CS&T/AllsportsAmerica Monday Sports News Update, 03/09/2015.

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Sports Quote of the Day:

"You can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something - your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life." ~ Steve Jobs, Co-Founder, Chairman and CEO of Apple, Inc.          

Trending: The excitement is building, the time is now, the most exciting part of college basketball starts in a week and a half. "March Madness" is almost here. "Are you willing to accept the challenges so that you can feel the exhilaration of victory?" Think about it, get a friend and participate in CS&T/AA's 2015 "March Madness" Bracket Buster Office Pool. See entry information in the college basketball section below.

A little advice: Look at the brackets, check the Las Vegas odds, make your picks but throw in a couple of upsets because there always are some and go for it!!! Remember, you can't win if you aren't in.

Teaser?: Do you think Kentucky will go all the way or does an upset await them? You make the call..... It's your bracket..... 

How 'bout them Chicago Blackhawks? Blackhawks shut out by Talbot, Rangers in overtime 1-0.

By Tracey Myers

At the beginning of the season coach Joel Quenneville was asked about the Blackhawks’ lack of scoring. It was early, and perhaps players were a little rusty. Quenneville wasn’t worried.

And for a while there was no reason for him to be. The Blackhawks’ goal production rose again, as did the victories. While they’re still managing victories lately without Patrick Kane, the Blackhawks’ goals have gone missing. And on Sunday night, they couldn’t even muster one.

Derick Brassard scored the lone goal in overtime and the Blackhawks, despite Corey Crawford stopping 35 of 36 shots, couldn’t get the equalizer in their 1-0 loss to the New York Rangers.

Despite their lack of goals recently the Blackhawks continue to get points. They currently have 84, good for third in the Central Division, and are just three behind second-place St. Louis (87) and five behind first-place Nashville (89). The Blackhawks earned Sunday’s point mainly because of Crawford, who was stellar once again.

But where the goals have gone is anyone’s guess. The Blackhawks’ power play was useless once again, struggling to even get set up let alone offer a scoring threat. They had four power plays on Sunday and got three shots combined on all of them.

Yes, the Blackhawks are missing Patrick Kane. But he’s not the only guy who knows how to score, and since he’s going to be missing a lot more time, someone else has to step up soon.

“Corey played awesome tonight. He made a number of huge saves,” said Patrick Sharp who had a team-best four shots on goal on Sunday. “With the offense, it’s the same old answer I can give you: It’s getting to the net, it’s knowing where the pucks’ going, funneling toward the net, pucks and bodies, and try to disrupt him.”

The Blackhawks have long talked about that but they haven’t executed it nearly enough lately. Take away their 5-2 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes on Monday, and the Blackhawks have just one regulation/overtime goal in three games (none vs. Tampa Bay, one vs. Edmonton and zero tonight). 

Cam Talbot was good for the Rangers, stopping all 29 shots he saw for his fifth shutout of this season and eighth of his career.

“We had some chances, but not enough quality to the chances,” Quenneville said. “We’ve played some close games recently but we haven’t had that production to get distance, so that’s the game. Crow made some key saves at the end, very timely, big penalty kill at the end, to get the point. We’ve had success over the year in overtime but not tonight.”

Scoring goals never used to be a problem for the Blackhawks. It’s a problem, however, now. Crawford’s been good but he can’t be expected to have a shutout every night. The Blackhawks need greasy goals, they need traffic-created goals, they just need any goals right now.

“We’ve got to find a way to get pucks to the net and that’s a very big part right there,” Kris Versteeg said. “Sharpy had a lot of good looks; a few of the guys did. We just have to find a way to come back vs. Arizona.”

Corey Crawford huge as Blackhawks get clutch to beat Oilers 2-1. (Friday night's game, 03/06/2015).

By Tracey Myers

Antoine Vermette (Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)

Antoine Vermette had a few prime scoring chances that he just missed against the Edmonton Oilers. But the newest Blackhawks forward didn’t get discouraged.

“Usually it’s a good sign,” Vermette said of the several good opportunities. “You keep doing the right thing, you get rewarded.”

In the shootout, he was.

Vermette scored the shootout winner and Corey Crawford stopped 46 of 47 shots in a stellar outing as the Blackhawks came back to beat the Edmonton Oilers, 2-1, on Friday night. The Blackhawks, who have won two in a row and four of their last five, are now just two points behind second-place St. Louis (85) in the Central Division. They trail division-leading Nashville (89) by six.

For most of the evening, however, the Blackhawks looked like they weren’t going to get any points out of this one. They looked sluggish early. They committed turnovers. They couldn’t complete simple passes from one teammate to another. The Oilers were the more aggressive squad, taking advantage of those miscues and turning them into great scoring chances.

And if not for Crawford, the Oilers would’ve scored on more than one of those chances.

“He was really solid,” Vermette said. “I’ve been here for two games, but it’s certainly something I noticed off the bat. He’s a strong goaltender. He stood up big, gave us a chance tonight.”

So when the third period began, with the Oilers still clinging to the 1-0 lead Derek Roy gave them late in the first period, the Blackhawks brought the energy and desperation that wasn’t there through the first 40 minutes. Ben Scrivens, who was as stingy as Crawford through most of this one, finally broke late in the third. Brent Seabrook’s blue-line shot got through a few Edmonton players and Scrivens to tie the game 1-1 with 6:02 remaining in regulation. 

Then came Vermette’s last scoring opportunity of the night. He had a quick talk with Jonathan Toews, who missed on his chance to start the shootout.

“He said there may be something available five-hole there,” Vermette recalled.

Obviously there was, because that’s where Vermette put the shot, a backhand that gave the Blackhawks that much-needed second point.

It was another game in which the Blackhawks didn’t get the start they wanted but got the points they needed. As Kris Versteeg said, the Blackhawks can’t get into we-can-come-back mode too often — “you can’t make it a habit; it’s (happened) a little too much this season.” But for at least one more game, they’ll take it.

“Corey was great; real solid, kept us in the game, and they had a chance to go ahead by two on a few occasions. We missed some high-quality chances around the net we didn’t bury; it looked like we had an empty cage on a few,” coach Joel Quenneville said. “We’ll take the two points. It’s certainly not our best, but the two (points) are very valuable.”

Blackhawks fan cut by flying glass, chooses to finish game.

AP Sports

Diehard Chicago Blackhawks fan Alexis Bovard. 

 

A woman hit in the head by plexiglass dislodged by a hard check into the boards in Friday's Oilers-Blackhawks game wrapped a cloth around her head as a bandage and stayed to watch the rest of what the TV announcer said was her first hockey game.

The Blackhawks did not have the woman's name or much information after the game, won 2-1 by Chicago.

Blackhawks TV play-by-play announcer Pat Foley said the woman was in her 20s and needed stitches but planned to get them after the game.

The plexiglass was knocked out during the first period when Edmonton's Benoit Pouliot checked Chicago's Niklas Hjalmarsson into the boards.

The woman, sitting in the first or second row and wearing a Blackhawks jersey, was tended to by United Center staff.

Just Another Chicago Bulls Session…  Bulls 22 turnovers key Spurs' offensive run in San Antonio 116-105.

By Vincent Goodwill

 

(Photo/Getty Images)

With nobody ahead of him after doing his defensive work early against Nikola Mirotic, Spurs forward Kawhi Leonard’s steal and dunk was a recurring theme Sunday at the AT&T Center. 

