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Sports Quote of the Day:

"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.” ~ Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Legendary Civil Rights Leader  

Trending: The 37 year drought is over. American Pharoah wins the triple crown. (See details in the horse racing section below.)

Trending: All Diehard Blackhawks' fans know that it always come back to our favorite saying below. It's never failed us and this is no exception. Let's go Hawks!!!!! 

 

How 'bout them Chicago Blackhawks? Lightning-Blackhawks Preview.

 

By Brian Hedger

 

 

The biggest subplot heading into Game 3 of the 2015 Stanley Cup Final on Monday is one that neither the Tampa Bay Lightning nor Chicago Blackhawks are willing to discuss.

Will Lightning goalie Ben Bishop start, after leaving Game 2 for undisclosed reasons, or will it be rookie Andrei Vasilevskiy?

Tampa Bay coach Jon Cooper again deflected inquiries about his goaltending situation Sunday.

"Well, in honor of the 11-year anniversary of our organization's first Stanley Cup [championship], how would John Tortorella answer that question?" Cooper said, answering a question about Bishop's health by referring to the former coach of the Lightning. "I'll just leave it at that."

Vasilevskiy made saves on all five shots he faced in his 9:13 relief appearance to help the Lightning even the series. Cooper left things wide open when asked which goalie would start.

"No, I don't, which would tell you, if I don't know, that [Bishop] could be available," Cooper said. "You'll have a better indication, I guess, [Monday] at the [morning] skate … although our morning skates are all optional anyway. [Bishop], notoriously, he goes on sometimes during them and sometimes he doesn't. I'm sure you'll get a clue then [Monday]."

The only people who don't seem that interested in the Lightning's goaltending puzzle, at least publicly, are the Blackhawks.

"We can't be concerned about their goalie," Chicago coach Joel Quenneville said Sunday. "I think it's what we have to do to make it tough on their goalies, is what we talk about. We need more traffic. We need more shots. Whoever is in net, let's get to them."

Chicago has its own personnel issues to decide. Quenneville said rookie defenseman Trevor van Riemsdyk and power forward Bryan Bickell "could play." Neither played in the first two games.

Bickell, a lineup regular, hasn't played in the series mainly because of an undisclosed upper-body injury. Quenneville said he thinks Bickell is healthy, so it will be interesting to watch Chicago's line rushes at the skate to see if he or Kris Versteeg is among the expected playing group.

Van Riemsdyk hasn't played in the NHL since Nov. 16 when he sustained a fractured patella, the first of two injuries requiring surgery this season. Should either play, it could have immediate repercussions, positive and negative.

Bickell's size and physicality could open some space for right wing Patrick Kane, who has been held off the score sheet thus far. Van Riemsdyk, who would make his Stanley Cup Playoffs debut on the NHL's biggest stage, could be considered a risk.

If he plays, veteran Brent Seabrook said simplicity would be the best approach.

"Just [try] to enjoy it," Seabrook said. "It's hockey. It's a game. They're big games, but it's just another hockey game. I don't know what else you'd say. I think you'd just sort of try to keep him calm, let him play his game. He's a great player. If he plays his game, he'll be fine."

Five Things from Hawks-Bolts Game 2: Penalties kill.

 

By Tracey Myers

 

 

The Blackhawks liked more of what they did in Game 2 against the Tampa Bay Lightning than in Game 1. The result, however, they didn’t care for so much.

 

As much as the Blackhawks had more zip at the start, they didn’t have enough finish in their 4-3 loss to the Lighting on Saturday night. They’ll take the 1-1 Stanley Cup Final split heading back to Chicago, where they host Games 3 and 4 on Monday and Wednesday, respectively. So before we head back home ourselves, let’s look at Five Things to take from the Blackhawks’ loss to the Lightning.

1. Penalties kill. Patrick Sharp had a rough four minutes early in the third period, when he was whistled for two consecutive penalties (slashing and high-sticking). The Blackhawks killed off the first penalty and were 28 seconds away from killing off the second one. But Jason Garrison’s blue-line shot got through — hitting off Andrew Desjardins, we believe — for the game-winning goal. Sharp said he apologized to the Blackhawks’ penalty killers. Coach Joel Quenneville said the Blackhawks may have been “a little tired on the latter part of the kill. We did an outstanding job on the first one and almost got through the second one.”

2. Corey Crawford “just OK.” That was Quenneville’s assessment on the Blackhawks’ starting goaltender, who was great in Game 1 but allowed one or two not-so-good ones in Game 2. The toughest one to swallow was Tyler Johnson’s goal, which bounced up and off Crawford’s back and in. Crawford will need to be better than “just OK” in Game 3.

3. Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane separate. Listen, we know everyone likes Toews and Kane together on the top line. But right now, it’s not working. The Lightning’s checking line, centered by Cedric Paquette, is shutting the duo down. Kane didn’t have a shot on goal in Game 2. By the start of the third period the two were separated. They should stay that way, because one of the league’s most dynamic duos has gone cold and needs a spark that they’re not getting together.

 

4. Memorize Andrei Vasilevskiy’s name. We’re only saying that just in case he’s Tampa Bay’s starter in Game 3. Listen, we don’t know what happened to Ben Bishop. One Montreal television outlet reported Bishop having a knee injury. Others are saying it’s just an illness. Lightning coach Jon Cooper would say nothing, as is expected in a Cup Final. So know the backup goaltender’s name just in case. We’ll practice spelling it too.

5. Be happy with the split. Let’s remember the Blackhawks weren’t that great in Game 1 and still came away with the victory — we’re paraphrasing Toews there. The Blackhawks are heading back home with this series tied 1-1, which is never a bad thing. We expect a change or two in Game 3 — well, we expect Trevor van Riemsdyk to play, at least. Also expect the Blackhawks to play their best game yet, from start to finish.

 

Lightning stave off Blackhawks in Game 2, 4-3. Even up series.

 

By Tracey Myers

 

Jonathan Toews #19 of the Chicago Blackhawks and Ryan Callahan #24 of the Tampa Bay Lightning battle for the puck. (Photo by Scott Iskowitz/Getty Images)

 

The Blackhawks felt they got away with one in Game 1, needing two goals within two minutes late in the third period to beat the Tampa Bay Lightning.

They said they wanted to be better in Game 2 and for awhile, it looked like they were. And while the Blackhawks were contributing more on offense, the Lightning were taking more at the other end.

Brent Seabrook scored his seventh goal of the postseason but Jason Garrison scored the game-winning power-play goal about five minutes later as the Lightning beat the Blackhawks, 4-3, in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final on Saturday night. The series is tied 1-1 heading to Chicago, where the Blackhawks will host Game 3 on Monday and Game 4 on Wednesday.

Corey Crawford allowed four goals on 24 shots in a performance coach Joel Quenneville said was “just OK.”

As opposed to Game 1, in which neither team had many great scoring opportunities, Game 2 was more open, more offensive-minded and came with a few surprises. The biggest shocker came in the third period when Tampa Bay goaltender Ben Bishop exited the game twice, first briefly and the second time for the rest of the game. Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped five shots in relief. Coach Jon Cooper would not discuss what happened to Bishop or the goaltender’s status going forward.   

The third period began with an expected change, when Quenneville split Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane, putting Kane back on the second line with Brad Richards and Kris Versteeg and Marian Hossa back on the top line with Toews and Brandon Saad. The Lightning had held Toews and Kane in check for five periods.

“They’re working hard, they’re playing good hockey, playing smart, defensive hockey,” Toews said of Tampa’s defense. “We just got to stay with it. I think Saad had a great chance 2-on-1 early in the game, I had a great chance where it bounced right off my stick — great set-up by Kaner — so one of those go in, maybe you’re not sitting here asking those questions as much.”

Quenneville said the Toews/Kane dismantling was more for balance.

“They had some great looks there, a couple really good quality chances in the first period, good stuff in the second. They were dangerous,” Quenneville said. “But got more balance off [the change]. We scored right away, then lost the momentum.”

The right-away score came from Seabrook, who tied the game 3-3 at the time. The momentum loss came about five minutes later when the Blackhawks were trying to kill off the Lightning’s second consecutive power play. The Lightning went on the advantage on back-to-back Patrick Sharp infractions, and Garrison got the winning goal on the second one.

