CS&T/AllsportsAmerica Wednesday Sports News Update, 03/04/2015.

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Sports Quote of the Day:

"Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything." ~ George Bernard Shaw, Nobel Prize Winner, Playwright and Co-Founder of the London School of Economics

Trending: Baseball begins new era of clock management.

By Paul Sullivan

Baseball’s version of a shot clock was officially introduced Tuesday during the first exhibition games of the 2015 season.

A digital clock with giant red letters counts down from 2 minutes, 25 seconds after the final out of every half-inning. It’s part of baseball’s new pace of game rules to cut down on the downtime that prolongs games.

Pitchers didn’t seem to have any problem with the countdown clock at the Giants-A’s Cactus League opener at HoHoKam Stadium.

Giants pitcher Tim Lincecum said he didn’t notice it at first when he came into the game in relief.

“I didn’t need all my warm-ups to get warmed up for the beginning of the inning, I think my adrenalin was kind of going,” he said. “I looked at the clock and I was like, ‘Oh, I have 54 seconds left. Do I have to use the 54 seconds?’ I remember looking at (catcher Andrew) Susac and he was like ‘No, go ahead.’ No issues.”

Lincecum, who works quickly, said pitchers will get used to seeing it and it’ll be no big deal.

“It’ll be just another bunch of numbers out on the field out on a scoreboard somewhere,” he said.

Madison Bumgarner, who started the game, spent almost a minute grooming the mound until starting his warm-ups with 1:22 left on the clock. He gave up three runs on four hits in the first inning.

“I tried to pay attention to it because it’s going to be that way during the season,” Bumgarner said. “But really I didn’t have to worry about it because I get ready decently fast. Not a whole lot to worry about.”

Bumgarner, who pitched in relief to win Game 7 of the World Series last October, wound up pitching 1 2/3 innings.

“He could’ve relieved himself, I’m sure,” Lincecum said.

Umm, want to rephrase that?

“I’m saying he could’ve pitched, taken an inning off, gone down to the bullpen, warmed up again and then come out again,” Lincecum said, laughing. “Or just relieved himself.”

How 'bout them Chicago Blackhawks? Toews, Hawks welcome newcomers with thumping of Hurricanes 5-2.

By Tracey Myers

Jonathan Toews #19 of the Chicago Blackhawks celebrates after scoring against the Carolina Hurricanes during the NHL game on March 02, 2015 at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Bill Smith/NHLI via Getty Images)

The Blackhawks took to the United Center ice on Monday night with a revamped look, thanks to the acquisitions of Antoine Vermette and Kimmo Timonen.

But in the end, it was the Blackhawks’ familiar faces with the big plays.

Jonathan Toews scored twice and Corey Crawford stopped 27 of 29 shots as the Blackhawks beat the Carolina Hurricanes 5-2. The Blackhawks, who now have 81 points, are just four behind second-place St. Louis in the Central Division. They trail division-leading Nashville by eight points.

The Blackhawks added two of their three trade-deadline acquisitions to Monday’s lineup – Andrew Desjardins, who the Blackhawks got from San Jose in exchange for Ben Smith, is going to join the team at its next practice. Vermette and Timonen played just fine for their new-team debut. But for the Blackhawks, the usual culprits were doing the most damage.

Toews gave the Blackhawks a 1-0 lead in the first period then made it 2-0 early in the second period off his short-handed goal. Brandon Saad scored his career-high 20^th goal of the season. Marian Hossa and Marcus Kruger also scored. It wasn’t a total, complete 60-minute effort but it was pretty close. The Blackhawks had a 4-0 lead by the time Carolina scored its first goal.

“We took advantage of our chances and we got rewarded for it,” Toews said. “When you’re able to distance yourself in a game like that, you can play with confidence and play relaxed. We haven’t done that a whole lot lately but it feels good to play the right way in our own building and get a win like that.”

The Blackhawks got into penalty trouble early in the second period but their kill and Crawford kept the Hurricanes from doing damage.

“The big change in the game was that penalty kill we had in the second. It was nice to get that short-handed goal,” Duncan Keith said of Toews’ second of the evening. “We killed off the 5-on-3 as well It was a big part of the game.”

It had been a while since the Blackhawks got a good four-line rotation going in a game. It helped that there were only three penalties all night. It also helped that the Blackhawks found some chemistry in their lines, tinkered with Vermette’s addition and Smith’s departure.

“It was basically 56 minutes of 5-on-5 play. You get into more of a rotation with the way the lines are going to roll when you get that continuous 5-on-5 action,” coach Joel Quenneville said. “I didn’t mind the consistency of the lines. I was happy for the most part.”

Whether the Blackhawks made any trade-deadline pickups, they had to move on without Patrick Kane these next few months. But they’ve bolstered their lineup, bringing more balance among the forward lines and defensive pairs. On Monday, however, the faces we’ve seen for quite a while made the biggest offensive impact.

“We had a good day at practice. Coming in today, we all felt recharged,” Saad said. “We’re looking forward to keep playing that way; that’s the goal, especially after losing like we did in Tampa Bay. Consistency is something we’re working on.”

Hawks deal Ben Smith to Sharks, acquire Andrew Desjardins.

By Tracey Myers

Apparently the Blackhawks weren't completely done dealing after all.

The Blackhawks sent forward Ben Smith and a conditional seventh-round pick in the 2017 NHL Draft to the San Jose Sharks in exchange for center Andrew Desjardins.

Desjardins is in the final year of his current contract, which carries a $750,000 cap hit. Smith has another year left on his deal he signed this past summer ($1.75 cap hit). The move gives the Blackhawks some cap flexibility; the Sharks retain half of Desjardins’ salary in the deal.

Desjardins said he found out about the deal not long after arriving for Sharks practice this morning.

“I can’t say I was expecting it,” Desjardins said via a conference call on Monday afternoon. “I think you never know until that deadline happens. But whether you are expecting it or not, it’s a surprise when you finally hear the news.”