Bulls’ mistakes led to multiple easy opportunities for the Spurs, leaving them overwhelmed and Tom Thibodeau’s timeouts was an indication of his likely heartburn more than a sure-fire strategy he had in reserve. 

They may be old and at the bottom of the Western Conference playoff bracket for the first time in the Tim Duncan era, but the San Antonio Spurs are still the champs, five times over and still very much a threat once the playoffs begin. 

The Bulls found that out firsthand, falling behind early and losing 116-105 Sunday afternoon, their 22 turnovers negating one of their better offensive showings (51 percent shooting) and preventing a bonafide comeback.

 

Tony Parker and Patty Mills took turns driving the Bulls’ defense crazy, with Parker scoring a season-high 32 and Mills pouring in 15 in just 16 minutes of run, helping the Spurs win their fifth straight.

 

“He’s playing great right now and their team is playing great,” said Thibodeau of Parker “He’s a tough guy to handle when he gets in the paint like that, we tried Tony (Snell) on him and we really didn’t have an answer for him.”

 

The Bulls cut the lead to 93-85 with 7:24 left in the fourth after a Kirk Hinrich three, but he missed his next shot in transition, giving way for the Spurs to go on a 9-0 run in the span of one minute to end matters.

 

“I thought our guys fought in the second half, we tried to creep back into it,” Thibodeau said. “There was no quit. I was worried, if we would have the ability to score enough and I think we have the answer, that we can score enough (66 second-half points).” 

After shooting long jumpers to start the game, which appeared to be disastrous, the Bulls made that look like a sound strategy by the way they tossed the ball around later—except it was to the team in white.

 

An unheard-of 25 fast-break points were accumulated for the Spurs in the first half alone, courtesy of nine turnovers, and the Spurs finished with 33 in that category, a season high.

 

Everything that normally comes easy for the Bulls, things like simple dribble handoffs to initiate offense and even the simple task of dribbling the basketball was meant with ultra resistance.

 

“They’re very active with their hands,” said Bulls center Joakim Noah, who was responsible for five of the turnovers. “They got a lot of steals and into the open floor. We had no answer for that. We definitely have to take better care of the ball.”

 

It led to spinning Parker layups, a pivoting Manu Ginobili (14 points) performing similar acts in the fast break, probably a predictable result considering how well the Spurs have played recently, having gotten all their main players back healthy and on the same page.

 

They didn’t even need the services of Duncan, the future Hall-of-Famer who went without a field goal for the first time in his career (1311 games). But with Parker and Leonard (20 points) leading the way, he could’ve stayed home.

 

Parker sliced his way through the Bulls’ defense for layups and then on the instance when the Bulls forgot he had the basketball, he danced around the baseline to free himself for short jumpers.

 

After they jumped on the Bulls early, taking a 19-point halftime lead, Parker sniffed out any delusions of a comeback with 15 straight in the third before he was mercifully pulled by Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, re-emerging in the fourth to do the same, finishing off his sterling performance.

 

Pau Gasol didn’t seem too fazed by the Spurs’ intensity, earning his league-leading 42nd double-double in the first half on the way to a 23-point, 14-rebound performance.

 

Nazr Mohammed scored eight in the third, part of the Bulls scoring 38 points to make the afternoon respectable, and Aaron Brooks scored 22 while struggling the aggressive Spurs guards     

 

And it was a sharp reminder the Bulls depend largely depend on two rookies, praying Mirotic and Doug McDermott can play over their heads while Derrick Rose, Taj Gibson and Jimmy Butler rehab from their various injuries.

 

Prayers can only take you so far against a champion team hell-bent on reclaiming top status.

Bulls offense runs dry in fourth in loss to surging Pacers 98-84. (Friday night's game, 03/06/2015).

By Vincent Goodwill

Rough-and-tumble basketball returned to the NBA’s central division between the unequally shorthanded Bulls and Pacers, two franchises that have made a living out of clobbering opponents into submission.

Bodies flew to the floor, shots were missed and missed badly — begging for someone to take control late entering a final quarter where there were runs made, but no separation.

The Bulls offense failed them late, scoring just 18 as the Pacers pulled away to earn a 98-84 win at Bankers Life Fieldhouse Friday night.

Rodney Stuckey and CJ Miles hit big baskets down the stretch, with Miles hitting a buzzer-beating triple to signal the positive karma perhaps wouldn’t be on the Bulls side for once, putting the Pacers up eight with 5:50 left in the fourth.

“They play a physical game. You can tell they’re playing good basketball right now,” said Bulls center Joakim Noah, who had 11 assists and seven rebounds in 30 minutes. “We beat ourselves a couple times. There’s a tip, a jump ball we should’ve got, then they hit a three off that.“

Noah was referring to the aforementioned Miles 3-pointer, which signified the night for the Bulls, as they ran out of gas after an emotional win over Oklahoma City Thursday night.

After an early surge from rookie Doug McDermott, who awoke from a long slumber to score 12 of his career-high 16 in the first half, the Bulls couldn’t find an offensive hub in the fourth, going four for 17 in the fourth (24 percent).

Pau Gasol scored 18 and grabbed 10 rebounds, while Mike Dunleavy scored 14, including back-to-back triples in the third to pull the Bulls to within one, 55-54. Tony Snell and Kirk Hinrich followed it up with triples of their own, giving the Bulls a one-point lead, but their offense was rarely able to find much of a rhythm, likely thanks to a physical Pacers defense.

They shot just 22 percent from the three-point line, and the magic performed by Nikola Mirotic and E’Twaun Moore didn’t make the road trip to Indiana, although both likely did nothing to diminish their coach’s confidence in them in the effort department.

“We got off to a slow start and battled back,” Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau said. “In the fourth quarter, giving up second shots free-throw rebounds, we just got flat.”

The Pacers were ready, as they’ve surged toward the eighth playoff spot after losing franchise player Paul George last summer and surviving a tough start, winning 10 of 12.

They overcame a 42-percent shooting night of their own, as six players scored in double figures led by forward Solomon Hill’s team-high 16.

“Their bench, the balance of their team was so strong,” Thibodeau said. “When they go to the bench they don’t drop off at all. They’re a very deep team. The veteran experience is huge for them.”

The Pacers kept attacking the basket and reserve Ian Mahinmi played opportunistic basketball, grabbing offensive rebounds and being the safety valve on guard penetration, playing the critical minutes ahead of starting center Roy Hibbert.

A 30 percent free-throw shooter, Thibodeau elected to foul him intentionally down the stretch, but he made six of 10 to complete his 14-point, 10-rebound evening.

“You gotta make that decision between 5 (minutes) and 2,” Thibodeau said. “When you look at where we were, we had to make up some ground quickly.”

Stuckey scored six of his 12 in the fourth after a 2-for-8 start, and former Bull C.J. Watson scored 11 in 24 minutes, getting to the foul line nine times.

Perhaps the emotional well ran dry for the Bulls, not necessarily the best sign for a team in the midst of playing four games in five nights, but it was evident the effectiveness wasn’t there, even if the flesh was willing.

The flesh was just a little battered and bruised.

Bear Down Chicago Bears!!!! Bears free agency preview: Options after Matt Forte in short supply.

By John Mullin

Former general manager Phil Emery might have characterized quarterback Jay Cutler as elite. Running back Matt Forte actually is “elite,” one of the top running backs in the NFL and in Bears franchise history, behind only Walter Payton in multiple categories.

