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"One thing about championship teams is that they're resilient. No matter what is thrown at them, no matter how deep the hole, they find a way to bounce back and overcome adversity." ~ Nick Saban, University of Alabama Head Football Coach

Trending: Blackhawks draw Ducks in Conference Final. 

By Tracey Myers

The Blackhawks knew they were going to get a decent amount of rest before they knew whom their Western Conference Final opponent would be.

Well, now they know, but it's still going to be a few days until they play again.

The Blackhawks will face the Anaheim Ducks, who eliminated the Calgary Flames a few minutes into Monday morning, in the Western Conference Final at some point later this week. Dates and times have yet to be determined.

The conference finals will not begin before the second-round series in the Eastern Conference are completed. The New York Rangers beat the Washington Capitals on Sunday night, evening their series 3-3; Game 7 is 7:30 p.m. ET Wednesday.

The Blackhawks will face a team they’re familiar with, although one which they don’t see that often. They took the regular-season series, 2-1, with two 4-1 victories; Anaheim won the first regular-season matchup 1-0.

The Ducks also had a postseason sweep, dispatching the Winnipeg Jets in four games in the first round. And just like the Blackhawks, Anaheim has yet to lose a game at home this postseason.

Jonathan Toews didn’t know who the Blackhawks’ opponent would be when he talked after Sunday’s practice but knew whoever it was, it would provide a tough test.

“I don’t think it matters,” he said. “Whoever earns its way into the conference final will have done that for a number of reasons. We’ll have our work cut out for us either way.”

How 'bout them Chicago Blackhawks? Five reasons Blackhawks advanced to Western final.

By Brian Hedger

(Photo/Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports)

It was the result hardly anybody expected from the Western Conference Second Round series between the Chicago Blackhawks and Minnesota Wild.

Chicago's sweep of the best-of-7 series was both impressive and surprising considering the Blackhawks' inconsistent play in the first round against the Nashville Predators and the Wild having Devan Dubnyk, arguably the hottest goalie in the 2015 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Minnesota dispatched the St. Louis Blues in its opening series, eliminating the Central Division's top team in the regular season, and came into this series with a lot of confidence. Despite losing to Chicago in each of the previous two postseasons, the Wild felt this was their time to turn the tables.

Instead, they were beaten in four straight games by a team playing its best since late December.

Here are five reasons the Blackhawks advanced:

1. Crawford rebounded -- He doesn't like talking about the goalie flip-flopping that occurred in the first round, but one of Crawford's biggest strengths is his ability to handle adversity. Every goalie goes through rough patches, but not every goalie can quickly bounce back.

Crawford has made a career out of it. After posting a save percentage of .809 in his first two games against Nashville, he made 137 saves on 144 shots in his next five games for a .951 save percentage. He allowed seven goals against the Wild for a 1.75 goals-against average and had a 30-save shutout in Game 3 to put the Blackhawks in position to sweep.

"Crawford, he's a star against us," Wild coach Mike Yeo said after Game 3. "He's [Martin] Brodeur. He's [Patrick] Roy. He's everybody against us, so we've got to find a way to solve that."

They never did and the Blackhawks advanced to their fifth Western Conference Final in the past seven years.

2. Kane continues to amaze -- After undergoing surgery Feb. 25 to repair a fractured left clavicle, the Blackhawks said it would likely take 12 weeks for Kane to heal. That would have meant a return at some point in the conference final.

Instead, Kane beat the estimation by five weeks and has played all 10 games of the postseason for the Blackhawks. He's leading Chicago with seven goals and six assists, including five goals against the Wild. Kane scored at least a goal in all four games, including the one that decided the pivotal 1-0 Game 3 for a 3-0 series lead.

His puck possession was critical as well, because the Wild aim to frustrate opponents into costly turnovers. 
                             
3. Patience was a virtue -- Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville said before the series that patience would be the most important term he'd use in the series. He was right. During the regular season, the Wild successfully frustrated the Blackhawks into making key errors with and without the puck.

In this series, the Blackhawks beat the Wild at their own game. They gave Minnesota a taste of its own medicine by starting the scoring in all four games and making the Wild chase the lead the rest of the game.

4. Stars shined again -- After rising to the occasion in the first round, the Blackhawks' core group of top players continued leading the way. They got goals from Kane, Jonathan Toews, Patrick Sharp, Marian Hossa, Brent Seabrook and Brandon Saad against Minnesota, while Crawford was outstanding in net. All but Saad are signed to long-term contacts and it was easy to see why in this series.

It's the reason their defense improved this series and why the Blackhawks were so opportunistic against the Wild despite getting outskated and outshot for the majority of the third period in Game 3.

5. Rolling up front -- Chicago wins most of its games whenever more than one of its forward lines is effective. All four were good against the Wild, which allowed Quenneville to have more options in the matchup game against Yeo.

The Blackhawks got a goal from each of the four lines in Game 2 and have shown in the first two series how versatile they can be, playing a more fast-paced game against Nashville and locking down defensively against Minnesota. Each of their Stanley Cup championship teams in 2010 and 2013 had lots of depth up front, and this team now boasts the same advantage.

The third line of Sharp, Antoine Vermette and Teuvo Teravainen is playing like a third top-six group, while the fourth line is giving Quenneville exactly the kind of grind he wants from them.

Blackhawks: Patrick Kane hitting his postseason stride.

By Tracey Myers

Patrick Kane #88 (Photo: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports)

Patrick Kane talked of the Blackhawks’ four-game sweep of the Minnesota Wild, the second-round series in which he scored five goals, nearly as many as the Wild itself.

“I still think there [are] some areas that I can try to improve a little bit,” Kane said. “I play with some great players who have given me some great chances to get some great looks and it is going in the back of the net.”

The great players always look for ways to improve; it’s part of their DNA. Still, to hear Kane, who’s playing as well as ever coming off that fractured left clavicle, saying he can get better still makes you shake your head. Until the final three minutes of Thursday’s game, Kane had as many goals (five) as the Minnesota Wild through the entire four-game series – the Wild scored two in those waning minutes.

In all, Kane has recorded at least one point in nine of the Blackhawks’ 10 postseason games. When the playoffs roll around, top players usually have less space and fewer opportunities to score. Kane’s proving that wrong.

“He has a special ability where he can find spots and create things out of nothing, really,” Johnny Oduya said. “Obviously he’s good with the timely goals, too. It’s something that you like to have on your team, especially as a D man. It can just be a break, you score a goal and you’re up. We’re fortunate to have him here. We have a couple of guys like that, who are special players.”

When Kane returned from his clavicle surgery after seven weeks, the question was how long would it take for him to get back to normal. Kane wondered himself, especially in the more physical postseason. How would he react after that first big hit? Kane got his answer in Game 5 against Nashville, when Predators forward Mike Ribeiro landed a big hit on him. Kane came out of that hit healthy giving him the confidence to forget about his injury and concentrate on his game, with tremendous results.

“I know when he first came back he was a little slow, hesitant. But every game since he’s been comfortable,” Bryan Bickell said. “I think he’s back to where he was before that injury, when he was an elite top scorer in the league. And we need him. He’s a guy we can depend on. When big goals are needed, he finds the back of the net.”

Kane is playing as well as ever. He says there are still areas in which he can improve. He’s already off to one heck of a postseason start.

“That’s just like any other game,” Kane said. “You take what happened the game before and wipe the slate clean and do your best the next game.” 

Blackhawks: David Rundblad will replace Michal Rozsival.