Smith is likely to play for the Sharks tonight when they host the Montreal Canadiens. Smith wasn't having the best of seasons with the Blackhawks. In his last 28 games, he had just one point (an assist). He was also a healthy scratch twice recently.

“I want to thank Ben for everything he did for the Blackhawks. He’s a tremendous guy. He worked his way up through Rockford and he’s had some great moments as a Blackhawk. We wish him well,” general manager Stan Bowman said. “For us, there’s the business side of the game. We’re looking at some salary-cap room. That made us look around and maybe do something now to alleviate that going forward.”

The Blackhawks get another center in the 6-foot-1, 200-pound Desjardins, who will arrive in Chicago for the team’s next practice. It also gives the team some grit heading into the stretch run/postseason.

“He’s a feisty player, he’s an in-your-face kind of guy, a competitive player,” Bowman said. “It’s a combination of the business side as well as acquiring a guy who’s a little bigger and brings a different style to the game, something we like leading into crunch time here. He’s a very competitive kid and he’s very excited to come in here and play a role. Hopefully it’ll work out for both.”

Desjardins said he hopes to bring his style to the team.

“I’m just looking to bring a hard, intense, gritty game,” he said. “I’ll just stick to how I play and how I do things on the ice, and that’s to be a hard guy and bring a little grittiness. That’s what I’ll try to do.”

Just Another Chicago Bulls Session… Recharged Bulls defeat Wizards, regaining some swagger 97-92.
 

By Vincent Goodwill

 
If it walks like a rivalry, barks like a rivalry and hits like one, it has to be officially called a rivalry.

So slap the label on it, like Wizards big man Nene did when he gave a karate chop to Joakim Noah on his drive down the lane — where he made no play on the ball and only to Noah’s skin — and call it what it is. 

The Bulls and Washington Wizards do not like each other, and it’s become increasingly apparent these two teams could match up in the first round of the playoffs.

The Bulls played with fervor and some quiet swagger as the shorthanded team delivered a shot across the bow with a 97-92 win Tuesday at a rocking United Center.

After the soap opera, there was drama, as Wizards guard Bradley Beal bricked a triple with 55 seconds left that could’ve brought the Wizards all the way back from a 10-point deficit. A couple possessions later, Pau Gasol grabbed an offensive rebound with 8.5 seconds left, getting fouled in the process.

The Wizards sure could’ve used a 6-foot-10 big man on the glass there, but Nene was unavailable at that point.

Nene failed to follow the first rule of trash talk when addressing a heated opponent: Back up your talk with some production.

The only production Nene contributed was in the right-hand side of the box score, a few columns away from “points," with six fouls, and the player who was hot happened to be wearing white.

Nikola Mirotic was cooking the way Nene’s barking and previous production against the Bulls dictated he should. His shooting gave the Wizards big men trouble as they didn’t know whether to close out hard to prevent his jumper or give him space to take away the drive.

The rookie did both.

Mirotic started off the fourth like he did Sunday — with no conscience. First, Noah sprang him free for a wing triple on a set play. Then, running a pick and roll with Noah, he drove by the Wizards defense for a lefty layup.

It was a quick spurt of his 23-point, eight-rebound performance, one game after his eye-opening 29-point showing against the Clippers. Gasol again did his work effectively in 32 minutes, scoring 20 with 10 rebounds.  Aaron Brooks pulled off his best performance in ages, with 22 points in eight assists, even if one has to excuses his 8-for-23 shooting night.

But Brooks at least made Wizards dynamo John Wall work, as containing his speed was public enemy No. 2 behind keeping Nene from dominating like he usually does. Wall’s trademark speed hurt the Bulls, as he scored 21 points and dished out 11 assists, but the Wizards never found a true rhythm, shooting just 42 percent from the field.

A late first-half spurt started by two Brooks layups and a triple buoyed the Bulls to a seven-point halftime lead, as they seemed to produce timely scoring with over 50 percent of their production in suits.

Both teams came into the game desperate for some positive reinforcement but for different reasons.

The Bulls found a reason to get emotionally recharged after a tough week — it just took a big-talking rival to wake them up.

Bulls' Butler out 3 to 6 weeks.

 

By ANDREW SELIGMAN (AP Sports Writer)

 

The banged up Chicago Bulls will have to get by without another key player, with All-Star guard Jimmy Butler joining former MVP Derrick Rose on the sideline.

The Bulls announced Monday that Butler will miss three to six weeks because of a sprained ligament in his left elbow, the latest blow for a team that has rarely been at full strength this season.

''I guess when it rains, it pours,'' veteran Kirk Hinrich said. ''We can't sit around and feel sorry for ourselves. Nobody else is going to. We've got to find a way.''

Butler, the league leader in minutes per game and the team's top scorer, had an MRI on Monday. He missed most of the second half of Sunday's loss to the Los Angeles Clippers after he ran into a pick by DeAndre Jordan, another hit for a team that has taken plenty.

Chicago (37-23) leads Cleveland by a half game in the Central division and trails Toronto for second in the Eastern Conference by the same margin. But with so many key players banged up, the next few weeks could be difficult for the Bulls.

The Bulls have dropped two of three since the announcement last week that Rose would have knee surgery, and the next seven days could be particularly tough. They host Washington and Oklahoma City on Tuesday and Thursday and visit Indiana and San Antonio on Friday and Sunday before playing Memphis at home on March 9.

''It's not just (Butler's) scoring,'' coach Tom Thibodeau said. ''Obviously, he's grown every year. He's a primary scorer. He's a great two-way player. He's a great defender, and we have some other guys that are coming on. As has been the case in the past, whenever somebody gets hurt, it's an opportunity for someone else to grow and have the opportunity to play.''  

Tony Snell figures to start in Butler's place. He has four straight double-digit scoring games and is averaging 13.5 points over his past 10 games.  

The injury to Butler comes on the heels of Rose having surgery Friday to repair a medial meniscus tear in his right knee. He is expected to miss four to six weeks.  

Surgery is not expected for Butler. But depending on how quickly he and Rose heal, the Bulls could be without their starting backcourt until around the start of the playoffs.
 

