CS&T/AllsportsAmerica Monday Sports News Update, 03/16/2015.

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Sports Quote of the Day:

"Successful people maintain a positive focus in life no matter what is going on around them. They stay focused on their past successes rather than their past failures, and on the next action steps they need to take to get them closer to the fulfillment of their goals rather than all the other distractions that life presents to them." ~ Jack Canfield, Authority on creating Success and Personal Fulfillment

Trending: It's here, The selections were made yesterday and "March Madness" kicks in Tuesday with the play-in games and the tournament goes full fledge as the bracket busting eliminations start Thursday. "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..... 

 

• Selection Sunday: March 15 (Done)

• First Four: March 17-18 (Play-in games)

• Second/Third Rounds: March 19-22 (Bracket-busters start; Playing for the money)

• Elite Eight: March 26-29

• Final Four: April 4

• Championship Game: April 6

• 2014 Champions: UConn Huskies

• Official website: www.ncaa.com/march-madness

• Twitter: @marchmadness

How 'bout them Chicago Blackhawks? Sharp scores twice to lead Blackhawks past Sharks 6-2.

By JOSH DUBOW

The Chicago Blackhawks used a two-game trip with their dads in tow to end quite a few scoring droughts.

Patrick Sharp scored his first two goals since January and Duncan Keith also got his first in more than a month to help the Chicago Blackhawks beat the San Jose Sharks 6-2 on Saturday.

''It seemed like I was hitting a post every game and not having anything to show for it,'' Sharp said. ''It was nice to shoot one there and have it deflect off one of their guys into the net. That's the game of hockey. Sometimes you get the ones that you don't deserve and vice versa. It doesn't really matter who's scoring.''

Sharp and Keith ended their slumps one game after Brad Richards and Andrew Shaw got their first goals since January in a 2-1 win at Arizona. Chicago, playing without star forward Patrick Kane, has won six of eight games to move within striking distance of Nashville and St. Louis for the Central Division lead.

The Blackhawks were three points behind the division leaders heading into Saturday night's games.

''Across the board, we're not looking to outscore anybody,'' coach Joel Quenneville said. ''We're thinking checking. We won some tight ones. We're pleased with what transpired for sure on this road trip.''

Brandon Saad broke a tie with a third-period goal, and Bryan Bickell and Marian Hossa also scored for Chicago. Corey Crawford made 33 saves.

Melker Karlsson and Joe Thornton scored for the Sharks, who began the day three points behind Los Angeles for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference. Antti Niemi made 24 saves.

''We played good for 40 odd minutes and that's just not good enough,'' Thornton said.
A close game turned to Chicago's favor in the opening 5 minutes of the third period.

It started when Teuvo Teravainen flipped a puck into the neutral zone. Sharks defenseman Mirco Mueller tripped while trying to play the puck and that sent Saad in alone on Niemi for his 21st goal of the season.

''It was a tight checking game the first two periods and then the bounces went our way,'' Saad said.

Just a few minutes later, Richards set up Bickell all alone in the slot to put Chicago up 4-2.

Sharp, who had not scored in 19 games since Jan. 28, added a late power-play goal that deflected off defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic and Hossa had an empty-netter.

San Jose now heads off on a seven-game road trip hoping to fight its way back into playoff position. It's a tense time around the Sharks, who are in danger of missing the playoffs for the first time since the 2002-03 season and have had to deal with a public spat between Thornton and general manager Doug Wilson.

After the San Jose Mercury News reported Thursday night that Wilson told season-ticket holders that the reason Thornton was stripped of the captaincy last summer was because he ''lashes out'' at teammates when under stress, Thornton said Friday that Wilson needs to ''shut his mouth'' and ''stop lying.''

''It's business as usual,'' coach Todd McLellan said. ''You guys know where we are in the standings, we know where we are in standings. It's about playing hockey and winning. That stuff doesn't matter, we got to focus.''

The teams traded power-play goals in the second. Keith ended his 18-game drought since Jan. 30 with a blast from the top of the circle to give Chicago the lead.

Later in the period, Thornton's shot deflected off Brent Seabrook's skate and past Crawford for the equalizer.

The Sharks dominated play early, getting nine of the first 10 shots on goal and could have been leading except for strong play from Crawford and a disallowed goal when Pavelski was ruled to have interfered with Crawford.

But the Blackhawks struck first when Sharp scored on his own rebound to end a 19-game goal drought since Jan. 28.

San Jose got the equalizer when Karlsson knocked in the rebound of Matt Irwin's shot for his 12th goal.

NOTES: Chicago F Joakim Nordstrom served the first game of a two-game suspension for a hit on Arizona's Oliver Ekman-Larsson on Thursday. Former Sharks F Andrew Desjardins took his place in the lineup. ... Sharks D Matt Irwin returned to the lineup after missing three games with an upper-body injury.

Blackhawks to wear St. Patrick's Day jerseys for charity.

By Nina Falcone

The Blackhawks will be back in green for a good cause on Tuesday night.

The players will wear one-of-a-kind St. Patrick's Day jerseys during warm-ups prior to their tilt against the New York Islanders. Each autographed jersey, as well as each green tie coaches and broadcasters wear, will be auctioned off online with an autographed photo to support Chicago Blackhawks Charities.

 

Since its inception in Oct. 1993, Chicago Blackhawks Charities has granted over $14 million to benefit a number of local nonprofit organizations.

Fans can visit the NHL website here between March 17 at 6 p.m. and March 31 at 12 p.m. to bid on the St. Patrick's Day jerseys and ties.

Five Things from Blackhawks-Sharks: Sharps breaks through.

By Tracey Myers

Breaking up is hard to do. Breaking out, however, can be kind of fun.

Just ask the Blackhawks, who have broken out of scoring slumps, be it individual or team, these past two games. That happened in a big way on Saturday when they beat the San Jose Sharks, 6-2, at SAP Center. The Blackhawks were getting goals from plenty of sources, including those who hadn’t made much noise in a while.

So before we head up the coast for dinner and a late-night flight home, let’s look at Five Things to take from the Blackhawks’ victory on Saturday afternoon.

1. Patrick Sharp breaks through. As we wrote on Friday, it sure looked like Sharp was close to breaking out of his goal-scoring drought. He was getting closer to the net on opportunities. He was just missing or hitting posts/crossbars when he was there. In short, he was due. He scored twice on Saturday, including his second-chance goal in the first period that gave the Blackhawks a 1-0 lead. Sharp was still touting the team-first mantra after the game but nevertheless sounded relieved. “It was nice to kind of break through offensively,” he said. “A lot of guys, whether it was goals or assists tonight, felt good about their game.”

