CS&T/AllsportsAmerica Wednesday Sports News Update, 02/11/2015.

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How 'bout them Chicago Blackhawks? Canucks-Blackhawks Preview.

By JEFF MEZYDLO (STATS Senior Writer)

Plagued by another ineffective performance on the power play, the Chicago Blackhawks failed to earn an extra point in the opener of their season-high eight-game home stretch.

Perhaps Wednesday night's visit from a Vancouver Canucks team that's struggled on the penalty kill of late will provide the Blackhawks with a good opportunity to turn things around.

Chicago (33-18-3) failed to convert on four power-play chances in Monday's 3-2 shootout loss to Arizona and is 1 for 13 with the man-advantage over the last six games.

The Blackhawks lead the NHL in penalty killing at 87.5 percent but are near the middle of the pack on the power play at 18.3 percent.

"We just have to work on it and get better," said forward Marian Hossa, who scored Chicago's lone power-play goal in those six contests in Sunday's 4-2 win at St. Louis.

"You just have to keep working hard and good things will happen."

Coach Joel Quenneville's frustration with the power play was evident Monday as his team failed to record a third straight victory.

"I didn't like it," he said. "You could talk about all of them. They started off poorly and ended poorly. You could talk about every aspect of (the power play)."

The Blackhawks went 1 for 4 with the man advantage during a 4-1 loss at Vancouver (29-20-3) on Nov. 23.

The Canucks have earned at least a point in six straight at Chicago, and killed 38 of 40 penalties in a 5-1-3 regular-season stretch at the United Center.

Vancouver opponents managed 18 power-play goals through the 45 games prior to the All-Star break, converting on 11.7 percent of their chances, but are 8 for 27 in seven since then. Minnesota scored on two of five chances while handing the Canucks a fifth defeat in eight games, 5-3 on Monday.

"Specialty teams got us into a little bit of trouble," said coach Willie Desjardins, whose team's 181 power-play opportunities allowed rank among the most in the NHL.

"(Our penalty kill has) won lots of games, but (Minnesota) moved the puck around real well. We've just got to make some adjustments and get better."

After making 31 saves in a 5-0 home win over Pittsburgh on Saturday, Vancouver's Ryan Miller was pulled in the second period after yielding all five goals on 18 shots against the Wild.

Miller, who has allowed five goals in two of his last three starts, made 24 saves in the Nov. 23 win. Including playoffs, however, he's lost five straight at Chicago and posted a 3.52 goals-against average in four there last season with St. Louis.

Vancouver's Jannik Hansen recorded his first hat trick against the Blackhawks in November but has two goals in 30 games since.

Teammate Radim Vrbata has scored two of his team-leading 20 goals and recorded five assists during a six-game point streak. He also has at least a point in six straight against the Blackhawks after scoring in the first meeting.

Hossa has been held without a point in three of his last four versus Vancouver, but he's scored Chicago's last four goals over two games after recording two in the previous 15 contests.

"I'm just playing my game and I know good things will happen," said Hossa, who turned 36 last month. "Don't get frustrated and just keep playing the way I play."

Hawks fall to Coyotes in shootout after controversial finish 3-2.

By Tracey Myers

Members of the Chicago Blackhawks including (L-R) Duncan Keith #2, Antti Raanta #31, Jonathan Toews #19 and Andrew Shaw #65 look up at the replay board as they wait for a rulng on an attempted goal at the end of overtime against the Arizona Coyotes at the United Center on February 9, 2015 in Chicago, Illinois. The Coyotes defeated the Blackhawks 3-2 in a shootout. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)

 

The wait to see if Andrew Shaw’s late shot crossed completely took a while, so long that Arizona Coyotes coach Dave Tippett and Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville, old friends from their Hartford Whalers days, had time to give their own reviews.

“He said it wasn’t in and I said it was in,” Quenneville said with a laugh.

Turns out, Tippett was right.

Marian Hossa scored two goals for the second time in as many games, but the Blackhawks didn’t get that late overtime goal or a shootout winner as the Coyotes beat them 3-2. The Blackhawks, starting their eight-game homestand, now have 69 points and remain in third in the Central Division behind St. Louis (72) and Nashville (76).

The Blackhawks were oh-so close to coming back and winning this in overtime as Shaw’s shot bounced along and partially past the goal line with 16.2 seconds remaining in extra time. It was ruled no goal on the ice and, after a lengthy video review, the NHL Situation Room ruled the puck did not cross the goal line.

“Live it looked like it was in. On replays you could argue, you could argue, you could argue again tomorrow,” Quenneville said. “It was awfully close; couldn’t get any closer.”

Shaw said the review wait was “nervewracking.”

“It’s one of those calls that’s really close,” Shaw said. “They put it in the hands of the league to make the call. They make the one they think is right.”

Still, the Blackhawks had another chance in the shootout. Patrick Kane scored for the Blackhawks but Lucas Lessio and Antoine Vermette each got shots past Antti Raanta, with Vermette’s being the winner.

“That’s been the same story every time I go to the shootout: always two or three goals and we lose. It’s not even funny anymore,” said Raanta, who stopped 27 of 29 in regulation and overtime. “Our guys played a great game, fight a whole 65 minutes and we were close to getting the two points. When it goes to a shootout it’s tough to get two points when the other team scored two of three.”

True, but the Blackhawks had their opportunities to win. Hossa did his part, taking two great Jonathan Toews feeds and scoring the Blackhawks’ two regulation goals, the second tying the game with less than eight minutes remaining.