“It was something I don’t think I’ve ever done that before, but it happened. Move on from it,” Sharp said. “I take responsibility and I apologized to our penalty-killers for putting them under such stress.”   Andrew Shaw and Teuvo Teravainen (power play) scored for the Blackhawks, who took a 2-1 lead on those two second-period goals before the Lightning came back with two of their own. Tyler Johnson scored his 13th goal of the postseason, a new Lightning franchise record, his shot sneaking through Crawford’s stick side.

“I definitely don’t want to give that up,” Crawford said. “He kind of fanned on his backhand, it hit the side of the net. I don’t know how it bounced up. I kind of lost it from there. But I felt something on my back. You can’t give those up in these games — two goals we just gave them and gave them the momentum back.”

The Blackhawks didn’t create much in Game 1 but they also didn’t give up much, either. In Game 2 they did both, but too much of the latter against a young, opportunistic team willing to take. Still, they split on the road and head back to the United Center, where they’ve lost once this postseason.

“Let’s keep it in perspective: it’s a good team,” Toews said. “To go home tied 1-all I don’t think is something we’re satisfied with considering the position we were in coming into tonight. [But] we’ve got to be excited, definitely, going back to our building.’’

 

Cavaliers hold on vs. Warriors in OT to win NBA Finals Game 2.

 

By Adi Joseph

 

The left-for-dead rose Sunday night in Oakland. The premature celebrations were hushed, the worst fears unconfirmed.

LeBron James had a triple-double with 39 points, 16 rebounds and 11 assists and made key free throws in the final seconds as the Cavaliers took Game 2 of the NBA Finals 95-93 in overtime vs. the Warriors. The Cavaliers are the fourth visitors all season to win at Oracle Arena, and the series now is 1-1 as it heads to Cleveland.

This game came out of nowhere. All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving’s season-ending knee injury was viewed as the final nail in the Cavs’ coffin, but it instead inspired one of their best games of the playoffs. Starting in Irving’s stead, Matthew Dellavedova was remarkably effective defending NBA MVP Stephen Curry, who finished with 19 points on 5-for-23 shooting, missing a game-winning attempt in overtime.

Cavaliers center Timofey Mozgov again proved to be a huge NBA Finals factor, finishing with 17 points and 11 rebounds and helping protect the rim.

And there was James. He topped his 44-point Game 1 effort with a more controlling and dominant performance in Game 2. James instigated the pace as Cleveland held the lead for nearly the entire second half. James’ 3-pointer with 3 minutes, 13 seconds to play gave Cleveland an 11-point lead.

Then that melted. The Warriors went on a run to close the game that seems so regular for this dominant team, which won 67 regular-season games. Curry hit the layup that tied it before James missed another isolation shot at the end of regulation, as he had in Game 1.

Overtime went similarly, with Cleveland taking a lead only to have it fall away. But Curry airballed an attempted game-winner, and James grabbed the rebound to turn a one-point lead to a three-point lead.

The Warriors had nothing but Klay Thompson before that point. The All-Star shooting guard had 34 points, but his talented teammates were nowhere to be found for most of the game. They were harassed by the physical Cavaliers and stretched out on both ends.

Game 3 is Tuesday (9 p.m. ET, ABC) at Quicken Loans Arena. And the Cavaliers may have themselves a formula to fight back.

 

Just Another Chicago Bulls Session… Fred Hoiberg thinks Bulls roster great fit for his offensive schemes.   

      

By K. C. Johnson

 

Flashing his past executive experience, new Bulls' coach Fred Hoiberg talked excitedly Tuesday about the salary cap jumping in the 2016 offseason, thanks to an infusion of TV contract money.

 

Flashing his current executive experience, Bulls general manager Gar Forman reminded all that after a busy 2014 offseason adding Pau Gasol, Nikola Mirotic, Doug McDermott and Aaron Brooks and re-signing Kirk Hinrich, this summer likely will be quiet.

 

"We certainly don't have the flexibility we've had as far as cap room in the past so, for the most part, our team will be very similar," Forman said. "We have our first-round draft pick (No. 22). We'll look at opportunities, but a lot of it will be growth within and that will be a big part of Fred's job this summer."

Hoiberg, who knows management plans to be proactive in offering Jimmy Butler a huge contract and will match any offer if Butler even gets to restricted free agency, sounds ready for the task. He spent close to two minutes on one answer when asked about how current players fit into his well-regarded offensive system.

•On Derrick Rose: "It will be great for Derrick. Derrick's obviously a guy who's at his best when he's playing downhill. If we can get the wings out running, you get that first big running to the rim, and you give Derrick space on the fast break, that's going to create a lot of opportunities. We run a lot of simple drag screens in transition with the floor spaced with shooters, where he can get in the paint and make plays. And that's where I think he's as good as anyone in the world."

•On Butler: "Jimmy's an attack player. If you can get him the ball on the run, on the move, and attacking the basket with pace, it's an ideal system for him."

•On Joakim Noah: "When you create space for him and allow him to be a passer and a playmaker, he can bust the ball up the floor after a rebound with guys who can knock down shots. We had a lot of success with that at Iowa State, using our bigs as playmakers in the open floor."

•On Pau Gasol: "Pau has ability to get up and seal in transition or go right into a drag screen and pop with his ability to shoot."

•On Taj Gibson: "He's a great defensive player and also a guy who can score with the mid-range shot and around the basket. I've always loved his ability to get out (and run)."

•On Nikola Mirotic: "When you look at that stretch he had where he led the NBA in scoring the fourth quarter, that shows a great player, not just a confident player but a clutch player."

The Bulls likely will be a luxury tax team after re-signing Butler, especially if Hinrich exercises his player option.

Hoiberg had brief mentions of McDermott and Tony Snell and everybody but Hinrich, whom he forgot after saying he hoped he didn't miss anybody. It's no matter. As a former player, Hoiberg gets it.

"I know what this league is all about, and that's the guys," Hoiberg said. "I'm here to do everything I can to support them and work with them and hopefully bring this group to where we're competing for a world championship."

Maximizing Young Players Should Be Top Priority for Fred Hoiberg.

 

By James Davis

 

Fred Hoiberg is the new head coach of the Chicago Bulls, succeeding Tom Thibodeau. (Randy Belice/Getty Images)

 

On June 2, Chicago Bulls general manager Gar Forman introduced former Iowa State Cyclones head coach Fred Hoiberg as the successor to Tom Thibodeau. The turnover took seven days and involved no reported interviews with other candidates.

 

Hoiberg inherits a winning roster and is tasked with getting a perennial playoff team to reach its championship potential. If he’s going to have a shot at accomplishing that, he has to utilize his younger guys more than the previous coach did.

This team has six players under the age of 26: Cameron Bairstow, Jimmy Butler, Doug McDermott, Nikola Mirotic, E’Twaun Moore and Tony Snell.

Butler will certainly continue to be a part of the franchise’s big picture. It is the remainder of that grouping that needs to be better integrated into the new schemes if this team is going to make the leap it is hoping to accomplish with this change in sideline leadership.

In with the New

Hoiberg’s hire signals a shift from a defense-centered premise to an offense-oriented philosophy, and the new system could benefit many of the young guys who were seldom used under Thibodeau.

Kelly Scaletta, writing for TodaysFastBreak.com, partnered with Randy Sherman to discuss how Hoiberg’s system would look with the Bulls’ player personnel.

The gist of the analysis is that next season will feature an offense that moves quicker than what fans were used to in the preceding five campaigns. There is a lot of ball movement and screens, both on and off the ball. This will greatly benefit spot-up shooters and wing players who can penetrate.

Check out Sherman’s response when Scaletta asked him about Hoiberg’s ability to get so many quality open looks:

Scaletta: 'I read that 40 percent of Iowa State’s offense comes off three-point attempts, yet still shot 36.2 percent from deep. What does he do to create so many looks?' 

Sherman: 'Two main ways: His fist action uses screen the screener action where a shooter sets a cross screen for a post player and then receives a down screen for a shot. But the main way is spacing around pick-and-rolls. The penetration created by the pick-and-roll allows for kick-outs to open shooters. Hoiberg almost always has a shooter spaced on the weak side from the ball screen.'