By Tracey Myers

David Rundblad probably had the same look on his face that most did upon seeing Michal Rozsival fracture his left ankle on Thursday night. It was enough to make anyone wince.

“I just felt really sorry for Rozy,” Rundblad said on Sunday. “He’s been playing really good so far. That injury, too, it’s just painful to watch. I just feel bad for him.”

At the same time, injuries are part of any hockey regular- or postseason — so are the opportunities for others that come from those injuries. So with Rozsival out, Rundblad is in.

Rundblad will take Rozsival’s place when the Blackhawks begin the Western Conference Finals. When the next round begins is still up in the air — three other second-round series are still in progress, including Anaheim-Calgary (Game 5 between those two is tonight). Until then, Rundblad will get in a few more practices to get prepared, which he says will keep the rust factor low.

“Especially if you get a couple of practices like this, it’s pretty quick to get into it again,” Rundblad said. "I’ve just got to try to do everything game-like, even in practices. It won’t take that long.”

Rundblad is more of an offensive defenseman; he had three goals and 11 assists in 49 games this season. Coach Joel Quenneville said Rundblad won’t have a problem on the other side of the puck.

“I think he's been fine in his own end,” Quenneville said. “I think offensively he has some presence as well. He has some direct plays entering his own zone. Just make sure that you make the simple and the safe play and the obvious play.”

When Rundblad does play, it’ll be his first game in more than a month — he last played on April 11 vs. the Colorado Avalanche. He’ll have a familiar partner in Duncan Keith; the two played together a few times this season.

While Rundblad is coming in for Rozsival, will he truly replace Rozsival? Will he log the same amount of minutes? Rozsival, who had a solid second round, was playing anywhere from 15-18 minutes a night. The Blackhawks leaned heavily on their top four defensemen — Duncan Keith, Brent Seabrook, Johnny Oduya and Niklas Hjalmarsson — after Rozsival was hurt on Thursday night. Kimmo Timonen has played limited time, recording 5-9 minutes through most of the playoff games. Whether or not he logs more time remains to be seen.

It won’t be surprising if the top four still take a bulk of the minutes moving forward. Duncan Keith, who leads the Blackhawks in ice time this postseason (30 minutes, 37 seconds per game), said they’re ready to do play more.

“I think every game is different and how we play each series is different,” he said. “We have guys that are capable of playing a lot of minutes and guys that are capable of stepping up and playing when they get asked to play.”

Asked about how much Rundblad will play, Quenneville said, “he's gonna come in and play and minutes are dictated by how he plays and how the score of the game goes. Other guys are accustomed to playing significant minutes. Every game's gonna be different, but his play and the game and the score will play a lot into it.”

Rundblad hated to see a teammate get hurt. At the same time he knows he has to do something with this opportunity.

“Of course, you always want to help the team and play as well as you can,” he said. “Games are so tight in the playoffs, there’s not much room for mistakes out there. I’ll just try to keep it simple and play as quick as I can.”

BRIEF NOTES

• Andrew Desjardins did not practice today due to illness. Joakim Nordstrom took his place on the fourth line at practice.
• Defenseman Michael Paliotta, who the Blackhawks signed late in the regular season, did not practice on Sunday. Quenneville said Paliotta’s gone home to train.

Just Another Chicago Bulls Session… LeBron's buzzer-beater ties series, steals home court from Bulls 86-84.

By Vincent Goodwill

Cleveland Cavaliers' Lebron James, left, shoots the game-winning shot against Chicago Bulls guard Jimmy Butler during the second half of game 4 in the second-round of a NBA playoff series in Chicago on Sunday, May 10, 2015. The Cavaliers won 86-84. (Photo/Nam Y. Huh/AP) 

Pandemonium turned to borderline panic in 1.5 seconds for the Chicago Bulls, as they gave LeBron James just enough time for a miracle, and Jimmy Butler gave him just a bit of airspace on his fade-a-way jumper.

After Derrick Rose tied Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Semifinal series with a driving layup with 9.4 seconds left, overtime seemed likely until James’ buzzer-beater tied the series at two games apiece with an 86-84 win over the Bulls at the United Center.

Just as Rose’s shot was a great one by a superstar, James’ was nonpareil, as Butler did everything he could aside from hanging in James’ jersey to contest the jumper from the right wing.

“It was a tough shot,” Rose said. “Jimmy pushed him to the corner, he got a chance to adjust his body and square up. He shot a hell of a shot.”

With that devastating jolt only a few men can provide, the Cavaliers pranced off the court, knowing full well they stole a game they had no business in. James led the Cavaliers with 25 points, 14 rebounds and eight assists in 43 hard minutes.

“I don’t think there’s any stealing going on anywhere,” Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau said. “I don’t think we steal from them, I don’t think they steal from us. These games are hard fought and you have to win them.”

While that may be true, it puts the Bulls in an unenviable position to have to win — or steal — another game in Cleveland in front of that desperate, raucous crowd, having given this Cavaliers team new life.

Of course, it should be said Cavaliers’ coach David Blatt nearly threw away the game with back-to-back critical errors, one that should’ve been a technical foul and Bulls’ ball if the officials caught him trying to call a timeout after Rose’s tying layup.

After an official’s review to determine time and possession before James’ last second shot, Blatt attempted to draw up a play for someone else besides James before the four-time MVP intervened.

“I scratched that,” James said.

Before the crowd’s audible shock and awe could be felt through the building, the Bulls put themselves in position many times to take a stranglehold on this series and send real doubt to the hobbling Cleveland Cavaliers, having a 68-57 lead on the strength of a Tony Snell triple with 42.9 seconds left in the third quarter.

But as has been the case all season long, the Bulls failed to capitalize on what was in front of them — James was struggling with turnovers and then turned his ankle barging into Rose on a fast break, Kyrie Irving’s strained right foot caused him to make just two field goals in 40 minutes, and they held James to a 10-for-30 shooting afternoon on their home floor — yet couldn’t seal the deal.

“We’ve been like that all year,” said forward Mike Dunleavy of the Bulls’ lack of killer instinct. “We just can’t step on people’s throats. For whatever reason, it’s too many stagnant offensive possessions. It’s kind of been our Achilles heel on the offensive end. It’s not surprising. It’s disappointing.”

The Cavs went on a 16-2 run between the end of the third and start of the fourth, missing eight straight shots and allowing their rivals to recover when it was clear they were thinking of submitting to the Bulls charge.

Rose, who was magnificent again with 31 points and four assists on 23 shots, isn’t alarmed by his team’s inability to put opponents away.

“I mean, it’s still a season, we’re still learning,” Rose said. “I’m not concerned at all. We’re a quick-learning team. We’re gonna look at it and make sure we’re prepared for it. It hurts now knowing we had a couple chances.”

The Bulls shot just 36 percent from the field, as Rose and Butler combined for 50 of their 84 points.

Playing without Pau Gasol (strained hamstring) opened up time for Nikola Mirotic and to a lesser degree, Tony Snell, but Mirotic shot one for nine in 18 minutes. Joakim Noah had a couple stretches where he was dangerous on the pick and roll, twice finishing with dunks off passes from Rose and Snell, scored eight but missed eight of his 12 shot attempts.

Still, the Bulls didn’t turn the ball over much (12 times) and crawled back into the game, surviving a J.R. Smith onslaught that saw him score 11 of his 13 in the fourth. Timofey Mozgov was solid with 15 and nine rebounds with three blocked shots, one of the few Cavaliers James could count on, as they shot 39 percent, leaving the door open for one final Bulls push.

