Woods' ability to reach major No. 19.

"He's got a lot of golf in front of him, but it's going to be up to him. He's still got to do it," Nicklaus said. "He may, he may not. Obviously chances are harder for him now than they were five years ago, but I still think he has time on his side."

Joey Logano captures dramatic Daytona 500.

AFP
                                       

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Joey Logano (22) celebrates winning the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway. (Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports)

Daytona Beach (United States) (AFP) - American Joey Logano held off a host of rivals ahead of a last-lap crash Sunday to win the 57th Daytona 500, American oval-course stock car racing's season opener and biggest event.

It was the first Daytona 500 triumph and ninth career victory for the 24-year-old driver on the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) series.

"I can't believe it. This is absolutely amazing," Logano said. "This is awesome. I was so nervous the entire race. Unbelievable. I'm in awe."

Cars were racing three aside and eight deep along the Daytona International Speedway oval until a late-race crash set up a dramatic two-lap restart to determine the winner.

Logano grabbed the lead and was in front when another major wreck on the backstrtetch of the final lap brought out caution flags, the race ending at slow speed with Logano crossing the finish line ahead of defending series champion Kevin Harvick with 2014 Daytona 500 winner Dale Earnhardt Jnr in third place.

"We had a fast car," Logano said. "I just had to make the right moves."

Logano gave team owner Roger Penske, who has masterminded a record 15 Indianapolis 500 IndyCar triumphs, only his second Daytona 500 victory, the other by Ryan Newman in 2008.

Logano, whose previous best finish in the Daytona 500 was ninth in 2012, is all-but assured of a berth in the season-ending NASCAR Chase for the Cup playoff battle to decide a season champion. 

The multi-car crash at the finish of the 200-lap feature was triggered when pole sitter Jeff Gordon, who has said this will be his final NASCAR season, and Austin Dillon made contact and spun. 

Gordon led the most laps with 87 but finished 33rd in his 23rd and final Daytona 500 start. 

Kyle Busch was unable to race after suffering a broken right leg and left foot in a Saturday support race. Team owner Joe Gibbs said he is unsure when Busch will return to racing. 

Busch's brother Kurt remains suspended indefinitely by NASCAR for domestic violence after a Delaware court commissioner found Friday that he smashed a former girlfriend's head into a wall.

NASCAR suspends Kurt Busch after judge details concerns about domestic violence.

Reuters; By Steve Ginsburg, Editing by Eric Beech

Kurt Busch (Photo/Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)

NASCAR suspended driver Kurt Busch indefinitely on Friday following a Delaware court ruling that found the 2004 Sprint Cup champion had likely physically abused his ex-girlfriend.

The suspension meant that Busch had to sit out NASCAR's premier event, the Daytona 500, on Sunday.

"Given the serious nature of the findings and conclusions made by the Commissioner of the Family Court of the State of Delaware, NASCAR has indefinitely suspended driver Kurt Busch, effective immediately," NASCAR said in a statement.

"He will not be allowed to race nor participate in any NASCAR activities until further notice."

Kent County Family Court Commissioner David Jones, who on Monday granted a protective order to Busch's girlfriend, Patricia Driscoll, wrote on Friday that Busch "more likely than not ... committed an act of abuse."

Driscoll, 37, said Busch grabbed her by the neck inside his motorhome at Dover International Speedway in Delaware on Sept. 26 and repeatedly hit her head against a wall.

Busch has denied the charges, testifying last month that he cupped Driscoll's cheeks but never smashed her head against a wall.

"We are extremely disappointed that NASCAR has suspended Kurt Busch and we plan an immediate appeal," said Busch's lawyer Rusty Hardin.

"We assure everyone, including NASCAR, that this action against Mr. Busch will turn out to be a travesty of justice, apparent to all, as this story continues to unfold."

The Delaware attorney general's office will have to determine whether it will seek criminal charges against the 36-year-old Busch.

One of Busch's chief sponsors, Chevrolet, wasted little time in cutting the driver loose.

"Chevrolet has suspended its relationship with Kurt Busch indefinitely," Jim Campbell, Chevrolet vice president of motorsports and performance vehicles, said in a statement.

"We will continue to monitor the events surrounding Mr. Busch and are prepared to take additional action if necessary."

The National Football League had been criticized for being lenient on domestic abuse and NASCAR is just one of several sports organizations taking a second look at how it handles such crimes.