As noted by Scaletta, it is readily apparent that McDermott, Mirotic and Snell have a grand opportunity before them. Each of these athletes moves well without the ball and has the ability to knock down the open shot.

McDermott was acquired specifically for his shooting aptitude. He didn’t get too many run-outs during his rookie initiation but the ability surely remains and should be a regularly exploited skill.

Snell’s potential in this system is very intriguing. He has just two years under his belt but played in more than 70 games in each. His three-point percentage was a respectable 37.1 in 2014-15—a five-point increase from the year before.

Under Thibodeau, the former University of New Mexico wing got his looks running off of screens and spotting up on other players’ drives. It will be interesting to see if his output could improve under a more efficient scheme.

It seems like Mirotic could have an expanded role. It can be gleaned from Sherman’s response to Scaletta’s question about Derrick Rose and Butler’s potential under Hoiberg that skilled forwards are an asset:

Scaletta: 'One thing that’s interesting to me is that Hoiberg’s teams are elite offenses at the college level without having elite players. Would his system allow for star-caliber players like Derrick Rose and Jimmy Butler to shine?' 

Sherman: 'Butler is becoming a player who can’t help but shine for whomever is coaching him. I would anticipate frequent dribble handoffs to Butler. Hoiberg loves to use dribble handoffs to generate mismatches that become isolations for a particular player. 

'It’s with Rose that I see the most adjustments coming. Iowa State has had the nation’s leader in assist-to-turnover ratio for consecutive years – point guard Monte Morris. While Morris is a terrific player, this can be deceiving. For a point guard, Morris has a low usage rate (16.9 percent) due to Hoiberg’s point forward schemes.'

The mention of Hoiberg’s schemes utilizing point forwards is great for a player such as Mirotic. The 6’10” big possesses a litany of skills that include being able to pass and handle the ball in the open court. Add that to his rebounding ability, and it is easy to see the Montenegrin being the catalyst for a lot Chicago’s offensive happenings.

These youngsters definitely have all of the tools to play a bigger role in continuing this franchise’s winning ways. The remaining question is, does the new coach seem to know what to do with this collective talent?

Initial Forecast

Hoiberg seems cognizant of the group he is inheriting, their varying skill levels and their potential. Sam Smith of the team's official site relayed one of the Iowa native's first evaluations of his roster:

When I look at this young group, players have not only had great seasons as rookies and younger players but also a group that has great potential to be excellent players in this league.

You have former all-stars, you have current all-stars. You have players that I think could eventually become all stars. ... I’m here to do everything I can to support them, work with them and hopefully bring this group to where we’re competing for a world championship.

Hoiberg isn’t saying anything that any new coach would likely say, but his emphasis on youth and potential reveals that, on some level, he is thinking about working with and developing the less experienced talent at his disposal.

That makes sense, considering he is fresh off of a college gig. Hoiberg’s NCAA stint may give him an edge in effectively communicating with his younger cohort. Coaching these guys while maintaining the production of the established veterans is something that is bound to pay off for this franchise.

The amount of attention to be given to this subgroup doesn’t have to be exponential; a regular spot in the rotation would be more than enough. Mirotic and Snell are both accustomed to playing about 20 minutes per contest, but their usage was sporadic at times. There would be some games in which they would see five minutes of playing time and others when it would be five times that amount.

Younger players need regular court exposure. A set role with clearly defined expectations would work wonders in helping them develop a feel for the game and building confidence. Most importantly, it benefits the team’s top contributors when they know they can depend on consistent respite.

One of the most relieving bits that came out of the introductory presser was Hoiberg’s affirmation that rest is important, as recapped by Sam Highkin of ProBasketballTalk.com:

That’s very important. You want to be playing your best basketball at the right time… Maybe you have to take a day off after a tough stretch. Maybe you’re going to come down here and go through a difficult practice and you see the guys out here just dragging, then maybe you just go watch film with them and tell them to get their rest. But that is very important as far as getting the guys to play their best basketball at the right time of year…

McDermott, Mirotic and Snell are all talented enough to produce very well if utilized effectively. They will be in system that maximizes their skill set thus ensuring that the alpha dogs like Rose and Butler will be in the best possible condition when it matters the most.

The franchise still has a core than can win now, but they must also start bridging into the future. Luckily, the front office doesn’t have to search all over for those prospects. If Hoiberg can properly harness the potential of his younger players, there should be no regression in the team’s overall success.

 

Bear Down Chicago Bears!!!! Fresh mentors point to fast turnaround for Bears' defense. 

 

By John Mullin 

 

During the owners meetings this Spring in Arizona, John Fox was asked how long it would take to turn around a Bears defense that was historically bad for the past two years. The new Bears coach had faced the same question recently from the board of directors, perhaps an indication of how fed up the board had become with the miserable state of affairs in a traditional Bears strength.

Fox prefers understating and over-producing rather than premature progress prognostications but did allow, “I think it will be sooner than later.”

Expect it to be sooner.

The Bears will have available to them the built-in excuse of a complete defensive-scheme makeover and needing time to staff up appropriately for a 3-4 defense. The surprise will be if they need to use it.
 

The excuse can be that they lack 3-4 personnel. A year ago, they did. But GM Ryan Pace has spent the offseason signing and drafting personnel to staff a front seven completely different from the ones assembled by Phil Emery.

 

Indeed, even without Ray McDonald, who was a priority signing to be one of the starters anchoring the defensive line, the Bears arguably are better equipped to run the intended 3-4 of 2015 than they were to operate the 4-3 of the past two seasons. They’re certainly better coached.

They may begin 2015 with Shea McClellin or Jeremiah Ratliff as the only starters from the 2014 front seven to start 2015. Even that is far from guaranteed, and both McClellin and Ratliff would be in completely different positions from their previous assignments.

Myriad teams switching to 3-4 schemes have shown immediate improvements, without a settling-in year. The Bears should be another one of those.

For one thing, the Bears should benefit from a bit of a “sneak-up” factor; they’ll be running a defense that Green Bay, Arizona and Seattle (the first three opponents) haven’t ever seen them operate.

And even if teams have seen some film on the 3-4 Bears, “you can’t really scheme [coordinator Vic Fangio’s] defense because you really don’t know what guy is coming,” said linebacker Pernell McPhee, the key first free-agent target in the makeover. “He’s got us playing where you don’t know who’s rushing, who’s dropping.

“In Baltimore you always knew, ‘Suggs is coming’ or ‘I’m coming or dropping.’ It’s just different and more creative.”

A whole greater than the sum of the parts?

But is there really a sneak-up factor? Well, the first time the Packers and Brett Favre saw Lovie Smith’s new Bears defense (2004), they scored just 10 points and lost, the first time with that few points vs. Chicago since Favre took over in 1992. The offense of Marc Trestman may have eventually stagnated, but the Bears won their first three games under him in 2013 and averaged 32 points for their first four Trestman games. After that...

Curiously perhaps, the Bears are likely to show a greater jump in performance changing their scheme entirely than they did the last couple of times they changed coaches but stayed with the basic overall system.

Reason: The scheme may be new to the Bears but it is not new to the major additions on defense, including outside linebackers McPhee and Sam Acho. The result is more than just Fangio coaching.

“I’ve got a couple of the young guys who, every day, I’ll say, ‘If you need help, or need help with the playbook, if I can help, I will,’” McPhee said.

The Lovie Smith Bears benefited from the de facto on-field coaching of Brian Urlacher. The current Bears defense is not starting from scratch because of mentors in the midst.

“That’s kind of what I’ve been doing the last four years,” former Arizona Cardinal Acho said. “It just is a good fit.”

For perspective: Changing 4-3’s

In fact, the transition from the dysfunctional hybrid 4-3 of last season to a 3-4 this year may be less of a change than the successful one brought in a decade ago, one that even stayed within the 4-3 family tree.

When Lovie Smith brought in his version of a 4-3 in 2004, it was dramatically different from the one practiced by Dick Jauron and Greg Blache. The latters ran a two-gap system with a massive front four keeping blockers off Lance Briggs and Brian Urlacher. Smith and coordinator Ron Rivera wanted a one-gap scheme based on speed and disruption from a front four averaging more than 30 fewer pounds per man.

