CS&T/AllsportsAmerica Friday Sports News Update and What's Your Take? 03/27/2015.

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Trending: NCAA's response to Indiana's 'Religious Freedom' law is perfect. What's Your Take?

By Dan Wetzel

Mark Emmert (Photo: Kevin Jairaj, USA TODAY Sports)

Indiana Gov. Mike Pence says the "Religious Freedom" bill he signed into law Thursday isn't about turning back the clock to old-time bigotry where you could refuse service to blacks at restaurants, set up drinking fountains for whites only or post a job opening alongside a sign with NINA painted on it – No Irish Need Apply.

The NCAA and its president, Mark Emmert, responded with what most clear-minded people believe: that this law is about the state of Indiana protecting discrimination, effectively allowing businesses to deny service to gays and lesbians based on religious beliefs. As such, Emmert, whose organization is hosting the Final Four next weekend in Indianapolis where the NCAA is also headquartered, went far enough to threaten future events in the state and potentially moving their offices out of downtown Indianapolis.

"The NCAA national office and our members are deeply committed to providing an inclusive environment for all our events," NCAA president Mark Emmert said in a statement issued immediately after Pence signed the law. "We are especially concerned about how this legislation could affect our student-athletes and employees.

"We will work diligently to assure student-athletes competing in, and visitors attending, next week's Men's Final Four in Indianapolis are not impacted negatively by this bill,” the statement continued. “Moving forward, we intend to closely examine the implications of this bill and how it might affect future events as well as our workforce."
 

The tide has turned. The young and more enlightened are rising up, which is why laws like this won't last 10 years; maybe not even five. This is the last grasp of open discrimination.
 

Soon enough everyone supporting these ideals of discrimination will be incredibly humiliated they ever did so, the way old timers hang their heads when asked about how they thought a segregated lunch counter for third graders was a just idea. Most will pretend they didn't agree with it in the first place. Shame will cause everyone to run from it. 

Let the NCAA's statement be the first of many. 
 

NCAA Final Fours in Indianapolis? Not after next week. 

The NCAA already refuses to stage national tournaments in South Carolina because the Confederate battle flag flies on the grounds of the state capitol in Columbia.

(Though the University of South Carolina was recently allowed to host a women's NCAA tournament game because it was a "non-predetermined" event.) So why not on this issue?

As for moving the NCAA national headquarters out of downtown Indianapolis, well that's more challenging, but it's a good and bold threat by Emmert.

This is the NCAA leading for a change.

The NFL should follow suit. Future Super Bowl consideration? Forget it. The league once banned Arizona from hosting the Super Bowl because at the time it wouldn't recognize Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday.

(And yes, Arizona actually did this. See how ridiculous these things sound later on?)

The annual NFL combine, which is a major convention for downtown Indy? The league should find a new home, pronto.

How about you, Big Ten Conference, with your Indianapolis-staged football title game and basketball tournaments? There are plenty of places eager to host both. Go find one.

These sports leagues shouldn't stop there, however.

Mike Pence isn't even a creative, trend-setting bigot. He's just a dense follower.

Indiana is the 20th state with some kind of similar law – the kind that would never be allowed against any other group of humans. It's long past time they answer for it too.

This is the era where civil rights victories for gays and lesbians are sweeping the country; next month, the Supreme Court will consider whether to make legalized gay marriage the law of the land.

So use the momentum to right past wrongs. Pennsylvania, Texas, Illinois, Alabama, wherever else you want to do this, it's true the rest of America may not be able to change the law – time and young people will do that for you.
 

National organizations such as the NCAA and NFL sure can say that if you're not willing to do business with all of our customers, then we'll go and do business where they will.

After all, the best counter to these religious freedom measures has come from an Oklahoma representative named Emily Virgin.
 

She introduced an amendment in her state that would require a business that will refuses service to certain individuals to "post notice of such refusal in a manner clearly visible to the public in all places of business, including websites. The notice may refer to the person's religious beliefs, but shall state specifically which couples the business does not serve by referring to a refusal based upon sexual orientation, gender identity or race."

Essentially, it tells everyone your intentions, who you are and what you are about. That way the gay couple looking for a florist knows not to go inside … and the rest of the public who think you're an idiot can go find another florist, too.

Then the religious freedom florist will cling to a dwindling customer base until it goes out of business. 

In a sense, this is the same thing on a national level. Stand up and be counted. Let the NCAA and the NFL and the Big Ten and anyone else in sports explain whether this is something they want to support so the rest of us can decide whether to still support them. 

Mike Pence signed his name to the bill, so we know on which side of history this guy wants to be on. 

Mark Emmert has taken the first step to leading the charge on the other.

How about you Roger Goodell? How about you Jim Delany?

Chicago Sports & Travel, Inc./AllsportsAmerica thoughts: There were several valid points made in this article. We would like to know what you think and what's your take? Please go to the comment section at the bottom of this blog and let it rip. We want to hear from everyone, pro and con. Thanks in advance for your participation. The CS&T/AA Editorial Staff

How 'bout them Chicago Blackhawks? Blue Jackets-Blackhawks Preview. 

AP
                                                                                  

 Vs.

The Chicago Blackhawks are searching for answers to invigorate their attack after a poor trip.

The Columbus Blue Jackets boast the NHL's top goal scorer this month and can establish a franchise-record road win streak Friday night by winning at the United Center for the first time in four seasons.

Red-hot Scott Hartnell looks to lead the Blue Jackets to a seventh straight win away from home and help them end an 0-5-1 road slide against the Blackhawks.

Chicago (44-23-6) scored five goals in a 2-2-0 trip capped by Wednesday's 4-1 defeat to Philadelphia. Andrew Shaw scored for the third time in the last two games for the Blackhawks, who went 7-1-1 in the nine contests prior to the trek.

"It was a tough stretch, we didn't play very well on this road trip," captain Jonathan Toews said. "As a group, we'll figure out what's going on and what we have to do better and what we have to do to get everyone firing and get all four lines engaged and get that energy and enthusiasm back that we did before that road trip."

Chicago has scored two or fewer goals in seven of 12 games since Patrick Kane was lost for the regular season with a fractured left clavicle. Kane has a team-best 27 goals.

Toews is second with 23 goals and Brandon Saad and Marian Hossa have 21 apiece. All three failed to score on the trip.

Columbus (34-35-4) has matched the franchise record of six straight road wins Jan. 19-Feb. 18, 2011. The Blue Jackets have won four straight overall following Tuesday's 5-3 victory over Pacific Division-leading Anaheim.

Hartnell notched his eighth career hat trick, giving him 11 goals this month with nine in the last eight games.

Columbus, which has scored 17 goals in the four-game win streak, has won seven of eight. This is the start of a back-to-back with a game at St. Louis on Saturday.

"These last few weeks, we'll have to measure up against the teams we're playing to gain some confidence going into the summer, knowing that we can play and play well," Hartnell said. "We want to keep it up.''

The Blackhawks are trying to catch the Blues and Nashville in the Central Division. They lead Minnesota by three points for the division's last automatic playoff berth.

Coach Joel Quenneville will give ice time to forward Teuvo Teravainen, who was a healthy scratch Wednesday, and will start Corey Crawford in net. Crawford posted a 1.48 goals-against average in winning 10 straight starts against the Blue Jackets before a 17-save effort in a 3-2 shootout road loss Dec. 20.

Columbus ended an 0-10-3 slide in the series that night despite being outshot 41-19. Sergei Bobrovsky, who will start Friday, made 39 saves. He has a 1.95 GAA in winning all five road starts this month.

Center Ryan Johansen has six points in a five-game run.

The Blue Jackets are among the NHL leaders in power-play percentage this month at 33.3. Hartnell has scored four times in that span with the man advantage.

Center Brandon Dubinsky is expected to return from a four-game absence due to an upper-body injury.

Blackhawks' offense lacks in ugly loss to Flyers 4-1.

By Tracey Myers

Andrew Shaw’s power-play goal early in the third period gave the Blackhawks the life they didn’t show much of in the first two periods on Wednesday night.

It was something, but it didn’t lead to much else. The multiple-goal outings have disappeared again, and the Blackhawks’ attempts to get points on this road trip fell short.

Wayne Simmonds scored his 100th goal with the Flyers and the Blackhawks’ offense sputtered again as they fell 4-1 at Wells Fargo Center on Wednesday night. With St. Louis and Nashville idle, the Blackhawks couldn’t take advantage; they remain in third with 94 points, five behind division-leading St. Louis and four behind Nashville.