2. Corey Crawford big once again. The Sharks weren’t doing much in the third period, when the Blackhawks took control and outshot them 17-9. But Crawford was strong from start to finish nonetheless, especially at the start. As coach Joel Quenneville said, the Sharks are a strong starting team. While the Blackhawks looked discombobulated those first few minutes Crawford looked great. He kept the Sharks at bay and the Blackhawks thanked him by getting better as this game continued.

3. The power play scores again. OK, this is how it works, folks: when we knock the power play when it’s bad, you praise it when it produces. So here we are, with the Blackhawks scoring two power-play goals in each of their last two games. The advantage went 2-for-4 on Saturday, with Sharp’s late third-period goal on it putting ample distance between the Blackhawks and Sharks. The power play is scoring. Repeat: the power play is scoring.

4. Third period potent again. Earlier this season the Blackhawks dominated third periods. With recent ups and downs, that hasn’t been the case. But they were fantastic in those final 20 minutes on Saturday, doing what they usually do best: putting a team away. The Blackhawks scored four unanswered goals in the third period and have now outscored opponents 69-50 in third periods this season. It’s been a while since the Blackhawks haven’t sweat out the waning minutes of a game.

5. Finding ways without Patrick Kane. The Blackhawks are without Kane for a while;
there’s no getting around that. They have to find solutions, especially on offense, in his absence. While the Blackhawks weren’t putting up many goals lately they were still getting points. They’re now 5-1-1 without Kane. Hey, they miss the guy. We’re not saying they aren’t. But you can’t worry about who’s not there. The Blackhawks have to move on with the very talented roster they still have sans Kane, and they’re doing that.

Just Another Chicago Bulls Session… Bulls crushed on the glass in loss to Westbrook, Thunder 109-100.

By Vincent Goodwill

The Thunder's Russell Westbrook shoots in front of Joakim Noah in the fourth quarter. (Sue Ogrocki, AP)

Pau Gasol led the Bulls’ fast break in slow motion after a turnover, his gait dictated both by fatigue and waiting on his teammates to catch up, before an awkward step or two led to some consternation from the Chesapeake Energy crowd.

A few seconds later, in a demonstration of ignoring the noise, the crowd and their circumstances, Tony Snell knocked down a triple in transition to send the fans into full agitation.

But they could only do that for so long before the Thunder took over in the form of Russell Westbrook, who carried them to a 109-100 win Sunday afternoon, the Bulls’ fifth loss in six games.

The benefit of star power overpowered old-fashioned determination, when Westbrook was caught on a switch against Nikola Mirotic with the Bulls trailing by two.

Aaron Brooks tried to force a pass inside, but Westbook darted in front of Mirotic, drove the length of the floor then exploded to the rim for a layup with 1:12 left. After E’Twaun Moore was stripped and the ball went off his leg, Anthony Morrow nailed a triple from the wing, yelling “Send them home!” with 40.6 seconds left.

 “You gotta make him work for his points but he’s playing at such a high level right now and making plays on top of it,” said Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau of Westbrook. “He keeps pressure on you at all times, the way he comes at you, puts pressure on you at all times.”

Of all the little things the Bulls accomplished by way of competing, they’ll likely be kicking themselves by not controlling the boards, as the Thunder outrebounded them 52-33, with Westbrook grabbing 11 to go with his game-high 36 points and six assists.

Enes Kanter and Steven Adams gave the Bulls’ bigs fits, as Kanter inhaled 18 rebounds to go with his 18 points and Adams had a double-double with 14 and 11 boards before fouling out.

“They were aggressive tonight,” said Gasol, who scored 20 with eight rebounds. “They understand having a guy like Westbrook attacks so much and forces helps from the bigs. He gets in the paint and they’ll have opportunities. They have size, strength, they pursue. They were very productive tonight.”

Playing Mirotic at the power forward for his scoring produced another sterling offensive performance, as he led the Bulls with 27 off the bench, but he couldn’t keep the Thunder bigs away from the basket, putting Thibodeau in a catch-22.

“He spread the floor,” Thibodeau said. “Again, when you’re playing a stretch-four like that, you’re going to give up some rebounding and that’s what we did. So it was good at times offensively but defensively it was problematic.”

“Problematic” would be the term to best describe the first quarter or so of action, as both teams were anemic from the field before heating up later. Only Gasol and Joakim Noah scored in the first quarter as the Bulls shot 22 percent, which wasn’t to be outdone by the Thunder’s putrid 18 percent shooting.

Numerous ties and lead changes took place in the fourth, as the Bulls matched the Thunder’s tangible desperation, evidenced by former teammates Kirk Hinrich and D.J. Augustin literally going at each other’s necks—all in the name of competition.

Brooks stood in the lane with time to spare on a Thunder fast break, on a full collision course with center Kanter, a man who outweights Brooks by nearly 80 pounds and absorbed the offensive foul without so much blinking.

Every time the Thunder and their crowd looked to take control of the game with amazing body blows, or merely feeding off the energy of Westbrook, the Bulls’ sternly fought back after an ugly start.

Mr. Fourth Quarter, Mirotic, scored 17 of his 27 in the final stanza, including a triple to tie the game at 89 before Augustin hit one on the ensuing possession.

Eventually, the Bulls would succumb to the little things, although they’ll keep telling you they have enough to win.

But they don’t have Westbrook.

Bulls start fast, fade soon after in loss to Hornets 101-91. (Friday night's game, 03/13/2015).

By Vincent Goodwill

The highest of the highs was followed by the lowest of the lows for the Chicago Bulls, as an easy Friday stroll turned into a dogfight against the Charlotte Bobcats—and they didn’t have it in the reservoir to keep up.

A strong start was followed by a feeble finish, as the Bulls lost their fourth game in five with a 101-91 loss at Time Warner Cable Arena—a sharp reminder they’re an Aaron Brooks leaning triple away from losing five in a row in this tough stretch.

Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau issued a strong statement about the current state of affairs concerning his team, as it appears things are on the verge of teetering with so many players out or battling injuries.

“If your house is not in order now, you’re in trouble,” Thibodeau said. “Nobody’s gonna feel sorry for you. And that’s the challenge for us, to bounce back.”

The season-high 35-point first quarter was offset by a disaster after halftime, a 3-of-17 debacle that produced just 10 third-quarter points and a result no one could’ve predicted 10 minutes into the contest.

Late in the first quarter, Brooks stepped confidently into a transition triple, putting the Bulls up 17 as he was showing signs of severe carryover from Wednesday night’s thriller in Philadelphia.

Tony Snell made his first four triples, and five overall (17 points), as it looked like the Bulls would get a much-needed drama-less victory, going up by 19 in the first half.

But whether they gave the desperate Hornets more life than they should’ve or simply faded into their season-long inconsistent patterns, it became clear soon after a 70-percent shooting first quarter that the night would turn in the opposite direction.

“You build a cushion like that and you let your guard down even a little bit, you’re gonna be in trouble,” Thibodeau said. “And that’s basically what happened.”