"Mr. Busch and his attorney continue to deny the event and continue in their crusade to destroy (Driscoll's) reputation despite the courts well reasoned decision," Driscoll's attorney, Mark Dycio, said in a statement.

"It is time Mr. Busch come to terms with his well documented anger issues and apologize to Ms. Driscoll for both the assault and his continued victimization of her."

IndyCar: Silly Season Winners and Losers.

Originally written on isportsweb.com by Ron Michael |  Last updated 2/22/15

The Verizon IndyCar Series will see a number of new driver/team combinations in the coming year. Race winners have switched seats during the long off-season, and several teams’ lineups have yet to be finalized. Revised aerodynamic packages should make for faster speeds this year, so the engineers and drivers will have to work together to make the most of the cars. As the teams continue to search for the right combinations, several drivers appear to have strengthened their bids for the 2015 championship.

Simon Pagenaud has switched teams to mount a renewed charge in 2015.

Defending champions Team Penske have added a fourth car and signed road course ace Simon Pagenaud for 2015. The French driver has performed well in average equipment, so working with a top team will only help his cause. This could be Pagenaud’s big break, but he’ll face stiff competition from three highly accomplished teammates in Hélio Castroneves, Juan Pablo Montoya, and 2014 champion Will Power.  The Penske team has a significant capacity for research and development, but with three championship-caliber teammates, Pagenaud will likely be last in the pecking order for resources. With a good car and a no-nonsense boss in Roger Penske, it will be up to Pagenaud to step up and capitalize on this opportunity.

After three seasons with Andretti Autosport, James Hinchcliffe will take over Pagenaud’s former seat at Schmidt Peterson Motorsports. On the surface, the move appears to be a step backwards, but the numbers might not tell the whole story.

Andretti is a top-level team, but Hinchcliffe was overshadowed by the 2012 champion in Ryan Hunter-Reay and the boss’s son in Marco Andretti. Hinchcliffe will be the relative center of attention at SPM, and the team’s engineering has shown steady improvement over the past few seasons. While his old team consistently gave him winning equipment, Hinchcliffe could find SPM to be a better fit.

Jack Hawksworth’s rookie performance in 2014 was somewhat inconsistent, but promising enough to earn a drive with A.J. Foyt Enterprises for this season. The car should be an improvement, but the real benefits of the move are more intangible. The veteran experience of teammate Takuma Sato and the old-school sensibilities of team owner A.J. Foyt should help Hawksworth to up his game this season, especially given his lack of oval experience. If the young Brit can continue to mature, look for him to contend for more than one podium this season.

The IndyCar teams have five weeks before the season-opening race on the streets of St. Petersburg, Florida. As the drivers and teams continue to being their preseason preparations, the new pairings look to make the 2o15 championship as competitive as ever.

Southampton hit out at officiating in Liverpool defeat; Mane left out after tardiness.

By Joe Prince-Wright

Not one, not two, not three but four penalty calls did not go Southampton’s way on Sunday in their 2-0 home defeat to Liverpool at St. Mary’s

Kevin Friend won no friends among the home fans as Filip Djuricic went down easily after 17 seconds and minutes later appeared to be taken clean out by Joe Allen. No penalty.

Later in the first half Eljero Elia went clean through on goal and Simon Mignolet appeared to block a shot with his hand outside the box and then Dejan Lovren also handled the ball in the box but Friend didn’t see it. Liverpool punished Southampton with a ruthless display, as Saints had over 60 percent of the ball but failed to fire in the final third as they’ve scored just once in their last four games.

Speaking about the officiating after the match, Koeman had the following to say.

“I think the ref made one big mistake with the second penalty,” Koeman said, with restraint. “I don’t understand why he didn’t whistle… Maybe a little bit unlucky about the decisions of the referee in the first half. They scored a great goal and then it is always difficult again after that goal.”

While Koeman believes the offensive struggles — Saints have now failed to score in three games at home and have just one goal in their last four — are slightly worrying, his team are continuing to create chances but confidence is low.

“Until half time we played very good football, we had the best chances in the game. I don’t understand the second situation in the game because that is a clear penalty,” Koeman said. “I am proud of the team the way we play today. We know that in the last few games we are struggling in scoring goals. If you play three times at home in a row and you don’t score it is difficult to win games. That’s maybe about the confidence of the players.”

As for Djuricic (the man at the center of two early penalty calls for Saints) he believes his side should have had two spot kicks.