Kimmo Timonen, who spent seven seasons with the Flyers before he was traded to the Blackhawks in late February, got a warm reception from the Philadelphia fans when he was introduced as a starter, and later when the team ran a video montage of his time here.

Otherwise, it was another game in which the Blackhawks didn’t generate enough offense, didn’t have the necessary traffic and didn’t capitalize on a chance to get points against a team that won’t make the postseason.

“Our production has been way off and we tried some different things there,” said coach Joel Quenneville, who made some lineup changes and then changed lines a few times once the game began. “We had some good looks tonight, but we didn’t get shots through and missed some opportunities, as well. You’ve got to get to the front of the net, you’ve got to get greasy goals. They got a couple of those tips that went their way because they got inside and we were too much on the outside.”

Teuvo Teravainen and Bryan Bickell were healthy scratches in this one, replaced by Daniel Carcillo and Andrew Desjardins. Quenneville said a main reason was the Blackhawks were “looking for some energy.” Unfortunately they didn’t get much of it. And, again, they didn’t get enough goals.

“The last few efforts haven’t been good enough,” Jonathan Toews said. “Goaltenders are keeping us alive, and it could’ve been worse than it was tonight, but was a tough stretch. We haven’t played well on this road trip. As a group we’ll figure out what’s going on and what we have to do better and what we have to do to get everyone firing and all four lines engaged, get that energy and enthusiasm back like we did before this road trip. Once we figure that out, just take it one game at a time and get back to how we were playing before that.”

The Flyers were the more energetic bunch on Wednesday night and, as Quenneville said, they were taking advantage of opportunities given and getting more inside than the Blackhawks. Simmonds gave the Flyers a 1-0 lead about seven minutes into the game and Ryan White, Claude Giroux and Michael Raffl also scored.

The Blackhawks headed into these last three road games, all against teams already or about to be eliminated from playoff contention, looking for points. They came away with just two. It was a missed opportunity and they gained no ground in their chase for the Central title. Right now, their concern can’t be potential division crowns; it has to be about playing much more consistent hockey.

“When we do that we give ourselves a chance to win games and maybe we’ll have a chance in the end,” Toews said. “We can’t worry about [division titles] when we’re not playing our best hockey down the stretch. We’ll figure things out as we always do and get back on the right page.”

Predators once again attempting to keep Blackhawks fans away.

By Nina Falcone

Prior to the start of the 2013-14 season, the Nashville Predators got sick of seeing Blackhawks fans around town and adjusted their ticket purchasing options in an attempt to "keep the red out" of their arena.

Turns out their plan didn't work. But now the Preds are back and ready to take Blackhawks fans on for Round 2.

*ding ding*

With a first-round playoff series between Nashville and Chicago looking like a real possibility, Predators president Sean Henry told The Tennessean that he's looking to find ways for Bridgestone Arena to not turn into a sea of red.

"We want to fill the building with gold, filled by our fans, through our fans and for our fans. Period," Henry said Wednesday. "Just like any team should want their home arena to be."

So here's what's going down...

The Predators will begin selling playoff tickets this weekend, but tickets sold through the team's website will only be available to customers who live within the team's TV market. 

Which is what they did the last time around, too. And there was still a lot of red.

We'll see how it all plays out should these two teams face off next month.

Blackhawks agree to terms with top collegiate player.

CSN Staff

The Blackhawks secured a top collegiate player on Thursday, agreeing to terms with Kyle Baun of Colgate University, according to his agent Brian Bartlett.

Bartlett, who tweeted the news earlier on Thursday, said Baun will report to the Blackhawks. Baun is not eligible to play in the postseason.

The 24-year-old Baun just played his third season at Colgate. He recorded 14 goals and 15 assists in 38 games.

Just Another Chicago Bulls Session… For Chicago's big men, sacrifice is the name of the game.

By Adam Fluck

     

(Photo/Joe Murphy/NBAE/Getty Images) 

You could call them Chicago’s own version of the Fantastic Four.

In Pau Gasol, Joakim Noah, Taj Gibson and Nikola Mirotic, the Chicago Bulls have an exceptional set of big men that boasts a collective versatility unmatched by another team in the NBA.

Gasol brings championship experience to the roster. He turned down significantly more money to join the Bulls this past offseason and it didn’t take long for him to make an impact on and off the court.

Noah, the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, finished fourth in NBA MVP voting last season. But with the addition of Gasol and the return of Derrick Rose, his role has changed and his numbers are slightly down. His impact, however, is not. 

Gibson was the Sixth Man of the Year runner-up last season. He’s good enough to be a starter. He knows it, his teammates know it and his coaches know it. That role is Gasol’s, though, so Gibson continues to thrive as a member of the second unit. 

Mirotic, 24 years old and in his first NBA season, certainly doesn’t play like a rookie.

He arrived in Chicago with five years of professional experience under his belt, though he’s had to earn his minutes, something that took time and required patience.

 

Along with Nazr Mohammed and Cameron Bairstow, these are the Bulls’ big men.

 

While each player possesses his own skill-set and embraces a unique role, there is a common denominator that exists between them all—a willingness to sacrifice in order to help the team win.

 

“It speaks to who they are and illustrates their makeup and character,” remarks Gar Forman, the general manager who assembled this group. “All four of them approach the game to do what helps us win as opposed to worrying about personal agendas. I think it’s special that we’ve got guys who are willing to sacrifice for the betterment of the team.

 

“It’s fun to watch these guys work every day in practice together, then watch each of them have their moment in the sun and cheer for each other as they are having success,” adds Forman. “They all have unique talents, but what makes them all similar and a great fit is their unselfishness and willingness to do whatever is best for the team.”

Championship pedigree from Gasol, passion and energy out of Noah

 

On July 12, 2014, Gasol, then a free agent, announced on Twitter that he planned to join the Bulls, calling it a new chapter of his career. Less than a week later, he and Mirotic boarded the same plane in Madrid and landed at O’Hare in Chicago.

 

On July 18, the duo signed their deals and Forman’s offseason moves, which had previously included the acquisition of Doug McDermott on draft night, provided the team with some additional momentum as it prepared for the season.

 

At 34 years old and in his 14th NBA season, Gasol could have stayed with the Los Angeles Lakers and enjoyed a bigger payday, possibly one of the last of his playing career. It’s what former teammate Kobe Bryant, with whom he won a pair of titles, urged him to do.

 

But the situation in Chicago proved too enticing. Gasol, a 7’0”, 250-pound center/forward, wanted to join a contender and help take the team to the next level. Several months into the season, he says he has no doubts that he made the right decision.

 

“It’s a long journey, obviously,” a rejuvenated Gasol says, “but this is what I hoped and envisioned could potentially happen with this Bulls team. It’s a group that complements each other really well. We have a nice, balanced, deep team. It’s been really good.”

 

An NBA All-Star this season for the fifth time in his career, Gasol has brought so much more than his championship pedigree to the team. By drafting Noah and signing Gasol, Forman has managed to put two of the best passing big men in the league on the same team.

 

“Gasol has been really, really big for us,” says Forman. “It’s not only the way he fits, but it’s his game. We’ve always been a team that is inside out. Pau is a guy you can effectively run offense through in the low post. He’s got such great vision and he’s so unselfish.

 

“Defensively, his length has been a huge plus,” Forman adds of Gasol, who is among the league leaders in double-doubles. “When we have the combination of him and Joakim or him and Taj on the floor, to have that rim protection and shot blocking inside has been a real asset.”

While he is clearly a welcome addition to the roster, Gasol’s arrival affected the roles of others. Starting aside him in the frontcourt is Noah, who last season, with Derrick Rose sidelined, was one of the team’s playmakers and go-to scorers. The ball was in Noah’s hands a lot, which translated to points and assists as well as rebounds.

 

“My role has changed, but I still want to win just as bad,” exudes Noah. “We’ve been talking about it all year. This team is all about the sacrifices we’ve got to make to take it all the way. When you think of guys like Pau and Derrick, they’re great competitors and great offensive players. Last year, we didn’t have these kind of weapons. It’s not about me. It’s about this team and what it takes to be the best we can be.”

 

With Gasol playing more of the natural center position, Noah has spent more time at power forward, particularly on defense. Couple the fact that he entered the season coming off knee surgery and a quick look at statistics may suggest Noah is experiencing a down year. But that’s precisely where the sacrifice enters in.