Rose scored a quick five, attacking and hitting his long range jumpers, to pull the Bulls to within three before forcing a James turnover near midcourt as he swung through a double-team to nail Dunleavy with an elbow with 14.3 seconds left. Rose attacked again and set the United Center afire with his layup, setting the stage for James.

“You got great players going at it,” Dunleavy said. “Just the nature, it’s the way this works, it’s gonna be hard to get any separation.”

Then James got separation — albeit slight — returning Rose’s favor and now the Bulls must pick themselves up again or else they’ll be facing elimination come Thursday.

Rose delivers late, reaches new peak with career moment. (Friday night's game. 05/08/2015).

By Vincent Goodwill

Chicago guard Derrick Rose, left, taking buzzer-beater shot Friday night, May 8, 2015, against the Cleveland Cavaliers in game 3 of the second-round NBA playoff series in Chicago. The Bulls won 99-96. (Photo/Jonathan Daniels/Getty Images)  

The broken play that led to Derrick Rose beating the buzzer with a 26-foot triple that hit the sweet spot on the United Center backboards wasn’t supposed to be like this.

You see, Rose was supposed to do this on the regular, standing toe-to-toe amongst opponents like LeBron James in high-pressure playoff atmospheres so much that this night should’ve been a reply of something we’ve seen so many times before—so much so that Rose’s expressionless reaction should’ve been worn by everybody in attendance Friday night.

Shots that make muscles of the most chiseled athletes go limp, shots that shake the belief out of 12 men in blue and shake the doubt out of 22,000 wearing red by watching them yell and raise their hands to the heavens was supposed to be an everyday occurrence.

But life—and basketball mortality doesn’t always work that way, as the last three years have shown us with the prodigal son who, a week ago, brazenly and nonchalantly told assembled media that “I’m built for this (bleep)” after giving up a game-winner to Jerryd Bayless in Milwaukee.

“It was a broken play,” Rose said. “I was supposed to get the ball in the corner, but when I ran to the corner I wasn’t open so I ran toward the ball.”

Broken play, broken dreams, wasted seasons, the sharp knives of surgery and criticism were all fresh in everybody’s mind—except the man running toward the ball.

“I don’t mean to sound cocky but that’s a shot you want to take if you’re a player in position,” he said. “I’m thankful and grateful that my teammates gave me the ball. They believe in me.”

Rose ran toward the challenge and into basketball immortality, just like he’s taken on every challenge, in some form, for his entire existence—the reason why everyone defends and praises him vigorously, even when they’re prodded to do otherwise.

“That is Derrick’s greatness,” Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau said. “There’s not many like him. In fact, there are not any like him.”

But that broken play and Rose’s dogged determination to get to the ball is likely no different than his quiet determination to get on the floor.

Nearly 10 feet from where Rose sat on the NBA’s podium, calmly discussing his first playoff game-winner, was a much different scene two and a half months ago when Bulls GM Gar Forman told the world Rose had yet another successful knee surgery and that a return could be possible.

“I think Derrick’s ready to attack it. I do,” Forman said that day. “Like I said, I think he’s anxious to attack this rehab and get back on the floor with his teammates. In comparison to what Derrick had to go through the last several years, this surgery was minor.”

All around that Friday morning, the basketball world was filled with a mixture of optimism and doubt. Ironically, when Rose’s mysterious injury was announced, the NBA’s players gathered around social media like his career was done, nearly holding vigil at his proverbial bedside.

One of those players was LeBron James, who issued statements over twitter and Instagram, saluting his then-fallen competitor.

“Man (I) feel bad for D. Rose! Keep your head up homie and stay strong G!” James tweeted in the wee hours of Feb. 24, likely from the mindset that matching wits two months later was nothing more than a dream.

But Friday it was James who was on the other side, missing a crucial layup that could’ve put the Cavaliers up one and turning the ball over seven times in a less-than-stellar night that in a way, set up the stage for Rose’s moment in time, as not even the game’s best player could interrupt Rose’s date with stardom.

It wasn’t supposed to be like this.

And in case anybody believes this is the zenith, Thibodeau is so quick to remind everyone Rose isn’t far removed from surgery, that these games are essentially part of an extended rehab.

“He’s still shaking the rust off,” Thibodeau said. “The more he plays, the comfortable he’s getting and the more rhythm he has.”

The man who had everything about his basketball character questioned when he couldn’t guarantee a return to the floor, picking at open media wounds that never closed, while some never considered his own very real emotional and physical wounds that caused those words to come from his mouth.

He overcame his own doubts, the frailty of his body and finally, the greatest superstar of this time to author an ending few saw coming.

“When people talk, it’s all their opinions,” Rose said. “I can’t get mad at your opinions. I’ll let God handle that. My job is to make sure I’m prepared for every game and come out and compete. What everybody says, nothing I can do about it. Everybody is entitled to their opinion.”

And with one shot that sent Chicago into delirium, it was another reminder that although it wasn’t supposed to be like this, maybe “what will be” can be more glorious than “what could have been”.

Bear Down Chicago Bears!!!! Bears finish off first look at 2015 rookies.

By John Mullin

It was only the final day of rookie minicamp, i.e., orientation, but Kevin White gave a brief preview of what may be coming.

The wide receiver and No. 7 pick of the draft broke free in the secondary as tryout quarterback Patrick Devlin lofted a 30-yard spiral White’s way down the right sideline. White laid out to make a diving, rolling catch that put an exclamation point on his first time in a Chicago Bears helmet.

Whether coaches wanted quite that much effort out of their new prospects might be a question, but “[the rookies] did a great job,” coach John Fox said after Sunday’s final minicamp session.

“I thanked them for their efforts and the way they conducted themselves. They were really good all throughout the building, spending 12 hours a day here.”

Halas Hall will return to work with Bears veterans and others under contract on Monday, pointing toward organized team activities starting the last week of this month, a mandatory minicamp in mid-June and training camp at the end of July.

The drills this weekend were for more than just the players.

“These have been good practices for us, just how we run practice, whether it’s the equipment men or the training staff, it’s just different,” Fox said. “Everybody does it different and we’re not any different than that, so [we are] practicing.”

Kevin White faces stiff rookie expectations from Bears, NFL.

By John Mullin

The NFL learning curve for wide receivers took on a great deal of relevance for the Bears and Kevin White as the rookie wideout went through his first NFL practice.

When Alshon Jeffery was selected in the second round of the 2012 NFL Draft he was coming in as a reserve receiver initially. Devin Hester and Brandon Marshall were starters, and it took some weeks into the season for Jeffery to break into the starting lineup.

White comes to the Bears as the No. 7 pick of the first round, and virtually a given to be starting opposite Jeffery.

“I know there’s a lot expected of me,” White said on Friday at rookie minicamp.

The Bears’ franchise record for a rookie wide receiver is 45 catches, by Harlon Hill in 1954. That was enough to get Hill to the Pro Bowl as a rookie. The Bears are indeed expecting more, at least numerically speaking.

But those expectations also demand accelerated learning at a position that once rarely produced epic rookie seasons but now has seen rookie wideouts hit the ground running, really, really fast.

“I think in the past we have what we call ‘fail rates,’” said Bears head coach John Fox. “Everybody follows the quarterback just because that’s a visible position. Over time, years ago we did this study that the receiver position was right up there with the quarterback.

