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"One of the most beautiful qualities of true friendship is to understand and to be understood." ~ Lucius Annaeus Seneca, Roman Statesman. Born 5 BC
Trending: Jordan Spieth wins 115th U.S. Open Championship. (See golf section for details).
Trending: Vanderbilt, Virginia to meet in CWS finals rematch. (See baseball section for details).
How 'bout them Chicago Blackhawks? Blackhawks early favorite to win Stanley Cup in 2016.
By Paul Roumeliotis
After hoisting the Stanley Cup for the third time in six years, odd-makers believe the Chicago Blackhawks will be right back at the top next season.
According to Bovada, the Blackhawks have the best odds at 7/1 to hoist the Stanley Cup in 2016.
Here's the full listing from Vegas:
| NHL team | Odds at winning the Stanley Cup in 2016 |
| Chicago Blackhawks | 7/1 |
| New York Rangers | 8/1 |
| Anaheim Ducks | 10/1 |
| St. Louis Blues | 12/1 |
| Tampa Bay Lightning | 12/1 |
| Los Angeles Kings | 14/1 |
| Minnesota Wild | 14/1 |
| Montreal Canadiens | 14/1 |
| Pittsburgh Penguins | 14/1 |
| Boston Bruins | 16/1 |
| Nashville Predators | 16/1 |
| Washington Capitals | 18/1 |
| New York Islanders | 22/1 |
| Winnipeg Jets | 25/1 |
| Columbus Blue Jackets | 33/1 |
| Detroit Red Wings | 33/1 |
| Edmonton Oilers | 33/1 |
| Calgary Flames | 33/1 |
| San Jose Sharks | 40/1 |
| Vancouver Canucks | 40/1 |
| Ottawa Senators | 40/1 |
| Colorado Avalanche | 50/1 |
| Dallas Stars | 66/1 |
| New Jersey Devils | 66/1 |
| Philadelphia Flyers | 66/1 |
| Toronto Maple Leafs | 66/1 |
| Florida Panthers | 75/1 |
| Buffalo Sabres | 100/1 |
| Carolina Hurricanes | 100/1 |
| Arizona Coyotes | 100/1 |
Blackhawks enter ‘summer of hell’; how deep will cuts go?
By Greg Wyshynski
As the champagne finally dries up and the last pieces of confetti are vacuumed, attention turns to what, exactly, the Chicago Blackhawks might look like in 2015-16.
They have 11 skaters under contract. That’s … not a lot.
"It kind of reminds me going into that summer of 2010," coach Joel Quenneville told the Chicago Tribune, in a comment that could send shivers down the spines of Blackhawks fans. "We knew we were going to have to lose a significant amount of our team, (but) losing almost half of it that summer, I didn't know we were going to lose that many. This year, I don't anticipate that amount. We'll see what happens, but certainly the nature of the game, this era, change is all part of it."
Chris Kuc of the Tribune explains how deep the cuts could go, as one player told him "all hell is going to break loose soon":Fingers will be pointed at Bowman when the shedding of salaries costs the Hawks some key components. Along with the likely trade of alternate captain Patrick Sharp and his $5.9 million cap hit — a difficult move considering his talent and 10-year tenure on the team — players such as Bryan Bickell and Kris Versteeg, among others, could be shown the door. And then there are the unrestricted free agents who likely won't be back, including Brad Richards, Antoine Vermette, Johnny Oduya, Michal Rozsival and Daniel Carcillo.
So how do the Blackhawks restock the cupboard? Three ways:
1. The return on salary dumps.
The rumored asking price for Patrick Sharp – 1st-round pick, A-level prospect and top six forward on entry-level contract – is crazy pants, but so is any starting offer in a negotiation. What it does tell us is that GM Stan Bowman isn’t just going to shuffle off assets that are under contract for peanuts just to get them off the cap. Or at least he won’t with Sharp.
2. There are reinforcements on the way.
Unlike in 2010, the Blackhawks have several young players that could set up and fill-in the holes left by jettisoned vets.