But Forte turns 30 next December and is in the final year of the four-year deal he and the Bears concluded in 2012. He accounted for 10 touchdowns last season, six rushing, four receiving. He also had 266 carries and 102 pass receptions, a combined 368 touches topped only by his rookie workload of 374.

The Bears face two main questions with Forte: how the offense under coach John Fox and coordinator Adam Gase will use running backs (plural), and what to do with Forte contract-wise, because he will be in search of a third contract from the Bears.

Nothing in his rookie season suggested that Ka’Deem Carey is a successor to Forte; Carey struggled mightily just mastering enough of the offense to earn the little playing time he did get. Carey was in uniform but did not play in Game 16 at Minnesota. His 36 carries on the season were the fewest by a No. 2 back since Curtis Enis’ 36 in 2000.

The Bears need more from the depth chart than just what Forte has given them for the past seven years.

Need level: Moderate. Forte is the consummate pro in terms of taking care of himself and having an all-around game. Whether the Bears are willing to extend his contract a year or two will be a discussion point prior to training camp.

The team invested a fourth-round pick in Carey. A running game used as inconsistently and sparingly as Marc Trestman did his might have been able to function with one back, but Fox is intent on returning to an offense capable of running the football.

Forte at 30, with 1,817 career carries and 443 pass receptions, is unlikely to be tasked with 360 touches again this season. It also means either turning Carey into a serviceable NFL tailback or finding someone else.

Teams that have to draft to fill the same position in consecutive years can be squeezed. Converting to a 3-4 defense alone means needing draft choices on the other side of the football, even with some defensive additions in free agency.

Draft or free agency? Forte understudies like Marion Barber, Michael Bush and Chester Taylor were costly mistakes. Veteran help is available in free agency; Pierre Thomas was a solid backup for New Orleans while Ryan Pace was part of the Saints’ personnel department, though Thomas turns 31 this season.

A quality veteran with a minimum salary commitment, plus a late-round (6-7) pick and an undrafted free agent, could set up as insurance behind Forte as well as motivation and alternatives to Carey.

Bears agree to trade WR Brandon Marshall to the Jets .

By John Mullin

Brandon Marshall (Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images North America)

Three seasons and 269 catches after coming to the Bears in a trade involving draft picks, Brandon Marshall will be off to the New York Jets in exchange for an undisclosed late-round pick in the 2015 draft, sources in New York confirm.

The deal was contingent on Marshall passing a physical, which is expected on Friday. The trade has not been announced by either team and becomes effective with the March 10 start of the new NFL year. The transaction was first reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

The move comes five days before the deadline for the Bears to make a roster decision with Marshall, whose contract for nearly $8 million would become guaranteed if he was on the roster as of March 12.

The Jets have an idea of what they’re getting, although Marshall was held to one catch for six yards in the Bears’ 27-19 win over New York last September. New Jets coach Todd Bowles was assistant head coach with the Miami Dolphins while Marshall was a member of the Dolphins from 2010-11.

Marshall has never been part of a team that's reached the playoffs in his nine seasons. The Jets have not had a winning record since 2010 when they made the playoffs as a wild card and advanced to the AFC Championship game with wins over Indianapolis and New England.

A deal and some immediate impact

Marshall’s time in Chicago ended in a tangle of misadventures in the 2014 season. It was not how he or the Bears had expected matters to go.

Former general manager Phil Emery traded third-round picks in 2012 and 2013 to the Miami Dolphins to acquire Marshall. The Dolphins had dealt two second-round picks to the Denver Broncos for Marshall in 2010. He was Denver’s fourth-round pick in the 2006 draft, the same one that brought Jay Cutler to Denver.

Emery gave Marshall a three-year contract extension last May, a deal running through 2017 and potentially worth $30 million.

Marshall delivered a franchise-record 118 catches in 2012 and 100 in 2013, posting a team-record 1,508 yards in 2012 and totaling 23 touchdowns those two seasons.

Injuries severely affected production in 2014. He was hampered by an ankle injury much of the early season and he ended the 2014 season on injured reserve with two fractured ribs and a collapsed lung suffered when he was kneed in the back during the loss to the Dallas Cowboys. He missed the final three games, making 2014 the first time in his nine-year career that he has played fewer than 14 games.

Marshall was limited to 11.8 yards per catch last season, tying his second-lowest career mark and finished with 61 catches, fewest since his rookie season (20) with the Denver Broncos.

Unraveling in 2014

But production was not the tipping point of the Marshall issue for the Bears.

The year started under a perceived cloud when Marshall was signed to weekly appearances on Showtime’s “Inside the NFL” program. Marshall flew to New York on his off day for taping of the show. The trips were not in violation of any team rules, and myriad other players leave town on their days off. But the commitment suggested to some that Marshall’s focus was more on his post-football career in media than his actual one.

Events did little to change impressions that Marshall’s concentration was sometimes wavering. He delivered an epic performance in Week 2 with three touchdown catches in the win over the San Francisco 49ers but teammates were not universally pleased with Marshall exploding into post-game rant at the team’s poor performance in the loss to the Miami Dolphins.

Marshall was engaged in Twitter exchanges that included challenging a Detroit Lions fan to a fight, which Marshall later claimed was his attempt to promote an anti-bullying campaign.

“Do you think I’m a smart guy? Do you think I’m a strategic guy?” Marshall said at the time. “This is what I want to do. Maybe you guys, maybe NBC can come out, produce it and try to raise a lot of money for anti-bullying.”

Marshall contributed to the breakdown of the internal culture when he got into an altercation on with then-assistant coach Chris Harris. Marshall was not wearing the practice uniform, shells-only, ordered for that day, Harris said something to Marshall about his not wearing shells, and the situation escalated to near blows.

Coaches Marc Trestman and Aaron Kromer did not address the problem and the incident became part of the growing dysfunction and lack of discipline within the team.

The situation became part of a pattern with Marshall, who was suspended for the final two 2009 preseason games for conduct detrimental to the team. Then Broncos head coach Josh McDaniels benched Marshall for the final game that season for failure to arrive at a required physical therapy session on time.

Marshall was suspended for one game in 2008 for what Commissioner Roger Goodell deemed to be violations of the league’s personal conduct policy.

Marshall had been involved in a number of situations marked by allegations of domestic violence prior to his time with the Bears. He worked to overcome a diagnosis of borderline personality disorder and was an active campaigner to raise awareness of mental-health issues.

But his efforts took an odd turn in September when he responded to an ESPN story that referred to his history, holding a press conference lasting more than 40 minutes – not with the blessing of the Bears, who were not aware of what he intended.

Bears searching for leaders in free agency.

By Patrick Finley

In a league designed to create 32 equal teams, advantages come hard to find. But John Fox thinks he’s found one during 13 years as a head coach: leadership.

It’s a skill that can be developed, he said, just like blocking and tackling.

“It doesn’t fall out of the sky,” he said after the Bears hired him in January. “Just like your own children, you’re teaching young men how to be better young men.”

That “starts upstairs,” he said, from assembling a coaching staff to acquiring the right players. The Bears began the latter Saturday at 11 a.m., the start of the NFL’s legal tampering period. Teams can talk to agents, but not players, leading up to the start of free agency Tuesday.

Make no mistake: the Bears are looking for leaders.

Say what you will about Brandon Marshall’s histrionics and mistakes, but the Bears owe him a departing debt of gratitude for helping turn Alshon Jeffery into a Pro Bowler, training him at Marshall’s Florida gym. He also hosted his teammates — from Jay Cutler to Kyle Long to Jermon Bushrod — at Florida home last offseason for team building and workouts.