“I don’t know if people are doing a better job of evaluating guys and how they fit their systems, but I think that’s changed a little bit over the last couple of years.”

Last year the New York Giants got 91 receptions from rookie Odell Beckham Jr. Jarvis Landry caught 84 for the Miami Dolphins. Seven receivers totaled more than 50 receptions.

Beckham’s 91 tied Eddie Royal for second all-time on the NFL rookie reception list.

The proliferation of spread offenses has made drafting college quarterbacks and offensive linemen sometimes more problematic. But the spread game is producing receivers with dramatically increased impact in an NFL that has tilted toward the pass as well.

“Much like our game, the passing game has become, I don’t know, in vogue in college football as well,” Fox said. “If you watched our practice today, there was some issues with taking the snap from under center. That’s one thing I know that they’re not doing as much in college now. As far as the passing game, just like our game, there are more passes in college football, as well.”

White may be coming in more NFL-ready than receivers of a decade or two ago. But he has other orientation issues.

He played almost exclusively the right side at West Virginia. He won’t be doing that in Chicago under offensive coordinator Adam Gase.

“Moving him around a little bit is going to be different for him,” Gase said, “but I don't think intelligence-wise we have any concerns with him. We brought him in for his interview and he was outstanding, picked up what we taught him very quickly and was able to bring it back to us. Coach [Mike] Groh had a really good feel for him, and I think he's going to fit in well with us.

"We really like what he brought to the table, and we look for specific routes, and when we see one or two things, we know they can do the entire tree, so his speed, his body control, the way that he bursts off the ball, all those things we really liked.”

White said he felt like a college freshman all over again. Coaches only presented a very small selection of plays but White found out very quickly that he wasn’t in Kansas (or West Virginia) anymore, Toto.

“Did a lot of movement, left side and in the slot on the right side, slot in the left,” White said. “So a lot different than college. Just trying to get adjusted. First day. So it wasn’t as good as I wanted it to be. But I’m learning the system and trying to get better each and every day.”

That would qualify as Expectation No. 1 from the Bears.

Shea McClellin getting best opportunity with new Bears staff.

By John Mullin

Shea McClellin #50 (Photo/Getty Images)

One member of the Bears’ former coaching staff described linebacker Shea McClellin as “just sufficient,” a barely adequate NFL player but nothing special. Lovie Smith once refused a directive to move McClellin to middle linebacker.

The incoming Bears staff already has a considerably higher early opinion of the 19th overall pick of the 2012 draft.

“I think he’s got a chance to be a good inside linebacker,” said defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, who knows something about “good inside linebackers” from his years with the likes of NaVorro Bowman, Patrick Willis and others. “We’re going to give him a full opportunity and full chance to learn the position so we can evaluate him and see if that’s a good spot for him.”

Coach John Fox earlier said that McClellin would be going to inside linebacker, and McClellin has been slotted as one of the starting inside linebackers, alongside free agent signee Mason Foster, in the early offseason going. Whether McClellin holds onto the position when Lamarr Houston and Jonathan Bostic return from injuries is a position competition worth watching through the offseason.

“He’s got good size, he’s got good athletic ability, I think,” Fangio said. “He has been hindered, I think, by being moved around. To no fault of anybody’s, just the way it goes.”

Coincidence or pure chance perhaps, but Fangio named McClellin and linebacker Christian Jones right after mentioning cornerback Kyle Fuller as a individuals he could build upon. Obviously the likes of Pernell McPhee, Antrel Rolle and a couple of others are far higher in the “building block” hierarchy but the implication was that McClellin has made a better early impression, on film and on the field, with this staff than he had with his previous one.

When the Bears finally gave up trying to force-fit McClellin into a defensive end position, moving him to linebacker last offseason was viewed as a much-needed do-over. And it was, to an extent. McClellin was credited with 84 tackles by Bears performance accounting, good enough for fourth on the Bears.

But McClellin’s total of 32 solo tackles tied for ninth, and while former GM Phil Emery consistently posted that McClellin had a much greater rate of creating disruptions and impact, it was not apparent to most observers and analysts.

The team in fact elected not to exercise the fifth-year option on McClellin’s rookie contract, meaning he comes out of contract after the current season.

Now it appears that McClellin is getting perhaps his best chance at NFL success, fittingly perhaps in the very scheme – 3-4 – that most evaluators considered best for him prior to his being drafted in 2012. As a double irony, his chance is coming, not under the GM that drafted him and had a vested interest in his success, but rather an entirely new coaching and front office.

“You know, when he came out of college he was a versatile guy, he played a lot of different positions and maybe now it’s time to lock him down into hopefully an inside linebacker spot,” Fangio said. “But if it doesn’t work out, maybe we move him back out, but I want to see him at inside linebacker for awhile… .

“I think he’s got good instincts. He’s got some size, he can run, I think he can be a good blitzer from in there. So just a little bit of everything.”

MLB: White Sox-Brewers Preview

By KEVIN CHROUST (STATS Writer)

For the first two months of last season, Jeff Samardzija dominated the NL and became a prized July trade target. That success against the Senior Circuit vanished in his last start in Milwaukee and hasn't returned.

His first outing against the NL since moving to the Chicago White Sox comes Monday night in Milwaukee against a Brewers team he's never defeated as a starter.

Samardzija (2-2, 4.38 ERA) is returning from a five-game suspension for his involvement in a brawl against Kansas City, which pushed his start back a day and into a ballpark that hasn't treated him well.

In eight starts against the Brewers, the right-hander is 0-5 with a 4.50 ERA, including an 0-3 mark with a 6.33 ERA at Miller Park. Factoring in seven relief efforts, his 6.09 ERA there is the highest among ballparks at which he's made at least five appearances.

In his last, Samardzija allowed eight runs and eight hits in three innings of a 9-0 loss with the Chicago Cubs on June 1. Dating to that game, he's 1-4 with a 6.63 ERA against the NL. Ryan Braun went deep and is 9 for 18 with three home runs against Samardzija, while Carlos Gomez's two hits in nine at-bats are both homers. 

 

This season, he's yet to nail down the consistency he enjoyed in much of 2014, but he preceded the suspension by limiting Detroit to two runs and seven hits in seven innings of Tuesday's 5-2 victory. His last five innings were scoreless after laboring early. 
 

"With all things said, the way it went, I was happy to get out of those first couple of innings with just one," Samardzija told MLB's official website. "For me, that's it. If I can escape the inning with just a single digit, that's fine. Just avoid those crooked numbers."

The White Sox (12-16) were able to do that in the last two of a three-game series with Cincinnati. Sunday's 4-3 walk-off win gave them consecutive series victories after an 0-5 road trip. They've dropped six straight on the road, and their 2-11 away record is the worst in the majors.

"We obviously have to start sooner than later, but we're playing good ball," said Gordon Beckham, who hit the game-winning single in the ninth inning against the Reds. "We just have to keep focusing on that and not really how we've played in the past. You can't focus on anything but the present."

The Brewers (11-21) also won in walk-off fashion Sunday, beating the Cubs 3-2 on Martin Maldonado's 11th-inning single. They've also been better lately with seven wins in 11 games after a 4-17 start.

"It is a great way to end it," said manager Craig Counsell, under whom the Brewers are 4-3. "It was another great team win."

It has a lot to do with a starting rotation that's posted a 3.82 ERA in the last 11 after compiling a 5.55 mark through 21, and Wily Peralta is responsible with keeping it going.