“Yeah, Hoss, when they come they come in bunches,” Shaw said. “He deserves everything he’s getting and we need that from him.”

Hossa was in tight for both of his goals but the team’s net-front presence was hit-and-miss on Monday night. Mike Smith had a strong game, stopping 36 of 38. And the Blackhawks’ power play, which got the game-winner on Sunday in St. Louis, was beyond powerless against the Coyotes.

“I didn’t like it,” Quenneville said. “It started off poorly and ended poorly.”

The Blackhawks will take the point. They would’ve loved two but, coming off a long road trip and a tough game in St. Louis on Monday, a bit of a letdown was possible. The Coyotes were also a better team on Monday than the one the Blackhawks thumped 6-1 on Jan. 20.

The chances were there. The Blackhawks, much like that Shaw shot, just came up a little bit short of the goal.

“That’s a tough one,” Hossa said. “It seemed like it was coming behind the goal line and they were saying it wasn’t. It’s tough one, but too bad we didn’t win in the shootout.”

How did this not go in for the Blackhawks' game-winning goal? (Monday night's game, 02/09/2015). Just Asking?????

#HAWKSTALK

How did that not go in?

The sequence in the waning seconds of overtime of Monday night's game between the Blackhawks and Coyotes was almost too chaotic to explain. Andrew Shaw's shot bounced off Arizona goalie Mike Smith and dropped down on the ice behind Smith for what would have been the game-winning goal. But the officials waved the goal off and play continued. Almost immediately after, a Brandon Saad shot also seemed to provide a walk-off win for the Blackhawks, but that goal was also waved off by officials. Overtime ended, and the Blackhawks hadn't won.

What happened?

Well, Saad's shot clanked off the crossbar. But Shaw's was a bit more of a mystery. The play was subject to a lengthy review back at NHL headquarters in Toronto, and it was determined the puck didn't fully cross the line. The replays sure made it difficult to determine whether the puck made it all the way past the red line, too. Smith had lunged and forced the puck out of the net just in time and continued to sprawl to prevent a follow-up attempt by the Blackhawks.

It would have been a real challenge for the officials to determine that the puck had completely crossed the line, In the end, they said it didn't completely cross the line.

The NHL released this statement after the game:

"At 5:00 of overtime in the Arizona Coyotes/Chicago Blackhawks game, the Situation Room initiated a video review to further examine a play at the Arizona net. Video review confirmed that the rebound from Andrew Shaw's shot at 4:44 did not cross the Arizona goal line. No goal Chicago."

Minutes later, the Coyotes got two shots past Antti Raanta in the shootout to defeat the Blackhawks. And the United Center crowd that thought the home team had won moments earlier walked away stunned.

Below are still images from the near-game-winner.
 

Again, I don't want to get fined but please explain to me how the puck did not get in for the score????? Marion P. Jelks, Chicago Sports & Travel, Inc./AllsportsAmerica Editorial Staff Editor.

Olczyk: 'Can't put a price tag' on Marian Hossa's game.

#HAWKSTALK

There were times on their recent road trip that the Blackhawks weren't thrilled with their performance, but that changed with their wins against the Winnipeg Jets and St. Louis Blues over the weekend.

Sunday's game against the Blues featured a strong performance from top to bottom as the Blackhawks tallied their 4-2 victory. Marian Hossa scored both the game-winner and an empty netter, marking his first goals since Jan. 21.

While Hossa has faced some offensive slumps this season, his game goes far beyond what he does just on the offensive side of the puck. On Monday, analyst Eddie Olczyk joined the Kap and Haugh Show and discussed all that Hossa brings to the Blackhawks roster even when he's not scoring.

"I would say, offensively, it's been an average year for Marian Hossa," Olczyk said. "He's had some bad luck as far as the goal-scoring part of it. But as far as his all-around game, he's still a difference-maker. He made some plays (Sunday) in that game that very few players have the ability to make.... Marian Hossa is a complete player. 

"He still has an impact on the game, and I don't think you can put a price tag on it. I still think there are very few players who can make a difference in a game and have an impact on the game even if they're not scoring, and that's Marian Hossa.

"His impact is a lot greater on this team right now away from the offensive side of the puck. And that matters, especially when it comes playoff time. Defense wins, and when you're able to have guys that are able to forecheck and put guy in positions with the puck and take away options, Marian Hossa's still one of very few players that can do it."

Just Another Chicago Bulls Session… Gasol, Bulls roll over hapless Kings in return to United Center 104-86.

By Mike Singer

Chicago Bulls forward Pau Gasol dunks during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Sacramento Kings on Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2015, in Chicago. (Charles Rex Arbogast/AP Photo)

Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/sports/article9714977.html#storylink=cpy

Considering how this roller-coaster season has gone for the Bulls, Tuesday’s matchup against the embattled Sacramento Kings could’ve easily been circled as a trap game with the Cleveland Cavaliers and the All-Star break looming.

 

The Kings entered having lost 11 of their last 13 and are dealing with on-going speculation that head coach Ty Corbin could be replaced by George Karl. And at 18-32 on the year, Sacramento was exactly the type of team the Bulls have played depressingly poorly against, especially at home.