They are also missing sixth man Taj Gibson, who has a sprained left ankle. All-Star Pau Gasol played through an illness on Sunday and hit just 2 of 13 shots against the Clippers.
 

''It's our reality,'' Thibodeau said. ''We got more than enough to get it done.''

Bear Down Chicago Bears!!!! Report: Former Bears coaches don't think team can win with Jay Cutler.  

By Ryan Wilson

Jay Cutler remains a lightning rod in Chicago. (Getty Images)

You could argue that Jay Cutler cost Marc Trestman his job. Trestman, known for his ability to develop quarterbacks, was brought to Chicago to get the most out of Cutler's prodigious talents.

Didn't happen.

Instead, after seasons of 8-8 and 5-11, Trestman was fired. During that time, Cutler started 26 games, completed 64 percent of his passes, threw 47 touchdowns against 30 interceptions, fumbled 17 times (losing nine) and was sacked 57 times.

Not terrible, but not good either. Which is what you expect from the guy who signed a seven-year, $126 contract extension in Jan. 2014.

Cutler is now new coach John Fox's problem, but according to an ESPN.com report, at least 10 former staffers -- under Trestman and Lovie Smith before him -- said recently that they don't think Cutler is capable of making the Bears a consistent championship-caliber team.

This isn't exactly an earth-shattering development. Cutler has been dogged by questions about his abilities as a franchise quarterback pretty much since he arrived in Chicago in 2009. It's why some in the media (and reportedly, the Bears' locker room) thought Josh McCown should remain the starter late in the 2013 season. It's also why Trestmen benched Cutler for Jimmy Clausen late last year.

Even the perpetually positive former NFL coach Jon Gruden, who now makes his living on Monday Night Football, thinks the Bears have seen enough of Cutler as the starter.

“I think John Fox is going to look at the body of work," Gruden said last week on Mike & Mike. "They're going to see that he didn't get it done really with Lovie Smith or Marc Trestman, and now I'm the next head coach. I think you need to give some other people an opportunity to play. I think some of these quarterbacks get too many chances. There are good enough players out there that deserve a chance to be the quarterback of the Chicago Bears. ...

“I know he has talent,” Gruden continued. “But I don't think he warrants that salary for sure. I think Chicago needs to look at getting a different leader under center.”

Meanwhile, the Bears are in no hurry to commit to Cutler.

“We're going to take our time on this,” new general manager Ryan Pace said recently. “We really have until mid-March. We're going to maximize that time and make thorough decisions through this whole process.”

Fox added: “I don't think there's any question that there's ability and talent there. [But] there's a lot more that goes into it, and we're evaluating that as we speak.”

It's why the Bears met with Josh McCown during the combine (McCown eventually signed with the Browns), and it's why neither Pace nor Fox has anointed Cutler the starter in 2015.

Bears have few pressing decisions to make on their own free agents.

 

By John Mullin

 

The Bears have 18 players who are slated to become unrestricted free agents on March 10. Which of them are on the to-do list for the new Bears coaching staff and general manager Ryan Pace will begin to play out over the next couple of weeks.

Notably perhaps, only one regular starter — defensive tackle Stephen Paea — is among the free agents.

The Bears have typically been successful at retaining those of their own that fit. But a new staff and new schemes change some base assumptions.

CSNChicago.com takes a brief look at the pending roster of possible returnees:

Defensive line

Stephen Paea: Could be an excellent 5-technique fit in defensive coordinator Vic Fangio's 3-4. But six sacks as a 4-3 nose tackle will make a market, although Paea has just one 16-game season in four years with the Bears.

Trevor Scott:  Spot edge rusher but not a linebacker, and Bears already have plenty of “hybrids” to find places for.

Linebacker

Lance Briggs: Not a priority at age 34, will have an opening with Lovie Smith in Tampa. Wants to retire a Bear but ended last two seasons on IR. Has never played 3-4 but has played both SLB and WLB.

Darryl Sharpton: Spot contributor last season wound up on IR after playing five games; depth and special teams but injury history concerning.

D.J. Williams: Veteran (32) has played every LB position but also hasn’t played 16 games since 2010. Worth a one-year look.

Secondary

Chris Conte: Injury history, new directions make return unlikely.

Danny McCray: Special-teamer had starting free safety job but not a front-liner.

Sherrick McManis: One of the best on special teams players in the NFL, good depth but not established as starter-grade. Bears signed him early in free agency last year.

Charles Tillman: Chose Bears’ better offer over Tampa’s last offseason but once-durable veteran now a health risk. Incentive deal possible but new staff likely to be turning the page.

Offensive line

Eben Britton: One of last year’s most versatile, hasn’t won starting job but fills three roles.

Brian de la Puente: Backup guard/center was in New Orleans with Pace. A solid hedge at three interior positions.

Jeremy Cain: Long snappers who hit their marks are rarely out of work.

Quarterback

Jimmy Clausen: Played for John Fox in Carolina (briefly). Bears want a veteran backup to Jay Cutler.

Wide receiver/Tight end/Fullback 

Josh Morgan: Reserve caught 10 passes in 2014 and has some quality seasons on his resume.

Dante Rosario: Type of tight end in Adam Gase’s offense.

Montell Owens: Marc Trestman's offense didn’t make much use of the fullback. Gase used two tight ends more than fullback with Broncos.

NFL to discuss adding independent medical timeouts during games.

By Eric Adelson

Pats wideout Julian Edelman took a big hit on this catch. (USA TODAY Sports)

At this month's owners meetings, the NFL's competition committee is considering adding a "medical timeout" to evaluate players who appear concussed or injured on the field while play continues.

"After reviewing video of over 40,000 plays, we identified a handful of occasions where players who may have been injured remained on the field, largely because they were in the midst of two-minute offenses or the no-huddle," league executive vice president of operations Troy Vincent wrote in an email to Yahoo Sports.

Back in Week 2 of the 2014 season, Tampa Bay Buccaneers receiver Mike Evans was shaken up after a last-minute catch during what could have been a game-winning drive against the St. Louis Rams. Because Tampa Bay did not have any timeouts, the 10-second runoff rule was enforced and the Bucs had no time left. It's not clear if a medical timeout would have changed the outcome in that case, but it seemed at the time that Tampa Bay was hurt because a player was hurt.