 

“It’s not always easy, I’m not going to lie,” says Noah. “But this is what we want. When we signed Pau, I knew things would be different. With Derrick coming back, I knew I would get the ball less. This isn’t my first rodeo. I understand this game and I understand that sometimes giving up means you’re going to get a lot more.”

 

The more Gasol plays alongside Noah, the greater understanding and appreciation he has for his game and what he brings to the table.

 

“What jumps out at me is his intensity and his passion for the game,” says Gasol of Noah. “His activity is off the charts. He does all the little things that are important and are winning plays. It makes a big difference for our ball club. I’m happy that he’s playing well and I’m happy I have the opportunity to play with him.”

 

The aforementioned sacrifices made by Noah are not lost on Gasol.

 

“When you’re on a great team and you have as many weapons as we have, you always sacrifice something from your game for the benefit of the team,” notes Gasol. “It’s what Jo and everybody else is doing, sacrificing a little bit of their capabilities to make the team balanced and utilize everybody else.”

 

Regardless of his role, Noah’s trademark passion remains. It didn’t take long for the newcomer Mirotic to pick up on that.

 

“Jo is the spirit of this team,” says Mirotic. “The energy he puts forth every day, not just in games, but in practice. It’s awesome because he pushes the entire team. If we aren’t as focused as we need to be or we’re dragging the morning after two games, he is there pushing the team. ‘Let’s go guys! Keep building! Practice hard!’ He’s the best big guy passing the ball in the NBA and he’s an All-Star. He’s really trying to help us and he’s doing a great job.”

Gibson, Mirotic provide Bulls with the luxury of frontcourt depth

 

While signing Gasol meant a different role for Noah, it resulted in the same one for Gibson. The 6’9”, 225-pound forward in his sixth season seemed poised to start with the departure of Carlos Boozer and was by all indications ready for an expanded role.

 

Once again, though, it’s a theme of sacrifice and putting the team first. And in this case, it provides the Bulls an immense value to have someone of Gibson’s caliber, both offensively and defensively, off the bench.

 

“It’s a great luxury to have and that’s why I say he’s made sacrifices in order for us to have success,” notes Forman. “Obviously, Taj is a starting caliber player. Defensively, I thought he was an impactful player from his first year here, but his game just continues to grow offensively. His ability to make shots and his footwork, his patience, his touch and aggressiveness down low... he’s made great strides the last year or two.”

 

“Taj is great for this team,” says Noah. “He’s been a glue guy for us for a long time now, someone who adds so much to this team. He had a great season last year. I think that if Taj played starter minutes, he’d be a legitimate All-Star candidate. Pau came in and I’m sure that wasn’t easy for him as a player, but at the end of the day, Taj is a guy who understands the big picture and really wants to win. Sometimes you’ve got to sacrifice to win big in this league. I think that what Taj is doing this season shows great leadership.”

 

Gibson has never complained about not being among the starting five; rather, he sees advantages to coming off the bench as he continues to embrace that role.

 

“I just keep going,” Gibson says. “I’m ready when my number is called. My legs will be fresh and that’s always a good thing in a league where there are a lot of injuries. I'm working on being a good sixth man again. It was an honor to be among the top ones last year. I’ll keep working towards that again.”

As for Mirotic, it’s been all about the transition to a new country and a new league.

After spending five seasons playing all over Europe with Real Madrid, Mirotic was ready for a new challenge and his dream of playing for the Bulls was realized. Minutes were tough to come by early on this season, but when he’s gotten an opportunity to play, Mirotic has shown he knows how to use his size while possessing impressive mobility, skill and basketball IQ.

“We’re just scratching the surface of what Nikola can do,” says Forman. “I think there is a lot of potential there for him to continue to get better and to continue to get stronger. It’s really exciting to have him. He gives us a dimension that we haven’t had with his ability to space the floor out beyond the three-point line.”

Best known for his shooting, the 6’10”, 220-pound forward has proven he’s capable of doing a lot more.

“When I see Niko, I see somebody who is a player, a real player,” says Noah. “I knew he was going to be able to shoot the ball—people were always raving about that—and he played in some really big games in Europe. He is eager to get better every day and has an unbelievable skill-set. Not only can he shoot the ball, but he can make passes off the pick and pop or off the dribble. Defensively, he’s very underrated. He can also really rebound the ball. He’s a legitimate force, man. He’s only going to get better and the sky is the limit for him.”

For a Bulls bench that also boasts talented guards in Kirk Hinrich and Aaron Brooks, being able to send in big men like Gibson and Mirotic to either add to a lead or help come from behind is a significant advantage.

“It’s a big, big luxury to have those guys coming off the bench and producing with the talent they have,” acknowledges Gasol. “It’s critical and will make a big difference down the stretch and in the playoffs when you need everyone and their contribution to beat a team in a playoff series and move on. The depth of our team and the quality of the bench is huge.”

Team-first attitudes with winning the ultimate goal

Consider that there are only 96 total minutes to divvy up between the power forward and center positions in a regulation NBA game. That in itself presents a challenge when it comes to finding playing time for Gasol, Noah, Gibson and Mirotic.

It may not work on some teams, having that much talent at the same positions. Not enough balls to go around, as they say. But that’s not the case in Chicago, something that is clear when you see how each player approaches the situation. Not only is it in the words they speak; these mentalities are evident in the way they play.

“We complement each other really well,” says Gasol. “We have different attributes and different types of games. We all bring something to the table that is special and unique. We all want to win and we’re all ready to win.”

“The good thing is we have a great atmosphere in the locker room,” Mirotic offers. “We are thinking and we are working in the same direction. So we are working hard and we really feel hungry because we know we have to work more if we want to win the championship. Everybody understands, everybody knows what we need to do. On this team, everybody works hard. That’s really amazing and you appreciate that.”

“Everybody is so unselfish,” Gibson agrees. “You never see a guy come to the bench pouting or crying about his minutes. We all know we’re capable of big time minutes but it’s all about winning. We’ve got one goal and that’s to win a championship.”

“I just look at it as a blessing just to get better as a team,” Noah explains. “It’s been a learning experience and the best part about it is we aren’t even peaking yet, we’re still getting better. This team is really focused. We’ve dealt with so much over the years. Guys know what is at stake. There is nothing more than you can ask for right now then to say we’re a legitimate contender.”

Bulls respond well, top Raptors with fourth-quarter explosion 116-103.

By Holly Mackenzie

In a game featuring lots of offense and little defense, the Chicago Bulls outlasted the Toronto Raptors, 116-103. 

After trailing throughout the first three quarters, Chicago exploded in the fourth, outscoring Toronto 39-21 in period. 

“I liked the way we responded in the second half, particularly in the fourth quarter,” Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau said. “I thought we played really well on both sides of the ball in the fourth quarter.”

Although the Bulls shot 61 percent in the game, they made a blistering 75 percent of their shots in the final quarter, connecting on 15 of 20 attempts. Defensively, they forced Toronto into a nightmare quarter. The Raptors shot just 33 percent in the fourth and had just six made field goals.

Jimmy Butler led the way for Chicago with a team-high 23 points in his second game back from a left elbow sprain. Tony Snell scored 17 points, with nine coming in the fourth quarter, Aaron Brooks added 16, including four three-pointers, and Nikola Mirotic added 15. 

The Raptors were without All-Star point guard Kyle Lowry who missed his third game in four contests with back spasms. Greivis Vasquez scored 22 points to lead Toronto, with DeMar DeRozan adding 20 while shooting 7-for-19 from the floor.

 Thibodeau was pleased with his team’s effort in the fourth but wasn’t impressed with their defense throughout the first three quarters where Toronto shot 51 percent.

“The way [the Raptors] score the ball, they score it so easily that if you let your guard down — and we dodged a bullet because they got their confidence early — they can score 10 points in a minute very easily,” Thibodeau said. “Even when you have a lead, it never feels safe. And we know we gotta play defense for 48 minutes, but I thought offensively, I thought the ball moved really well.

“I thought, as the game went on, Aaron really got us going,” Thibodeau continued. “I thought Jimmy played very, very well. Niko and Tony off the bench played well. We had a lot of guys step up. I thought Jo [Noah] was solid throughout. So, we needed everyone. Mike [Dunleavy] got going there for a stretch. We needed everyone. We stayed within striking distance and then found a way to win at the end.”

Although it was the Raptors who played a game the night before, Chicago was the team that got off to a slow start on Wednesday night. Despite trailing 22-10 in the first quarter, a Dunleavy three-pointer brought the Bulls within four at the half. Things stayed close in the third quarter with the Raptors holding an 82-77 lead going into the fourth.