Gerald Henderson began going to the basket at will, and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, quickly growing into one of the league’s most rugged defenders, got in Brooks’ chest to make everything a chore—Brooks finished with 24 points in 34 minutes.

“It was really the second quarter, that’s what changed the game,” “We recklessly fouled on top of that. We gave them a lot of free throws, they got in the bonus early. Those are things we can’t do.”

Kemba Walker, in his second game back from injury scored 10 off the bench with seven assists and seven rebounds, helping ignite the Hornets’ energy surge.

The Hornets began bullying the Bulls all over the floor, disrupting what was destined to be a fragile offensive flow for the short-handed Bulls, but both teams played just eight guys, and the Hornets grew stronger as the game progressed, taking an 18-point lead in the fourth—a 37-point turnaround.

The Bulls’ threatened, cutting the lead to six with a minute and change left but didn’t truly make the Hornets or their faithful sweat.

Marvin Williams’ and Kidd-Gilchrist’s speed, length and overall aggressiveness couldn’t be matched by the bewildered Bulls, as the Hornets got to every loose ball, made up for every mistake and earned the ensuing momentum.

Kidd-Gilchrist scored 11 with seven rebounds, while Williams scored 12 with seven boards as well, being downright irritating for the Bulls’ wing players.

Pau Gasol (18 points, eight rebounds) and Joakim Noah openly showed their frustration with the officials, after the Bulls were blitzed by activity—birthed because the Hornets didn’t have their anchor inside, Al Jefferson, forcing them to a more desperate, reckless, frenetic style.

It worked.

The Bulls shot just 27 percent after the first quarter and their advantage was all but erased by the middle of the third, when they scored their season-low in points. What’s worse, they started out 11 of 14 from 3 and finished at a respectable 50 percent, but they were outmuscled and outhustled by the Hornets, a squad desperately trying to stay in the Eastern Conference playoff picture.

The Hornets were on the bonus early and often, getting Noah in foul trouble before he went to the bench for good with five fouls early in the fourth.

And now the Bulls must pick themselves off the canvas, yet again, and hope that help is around the corner.

Bear Down Chicago Bears!!!! Patterns emerging from Bears during first week in free agency.

By John Mullin

As a great man once said, the past may be for cowards and losers but it also occasionally holds some indicators.

The priority signings by the Bears through Ryan Pace’s first free-agency week as general manager have evinced an early pattern or two - particularly on defense - and the overall has involved winning:

Pernell McPhee (Super Bowl winner, 2012 Baltimore Ravens)

Notable: In playoffs, Ravens held Andrew Luck/Colts to nine points, Tom Brady/Patriots to 13.

Antrel Rolle (Super Bowl winner, 2011 New York Giants)

Notable: In playoffs, Giants held 400-point Atlanta offense to two; 560-point Aaron Rodgers/Packers offense to 20 and 500-point Tom Brady/Patriots offense to 17.

Eddie Royal (Playoffs with two teams in last four years)

Notable: Caught a playoffs TD pass – from Tim Tebow.

These actually shouldn’t be all that surprising given other prominent resumes:

Ryan Pace (Super Bowl winner, 2009 New Orleans Saints)

John Fox (NFC champion, 2003 Carolina Panthers; AFC champion, 2013 Denver Broncos)

Phil Emery talked about “multiple championships” but came from a background with teams of very little postseason success. Marc Trestman had been to a Super Bowl, but only as an offensive coordinator and that back in 2002.

The prominent signings of last offseason – Jared Allen, Lamarr Houston, Willie Young – were pass rushers who have never reached Super Bowls.

Safety Ryan Mundy did start in a Super Bowl with the Pittsburgh Steelers, but he also was a member of the Pittsburgh secondary that Tebow beat with an OT TD pass in 2011. Now he’s back together with Rolle, so he should be OK.

Cubs confident they have right mix of youth and experience.

By JJ Stankevitz

Kris Bryant, Jorge Soler, Addison Russell & Co. are the talk of spring training here at Sloan Park, but they’re not exactly loud presences in the Cubs clubhouse.

The future of the Cubs isn’t flashy or boisterous, at least not yet. For many of the team’s highly-touted prospects, this is their first big league camp. Bryant, Russell, Kyle Schwarber, C.J. Edwards — these are guys whose jersey numbers are in the 60s and 70s right now and probably will be wearing ones more suited for a big leaguer when they reach The Show.

There’s a good balance of veterans in the clubhouse, guys who have been there and done that before, too. And for the most part, the Cubs’ megaprospects are trying to soak up as much advice and information from the team’s veterans during spring training.

“They’re just taking it in, to be honest,” catcher David Ross, a 13-year veteran, said. “If you’re always talking it’s hard to learn and listen. They’re really good listeners, guys who want to learn how to win.”

Despite the blue-chip talent possessed by the darlings of prospect rankings, manager Joe Maddon still needs to see how they handle everything in the major leagues — from the day-to-day grind to the level of competition to the mental side of being an unestablished rookie.

What Maddon hopes to see is a focus on doing what it takes to win, not doing what it takes to stay in the major leagues. He said it’s “impossible” to have a winning season with players taking the latter approach.

“Do they really feel like they belong here yet, I don’t know that,” Maddon said. “They have to feel like they belong here.”

It’s a message from Maddon that’ll be easier to get across with newly-acquired veterans like Ross, Dexter Fowler, Miguel Montero and Jon Lester reinforcing it. These are guys that have been around for five or 10 years, played on playoff teams and in the case of Ross and Lester, played on World Series winners.

 A veteran isn’t automatically a team leader because of his experience, of course. But Maddon is confident the veterans he does have in his clubhouse possess the kind of qualities that should help the wave of talent crashing into Clark and Addison better adjust to the major leagues.

“Without the veteran guys here, to have all the optimism we’re demonstrating right now, it would be impossible,” Maddon said. “You cannot rely on just a group of young, talented, potentially-good major league baseball players and think you could have that kind of a season. It’s almost impossible. You need to have it sprinkled with the right guys. And I think we have a nice mix here.”

Ross said he’s fielded plenty of good questions from players he’s worked with, like Edwards and Schwarber, and has seen a certain level of respect from the younger guys with no more than a handful of major league at-bats under their belt.

And Ross added that the rookies, or rookies-to-be, he’s surrounded by have the confidence in their talent Maddon wants — the kind of confidence that won’t make survival mode the default when they reach the major leagues.

“As far as the personalities in here, you couldn’t ask for anything better,” Ross said. “For a young group, there’s not a better group that I’ve been around with one, the talent level and two, the personality that I’ve seen in here.”

White Sox ace Chris Sale turns corner in rehab.

By Dan Hayes

 

He won’t put a timeline on his return, but Chris Sale has begun to make solid progress in his rehab.