There have been other examples where a medical timeout may have been applicable outside of a two-minute situation. In the Super Bowl last month, New England Patriots receiver Julian Edelman appeared to be dazed after taking a major hit from Seattle Seahawks safety Kam Chancellor in the fourth quarter of New England's title-clinching win. Edelman stayed in the game – which didn't go unnoticed by social media – and scored a touchdown.

When asked two weeks later by The New York Times if he had a brain injury, Edelman said, "Due to our team policy, I can't discuss that."

This is a large part of the problem the NFL and all contact sports face: secrecy and obfuscation. During the last stages of a game, no player wants to come out for any reason. And it's not always in the incentive of a coaching staff to remove a star player (or any starter) if he's contributing.

So the NFL is exploring the idea of "expanding the authority of the independent neurologist to activate a medical timeout if warranted," according to Vincent.

"If you have a system in place where you have somebody up in the press box whose job it is to screen for potential injury and they have the ability to buzz down to the team's medical staff, giving them the authority to stop the game is a good idea," said sports neurologist Jeffrey Kutcher at the University of Michigan. "Something needs to be done and a player needs to be evaluated."

The ensuing steps are much more difficult. Specifically: how long does it take to evaluate a player for a brain injury?

During the playoffs, Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger took a vicious sack and remained on the ground for an extended time during the fourth quarter. He was directed off the field by a referee, but returned three plays later. He later described the situation as "whiplash" rather than a concussion. Edelman was cleared by the Patriots' staff, according the Associated Press, but there too it's hard to imagine how he could have been evaluated thoroughly as the game went on.

The most widely accepted evaluation tool for in-game head injuries is the "SCAT3" – Sport Concussion Assessment Tool. There's a short checklist which would take roughly a minute or two to finish, including questions like "Disorientation or confusion?" and "Blank or vacant look?" But if those obvious symptoms are not present, the SCAT has a more intricate questionnaire that would take seven to 10 minutes for a trained neurologist to complete. The SCAT calls for this part to be done "in a resting state," which is fairly difficult on the sideline of a football game.

Then there are the situations when a player presents no symptoms of a concussion during a game, but then shows one or several troubling signs after hours or even days. When asked how long it takes to diagnose a concussion, Kutcher said, "Anywhere from five seconds to 48 hours."

This part of brain injury evaluation poses issues that may never be completely solved. And Vincent admits the "practical application" of how a medical timeout would work still needs to be thoroughly discussed not only among owners but also with the players' union.

Cubs: Joe Maddon vs. Wrigley Field day games.

By Patrick Mooney

Joe Maddon can ride his bike to work along Lake Shore Drive. He will love being in front of all those TV cameras. He promised fans he would walk into The Cubby Bear after a win and buy everyone a round of drinks. He might even have a pretty good team this year.

The Cubs and Maddon are in the honeymoon phase of a marriage that looks perfect on paper – except for the whole day-games thing at Wrigley Field.

“I’m a horrible morning person,” Maddon said. “Thank God we don’t play at 10 o’clock in the morning.”

Maddon will get used to it, because the Cubs handed him a five-year, $25 million contract and Chicago gives the celebrity manager a huge platform for his charitable causes and off-the-field interests.

“I have to rearrange my mind,” Maddon said. “I have ideas (about the day-game phenomenon). But I got to see it and I got to feel it, man. I got to see their eyes. I got to see what they look like when they walk in the ballpark.”

Maddon’s first Wrigley Field experience felt like stepping into “Gladiator.” Looking out at the blue sky and the big crowd with the Tampa Bay Rays last summer, it reminded him of the computer-generated imagery in a blockbuster movie.

“The caveat would be: When you’re playing at Wrigley Field, you’re going to see – regardless of the game time – it’s going to be like 35-, 40,000 people, right?” Maddon said. “There’s an absolute energy about that I think you definitely would draw from.”

Of course, the atmosphere will be different if the left-field bleachers don’t open until the middle of May. The right-field bleachers won’t be ready before June. On Tuesday, Mayor Rahm Emanuel rejected the idea of turning Wrigley Field into a 24/7 construction zone to make up for lost time during a brutally cold winter.

As it warms up, the Cubs should have more high-end talent, a deeper bench and a flexible roster. Only two teams in Major League Baseball will fly fewer miles (20,953) this season, according to the website Baseball Savant.

The franchise’s top young players are generally regarded as well-adjusted and serious about their craft, but we’ll have to see how they deal with all the, um, distractions in Wrigleyville, Lincoln Park and River North.

It’s not just the number of day games. It’s also how your body adjusts to the staggered start times. A weekend series against the Kansas City Royals at the end of May is scheduled for 3:05 p.m., 6:15 p.m. and 1:20 p.m..

“I’m going to have to figure out ways for me personally just to wake up mentally earlier on in the day,” Maddon said. “I’ve never been that morning dude. I’m not going to deny it, but I’m pretty good later in the day.”

If nothing else, Maddon is an Idea Guy. His latest inspiration comes from seeing the detail work done on his “Cousin Eddie” RV, the silhouette logos of the classic character from “National Lampoon’s Vacation” movies. Check out his personal Twitter account (@CubsJoeMadd) for updates.

“I’m putting this out there for all RV lots,” Maddon said. “Why would you not provide the ability to have an emblem put on your vehicle, not unlike a boat? There’s another business out there, man. ‘Name Your RV.’”

Not Morning Joe should be alert by the seventh inning.

“Hopefully,” Maddon said. “When we get to the bullpen, we should be OK.”

Golf: I got a club for that; Padraig Harrington wins Honda for first PGA Tour win since 2008.

By Ryan Ballengee

Padraig Harrington of Ireland poses with the trophy after winning The Honda Classic on March 2, 2015 in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida (AFP Photo/David Cannon)

Irish eyes are smiling in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. Padraig Harrington is a winner again on the PGA Tour.