Marshall, though, is on his way to the Jets. Longtime defensive stalwarts Lance Briggs and Charles Tillman figure to be the next out of the door. Matt Forte has a year left on his deal, and Jeffery is a church mouse.

Jared Allen carries the respect of a future Hall of Famer and Willie Young is coming off a career year that ended with an Achilles injury, but both will be asked to switch positions.

Who will lead?

Asked about defensive players, Fox suggested one obvious choice — veteran tackle Jeremiah Ratliff — and, somewhat surprisingly, second-year cornerback Kyle Fuller.

“A young guy like that, a core guy, he was a first-round pick,” he said at the NFL Scouting Combine. “I think he has the right kind of tools to be a guy that can lean into that leader spot as he goes.”

Maybe the Bears got the leaders they deserved last year.

Coach Marc Trestman named different captains for each game, a move that rankled some in the locker room. In all, 22 different players were captains, led by Ratliff and Allen, who served seven games apiece despite playing only their first full season with the Bears.

Marshall was named captain only twice.

Five captains can walk this offseason — Briggs and Tillman, linebacker D.J. Williams, defensive tackle Stephen Paea and center Brian de la Puente.

And then there’s Cutler. Were he to return —if the Bears cut or deal him by Thursday, they won’t have to pay his $10 million 2016 guarantee due then — he’ll still never be confused with Gen. Patton.

That doesn’t make him a poor teammate, but the two-time captain last year wasn’t vocal. Remember when tight end Martellus Bennett called Cutler “emotionless at times?”

Last month, new general manager Pace listed his intangibles for any quarterback: “his preparation, his study habits, and leadership.” Evaluating Cutler’s before he plays a single game perhaps Pace’s greatest challenge this offseason.

Finding a leader at any position isn’t an exact science, whether he’s already on your team or on the free agent market. But the Bears will spend the next three days trying.

“You’re evaluating and trying to acquire the best human talent you can find,” Fox said, “and then motivating them on a daily basis to be the best they can be.”

O, Captain!

Marc Trestman named captains on a per-game basis last season, resulting in 22 Bears earning the title at least once. Here’s look at how many games each served as captain:

7 — DE Jared Allen, DT Jeremiah Ratliff

6 — C Roberto Garza, K Robbie Gould

5— OT Jermon Bushrod, RB Matt Forte

4— S Ryan Mundy, S Danny McCray

3— QB Jay Cutler

2 — CB Sherrick McManis, DE Willie Young, LB Lance Briggs, LB D.J. Williams, WR Brandon Marshall

1 ­— WR Alshon Jeffery, TE Martellus Bennett, DT Stephen Paea, CB Tim Jennings, CB Charles Tillman, G Matt Slauson, G Kyle Long, C Brian de la Puente

NFL Key Dates

CBSSports.com

March 7	NFL Regional Combine (Lake Forest, Ill.)
March 7-10	Clubs are permitted to contact, and enter into contract negotiations with the certified agents of players who will become Unrestricted Free Agents upon the expiration of their 2014 contracts at 4 p.m. ET on March 10. However, a contract cannot be executed with a new club until 4 p.m. ET on March 10
March 10	Prior to 4 p.m. ET, clubs must exercise options for 2015 on all players who have option clauses in their 2014 contracts
	Prior to 4 p.m. ET, clubs must submit qualifying offers to their Restricted Free Agents with expiring contracts and to whom they desire to retain a Right of First Refusal/Compensation
	Prior to 4 p.m. ET, clubs must submit a Minimum Salary Tender to retain exclusive negotiating rights to their players with expiring 2014 contracts and who have fewer than three accrued seasons of free agency credit
	Top-51 Begins. All clubs must be under the 2015 salary cap prior to 4 p.m. ET
	All 2014 player contracts expire at 4 p.m. ET
	2015 league year and free agency period begins (4 p.m. ET)
	Trading period for 2015 begins (4 p.m. ET)
March 19-21	NFL Career Development Symposium (Phoenix)
March 21-22	Super Regional Combine (Phoenix)
March 22-25	NFL Annual Meeting (Phoenix)
April 6	Clubs that hired a new head coach after the end of the 2014 regular season may begin offseason workout programs
April 20	Clubs with returning head coaches may begin offseason workout programs
April 24	Deadline for Restricted Free Agents to sign offer sheets
April 29	Deadline for prior club to exercise Right of First Refusal to Restricted Free Agents
April 30- May 2	NFL Draft (Chicago)
May 8-11	First weekend after the NFL Draft: Clubs may elect to hold their three-day post-draft rookie minicamp from Friday through Sunday or Saturday through Monday
May 11	Rookie Football Development Program begins
May 15-18	Second weekend after the NFL Draft: Clubs may elect to hold their three- day post-draft rookie minicamp from Friday through Sunday or Saturday through Monday
May 18-20	NFL Spring League Meeting (San Francisco)
June 1	For any player removed from the club’s roster or whose contract is assigned via waivers or trade on or after June 1, any unamortized signing bonus amounts for future years will be included fully in team salary at the start of the 2016 League Year
	Deadline for prior club to send “June 1 Tender” to its unsigned Unrestricted Free Agents. If the player has not signed a contract with a club by July 22 or the first scheduled day of the first NFL training camp, whichever is later, he may negotiate or sign a contract from that date until the Tuesday following the 10th weekend of the regular season, at 4 p.m. ET, only with his prior club
	Deadline for prior club to send “June 1 Tender” to its unsigned Restricted Free Agents who received a qualifying offer for a Right of First Refusal Only in order for such player to be subject to the CBA’s “June 15 Tender” provision
June 15	Deadline for club to withdraw qualifying offer to Restricted Free Agents and still retain exclusive negotiating rights by substituting “June 15 Tender” of one-year contract at 110 percent of the player’s prior-year Paragraph 5 Salary (with all other terms of his prior-year contract carried forward unchanged)
June 21-27	Rookie Symposium (Aurora, Ohio)
July 15	At 4 p.m. ET, deadline for any club that designated a Franchise Player to sign such player to a multi-year contract or extension. After this date, the player may sign only a one-year contract with his prior club for the 2015 season, and such contract cannot be extended until after the club’s last regular season game
Mid-July	Clubs are permitted to open preseason training camp for rookies and first-year players beginning seven days prior to the club’s earliest permissible mandatory reporting date for veteran players
	Veteran players (defined as a player with at least one pension- credited season) other than quarterbacks or “injured players” (as defined in CBA Article 21, Section 6) may report to a club’s preseason training camp no earlier than 15 days prior to the club’s first scheduled preseason game or July 15, whichever is later
	Veteran quarterbacks and injured players may be required to report to the club’s preseason training camp no earlier than five days immediately prior to the mandatory reporting date for all other veteran players, provided the club has already opened (or simultaneously opens) its official preseason training camp for all rookies and first-year players
	A three-day acclimation period will apply to players who are on a club’s roster up to and including the mandatory veteran reporting date. Players who join the roster after that date may practice (including wearing pads) and play immediately after passing a physical
July 22*	Signing Period ends for unrestricted Free Agents to whom a “June 1 Tender” was made by prior club. After this date and until 4 p.m. ET, on the Tuesday following the 10th weekend of the regular season, prior club has exclusive negotiating rights (* or the first scheduled day of the first NFL training camp, whichever is later.)
July 22	Signing period ends for Transition Players with outstanding tenders. After this date and until 4 p.m. ET, on the Tuesday following the 10th weekend of the regular season, prior club has exclusive negotiating rights

Jon Lester and Jake Arrieta give Cubs dynamic 1-2 combination.