 

But with Mike Dunleavy back in the starting lineup for the first time in 20 games (ankle), the Bulls (33-20) improved their pedestrian home record to 14-11 with a resounding 104-86 win over the Kings. Most importantly, aside from a minor fourth-quarter letdown, they finally played with the kind of energy they’d been missing throughout their January lull. That sustained energy will be vital as the Bulls host the Cavaliers on Thursday. 

 

Pau Gasol and Derrick Rose formed a terrific tandem and were equal parts devastating to the Kings’ pick-and-roll defense. Rose, playing with aggression and pace, finished with 23 points and 7 assists, many of which were to his All-Star center.

 

Gasol finished with 26 points and 16 rebounds, marking his career-high 13^th double-double in a row, which is just two shy of Michael Jordan’s 15-game streak in 1988-89. Gasol’s 34 double-doubles lead the NBA, and are now two more than DeMarcus Cousins’ 32, after Cousins finished with 15 points and eight boards on Tuesday. 

 

Even Tony Snell, who’s come on strong of late as Dunleavy was sidelined, scored a career-high 24 points on 4 of 6 3-point shooting. He's continued to capitalize on his recent playing time and deserves more action in Tom Thibodeau's rotation. The Bulls shot 52.5 percent, their second-best effort of the year and recorded 26 assists. 

 

It was the kind of game that was so tantalizing because the Bulls shared the ball, played with intensity and flexed their offensive power. So many times this year they haven’t been able to realize the potential this team has, but on Tuesday, that was hardly the problem.

 

In fact, the only real issue occurred on a hard first-half screen by Reggie Evans that aggravated Jimmy Butler’s right shoulder strain from Sunday’s game in Orlando. He missed the second half, and his status for his first All-Star game appearance this weekend wasn’t immediately clear.

 

And even though Dunleavy, as expected, struggled in his return, the Butler injury was about the only thing wrong with the win. 

 

The Bulls rode Gasol in the third quarter, building the lead that would sustain them throughout the remainder of the contest. He had 13 in the quarter, including a run of nine straight points to help the Bulls stretch the lead to 84-64 heading into the fourth. Gasol did most of his damage from the perimeter, hitting fadeaway jumpers from both sides of the hoop and finding his stroke from the free throw line extended. The Kings tried several defensive tactics to slow him, but neither Cousins, Jason Thompson nor Evans could keep pace.

 

The Bulls had a commanding 44-33 lead midway through the second quarter but a Kings spurt hacked into that margin. Led by Rudy Gay’s 15 first half points, Sacramento went on a 9-2 run before Rose could restore the advantage. As he did in the early going on Tuesday, Rose drove hard in the lane and converted an and-1 before closing the half with a 3-pointer and another emphatic jumper much to the delight of his bench.

 

They carried a 57-49 lead into half on the strength of 57 percent shooting, although the Kings did dominate on the glass 24-12.

 

It wasn’t just Rose (16 points, five assists in 16 first half minutes) who carved apart Sacramento’s defense. Snell, who entered the game having made 7 of his last 13 from beyond the arc, drained three first-half 3s en route to 13 points. Snell even converted a banked jumper from the top of the key as the shot clock was expiring late in the second. He, possibly more so than anyone on the team, benefitted from Dunleavy’s extended absence.

 

Several of his looks were the result of excellent ball movement as the Bulls logged 16 assists on 23 made field goals. Another beneficiary of Rose’s penetration was Gasol, who had 13 of his own throughout the first two quarters. Employing a mandate from coach Tom Thibodeau, the Bulls established an early inside presence and actively sought to play through their All-Star center. 

                                              

Gregg Popovich picks up 1,000th career coaching win vs. Pacers.

By Sean Highkin
                                                        

Greg Popovich

Gregg Popovich became the ninth coach in NBA history to win 1,000 games over his career on Monday night when Marco Belinelli hit a jumper to seal a win over 95-93 win over the Indiana Pacers:

Popovich was the third-fastest coach to reach the milestone, getting there in 1,462 wins. Phil Jackson was the fastest, reaching 1,000 wins in 1,423 games, followed by Pat Riley, who did it in 1,434 games. Popovich is also only the second coach to win at least 1,000 games with one team, joining Jerry Sloan, who did it with the Utah Jazz.

It goes without saying that Popovich is one of the greatest coaches in NBA history, if not the greatest. He’s a five-time champion and he’s shepherded a Spurs era that has been consistently successful for almost two decades. He probably doesn’t care that much about this milestone, nor does he need it to validate what he’s accomplished in his career. But it’s still a nice feather in his cap.

Trouble hasn't slowed down for NFL in 2015.

By ARNIE STAPLETON (AP Pro Football Writer)

Commissioner Roger Goodell declared at the Super Bowl that the NFL made ''enormous progress'' on social issues after last year's incessant barrage of disturbing developments, led by the Ray Rice domestic violence and Adrian Peterson child abuse crisis.

That bombardment hasn't much abated in 2015, with at least eight players arrested, a star suspended, an agent indicted and a Hall of Famer fired.

Also enmeshed in the headlines are Johnny Manziel checking himself into a treatment program and the murder trial of Aaron Hernandez getting under way.

All of this against the backdrop of the league's investigation into whether the Super Bowl champion Patriots surreptitiously provided under-inflated footballs for their AFC championship win.

''It's a discouraging start to the new year,'' said Richard Lapchick, director of the Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport at the University of Central Florida. ''But my hope is it's an anomaly for 2015.''  

That will hinge on whether discipline and dishonor - ''the players aren't going to want to be mentioned in the same story as Ray Rice or Adrian Peterson'' - serve as deterrents to further transgressions, he said.