Harrington, who was playing this week on a sponsor's invitation, defeated Daniel Berger on the second hole of a sudden-death playoff to win his first PGA Tour title since the 2008 PGA Championship.

The three-time major winner was tied with Patrick Reed for control of the golf tournament on the 17th tee in regulation after Ian Poulter had put five balls in water hazards in the final round. On the par-4 14th, Poulter's tee shot went right into a water hazard. Then, after a drop, his third shot caromed off a tree into the same hazard. He eventually made triple-bogey 7 to lose the lead.  

On the 15th hole, Reed's tee shot landed in the water at the par 3 and led to a double bogey.

Alone in the lead on the tee at the par-3 penultimate hole, Harrington's attempted cut shot to the water-guarded end of The Bear Trap landed in the water hazard, leading to a double bogey that cost him the lead to the 21-year-old Berger, who was already in the clubhouse at 6-under 274.

Harrington needed birdie to force a playoff, but wasn't the only player in the final group that could catch Berger, who shot 6-under 64 to come back from nine shots down to start the final round. Poulter made birdie at No. 17, needing an eagle at the par-5 last to get in a potential playoff. Reed was locked out because of a bogey. 

Poulter laid up with his second shot from 290 yards and was unable to sink the wedge shot for an eagle 3, leaving Harrington the only man in between Berger and a Masters berth. The Irishman sank a 15-footer for birdie to force the playoff.

Both players made par on the first playoff hole, replaying the 18th. Harrington took a long time on the tee of the par-3 17th, the second playoff hole, but his second crack at the hole was masterful. His ball landed 3 feet from the hole. With the pressure on, Berger put his tee shot in the water hazard. It took two putts, but Harrrington sealed his win with a par.

Apparently it pays to be No. 297 in the Official World Golf Ranking. A week ago, James Hahn was 297th when he won the Northern Trust Open in a playoff. This week? Harrington was slotted in the same place in golf's pecking order. 

Now Harrington is back in the Masters and in the top 85 in the world ranking.

Greg Norman: 'Certain players...would rather be a sheep'.

By Ryan Ballengee

Greg Norman thinks some modern PGA Tour pros are a little too happy to get fat on top-20 finishes instead of chasing down wins.

“Certain players are happy just going through the motions," Norman said to the Wall St. Journal. "They don’t want to be the leader, they would rather be a sheep. They enjoy grazing the field and getting fat and sassy."

Perhaps Norman, who turned 60 in February, has a point -- or just a different frame of reference. A total of 96 PGA Tour players earned over $1 million during the 2013-14 season. In 1996, the year Norman led a six-shot lead slip away in the final round of the Masters, just nine players made seven figures. 

However, the Aussie also believes many players have the hunger to live in golf's spotlight, including Jason Day, who said in January that he'd like to get to No. 1 in the Official World Golf Ranking.

“To say he wants to be the best in the world, that’s a big statement to make to yourself, let alone publicly. So he is willing to put it out there," Norman said of his fellow Aussie.

Norman also lauded another fellow countryman, Adam Scott, who makes his 2015 debut this week at the WGC-Cadillac Championship after becoming a father two weeks ago. The Shark thinks the 2013 Masters winner could be due for even bigger things now that he's a dad.

“His life is solidified," Norman said. "He has everything except more tournaments. So let’s go win some more tournaments.”

Power Rankings: We can't drop Logano after a top five.

By Nick Bromberg

1. Joey Logano (LW: 1): There's no way to drop Joey after finishing fourth. Yeah, three of his closest pursuers in Power Rankings all finished ahead of him, but after he got the pole and ran in the top five for most of the day, there's no point in dropping him from the top spot. Before the race, Logano also said he was going to donate all his winnings from it to the Folds of Honor, the program sponsoring the Atlanta race.

2. (Tie). Kevin Harvick (LW: 2): This is a cop out here. Similar to Logano, we can't bump a guy down from second in Power Rankings after his average finish through two races is ... second. So Harvick stays here, even if it's by virtue of a tie. He might have had something for Jimmie Johnson at the end of the race, but he didn't start close enough to the No. 48 to make it a race at the end.

2. (Tie). Jimmie Johnson (LW: 3): A symbolic bump! Johnson and Chad Knaus are back! But how can they be back if they never left? This was Johnson's 71st win in the Cup Series, which puts him five behind Dale Earnhardt. What if he won five or six more races this season and the final race was at Homestead, to not only tie or pass Earnhardt but to win his seventh Cup title? That'd be infuriating for the Johnson haters and a pretty cool moment.

4. Dale Earnhardt Jr. (LW: 5): Junior had a massive hole in the front end of his car thanks to a puncture from debris near the end of the race. The hole affected his car's downforce and it ruined every chance that Junior had of making a run at Johnson. He had a shot immediately off the restart, but had he passed Johnson, he probably wouldn't have been able to hold on to the lead for long anyway.

5. Martin Truex Jr. (LW: 8): MTJ to the top five. His opposite-from-2014 start continued at Atlanta where he was a top-10 car for most of the day and finished sixth. The absence of the Busch brothers for an extended period of time opens up two (presumed) Chase positions and don't be surprised if Truex ends up being a Chase driver. And also, don't be surprised if he is higher in the points standings than the three RCR cars. We're not leaping off the jump to conclusions mat here (we wondered if this was possible at the beginning of the season), just telling you to beware.

6. Casey Mears (LW: 7): Here's where it starts to get messy. If you watched the entire race at Atlanta, your only memory of Casey Mears may be the time he smashed the wall off turn four in front of the leaders. However, he did so pretty cleanly (well, as clean as one can hit the wall) and you'll notice that his car kept up with Johnson and Harvick fairly well in the immediate aftermath. Well, he finished 15th.

7. Kasey Kahne (LW: 9): Kahne was 15th at Atlanta. On Friday, he was asked, per the transcript "can you talk about the race in the fall?" Unfortunately, Kahne didn't go into descriptive detail of the day, or merely say "I won." While he did not finish in first place on Sunday, he was once again the third-highest-finishing Hendrick driver, ahead of Jeff Gordon. 5/24 shop bragging rights aren't moving across the hall.