Injured since late February, the White Sox pitcher said he has accomplished more in the past four days than he had in the previous 11.

Sale has already been ruled out as the Opening Day starter. Now he’s trying to make sure he rehabs properly but returns to the White Sox in timely fashion. His latest work, which has included long toss on Saturday and light throwing off the mound on Friday, has given Sale the confidence he is on the mend.

“It’s definitely working well,” Sale said. “Definitely more reps, a little bit more volume. I can stand on it now. I can do pretty much everything. I was out there throwing off a mound yesterday, doing some long toss today. Side to side stuff is still a little tough for now, but that will come with time.”

Sale injured himself on Feb. 27 with an expected return to baseball activities after three weeks, though the left-hander was optimistic at the time. His most recent activity, which included throwing off the mound on Friday (though his catcher was standing), suggests Sale’s recovery is ahead of time.

White Sox manager Robin Ventura wouldn’t go as far as to say Sale is recovering faster than expected, but he is pleased with the progress. Ventura said Sale’s biggest issue at this point would be lateral movement but he has seen visual cues that let him know the ace is coming along.

“He can pitch, he just wouldn’t be able to move around and do anything,” Ventura said. “Just progression, getting him to that point where he can pitch, field a bunt, move around, cover first. But as far as watching him throw it looks pretty normal which is pretty encouraging.

“He looks better.”

The White Sox hope he could be ready by April 12 but don’t intend to force action before Sale is ready. But Sale doesn’t want to commit to when he could return.

“If I say a date and I don’t do it, its ‘Oh my god, what’s happening,’” Sale said. “And if I comeback too early, it’s ‘Oh they’re rushing him.’ We’re gonna do what we need to do when we need to do it, and that’s where we’re at.”

As for Opening Day, Sale said he’s disappointed but only to an extent. Sale, who went 12-4 with a 2.17 ERA in 26 starts last season, has pitched the last two openers for the White Sox, winning both. He thinks both Jose Quintana and Jeff Samardzija are deserving candidates for the April 6 start in Kansas City.

“Just as disappointed as missing any other start,” Sale said. “Obviously you want to be out there as much as you can and you don’t want to miss any time, but stuff happens.

“I just show up every day and try to get it better.”

Golf: I got a club for that; Spieth wins Valspar after playoff thriller.

Reuters; Reporting by Simon Evans, Editing by Gene Cherry

Jordan Spieth hits his tee shot on the 13th hole during round two action on the Copperhead Course during the Valspar Championship at Innisbrook Resort. Mandatory Credit: Rob Schumacher-USA TODAY Sports

American Jordan Spieth won the Valspar Championship in dramatic fashion on Sunday, triumphing in a three-way playoff, with a superb 28-foot birdie putt on the third playoff hole.

Spieth outlasted fellow Americans Patrick Reed and Sean O'Hair at the Innisbrook Resort in Palm Harbor, Florida, after all three had finished 10 under-par for the tournament.

The victory is the second of the 21-year-old Spieth's career on the PGA Tour following his win at the John Deer Classic in July 2013 and will move him to sixth in the world rankings.

With no difference between the trio on the 18th and 16th holes, the contest went to the par-three 17th, where Reed, who found the bunker, and O'Hair left themselves with par-putts before Spieth drained his birdie putt.

"Putts like that are luck, right?" said Spieth. "If that doesn't hit the hole, it's four feet past. I guess it was just my day."

It was a cruel ending for Reed and O'Hair who both had played some excellent golf.

Reed's bogey free, five-under par round of 66, featured some outstanding play around the green. He kept himself in the playoff fight despite finding a bunker on the 18th and then deep rough at the back of the green on the 16th.

O'Hair was close to glory on the second playoff hole where he saw a birdie putt, which would have won him his first PGA Tour event since 2011, lip out.

Rookie of the Year in 2005, O'Hair has had a career in free fall as he has slumped to 401st in the world rankings, but the 32-year-old's showing this week indicated he could have finally found the confidence to get himself back on track.

Spieth only made it into the playoff thanks to another great putt, sinking an 11-footer on the 18th hole after he had made birdies on the 13th and 14th holes to get in the frame.

Overnight leader Ryan Moore, had opened up a two-shot lead with an eagle on the par-four sixth, where he found the hole from 172 yards with a seven iron.

But Moore fell apart down the stretch and bogeys on the 16th and 18th cost him a place in the playoff and left him two strokes off the leaders.

Woods' game still needs work with Masters looming.

By Ryan Lavner

Tiger Woods announced Friday that he won’t return to competition next week at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, the most surprising – and significant – development during an indefinite break that is now 36 days and counting.

In a brief statement released on his website, Woods said that he’s “making strides” but reiterated that he won’t return until he can compete at the highest level.

Translation: His game may be in better shape than when he was chopping his way around Phoenix or being carted off the course in San Diego, but he is not yet ready to welcome the public scrutiny of a tournament round. Even after five weeks of work.

These issues run deep.

When Woods said last month that he wouldn’t return to the PGA Tour until his game was “tournament-ready,” Bay Hill was his most likely landing spot, for a few reasons.
For starters, Woods has won a record eight times at Arnie’s Place. He had more than a month to work on his game. And he would have the benefit of at least two competitive rounds under his belt before the Masters, which begins in 27 days.

Apparently, it still wasn’t enough time to sort out what appears to be a combination of physical and psychological problems.

He remains hopeful to play in the Masters, but this news only puts his participation in further jeopardy. If he doesn’t feel ready to compete at Bay Hill, where he has so much institutional knowledge, Woods’ beleaguered short game would seem to stand little chance on and around Augusta’s notoriously treacherous greens.

Harvick Wins Fourth Straight Phoenix Race. 

By Reid Spencer

Kevin Harvick has won five of the last six races at Phoenix and a record seven overall. (USATSI)

Yes, the best car won Sunday’s CampingWorld.com 500 at Phoenix International Raceway — but one-man juggernaut Kevin Harvick had to hold off charging Jamie McMurray on the final restart with 12 laps left to notch his fourth straight victory at the one-mile track.

The box score will show that the reigning NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champ led 224 of 312 laps, but McMurray took his best shot on the Lap 301 restart, driving hard to the inside of the race winner and, for the briefest of moments, clearing Harvick’s No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet off Turn 2.

But the driver who has become an all-but-irresistible force in NASCAR’s premier series fought back to the outside, cleared McMurray’s No. 1 Chevrolet and cruised to the finish line 1.153 seconds ahead of the race runner-up.

The victory was Harvick’s second straight this season, his fourth straight at Phoenix and the 30th of his career. Harvick has won five of the last six races at the one-mile track in the Sonoran Desert — seven overall — and his string of seven straight top-two finishes in the Sprint Cup series, dating to last season, is the longest since Richard Petty rattled off 11 consecutive top-results in 1975.