The players' union maintains it's not a one-way street, noting that several instances of owner misconduct went unpunished last year, raising questions about the congruity of Goodell's discipline. The union cited the cases of the Vikings' Ziggy Wilf, the Cowboys' Jerry Jones and the Browns' Jimmy Haslam.

''Anytime there are off-field incidents by players, we are disappointed, but we need to put things in some perspective,'' NFLPA president Eric Winston said. ''These incidents are exceptions and not reflective of our membership. This union is focused on supporting players, educating players, fighting for due process and fairness. We are not opposed to discipline as we believe everyone should be held accountable for their actions, but there is so much attention on discipline that the other areas tend to get ignored in the public. We will not ignore them.''

Former NFL coach Tony Dungy suggested the players' alleged misdeeds are reflective of society at large, commonplace when young players go from strict schedules to offseason freedom.

''It's always a dangerous time and it kind of happens every year,'' Dungy said. ''If you just read the local paper every day you're going to read about DUIs, speeding tickets, incidents at nightclubs. But it wouldn't be anybody's name you would recognize.''

Not so when it's an NFL player.

''The one thing that we have to be careful about is to think it's all of a sudden gotten worse or these guys are different,'' Dungy said. ''I think we can get lost in 'Oh yeah, we had 10 or 12 incidents and forget that the other 1,790 guys are doing quite well.''

Troy Vincent, NFL executive vice president for football operations, said: ''Our young men are presented with the greatest platform in the world and how they carry that responsibility determines public perception. Our efforts are focused every day on raising the standard of excellence. We take the approach of shared responsibility and personal accountability in that we have resources and mentors in place to assist these young men where they are challenged. It is their responsibility to utilize them.

''We continue to work each day to bring out the best in all who are associated with the game of football.''

A steady stream of arrests and charges since Jan. 1 include:

-Colts linebackers Josh McNary (rape), D'Qwell Jackson (assault) and Andrew Jackson (drunken driving);

-Packers defensive tackle Letroy Guion (drugs);

-Saints pass rusher Junior Galette (assault);

-Jets running back Chris Johnson (weapons);

-Bears cornerback Tim Jennings (drunken driving).

In Kansas, police are investigating a domestic abuse claim against Cowboys running back Joseph Randle made by an ex-girlfriend a day after his arrest at a Kansas hotel on a drug charge that's been dropped. The probe continues.

Browns receiver Josh Gordon was suspended for violating the league's substance-abuse policy. Steelers running back Le'Veon Bell received 15 months' probation in a first-offender's program following his August arrest on marijuana charges. Cardinals running back Jonathan Dwyer pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor and was placed on probation in a case stemming from alleged assaults on his wife last year.

And Warren Sapp was fired as an NFL Network analyst after his arrest on suspicion of soliciting a prostitute and allegedly assaulting two women.

Panthers defensive end Greg Hardy faces possible NFL discipline even though prosecutors Monday dismissed domestic violence charges against him after the accuser couldn't be found.

Finally, there's the specter of Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston going No. 1 in the draft despite a history of questionable off-field behavior.

Dungy said he didn't think most teams would place a higher priority this year on character given all that's transpired, insisting, ''Guys with talent are always going to have a place to play.''

Bear Down Chicago Bears!!!!! John Fox sets Bears' offseason schedule. 

By Chris Boden

New Bears Head Coach John Fox has mapped out his plan for the next four months, as the team announced its off-season itinerary late Tuesday afternoon. 

Fox and Ryan Pace will meet the media for the first time since the coach’s Jan. 19 introductory press conference next Wednesday at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis. That will likely also be the last time either will speak with reporters until after making any moves when free agency begins exactly one month from now, Mar. 10. The one caveat: the announcement of any other major roster moves between now and then, when certain contract guarantees kick in for various players.

 

Teams with new head coaches are allowed to conduct an extra, voluntary veteran minicamp, and Fox will conduct those Tuesday, April 28th through Thursday, April 30th at Halas Hall. April 28th is also the presentation of the annual Brian Piccolo Awards at the team’s facility, while the three-day draft at the Auditorium Theater downtown begins the night of the 30th through Saturday, May 2nd. As is normally the case, the rookie minicamp is held in Lake Forest the weekend after the draft for those picks and other undrafted signees Friday, May 8th through Sunday, May 10th.

 

After that, Fox has scheduled voluntary Organized Team Activities the final week of May and the first two weeks of June in which light practices are held for three days each of those weeks. They’ll be open to the media on the three Wednesdays, May 27, June 3, and June 10. That leads up to Veteran Minicamp on their Lake Forest campus Tuesday, June 16th through Thursday, June 18th.

 

All of the above are closed to the public. Fox’s first training camp in Bourbonnais will be revealed at a later date. The complete regular season schedule is expected to be announced in late April, just prior to the draft.

NFL Films founder Ed Sabol, Pro Football Hall of Famer, dies at age 98.

By Frank Schwab

Ed Sabol, NFL Films Founder.

It has often been said that much of the NFL's incredible popularity can be traced back to the majestic images of NFL Films, which was founded by Ed Sabol.

Sabol died on Monday at age 98, the NFL announced. He is a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and for good reason.