From Kuc:
With young players such as [Brandon] Saad, Teuvo Teravainen and Andrew Shaw, that should be enough to make them a postseason contender for seasons to come. But around these parts, reaching the playoffs is setting the bar way too low. That is why Bowman has been stockpiling prospects not only through the draft but via free-agent signings. The core's supporting cast next season could include the likes of dazzling forward Artemi Panarin out of Russia, left-handed-shooting defenseman Erik Gustafsson from Sweden and college prospects Kyle Baun and Michael Paliotta. "Fortunately, we were able to get some guys that we're very excited to get," Bowman said. "We'll see where they all fit come training camp. I like the options that we will have."
So help could be on the way within the organization. And the outside?
3. Players want to play for the Hawks.
“One of the things that we talk about is consistency. When you’ve got the best captain in the NHL, a really young core … I think this is now a destination. Free agents want to come here,” said Blackhawks president John McDonough during the Hawks' celebration.
Sure, it helps when players like Brad Richards are flush with buyout money and can take a contract for peanuts from the Blackhawks for a season. But as their president said: Don’t discount how many free-agent derbies the Blackhawks might win by virtue of being a place where veterans want to play – and potentially win, as Richards did.
Just Another Chicago Bulls Session... Jimmy Butler is going to get paid, and he will be worth every penny.
By Neil Greenberg
Chicago Bulls guard Jimmy Butler (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Chicago Bulls guard Jimmy Butler is setting himself up for a huge payday, preferring a short-term deal instead of a five-year max offer that would pay him more than $90 million.
The NBA reached a new TV deal with TNT and ESPN. NBA teams will split $2.7 billion per year under the new deal, pushing the salary cap from $67 million in 2015-16 to a projected range of $88 million to $92 million per team in 2016-17, with increases in the subsequent years. If Butler signs a two-year deal with a team this summer, he’ll be a free agent again in 2017 and have a chance to sign a long-term max contract under the new, higher salary cap.
Depending on what transpires between now and the time he becomes an unrestricted free agent, Butler could see his average salary range from $18.2 to $24.4 million per year.
But is he worth it? At 25 years old, Butler had his best NBA season, scoring 20 points, 5.8 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game on 46.2 percent shooting.
Jimmy Butler, 2014-15 regular season
He earned a spot on the Eastern Conference all-star team and was voted the NBA’s most improved player this season. His 11.2 win shares were the sixth most in the league, and based on what NBA teams spend for a win would be valued at $20.16 million for a single season. That would be nearly 10 times the $2 million the Bulls actually paid him. In fact, his 2014-15 campaign provided nearly double the value of his entire earnings to date ($5.2 million) plus the $4.4 million qualifying offer Chicago will extend to him for the upcoming season.
He earned a spot on the Eastern Conference all-star team and was voted the NBA’s most improved player this season. His 11.2 win shares were the sixth most in the league, and based on what NBA teams spend for a win would be valued at $20.16 million for a single season. That would be nearly 10 times the $2 million the Bulls actually paid him. In fact, his 2014-15 campaign provided nearly double the value of his entire earnings to date ($5.2 million) plus the $4.4 million qualifying offer Chicago will extend to him for the upcoming season.
According to Basketball-Reference’s similarity scores, there are 10 players who have a similar career path to Butler, and three of those are shooting guards or small forwards: Tayshaun Prince, Mark Aguirre and Dominique Wilkins. We can use these players as a guide to how Butler’s career might unfold over the next decade in terms of win shares. As you can see from the chart below, these players peak at age 27 and then have a steady decline in the subsequent years, but still remain as a highly viable NBA player.
Using the aging curve above, this is what Butler’s career arc could look like, with his peak in win shares coming in the next two seasons.
Taking into account a higher salary cap for the 2016-17 season, Butler would be worth in excess of $140 million over the next five seasons, an average of $28 million per year. So even if the Bulls, or any team, end up paying Butler a max deal after the TV contract is settled, they would still be getting a bargain.
NBA: Are big men still the future?