“We could have had two penalties but the referee didn’t whistle,” Djurcic said. “The first one I feel the contact, it was light contact but I fell down. The second one was more a penalty than the first one for sure. I feel his hand on my shoulder and I fell down. The first one was little bit light and this is England so there are a different type of criteria for the penalty, but the second one definitely.”

Saints have hit a bad run at just the wrong time of the season but this performance was all to similar to their display in a recent home defeat to Swansea. Dominating the ball but then seeing things falter in the final third has been the theme in recent weeks. Eljero Elia, Sadio Mane, Djuricic, Graziano Pelle and others just couldn’t get free or finish chances when they arrived.  With 12 games to go Arsenal are third on 48 points, Manchester United  are on fourth on 47, while Saints sit in fifth on 45 points. Liverpool are now in sixth on 44 points and Tottenham are seventh on 43. This race for the final two UEFA Champions League places will go down to the wire and Koeman still believes his side can make it despite a disappointing home defeat. 

Another interesting note came from Koeman’s presser as he confirmed that Senegalese winger Sadio Mane was left out of the starting lineup due to turning up late for the prematch meal. Mane looked lively when coming off the bench in the second half, but Koeman was not impressed. 

“He was too late,” Koeman confirmed. “He was 25-30 minutes late for the pre-meal and we have rules and instructions with the players. Everybody can be late one day in the morning. But you can’t be late at 1 p.m. when you have to play against Liverpool. The explanation is between the player and the coach, but he was too late. I can’t and I won’t accept that.” 

La Liga & Serie A roundup: Sociedad survive Sevilla, Roma drop points.

 

By Kyle Lynch

 

Catch up on all of Sunday’s action from Spain and Italy’s top flights.

Real Sociedad 4-3 Sevilla

David Moyes’ men survived a seven-goal thriller against a Sevilla side battling for a top-four finish in La Liga. Down 3-2 with ten minutes to play, an own goal from Sevilla defender Alejandro Arribas cut the deficit to one before Xabi Prieto scored the game winner in stoppage time. With the win, Sociedad move to tenth on the table, while Sevilla sits five points out of that coveted Champions League berth.

Elche 0-2 Real Madrid

Real Madrid capitalized on Barcelona’s shock loss on Saturday to increase the gap to four points at the top of the table. After an uneventful first half, Karim Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo scored after the break to take a comfortable three points for Real. With Ronaldo’s goal, he moves into third all-time on Real Madrid’s scoring list, behind the legendary Alfredo Di Stefano and Raul.

Elsewhere in La Liga

Villarreal 1-0 Eibar
Athletic 1-0 Rayo
Levanta vs. Granada (Monday, 2:45 p.m. ET)

Verona 1-1 Roma

Roma’s title hopes are pretty much dead after a disappointing draw against Verona. The never-aging Francesco Totti gave the visitors the lead, but Roma’s advantage was quickly washed away when Bosko Jankovic equalized for Verona. With the draw, Roma now sit nine points behind leaders Juventus, and with the form Juve is in, it looks unlikely for Roma to challenge.

Milan 2-0 Cesena

AC Milan won just it’s second league match in 2015 by keeping a clean sheet against Cesena today. Giacomo Bonaventura put the hosts ahead with a low-strike from 20 yards out, and Giampaolo Pazzini capped off the win with a goal of his own late in the second half. The win moves Milan up to eighth on the Serie A table, but the the Rossoneri still sit seven points outside the top four.

Elsewhere in Serie A

Empoli 3-0 Chievo
Lazio 2-1 Palermo
Fiorentina 1-1 Torino
Napoli vs. Sassuolo (Monday, 1:00 p.m. ET)
Cagliari vs. Inter Milan (Monday, 3:00 p.m. ET)
Sampdoria vs. Genoa (Tuesday, 12:30 p.m. ET) 

Hope Solo reinstated to USWNT, named to Algarve Cup roster (Full roster).

By Andy Edwards

Hope Solo, (Photo/USWNT)

Hope Solo’s 30-day suspension handed down by U.S. Soccer following a Jan. 19 incident is over and the 33-year-old goalkeeper has been officially reinstated to the U.S. women’s national team, U.S. Soccer announced on Saturday.

Also on Saturday, Solo, arguably the best female goalkeeper in the world, was one of 25 players named to head coach Jill Ellis’s roster for next month’s Algarve Cup in Portugal. The USWNT are nine-time Algarve Cup winners (the tournament was first played in 1994), but this year’s edition carries additional meaning, as the 2015 Women’s World Cup kicks off nearly three months to the day from the USWNT’s first Algarve Cup game (March 4).