Sabol's history with the NFL began in 1962 when he bid $5,000 to produce that season's championship game highlight film. Sabol was running the Blair Motion Picture Company, and his bid doubled the previous season's price. After a couple years shooting the NFL, Sabol convinced NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle the league needed its own motion picture company. With that, the NFL Films empire was born. In 1985 he turned over the presidency of NFL Films over to his son Steve, who passed away in 2012. Ed Sabol continued as the chairman of NFL Films until he retired in 1995. According to Sabol's Hall of Fame biography, NFL Films won 52 Emmy awards during his tenure.
 

The Sabols' vision for NFL Films, producing slow motion films from the sideline angle with dramatic music playing in the background, was revolutionary. It made the growing league seem larger than life, and helped build it into the most popular sports league in American history.

"He was the best, he and Steve both," said NFL Films senior producer Greg Cosell, who was hired by Ed Sabol in 1979. "They were totally genuine people. Genuine as you could ever meet. That's the way they dealt with everybody."
 

Sabol served in World War II, and after that was an overcoat salesman. He wanted to make films instead of selling overcoats. Sabol was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2011.

"I dreamed the impossible dream, and I'm living it right this minute," Sabol said during his induction speech.

Lou Piniella's advice for Joe Maddon on managing the Cubs.

By Tony Andracki

Joe Maddon isn't the first celebrity manager that has come through town hoping to turn the tide on the Cubs' championship drought.

Dusty Baker and Lou Piniella are among the other high-profile skippers to hit Chicago's North Side.

The latter was on Kap and Haugh Monday morning and Piniella said he thinks Maddon can fit in Chicago.

"I think he'll blend well in Chicago," Piniella said. "The market is obviously a lot bigger. More media, more attention, more scrutiny. But I think he's up to the task. I really do. I think the players will enjoy playing for him and I think the city of Chicago will enjoy his leadership."

Piniella began his managerial career with the Yankees from 1986-88 before stops in Cincinnati and Seattle. He managed the Tampa Bay (then-Devil) Rays for three years before making the trek to the Cubs.

Maddon was Piniella's successor in Tampa Bay, making four postseason appearances in nine years, including a trip to the 2008 World Series.

Piniella admitted Chicago is "totally different" than managing in Tampa Bay, but said the market in New York was about the same as the Windy City, with the major difference being the "burden" of the World Series drought that now stretches to 107 years.

"They haven't won in so long," Piniella told Kap and Haugh. "That's the biggest thing. In Chicago, they want a parade. They've been so loyal throughout the years.

"You win three or four games a row in Chicago and all of a sudden, you're gonna win the division and win a World Series. You lose three or four or five in a row and the season's over. The mood swings are huge."

Piniella also said he believed it's time for the Cubs to step forward and get to the next level and he's buying into the rebuild.

Golf: I got a club for that; Royal & Ancient announces first group of female members.

By Ryan Ballengee

This is a Wednesday, Aug. 1, 2007 file photo of Sweden's Annika Sorenstam tees off from the 18th during a Pro Am event ahead of the Women's British Open golf tournament at the Old Course at the Royal and Ancient Golf Club in St Andrews, Scotland. The Royal and Ancient Golf Club at St. Andrews has dislosed its first seven female members including Annika Sorenstam and Princess Anne. The spiritual "Home of Golf" in September voted to end years of male-only exclusivity by voting in favor of inviting women to join. Seven were announced as honorary members on Tuesday Feb. 10, 2015 (AP Photo/Matt Dunham, File)

After 260 years, the Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews can now count 14 women as members of the club.

The club, off which the governing body the R&A was formed in 2002, announced Tuesday seven honorary and seven ordinary -- that is, they paid membership fees -- female members.

Among the honorary members are Britain's Princess Anne; golf legends Louise Suggs, Annika Sorenstam, Laura Davies and Renée Powell; as well as European golf standouts Belle Robertson and Lally Segard.

The club also has seven full members, revealed by GeoffShackelford.com: 

Angela Bonallack, champion English golfer and wife of 1971 Walker Cup captain Michael Bonallack

Claire Dowling, accomplished golfer and captain of the 2000 GB & I Curtis Cup team

Diane Dunlop-Hébert, the 109th president of Golf Canada

Patsy Hankins, first president of the gender-combined New Zealand Golf and first Women's Chairman for the International Golf Federation

Martha Lang, accomplished amateur golf, competing in some 60 USGA events, and Women's Committee chair for the USGA in 2011 and '12

Carol Semple Thompson, legendary amateur and multi-time Curtis Cup captain

Marion Thannhauser, former president of the European Golf Association

Rory McIlroy will play Arnold Palmer Invitational for first time.

By Ryan Ballengee

Arnold Palmer is finally going to get his man.

Rory McIlroy is going to play his Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill in Orlando for the first time next month. McIlroy made the announcement on Twitter on Monday.

In November 2012, Palmer joked on Golf Channel's air that if McIlroy didn't play the next year's API that "[McIlroy] may have a broken arm and he won’t have to worry about where he plays next.”

McIlroy skipped Bay Hill each of the last two years, but has finally tacked it onto his schedule, likely at the cost of the Shell Houston Open.

The world No. 1 will make his 2015 PGA Tour debut at the Honda Classic, kicking off the Florida Swing. He'll play the WGC-Cadillac Championship the next week, then take a week off and return for Palmer's event.

Despite the lack of Bay Hill tournament experience, McIlroy is the unquestioned favorite heading into the event.

Five questions to ponder before action at Daytona begins.

By Dustin Long

Daytona 500

Your wait for NASCAR’s return is almost over.