By Sam Smith
The 2015 NBA draft is Thursday. And just as what looks to be one of the stronger drafts in recent years for big men and led by two big men, the center position has become extinct in the NBA.
Or so it seems with the latest commentary and analysis following the Golden State Warriors winning the championship over a Cleveland Cavaliers team that often benched its big men to match up with—or down to—the Warriors speed and skilled lineup.
"This is a copycat league," noted one general manager. "In the 80s when Houston had the twin towers (Ralph Sampson and Hakeem Olajuwon) everyone needed two big guys; then with the Lakers winning with Magic everyone needed a big point guard. Then came the running (and shooting) power forward and everyone needed one of those. Now the trend is to play a lot more perimeter, space it out and have more playmakers out on the floor. Draymond Green is more a playmaking four. But, remember, he has the luxury of having the two best shooters in the league beside him."
And nobody else has them, which is one reason not to dismiss the NBA center too quickly.
Especially because this 2015 draft may have two of the best to come along in a long, long time.
"Potentially you have the two best big men at the top of this draft since Shaq and Mourning (in Karl-Anthony Towns and Jahlil Okafor)," said another general manager, who also asked not to be named in discussing other players. "Everything goes in cycles; coaches will figure out a way to use good players and in the long haul you have to have some size. If Cleveland doesn't get hurt, I think they win the title because they had the biggest team in the league. They were missing one shooter and if they had him I believe they would have won.
"Golden State played great," said the general manager. "Give them credit. But one championship doesn't mean there won't be a need for big men anymore. Basketball is a big man's game; now it's going to be a skilled big man's game."
And so Kentucky's 6-11 Towns and Duke's 6-11 Okafor are expected to be the first two picks in Thursday's draft, probably Towns to Minnesota and Okafor to the Lakers. Plus, in conversations with several general managers, there is growing belief that Latvian seven footer Kristaps Porzingis, who played in Spain, is being talked about among scouts as having perhaps a higher long term ceiling than either Towns or Okafor because of Porzingis' accurate long distance shooting and shot blocking ability, a potential two-way star.
I asked one general manager to predict the top 10 draft picks this weekend. Here's how he had it:
- Minnesota: Towns
- Lakers: Okafor
- 76ers: Porzingis
- Knicks: D'Angelo Russell
- Magic: Mario Hezonja
- Kings: Emmanuel Mudiay
- Nuggets: Justise Winslow
- Pistons: Stanley Johnson
- Hornets: Devin Booker
- Heat: Willie Cauley-Stein
But the most interesting selection is at No. 3 with the 76ers. Could they afford another player not ready? Though taking Porzingis would fit with their philosophy of going for the slam dunk/home run and potential future star. Which is why they supposedly traded Michael Carter-Williams. Though scouts are high on Ohio State's Russell, he's not projected to star status. He's considered a good shooter and passer, but relatively un-athletic and not strong or figured to be an impact defender. Given the 76ers' risk taking for potential stars, it's not inconceivable they'd pass on the guards even after the trade of Carter-Williams and go for another big man.
That would then have Russell fall to the Knicks, who do need a point guard, though many around the NBA say Mudiay has more star potential than Russell because of athletic ability. But Mudiay after a year in China following high school is considered less ready. And team president Phil Jackson said last week in a New York Times interview that the team's views on the draft changed once they didn't get one of the top picks and likely not a big man.
The Knicks with salary cap space have the ability to sign a big man in free agency. There also have been rumors of the Knicks trading down, which rarely works, to get a player and lower pick or multiple picks. The Knicks also will be one of the teams most watched on draft night. And Jackson is not one of those who believes you build a team without a big man.
Even inheriting Michael Jordan when Jackson became Bulls coach in 1989, Jackson had lobbied vigorously the year before for the trade of Charles Oakley for Bill Cartwright. And Jackson famously employed the "three headed monster" center group in the 1996-1998 titles and always was calling for adding big men, like Brian Bison (Brian Williams) Dele.