Toronto’s DeMar DeRozan was whistled for a technical foul between the two quarters and the Bulls opened the fourth with Butler hitting the technical free throw and Noah making a layup to bring the Bulls within two.

Although Noah was on the bench for the final five minutes of the game, he enjoyed watching his team take the energy out of the Air Canada Centre.

“When you make a run and the crowd’s going crazy and then all of a sudden it just gets silent, or you just feel that frustration in the air…there’s nothing better,” Noah said.

With the game tied at 97, a layup from Pau Gasol gave Chicago a two-point lead with 4:54 minutes remaining. From there, the Bulls closed the game on a 19-6 run to seal the victory.

“We knew it was time to win the game,” Butler said.

Rested Jimmy Butler finding his rhythm for Bulls. 

By Holly Mackenzie

Jimmy Butler (Photo/Getty Images)

With two games under his belt since returning from a left elbow sprain, Jimmy Butler is happy to be back.

After scoring a game-high 23 points in a come-from-behind victory in Toronto on Wednesday night, Butler and his coach were pleased with his efforts in his second game after a three-week layoff.

“I felt good,” Butler said. “Got back into rhythm a little bit, so hopefully we can string two of these in a row together.”

Butler shot 7-for-8 from the floor against the Raptors, making two of his three attempts from beyond the arc. He also went 7-for-9 from the free throw line and added five rebounds and three assists in 38 minutes.

In his first game back against the Charlotte Hornets on Monday, Butler played 40 minutes, but shot just 6-for-20 from the floor. Chicago’s leading scorer looked much more like himself Wednesday against the Raptors.

“I thought he was a lot better tonight,” Thibodeau said. “The more he plays, that rhythm will come back. He’s put a lot of extra work in in the past couple days. I think that’s a plus. Obviously we need him on both sides of the ball. That’s where he brings big value to our team. He brings a lot of toughness to our team as well.”

Defensively, Butler helped force Toronto’s DeMar DeRozan into a 7-for-19 performance in Chicago’s 116-103 victory. 

Although he didn’t want to be sidelined with an injury, the time off may end up being a blessing in disguise for Butler and the Bulls heading into the postseason.

“I’m a lot fresher,” Butler said. “I just came back after, what, three weeks off. My legs are feeling nice. I just gotta continue to take care of my body. I know accidents and injuries happen, but as long as you take care of your body you can try to prevent ‘em to the best of your ability.”

The Bulls have weathered injuries and lineup changes throughout the year, but seem to be gaining strength in the home stretch of the regular season.

In addition to Butler’s return, Derrick Rose is on track with his rehabilitation from right knee surgery to remove a small piece of meniscus and Taj Gibson recently rejoined the team after missing 10 games with a severely sprained left ankle. 

“Right now we’ve just got to stay focused on us,” Joakim Noah said. “That’s the truth. We’ve just gotta focus on us getting better. Guys are coming back from injuries and we feel like we have the deepest team in the league, so it’s a good feeling. We’ve got a lot of weapons. We just gotta keep getting better as a unit and keep working and keep polishing our games individually.”

Butler echoed Noah’s statement and said the team is concerned with peaking at the right time.

“I think we can beat anybody,” Butler said. “I don’t think it matters what seed we end up in, but we just want to win as many games as possible and get in a rhythm and get rolling heading into the playoffs.”

Bear Down Chicago Bears!!!! Restoring Bears culture will be John Fox’s biggest impact. 

By John Mullin

(Photo/David Banks/Getty Images North America)

Under new coach John Fox, the Bears are expected to return to a truer form of “complementary football” with things like a clearer commitment to the run on offense. They are transitioning to a 3-4 defense. They have completely overhauled the special-teams staff.

None of those changes, however, project to have near the overall impact that Fox is expected to have in making over a Bears culture that was in tatters after the past two seasons of coach Marc Trestman and GM Phil Emery.

While Trestman spoke of and made efforts to establish a culture of respect, it was largely unsuccessful, whereas Fox has a proven record of actually accomplishing that at the NFL level. And there’s a reason.

“It’s that he truly cares about you as a human being,” said Mike McCoy, San Diego Chargers head coach and who was Fox’s offensive coordinator from 2011-13 with the Denver Broncos. “And he makes it fun for you to come to work every day regardless of who you are. It doesn’t matter what your role is in the organization, it’s important to him.”

The level of respect between Bears players and coaches had dropped cataclysmically with incidents such as a practice altercation between receiver Brandon Marshall and defensive assistant coach Chris Harris. Nothing was done. Offensive coordinator Aaron Kromer was forced to apologize – though only to the offense – for voicing frustrations over Jay Cutler to a national media outlet.

Veterans felt increasingly disrespected over lack of accountability standards, trickling down even into minutiae such as going away from the traditional use of season-long captains from the veteran ranks to a system of rotating captains every week.

The expectation of those who’ve worked with him is that all that will change.

“John and I have been friends for a long time,” said Jack Del Rio, hired this offseason as head coach of the Oakland Raiders and Fox’s defensive coordinator for the last three years with the Denver Broncos.

“But it’s the professional part that I appreciate the most because of the environment he creates for the staff members, the environment he creates for the players every day – I think that’s important. I believe in that as well, to create a positive environment. When our players come to work every day, they’re not dreading it. They don’t pull in the parking lot with a pit in their stomach. They jump out of their cars and they’re excited to go in the building. John seeks to create that type of environment.”

Fox has seen and established "environment" in multiple venues that have been part of teams reaching Super Bowls (Denver, Carolina, New York Giants) over the course of his career. It is part of what can make the whole greater than just the sum of the parts.

“To me the cornerstone of any success is hard work and doing it enthusiastically," Fox said. "It’s a hard profession. I know a lot is made of player salaries and what not but having been in this thing for a little bit, they earn every penny. It’s a tough way to earn a living. You are under a lot of scrutiny really on a daily basis. We spent a whole lot of time really on what was reviewable and what wasn’t in these meetings and really in this game everything is reviewable. You [media] guys review it. It gets reviewed. I think it makes it what a great game it is. But really the guy that is the same guy every day, comes to work every day with his lunch pail and works hard. That’s contagious. When you can get that percentage up higher, you’ve got your chance of winning your share of games in this league.”

Bears coach John Fox breaks down his roster.

By Adam Jahns

Bears RB Matt Forte 

Bears coach John Fox spent more than an hour Wednesday discussing his new team during the NFC coaches breakfast at the NFL annual meetings.

Quarterback Jay Cutler was undoubtedly a main topic. But Fox also offered his first looks at other key players. Here are some highlights:

WR Alshon Jeffery

When asked if Jeffery could be a No. 1 receiver, Fox revealed that the Bears will change their approach to weight-lifting and offseason conditioning.

Fox didn’t offer specifics, but said Jeffery appeared “a little bit overweight” at times in his career and that the workout changes will help him.

“He’s obviously a beast as far as his size, how he can separate,” said Fox, who liked Jeffery as a draft prospect in 2012.

Fox also said that Jeffery seemed “a little nicked” last year with injuries and that the Bears’ new training methods would help prevent soft-tissue injuries.

RB Matt Forte

Fox has relied on multiple backs and said “creating a wave” at the position has its benefits. But Fox doesn’t know whom the other Bears’ backs could be.

Fox, though, is ready to rely on Forte, who is in a contract year, and doesn’t envision his skills diminishing with age.

“I thought he had a productive year last year more so as a receiver than as a runner,” Fox said. “But that is a dimension important to the success of any offense.”

DE Jared Allen

Fox briefly met with Allen in Phoenix and said there are reasons why Allen was unproductive in 2014, starting with his bout with pneumonia.

Allen will try outside linebacker in the Bears’ 3-4 defense, and Fox is optimistic.
“He can be one of those guys that makes a big jump,” he said.

CB Tim Jennings

Fox believes Jennings can play inside at nickel back or outside at cornerback, but said it’s obvious that Jennings is coming off a disappointing season.

“I think Tim will tell you the same thing,” Fox said. “Our biggest thing is to get him to perform better than he did a year ago.”

LB Shea McClellin

McClellin seemingly has a fan in Fox, who liked his potential in the 2012 draft.

“It hasn’t gone as well for him as far as position fit,” Fox said. “In fairness to him, that’s not to be judgmental on anybody else, but the transition is we’re going to start him inside because it’s a harder position to learn as far as run fits and how they set in there.”