Cars for the Sprint Unlimited practice for the first time Friday, while the rest of the Daytona 500 field practices Saturday before the exhibition race later that night.

Until engines rev to end a long winter slumber, here’s five questions to consider while while you count down the hours, minutes and seconds to action at Daytona International Speedway.

1. Who is going to lose the Daytona 500 because of a pit road penalty?

NASCAR’s new pit road camera system is more precise than officials were last season. When NASCAR tested this system during the Chase, the two penalties that were cited most by the computer were crew members jumping off the wall early and cars driving through more than three pit stalls entering or exiting their stalls.

Yet last year, NASCAR officials did not penalize any drivers for going through more than three pit boxes in 36 points races. That’s hundreds of pit stops per race and no penalty called by a human, even as a computer detected the infraction multiple times.

Also, NASCAR cited Cup teams only 24 times for pit crew members going over the wall too soon. There were 20 points races where no team was penalized for this infraction.

Teams will have had the off-season to adjust, along with the Sprint Unlimited and the qualifying races, before the Daytona 500. Still, it’s likely teams will be penalized for these two types of infractions. If the infraction happens late in the race, losing track position could cost someone a chance to win.

With a win all but getting a driver in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, a mistake on pit road could have significant consequences.

2. How will Jeff Gordon do in what is likely his final Daytona 500?

The three-time Daytona 500 winner has said this will be his last full-time season in the Sprint Cup Series. Another 500 win would tie him with Cale Yarborough for second on the race’s all-time victory list, but Gordon’s last 500 triumph came 10 years ago.

He’s had only two top-10 finishes in the 500 since that last victory. Gordon’s average finish in the last nine years is 22.9. Martin Truex Jr., who finished last in this race a year ago, has an average finish of 23.8 during the same period.

3. Will Kurt Busch ever win a Sprint Cup restrictor-plate points race?

While he won the Sprint Unlimited in 2011 and also a qualifying race that year, Busch continues to search for his first trip to Victory Lane in a points race at Daytona and Talladega despite being so close.

Busch is winless in 14 previous Daytona 500 starts (posting three runner-up finishes and five top-five results). He is winless in 14 previous July Daytona races (posting three third-place results and five top-five finishes).

At Talladega, Busch is winless in 28 combined starts with six top-five finishes.

Combine Daytona and Talladega, and Busch is winless in 56 career points races despite scoring 16 top-five finishes. Kevin Harvick has made 55 career starts in points races at Daytona and Talladega. At those tracks, Harvick has three wins – two at Daytona, including the 2007 Daytona 500 – and 12 top-five finishes.

4. Will the magic continue at restrictor-plate tracks for this driver?

Landon Cassill is not someone most might think about as a threat to win but don’t discount him.

Last season, Cassill finished 12th in the Daytona 500, placed 11th at Talladega in the spring, finished 31st at Daytona in July after he was eliminated in the 26-car crash, and scored a career-best fourth at Talladega in the Chase. Three finishes of 12th or better is more than what Jimmie Johnson did last season in plate races.

Looking for a dark horse, Cassill could be your driver at Daytona.

5. What’s next?

Nearly every year a story develops that few, if any, anticipate. What will happen that will have people talking at Daytona this year?

IndyCar confirms no change to aero kit test regulations.

By Tony DiZinno

(Photo/AP)

The Verizon IndyCar Series has confirmed Tuesday there won’t be any changes to the testing regulations for the new aero kits, which are still yet to be publicly revealed.

Per a release out from the sanctioning body today, March 13 will designate the opening of team on-track and wind tunnel testing of the full-size Chevrolet and Honda road/street course and short oval aerodynamic bodywork kits.

That period will kick off what’s expected to be a busy couple weeks of testing for the series. Spring training will be held March 16-17 at Barber Motorsports Park and a promoter test is scheduled for March 27 on the streets of St. Petersburg, site of the season-opening Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg that weekend.

Other in-season promoter tests are scheduled in conjunction with race weekends at NOLA Motorsports Park (April 10), Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course (May 7) and Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course (July 31). Additionally, a promoter test is scheduled for May 3 on the 2.5-mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval for the debut of the speedway aero kits.
 One other note IndyCar outlined was a benchmark for engine mileage. Per the release:

In light of the scheduled March 8 race cancellation, INDYCAR also updated the designation of the 2015 season start in the Verizon IndyCar Series rulebook to March 6. It provides teams and manufacturers a benchmark for engine mileage allotted to full-season entrants from the start of the 2015 season start to the start of the 2016 season. 

An entrant is allotted a maximum of 10,000 miles for use in all team tests, Promoter Tests and race events during that span. Testing mileage accrued through March 5 will come from each entrant’s remaining allocation from the 2014 race season.

Premier League roundup: Liverpool, Arsenal, QPR and Hull bag huge wins. 

By Joe Prince-Wright

(Photo/Getty Images)

Wow. What a terrific Tuesday in the Premier League to kick off Week 25.

Four games saw four wins, as Liverpool beat Tottenham in an incredible clash, Arsenal sneaked past Leicester City, QPR bagged a first away win of the season at Sunderland and Hull heaped the pressure on Aston Villa with a big home win.

Below are recaps, videos, analysis and reaction from the games, just in case you missed anything.