Peralta (1-4, 3.92), who has never faced the White Sox, has been rather hittable with a .307 opponent average, though had one of his better showings in Wednesday's 6-3 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers to earn his first victory. The right-hander allowed three runs and seven hits in eight innings after losing four straight starts.

It was also the first time in four starts he'd been given any run support. His 2.08 run support average is tied for fourth worst in the majors.

MLB: Mets-Cubs Preview

By JACK CASSIDY (STATS Writer)

 

The Chicago Cubs' hot start fades further and further into memory as their cold spell continues.

The New York Mets are back to the winning ways they exhibited for much of April.

Looking to rebound from a difficult road trip, the Cubs will turn to Jon Lester on Monday night to outduel New York's Jacob deGrom at Wrigley Field.

The Cubs (15-15) lost to Milwaukee 3-2 in 11 innings on Sunday to cap a 2-5 trip. Chicago, which was 13-8 on May 1, is on the verge of falling below .500 for the first time since it was 1-2 on April 10.

Lester (2-2, 4.04 ERA) has been responsible for two of the team's three victories in the last 11 games and seems to have shaken off a rough opening and has settled in as the ace Chicago envisioned when it signed him this offseason. The left-hander allowed three hits over seven innings of a 1-0 win over the Brewers on May 1, then gave up seven hits and four runs - one earned - in seven innings to beat St. Louis 6-5 on Wednesday.
 

"That's why you want a guy like him on your staff," manager Joe Maddon told MLB's official website. "Typically, his stuff kept getting better as the game progressed, we've seen that a lot. ... He made good pitches when he had to. He keeps making positive strides, and that's good for us."

After a career-worst 6.23 ERA in April, Lester is enjoying a career-best 0.64 ERA in May. He made his only career start against the Mets in June 2006.

With the exception of a six-run outing on April 24, deGrom (3-3, 2.95) has yielded six earned runs in 31 2-3 innings this season.

Since the start of last season, deGrom and Lester each average 8.95 strikeouts per nine innings to rank among the top 20 in baseball. The right-hander notched a season-high nine strikeouts Wednesday while allowing one run in seven innings of a 5-1 win over Baltimore.

"He's started to change speeds a little bit better," manager Terry Collins said. "If you go back and think about what he did last year, he's a guy that really uses all of his pitches. His changeup got so good towards the end of last summer, it became a huge pitch for him. We want him to re-establish that."

DeGrom's toughest test will be Anthony Rizzo. The All-Star first baseman recorded his 14th extra-base hit of the season Sunday, and leads the team with a 1.026 OPS - more than 200 points higher than Lucas Duda (.786), New York's team-leader among qualifying players.

Duda went 2 for 5 with a double in Sunday's 7-4 win at Philadelphia after going 1 for 18 in his previous five games.

New York (20-11) has won four of five following a 1-5 stretch. The Mets' bullpen has surrendered one run over its past 18 1-3 innings - a home run to Baltimore's Chris Davis on Tuesday - while Chicago's relievers have allowed 13 runs in 11 innings over the last three games.

DeGrom allowed four runs in five innings in a 7-4 loss to the Cubs at Wrigley Field on June 5, in his only start against them.

Pirates turn first 4-5-4 triple play in MLB history.

By Mark Townsend

Those weren't Saturday's winning lottery numbers, though if you're a Pittsburgh Pirates fan and you're feeling lucky, they might be good numbers to play in the future.

The numbers actually represent one of the strangest plays you'll ever see on a baseball field. During Saturday night's 7-5 victory against the St. Louis Cardinals, the Pirates turned the very first 4-5-4 triple play in MLB history.

That's second baseman to third baseman back to second baseman for those unfamiliar with baseball's scoring procedures.  

It happened in the second inning with St. Louis threatening to get on the scoreboard. Jhonny Peralta was on third after leading off the inning with a walk and Jason Heyward was on second after hitting a double. There were no outs, obviously, when Yadier Molina stepped in and took a hack at the first offering from Vance Worley.
 

The result was a line drive at second baseman Neil Walker, who was forced to jump to make the grab. Clearly, the Cardinals base runners underestimated Walker's athleticism, because they kept moving despite the possibility of a catch. When Walker came down, he quickly realized he had a shot at a double play at least. 

However, as he took off toward second base, he quickly realized he had a shot for more with Peralta off third base.

After firing to third and getting Peralta, things actually took a somewhat comical turn. 

Third baseman Jung Ho Kang either lost track of outs, or thought Walker already tapped second base. His first move was to run off the field, but his teammates were able to get his attention in plenty of time to make the return throw to Walker. 

Perhaps it wasn't as smooth or easy as 1-2-3, but what would you expect from 4-5-4? 

The triple play is actually the second turned by the Pirates in the last calendar year. Walker, of course, was involved in both. The other came on Sept. 14 of last year, when they turned a more conventional 5-4-3 triple play around the horn,  Josh Harrison to Walker to Andrew Lambo. 

Prior to that, it had been 35 years since Pittsburgh turned a triple play. The Cardinals hadn't hit into one since 2003. 

Pittsburgh rallied to win the game with three runs in the sixth. Neil Walker contributed a solo homer in the fifth. 

Golf: I got a club for that: Rickie Fowler wins The Players in playoff for his biggest career win.

By Ryan Ballengee

Rickie Fowler holds The Players Championship trophy, Sunday, May 10, 2015, in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. Fowler won in a sudden death playoff against Kevin Kisner. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

Rickie Fowler showed his peers what overrated looks like.

Just days after an anonymous poll of PGA Tour players indicated Fowler -- along with Ian Poulter -- was the most overrated player on Tour, he won The Players Championship with the greatest finish in the tournament's history.

Fowler played the final six holes of regulation in 6 under par, including an eagle-birdie-birdie finish to turn a 1-over round into a closing 67. The California native played the final three holes of regulation in eight shots. He got a fortunate bounce just shy of the green at the par-5 16th, leading to a tap-in eagle. On the par-3 17th, a hole Fowler has demonstrated he loves, he hit his tee shot inside of 7 feet, leading to a birdie. A hole later, Fowler took an aggressive line on the water-lined hole, hitting a 331-yard tee shot to set up a birdie that took him to 12-under 276 and get into a playoff with 2008 champion Sergio Garcia and Kevin Kisner, who lost a playoff three weeks ago to Jim Furyk at the RBC Heritage. 

Then in the first three-hole, aggregate-score playoff in Players history, he tied with Kisner at 1 under par with yet another birdie on No. 17, eliminating Garcia. When the playoff shifted back to the par-3 17th and into sudden death, Fowler threw a dart into the treacherous hole that led to a tournament-clinching birdie.

The 26-year-old played his final 10 holes in 8 under par. 

This is Fowler's first PGA Tour win since prevailing in another three-man playoff, over Rory McIlroy and D.A. Points, at the 2012 Wells Fargo Championship.

Bill Haas and Ben Martin both shot 2-under 70 on Sunday to finish a shot off the pace at 11 under. Rory Sabbatini and Kevin Na finished at 9 under in a tie for sixth. 

Rory McIlroy was part of a five-way tie for eighth, four shots out of the playoff.

Bethune-Cookman women win PGA Minority title.

AP - Sports

Jennifer Hide shot a 2-under 70 on Sunday and Bethune-Cookman won the PGA Minority Collegiate Golf Championship women's title for the record fourth straight year and 12th time overall.