The USWNT were placed in Group B, alongside Norway, Switzerland and Iceland. The best group winner and second-best group winner of the three groups will face off in the first-place game on March 11, while the third-best group winner will face the second-best second-placed team in the third-place game, and so on.

Also joining Solo as re-entrants into the USWNT fold are Megan Rapinoe (right knee) and Christie Rampone (back), who missed friendlies against France and England earlier this month due to injuries. The Algarve Cup roster includes 22 of 24 players that were in camp for those friendlies.

Full USWNT Roster

Goalkeepers (3): Ashlyn Harris (Washington Spirit), Alyssa Naeher (Boston Breakers), Hope Solo (Seattle Reign FC)

Defenders (10): Lori Chalupny (Chicago Red Stars), Crystal Dunn (Washington Spirit), Whitney Engen (Western NY Flash), Julie Johnston (Chicago Red Stars), Meghan Klingenberg (Houston Dash), Ali Krieger (Washington Spirit), Kelley O’Hara (Sky Blue FC), Christie Rampone (Sky Blue FC), Becky Sauerbrunn (FC Kansas City), Rachel Van Hollebeke (Portland Thorns FC)

Midfielders (7): Shannon Boxx (Chicago Red Stars), Morgan Brian (Houston Dash), Tobin Heath (Portland Thorns FC), Lauren Holiday (FC Kansas City), Carli Lloyd (Houston Dash), Heather O’Reilly (FC Kansas City), Megan Rapinoe (Seattle Reign FC)

Forwards (5): Sydney Leroux (Seattle Reign FC), Alex Morgan (Portland Thorns FC), Christen Press (Chicago Red Stars), Amy Rodriguez (FC Kansas City), Abby Wambach (Western NY Flash)

Oregon upsets Utah; OSU falls to Michigan.

By Sam Vecenie

Game of the Night: Bubble team Oregon gets huge win at home against Utah.

Regardless of what happens this offseason with Dana Altman and last season's dismissals due to a rape allegation (and you better believe there will be some questions about his continued employment at the university), it's undeniable that he has done an absolutely incredible job with the roster that has been given to him at Oregon. With a rotation that features four freshmen in high-leverage roles and a roster that has completely turned over from last season, the Ducks are now in position to make the NCAA Tournament again after their 69-58 win over Utah.

Dillon Brooks was the star of this one for Oregon, scoring 19 points and grabbing seven rebounds.

This win puts Oregon at 20-8, with a 10-5 conference record. However they now have to go on the road for three games to finish the season against Cal, Stanford and Oregon State. They need to take at least two of those games to consolidate this win. If that happens, I think the Ducks probably go dancing.

On the other side, what a big loss for Utah. They were in driver's seat for a lone Pac-12 title, but now fall a game behind Arizona prior to next weekend's showdown at the Huntsman Center. Win that home game, and they can still likely take a share of the conference crown. However, a lone league title now seems out of the question.

Hey, that's a good win: Tulsa routs Temple 55-39, and makes a big statement for an at-large bid in the process.

They're now 19-7, with a 12-2 record in the AAC, and have won 14 of 16. They held Temple to 24 percent shooting from the field, 1-14 from 3, and were so disciplined with their rotations that Temple only mustered three assists. Its defense is what gets the Golden Hurricane by, and they showed off their 16th-best adjusted defensive efficiency tonight, per KenPom.

For Temple, this is a bad loss but not a debilitating one. Both of these teams still have a lot of work to do in the AAC tourney/regular season, so there are plenty of chances for them to win games and get back on the right side of the bubble. But still, this is a win that Tulsa can point to as solid if it comes down to it on Selection Sunday.

Oh, that's a bad loss: Ohio State falls to Michigan as road woes continue.

Michigan is not going to be an NCAA Tournament team this year unless it wins the Big Ten Conference Tournament. However, after Sunday's game against Ohio State, it's clear that John Beilein has his team excited to play the role of spoiler over the next three weeks.

The Wolverines used a hot start to defeat the rival Buckeyes 64-57 in Ann Arbor. And honestly, it was mostly due to effort.

Not only did the Wolverines get a hot-shooting start (a 61 effective field goal percentage), but they also were generally the more active team in the first 20 minutes. They garnered offensive rebounds on one-third of their shot attempts, and forced turnovers on over one-quarter of Ohio State's first half possessions (stats via Dylan Burkhardt of UMHoops). That led to a dominating 16-point lead for Michigan, which they never relinquished despite an attempted furious rally late.