Liverpool 3-2 Tottenham Hotspur – RECAP

What. A. Game. Liverpool twice went ahead through Lazar Markovic and Steven Gerrard but Harry Kane (with his 23rd of the season) and Mousa Dembele equalized to set up a tense finish. Enter, Mario Balotelli. The Italian striker jumped off the bench late on to score his first Premier League goal for the Reds with his 48th shot of the season. Relief for “Super Mario” as Liverpool are eight games unbeaten and are just three points off the top four and a point behind Spurs.

Arsenal 2-1 Leicester City – RECAP

The Gunners got the job done at home to move back into the top four, but it certainly wasn’t straightforward. Despite leading 2-0 at half time with goals from Laurent Koscielny and Theo Walcott, Leicester squandered plenty of chances as Nigel Pearson’s men looked dead and buried. However they kept going in the second half and Andrej Kramaric scored his first Foxes’ goal to make it 2-1. Arsenal held on to go level on points with third-placed Southampton, while Leicester remain rock bottom after a fourth-straight defeat.

Sunderland 0-2 Queens Park Rangers – RECAP

That’s right, QPR have their first points on the road this season. The R’s are without a manager and were missing top scorer Charlie Austin but that didn’t make any difference as caretaker manager Chris Ramsey saw his side put in a terrific away display. First half goals from Leroy Fer and Bobby Zamora pulled QPR out of the bottom three and they are now just two points behind 14th placed Sunderland.

Hull City 2-0 Aston Villa – RECAP

The Tigers are also out of the bottom three as goals from Nikica Jelavic and Dame N’Doye did the damage. Villa are without a win in 10 games, as their fans held up banners calling for manager Paul Lambert to be fired. The Villains are now in the bottom three on 22 points, while Hull are on 23 points and in 15th as the secured a first win in five.

New Toronto FC captain Michael Bradley restructured contract to help land Jozy Altidore.

By Nicholas Mendola

Michael Bradley takes over the Toronto FC captaincy from Steven Caldwell this season, but his team-leading acts predate the armband.

Bradley revealed Tuesday that he restructured his contract to help bring fellow USMNT veteran Jozy Altidore to Toronto.

It’s a move that should help Toronto end its long streak of futility, as Bradley and Altidore are joined by Italian international Sebastian Giovinco.

''Bradley has also played a role in the club’s acquisitions made this offseason and even restructured his current contract to make room for Jozy Altidore’s signing. It’s a decision Bradley called a “no brainer.” 

“At the end of the day, for me, it was all about making sure that Jozy is here with us,” Bradley said. “It got to the point towards the end that I felt like it was the only way it was going to get done for sure. I have not thought about it a second since. The important thing for me is that we got a very, very good player who is excited to be here as a part of what we’re doing; that’s all I really care about.”

As for the captaincy, head coach Greg Vanney said his selection of Bradley wasn’t a knock against Caldwell, who was strong when healthy last season. Rather, it was a view to the long-term.

Report:  USMNT's Julian Green demoted to Hamburg's U-23 side.

By Nicholas Mendola

The rising star of Julian Green certainly isn’t shining brightly in his loan stint at Hamburg.

Tipped for Bayern Munich’s first team after scoring for the USMNT at this summer’s World Cup, the 19-year-old winger has made just five appearances for Hamburg during his loan.

And now he’s been removed from the first team roster to get him minutes on the pitch, according to German paper Bild. Hamburg is five points above the drop zone and four above the relegation playoff slot.

There is no word on whether Bayern had any say in the move, but presumably they were given plenty of notice.

Peter Knabel, director of football at HSV, discussed the decision in an interview with German newspaper Bild. Here’s what he had to say, via the medium of Google Translate, regarding the decision to demote Green to the academy team: “He should be able to impose himself, but I expect the players there can play there too. The U23 team is not a garbage can. It’s a flagship for development.”

Green made his name in the fourth division, where the U-23 squad plays, so it isn’t exactly a proving ground for the youngster (although how he responds to the demotion will show some character).

He’s a 19-year-old who has been fighting injuries, so it certainly isn’t the end of the world, especially considering Hamburg is in a fight for its Bundesliga life.

Kentucky keeps stranglehold on No. 1 in AP poll.

By The Associated Press

Kentucky is the unanimous No. 1 in The Associated Press' Top 25 for the second straight week.

The Wildcats (23-0) were the unanimous pick last week after Virginia lost and received all 65 votes from a media panel again Monday.  

The Cavaliers were back up to No. 2, moving past Gonzaga after beating No. 12 North Carolina and No. 9 Louisville last week.

Villanova moved up to No. 6 after No. 7 Arizona lost to rival Arizona State for the only other change in the top 10. Oklahoma State returned to the poll at No. 21 and Arkansas is in at No. 24.

Texas and Georgetown dropped out.

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

Coaches Poll   1. Kentucky 2. Gonzaga 3. Virginia 4. Wisconsin 5. Duke 6. Villanova 7. Arizona 8. Louisville 9. Kansas 10. Utah 11. Notre Dame 12. Northern Iowa 13. Wichita State 14. Iowa State 15. North Carolina 16. Baylor 17. Oklahoma 18. Butler 19. Maryland 20. West Virginia 21. Ohio State 22. VCU 23. Arkansas 24. Oklahoma State 25. Southern Methodist

LSU blows upset chance as Kentucky survives another close call.

By Kirstie Chiappelli

LSU had unbeaten No. 1 Kentucky on upset alert before blowing its chance in the final seconds, and the Wildcats survived another close call in a 71-69 victory Tuesday night.