CB Kyle Fuller

The Bears’ first-round pick in 2014, Fuller was high on Fox’s draft board in Denver for his instincts and physical skills.

“We held him in high regard, thought he was an outstanding football player,” Fox said. “He’s a guy that we’re excited about, have a good grade on.”

S Antrel Rolle

Fox believes the Bears signed a productive veteran who plays fast and understands the game. Rolle also will be leaned on as a leader.

“I’ve seen him at the Pro Bowl even show leadership, which sometimes even in that game you need it,” Fox joked.

DTs Ego Ferguson, Will Sutton

Fox said the second-year defensive tackles “didn’t stand out quite as much as Kyle Fuller” in the 2014 draft.

LB Mason Foster, DE Jarvis Jenkins

With Foster and Jenkins signed to one-year contracts, Fox hopes he’s getting players with something to prove. He wouldn’t say how they fit in his defensive plans, only saying that they will compete at their respective positions.

Jay Cutler facing first true NFL job fight to be Bears No. 1 QB.

By John Mullin

Jay Cutler came into the NFL as the 11^th overall pick of the 2006 draft, the pick of then-coach Mike Shanahan. He started that training camp third on the depth chart, was No. 2 by Week 1, and his eventual ascendancy to the starting job was a given. Shanahan moved him in as the starter around Thanksgiving that year.

The closest he came to “losing” his starting job since then, other than last year’s one-game benching, was when Josh McCown delivered a career moment while Cutler was out with injuries. But not even McCown saw that as any possibility of Cutler losing his job.

But now...

Cutler will again start an offseason No. 1 on the quarterback depth chart. But unless coach John Fox is an outright liar, and nothing in his past suggests anything like that, one basic reality is not to be dismissed: Cutler will have to beat out Jimmy Clausen to be the starting quarterback for the 2015 Bears.

“It’s all an open competition,” Fox said Wednesday at the NFL owners meeting. “Obviously you’ve got to start somewhere and my experience in football, really in anything, it’s not where you start a competition; it’s where you finish it.

“But we’ve got to start the race with some kind of lineup. We have not discussed that in depth. We have not presented it to our players yet. I kind of have it in my brain and then they compete.”

Fox, general manager Ryan Pace and offensive coordinator Adam Gase may have Cutler as their best option. But they have no vested interest in Cutler, and the organization has made it clear to them that money is not to be the sole driver of their decisions. And “talent” and “potential” are passe’ no longer assuring Cutler of a job.

Put another way: Recently signed defensive linemen Jarvis Jenkins and Ray McDonald are not the only presumed starters on “prove-it” contracts. Cutler, who has yet to receive anything resembling an enthusiastic commitment from his new bosses.

Fox was in Carolina when the Panthers used a second round pick on Clausen and was involved in the Bears re-signing him early this offseason. Clausen’s one appearance last year has been derided by some. But a 77 passer rating that included two touchdowns and one late interception, after not playing for four years and a short practice week with the key Wednesday practice deleted, did not hurt him in evaluations.

“Logically, if you’re looking at a depth chart two weeks before we can get anything going, I’d say yes, he’s no. 1 on the depth chart,” Fox said.

“[But] I’ve had guys who were third on the depth chart that, by the time we started the opener, they were first. So I can’t tell you what’s happening. If I could, I’d be at some racetrack somewhere.”

NFL: More countries could be hosting regular-season games.

By Mike Florio

The NFL’s international series has focused in recent years on building a presence in London.  But that’s not the only foreign country in which the league is willing to ignore that “N” is for “National.”

Via Albert Breer of NFL Media, the league is considering the staging of regular-season games in Mexico and Germany, in addition to the recent suggestion that the 2017 Pro Bowl could be played in Brazil and ongoing efforts to play in Canada and China.

“The work we’re doing now is to ask, ‘How do we accelerate the agenda in Mexico, Canada and China?'” NFL executive V.P. of international Mark Waller told Breer.  “Those would be our next stage, and we have offices in those three countries.  And then, after those, where should be our focus?  I think we’ve concluded that Brazil and Germany are the next two frontier markets, which is where the Pro Bowl idea comes from.”

Ten years ago, more than 103,000 fans showed up for a Cardinals-49ers game in Mexico City, but the league has not yet played another game there.  Security concerns often have been cited as one of the reasons for no sequel, yet. If the league decides to play games that count while playing three games per year (and possibly more) in London, the league will need more teams to give up home games.  Apart from the fairly new rule that teams hosting a Super Bowl must give up a home game, Breer points out that teams relocating to a new market must sacrifice one home game per year while playing in a temporary venue pending the construction of their new stadium.

This could give the NFL up to two extra exportable games per year for several seasons, if two teams move to L.A. in 2016.

Jon Lester passes test and shows Cubs what he's all about.

By Patrick Mooney

Jon Lester dropped at least one F-bomb during what amounted to a minor-league scrimmage. The Cubs hope that kind of intensity can rub off on their young players.

Lester tried to knock off the rust on Thursday morning at the Sloan Park complex, hitting 93 mph on the radar gun and throwing 54 pitches against a Double-A Tennessee lineup.

The $155 million lefty wouldn’t guarantee he’d be ready for Opening Night or promise the dead-arm thing will go away forever. But he also didn’t sound concerned.

“It’s not my first rodeo,” Lester told the reporters who swarmed his locker afterward. “We’ll figure it out.”

This became a must-see event after the Cubs skipped Lester’s start over the weekend as a precaution.

President of baseball operations Theo Epstein and manager Joe Maddon watched from the covered area behind home plate. Hall of Famer Billy Williams sat on a golf cart at the backstop. General manager Jed Hoyer and a few other front-office types gathered on the office balcony overlooking Field 1.

Minor-league players took over a set of bleachers along the third-base side. There were dozens of fans and reporters milling around the facility, curious to see Lester up close.

“I think any time you pitch for a living, you’re never really past the dead-arm phase,” Lester said with a laugh. “After the first day, it never really feels too good after that. I don’t know whose phrase it is. I don’t know who came up with it. But I think that’s just kind of the easiest way to describe kind of that feeling you have. Today was good. Today was a normal day.”

The Cubs wanted to see Lester in a controlled environment. They plan to have him throw in one more minor-league game next week before facing the St. Louis Cardinals on Easter Sunday at Wrigley Field.

“I got one more start,” Lester said. “We got to get through that. I don’t like to go past the next one. Today was good, look forward to the next one. And if everything goes well, then we can talk about Opening Night.”

Lester’s tunnel vision helped him win two World Series rings with the Boston Red Sox and put up 200-plus innings in six of the last seven seasons. He struck out three of the 12 hitters he faced Thursday, giving up one walk and one hit, and that third-inning sequence had him fuming.

“I wear my emotions on my sleeve,” Lester said. “You can probably tell how I like a pitch — or don’t like a pitch — just by watching my reaction.

“It’s something that people have tried to change for me, but that’s just kind of who I am.

“You always hear it when you’re younger: Don’t show emotion. If somebody comes in the stadium and they look at you, they shouldn’t be able to tell whether you’re up or down 10. That’s not the case. If I’m down 10, I’m going to be pretty pissed.”

David Ross already knew that about his buddy from Boston. Lester’s catcher liked the fastball command and understood it would take some time to sharpen the cutter and the curveball and develop some more consistency.

“He’s a perfectionist,” Ross said. “I know he gets frustrated, but that’s why he’s Jon Lester. He expects a lot of himself. That’s why he’s done what he’s done in the game and gets the contract he’s gotten.”

That six-year guaranteed megadeal means Lester will be big national news — not just on the Cubs beat — and his salary will always be near the top of the story.

“Obviously, any time you miss a start, people want to blow things out of proportion,” Lester said. “People want to assume that they know what’s going on. But during the regular season, this wouldn’t have been a problem.

“It’s spring training, we have the time ... so why not take it? That’s kind of the general consensus of the people involved in the decision. And I don’t think there was any argument from anybody or any concern.”

So as the Cubs like to say, there are no alarm bells to ring now.

“What I was really watching (was) his face, and it never seemed like anything bothered him,” Maddon said. “So I know his arm feels great, and that’s all I was worried about.

“He threw some nice fastballs, some nice cutters, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. But I thought that he looked comfortable, and really that’s the most important thing.”

If Lester throws around 75 pitches in his next outing, Maddon said that would be enough to get him to 100 in the opener.