Patrick Mooney

The Cubs justified Jon Lester’s $155 million price tag on several levels: An elite lefty with two World Series rings, strong physical/mental makeup and a no-nonsense attitude that could filter throughout the entire clubhouse.
   
Lester made it sound like he wouldn’t be pounding the table or giving lectures during that first press conference inside a fancy Michigan Avenue restaurant almost three months ago. In fact, he thinks some of those self-proclaimed leaders can be phonies.

Who knows what this contract will look like next season – much less 2020 – but the Cubs clearly believe Lester is the real deal.

“You can take so much away from Jon,” Jake Arrieta said. “And if anybody here can mimic just a part of what he does, I think they’ll be better for it.”

Arrieta “punished” himself with extra running for giving up three walks (and a solo homer to Mitch Moreland) during his two innings in Sunday’s 6-4 loss to the Texas Rangers at Sloan Park.

Lester and Arrieta will give the Cubs a dynamic one-two combination at the top of their rotation.

Arrieta doesn’t lack for confidence and doesn’t hesitate when reporters mention him in the same sentence as Lester. Arrieta dismissed a question about whether he envisioned his breakout season (10-5, 2.53 ERA) coming last year.

“Yeah,” Arrieta said. “Since Day 1.”

Arrieta still hasn’t hit the 200-innings mark in a full big-league season yet. But there’s no doubting the age-29 potential, a devastating cutter/slider and his sturdy 6-foot-4, 225-pound frame.

Arrieta is an analytical type who can watch Lester and study why the 31-year-old left-hander has already put up 200-plus innings six times.

“He does things in a manner that’s precise,” Arrieta said. “Just to be able to take something small from him – his routine – that’s the biggest thing. Guys that have been around and done it at a high level for as long as Jon has, they have something that’s reliable to go back to when things aren’t going in their favor.

"Or they hit a patch in the season where things kind of get away from them and they have something that they can utilize to get back in that comfort zone.”

That might have been Arrieta’s biggest issue with the Baltimore Orioles. Cubs manager Joe Maddon saw it back in the American League East while running the Tampa Bay Rays.

“When he got traded, I was kind of surprised,” Maddon said of the July 2013 deal that also involved hard-throwing reliever Pedro Strop for rental pitcher Scott Feldman.

“The big thing with (Arrieta) was he hit those spurts where you just couldn’t touch him – and then he would get in a little bit of trouble and things would blow up.

“But the stuff was always electric, whether you’re talking about just fastball velocity, breaking ball, aggressiveness. (He’s) assertive. Like a bulldog-looking-kind-of-a-dude. But it would get away from him at some (point).”

While Arrieta pointed out that the Cubs have a deep rotation that should give the team a chance to win every day, he also wants to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Lester.  

“We know what we need to do to put our team in this thing for the long haul,” Arrieta said. “And I think we will.”

Melky Cabrera a perfect fit at No. 2 for White Sox.

By JJ Stankevitz

Robin Ventura’s lineup Saturday was probably pretty close to the one he'll trot out on Opening Day, minus Adam Eaton in for Emilio Bonifacio leading off and playing center field and perhaps someone other than Carlos Sanchez batting ninth and playing second base.

More importantly, the lineup had Melky Cabrera hitting second, with Jose Abreu third, Adam LaRoche fourth and Avisail Garcia fifth.

Putting the switch-hitting Cabrera in the two-hole gives the White Sox a player who can do more than just get the ball to the right side of the field and advance a runner up a base. Cabrera posted a .351 on-base percentage for Toronto last year and has a .339 OBP in his 10-year career, and he’s averaged 32 doubles a season since breaking in with the Yankees in the mid-2000’s.

“I like having Eaton at the top and being able to have a guy like (Cabrera) who can handle it like he does,” Ventura said. “Not just moving it around — I don’t want him to sit there and slap some to get (the runner) over. He can drive something, get something going early in the game, and then also with Jose (Abreu) right behind him, he should have some protection. It should work well.”

Abreu drove in 107 runs in 2014 despite the White Sox getting just a .279 combined OBP from its No. 2 hitters — primarily Alexei Ramirez, Gordon Beckham and Marcus Semien. He batted with a runner on base in 45 percent of his plate appearances, a decent enough percentage but one that, if it goes up, should result in even more RBIs for the Cuban slugger. Half of Abreu’s 36 home runs came with the bases empty, too.

That’s where batting Cabrera second is important — if he can have a career-average year, he’ll improve that No. 2 spot OBP by about 50 points. And that’ll afford the powerful Abreu (and LaRoche and Garcia) more opportunities to drive in runs.

“For me, just in the personal experience when we had (Mike) Piazza when I played on the Mets, the object was to get as many people on as you can with him coming up and have somebody behind him with some protection,” Ventura said. “Yeah, I want some guys on base when Jose gets up there, and I think it should net us something better.”

Cabrera said he doesn’t care where he hits in the order, though it’s worth noting he primarily hit second in 2014 with Toronto — meaning his .351 on-base percentage set up plenty of opportunities for Jose Bautista (35 home runs, 103 RBIs) and Edwin Encarnacion (34 home runs, 98 RBIs) to make a greater offensive impact. Blue Jays leadoff hitters (primarily Jose Reyes) combined for a .325 OBP last year, 12 points below Eaton & Co.’s combined OBP for the White Sox in 2014.

“I have to get on base, move the runners, try to do everything that I can to help the team win games,” Cabrera said through a translator. “Because that’s the most important thing for me.”

And accomplishing Cabrera’s goal might take little more than a normal season for the 30-year-old outfielder.

Golf: I got a club for that; Dustin Johnson back to golf, back to winning.

By Doug Ferguson

Dustin Johnson holds the Gene Sarazen Cup after winning the Cadillac Championship golf tournament Sunday, March 8, 2015, in Doral, Fla. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

The six-month break from the game raised more questions about Dustin Johnson's personal life than his golf. He said it gave him time to work on a little of each, and he delivered answers to both Sunday at the Cadillac Championship.
  

Johnson made up a five-shot deficit on J.B. Holmes and had a one-shot lead as he stood on the 18th tee at Trump National Doral, among the most daunting shots in golf. He produced his best drive all week, a monster shot that cleared the corner of the water and sent him to a routine par and a victory that never felt better.

He left the green holding his 7-week-old son, Tatum, with fiancee Paulina Gretzky at his side.

"I knew I was really good," Johnson said. "I knew there was something I was missing that could make me great. I was working hard on that, and I think it's showing right now. I'm so excited right now, I can't hardly talk. It feels great. This one definitely, by far, is the best one."
 

Johnson holed two big par putts from 20 feet and 10 feet that put him in the lead on a back nine of survival, seized control with a 15-foot birdie putt on the 15th hole and powered home to a 3-under 69 and a one-shot victory over Holmes.
 

It was his ninth career win, and second World Golf Championship title, and it returned him to the elite in golf at No. 7 in the world.
 

Still lingering are questions about his curious six-month leave he announced in August that caused him to miss the final major and the Ryder Cup. He said it was to seek professional help for "personal challenges." Golf.com reported he had failed a second cocaine test, the first one in 2012 when he missed the Masters for what he called a back injury from lifting a jet ski from the water.
 