The Wildcats had a 16-over 880 total at PGA Golf Club to finish 33 strokes ahead of second-place Houston-Victoria.

''It never gets old to win the PGA Minority Collegiate,'' coach Loritz ''Scooter'' Clark said. ''I was glad that we had a little bit of a comfortable lead for once. We'll celebrate today and look to hopefully repeat next year.''

Hide, a senior from England, had a 3-over 219 total.

''We work for this tournament throughout the year, and when we get here, we know that we have made the right preparations,'' Hide said.

Houston-Victoria sophomore Heather Shake had a 67 to finish at 4-under 212 and claim her second consecutive Division I medalist honor. She earned a berth in next week's Symetra Tour's Mission Health Wellness Classic in Asheville, North Carolina.

Alabama State won its first men's title, beating Incarnate Word by seven strokes with a 29-over 993 total. The Hornets' Branson Ferrier, the Division I medalist, had a 70 for a 10-under 206 total.

Cal State Dominguez Hills won the Division II title, and the University of Texas at Brownsville took the NAIA championship. They each led after the second round and were declared champions when inclement weather forced a suspension of play and championship officials determined that both divisions would not have been able to complete their final rounds.

Tiana Jones of Maryland Eastern Shore won the women's individual invitational title, and LeMoyne-Owen College's Dominique Worthen took the men's championship.

Woods endures 'mixed bag' in trying week of play.

By Ben Everill, Editing by Gene Cherry

Tiger Woods tips his cap to the crowd on the 18th green during the final round of The Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass - Stadium Course. Mandatory (Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports)

Tiger Woods completed four rounds in back-to-back tournaments for the first time in 18 months but the former world number one will continue his drop in the rankings after the Players Championship.

Woods, who had plummeted to 125th on the world list before Florida tournament can at best hope to be 129th this week after an even-par 72 at TPC Sawgrass left him at three-over-par 291 on Sunday.

"It was a mixed bag, pretty much all week," Woods said.

“A lot of really, really good stuff out there, some mediocre and some bad. What did I have? Three sevens on the week. That's not very good.

“That will get cleaned up over time but this golf course definitely exposes that," he added. "You can be going along, playing fine, all of a sudden make a double here and it's like, 'What just happened.’"

The 14-time major winner showed both in his final round.

After trading a birdie and a bogey on the front nine, Woods rattled off three consecutive birdies to open the back side before a triple bogey seven on the 14th hole.

He hooked his tee shot into the water and later left a chip shot short.

The triple bogey was his first in the tournament, and it came a day after he notched two double bogeys on par fives for the first time in the same round.

He is headed for his worst finish in the PGA Tour's flagship tournament, behind his tie for 39th in 2003. He withdrew twice, in 2010 and 2011.

“For the majority of the week, I hit my driver a lot better and definitely a lot further than I had been hitting it," Woods said. "I just wasn't as sharp with my irons.

Normally I'm a pretty good iron player and I can get the ball in there tight. And I had a lot of clubs where I was 8-iron on down and I didn't stiff them. That's something I've got to do a little bit better.”

Woods is next due to play at the Memorial Tournament at Muirfield Village starting on June 7, then the U.S. Open at Chambers Bay in mid June.

"From what I hear, it's a golf course we need to take a look at a few times," he said.

NASCAR: Jimmie Johnson snatches win at Kansas.

By Nick Bromberg

NASCAR driver Jimmie Johnson (48) holds the trophy for winning the SpongeBob SquarePants 400 Sprint Cup Series auto race at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, Kan., Saturday, May 9, 2015. (AP Photo/Colin E. Braley)

Jimmie Johnson and his team are thieves.

The No. 48 crew snagged an unexpected win in Saturday night's rain-delayed SpongeBob SquarePants 400 thanks to a late-race refusal to pit.

A caution for Ricky Stenhouse Jr. hitting the wall on lap 256 of the 267-lap race presented a dilemma for teams. Do you pit for tires and gas – the race's pit stop cycle had put teams on the precipice of making it to the end on fuel – or stay out, hoping to not run out of gas and that track position would make up for the lack of fresh tires?
 

Johnson and crew chief Chad Knaus chose the latter. And it worked perfectly as Johnson took the lead off the final restart with six laps to go and held off Kevin Harvick for the win.

"Just in a bad spot leading the race there," Harvick said. "[Johnson] and [Earnhardt Jr.], those guys didn't have anything for us on speed. They were just doing what they had to do track position-wise and then moving all over the racetrack to try to get the air off the cars."

When the race was red-flagged for over two hours for rain with 98 laps complete, Johnson was mired in the 20s and nearly crashed his car in the early stages of the race, saving it from an impressive tire-smoking four-wheel slide.

But as the race resumed in the complete darkness, Knaus and company made adjustments to the car and Johnson started creeping his way to the front of the field.

He didn't take the lead until he got it under the final caution flag thanks to the well-executed strategy ploy.  

Harvick had the lead when Stenhouse hit the wall, but he and Martin Truex Jr., the driver who was running second at the time, both pitted along with others. Four cars – Johnson, Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Gordon and Kurt Busch – stayed out, meaning Truex restarted in fifth and Harvick, who led 53 laps, restarted in sixth.
 

Harvick was able to move to third behind Johnson and Junior after the restart, but after clearing Junior, he wasn't able to get anywhere close to Johnson to challenge for the win. Even if he had gotten near Johnson and passed him, it would have meant the continuation of an incredible streak. Including Saturday night, Johnson and Harvick have won seven straight races at 1.5-mile tracks dating back to October's race at Kansas Speedway. 

With victories at Atlanta and Texas, Johnson is the first driver in 2015 to get three wins.  

Truex led 95 laps, the most of any driver, but couldn't charge towards the front in the race's final laps as he took fuel only on his pit stop. He finished ninth.  

Junior ended up third while Gordon was fourth. Polesitter Joey Logano, the driver not named Harvick or Johnson who last won a race at a 1.5-mile track, finished fifth after fighting back from two pit road issues. The first was a pit road penalty for too many men over the wall and the second was when he pitted when pit road was closed. Both violations meant he had to restart the race at the back of the pack.

The 34-car, 2015 Indy 500 entry list is officially revealed.

By Tony DiZinno

Mann and Daly. (Photo: INDYCAR)

The entry list for the 99th Indianapolis 500 has been officially revealed, with no major surprises among the 34 cars entered.

Six past race winners are on the list, spanning from 1996 champion Buddy Lazier in his own Lazier Racing Partners entry through last year’s winner Ryan Hunter-Reay. The others include Juan Pablo Montoya (2000), Scott Dixon (2008), Tony Kanaan (2013) and the lone multiple-time winner in the field, Helio Castroneves (2001, 2002, 2009), who remains in search of his elusive fourth win in the race.

There’s only two rookies entered, in full-season rookies Stefano Coletti and Gabby Chaves. If it remains just a two-driver rookie class, and at this stage that’s likely given any newcomer would have to complete the Rookie Orientation Program in a condensed time frame, it would be the fewest number since 2007, when Phil Giebler and Milka Duno were the only first-timers.

The only TBA listed is Dale Coyne Racing’s No. 19 Honda, with Carlos Huertas listed in the No. 18 car. Huertas returned to the cockpit after a two-race absence Saturday in the Angie’s List Grand Prix of Indianapolis; according to some paddock sources, it was unclear whether Huertas would continue for the rest of the season or even the rest of the month.

Several drivers would be vying for that remaining seat with Coyne, with Coyne telling me Saturday he hopes to have at least two cars out and running in tomorrow’s practice.