8. Clint Bowyer (LW: 4): Can't fault Bowyer too much for getting caught up in the crash on lap 306. He had absolutely nowhere to go after Greg Biffle and Joe Nemechek made contact ahead of him and kablooie, the crash got bigger. It's probably also fair to wonder why Biffle and Nemechek were racing like they did; both were laps down. And for Biffle, it took him out of Power Rankings this week. He needs to be thinking of these things while he's in the car.

9. Denny Hamlin (LW: 6): Hamlin simply lost control of his car while racing near the front of the field and collected Ryan Newman, Jamie McMurray and Jeff Gordon. And while Gordon's impact against a non-SAFER wall is the focal point of the crash, let's not forget that McMurray and Hamlin hit non-SAFER walls too. Sorry if you don't like the beat of this drum, but it's going to continue to play until there are commitments from NASCAR and every track to do everything possible to outfit all (realistic) walls with SAFER barriers.

10. Matt Kenseth (LW: NR): Slick move by Kenseth and Jason Ratcliff to stay out on the final restart. Their reasoning was simple. They figured that by staying out they'd lose more spots than they'd gain by pitting and attacking on fresh tires. While we don't know how the latter option would have played out, they were likely right. Kenseth fell from the lead to fifth, and countered his forgettable Daytona 500.

11. AJ Allmendinger (LW: NR): Allmendinger finished seventh at Atlanta, a huge run if it's a sign for the rest of the season. JTG-Daugherty wasn't exactly exceptional on intermediate tracks in 2014 and to be anywhere close to a credible Chase threat, Allmendinger and team can't simply be a road-course-trick pony. While we're not as bullish on the No. 47 as we are with another team with an RCR alliance, Allmendinger could be a sleeper.

12. Brett Moffitt (LW: NR): This will likely be Moffitt's only turn in Power Rankings, so we'll give him his due now. In his one-race replacement duty for Brian Vickers, Moffitt took a car that was damaged in an early incident and drove it to an eighth-place finish. Hell, it was a performance so good that MWR co-owner Rob Kauffman issued a statement praising Moffitt and said the team would love to have him drive a third car if the opportunity ever arose.

Lucky Dog: Danica Patrick would make the Chase if it started this week, y'all. No word if NASCAR will institute a 34-race Chase to make this a reality, however.

The DNF: Per Lastcar, Landon Cassill is the first driver since 1949 to finish last in the first two races of the season.

Dropped out: Greg Biffle, David Gilliland, Sam Hornish Jr.

Report: NASCAR asking for $1 billion over 10 years for Cup sponsorship.

By Nick Bromberg

NASCAR is reportedly asking the next title sponsor of the Sprint Cup Series to pay significantly more than Nextel did when it took over for Winston.

Sprint, which assumed the role of Cup Series title sponsor after the Sprint-Nextel merger, announced in December it was discontinuing its sponsorship of NASCAR's top level after the conclusion of its current contract in 2016. According to the Sports Business Journal, NASCAR is asking the next title sponsor of the Cup Series to commit approximately $1 billion over 10 years in naming rights and activation.

From SBJ:

The sanctioning body has hit the market for Sprint’s replacement with a price tag of $45 million to $50 million annually in rights fees and the same in activation over a decade, according to sources. Sprint confirmed in December that it would end its 13-year sponsorship of NASCAR’s top series after the 2016 season. 

NASCAR declined to comment for this story.

The asking price represents a 33 percent increase from the original deal, which was signed in 2004 with Nextel for a reported $750 million over 10 years before Sprint and Nextel merged. Amid struggling TV ratings and attendance for NASCAR at the time, Sprint negotiated that down to approximately $50 million annually when it signed a three-year extension in 2011, according to sources.

Yes, you read that correctly. Not only is the asking price $25 million more than the reported annual figure in 2004, it's double what the SBJ reports Sprint is paying per year in its three-year contract extension.

Of course, we all know how negotiations work, especially in these types of scenarios. What NASCAR is asking for won't likely be the figure that's officially agreed to. It's like buying a house, unless there are extenuating circumstances, you're going to negotiate with the seller and not immediately meet the asking price. And it's fair to say that NASCAR is entering the sponsorship search in a buyer's market.

When Nextel took over, the final race of the 2003 season, per Jayski, drew 7,326,000 viewers on television. Remember, that was the final non-Chase season and Matt Kenseth clinched the title the week before at Rockingham. Last year, the race on ESPN drew 5,223,000 viewers, a slight increase from 2013.

And as with most sports financial figures, the reported increase that NASCAR is seeking is higher than the rate of inflation over the past 11 years. Per this inflation calculator, there's been a 23.7 percent increase in inflation since Nextel took over.

Update on MLS labor strike: Players Union, league at impasse as situation looks dire.

By Joe Prince-Wright

On Friday the 2015 Major League Soccer season is set to kick off.

However the Major League Soccer’s Players Union (MLSPU) and MLS are still locked in talks, with little progress being made, as the negotiations regarding a new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) is going down to the wire.

An update arrived on Tuesday, as a source has confirmed to ProSoccerTalk that the MLSPU and league officials are still locked in discussions and are failing to make progress on key issues as the 2015 season kicks off in just over 72 hours time.

Later on Tuesday more information arrived, as MLS owners present at the latest set of meetings aren’t willing to budge on the issues regarding free agency as they suggest that only players who are 32 years old and have given the same club 10 years of service would be able to choose where they could be traded to. MLS players want much more than that, as the situation seems to be careering towards a work stoppage and the 2015 MLS season in serious doubt.

With reigning champions LA Galaxy hosting the Chicago Fire in the season opener on Friday at 10 p.m. ET at StubHub Center, Chicago has yet to fly to California and are said to be delaying their travel plans until the latest meetings are over.