“When you said the Richard Petty part, that just gives me chills,” Harvick said after the race.

The last driver to win four straight NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at the same track was Jimmie Johnson at Charlotte in 2004-05.

With restarts as crucial as they were on Sunday, Harvick was glad he had raced in the XFINITY Series event on Saturday afternoon.

“The restarts were just really slippery, and I learned that in the race yesterday,” said Harvick, who finished third in Saturday’s race. “You had to really maintain your entrance speed and really slide the thing through the center of the corner to try to help keep it pointed up off (the corner).”

Harvick did that to perfection on the last four restarts, holding off Stewart-Haas teammate and fifth-place finisher Kurt Busch when action resumed on Laps 234 and 242 and outdueling McMurray (after Busch pitted for tires under the ninth of 10 cautions) on Laps 296 and 301.

Ryan Newman ran third, followed by Kasey Kahne and Busch. Brad Keselowski, Martin Truex Jr., Joey Logano, Jeff Gordon and Kyle Larson completed the top 10. Truex posted his fourth consecutive top-10 finish, the first time a Furniture Row Racing driver has accomplished that feat.

McMurray left the track wishing he had a mulligan on the final restart.

“Matt McCall (crew chief) made a really good decision at the end to stay out (on old tires) and got us on the front row,” McMurray said. “That was a fun battle with Kevin. Those are the kinds you wish you could do over again, because I would have slid up earlier.

“It’s similar to plate racing with the engine package we have now, where if you don’t get the guy cleared, he can kind of stall you out a little bit. And I saw Kevin coming and I thought I could slide up in front of him, but I also knew it was for the win and that we would probably have wrecked there.”

Notes: With two victories and two second-place finishes this season, Harvick leaves Phoenix with a 22-point lead over Logano in the series standings… Dale Earnhardt Jr. blew a right rear tire — the result of a melted bead — and slammed the Turn 2 wall on Lap 180. Credited with a 43rd-place finish, Earnhardt dropped four spots to sixth in the series standings, 56 points behind Harvick… Busch scored 39 points in his return from a three-race suspension, good for 33rd place in the standings. To be eligible for the series championship, Busch must be in the top 30 in points at the end of the 26-race regular season.

Octavio Rivero's 86th minute goal for Whitecaps sinks Fire.

By Danny Michallik
                                                                                                 

After a flat performance against the LA Galaxy last Friday, Frank Yallop did not hesitate to shake up the starting lineup ahead of another matchup with a MLS Western Conference foe on Saturday. Unfortunately, it did not pay off and the Fire slumped to a 1-0 defeat against Vancouver Whitecaps FC in the home opener.

A poorly headed clearance from Lovel Palmer fell to the feet of Vancouver's Steven Beitashour, who laid a ball off to Octavio Rivero to finish past a diving Jon Busch in the 86th minute in front of 15,371 at Toyota Park.

The loss is the first for the Men in Red at home in a MLS regular season match since losing 3-2 to Seattle Sounders last June. The 'Caps, meanwhile, emerged with their first ever goal and victory over the Fire in Chicago after going winless in their three previous visits, while Yallop's side was held scoreless for the second time this season.

Leading up to the game, Yallop exuded confidence about the team's chemistry and said it would take time before the Fire would be able to break teams down. Yet despite making personnel changes across the board, the Men in Red were lucky not to concede more than just once against an unbridled Vancouver counter attack that spurned opportunities left and right on Saturday.  

Joevin Jones was plugged into an advanced wide midfield role on the left side, with Lovel Palmer switching from right to left back to operate behind the Trinidadian. The return of Adailton to partner captain Jeff Larentowicz at center back signaled the move for Eric Gehrig to the right back position. Hinsdale native Michael Stephens was slotted in at right midfield, Jon Busch replaced an injured Sean Johnson in goal and rookie Matt Polster occupied the holding midfield role in the Fire's 4-1-4-1 formation to round off the slew of tactical adjustments.

Carl Robinson and the Whitecaps set out in a 4-2-3-1 formation with the goal of overloading the midfield and relying on their menacing counter attack, a tactic that the Men in Red would have been familiar with in their previous encounter with the Canadians in the Simple Invitational two weeks ago.

The Fire enjoyed spells of possession in the first half and created chances, but found themselves exposed to the counter frequently, with a lively Kekuta Manneh giving Eric Gehrig some problems down the right side. Vancouver lacked the sharpness required to punish the home team for much of the game, with Yallop's side finishing the half with 10 shots and three on goal compared to Vancouver's four with only one on goal.

Quincy Amarikwa, Harry Shipp, Shaun Maloney and Michael Stephens were all at the heart of the Fire attack, driving through the center of Vancouver's midfield and making life difficult for the Whitecaps back line and goalkeeper David Ousted, who withstood several attempts from Amarikwa and Shipp in the opening 45 minutes and again in the second half.

After notching just one shot on target in 90 minutes in Carson last week, it was a much-improved and energized Fire squad, who may have been a little bit disjointed in the latter stages, but the budding relationship between Shipp, Maloney and Stephens is growing and showing good signs.

In the second half, it was Jon Busch who came up with the stops for the Fire, with saves in the 49th, 52nd and 64th minutes before watching Rivero's shot four minutes from time fly past him, which stole all three points for the visitors.

The Men in Red make their way back to the West Coast next Sunday to play the San Jose Earthquakes. Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. CT.  

Chicago Fire Starting XI (subs):

(4-1-4-1): Jon Busch; Eric Gehrig, Jeff Larentowicz, Adailton, Lovel Palmer; Matt Polster (Kennedy Igboananike, 59'); Michael Stephens (Alex, 82'), Shaun Maloney, Harry Shipp, Joevin Jones; Quincy Amarikwa (Guly do Prado, 76')

Chelsea 1-1 Southampton: Neither side finds a winner in entertaining affair.

By Kyle Bonn

First-half goals from Diego Costa and Dusan Tadic just eight minutes apart set the game up for an exciting final 45 minutes, but the open and explosive game couldn’t provide a winner.

The two best defensive teams in the Premier League started exactly as you would imagine they would, with some positive attacking flow but no true chances in the opening 10 minutes. Then, somehow, Chelsea unlocked the Saints with the simplest of moves.

Eden Hazard worked hard to get the ball to Branislav Ivanovic on the wing. The Serbian full-back delivered a pinpoint cross into the box, and Costa shockingly got a free header and powered it home with ease on 11 minutes. The goal was shockingly simple for Chelsea considering it was just the second time all season Southampton has conceded a headed goal.

Southampton nearly equalized straight away as Tadic forced a good save from Thibaut Courtois, but it would only delay the inevitable. A fantastic one-two from Saido Mane beat Nemanja Matic, and the Chelsea midfielder scythed his opponent down in the process, forcing referee Mike Dean to award Southampton just their second penalty of the season. Tadic would strike home the spot kick off Courtois’s foot, and level the score.