Michigan also did a great job of bottling up star freshman D'Angelo Russell for most of the game, blitzing him on high pick-and-rolls in order to make him a bit uncomfortable with the ball. He ended up with 16 points, but it was an efficient 16 that took 15 shots and five turnovers to get there. Zak Irvin was the star on the winning side, scoring 15 points and grabbing seven rebounds for the Wolverines. He looked better than ever both as a creator for himself in the pick-and-roll, and as a creator for others. Showing off that skillset will be huge for his development going forward at Michigan.

But let's just chat really quickly about Ohio State's resume, which is starting to get a bit problematic -- although still safe -- at 19-8 overall and 8-6 in the Big Ten.

Ohio State's early-game woes on the road have been a pretty serious problem this season, and those woes have turned into a hole in the Buckeyes' resume. Coach Thad Matta's group now has a 3-7 mark away from Columbus, with its only wins coming against non-Tournament contenders Minnesota, Northwestern and Rutgers, which means that prior to this game the Buckeyes were 0-6 in road or neutral site games against potential tourney competition.

I don't think that loss will knock them out of anyone's bracket or anything -- after all, the home wins against Maryland, Indiana and Illinois are pretty solid wins that few bubble teams can match at this point. But if the Buckeyes want to get a decent seed in the upcoming NCAA Tournament, they're probably going to have to win a couple of Big Ten Tournament games against solid competition, and maybe beat Wisconsin when the Badgers go to the Schottenstein Center on March 5.

The Buckeyes still have some things to figure out before tournament season rolls around despite the presence of Russell. If anyone can figure it out, it's Matta -- who has turned into one of the more complete coaches in college hoops over the past decade. But it's clear he's running out of time, and he needs to find a way to inject some energy into this team's early-game play.

If that happens, they Buckeyes can make a deep run led by a likely first-team All-American. If not, it'll likely be an early exit in March.

Michigan State picks up a good road win at Illinois

Both of these teams could have really used a win, but it was the Spartans who picked up a solid road victory in Champaign and took a big step toward locking up an NCAA Tournament bid that seems rather safe at this point.

Denzel Valentine put up 20 points and nine rebounds, and Travis Trice had 18. The Spartans are now 19-8 and 10-4 in the league. They need avoid stumbling big time down the stretch to a final schedule of Minnesota, at Wisconsin, Purdue and at Indiana. All of those games are losable, but with the way the Spartans have looked in their last six games I think they're going to be fine.

The Illini are now 17-10 with wins over the Spartans (earlier in the year) and Baylor, which are both really good wins. They have a date on Wednesday on the road against Iowa that will be a great matchup of bubble teams. If they can win that one, it would be really important to their postseason hopes.

TONIGHT'S TOP PLAYERS

1 and 2. Wichita State destroyed Evansville 62-43, and its two best players were the reason why. Ron Baker had 18 points and 15 rebounds for his first career double-double, and Fred VanVleet had 22 points, eight rebounds and five assists.

3. Dillon Brooks sparked Oregon's win over Utah (see above).

4. Memphis needed overtime to beat UCF 75-65, but Austin Nichols was certainly not the reason why they struggled. Nichols had 20 points, seven rebounds and three blocks in the win.

5. I've written about how awesome the diminutive Kahlil Felder is in the past, and how he's likely to be one of the best playmakers in college over the past two decades. Today he lived up to that, scoring 20 points and dishing out 14 assists in Oakland's 81-56 win over UIC.

Numbers to figure

16-2: At 16-2, Iona has now clinched the MAAC regular season championship by itself, assuring itself of a Postseason NIT bid. Given that the Gaels are now 23-6 and on a 10-game winning streak, they'll likely want to go farther than that and get to the NCAA Tourney, where they have a legit chance to make some noise as a 12-13 seed.

96.6: Virginia's offensive efficiency in their last four games without Justin Anderson after today's 51-41 win over Florida State. That would be tied for 275th in the country. Not great. Not great at all. They need him back in the worst way to space the floor for the rest of their offense.

18: Will Cummings went 5-7 tonight for 15 points. The rest of the team went 9-50 for 24 points. In other words, they shot 18 percent from the field.

4: There is now a four-way tie atop the CAA after William & Mary's road win over Hofstra. The Tribe, Northeastern, James Madison and UNC-Wilmington are all 11-5, which means we should have one heck of a finish to the league.