Jackson long has been an advocate of post penetration with a big man to fuel an offense and he still intends to bring that philosophy to the Knicks. Though it's been fashionable of late to succeed without a center, Jackson also hardly sees the end of the NBA big man.
"One of the reasons that I've come back to basketball, as we know, is that I am convinced that there has been a new way to play, philosophically, and that is OK," said Jackson. "But it skips some of the principals of the game. One of the principals, the first, is penetration. Most coaches understand this point, but are using it only through dribble penetration. The big man provides that opportunity by using the force of a triangle to move the ball inside the defense. We see it in all sports that have a goal from lacrosse to soccer; they use the force of a triangle to advance the ball deep into the defense. The big man can do that and if used the right way will continue to do so. Tex (Winter) and I often talked about what the three-point line has done to the game. It has distorted the game via scoring opportunities that favor the long shot. This year we have had the greatest advance of the three-point shot (with Golden State).
"There has been the notion that making 33 percent of the three-point shots is equivalent to 50 percent from the field," agreed Jackson. "(This) holds some water just by the scoring number. (But the) idea that now there is 67 percent of your shots available to the opponent with your defense at it's most vulnerable has not been counted in this argument. Most coaches will admit the easiest way to score is from the open floor following a steal, a blocked shot, or a long rebound. At this point in the NBA the three-point percentage has risen to close to 35 percent and has impacted the game. We saw a Finals that virtually eliminated the centers in most of the minutes played and especially in the fourth quarters. Some of that was due to the fact the two centers in the L.A. Clippers and Rockets (series) were fouled and were deemed a liability due to their poor free throw shooting. I believe that there is still an opportunity to use the pass and post man to provide penetration. We saw the Cavs use this, although it was with LeBron James for the most part. Defenses still win games, series, and championships. The big men provide the intimidation."
Added another top team executive: "It's going more toward skill and perimeter shooting. The perfect analytics player now is like a James Harden type because analytics say you take three pointers, you take layups and you take foul shots. That's how you are most efficient. But I still think there is always a place for a good big man. Game 6 (of the Finals) turned when (Festus) Ezeli came in and did some good things inside.
I don't think the low post centers are ever going to be as effective because of the rules changes. If you remember back with Ewing, Olajwuon, David Robinson, Duncan, those guys you couldn't double team the post until the guy had the ball. Now you can prevent the centers from getting the ball down low. And now most big 6-11 guys like to play on the perimeter; it's become more of a skill game and not as much as a power game. But there is still room for a big man, especially on the defensive end. And especially a skilled big man."
In addition to Towns, Okafor and Porzingis, this draft also features 6-10 Trey Lyles, seven foot Willie Cauley-Stein, 6-11 Myles Turner, 6-11 Bobby Portis and seven-foot Frank Kaminsky. All could be lottery picks in one of the strongest big man drafts in years.
The center is back. That was a short hiatus.
Of course, there's a big difference between the mock draft, the actual draft and NBA success. Five years from now we'll look back on the 2015 draft and find players selected in the 20s and even 30s who should have been top 10 picks. It's more so now with the draft skewing young with 10 or 11 of the top 14 picks expected to be freshman or young European players.
It generally takes about three years before you know what you have from the draft. It's also the most imperfect and inexact of sciences, based on so many other factors like the opportunity to play and maturity level, which cannot generally be calculated with teenagers coming into an adult world with salaries of millions of dollars annually. No one gets this right all the time or even most of the time. But a team just has to get it really right once or twice to begin to compete for a championship. Here's a look back at 10 drafts from three years ago and how the drafts likely would have gone if they knew then what we know now.
2012: Great No. 1 pick, but not a deep draft. One sure Hall of Famer and perhaps two.