The goal buoyed Southampton, and they had all the chances for the next 10 minutes as Mane, Tadic, Shane Long, and Ryan Bertrand all looked positive for the visitors. Neither side picked up another breakthrough before halftime, but Southampton proved the better side over the first 45 minutes.

The second half started much like the first ended, with Southampton owning much of the bright play, but that quickly changed. Jose Mourinho brought off Nemanja Matic on a yellow card and brought on Ramires, and it instantly boosted the Blues. Diego Costa nearly poked home in a goal-mouth scrum but he hit the post in the 56th minute allowing Mane cleared off the line.

As the game exploded open, Southampton wouldn’t go away. Tadic opened things up for Long in the 62nd but it was heroically blocked by Gary Cahill. Chelsea had a chance 10 minutes later but Fraser Forster made an awkward double save on both Oscar and Eden Hazard, with the former doing poorly not to head Chelsea into the lead.

 The home side began to slowly stifle Southampton by keeping more patient possession while still creating chances, and it bolstered them into a commanding position with 10 minutes to go. Cesar Azpilicueta nearly teed up a winner as regulation came to a close but Forster again saved well. The Southampton keeper continued to shine as moments later he kept out Willian as the defender looked to volley home a corner from close range, and John Terry rifled wide on the rebound.

The sides shared the points as time ran out, and each will likely be happy with the result. Chelsea goes six points clear of Manchester City, and while a win would have really closed the door on the title race, the deficit will still make things very hard on those behind the Blues. Southampton will be glad to have something out of a game at Stamford Bridge, and they looked positive throughout, drawing level with Spurs on points and going above into sixth on goal differential.

LINEUPS:

Chelsea: Courtois; Ivanovic, Cahill, Terry, Azpilicueta; Matic (Ramires 53′), Fabregas; Willian (Cuadrado 83′), Oscar (Remy 82′), Hazard; Diego Costa.

Goals – Costa 11′

Southampton: Forster, Clyne, Fonte, Alderweireld, Bertrand, Wanyama, Schneiderlin, S. Davis (Ward-Prowse 71′), Tadić (Djuricic 71′), Mané, Long (Pelle 83′).

Goals – Tadic 19′ (pen)

Manchester United 3-0 Tottenham: Fellaini, Rooney hack up Spurs in enormous win.

By Kyle Bonn

A display unlike many in recent times brought back fond old memories as Manchester United swarmed Spurs early and choked them to death to see out the match.

Marouane Fellaini and Michael Carrick both scored within the opening 20 minutes, and Wayne Rooney dazzled the Old Trafford crowd with a stunning third and an epic celebration to boot. With the game already out of reach at halftime, United controlled possession and smothered the visitors through the final 45.

The Red Devils struck first at home, as (striker!) Marouane Fellaini fired home inside 10 minutes. Michael Carrick found the Belgian bolting through the back line, and Fellaini beat Eric Dier to the ball and finished across the face to the far corner for the lead.

United owned possession and kept the game at their pace, putting Spurs on the back foot for most of the opening 20 minutes. They’d rifle home a second when Carrick bagged himself one. A corner initially found Fellaini for a header, and when that was denied, it floated to Carrick. The midfielder wound up and hammered home a header to bag a goal against his former club.

Fellaini continued to be a problem for the Spurs central defenders, and Mauricio Pochettino decided he needed to make a change to keep United from going further ahead. He sacrificed Andros Townsend to get another body into the middle of the field in Moussa Dembele.
 

It appeared to work for a moment, clogging things up and holding Fellaini back, but the Spurs defense would let their side down. Nalib Bentaleb horrifically gave the ball right to Rooney in the attacking third. The United striker, with plenty of work to do, took on all four Spurs defenders and weaved his way into space before firing past a helpless Hugo Lloris. As an added bonus, Rooney celebrated by poking fun at himself, pretending to be knocked out in a boxing match.

 

Rooney came out of the halftime break firing again, lifting a turnaround shot over the bar, but with a 3-goal lead, Manchester United simply held the ball and slowly asphyxiated the opponent into submission. Harry Kane got off Spurs’ only shot on target, from a tight angle, and it snuck through the legs of David De Gea but he was a bit lucky to end up sitting on the ball to stop the shot.

The win is an enormous one, fortifying United’s position in a Champions League place for now, increasing the gap to five points above Liverpool in fifth. The Red Devils also draw within a point of Arsenal in third. Meanwhile, Spurs fail to snatch the opportunity to put themselves in the top four, instead falling below Southampton on goal differential into seventh position.

LINEUPS:

Manchester United: De Gea, Valencia, Jones, Smalling, Blind, Carrick (Rafael 87′), Herrera, Mata (Pereira 77′), Fellaini (Falcao 83′), Young, Rooney.

Goals – Fellaini 10′, Carrick 19′, Rooney 34′

Tottenham: Lloris; Walker, Dier, Vertonghen, Rose; Bentaleb, Mason (Lamela 64′); Chadli (Adebayor 79′), Eriksen, Townsend (Dembele 32′); Kane.

Kentucky's road to the Final Four isn't too obstacle-laden.

By Jeff Eisenberg

Kentucky's path to the Final Four doesn't look too daunting.

The top seeds in the Midwest Region are a Kansas team it defeated by 32 points earlier this season, a Notre Dame team with a history of struggling in the NCAA tournament and a Maryland team making its first appearance since 2010.

Kentucky earned the NCAA tournament's No. 1 overall seed as expected and will face either Manhattan or Hampton in the round of 64 and either Purdue or Cincinnati in the round of 32. Kansas is the No. 2 seed in the Midwest Region, while Notre Dame is the No. 3 and Maryland is the No. 4.

CBS traditionally has revealed the four No. 1 seeds at the beginning of the selection show, but it opted not to do that this year to drag out the suspense. Wisconsin (31-3), Duke (29-4), and Villanova (32-2) were given the other No. 1 seeds. Virginia (29-3) was snubbed and ended up as a No. 2 seed in Villanova's region.

The race for the final No. 1 seeds took on greater importance this season because of the assurance of not having to face top-ranked Kentucky until at least the Final Four. The Wildcats (34-0) are the first team from a power conference to enter the NCAA tournament unbeaten since Indiana's undefeated national title team did it in 1976.