 

Under Smith’s system, the Bears improved from 22^nd in points allowed (21.6) in 2003 to 13^th (20.7) in 2004. But they gave up nearly 30 more yards per game in 2004 before becoming one of the NFL’s elite defenses the following couple of seasons.

The Bears stayed with the general 4-3 in 2013-14 under Mel Tucker but dropped to epic poor levels.

Successful 3-4 morph’ings

The New England Patriots went back to a 4-3 under Bill Belichick and won a Super Bowl, defeating the Seattle Seahawks, another 4-3 team.

In sharp contrast with the Bears’ suspect history with change are the improvement spikes enjoyed by teams abandoning 4-3’s and tilting toward 3-4 principles:

The Arizona Cardinals abandoned the 4-3 run by then-coordinator Ray Horton and took up the 3-4 of Todd Bowles under coach Bruce Arians. With some key players still in place (Calais Campbell, Darnell Dockett), the Cardinals leaped from 17^th in points and 12^th in yardage allowed into the top 10 in both categories.

When Dom Capers got to Green Bay in 2009, the Packers were a 4-3 team of long standing. Capers entirely retooled the defense, which went from 22^nd in points allowed (23.8) to seventh (18.6). More striking, the 20^th-ranked yardage defense jumped to No. 2.

The Packers had the obvious draft hits with No. 1 picks of B.J. Raji and Clay Matthews. But they also had in place linebackers Nick Barnett and A.J. Hawk, as well as defensive linemen Cullen Jenkins, Johnny Jolly and Ryan Pickett, all of whom transitioned seamlessly to a 3-4. Raji did not crack the No. 1 line, starting just one game in 2009.

The Indianapolis Colts changed to a 3-4 when Chuck Pagano took over from Jim Caldwell in 2012. The improvement was modest, but was noteworthy in that veteran 4-3 ends Dwight Freeney (age 32) and Robert Mathis (31) took their hands off the ground and functioned effectively as 3-4 edge rushers at relatively late points in their careers (see: Allen, Jared).

Ultimately, however, neither Fox nor Fangio buy into there being cataclysmic differences in schemes. The same basics still apply and time in the system doesn’t strike them as critical.

“Football is football,” Fangio said. “3-4, 4-3, it’s still seven guys up front, it’s just how you organize it and the mechanics of it. So I don’t think the experience is a big thing. A defensive lineman playing the 3-technique in our defense is very similar to what they do in a 4-3. So experience helps but it’s not the ultimate.”

Cubs could think big by making Kyle Schwarber their DH.

 

By Patrick Mooney

 

This would be outside-the-box thinking for the Cubs, an aggressive move to get a big left-handed bat in the lineup: Kyle Schwarber, designated hitter.

It could all be lining up for Schwarber, the No. 4 overall pick out of Indiana University at this time last year. The hard-edged catcher is dominating at Double-A Tennessee (1.033 OPS), putting himself on the fast track to at least become a September call-up.

Beginning Tuesday in Detroit, the Cubs will play seven games in 13 days in American League stadiums. Manager Joe Maddon doesn’t know what moves are coming next until he breaks it all down with president of baseball operations Theo Epstein.

But the idea of Schwarber – who’s hitting .326 with 12 homers and 37 RBI through 51 games and getting on base almost 45 percent of the time – has to be tempting.
 

Will Schwarber’s name be in the conversation?

“He could be,” Maddon said before Sunday’s 6-3 win at Nationals Park. “I would think (so). Based on what he’s done, it would make sense that he would be. But, again, I don’t know what we’re willing to do.

“I just try to do my job, and if the guys think that’s the right thing to do, then I would be on board with it.”

The Cubs already strengthened their roster by activating veteran outfielder Chris Denorfia and optioning Matt Szczur to Triple-A Iowa. The numbers also suggest the Cubs may not need three left-handers in the bullpen against a Tigers lineup that can handle lefties (.764 OPS).

The Cubs are preparing for those two interleague games at Comerica Park and will be traveling to Cleveland and Minnesota next week. A player optioned to Iowa would have to spend 10 days in the minors before becoming eligible to be called up again (barring injury).

“I am going to talk to Theo about all of this,” Maddon said. “You got that window of opportunity. If you want to do something, there it is.

“It’s a perfect window of opportunity. If you want to manipulate, there it is.”

The Cubs are also confident Schwarber will be a long-term answer at catcher, so there could be benefits to giving him more exposure to Miguel Montero, David Ross and the team’s game-planning system.

Sooner or later, Schwarber will join a talented young core that already includes Anthony Rizzo, Kris Bryant, Starlin Castro and Addison Russell.

“I don’t want to just get a look at him,” Rizzo said. “I want someone – if they’re going to get called up – to stay up. But those at-bats are important in the minor leagues. It’s proven over track records of guys getting a certain amount of at-bats. I know he’s doing well, but he hasn’t hit the dog days of summer yet. Your first full season professionally can get to you a little bit.

“But it’s whoever can help this team, whether it’s someone off the streets or one of our top prospects.”

Jeff Samardzija, White Sox blow early lead in loss to Tigers.

By Dan Hayes

 

The White Sox couldn’t add on to a Sunday lead and Jeff Samardzija and his defense didn’t hang on to it, either.

Instead of earning what could have been a nice series victory over the slumping Detroit Tigers, the White Sox blew a three-run advantage and lost 6-4 in front of 29,059 at U.S. Cellular Field.

Samardzija allowed six runs, including three on two sixth-inning homers, as the White Sox dropped to five games below .500. Avisail Garcia had a three-run homer in the team’s second straight loss as the White Sox finished with six hits, including only one over the final four innings.

“Obviously no one’s happy,” said Samardzija, who has given up at least five runs in five of 12 starts. “We’ve got to win those games. I put that on myself. Get four runs, you’ve got to take advantage of that and hold them to less than that and get the win.”

This wasn’t entirely on Samardzija as his defense gave away at least one run, if not two.
 

But Samardzija had no answers for the middle of the Tigers lineup in the sixth inning as a two-run lead quickly turned into a 5-4 deficit. The right-hander looked as if he had found an escape hatch in the sixth when he erased an Ian Kinsler leadoff single by inducing a 6-4-3 double play off the bat of Miguel Cabrera.

But a 1-0 offering from Samardzija caught enough of the plate for Yoenis Cespedes to hit an opposite-field solo shot to cut the White Sox lead to 4-3. Tyler Collins, who went 3-for-3 with an RBI, singled and J.D. Martinez blasted a cut-fastball out to center. Cespedes singled in an insurance run past the dive of Conor Gillaspie in the eighth off Samardzija, who gave up 10 hits in 7 1/3 innings.

Samardzija also surrendered another first-inning run on a two-out single by Collins. And Garcia’s misplay of a Collins hit in the fourth -- he slipped and turned a single into a triple -- helped Detroit cut it to 4-2 on a Martinez single.

“For the most part (Samardzija) has been stronger as the game goes on,” White Sox manager Robin Ventura said. “He gets through those first couple innings and he seems to be able to usually put it away. This one, I think we gave them an early opportunity with the ball in right field and you give away little things like that and the home runs end up hurting you. 

“This is a tough lineup and they got him.”

The White Sox got to Detroit starter Alfredo Simon early but never put the game out of reach despite several chances.

Trailing 1-0 in the first, they took advantage of a Cabrera error as Garcia crushed a three-run homer with two outs to pull ahead. An inning later, Adam Eaton had a two-out RBI triple to push the lead to three runs.

But the White Sox ran into a pair of outs in the fourth inning as Geovany Soto, who doubled, was cut down at third on Carlos Sanchez fielder’s choice. Sanchez was then caught stealing to end the inning.

Eaton doubled to start the fifth but advanced no further as Simon retired Melky Cabrera, Jose Abreu and LaRoche in order.

“He had his plan from the beginning and he executed very well,” Abreu said through an interpreter. “In the first two or three innings some pitches were up in the zone, but then he made an adjustment and he did well.”

Simon set down the final 12 batters he faced, allowing four runs (one earned) and five hits in eight innings. He struck out seven.

Though Simon was effective, Ventura said he had help, pointing to the offense’s effort in the fifth after Eaton’s double.