“I’ll take that guy off the couch in December,” Ross said. “That’s guy’s a competitor. I’ll take that guy any game, any time. No matter if he (hasn’t) picked up a ball in two months.”

Jeff Samardzija appreciates respect shown by White Sox staff.

By Dan Hayes

Jeff Samardzija appreciates that Robin Ventura has identified him as the guy.

The White Sox starter said Thursday morning that the esteem in which the coaching staff holds him is welcomed as he prepares for his third consecutive Opening Day start. Ventura named Samardzija the starter on Wednesday, noting this is part of the reason the White Sox brought the right-hander over.

“It’s more special about the respect that it shows from the staff, and the confidence to go out and get the job done on a big day like that,” Samardzija said. “So, yeah, I’m just excited and you don’t wan to let them down, right? You want to have a good performance and get the season off on the right foot.”

Samardzija has experience with Opening Day, having started the past two with the Cubs at Pittsburgh. He’s not too concerned about the concept of a raucous crowd in Kansas City on hand to celebrate last season’s American League pennant.

Samardzija has 12 strikeouts in 15 scoreless innings over the past two openers.

“You just have to worry about what you’re doing and what you can control,” Samardzija said. “They have a great fan base and were excited last time I was there and I’m assuming they’ll be excited this time. Hopefully it’s nice and cold, 40 degrees and everybody all bundled up and having a good time.

“I’m excited, just to come out and represent this team and put on a good showing for everybody.”

Golf: I got a club for that; Spieth confident after win as Masters looms.

AFP

(AFP Photo/Sam Greenwood)

Jordan Spieth enters the Texas Open off a victory at the Valspar Championship two weeks ago and a chance to better his 2014 runner-up Masters debut only two weeks away.

Spieth shared second with Jonas Blixt at Augusta National last year while Bubba Watson won his second green jacket in three tries, but the 21-year-old Texan feels like he's in a better position entering this year's Masters than in 2014.

"All-in-all very confident about where I'm at going in," Spieth said Wednesday. "I feel better going in than I did last year. Last year at this point I'd actually had a really good season. I had a couple of chances to close tournaments out early in the year, even a World Golf Championship, and didn't quite get there.

"But this year I feel a little better having closed that tournament out. I also missed the cut in Houston last year, so I went in with some questions, I guess, right off an early finish.

"But hopefully this year I can play eight tournament rounds prior to arriving on the grounds. My swing feels better. Putting stroke is getting there. I putted well the last two weeks. But that's just going to be a whole other thing once you get on those slick greens."

Spieth has started looking ahead to his career goals after wins in the past four months at the Australian Open, Hero World Challenge and Valspar.

And not surprisingly, right now top-ranked Rory McIlroy is the target as he prepares to seek a third consecutive major triumph at the Masters, where he can complete a career grand slam.

"I would like to at some point be the number one ranked player in the world. That's the pinnacle of golf," Spieth said. "I'd like to win at least one major championship, try to get one before we look forward from there.

"But ultimately I'd like to be one of the best players to ever play the game. I don't think that's a conceited statement. I think it's just something that I've always wanted to be since I was a kid and I'm really lucky that I do have a chance to do it."

- Kaymer, Augusta are pals now -

Making his final tune-up ahead of the Masters this week is reigning US Open champion Martin Kaymer of Germany. It's the second time he arrives at Augusta as a major champion, having won the 2010 PGA Championship before missing the cut for the fourth try in a row in the 2011 Masters.

"The course and me, we had a little bit of up-and-downs in our relationship," Kaymer said. "And then we're getting to know each other very well now. We're becoming friends."

Kaymer was 44th in 2012, 35th in 2013 and 31st last year in the only major where he has yet to crack the top-10.

"The last two or three years I played really well, but my putting let me down a little bit. So every year, especially this year, I get there with a very positive attitude," Kaymer said. "I proved to myself the last couple of years that I can play the golf course. It's just a matter of making a few putts here and there.

"I'm looking forward to it. It's exciting. You know you can be successful there."

Steven Bowditch has that feeling this week as the defending Texas Open champion. He was among three Australians to win in Texas last year, where conditions resemble some courses from Down Under. Aussie Matt Jones defends his Houston Open crown next week and Adam Scott, the 2013 Masters champion, will defend the Colonial crown in May at Fort Worth.

"It's obviously a wonderful experience to be able to come back," Bowditch said. "This is the first time defending a PGA Tour event. It's a great experience and a great feeling. Just trying to get some good vibes back in the game, special spirit. It's good."

Woods '50-50' for the Masters, says good friend Begay.

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

Tiger Woods (Photo/Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports)

As speculation mounts over whether a shockingly out-of-sorts Tiger Woods will be able to compete at next month's Masters, his good friend Notah Begay III rates his chances of taking part in the year's opening major as "50-50".

Woods, a former world number one whose ranking has plummeted to 96th, has played only twice on the 2014-15 PGA Tour and said he would not return until his game was "tournament-ready".

"As far as Augusta is concerned ... it's literally a 50-50 chance right now from what I can tell," Begay, who played with Woods on the Stanford University golf team, told digital network 120 Sports on Wednesday.

"That's far better odds than what it was, say, three weeks ago. Three weeks ago, I would have said there was maybe a 1-in-10 chance of him playing at Augusta."

Woods has not competed since he withdrew from the Farmers Insurance Open early last month after 11 holes because of tightness in his back, and is still adapting to the fifth swing change of his career.

He missed the Masters at Augusta last year for the first time in his career after being advised by doctors to have back surgery and his participation this year is in serious doubt given his struggle for form and fitness this season.

The 14-time major champion posted the highest score of his professional career as he carded a mind-boggling 11-over-par 82 to miss the cut at the Phoenix Open in January, and many pundits believe he is suffering from the chipping 'yips'.

However, Begay, a television analyst with Golf Channel, believes Woods is now settling into his new swing under the supervision of consultant Chris Como.

"It was good for him to take a step back, to reassess a variety of different things and do things on his timeline," said Begay, a 42-year-old Native American golfer who won four times on the PGA Tour.

"My suggestion to him was to take as much time as he needed to just figure out this issue with his short game and also to work on or clean up a couple of things that might be a little loose with his golf swing.

"Any transition, any change that you are making mechanically, takes a little time to settle, so that's what he's done. We've had some good discussions over the last week or so and he feels good about it."

NASCAR: At historic track, Elliott looks to make own name.

By George Winkler

At age 19, Chase will attempt to qualify for first Sprint Cup race.

Think about this for a moment: Chase Elliott, son of the ever-popular Bill Elliott, will attempt to make his Sprint Cup Series debut at Martinsville Speedway, a track steeped in history and tradition, for Sunday's STP 500 (1 p.m. ET, FOX Sports 1).

Not only does he need to qualify for the race, but Elliott also will need to do it without having the benefit of much time spent in a Sprint Cup Series seat.

And if that's not enough, if he qualifies for the race -- which is expected to be attended by none other than Richard Petty -- Elliott will do so at a younger age than Jeff Gordon did in 1992.
 

Throughout his short history as a national series driver, Elliott has shown an unflappable, even-keel approach en route to such heights as last season's XFINITY Series title. But if any weekend were to test his Zen-like calm, who could blame him if this were the one?

"If I wasn't nervous come this weekend, then I'd think something was wrong with me," Elliott said. "I think that should be the case. With as much excitement as this weekend brings I think you're going to have some nerves to go along with it. I'm looking forward to experiencing both of those sensations."

If his nerves indeed need some calming, then Elliott can go to bat knowing he will have Gordon on his side. Jeff just happens to be tied with HMS teammate Jimmie Johnson for the most Cup wins at the track with eight, so it's not like he's coming at Chase with a blank slate.

"I think for me, Jeff will probably be the guy I lean on most this weekend," Elliott said. "One, our car is being prepared out of the 24 and 5 shop. Just to be familiar with that group of guys and how they do things, I think that only makes sense to kind of lean on those guys more than anybody else with the plans for next year. Last time I checked, Jeff had run a handful of races at Martinsville; I feel like he'll have some good information and a lot to be learned talking to him."

Elliott said he hasn't driven a Cup car since January of 2014, and most of that experience was at Nashville Superspeedway, a 1.33-mile concrete track that was used for testing. Plus, in the time since Elliott drove a Cup car, a lot has changed thanks to the 2015 rules package.

Add in the fact that Elliott will be working with crew chief Kenny Francis for the first time, and there are a lot of challenges he'll be facing beyond just the normal task of driving on a tough, tight 0.526-mile track.