Midwest region

1. Kentucky
16. Manhattan/Hampton

8. Cincinnati
9. Purdue

5. West Virginia
12. Buffalo

4. Maryland
13. Valparaiso

6. Butler
11. Texas

3. Notre Dame
14. Northeastern

7. Wichita State
10. Indiana

2. Kansas
15. New Mexico State

East Region

1. Villanova
16. Lafayette

8. NC State
9. LSU

5. Northern Iowa
12. Wyoming

4. Louisville
13. UC Irvine

6. Providence
11. Boise State/Dayton

3. Oklahoma
14. Albany

7. Michigan State
10. Georgia

2. Virginia
15. Belmont

South Region

1. Duke
16. North Florida/Robert Morris

8. San Diego State
9. St. John's

5. Utah
12. SF Austin

4. Georgetown
13. Eastern Washington

6. SMU
11. UCLA

3. Iowa State
14. UAB

7. Iowa
10. Davidson

2. Gonzaga
15. North Dakota State

 West Region

1. Wisconsin
16. Coastal Carolina

8. Oregon
9. Oklahoma State

5. Arkansas
12. Wofford

4. North Carolina
13. Harvard

6. Xavier
11. BYU/Ole Miss

3. Baylor
14. Georgia State

7. VCU
10. Ohio State

2. Arizona
15. Texas Southern

Chicago Sports & Travel, Inc./AllsportsAmerica Opinion: Everyone seems to have conceded the championship to the University of Kentucky. We don't concur and our answer to that is, "That's why we play the games. Anything is possible. Probable, that remains to be seen." Let the games begin and we wish you and your favorite team the best of luck. One more note, watch out for the upsets, there's always are a few!!! ~ The editorial staff at Chicago Sports & Travel, Inc./AllsportsAmerica.

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Are you ready to feel the "Thrill of Victory" or the "Agony of Defeat"? You can't win if you aren't in!!!!!

Chicago Sports & Travel, Inc./AllsportsAmerica

2015 Bracket Buster Office Pool

 

 

The 2015 NCAA March Madness Basketball Tournament is a week 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..... 
 

When you sign up to get in, bring a friend. "Competition does in fact breed excellence." 

Entry Information: To join, click below and follow the easy steps. 
 

Click on this link:

http://www.pooltracker.com/join.asp?poolid=105659  
 

-Enter this pool credential information.

The Pool ID is: 105659

The Pool Password is: 2015ncaabbop 
 

The PoolTracker Team

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and you will not be contacted by PoolTracker. 
 

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Pool Deadline: March 18, 2015
 
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DePaul head coach Oliver Purnell resigns after five seasons.

By Sam Cooper 

                            

Head coach Oliver Purnell of the DePaul Blue Demons looks on in the second half against the Creighton Bluejays during a first round game of the Big East basketball tournament at Madison Square Garden on March 11, 2015 in New York City. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)

Following a 12-20 season that included a first-round exit in the first round of the Big East tournament, DePaul head coach Oliver Purnell resigned Saturday. Purnell went 54-105 (15-75 Big East) in five seasons with the program.

"It is my best interest and my family's best interest to resign as head coach of the DePaul basketball program," Purnell said in a statement. "We made progress here and improved with the talent and character of our student-athletes. DePaul provided complete support and is fully committed to its basketball program with its budget, the on-campus facilities and in the future with the new events center. I would like to personally thank the University community, fans and student body for their support and thank the student-athletes for their efforts over the last five years."

Purnell took over a DePaul program in 2010 that had won only one Big East game in the two seasons prior to his arrival. Purnell did his best to bring some talent into the program, but his re-building efforts never materialized as the Blue Demons never won more than 12 games in a season under his watch.

The 61-year-old Purnell signed a seven-year deal in 2010, meaning he parted ways with the school with two years remaining on his contract.

"We would like to thank Oliver for his time at DePaul," said athletic director Jean Lenti Ponsetto. "He moved the program forward with the building of the roster and we wish him and his family well in the future. We are grateful to Coach Purnell for turning a corner in DePaul recruiting. We are clearly a stronger program because of his leadership. As we now turn to a search for a new coach, we do so gratefully for what he contributed these past five years."

Before his time at DePaul, Purnell was able to help build successful programs at Radford, Old Dominion, Dayton and Clemson. Despite six appearances, Purnell has never won an NCAA tournament game.

With Purnell out of the picture, DePaul has already begun its search for a new coach. Whoever the new coach is, he’ll have the benefit of selling DePaul’s new arena, which is scheduled to be completed for the start of the 2017-18 season. 

Solving the College Tuition Problem Is Easy.

By Jay Rosenstein

I have solved the college tuition problem, and it was easy.

Certainly you are aware of the problem.

The problem, of course, is that the cost of college tuition has skyrocketed. Students and their families are getting buried deeper and deeper in debt trying to pay for college. Public universities, once havens of affordable, quality college education, have been hit the hardest. Almost every state in America has cut, and/or is cutting funding for higher education. It's a problem that has quickly become a national crisis.

But I have solved it.

President Obama has an idea for a solution. He wants to give everyone two years of free community college tuition. It's a great solution, except for one small problem: he has no idea how to pay for it. Right now, it's a pipe dream.

But my solution doesn't have that problem. I know exactly how to pay for it. Not only that, it will cost us nothing.

That's right, nothing.

My solution does not require even one additional taxpayer dollar. It doesn't require state legislators to reallocate any of their funds, or raise taxes, or have to find any additional revenue. Not one additional state or federal dollar is necessary.

And there's more.

Universities will not have to make one single cut. Not even one employee will have to lose his or her job, not one program, major, or class will have to be eliminated. No furloughs. Not one salary will have to be lowered. Everything at the universities will be exactly as they are today.

Not. One. Single. Cut. And tuition will be lower.

How much lower? Well that depends on how much the school currently charges.

But let me give you an example. At my school, the University of Illinois at Urbana, base tuition could be lowered by 25 percent for all in-state juniors. Or, 25 percent lower for all in-state seniors.

 It can work pretty much the same at every other public university in the Big Ten conference too. Probably many other state schools as well. There are, of course, other ways the savings could be divided up; this is just one way.

Not bad, huh?

There is, however, one small catch. The catch is that this will only work at the colleges and universities that have Division I football programs. But that includes most of the schools with the greatest number of students, as well as most of the largest public universities in every state. That's a lot of students. 
 
And I admit it's not a perfect solution. A 25 percent tuition cut certainly isn't as good as a 50 percent tuition cut. And a one-year discount isn't as good as a four-year discount. 
 
So it's not perfect, but on the other hand, it doesn't cost a thing. And, as promised, it's easy. 
 
How easy?

As easy as four letters. E-S-P-N.

That's right, the sports television network.

ESPN can become both "The Worldwide Leader in Sports" and "The Worldwide Leader in Tuition Relief." 
 
Here's how.

Beginning this year, the NCAA will receive an unprecedented cash windfall thanks to the $7 billion ESPN is going to pay to broadcast the college football playoffs.

That's "B" as in billion.

And the best news is, teams don't have to make the playoffs to get the payoff. They don't even have to win any games. They don't have to do anything. They're just going to get the money. Every school with a Division I football team will share in the bounty.