Other outcomes blipping the radar:

• Iowa went into Pinnacle Bank Arena and absolutely took Nebraska to the woodshed, beating the Huskers 74-46. Aaron White had a solid double-double, and passed Devyn Marble for fifth on the Hawkeyes' all-time scoring list.
• Amida Brimah went 8-8 from the field for 19 points to go with five rebounds and four blocks to lead Connecticut to a 67-60 win over Tulane.
• Indiana picked up an easy 84-54 win over Rutgers behind 17 points from both James Blackmon and Yogi Ferrell.

Miscellanea, etc. ...

-- Chris Jones was dismissed from Louisville today, marking the end of a rather tumultuous ride. I broke down what his departure will mean for the Cardinals. Outlook isn't great.

-- After Nebraska's 28-point loss, Tim Miles locked his team out of the training facility, just like in the movie Coach Carter. He says it will be for the forseeable future because of their effort. Chalk another one up to Miles being the best.

Coaches rally against recent rule change regarding downfield linemen.

By Brent Sobleski

Paranoia. Paranoia. Everyone is out to get the spread teams.

Last year, Alabama’s Nick Saban and Arkansas’ Bret Bielema were advocates of slowing down the game by changing the defensive substitution rules.

The NCAA Rules Committee shelved the discussion after numerous coaches came out publicly denouncing the potential rule change.

However, the NCAA did pass a rule last week that shortens the distance an offensive linemen is allowed to be downfield when a pass is in the air. The new rule states an offensive lineman cannot be more than a yard beyond the line of scrimmage during a passing play.

At least four prominent coaches that utilize spread offenses came out publicly and stated the change is merely an overreaction by the rules committee.

“I just want ‘em to enforce the rule they have,” Arizona State head coach Todd Graham told USA TODAY‘s George Schroeder. “You’re not supposed to be more than 3 yards downfield. They need to enforce that.”

It’s not uncommon to see an offensive lineman five yards or more downfield due to the prevalence of packaged plays at the collegiate level. Quarterbacks are often given the option to hand the ball off, run or pass the football in a single play. Some signal-callers are adept at waiting until the last second before they uncork a pass. When that happens, there is usually an offensive lineman too far downfield, yet it’s rarely called.

Over the next two weeks, detractors of the rule change can provide comments to the rules committee. The NCAA’s Playing Rules Oversight Panel will then consider to move forward or not with the rule change on March 5.

“This is the second year in a row I’ll be involved in (pushing back against a proposal),” Ole Miss head coach Hugh Freeze told Schroeder. “I’m certainly not looking for things. If my understanding is correct, the reason they are proposing the rule change is based on a small sample size of plays that the (rules) committee viewed. In those plays, flags should have been thrown. … I think it’s a bad precedent to start changing rules of our game because things that were fouls weren’t called. I want to be clear: I don’t think we should be allowed to have linemen running free downfield (on pass plays). But the rule is a good rule.”

Graham and Freeze are joined by Auburn’s Gus Malzahn and Baylor’s Art Briles in asking the rule be withdrawn from consideration.

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On This Date in Sports History: Today is Monday, February 23, 2015.

Memoriesofhistory.com

1874 - Walter Winfield patented a game called "sphairistike." More widely known as lawn tennis.

1894 - Ottawa refused to travel to Toronto to play in the first Stanley Cup game. The Cup was awarded to the Montreal AAA.

1957 - The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the NFL operations did fall within coverage of antitrust laws.

1967 - Jim Ryun set a record in the half-mile run when ran it in 1:48.3.

1968 - Wilt Chamberlain, of the Philadelphia 76ers, became the first player to score 25,000 career points in the NBA.

1983 - Herschel Walker signed a $5 million 3-year contract with the USFL's New Jersey Generals.

1987 - Nate McMillan (Seattle Supersonics) set an NBA record when he had 25 assists against the Los Angeles Clippers.

1991 - North Carolina became the first NCAA team to win 1,500 games.

1997 - Patrick Ewing (New York) entered the top twenty list of all-time scorers in NBA history.

1999 - Garth Brooks attended spring training camp with the San Diego Padres as a non-roster player. The Padres Foundation agreed to contribute to the Touch 'Em All Foundation in lieu of a salary to Brooks.

2000 - Robby Knieval made a successful motorcycle jump of 200 feet over an oncoming train.  

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