Johnson said again he has never failed a drug test. He said he was done talking about it in an interview with The Associated Press in January, and when pressed anew about why he had not been more forthcoming with answers, Johnson replied, "Because it's personal and frankly, it's not really anybody's business."
 

In an interview before he returned, Johnson said he was handling stress through too much partying. He said he spent time with his future father-in-law — hockey great Wayne Gretzky — and a person he described as a life coach.
 

There are no questions about his golf. The swagger was back, especially as he closed in on a victory.
 

Johnson won in his fifth start back — Johnson lost in a playoff at Riviera and tied for fourth at Pebble Beach — and did what few others could manage at Doral. He never made worse than a bogey all week, and he didn't have a single three-putt. 

"If he's won nine times out here, you're pretty good," Holmes said after making only one birdie in a round of 75.

Holmes lost his five-shot lead quickly, thanks to three bogeys in his opening five holes, and Masters champion Bubba Watson opening with four birdies in seven holes. Watson went from a five-shot deficit to a two-shot lead on the front nine, but three bogeys in a four-hole stretch on the back nine — two from bunkers, one from the palm trees — ended his big run. He closed with a 71 and finished two shots behind.

"A couple of shots, just missed the fairway by a few feet. Missed the green by a few feet. That's what this golf course does," Watson said. "If you're just off, it can get to you real fast."

Holmes made his lone birdie with a 3-wood onto the green at the 293-yard 16th hole for a two-putt birdie that pulled him to within one shot. With no margin for error, Johnson was at his best over the closing two holes, especially the 18th with Holmes already in the fairway.

"I absolutely smashed it," Johnson said. "I wasn't worried about it getting over the lake. ... I played the hole the best I've played it all week. And it was a good time to do that."

Adam Scott (71) and Henrik Stenson (72) tied for fourth, though they were five shots behind.

Rory McIlroy got his 3-iron back, the one he heaved into the water on the eighth hole Friday. A diver retrieved and Donald Trump delivered it to him on the range. McIlroy used it on the 18th hole and hit into the water for a double bogey and a 72. The world's No. 1 player, who missed the cut in the Honda Classic last week, tied for ninth.

Johnson finished at 9-under 279, adding to the WGC title he won in Shanghai at the end of 2013. He was on top of his game, one of golf's most athletic figures who already had contended in three majors. Then came the indefinite leave. And now he's back.

"I've been working hard on my game and been working hard on me," Johnson said. "And so it means a great deal to have success right out of the gate. It gives me a lot of confidence, too."

Despite injury, Arnold Palmer presses on toward Masters.

By Kyle Porter

Arnold Palmer will try and tee it up at Augusta again this year. (Getty Images)

  

The years are sadly winding down for the three iconic honorary Masters starters.

Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player have been whacking shots off the first tee to get the first major of the season started for the past three years. In April, they'll try to make it four, even though Palmer dislocated his shoulder in December.

"I was going to make a speech at the Father-Son and I tripped on a carpet and did a 360," said Palmer at Doral earlier this week.

Still, he said he'll be there on the tee, even if it's his first shot in months.

"I haven't been practicing. ... I'm not allowed to swing yet. [But] I will whatever. I'm looking forward to being out on that tee even if I fan it."

We're looking forward to having him.

Kevin Harvick wins at Las Vegas.

By Nick Bromberg

A year after after seeing a great car at Las Vegas go for naught because of a broken hub, Kevin Harvick's fast car was aptly rewarded on Sunday.

The defending Sprint Cup Series champion controlled the last half of Sunday's race at Vegas and captured his first win of the season and his third-straight top-two finish to start the year.
 

The win wasn't without a bit of drama. Or reported drama, anyway. With his car visibly loose over the final laps of the race, Harvick reported back to his crew that he had a vibration. However, he moved his car to the high side and if there was a vibration, it didn't affect his performance. The interval over second-place Martin Truex Jr. stabilized over the last seven laps and Harvick was able to cruise to the win.

"I don't know but it wasn't right," Harvick said. "Luckily we were able to hang on to it and had a good enough lead to where we could pace ourselves and were able to keep the lead, I guess."

Last year, Harvick led 23 laps before he finished 30 laps down because of the hub issue. He led 142 laps on Sunday.

Truex's second was his third-straight top 10 to start the season. He's never started a Sprint Cup Series season with three consecutive finishes so high.

Jimmie Johnson, last week's winner at Atlanta, had a car to challenge Harvick but he wasn't around for the finish. Johnson was forced to pit road after he was leading in the first half of the race because of a tire issue. The green flag stop put him a lap down and as he attempted to climb through the field he had problems. He smacked the wall twice, once because of an apparent flat tire in the trival and he then hit the wall again in turn four. He finished 41st.

Jeff Gordon won the pole for the race but didn't start there after contact with Danica Patrick in the final moments of practice on Saturday. Gordon had to go to a backup car and worked his way up to the top 10 at one point after starting 41st. However, when Johnson lost the tire in the tri-oval, Gordon got into the back of Jeb Burton, damaging the nose of his car.

"I guess Jimmie blew a right front tire," Gordon said. "I was right behind Jeb getting ready to make a move on him. I wasn't sure if I was going to go inside or outside and all of the sudden he starts checking up. And I thought he was doing it to let me go by him and I didn't realize until right at that moment when my spotter said something to me that Jimmie was having a problem and I ran into the back of him. Ruined the front -- ruined our day with this 3M Chevrolet. It certainly ruined the front end. The car just wouldn't go down the straightaway and then it was real tight."

Harvick's win is his first at Las Vegas and his 29th overall.

NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers explain why speeds are up when horsepower is down at Las Vegas.

By Dustin Long

(Photo/Getty Images)

NASCAR has cut about 125 horsepower from Sprint Cup cars, yet Jeff Gordon set a track record in qualifying Friday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. So how is that possible?

Let drivers explain.

“The teams are just so good at getting some of that back,’’ said Gordon, whose pole-winning lap of 194.679 mph topped Joey Logano’s former record of 193.278 mph set last year. “When you can hold it wide open like that, it’s amazing at just how good the cars stick. What’s even crazier is the tire is harder than (last year). That’s the downside I think, to this whole package is that the goal is to slow the cars down through the middle of the corners so that we can get some softer tires in there and see more falloff and hope that you see a little bit more passing and side-by-side (racing).

“But because of the corner speeds being so fast, Goodyear has to make (the tire) harder. So, I think that they’ve taken a step and now they’re going to see how it works, and I think the racing is going to be really good and the action is going to be really good, so from that standpoint, I like it. But it’s a learning experience, and I think that NASCAR will gather that information.’’

Kevin Harvick said last week at Atlanta that cars were running about 11 mph faster in the middle of the corners than they had there last year.

“Any time you take top end speed away from a car, the corner speeds go up,’’ said Logano, who qualified second for Sunday’s race. “You don’t have to slow down as much through the corners because your top speed is slower.’’

Another key is the reduction in downforce – about 24 percent. That helps the car cut through the air better, making up for the lost horsepower.

Carl Edwards says he hopes NASCAR takes more downforce away.

“What’s happening is as you remove horsepower, there’s just less time off the throttle,’’ said Edwards, who qualified 14th. “Eventually, if you keep taking more horsepower away and the teams keep finding more and more downforce, it will be impossible to pass. So NASCAR has to stay ahead of that curve.

“They’re working on it. We tested a package that is even lower downforce than this, and I hope and pray every day that that’s the direction we go because I believe that’s what the fans deserve. I think that’s what’s going to provide the best racing and NASCAR has been headed that direction.”