“He was just good down in the zone, getting guys to chase,” Ventura said. “Not a lot of real good swings after that. We have to be better and probably more selective. Any time you’re throwing up that many zeroes late, he just shut us down and you have to be a little more selective and make things happen, but you have to capitalize. I think we had Eaton leading off with a double and didn’t get anything out of it. “Those always seem to come back and bite you.”

 

Golf: I got a club for that: Lingmerth downs Rose in Memorial playoff.

 

AFP

 

David Lingmerth of Sweden (L) shakes hands with Justin Rose of England after winning The Memorial Tournament at Muirfield Village Golf Club on June 7, 2015 in Dublin, Ohio (AFP Photo/Sam Greenwood)

Sweden's David Lingmerth downed Justin Rose with a par at the third playoff hole on Sunday to win his first US PGA Tour title at the Memorial.

Hours after 14-time major champion Tiger Woods wrapped up the worst-scoring tournament of his career with a lonely final round, Lingmerth and Rose took the tournament hosted by Jack Nicklaus the distance and beyond.

Both twice parred the 18th in the playoff before moving to the 10th for the third hole of sudden death. Lingmerth found the fairway while Rose was in the right rough, the 2010 Memorial winner from England firing out through the green and into the gallery.

His chip left him 17 feet to the cup, while Lingmerth was on the green in two.

The Swede two-putted from 42 feet -- draining his four-footer for par to seal the win.

"I was pretty calm and collected for the most part," said Lingmerth, who had missed the cut in four of his prior five tournaments.

"My heart did start beating a little harder once I got over that final putt to close it out. But other than that, I think I handled myself pretty well."

Lingmerth and Rose finished regulation tied on 15-under 273, Lingmerth closing with a three-under par 69.

Rose shook off an errant shot from a bunker that struck a spectator at the final hole of regulation, hanging on to make par and complete a 72 and force the playoff.

It was all of a piece with his late round -- a bogey at 16 that saw him fall out of a share of the lead before he curled in a 10-footer at 17 to regain it.

"It was definitely a tricky day," Rose said.

Italian Francesco Molinari, who led early and shared the lead through 15 holes, saw his challenge fade with a double bogey at 17. He carded a 71 for 275 that left him tied for third with Masters champion Jordan Spieth, whose 65 was the low round of the day.

Lingmerth and Rose returned to 18 to open the playoff, where Rose's long par putt made a sharp left turn at the cup to drop, and Lingmerth holed a 10-footer to match him.

Lingmerth got up and down from a bunker to match Rose's par at the second playoff hole -- also 18.

Woods was long gone before the playoff drama unfolded, having teed off alone as the last-placed player in the field of 71 in the wake of his career worst 85 in the third round.

He posted a two-over 74 on Sunday that included playing the last two holes in three-over par with a bogey at 17 and a double bogey at the last.

The five-time winner of the Memorial finished with a 14-over par total of 302, his highest 72-hole total ever.

- Woods plays 'all out' -

Woods, the 14-time major champion who has plunged to 172nd in the world, said he tried to approach the round like any other.

"Just because I'm in last place doesn't change how I play golf," he said. "Whether it's the first day or last day doesn't matter -- play all out."

Woods moved as low as three-under for his round with a birdie at 11, but as in the earlier rounds, the closing holes at Muirfield Village undid him.

He has two weeks to regroup before the US Open at Chambers Bay south of Seattle.

"Hopefully in two weeks' time, things will be a lot better and I'll be ready to try to win a US Open," Woods said.

Weekend Tiger Watch: Headlines from the Memorial Golf Tournament this Week.............. There's only one way left for Tiger to go and that's up..............

Tiger Woods humbled, but not in panic, over his 85.

Woods caps woeful Memorial with final-round 74.

Woods shoots career-worst round of 85.

The new standard for Tiger: Weekend golf.

Jack Nicklaus: Only Tiger Woods can fix Tiger Woods.

Faldo says Tiger's problems more mental than physical.

Reuters; By Andrew Both, editing by Gene Cherry

Tiger Woods’ deterioration on the golf course is a result of mental gremlins more than anything physical, six times major winner Nick Faldo said on Saturday after Woods shot a career-worst round of 85.

“For me, this has been going on a while,” Faldo, now an analyst, said on Golf Channel after Woods finished 13-over for the third round at the Memorial tournament in Ohio.

“Three Masters ago, I was on the (practice) range watching Tiger hit beautiful fades and draws. He was hitting the ball fabulously. (Then) he walks to the first tee, two snap hooks.

“From that day on, I thought to myself, he’s not comfortable, he’s starting to fear shots. When you are fearing a shot before you hit it, we’re all in serious trouble.”

Woods’ score at Muirfield Village was not exactly out of the blue. Four months ago he shot an 11-over 82 at the Phoenix Open, his short game in disarray and his long game not much better.

However, he found some form in time for the Masters, finishing a respectable equal 17th.

But he clearly he has not solved his problems.

Faldo said Woods was still searching for a swing fix during a practice round this week accompanied by coach Chris Como.

“One of the players playing a practice round with Tiger heard him (Woods) say four times (to Como) ‘OK, what am I trying now’.

"So they are just searching. It just doesn’t look right.”

Woods, 39, began working with Como last year after spending four years with Sean Foley.

He has not won a major since the 2008 U.S. Open, but did win five times on the PGA Tour in 2013.

His personal life has also been tumultuous the past six years. In 2009, the revelation of multiple affairs led to a divorce from Elin Nordegren the following year.

Woods began dating Olympic ski champion Lindsey Vonn in 2012, but they broke up recently.

He is at an age when a gradual decline on the golf course might be expected with multiple injuries perhaps contributing to his problems, but his downfall has been stunning.

As Faldo said: “This is a sledgehammer to the side of the head. Tiger is going to walk away saying to himself, what am I going to do next? How do I pull this back. I’m not too sure he much can handle all of this.”

 

NASCAR: Jersey Boy: Martin Truex Jr. breaks through, wins at Pocono. 

By Jerry Bonkowski
 

 

(Getty Images)

 

After so many close finishes this season, Martin Truex Jr. finally roared into Victory Lane – and most likely into the Chase for the Sprint Cup on Sunday.

Truex earned his third career Cup win and first since Sonoma in 2013 by capturing the Axalta “We Paint Winners” 400 at Pocono Raceway.

As he had in the previous three races, Truex led the most laps in Sunday’s race (97 of 160). But in this case, Truex was not to be denied and became the 10th driver to win a race in the Cup series this season.

“It feels unbelievable,” Truex told Fox Sports 1. “I knew we were going to get one. Everyone kept asking when are you going to get one. I knew we were going to win. I knew we had the team and what it took. I feel that I’m on Cloud Nine right now.”

Truex, a native of Mayetta, N.J., about two hours away from Pocono, has endured a rough time of it for the last 18 months, both on the track as well as girlfriend Sherry Pollex’s battle with ovarian cancer.

“The last year and a half have been pretty tough, but this feels real good,” Truex said.

The win marks the 13th time Truex has finished in the top 10 this season in 14 races. Twelve races remain until the start of the Chase for the Sprint Cup.

It also was the first career Sprint Cup win for new crew chief Cole Pearn.

Points leader Kevin Harvick gave Truex a good battle but finished second.

“After all he and Sherry have gone through, if you’re going to lose to somebody today, (Truex) is a good person to lose to,” Harvick said on Fox Sports 1 after the race.

Jimmie Johnson finished third, followed by Joey Logano and pole-sitter Kurt Busch.
Sixth through 10th were Matt Kenseth, Jamie McMurray, Kyle Larson, Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin.

How Truex won: With one of the stronger cars of the day, Truex knew the best way to win would be to dominate the race. He did just that, leading 97 of the 160 laps. He led four different times, the last one being for the final 27 laps and 66 of the last 67 laps en route to the checkered flag.

Who else had a good day: Kevin Harvick gave it all he could, but just couldn’t catch Truex in the final 27 laps. Harvick now has 10 top-2 finishes in the first 14 races, tying a record held by NASCAR Hall of Famer Bobby Allison. … Jimmie Johnson was looking for his fifth win of the season, but was happy to finish third. It wasn’t easy, though, as Johnson made contact in the second half of the race but battled back. … Pole sitter Kurt Busch fell back after the first lap, but remained in the top 10 for much of the race, rallying to finish fifth.