Here’s the entry list in full.

SOCCER: USWNT 3-0 Ireland: Wambach brace earns US win in San Jose.

By Kyle Lynch

(Photo/Getty Images)

The USWNT kicked-off its World Cup send-off series with a 3-0 win over Ireland at Avaya Stadium in San Jose.

Abby Wambach added to her record goal scoring tally, netting two goals in three minutes to help lead the United States to an easy victory.

Julie Johnston added the United States’ third goal within the opening ten minutes of the second half.

There are two more matches in the send-off series, May 17th vs. Mexico and May 30th vs. Korea Republic before the ladies head to Canada for the World Cup in June.

Many of the players’ mothers were on hand in San Jose to watch their daughters play on Mother’s Day, and the team walked out onto the pitch with their moms by their sides.
 Megan Rapinoe and Lori Chalupny both earned their 100th cap today, as the USWNT roster is full of experience heading into the World Cup.

The United States started pressing early, earning three corner kicks in the opening ten minutes of play. Niamh Reid-Burke was busy in net for Ireland, keeping the match scoreless until just before the break.

Abby Wambach opened the scoring in the 42nd minute, cleaning up the scraps from a corner kick to put the U.S. ahead from the back post. Just three minutes later it was Wambach again, converting on her signature header to double the lead.

Julie Johnston scored off another corner kick in the second half to put the U.S. up three and seal up the win for Jill Ellis’ side.

LINEUPS

USA: Solo, Krieger (Brian, 46′), Johnston, Sauerbrunn, Klingenberg, Press, Holiday, Lloyd, Rapinoe (Chalupny, 46′), Rodriguez (Leroux, 46′), Wambach

Goals: Wambach (42′, 45′), Johnston (54′)

Ireland: Reid-Burke, O’Gorman, Gleeson (Grant, 46′), Campbell, De Burca, Russell (Rossiter, 84′), Littlejohn, Duggan, D. O’Sullivan, F. O’Sullivan (McCabe, 73′), Roche (Sinnott, 90′)

 

 Slightly bigger starting 11 photo today! 23 players + 1 coach + 23 moms + 1 grandma + 1 kid! #HappyMothersDay  

 

  

U.S. Soccer WNT@ussoccer_wnt    

                                                      
MLS Snapshot: New York Red Bulls 2-1 New York City FC.

By Kyle Lynch

The game in 100 words (or less): Call it the New York derby, the Big Apple derby or the Hudson River derby. Either way, the New York Red Bulls defeated New York City FC 2-1 at Red Bull Arena in the clubs’ first ever matchup. The Red Bulls were forced to play nearly an hour with ten men after Matt Miazga was sent off following two yellow cards in the first half. But the visitors failed to capitalize, as Bradley Wright-Phillips scored his second of the game in the 54th minute before NYCFC made a late push in a rather uninspired performance from Jason Kreis’ men.

Three moments that mattered

4′ — Wright-Phillips opens the scoring early — Bradley Wright-Phillips wasted no time scoring the first goal of this New York rivalry, getting on the score sheet within the opening five minutes of play. Lloyd Sam cut towards the end-line and chipped in a cross, where the 2014 MLS Golden Boot winner volleyed home.

34′ — Second yellow sends Miazga to an early shower — It was a quick day at the office for Red Bulls defender Matt Miazga, as the 19-year-old was sent off after receiving two yellow cards in the first half. Already on a yellow, Miazga made a clumsy challenge at midfield, leaving referee Alan Kelly no choice but to go to his pocket again.

52′ — BWP bags another, puts Red Bulls up 2-0 — After scoring four minutes into the first half, it only took Bradley Wright-Phillips seven minutes to tally in the second. Down to ten men, Wright-Phillips somehow walked into the NYCFC box unmarked and capped off a quick counter-attack with his second of the match.

Man of the match: Bradley Wright-Phillips — The defending MLS Golden Boot winner bagged his fourth and fifth goals of the season today and constantly caused problems for the NYCFC defense, despite the Red Bulls playing most of the match down to ten men.

LINEUPS

Red Bulls: Robles, Lawrence, Perrinelle, Miazga, Duvall, McCarty, Felipe, Grella (Ouimette, 38′), Kljestan, Sam (Miller, 87′), Wright-Phillips (Richards, 78′)

Goals: Wright-Phillips (4′, 52′)

 Red Card: Miazga (36′)

NYCFC: Saunders, Williams, Wingert, Hernandez, Allen, Grabavoy, Diskerud (Poku, 64′), Jacobson, Alvarez (Ballouchy, 70′), Villa (Mullins, 68′), Shelton

Goal: Mullins (76′)

Pressure mounts for College Football Playoff to expand to eight teams.

By Dennis Dodd, CBSSports.com

How soon 'til they go to eight?

That's not me asking for a playoff bracket expansion. That's a person with close connections to the College Football Playoff wondering out loud this week at conference spring meetings in the desert. If a CFP-related person is asking, then the question must be out there more than we think:

How soon until the four-team CFP expands to eight?

OK, now that's me asking. But it's obvious after spending the week working the halls at the Arizona Biltmore, pressure on the system is already being felt.

TCU's Gary Patterson -- always ready with an opinion -- suggested the quarterfinals begin in place of the conference championship games on that first Saturday in December.

"If you're going to an eight-team playoff, you're going to take the [conference] championship away," he said. "And they'll be OK with it because with eight teams that's going to make up [financially] for the championship game anyway."

Intriguing.

Per Patterson's suggestion, four quarterfinal games would be played (this year) on Saturday, Dec. 5. That would give coaches time to recruit and for players to take finals. The semifinals would then commence as they are now in that Dec. 31 - Jan. 1 window.

"You have to play the quarters early," Patterson said. "Everybody has finals, everybody has stuff that is going on. If you have an early signing date, you've got to play it then."

That early signing date, if approved for this year, would commence on Dec. 16 and last for 72 hours.

With so much talk about conference championship games, it's interesting to suggest they could just be done away with. While the SEC Championship is a staple in that conference, would anybody shed a tear if the Big Ten and Pac-12 games went away?

Just pick the champion by regular-season standings. The Big 12 did it this week, finally instituting a tiebreaker.

In a twist that I hadn't heard yet, Patterson also suggested those four quarterfinal losers then go on to play bowl games.

"Ask Wisconsin," he said. "They get blown out in the Big Ten title game and then beat Auburn in the bowl game."

Other options/considerations:

The Dec. 21 solution: The template already is in place to go to eight teams.

Play the quarterfinals on the first day of the bowl season. Last year, that was Dec. 21. Any argument over missed class time or finals, etc. is hypocritical. Last year, eight teams -- Louisiana-Lafayette, Texas-El Paso, South Alabama, Bowling Green, Nevada, Utah State, Western Michigan and Air Force -- all played football games on the same day quarterfinals could begin.

The first-round winners would then have 11 or 12 days to get ready for the semifinals. The championship game doesn't have to be pushed back.

Six-team playoff: Last year, Oregon and Ohio State played 15 games. Amazingly, there was hardly any outcry over student-athlete welfare, one of the top NCAA initiatives these days.

Concussions. Lawsuits. Catastrophic insurance. All of it. Somehow, the fact uncompensated athletes were laying their bodies out there for a season that fell one game short of the NFL regular season didn't seem to matter much.