Fire blanked 2-0 by Galaxy in MLS season opener.

By Danny Michallik

The Fire were looking to play the role of the spoiler when they visited StubHub Center for a Friday night encounter with defending MLS Cup champion LA Galaxy. 

At the end of the night, Bruce Arena's side picked up right where they left off, with goals from Jose Villarreal and 2014 MLS MVP Robbie Keane sinking the Fire to a 2-0 defeat in the 2015 MLS season opener in front of a sellout crowd in Carson, Calif.

The Galaxy banished some doubts as to whether or not they would be able to cope with the absence of Landon Donovan and Marcelo Sarvas, who were such an integral part of the team's midfield in seasons past.

With both teams trying to find their feet in the opener, however, sloppy play was frequent in the early going and a dominant showing by the home side was perhaps slightly overshadowed by a number of spurned goalscoring opportunities.

But Arena's team knocked the ball around well in the opening stages and enjoyed possession for the majority of the first half, with Juninho and Kenney Walker at the heart of the link-up play for the Galaxy.

It was midfielder Jose Villarreal who forced Sean Johnson into making an early save off a free kick, with his effort saved and shortly followed up with a shot that was pounded into the side netting.

LA's most dangerous opportunities originated from the wide areas. Stefan Ishizaki initiated the attack in delivering a low, driven cross across the face of the Fire goal in the 42nd minute with Keane and Gyasi Zardes waiting to pounce, with the ball slipping through a slew of bodies and trickling away from the goal.

Lovel Palmer, Jeff Larentowicz and Eric Gehrig stood up to the defensive task considerably well in the first half, having to deal with early punches from an unrelenting LA side that stretched the Fire back line into making last-ditch tackles to preserve a 0-0 draw heading into halftime.

The Men in Red came out with a different attitude in the second half and grew into the game more in the first 10 minutes, building possession through the midfield. Frank Yallop brought on Michael Stephens for Matt Watson in the 56th minute and replaced Chris Ritter with Matt Polster to give the first-round SuperDraft selection his MLS debut.

The Fire may have felt that they could have been rewarded with a penalty kick in the 58th minute, after a delightful Harry Shipp through ball to Quincy Amarikwa found the forward closing in on Galaxy goalkeeper Brian Rowe's goal, only to be jostled to the ground in the box by Robbie Rogers from behind. 

Ishizaki continued to give left back Joevin Jones a torrid time in the second half and prevented the Trinidadian from joining the Fire attack. Jones was instead isolated in several 1-on-1 defensive situations throughout the game, with the Swedish midfielder giving his teammates ample opportunities to score.

Ishizaki's hard work paid dividends and the Galaxy were able to cash in on another one of his dangerous crosses, but it was poorly handled by captain Jeff Larentowicz, whose mis-clearance deflected off of Lovel Palmer nearby before falling to the feet of Villarreal, who did well to bury it past Johnson in the 65th minute.

Fire forward Kennedy Igboananike was forced to exit the game with what appeared to be signs of cramps in the 73rd minute, making way for Guly do Prado. 

The Fire were undone again just eight minutes later, courtesy of an exquisite side volley from Keane, who smashed it past a diving Johnson and sealed the three points for the Galaxy.

With the Men in Red's first MLS game in the books, Yallop's side will look to recover next week and get ready for their home opener on March 14 against Vancouver Whitecaps FC at 5 pm. CT. The match will be shown live on Comcast SportsNet. 

Chicago Fire Starting XI (subs):

Sean Johnson; Lovel Palmer, Jeff Larentowicz, Eric Gehrig, Joevin Jones; Matt Watson (Michael Stephens, 56'), Chris Ritter (Matt Polster, 63'), Shaun Maloney, Harry Shipp; Quincy Amarikwa, Kennedy Igboananike (Guly do Prado, 73')

MLS, MLSPU agree to new CBA through 2019 season.

CSN Staff

Major League Soccer and the MLS Players Union announced on Thursday that they have reached an agreement in principle on the terms of a new collective bargaining agreement. The new-five year agreement will begin for the 2015 season and conclude following the 2019 season.

“We’re excited to hear the news and turn our focus entirely onto Friday’s game," Fire head coach and Director of Soccer Frank Yallop said in a press release. "I know the boys can’t wait to get on the field and start the season. We had a strong day of training here in Los Angeles and look forward to playing the Galaxy in the opener.”

The 2015 MLS season will kick off as scheduled, with the Fire traveling to California on Friday to square off against the defending MLS Cup champion LA Galaxy at the StubHub Center at 9 p.m.

“We’re very pleased to have a new Collective Bargaining Agreement in place before the start of the season," Fire defender and MLS Players Union Executive Board Member Jeff Larentowicz said. "It was an intense process but this agreement gives players more rights and freedom than we’ve ever had before in MLS. Both sides of these discussions were committed to coming to a solution that would ultimately benefit everyone involved while helping the sport of soccer continue its upward trajectory in North America. Working alongside bright young players like Chris Ritter and Harry Shipp as Union representatives only strengthens my belief that these coming years are going to be exciting times not only in MLS but for the Fire. I’m looking forward to opening the season on Friday against the Galaxy and seeing all of our fans at Toyota Park on March 14.”

The Fire return to Chicago on Saturday, March 14 at 5 p.m. to host the Vancouver Whitecaps for Opening Day at Toyota Park on Comcast SportsNet.

Kentucky Wildcats finish regular season undefeated, go 31-0.

By Matt Norlander

Devin Booker, left, Willie Cauley-Stein, center and Karl-Anthony Towns. Perfect Wildcats. (USATSI)

  

History is theirs.

The Kentucky Wildcats beat Florida 67-50 at Rupp Arena on Saturday afternoon to finish the regular season at a perfect 31-0.

They become the second team in program history to win every game during the regular season, matching the 1953-54 team that won a Helms Foundation national championship but chose not to play in that season's NCAA Tournament.

Kentucky is the first team from a power league since Indiana in 1975-76 to finish its regular season without a loss. That Hoosiers team is the last one in men's college hoops to run the table and win a championship without a loss.

"I'm really proud of this team," coach John Calipari said on CBS afterward. "They were worried about winning every game, but this team is resilient, and the good news is, we've got enough guys. We have enough room to try and figure it out."

The team donned T-shirts on the court afterward that said "31-0" and "NOT DONE YET."

Kentucky's Trey Lyles led the team with 14 points. Karl-Anthony Towns, among the best freshmen in the nation, had 13 points, nine rebounds and six blocks for the Wildcats, who were unable to completely dominate overmatched Florida but nonetheless were never truly threatened.

In 24 of Kentucky's 31 games this season, the Wildcats won by double digits. John Calipari's all-time record at Rupp Arena as UK coach is 101-4.

In a cool gesture on Senior Day, Calipari started his senior walk-ons at the beginning of the game, played them for 22 seconds, and put them back on the floor for the game's final 46 seconds.

CS&T/AA's 2015 "March Madness" Bracket Buster Office Pool.