Plenty of other teams are set to embark for away games on Thursday, but teams will not travel if a new CBA deal isn’t arranged before then. Reports suggest that Wednesday evening is the hard deadline for knowing whether or not this dispute will be solved and a strike averted for the start of the 2015 season. Another report also claims that mediator Scot Beckenbaugh, who was appointed by both sides to try and end the dispute, has only just started to mediate as the clock continue to tick.

Tuesday was the last of three days of scheduled meetings in Washington as several players, league officials and, for the first time during these talks, club owners, have all met to try and agree on a deal which will save MLS from having its first-ever work stoppage in the league’s 20-year history.

It is believed that the afternoon session on Tuesday is crucial to deciding which way the talks will veer, as players are understood to have given up some demands on key issues and are now waiting for the league to follow suit.

2015 MLS season preview: Chicago Fire.

By Kyle Lynch

-Finished 9th in the Eastern Conference last season (W6, L10, D18, 36 pts)

-Signed three international Designated Players this offseason

-Biggest rival: New England Revolution

Key Player: David Accam

The 24-year-old Ghanaian international is entering his first season in MLS and will be looking to score goals and score goals often. After a successful stint at Swedish-side Helsingborgs IF, Accam was linked with moves to clubs such as CSKA Moskow and Stuttgart, but chose to take a Designated Player contract with Chicago. A member of Ghana’s national team that recently went to the Africa Cup of Nations final, Accam has played with some of the top players in the world and has big-game experience.

Other names to watch: Kennedy Igboanaike, Shaun Maloney, Mike Magee

With some key offseason additions, Chicago is hoping to challenge for a playoff berth in 2015.

Manager: Frank Yallop

Still a young 50-years-old, Frank Yallop is getting ready for his 12th season as a head coach in MLS. Yallop led San Jose to two MLS Cup titles in 2001 and 2003 before leaving for a brief stint as manager of the Canadian national team. Yallop returned to MLS to coach Los Angeles and San Jose before being named head coach of Chicago in 2013. The Fire have failed to make the playoffs in the last two seasons, and have only seen the postseason once over the past five years. Also the club’s director of soccer, Yallop has made some big signings in the offseason to help bolster his squad offensively.

David Accam is one of three international Designated Players signed by Chicago this offseason.

Outlook for 2015

Chicago led the league with 18 draws last season, something Frank Yallop will be keen to improve on in 2015. With the Designated Player signings of David Accam and Kennedy Igboanaike, two strikers from Sweden’s top flight, and Shaun Maloney, a Scottish international who has played for top clubs such as Celtic and Aston Villa, it is clear Chicago is looking to cause some problems in the East. If these new additions can find the back of the net, some of those draws will turn to wins, and Chicago could challenge for a playoff spot. 

Kentucky No. 1, change hits rest of AP Top 25.

By The Associated Press

Kentucky remains the unanimous No. 1 during a tumultuous week in The Associated Press Top 25.
 

The Wildcats (29-0) received all 65 first-place votes from a media panel on Monday.

Virginia remained at No. 2, but the next three spots changed after Gonzaga and Wisconsin lost.

Duke moved up one to No. 3, Villanova climbed two spots to No. 4 and Arizona was up two to No. 5. 

Wisconsin dropped at spot to No. 6 and Gonzaga fell four places to No. 7. 

Wichita State moved back into the top 10 at No. 8 and Kansas dropped to No. 9 after losing to Kansas State. 

Maryland moved into the top 10 for the first time since 2003 and No. 25 Murray State is ranked for the first time since 2012.
  

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

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

New NCAA legislation on academic misconduct in works.

By RALPH D. RUSSO (AP College Sports Writer)

North Carolina takes the field against James Madison in an NCAA college football game in Chapel Hill, N.C. The NCAA infractions committee has hit North Carolina's football program with a one-year postseason ban, a reduction of 15 scholarships and three years of probation following an investigation into improper benefits and academic misconduct. In a ruling Monday, March 12, 2012, the committee said the school was responsible for multiple violations, including academic fraud and a failure to monitor its football program. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome, File)

A group of 20 university presidents and college athletics administrators is crafting a proposal to better define when the NCAA should investigate cases of academic cheating by student athletes.

Ohio University President Rod McDavis, the chairman of the NCAA's Committee of Academics, says the group plans to have a proposal ready by the end of June.
 

NCAA head of enforcement Jon Duncan said in January academic misconduct is on the rise and his department was handling 20 open academic-misconduct investigations. 

McDavis said in a recent interview with The Associated Press the committee has already agreed that any time a coach or paid member of the school's athletic staff is involved in an academic misconduct case the NCAA should be involved. 

The committee's greatest challenge is balancing institutional autonomy with the need for NCAA involvement and determining who should punish cheaters, McDavis said.
 

The academic misconduct case at North Carolina was a prime example of the delicate balancing act. After a joint review with the school, the NCAA stayed out of UNC's affairs when it was first determined that a large number of athletes took no-show classes. But the scandal grew and the NCAA later reopened its investigation into academic misconduct last summer because it said new information was available. An independent investigation later revealed details of the scandal, including athletics counselors steering players to the classes where they received artificially high grades.
 

McDavis described schools as the first line of defense against academic misconduct. He said the committee has also agreed universities and colleges are responsible ''to have and adhere to written academic misconduct policy.''
 

The committee can expect some pushback from campus leaders who believe academic matters fall strictly under institutional control.
 

''On the surface it seems like it should change, however, what we all hear from campuses is that the courses offered, curriculum, majors, rigor, etc. are an institutional or campus department matter,'' said Kim Durand, associate athletic director for student development at the University of Washington. ''Institutional autonomy should reign.''
 

Durand said one of the committee's goals is to close what she called the gap between guidelines and enforcement. Currently, an NCAA violation related to academic misconduct only occurs if the act results in a competitive advantage.
 

''If you have a case where an egregious act has happened, but (if) the student-athlete is being redshirted or blows out his or her knee and doesn't compete for you that year or doesn't need those credits to make themselves eligible, then there is not an NCAA violation,'' said Durand, who is the president of the National Association of Academic Advisors for Athletics.
 

The other goal for the committee is to consolidate the bylaws on academic misconduct that are now sprinkled throughout the NCAA manual.
 