Those extra games are going to be a huge hurdle in any playoff expansion discussion. In an eight-team playoff, four teams would be playing 15 games. Two would be playing 16.

A six-team playoff might lessen the inevitable outcry over player welfare. One source suggested a bracket where the top two teams get a bye. Teams seeded No. 3 through No. 6 would play first-round games. That still means two teams could -- but not always -- play 16 games. If the top two seeds win, they would play only 15.

Using last year's rankings, No. 3 Florida State would have played No. 6 TCU in one first-round game. The other would've been No. 4 Ohio State vs. No. 5 Baylor. The FSU-TCU winner would have played Alabama, while the Ohio State-Baylor winner would have played No. 2 Oregon.

Pressure from within: This is probably the most logical scenario for an expansion to eight.

The system itself implodes.

The Big 12 went nuts when the conference was left out of the CFP. Imagine the outcry for eight if, say, the Big Ten was left out for three years. Or if the SEC was left out in any given year.

Strength Everywhere Conference Fan would spit up bourbon around the tailgate from here to Biloxi if that ever happened. The reality is, it could easily happen.

May we refer you to the 2007 SEC standings where each team lost at least two games. Parity can be a witch.

Iron-clad contract: We've been told all along there is no interest in expanding because the playoff contract is the playoff contract. Twelve years, no look-in clause.

Trust me, there's always a look-in clause. Such language for adjusting a media rights deal is almost boilerplate. Such a look-in proposal was why some CFP bowls balked at signing initial contracts.

A look-in allows for both sides to revisit the structure of a deal at some point. The CFP is currently worth $6-7 billion over the 12-year term of the deal.

An expanded bracket would be worth more. That's why there's always room to look in.

Former Alcorn coach Davey Whitney dies at 85.
 
AP - Sports

Former Alcorn State basketball coach Davey Whitney has died. He was 85.

The school and the Southwestern Athletic Conference confirmed Whitney's death Sunday. No cause of death was given.
 

Whitney spent nearly three decades at Alcorn State over two stints from 1969 to 1989 and again from 1996 to 2003.

Whitney won 12 SWAC championships and led the Braves to a win over South Alabama in the first round of the 1980 NCAA Tournament, which was the first tournament win for a historically black university. Alcorn State also beat Mississippi State in the 1979 National Invitation Tournament.  

Whitney was induced into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame in 2010. He was inducted into the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame in 1991.

Note: Coach Whitney coached basketball at my high School, Burt High in Clarksville, Tennessee in the '60's and ran the African American Little League Baseball Program. He also won a National High School Basketball Championship for our high school. Our most sincere condolences are sent to his family. 

Marion P. Jelks, Chicago Sports & Travel, Inc./AllsportsAmerica Editor
  

The Preakness: One Baltimore

By Amanda Duckworth

Sports serve many purposes in society, not the least of which is as a distraction. They allow people to step away from their real lives for a bit. So what happens when real life gets too real in a city that is hosting a major sporting event?

Last weekend at Churchill Downs, that thought was on the minds of most. While we were all waiting to see who would win the Kentucky Derby at the Louisville track, the television screens were showing what was happening in Baltimore on a continuous loop.

Baltimore is home to the Preakness Stakes, the second leg of the Triple Crown, and the race is held two weeks after the Derby. This year, that means May 16, and it is no secret that Pimlico Race Course is not in the most affluent area of the city. As images from the Orioles game that was held without fans flickered across the screens, it was impossible not to wonder about the upcoming Preakness.

The Preakness is more than a significant horse race. Its infield has become legendary both for its party atmosphere and for the musical acts that it draws. A record 123,469 showed up for the 2014 running of the race and to watch Grammy Award winner Lorde perform, among others. In all, $53.6 million was wagered on the Preakness alone.

However, as this year's race draws closer, what isn't being done speaks volumes.

No one is ducking the race. None of the musical acts scheduled to take part in Pimlico's InfieldFest have backed out. No new major rules or regulations have been put in place by the Maryland Jockey Club. It appears no one is blinking.

"The Maryland Jockey Club, Pimlico Race Course and the city of Baltimore are looking forward to celebrating the 140th Preakness Stakes," said Sal Sinatra, the vice president and general manager of the MJC. "We are excited to welcome fans and visitors from around the world. We invite everyone to participate in the Preakness and this year's many other activities, from InfieldFest to Black-Eyed Susan Day to events throughout the week that will support philanthropic organizations both locally and nationally."

This year's Kentucky Derby was won by American Pharoah, who was named the champion 2-year-old colt in 2014. He was sent off as the Derby race favorite, did not disappoint and heads into the Preakness with a lot of expectations. Immediately after the victory, during a time when Baltimore was fractured the most, American Pharoah's trainer, Bob Baffert, was asked the traditional, "So you are on to the Preakness Stakes, right?"

He didn't hesitate in responding, saying, "If all goes well, I don't see any reason not to go. So we're looking forward to it. The next one, I call it the fun one. You know, you're coming off a Derby high, going in there to Baltimore, and the Preakness is one of my favorite races."

Baffert, who will also be sending Kentucky Derby third-place finisher Dortmund to the Preakness, knows Baltimore and knows what he is talking about, considering he has won the second leg of the Triple Crown five times.

More than that, of the top five finishers in this year's Derby, four of them are Baltimore-bound, including the top three. This is not always a given, and the last time the top three finishers ran in the Preakness was in 2009.

If there was any fear about Baltimore, these horses would not be showing up. It is simply that simple, tradition be damned. They might be "just horses" to people who don't follow horse racing, but both singularly and collectively they are worth millions.

What has happened in Baltimore will take years to recover from, and no one is naïve enough to believe a horse race can fix that. It certainly might provide a nice distraction though, and there is no doubt that cancelling the Preakness, or having it in some lesser way, would certainly hurt the city financially as well as emotionally.

To put it in hard numbers, researchers at the Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development found that the 2013 running of the Preakness had a significant economic impact for the state. That year, visitors taking part in the Preakness and events associated with it spent an estimated $9.8 million, which supported 149 full-time equivalent jobs. Including indirect impacts, total Preakness-related expenditures totaled $29.7 million.

Fear is an easy thing to give in to, but it appears it will not be making an appearance at this year's Preakness. Maybe that is part of the beauty of sport. It marches to the beat of its own drum, and it gives people something to look forward to, something to go do and something to enjoy.

"The city of Baltimore has always been recognized as one of the world's truly great cities, known for its beauty, cultural diversity and incredible citizens," said Sinatra.

"We truly believe great things will continue happening in Baltimore, and the Maryland Jockey Club has every intention to contribute to the city's exciting future.

"One Baltimore. Indeed."

On This Date in Sports History: Today is Monday, May 11, 2015.

Memoriesofhistory.com

1946 - Boston Braves Field hosted its first night game. The Giants beat the Braves 5-1.

1949 - The Chicago White Sox beat the Boston Red Sox 12-8. The White Sox scored in every inning.

1959 - Yogi Berra (New York Yankees) ended his streak of 148 errorless games.

1977 - Ted Turner managed an Atlanta Braves game.

1983 - President Reagan signed a proclamation making May National Amateur Baseball Month.

1985 - In Bradford, England, 56 people died when a fire engulfed the main grandstand at Bradford's soccer stadium. Over 200 were injured.

1996 - Al Leiter threw the first no-hitter in Florida Marlins history.

2003 - Rafael Palmeiro (Texas Rangers) hit his 500th career home run to become only the 19th player in baseball history to reach the mark.

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