But besides having Gordon and the entire HMS team on his side, Elliott also has the benefit of it being a break in the XFINITY Series schedule. Therefore, he can concentrate on the very tall task at hand. But as one might expect, his own expectations for his first Cup race sound pretty reasonable.

"Hopefully, for me, I just want to execute all weekend and put together a solid week," Elliott said. "I think for us, if we can run all the laps and stay on the lead lap and battle to run in the top 15, I feel like that's a great day to shoot for. I feel like that's possible and that would be a really good day."

Of course, if he does something more than that, then it could add to the track's already thick history. It's a history that will be on the young driver's mind.

"I think back of all the times I've gone to Martinsville to watch my dad race," Elliott said. "Even not that long ago. Weird to think I'm going to go run a Cup race and not be watching. ... Such a great opportunity and I want to make the most of it."

 

Tale of the tape: Richard Petty vs. Kevin Harvick.

 

By Jenna Wagner

 

Comparing two of NASCAR's greatest streaks

 

Editor's note: Kevin Harvick has eight consecutive top-two finishes. The all-time best top-two streak is 11, by Richard Petty. Here's a look at how they compare.

 

 

USMNT: U.S. needs more than Jozy Altidore to carry goal-scoring burden.

By Leander Schaerlaeckens 

US players, Alejandro Bedoya, Jozy Altidore and Timothy Chandler celebrate their goal against Denmark during a friendly soccer match at NRGI Stadium in Aarhus, Denmark, Wednesday March 25, 2015. (AP Photo/POLFOTO, Jens Dresling)

If we're being honest, there wasn't a whole lot to be taken away from the United States' 3-2 loss to Denmark in Aarhus on Wednesday. Other than the continued and endemic issue of shipping late goals, which reared its ugly head again, but we've already covered that in this space.

What we saw confirmed the suspicion that the Americans are growing more reliant on Jozy Altidore's production up front with every passing game.

On Wednesday, the USA was comprehensively outplayed by Denmark – that's the plain truth – but Altidore's out-of-nowhere goal and his assist on Aron Johannsson's out-of-nowhere goal brought the Americans to within 10 minutes of winning a game they had no business winning.

Now that Landon Donovan has retired and Clint Dempsey, who did not play Wednesday due to a hamstring injury, has just turned 32, the scoring load will fall heavily on Altidore. Dempsey is by no means done, but he will be 35 by the time the next World Cup rolls around in 2018. There's just no telling how players will hold up in their mid-30s. There are few who stay productive for that long, especially when they're forwards, even when they are exemplary pros like Dempsey.

On a lot of days, Altidore will be the first-, second- and third-best scoring option the Americans have. This has been true for some time now.

As Altidore goes, so does the U.S. When he goes on a scoring bender, the team tends to put together a string of good results. When the goals dry up for him, the Americans fail to put points on the board and their form collapses.

There are a few reasons why this reliance on him is problematic. Firstly, there is no alternative. It's no coincidence that, at 25, Altidore will likely get his 80th cap next week. Dating back six years, since he was a teenager, no other American has emerged who can consistently lead the line. And in spite of Klinsmann's wishful striving for a more possession-oriented playing style, no such thing has materialized. This team needs a target man to play out to.

Secondly, Altidore is mercurial. At club level, he has traded off prolific seasons with anemic ones. He's a feast-or-famine type of striker, as the majority of them are. Mostly, this has been caused by his meandering club career. Now that he's landed back in Major League Soccer with Toronto FC, however, that problem might yet be resolved.

But the third issue is the biggest regardless of his form: His supply is running dry. Strikers are only as good as the chances they're presented. Without Donovan or Dempsey in the side, he has no real creator. There are no wingers in the player pool who can beat a couple of defenders and set him up.

The U.S. has never had a real attacking playmaker. And Michael Bradley, while perhaps the best distributor in U.S. Soccer history, can only be relied on to occasionally find Altidore with a ball over the top – as he did on Johannsson's goal – or the rare through ball. He just isn't the sort to take on a few players and unlock the defense with a deft final pass.

It might be anecdotal to point to the World Cup, where Altidore went down 21 minutes into the tournament and the Americans struggled desperately to forge any kind of attacking presence through the remainder of their time in Brazil. But it's nonetheless telling for the dearth of attacking options.

If the Americans are to accomplish anything for the foreseeable future, they'd better hope Altidore retains his form and health.

MLS adds Minnesota, Beckham's Miami not set.

AFP

Minnesota was awarded a Major League Soccer franchise, the league's 24th team planning to make a 2018 start, while David Beckham's conditional Miami club remains shrouded in uncertainty (AFP Photo/Jewel Samad)

Minnesota was awarded a Major League Soccer franchise on Wednesday, the league's 24th team planning to make a 2018 start, while David Beckham's conditional Miami club remains shrouded in uncertainty.

MLS commissioner Don Garber said Minnesota, owned by minor-league Minnesota United owner Dr. Bill McGuire, will play in a new soccer-specific stadium in downtown Minneapolis. It becomes the 13th new team to join the North American league since 2005.

"We are proud to welcome Minnesota to Major League Soccer," Garber said. "The ownership group's commitment to soccer and the community, the area's growing millennial population and the region's rich tradition of supporting soccer at all levels in Minnesota were key indicators that this was the right market."

Orlando and New York City joined MLS this year, giving the league 20 clubs after the folding of Chivas USA. Atlanta and a Chivas replacement in Southern California, Los Angeles FC, are set for 2017 debuts with Minnesota to follow the next year.

MLS had set its hopes on reaching 24 teams on the field by 2020 but earlier this month said it would reconsider that as a maximum level. And the league could meet their goal two years early if plans for former England star midfielder Beckham's expansion club finally come together in Miami.

The league awarded Beckham's group a conditional team in February 2014 requiring stadium financing and location be agreed upon between Beckham and city officials.

But the two sites Beckham sought were rejected by Miami government leaders, leaving the project in limbo.

The city has pitched a possible stadium site near the home ballpark of Major League Baseball's Miami Marlins and Garber said he plans to be in Miami in early April.

The Miami Herald reported Tuesday that Beckham was in Miami this week and spoke to Miami Beach mayor Philip Levine about the Marlins Park site at a birthday partner for fashion mogul Tommy Hilfiger.

"I think he has a sense of openness and willingness to anything," Levine said.

The report said Beckham's group did not anticipate starting before 2017 with 2018 a possibility and indicated that one of Beckham's partners in the venture, Sprint chief executive Marcelo Claure, has met with Miami mayor Tomas Regalado among others to try and move a deal closer.

"He said, 'We've been looking for sites and we need to have the answers in the next few weeks,'" Regalado said of Claure. "He didn't say we want to do it here or there. He said, 'We need to make a decision in the next few weeks.'"

Thursday, March 26, 2015, NCAA "March Madness" Championship Tournament Scores. 

YahooSports.com

(7) Wichita State 70 Final
(3) Notre Dame 81

(5) West Virginia 39 Final
(1) Kentucky 78

(4) North Carolina 72 Final
(1) Wisconsin 79

(6) Xavier 60 Final
(2) Arizona 68

Dean Smith's trust sends $200 checks to his UNC lettermen.

AP - Sports

This Oct. 9, 1997, file photo shows North Carolina basketball coach Dean Smith during a news conference where he announced his retirement, in Chapel Hill, N.C. Dean Smith is still giving to his North Carolina players _ even after his death. Tim Breedlove, the Charlotte-based trustee of the trust that bears the late coach's name, said Thursday, March 26, 2015, that letters were sent earlier this month to each of the players who lettered for Smith's Tar Heel teams _ about 180 in all. The letter says Smith directed that following his death, each letterman was to be sent a $200 check with the message "enjoy a dinner out compliments of Coach Dean Smith. "The checks were attached to the letters. (AP Photo/Bob Jordan, File)

Dean Smith is still giving to his North Carolina players - even after his death.

Tim Breedlove, the Charlotte-based trustee of the trust that bears the late coach's name, said Thursday that letters were sent earlier this month to each of the players who lettered for Smith's Tar Heel teams - about 180 in all.

The letter says Smith directed that following his death, each letterman was to be sent a $200 check with the message ''enjoy a dinner out compliments of Coach Dean Smith.''

The checks were attached to the letters.