Who had a bad day: Danica Patrick was having a strong run, in 11th place, when she wrecked from an apparent flat tire with 26 laps remaining. While her crew repaired her car, Patrick again spun onto pit road with 7 laps left. She ultimately finished 37th. … Both drivers for Richard Petty Motorsports had bad days: Aric Almirola (finished last due to a blown engine) and Sam Hornish Jr. (finished 41st due to a wreck) both failed to finish. … With 20 laps remaining, AJ Allmendinger and Ryan Newman were running for sixth place when they made contact and wrecked. … A blown tire cost Paul Menard a strong finish. He was running strong when the mishap occurred. He finished 31st, two laps down. … Tony Stewart continues to struggle, finishing 21st.

Notable: Furniture Row Racing owner Barney Visser decided Sunday morning not to fly from Denver to Pocono. He’s probably kicking himself now, given that his driver went on to win. … To show how much Truex means to those in the NASCAR family, as well as for what he and Sherry Pollex have gone through, Fox announcer Mike Joy choked up in happiness at Truex’ victory. … Next Sunday’s race at Michigan will be the last before an off-weekend on June 21. However, the Nationwide Series will race that same weekend at Chicagoland Speedway.

Quote of the day: “I’m just happy for him. I know he’s been through a lot of stuff inside and outside the car the last several years. He’s in a good opportunity with a good people. He has a team that believes in him. … They continue to get better. Martin’s in a good situation. It’s real refreshing.” – Dale Earnhardt Jr., one of Truex’s best friends, who finished 11th in Sunday’s race.

What’s next: Quicken Loans 400, June 14, Michigan International Speedway.

NASCAR Chairman Brian France hints at rule changes for 2016.

By Dustin Long

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Axalta 'We Paint Winners' 400.

 

While a NASCAR official stated last month that next season’s rules package could be similar to this season’s package, NASCAR Chairman Brian France hinted at changes during an interview Sunday with Fox Sports 1.

Asked about the the current rules package and if he anticipated more rule changes for next year, France told FS1: “Well, we’re not done yet. That’s the number one thing. I realize it’s easy to say, ‘Well, stay where you are. Things were pretty good.’ But our job is to make the better and have closer, tighter racing, where some teams that don’t have the budget of the size of some of the bigger teams have a better shot to win and compete. That’s what we’re trying to do.

“Are we happy? We’re never happy because whatever package that we come with, the drivers and teams are trying to game that package and gain an advantage on that. That’s what they do. They’re great at it. But my sense of it is we’ll be coming with some things that just keep marching toward our goal of tighter, closer, lower-cost racing, and that’s what our fans want.”

France also talked to FS1 and reporters at Pocono about the new drivers council and NASCAR’s first meeting with the group last weekend at Dover (France was not in the meeting).

“The first thing is we’ve been doing a lot of that in the last four or five years anyway,” France told Fox Sports 1. “We’ve got an OEM council, we meet with the car manufacturers, we have track meetings that we didn’t have before, we have owner meetings that we didn’t have before.  So, needless to say, the most important stakeholder in our sport, besides our fans, are our drivers. That’s a good thing for us to hear in a more formal setting some of the things that are on their mind. It was a good meeting. It was a good discussion.”

Asked what drivers are specifically talking to NASCAR about and what they’re asking for, France told Fox Sports 1: “They just can’t agree. They can’t agree because they’re competing with one another, and so what feels good to one driver in terms of the style of racing doesn’t feel as good to another.

“More downforce, less downforce, more grip, less grip. All those things they may agree while they’re sort of talking quietly, but once they get with us, it’s ‘Whoa, don’t do that. Do this. Do that.’ We make the decision on what’s good for everybody but we need their input. That’s what the council and the better collaboration is (for) because whatever decision we make, we can’t get enough good information.”

Hamilton delighted with much needed win in Canada.

By Luke Smith

(Getty Images)

Lewis Hamilton made no secret of his relief after bouncing back from two defeats to win the Canadian Grand Prix on Sunday in Montreal.

Hamilton dominated the race at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, only losing the lead when he pitted for fresh tires as he left Mercedes teammate and title rival Nico Rosberg trailing in second place.

In the past month, Hamilton had seen his lead at the top of the drivers’ championship fall from 27 points to just ten, with his defeat in Monaco being particularly bitter given that it was a result of a strategic error in the final stages of the race.

Speaking on the podium after the race, Hamilton admitted that it was a much-needed victory in light of his recent results.

“Did I need this?” Hamilton asked the crowd under the podium, receiving cheers in reply.

“I think so. Just a big thank you to all the fans here today. Every time we come here we always get the greatest support from all the fans. I take my hat off to you guys.”

Hamilton was constantly managing the car’s setup throughout the race, and continued to lift and coast before braking even on the final lap of the race.

The Briton explained how he did not feel entirely comfortable with the car, but still felt that he had enough pace in hand that he was always in control.

“I didn’t feel I had the most comfortable balance,” Hamilton said. “I generally had a lot of understeer, I never really felt too much under pressure.

“Nico was quick, but I felt like I always had it under control. I had time in my pocket to be able to put it out if I needed to. It was a great race, I don’t know how it was to watch. It felt like it was intense, I really enjoyed it.”

Hamilton now heads to the Red Bull Ring in Austria in two weeks’ time with a 17 point lead at the top of the standings, leaving Rosberg with plenty of work to do during the five-race run in Europe.

FIFA Women's World Cup Canada. 2015 Score Summary. 6 June - 5 July, 2015.

Saturday 6 June 2015

Group A

Canada 1
China PR 0

New Zealand 0
Canada 1

Sunday 7 June 2015

Group B

Norway 4
Thailand 0

Germany 10
Côte d'Ivoire 0

 

SOCCER: Orlando City takes advantage of Fire's two own goals for win 3-2.

 

Associated Press

 

 

Cyle Larin tied it for Orlando City in the 82nd minute and the Chicago Fire's Adailton netted his second own goal of the game 4 minutes later to complete Orlando City's 3-2 comeback victory Saturday night.

Larin, who entered as a substitute in the 66th minute, scored the late equalizer on a hooking blast from outside the box - the rookie's fifth goal in nine games. 

Carlos Rivas then sent in the cross in the 86th minute and that forced Adailton's defensive blunder and gave Orlando City (4-5-5) the decisive goal. 

 

David Accam gave Chicago (4-7-2) a 2-1 lead with a right-footed strike in the 57th minute, and Kennedy Igboananike put the Fire in front early with the opening goal in the ninth minute. 
 

Adailton's first own goal tied it for Orlando City 1-1 in the 40th minute. It was a helpless deflection after Fire goalkeeper John Busch's punched the ball off Adailton while trying to save Sean St. Ledger's header. 
 

Barcelona celebrates 5th European Cup with parade for fans.

 

By JOSEPH WILSON 

 

Thousands of Barcelona's fans flocked to the city center on Sunday to celebrate with their team a day after it won its fifth European Cup and completed a historic treble of titles.
 

Having already won the Spanish league and Copa del Rey trophies, Barcelona became the first team to complete a sweep of the Champions League and its two main domestic competitions in the same season on two separate occasions.

Barcelona first achieved the rare feat in 2009.
 

Festivities ran through the night as thousands of Barcelona fans gathered near the city's main square after the team's 3-1 victory over Juventus.
 

On their return from Berlin, Xavi Hernandez and Andres Iniesta carried the large, elephant-eared trophy down the steps from Barcelona's chartered plane at El Prat airport.
 

Lionel Messi and the rest of Barcelona's talented team were then whisked to an open-top bus, which paraded them through the Catalan capital.
 

The three trophies won this season sat on the top of the bus with the players and coaching staff, who ate pizza before setting off on the slow trip through the city under the late afternoon sun. They waved, took photos and shot confetti into the crowd lining the streets.
 

The team was scheduled to continue the party at the Camp Nou. The club said the 67,000 free tickets for the event have already been snatched up.