Kentucky improved to 24-0 (11-0 Southeastern Conference) in front of a record crowd of 13,997 in Baton Rouge.

The Tigers were held to three points over the final 7:38 after leading 66-60. LSU (17-7, 6-5) had wiped out a 13-point second-half deficit with a 16-0 run. Kentucky took the lead for good, 70-69, on Karl-Anthony Towns' jump shot with 1:33 remaining.

The Tigers had one final chance to win after UK guard Devin Booker made one of two free throws with 14 seconds to play. Keith Hornsby missed a 3-point try after a chaotic sequence.

Willie Cauley-Stein led Kentucky with 15 points while Towns added 12 points and 13 rebounds. Booker scored 14 points. Tigers forward Jarell Martin led all scorers with 21 points and also grabbed 11 rebounds. Hornsby scored 17 points.

Kentucky will host South Carolina at 2 p.m. ET Saturday. The Wildcats have seven games remaining before the SEC Tournament begins, none of which are against teams that are currently ranked.

Pac-12, Sun Belt commissioners want college football to adopt NFL-style timing rule.

By Zach Barnett

College football games are long. Wait, check that. College football games aren’t long, Football Bowl Subdivision games are long.

According to NCAA data compiled by Jon Solomon of CBSSports.com, the average FBS game ran three hours and 23 minutes in 2014, six minutes longer than 2013 and more than half an hour longer than the typical Division II or Division III game.

The large reasons for that are beyond the control of any one group of people.
Television timeouts aren’t getting any shorter, or less frequent. And the number of snaps, incomplete passes and scoring plays seemingly rises by the month. But a pair of conference commissioners have a simple solution of how to shorten games: end the rule that stops the clock while the chains reset after first downs.

“You’ll always get traditionalists who won’t change it,” Pac-12 commissioner Larry Scott told CBS. “I don’t find it concerning or daunting that there are some that would oppose it. I think the job for commissioners is to take a step back and look at it holistically. The health and welfare of student-athletes is first and fans are a close second in terms of keeping games appealing. Three-and-a-half hours, to me, is too long.”

The NFL keeps a running clock after first downs, and that’s precisely the reason college football has resisted to adopt the change – fear of becoming too much like the NFL.

“I think our fans are expecting shorter games, and I think when you see attendance is down, we need to address it,” said Sun Belt commissioner Karl Benson.

One group that could enact change, and in a hurry? The same group that runs everything else in college football: TV.

“That 3:30 timeframe is kind of the magic number as we schedule games for television,” MAC commissioner Jon Steinbrecher added. “There’s a continued creep.

We’ve had peaks and valleys to it. We have to get our hands around it. If I’m looking at it from a fan perspective, when you get beyond three hours, are you starting to lose people’s interest?”

Could Jackie Robinson West lose Little League title?

By CSN Staff

The magical journey to the Little League World Series title game for Jackie Robinson West was the summer love story for all of Chicago. 

The city and all of baseball were swept off their feet by the youngsters' energy and fight. Once they got back home, the team was constantly making public appearances everywhere from U.S. Cellular Field to the White House.

But could there be a new twist to their story?

Recent allegations against Jackie Robinson West state that the team went beyond their restricted boundary when the team was gathering players for their team. DNAInfo.com's Mark Konkol joined SportsNet Central to talk about how the controversy started.

"It really did start in September," Konkol said. "I heard some whispers that people were complaining that some of the Jackie Robinson West players might not be from the area where the district is located in. I heard that Evergreen Park Little League that played Jackie Robinson West in the Sectionals wasn't happy about it. I talked to them and they said they were going to file a formal complaint with Little League. That was kind of the impetus for looking into all these rumors about kids playing from the suburbs that really popped up on the Internet during the tournament and after they won."

If Jackie Robinson West is stripped of its title, Konkol believes the focus shouldn't be on the kids.

"This is about the adults," Konkol said, "and what they allegedly did and about the integrity of a youth sports program that's revered internationally. What's decided next depends on what Little League officials think is the right thing to do and how people affected by that react."

An announcement on the investigation is expected Wednesday.

On This Date in Sports History: Today is Wednesday, February 11, 2015

Memoriesofhistory.com

1878 - The first U.S. bicycle club, Boston Bicycle Club, was formed.

1922 - The Toronto St. Patricks and the Ottawa Senators recorded the first tie game in NHL history.

1957 - The NHL Players Association was formed in New York City. Ted Lindsay (Detroit Red Wings) was elected as president.

1966 - Willie Mays became the highest paid player in baseball. He signed a two-year contract with the San Francisco Giants for $130,000 a year.

1968 - The new 20,000 seat Madison Square Garden officially opened in New York. This was the fourth Garden.

1971 - Jean Beliveau (Montreal Canadiens) scored his 500th career goal.

1973 - The Philadelphia 76ers lost their 20th game of a twenty-game losing streak.

1984 - Wayne Gretzky set an NHL record when he scored his 11th short handed goal of the season.

1986 - The single "Superbowl Shuffle" by the Chicago Bears Shufflin' Crew was certified gold by the RIAA.

1990 - In Tokyo, Japan, James "Buster" Douglas knocked out Mike Tyson in the tenth round to win the heavyweight championship.

2003 - Mike Modano (Dallas Stars) became only the second American-born NHL player to play in 1,000 games with the same team. All of Modano's games had come with the Minnesota North Stars and Dallas Stars. Brian Leetch (New York Rangers) was the first American-born player to play in 1,000 NHL games. 

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