''If I'm looking for guidance from the NCAA manual on what steps I need to take and where this falls under, I may have to look at three, maybe four different places in the manual,'' Durand said. ''So that's confusing.''
 

A vote on the measure by members from every Division I conference plus conference commissioners, faculty members and students, could happen as soon as April 2016.

AP's Derby Top 10: Dortmund still No. 1, filly at No. 9.

By RICHARD ROSENBLATT

Hall of Fame horse racing trainer Bob Baffert listens to a question during an interview outside Barn 33 at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky. Baffert is holding a pretty strong hand heading into Kentucky Derby prep races the next few weeks, with the AP's top-rated Dortmund set for Saturday's San Felipe Stakes, and No. 3 American Pharoah scheduled for the Rebel Stakes on March 14. (AP Photo/Garry Jones, File)

Dortmund is showing he's ready to race sooner than later — and trainer Bob Baffert isn't about to slow him down.

One of Baffert's top Kentucky Derby prospects, Dortmund is now set to run in the San Felipe Stakes at Santa Anita on Saturday rather than the Santa Anita Derby on April 4.

The trainer says his unbeaten 3-year-old colt came out of last month's win in the Robert B. Lewis in good shape, adding "we just didn't want to keep him training for another month."

Dortmund enters a weekend full of preps still No. 1 in the AP's latest Run to the Roses Top 10 list of Kentucky Derby contenders. There's one newcomer — Take Charge Brandi at No. 9 after trainer D. Wayne Lukas told the Daily Racing Form the filly is a go for the Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn Park on March 14.

Another change in the Top 10 has Upstart moving to No. 2, with Texas Red dropping to No. 3. Texas Red, the Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner, is still recovering from an abscess of the right front foot following the San Vicente.

The field for the 1 1/16-mile San Felipe also includes Dortmund stablemate Lord Nelson, Ocho Ocho Ocho and Prospect Park.

Two other preps are on tap Saturday — the Tampa Bay Derby featuring the 3-year-old debut of No. 5 Carpe Diem and the Gotham Stakes at Aqueduct with Derby prospect and likely favorite El Kabeir, winner of the Jerome and second in the Withers.  

The San Felipe, Tampa Bay Derby and Gotham are qualifying races for the Kentucky Derby on May 2. Each race is worth 50 points to the winner, 20 for second, 10 for third and 5 for fourth. 

Here's our Top 10:

1. Dortmund (Bob Baffert, trainer; Martin Garcia, jockey): Training too well to keep out of races, so it's San Felipe time for unbeaten colt. ... Won Robert B. Lewis on Feb. 7. ... Next start: San Felipe, Santa Anita (Saturday). ... Derby future odds (pool 3): 9-1.

2. Upstart (Rick Violette, Jr., Jose Ortiz): Top contender training in Florida for final prep before May 2 Derby. ... Nearly 3 lengths the best in Fountain of Youth but DQ'd to second for interference in stretch. ... Next start: Florida Derby, Gulfstream Park (March 28) or Wood Memorial, Aqueduct (April 4). ... Odds: 15-1.

3. Texas Red (Keith Desormeaux, Kent Desormeaux): Still no workout since abscess of right front foot after running second in San Vicente. ... Time off Derby trail does not bode well for BC Juvenile winner. ... Next start: Santa Anita Derby. ... Odds: 14-1.

4. American Pharoah (Baffert, Victor Espinoza): Worked 7 furlongs in 1:23.80 at Santa Anita on Feb. 27. ... All signs go for 3-year-old debut in Arkansas. ... Next start: Rebel, Oaklawn Park (March 14). ... Odds: 8-1.

5. Carpe Diem (Todd Pletcher, John Velazquez): Long-awaited 3-year-old debut a few days away for BC Juvenile runner-up. ... Worked 4 furlongs in 49.70 at Palm Beach Downs on Feb. 28. ... Next start: Tampa Bay Derby, Tampa Bay Downs (Saturday). ... Odds: 10-1.

6. Far From Over (Pletcher, Manuel Franco): With some new partners aboard, decision made to skip Gotham and opt for one more Derby prep. ... Withers winner training at Palm Beach Downs. ... Next start: Wood Memorial. ... Odds: 13-1.

7. Itsaknockout (Pletcher, Luis Saez): Finished 2¾ lengths behind Upstart in Fountain of Youth, but declared winner via DQ. ... Won two previous starts. ... Next start: Florida Derby. ... Odds: 30-1.

8. Far Right (Ron Moquett, Mike Smith): May be perfect horse-rider combo for Derby run. ... Comes into final prep off wins in Smarty Jones and Southwest. ... Next start: Arkansas Derby, Oaklawn Park (April 11). ... Odds: 31-1.

9. Take Charge Brandi (D. Wayne Lukas, undecided): Filly now scheduled to take on boys in Arkansas. ... 2-year-old female champ has won last four races, most recently Martha Washington. ... Next start: Rebel. ... Odds: 4-1 (mutuel field).

10. Firing Line: (Simon Callaghan, Gary Stevens): Worked 5 furlongs in 59.60 at Santa Anita on Feb. 27. Gave Dortmund plenty to handle in last two starts, both runner-up finishes. ... No Dortmund in next race. ... Next start: Sunland Derby, Sunland Park (March 22). ... Odds: 29-1.

Keep an eye on: Daredevil; El Kabeir; International Star; Khozan; Ocho Ocho Ocho.

On This Date in Sports History: Today is Wednesday, March 4, 2015.

Memoriesofhistory.com

1913 - The New York Yankees traveled to Bermuda for spring practice. They were the first team to leave the U.S. to train.

1930 - Emma Fahning became the first woman bowler to make a perfect score in competition sanctioned by the Women's International Bowling Congress.

1970 - The New York Rangers set an NHL record of 126 games without being shutout.

1981 - Guy LaFleur (Montreal Canadiens) scored his 1000th career point.

1993 - ESPN formed "The V Foundation" with Jim Valvano.

1993 - In New York, the first ESPY Awards were held.

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