How much? For the 14 schools in the Big Ten (that's not a typo; don't ask), the estimate is, beginning this year, the annual payment from the NCAA and the conference will nearly double, from about $28 million to $50 million. It may even go up from there.

That's an extra $22 million per year, free and clear, no strings attached, coming to all the Big Ten schools. The other members of the so-called "Power Five" conferences should be seeing a similar cash windfall.

That's cash that used to provide tuition relief for students and their families. But all the money doesn't have to go to that; the money could even be shared between the athletic departments and their universities. Tuition could be cut, and athletics could get a raise.

It's a brand-new paradigm for funding university education, and could transform the relationship between college and college athletics for the mutual benefit of both. 
 
For many years, athletics relied heavily on their schools to fund sports. But today, thanks primarily to television, sports have become massive revenue generators. At the same time, public universities have seen their funding plummet. It's time to flip the script; one hand helps the other. 
  
It's not an unprecedented concept. The University of Texas, the school with the most profitable college football program in the nation, has been contributing around $8 - $9 million of its football revenue to the university for the past several years.

But remember, this isn't about taking anything away from what the athletic departments already have. They can keep all their current revenue. No cuts. And for most state schools, that means being able to continue to pay their head football and basketball coaches the highest public employee salaries in their states. No one is starving there. 
 
I'm just talking about sharing only new money. Doesn't that seem fair?

Keep this in mind: colleges can exist without college sports, but college sports can't exist without the colleges.

So, lower tuition.

More money for sports.

No cost.

No cuts.

Everybody wins.

I told you it was easy.

Column: Just 2 men who beat people up for a living.

By TIM DAHLBERG (AP Sports Columnist)

Boxers Floyd Mayweather Jr., left, and Manny Pacquiao, of the Philippines, pose for photos after a news conference, Wednesday, March 11, 2015, in Los Angeles. The two are scheduled to fight in Las Vegas on May 2. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. were both exceptionally well dressed for their appearance together in Los Angeles, not terribly surprising given the number of cameras focused on them.

Exceptionally well behaved, too, which was also no surprise. No need for trash talk when the $1,500 seats in the upper reaches of the MGM Grand Garden will be snapped up the minute they go on sale and people at home won't think twice about spending $100 or so on the pay-per-view.

Just two men who beat people up for a living acting like perfect gentlemen. Not a new role for Pacquiao, but certainly one for Mayweather, who has made most of his millions by getting a lot of people to buy his fights just to see him lose.

He was once Pretty Boy Floyd, then became Money Mayweather. Now he's Floyd Mayweather the businessman, working hard to earn his $120 million payday.

''No different than WWE,'' Mayweather said. ''It's all about reinventing yourself. That's what we did. And it's worked so far.''

It has, in ways that seem unimaginable for any fighter, much less one who doesn't knock people out. Mayweather is perennially on top of the highest paid athlete list, and this year it will be no contest. He'll do it this time with a new persona that would make anyone in pro wrestling proud.

It was barely two years ago that Mayweather sat in a jail cell, serving a domestic battery sentence while wondering if he would ever fight again. Now no one mentions his checkered past because they're so eager to see him in the fight that will break all records.

He's still got more pricey cars than the average Bentley dealership, lives in the Big Boy Mansion on a golf course in Las Vegas, and has a team of bodyguards that tower over him wherever he goes. The entourage is still around, too, eager to please his every whim.

But the new Floyd Mayweather is all business. And right now business couldn't be better.

''Floyd Mayweather is a winner when it's all said and done,'' Mayweather said.  

Pacquiao is a winner, too, of course, and maybe a bigger one than Mayweather. He made it out of the depths of poverty in the Philippines to become a multimillionaire fighter and a congressman from the Sarangani province. He's a national hero at home, where everything stops anytime he steps into the ring.

Like Mayweather, Pacquiao has reinvented himself in recent years. He's trimmed his huge entourage, given up the late night partying and gambling, and turned to religion to guide his life.

Along the way he learned English as a second language and is comfortable enough with it that he spent the entire day Wednesday speaking confidently to hundreds of media, even managing to get in a slight - though very polite - dig at Mayweather.

''I'm not worried about this fight,'' Pacquiao said. ''I was more worried about my last few fights with (Oscar) De La Hoya, (Antonio) Margarito and (Miguel) Cotto than this.''

They have contrasting styles in the ring, and they are a stark contrast outside of it. It's what makes this fight so intriguing, almost irresistible.
 

The fight that doesn't need any promoting will still get some, of course. There was a frenzy in downtown Los Angeles this week, where some 700 media members were credentialed for what was billed as the only joint appearance of the two fighters before the week of the fight.
 

And there will surely be a steady trickle of news from the camps before the craziness of fight week finally arrives.

But it isn't business as usual, as evidenced the other day when trainer Freddie Roach threw comedian Dave Chappelle and his family out of Pacquiao's workout at his Hollywood gym. Roach and Chappelle are friends, but there were things to attend to, and they were getting in the way.

''I felt really bad,'' Roach said, ''but that was four bodies that didn't need to be there.''

Mayweather is also showing signs that this fight is different. The usual crowds at his Las Vegas gym, insiders say, are being thinned out by security. There's too much at stake here, for a fighter who has never lost in 19 years as a pro.

Yes, Mayweather has a new persona. He's still hanging with Justin Bieber, though you probably won't see him before this fight counting out big stacks of $100 bills, or bragging about the score he made betting on the NBA playoffs.

But he's got the same burning desire, magnified even more by what is at stake in the Fight of the (Young) Century.

Yes, Pacquiao has the weight of a country on his shoulders. But Mayweather has his entire legacy on the line.

''I've never wanted to win a fight as bad in my life,'' Mayweather said.

On This Date in Sports History: Today is Monday, March 16, 2015

Memoriesofhistory.com

1900 - Ban Johnson, after presiding over a meeting of baseball owners, announced that the new American League would begin play in April with teams in Buffalo, Chicago, Cleveland, Detroit, Indianapolis, Kansas City, Milwaukee, and Minneapolis.

1964 - Paul Hornung and Alex Karras were reinstated to the NFL after an 11-month suspension for betting on football games.

1991 - The U.S. won all three medals in the world figure skating championship. Kristi Yamaguchi won the championship, Tonya Harding finished second, and Nancy Kerrigan was third.

1996 - Mike Tyson won the World Boxing Council heavyweight championship with a technical knockout of Frank Bruno in the third round.

2000 - WRAL-TV Digital broadcast offered viewers the first opportunity to watch any one of the games played during the NCAA basketball tournament. WRAL broadcast four separate channels with each carrying a different game.

2002 - Brittanie Cecil was hit by a puck while watching a game between the Columbus Blue Jackets and the Calgary Flames at Nationwide Arena. The 13-year-old died two days later from a rare injury caused when her head snapped back.

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