The Hall of Fame coach died Feb. 7 at age 83, and a memorial service two weeks later at the campus arena that bears his name drew about 10,000 people with lines snaking around the building more than an hour before fans could enter. It drew a list of attendees that included current UNC coach and Smith disciple Roy Williams, and former players Phil Ford, Brad Daugherty and Antawn Jamison.

Upon Smith's death, tributes flowed in from across college basketball: pregame moments of silence were held at venues where the Tar Heels weren't even playing. Miami coach Jim Larranaga wore a Carolina blue-shaded tie to honor him, and North Carolina ran Smith's famed ''Four Corners'' offense - and eventually scoring out of it - to open a game against Georgia Tech.
 

Smith spent 36 seasons with the Tar Heels and led them to national championships in 1982 and 1993 before retiring in 1997 as the winningest men's coach in Division I history with 897 career victories - a mark that has since been surpassed by Bob Knight and longtime rival Mike Krzyzewski.

Mizzou to shell out nearly $5 million for guarantee games over next six years.

By Zach Barnett

The Columbia Tribune recently obtained the contracts for Missouri’s upcoming guarantee games and found that, like in every other walk of life, the cost of business is going up.

Here’s how the payments break down:

– vs. Southeast Missouri State, Sept. 5, 2015: $385,000

– vs. Eastern Michigan, Sept. 10, 2016: $1.3 million

– vs. Missouri State, Sept. 2, 2017: $400,000

– vs. Idaho, Oct. 21, 2017: $1.3 million

– vs. Southeast Missouri State, Sept. 21, 2019: $425,000

– vs. Eastern Michigan, Sept. 26, 2020: $1.1 million

Add it all up and you get $4.91 million for a half-dozen games.

If that doesn’t sound like a lot, consider that Missouri paid $700,000 total to bring in Murray State, Toledo and Arkansas State in 2013 (though the Tigers did make a return trip to Toledo the following year, likely keeping costs down). They’ll shell out nearly twice that just to bring Eastern Michigan to Columbia next season.

What’s pushing these prices up? Costs are going up for mid-majors from the MAC and Sun Belt. Oh, and they’re just as aware of the SEC TV deals as the rest of us.

“It’s indicative of the fact that your mid-major programs have greater needs from a financial standpoint,” Missouri executive associate athletics director Bryan Maggard told the paper. “And with TV, the revenues generated by all these networks that everybody’s aware of, it’s just driven the price up. I do believe the mid-major programs are looking to support their programs in the various needs — whether it be cost of attendance, things like that — through guarantee monies.”

Want your SEC spring game schedule? Here’s your SEC spring game schedule.

By Zach Barnett

ESPN announced the 2015 SEC spring game schedule on Thursday. You are aware of the business relationship between the SEC and ESPN, aren’t you? Anyway, all 11 remaining SEC spring games (Kentucky and Texas A&M will not hold spring games, Vanderbilt’s was on Saturday) will be shown on SEC Network properties but, interestingly enough, none of them will actually be on SEC Network properties.

Instead, SEC Network+ – the digital home of SECN, basically the network’s version of ESPN3 – will show most games while SEC Network Alternate – the network’s overflow channel – will provide whip around coverage. All games will be shown on replay on SEC Network throughout the following week.
 Here’s the schedule:

April 11

SEC Spring Whip Around (noon-4 p.m. ET) – SEC Network Alternate

South Carolina (noon ET) – SEC Network+

Florida (12:30 p.m. ET) – SEC Network+

Ole Miss (1 p.m. ET) – SEC Network+

Georgia (2 p.m. ET) – SEC Network+

April 18

Mississippi State (noon ET) – SEC Network Alternate/SEC Network+

SEC Spring Whip Around (2-5 p.m. ET) – SEC Network Alternate

Auburn (2 p.m. ET) – SEC Network+

LSU (2 p.m. ET) – SEC Network+

Alabama (3 p.m. ET) – SEC Network+

Missouri (5 p.m. ET) – SEC Network Alternate/SEC Network+

April 25

Arkansas (2 p.m. ET) – SEC Network Alternate/SEC Network+

Tennessee (4 p.m. ET) – SEC Network Alternate/SEC Network+

Ironically, the creation of the SEC’s own conference-specific network has actually decreased the coverage of SEC spring games. In the past Alabama, Auburn, Florida and a few others regularly had their spring games shown on ESPN The Mothership or ESPNU. Now they’ll all be on the digital step-brother of a niche network.

Whatever. I’m sure the paychecks will help the SEC get over it.

NCAA Women's tourney attendance up in 2015.

AP

Steps taken by the NCAA to address the ongoing attendance concern at the women's NCAA Tournament are working, at least in some places.

Buoyed by two moves in particular -- to once again have top teams host first and second-round games and scheduling more weekend games -- overall attendance was up. Average attendance for those 48 games was 4,709 fans, nearly 1,000 more than last season and the most since 2008.

Still, it could have been better.

"Making those two changes have been impactful and a positive for us," said Anucha Browne, the NCAA vice president of women's basketball championships. "Some of the places we are disappointed in. There are places that are hotbeds that have to do more to market their teams."

Browne also acknowledged that some undesirable game times also impacted attendance, a concern shared by coaches.

Some arenas where host teams usually have robust fan support had more empty seats than usual, a problem coaches say was created in part by the starting times.

Duke played its two games at noon on Friday and noon on Sunday. The Blue Devils drew 2,000 fans less for each game than they did the rest of the season.

The Blue Devils weren't alone.

UConn and Stanford also had sparse crowds. The Cardinal had an afternoon game on Monday which drew the lowest home attendance of the season with an announced crowd of 2,532 -- more than a thousand fans below the season average of 3,693.

Stanford failed to reach 3,000 fans at home four times this season with two of those occasions coming in the NCAA Tournament. The first-round drew 2,830 fans on a Saturday afternoon.

UConn wasn't much better drawing under 4,000 for each of its two routs -- less than half their normal attendance. The Huskies had both of their games start at 9 p.m.

"It makes no sense to me or to our fans," UConn coach Geno Auriemma said. "If someone said to me before the tournament, what's your ideal situation? I would have said Saturday at four and Monday night at seven, if it has to be Saturday, Monday. Friday at seven and Sunday at two. You look for windows where, you know who our fan base is, that we could get 8, 9, 10,000. But I don't make those decisions."

While UConn's lack of a crowd didn't look awful on television, where ratings were equal to last season's NCAA Tournament in the opening two rounds, Auriemma was annoyed.

"It's kind of embarrassing," he said. "We took great pride in who we are and what we've done and how we've done it all these years and for that to happen, I'm not pointing the finger at anybody, I just think it's embarrassing."

ESPN sets the start time for all NCAA Tournament games and by putting the Huskies at 9 p.m. on Saturday, it allowed the network to show the game nationally. The Huskies were the only game to start at that time.

"We want to provide maximum exposure for the sport -- for avid fans and, hopefully, new fans," said Brent Colborne, ESPN director, programming and acquisitions. "We try to showcase storied brands and key matchups while looking to avoid potential territory and scheduling overlaps."

Despite those sites, there were definitely some bright spots for attendance.

South Carolina, which led the nation in attendance, drew over 10,000 fans in each of its games. Maryland, Iowa, Oregon State and South Florida also had great crowds.

"Really, really proud of our fans," Maryland coach Brenda Frese said. "We have passionate fans and we had an excellent timetable, when you talk about a weekend and the time that was set. When you look at the other venues and what maybe didn't come out, I think we've shown and proven every year that we've had the luxury to host that we draw extremely well."

The Terps drew close to 16,000 total for their two games, that's nearly 6,000 more than they had when they hosted last year.

Last season the NCAA allowed teams to host regionals and the attendance was great with just over 9,000 fans attending each game. It was the second highest total ever. This year the regionals are back at neutral sites and it will be tough to match the success from 2014.

On This Date in Sports History: Today is Friday, March 27, 2015.

Memoriesofhistory.com

1917 - The Seattle Metropolitans, of the Pacific Coast League of Canada, defeated the Montreal Canadiens and became the first U.S. hockey team to win the Stanley Cup.

1981 - U.S. President Reagan hosted a luncheon honoring the members of the Baseball Hall of Fame.

1989 - Sport Illustrated exposed Pete Rose's gambling activities. The magazine article alleged Rose bet on baseball from the Riverfront dugout using hand gestures with an associate.

1994 - Magic Johnson became head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers. He coached the final 16 games of the 1993-4 season.

2007 - NFL owners voted 30-2 to make the video replay system a permanent officiating tool.

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