 

On Saturday, Barcelona beat Juventus on goals from Ivan Rakitic, Luis Suarez and Neymar, with Alvaro Morata scoring from the Italian champions.  

 

Barcelona, which last year failed to win a major title for the first time in six seasons, has returned to the summit of European football under first-year coach Luis Enrique. It has now won Europe's top-tier competition four times in the past decade.
 

Sunday's headline for Madrid-based sports paper AS said ''Era Renewed,'' while Barcelona-based sports dailies El Mundo Deportivo and Sport both splashed ''TriChampions'' across their front pages.
 

Barcelona's bus was decked out in the club's burgundy and blue colors, a massive photo of the team and the motto ''Champions. A second treble. We continue making history.''
 

Xavi began the parade propped on the back edge of the bus with a red-and-yellow Catalan flag draped over his shoulders. After 17 seasons, the 35-year-old midfielder is leaving Barcelona with a club record of 25 titles and 767 appearances, and a Champions League milestone of 151 appearances.

NCAAFB: College coach delays $100K raise to pay cost of attendance to players.

By Jerry Hinnen

 

Rick Stockstill says he understands MTSU is in a 'tight place.' (USATSI)

 
It won't be easy for schools like Middle Tennessee State to pay for the same cost-of-attendance stipends being put into place by the Power Five conferences. But at least Blue Raiders coach Rick Stockstill is trying to ease the financial pain as much as he can.

The Murfreesboro Daily News-Journal reported Thursday that Stockstill has asked for and received a revised contract that delays paying him a planned $100,000 raise in his salary until Dec. 31, 2018. Stockstill's original contract had scheduled the raise for the 2015 season.

Stockstill said he asked to delay the raise specifically so the school could pay for cost-of-attendance scholarships, along with potential facilities upgrades.

"I went to [MTSU athletics director] Chris [Massaro] at the end of the season," Stockstill said. "I knew financially we were going to be in a tight place with cost of attendance and everything else going on ...

"I came up with this deal, and I said don't pay me the $100,000 raise the first four years, so I'm saving $400,000 to get us through cost of attendance and to where, hopefully, we can get the facilities that we need to compete with everybody else in these next few years."

Stockstill's salary will instead remain at $721,000 until the 2019 raise. The new contract did provide an extension from 2012 to 2023.

Conference USA schools announced in February the league would allow -- though not require -- its schools to offer cost-of-attendance scholarships in the wake of the Power Five officially moving forward with the stipends in January.

College coaches want the NBA and NBA wants them.

 

By Dana O'Neil

 

For years, while one 18-year-old after another was deemed fit and ready for the rigors of the NBA, the grown men who coached them were deemed unsuitable for the pro game.

Too controlling, too accustomed to being the centerpiece of the program or historically lousy at making the transition, college coaches remained an untapped pool of candidates.

And then two years ago, the Boston Celtics stunned everyone by hiring college wunderkind Brad Stevens from Butler to lead their storied franchise.

Last month, the Oklahoma City Thunder, one year away from Kevin Durant's free agency, tabbed Florida coach Billy Donovan. On Tuesday, the Chicago Bulls, a week removed from their playoff exodus, announced the hiring of Iowa State's Fred Hoiberg.

So what gives? Why are college coaches, once considered risky hires, more attractive to NBA general managers? Equally compelling, what's making the pro game so much more appealing to seemingly made-for-college lifers?

And maybe most important, is this the beginning of a trend, or are these simply three unique individual cases?

"For me, Brad Stevens should have been a trend by himself,'' said one NBA GM. "This was a light year [in the hiring cycle]. Next year, there may be seven or eight openings. They've got to come from somewhere, and this is a copycat league. If David Blatt wins the Finals, you may see more guys from Europe being hired. Or if Billy and Fred have success, teams will be going one of those two ways. Retread NBA coaches are going to be far less attractive moving forward.''

If being the biggest word in that entire quote.

The notion that college coaches couldn't succeed at the pro level wasn't built on a hunch, but on results. Of the last eight coaches to move into the pro ranks, only two -- John Calipari and P.J. Carlesimo -- took their teams to the playoffs. None lasted more than four years.

Yet each -- Calipari, Carlesimo, Rick Pitino, Lon Kruger, Tim Floyd, Mike Montgomery, Reggie Theus and Leonard Hamilton -- were wildly successful in the college ranks before and/or after their NBA runs. Calipari, for example, took UMass to a Final Four, and then took over the New Jersey Nets. His crash -- New Jersey won just 72 games in his three seasons -- was so epic, he needed to rehabilitate his image and his resume as a one-year assistant with Larry Brown before getting hired at Memphis.

Since then, he's led the Tigers to another Final Four and Kentucky to three more plus a national championship. Now, he's headed to the Hall of Fame. Carlesimo, meanwhile, was dubbed the "Coach of the Century" at Seton Hall before leaving for the Portland Trail Blazers. He's held three NBA head-coaching gigs (and one interim) in all, but none more than three seasons, let go each time for failing to win. So, the theory went, it must be them.

College coaches were too tightly wound for a player-centric league, too used to putting their fingerprints on every decision to succeed as middlemen between the front office and the huddle. That argument, though, overlooked one critical bit of information: College coaches were routinely handed lousy jobs, inheriting teams bogged down by losing or rife with dysfunction. Of those eight coaches, only Floyd, who went to the Bulls from Iowa State, took over a team with a winning record. But he came to Chicago on the heels of the Bulls' epic breakup.

"I reiterated to Billy, the mistakes that college coaches make is they take bad jobs and then they get branded they can't coach in the pros,'' said Pitino, who left a successful, high-profile gig at Kentucky for an unsuccessful, high-profile Celtics job nearly 20 years ago. "If you go to the pros, you have to make sure you do what Phil Jackson did -- go where you can win.''

Donovan and Hoiberg, though, take over franchise winners. Oklahoma City, stymied by injuries, finished 45-37 this year but a season ago reached the conference finals; the Bulls finished 50-32 and made the conference finals before parting last week with coach Tom Thibodeau.

Stevens didn't inherit the same direct success, but he did get the winningest franchise in NBA history, one just five years removed from an NBA championship.

They should win. And should they win, general managers might be more enticed to look to the college ranks.

 "There is no doubt that these guys can help dispel that notion -- which was unfounded -- that college guys can't make the adjustment to the NBA,'' another NBA GM said. "In many ways, they are more equipped. But you have to find the right ones. I'd much rather hire a college coach who has had success than an NBA guy who has been mediocre and has had opportunity after opportunity.''

It's not as if NBA teams haven't at least shopped in the college store already.

UConn's Kevin Ollie is an automatic addition to virtually any and every coaching candidate list. Calipari is a popular name, too. Villanova's Jay Wright was at least intriguing to the 76ers six years ago. And, in 2010, Michigan State's Tom Izzo went through a protracted tap dance with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Multiple sources have said the Celtics weren't the first to make overtures at Stevens, either.

How Stevens, Donovan and Hoiberg fare, though, could cut two ways. Should they succeed, more college guys, encouraged by their peers, might be less apprehensive to make the jump. Two years ago, Kansas' Bill Self started a huge tempest when he candidly answered that the NBA at least intrigued him. Odds are, he's not alone.

"I talk to people all the time, on Nike trips, traveling around, and I do think there are more guys who would be interested, many who actually are interested,'' Carlesimo said. "With Brad and now Billy, it's definitely on people's radars now.''

Talk to any college basketball coach, and they will say virtually the same thing about their job -- they love coaching basketball, but they hate the college basketball business. With its myriad of off-court obligations -- from alumni and development functions to endless recruiting to the seedier underbelly of the sport -- it wears people out.

"One thing here, the workload is heavy but it's different,'' Donovan said. "The workload is dealing with the team, making the team better. It's basketball. You have a chance to coach in the summer league, to go to different places and work with your players. It's a lot of work, but it's more basketball work.''

Stevens, a basketball tinkerer, was attracted to the intellectual freedom the pro game allowed.

"The people I met in the NBA, the ones with the front office and especially the coaches, were able to spend a lot of time evaluating the game, thinking about the game,'' he said.

Each, however, cautioned that there is no cookie-cutter answer to why a coach leaves and each reiterated how difficult and deeply personal their own decisions were.