Chicago Sports & Travel, Inc./AllsportsAmerica

2015 Bracket Buster Office Pool

 

 

The 2015 NCAA March Madness Basketball Tournament is two weeks away. The brackets will be finalized by the selection committee March 15, 2015, and two days after that, the play-in games will start. Two days after that, March 19, 2015, the madness begins!!! It's the most wonderful time of the year in college basketball. Everyone gets excited because they have a favorite team. Don't miss this select opportunity to participate in one of the most fun and exciting office pools of the year, The Chicago Sports & Travel, Inc./AllsportsAmerica bracket buster office pool. The entry fee is very reasonable ($12.00 per bracket), actually "it's very rare but super fair" and the rewards are just as good; (1st place $200.00, 2nd place $100.00, 3rd place 50.00 and 4th place $50.00). Payouts go to the final four. If you live anywhere on this beautiful earth, are a college basketball fan and have a PayPal account, a checking account or cash, then you can participate in our pool. We're looking for a minimum of 40 participants.  In the event we get more than 40 players, the payouts will be adjusted accordingly. Note: Our office pool is for competitive entertainment purposes only. Again, don't miss out on this select opportunity ($$$). We look forward to your participation and wish you the best of luck.

 

A little advice: Look at the brackets, check the Las Vegas odds, make your picks but throw in a couple of upsets because there always are some and go for it!!! Remember, you can't win if you aren't in.

Teaser?: Do you think Kentucky will go all the way or does an upset await them? You make the call..... It's your bracket..... 
 

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Proposed change in Illegal man downfield rule tabled.

By RALPH D. RUSSO (AP College Football Writer)

The NCAA playing rules oversight panel tabled a proposal Friday to change the illegal man downfield rule from 3 yards to 1 because it did not get enough feedback from head coaches.

The football rules committee proposed last month to shorten the distance offensive linemen can move forward from the line of scrimmage before a pass is thrown to make it easier for officials to spot violations.

The proposed change drew complaints from offensive coaches who have become adept at deceiving defenses by using run blocking on plays that give quarterbacks the option to pass or run.

Auburn coach Gus Malzahn and Mississippi coach Hugh Freeze were among a group of coaches who asked rules committee chairman Troy Calhoun to table the proposal.

Defensive coaches have been frustrated by the lack of illegal man down field penalties on so-called packaged plays.

''Obviously, I was in favor of the (proposed) rule,'' Fresno State defensive coordinator Nick Toth said. ''I feel like we might have been able to gain a little back there.''
 

Linebackers and secondary players often key on offensive linemen to determine whether the offense will run or pass. When linemen start moving down the field, defenders are generally taught to read run. Now, Toth said, defensive coaches are trying to come up with new ways to coach defenders to decipher run or pass.

''You have to be willing as a defensive coordinator to let your players know that it's not going to look the way you want it to,'' Toth said.  

If linemen were forced to stay closer to the line of scrimmage, quarterbacks would have less time to decide whether to run or pass and defensive players could react more swiftly to those decisions.  

The NCAA said in a news release that panel members felt more discussion about the rule was needed, because of a lack of participation by head coaches.  

The NCAA said the panel was concerned about the lack of participation in the rules process by head coaches. While 57 percent of Football Bowl Subdivision head coaches supported the proposed change in the initial survey, only 65 FBS head coaches participated in the survey. The proposal was supported by 54 by Also, only 46 FBS head coaches offered feedback about the proposal during the two-week comment period. 

The current rule of 3 yards will stay in effect for the 2015 season and will be a point of emphasis for coaches and officials, the NCAA said.

Other proposals that were passed and will go into effect next season include:

- An eight-person officiating system will be allowed if a conference or school chooses. A center judge was used experimentally in several conferences during the past two seasons.

- A 15-yard unsportsmanlike foul will be called on players who push or pull opponents off piles - for example, after fumbles.

- Instant replay reviews will be allowed to see if a kicking team player blocked the receiving team before the ball traveled 10 yards on onside-kick plays.

- Non-standard/overbuilt facemasks will be prohibited.

Dortmund stays undefeated with San Felipe victory.

By BETH HARRIS (AP Racing Writer)

Dortmund, with Martin Garcia aboard, wins the Grade II $400,000 San Felipe Stakes horse race Saturday, March 7, 2015, at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif. (AP Photo/Benoit Photo)

Bob Baffert is holding a pair of aces less than two months before the Kentucky Derby.

The Hall of Fame trainer boasts two top 3-year-olds in his barn, and Dortmund stamped himself as a major threat for the first Saturday in May with a 1 1/4-length victory in the $400,000 San Felipe Stakes at Santa Anita.

The strapping chestnut colt improved to 5-0 and gave Baffert a record fifth San Felipe win Saturday.

''I don't worry about stuff like that,'' Baffert said about the winning streak. ''We're just worried about keeping him healthy.''

And don't try to pin Baffert down about which of his colts he favors: Dortmund or American Pharoah.

''It's like asking which kid I love more,'' he said. ''They're two different horses.''

Ridden by Martin Garcia, Dortmund led all the way in running 1 1/16 miles in 1:41.65 and paid $3.60, $2.60 and $2.20 as the 4-5 favorite in a field of 10.

''It looks easy because he's such a good horse,'' Garcia said. ''I'm always confident because I know how good he is.''

Dortmund's pedigree suggests he could handle the 1 1/4-mile Kentucky Derby distance. His father, Big Brown, won the 2008 Derby and Preakness before failing to finish in the Belmont, dashing his hopes of sweeping the Triple Crown.

''I don't think there will be any difference for him when we add more distance,'' Garcia said. ''He can go any distance. It won't be a problem for him.''

Dortmund earned 50 points under the system used by Churchill Downs to determine the 20-horse field for the Kentucky Derby on May 2. He has a total of 70 points, five behind leader El Kabeir, who won the Gotham Stakes on Saturday. American Pharoah has 10 points, good for 17th on the Derby leaderboard.

Prospect Park returned $3.80 and $3.40, and jockey Kent Desormeaux wasn't willing to give an inch. Prospect Park could meet Dortmund next in the Santa Anita Derby on April 4.
 

''They got the battle,'' he said. ''We'll win the war.''

Bolo was another half-length back in third and paid $4.60 to show.
 

''Dortmund is a great horse, no doubt about it,'' said Victor Espinoza, who rode Bolo. ''Just for a moment there at the top of the stretch I thought we could beat him, but he's too tough.''
 

Ocho Ocho Ocho lost for the first time after winning his first three races, including the $1 million Delta Jackpot. He finished eighth.
 

Baffert learned more Dortmund in his previous start, the Robert B. Lewis on Feb. 7, when the colt looked beaten with a furlong to go. Instead, he rallied again along the rail and won by a head over Firing Line.
 

''He's starting to fill out, get stronger,'' said Baffert, a three-time Kentucky Derby winner. ''He's so big the worst thing they can do is take him back and get him behind a wall of horses. He was doing it pretty easily.''
 

Baffert's other entry, Lord Nelson, was fourth. The Gomper was fifth, followed by Pulmarack, Pain and Misery, Ocho Ocho Ocho, Sir Samson and Kenjisstorm.

On This Date in Sports History: Today is Monday, March 9, 2015.

Memoriesofhistory.com

1859 - The National Association of Baseball Players adopted the rule that limited the size of bats to no more than 2-1/2 inches in diameter.

1929 - Eric Krenz became the first athlete to toss the discus over 160 feet.

1958 - George Yardley (Detroit Pistons) became the first NBA player to score 2,000 points in a season. He did it in 72 games.

1980 - Gordie Howe and his two sons skated on a line together for the Hartford Whalers. National Hockey League history was made when the event occurred about midway through a game against the Boston Bruins.

1984 - Tim Witherspoon won a 12-round decision over Greg Pane to claim the World Boxing Council heavyweight championship.

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