In 2007, Donovan memorably accepted and then rejected the NBA life, taking the Orlando Magic job only to turn it down immediately after. With hindsight, he says now that he wasn't ready because he felt like there was both more he could do at Florida and more that he owed the school -- mostly stability and continuity.

But now, after 19 years, his thinking has changed. Donovan left because he felt like he had done everything that he could do as a college coach. Though he could have stayed in Gainesville for as long as he wanted, at only 50 years old, he feared complacency more than he welcomed comfort.

"Do you look back and say you didn't try to take on a different challenge, or do you grow in a different way?" Donovan said. "Choosing comfort, familiarity, that's always easy to do. But I wanted to stretch myself.''

After taking Butler to back-to-back Final Fours, Stevens had his pick of the college litter, seemingly cementing himself as a Bulldog lifer each time he turned down a bigger brand-name job.

And so when the Celtics announced his hiring, it was out-of-left-field stunning. He was not, he said, at all soured on the college game. Like Donovan, he made the move to challenge himself.

"The allure for me was just the opportunity to see what it's like to coach against the very best of the best,'' he said.

Hoiberg is the anomaly among the trio -- his head-coaching experience is all in the college game, but his background is really in the NBA. He spent 10 years as a player in the league and two more as an assistant GM with the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Four consecutive NCAA tournaments has clouded the memory, but when Hoiberg was hired at Iowa State, more than a few people wondered if athletic director Jamie Pollard was making a mistake, foolishly allowing sentiment for a native son to overshadow a lack of obvious coaching savvy. Now, regardless of his resume, he is just another ex-college coach trying to make a go of it in the NBA. Will he, along with Billy Donovan and Brad Stevens, be trendsetters or, the latest in a long list of flops?

 

Serena Williams fends off late comeback to win 20th Grand Slam title.

 

By Danielle Elliott

 

(Photo by Dan Istitene/Getty Images)

 

There are few accolades missing from Serena Williams' resume. She's won all of the Grand Slam events at least twice, most of them at least five times. She's dominated women's tennis for nearly 15 years. But she'd never won the Australian Open and the French Open in the same year. Until now. 

Williams marked that one off her list on Saturday, defeating Lucie Safarova 6-3, 6-7, 6-2 to claim her third French Open title. This is her 20th Grand Slam title, placing her two tournaments shy of Open-era leader Steffi Graf. 

 

The path to this title pushed her harder than most of her previous 19. She had to win four three-set matches in the earlier rounds, something she has not had to do at a major since she was 17. She said playing back-to-back-to-back three-setters was borderline "unprofessional" for someone of her caliber. 

Fittingly, she needed a third set to take the crown on Saturday. 

She'd also said she was more sick than she'd ever been, worn out by a flu that has spread to at least four other players and several members of the media during the fortnight in Paris. Yet every time Williams seemed to be on the brink of defeat, she rallied back.

On Saturday, there was never a hint of illness. This was her match to lose, and she came out firing. The first set looked almost clinical, Williams needing only 17 minutes to build a 4-1 lead. She built a 4-1 lead again in the second, victory seeming imminent. NBC's Mary Carillo left the announcer's booth, heading down to the court level to conduct the celebratory post-match interview. 

But Safarova, the 28-year-old Czech playing in her first Grand Slam final, was not about to go down without a fight. She rallied to win four straight points, building a 5-4 lead. Both breaks came on a Williams double fault. Trailing 4-5, Williams held serve to even the match at 5-all, then broke Safarova to regain control. Now, surely, it was over. 

Serving for the win and her 20th title, Williams shanked a forehand into the net at 30-30, giving Safarova the break point opportunity. Safarova converted with a backhand winner down the line. Six-all. Not over yet.

Safarova pumped her fist triumphantly. The underdog carried that momentum into the tiebreak, jumping out to a 3-0 lead and eventually taking it, 7-2, and forcing a final set. Carillo returned to the booth.

When Safarova opened the third set with a break, then held serve for the 2-0 lead, it was clear that Williams was going to need to dig deeper, to find some sort of inspiration to get out of this unexpected mess. After evening the set at 2-all, Williams could be heard screaming "What are you doing?" at herself between points. She held serve again to take the 3-2 advantage. On the changeover, she let loose several expletives, earning a warning for an "audible obscenity." 

Her words seemed to work. Her intensity level peaked as she broke Safarova to take the 4-2 lead. Carillo wondered out loud if she should be moving back downstairs. Williams held serve. 5-2. At 40-0, with a triple-break-point, triple-match-point opportunity, Williams let out her loudest roar of the day. 

As the final point went her way, Williams raised both hands. She let her racket drop from her grip. Her smile was tight, controlled, a far cry from the joyous, jubilant expression she displays after most of her U.S. Open and Australian Open wins. This one did not come easy. 

This was the eighth time Williams has had to play a deciding set in a Grand Slam final. She's now a perfect 8-0. Safarova's title hopes are not completely diminished – she will play for the women's doubles title with partner Bethanie Mattek-Sands on Sunday. 

Williams has now won the last three Grand Slams. She's the first woman to win the first two Grand Slam events in the same year since Jennifer Capriati did so in 2001. The last woman to win all four slams in the same year is Graf, who did so in 1988.

Stan Wawrinka defeats Novak Djokovic in French Open final.

By Jason Butt

Stan Wawrinka celebrates a point en route to his second Grand Slam title. (Getty Images)

Much like he had all match, Stan Wawrinka relied on his backhand when he needed it most.

After a hard-hit first serve that forced a weak return from Novak Djokovic, the world's No. 1 player, the eighth-seeded Swiss native used his one-handed backhand to drive the ball down the line for a winner, capturing his first-ever French Open championship in the process.

Wawrinka won in four sets, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-4.

This is Wawrinka's second-ever grand slam title as he also won the 2014 Australian Open, a win many downplayed due to Rafael Nadal's injuries that day. No one will doubt Wawrinka's brilliant performance on Sunday, as he took control of the match in the final three sets.

Djokovic, who has won the Australian Open five times, Wimbledon twice and the U.S. Open once, is still chasing his first French Open title.

Wawrinka is the second Swiss player to win the French Open in the past seven years as Roger Federer won the French Open in 2009. Other than Wawrinka and Federer, Nadal has every other French Open championship since 2005.

Wawrinka is the lowest seed to win the tournament since 2004, when unseeded Gaston Gaudio of Argentina took home the title.

Djokovic had plenty of chances to take this match to a fifth set. He held a 3-0 lead in the fourth set before Wawrinka tied it with two holds and by breaking Djokovic's serve. Djokovic then held to move up 4-3 and had three break points to put himself one game away from extending the match to a final fifth set.

Wawrinka then reeled off five consecutive points to take the game. Subsequently, Wawrinka claimed the final two games to win the match.

"I played my best tennis today," Wawrinka told NBC Sports analyst and seven-time grand slam champion John McEnroe.

Wawrinka hit 60 winners, which doubled Djokovic's 30. Wawrinka was tough at the net as well, winning 23 of his 33 approach attempts.

On This Date in Sports History: Today is Monday, June 8, 2015.

 

Memoriesofhistory.com

 

1961 - The Milwaukee Braves set a major league baseball record with four consecutive home runs in the seventh inning.

1969 - The New York Yankees retired Mickey Mantle's number (7).

1969 - It was announced that there would be a single schedule for both the NFL and AFL.

1986 - The Boston Celtics won their 16th NBA championship.

2000 - The Dallas Stars and the New Jersey Devils played the NHL's longest scoreless game in Stanley Cup finals history. The fifth game of the series lasted 106 minutes and 21 seconds. The game ended with a goal by Mike Modano that allowed the Stars to play a game six back in Dallas.

2002 - Brett Hull (Detroit Red Wings) scored his 99th career playoff goal.

2002 - The Detroit Red Wings and the Carolina Hurricanes began playing the third game of their Stanley Cup Finals. The game lasted until 14 minutes and 47 seconds of the third overtime. The game ended past 1 a.m. the next day and was the third-longest Stanley Cup finals game in NHL history.

2005 - Alex Rodriguez became the youngest player to reach 400 career home runs in a 12-3 win over the Milwaukee Brewers.
 

 

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