- Anthony Davis (1)
- Damian Lillard (6)
- Andre Drummond (9)
- Draymond Green (35)
- Bradley Beal (3)
- Khris Middleton (39)
- Harrison Barnes (7)
- Terence Ross (8)
- Evan Fournier (20)
- Miles Plumlee (26)
- Kyrie Irving (1)
- Kawhi Leonard (15)
- Klay Thompson (11)
- Jimmy Butler (30), Bulls
- Kenneth Faried (22)
- Nikola Vucevic (16)
- Brandon Knight (8)
- Chandler Parsons (38)
- Kemba Walker (9)
- Enes Kanter (3)
- Paul George (10)
- John Wall (1)
- DeMarcus Cousins (5)
- Eric Bledsoe (18)
- Greg Monroe (7)
- Gordon Hayward (9)
- Derrick Favors (3)
- Hassan Whiteside (33)
- Avery Bradley (19)
- Evan Turner (2)
- Stephen Curry (7)
- James Harden (3)
- Blake Griffin (1)
- Jeff Teague (19)
- DeMar DeRozan (9)
- Ty Lawson (18)
- Jrue Holiday (17)
- Tyreke Evans (4)
- Gerald Henderson (12)
- Taj Gibson (26), Bulls
- Russell Westbrook (4)
- Derrick Rose (1), Bulls
- Kevin Love (5)
- Goran Dragic (45)
- Serge Ibaka (22)
- DeAndre Jordan (35)
- Nicolas Batum (25)
- Brook Lopez (10)
- Ryan Anderson (21)
- Roy Hibbert (17)
- Kevin Durant (2)
- Marc Gasol (48)
- Joakim Noah (9), Bulls
- Al Horford (3)
- Mike Conley (4)
- Arron Afflalo (27)
- Wilson Chandler (23)
- Jeff Green (5)
- Tiago Splitter (28)
- Aaron Brooks (26)
- LaMarcus Aldridge (2)
- Paul Millsap (47)
- Rudy Gay (8)
- Kyle Lowry (24)
- Rajon Rondo (21)
- J.J. Redick (11)
- Brandon Roy (6)
- P.J. Tucker (35)
- Randy Foye (7)
- Andrea Bargnani (1)
- Chris Paul (4)
- Deron Williams (3)
- Monta Ellis (40)
- David Lee (30)
- Danny Granger (17)
- Andrew Bynum (10)
- Marcin Gortat (57)
- Andrew Bogut (1)
- Jarrett Jack (22).
- Lou Williams (45)
- Dwight Howard (1)
- Al Jefferson (15)
- Andre Iguodala (9)
- Luol Deng (7), Bulls
- Josh Smith (17)
- Tony Allen (25)
- Trevor Ariza (43)
- Kevin Martin (26)
- Ben Gordon (3), Bulls
- Emeka Okafor (2)
- LeBron James (1)
- Dwyane Wade (5)
- Carmelo Anthony (3)
- Chris Bosh (4)
- David West (18)
- Kyle Korver (51)
- Josh Howard (29)
- Kirk Hinrich (7), Bulls
- Leandro Barbosa (28)
- Mo Williams (47)
By John Mullin
“The Kyle Long North American Tour” concluded Thursday with the two-time Pro Bowl right guard at left tackle, after stints at right tackle during the minicamp. Where Long begins training camp, and ultimately the season, may depend on not only where Long individually is best suited, but also how his positioning affects the overall. For instance:
Is the line better with Long at left tackle and Jermon Bushrod at right, considering that Bushrod has been a solid left tackle most of his career? Do the Bears get stronger at left tackle for the longer term, but lose something by moving Bushrod?
Is Vladimir Ducasse a better right guard than Jordan Mills is a right tackle? Meaning: Assuming Long is an elite player at either guard or tackle, which other player qualifies as the “five best” that coaches typically group as their offensive line?
And is the difference between non-Long options enough to warrant the change, if the offensive philosophy places a premium on power at the edges in a zone-blocking scheme? Systems by definition place their own priorities; a two-gap defensive scheme requires a different type of lineman than a one-gap, for example.
No position is unimportant, but talent pools and salary cap make it difficult to be elite at every position. The Bears are necessarily folding more factors into the Kyle Long decision than just Kyle Long.
Several new Bears teammates making impressions on Eddie Royal.
By John Mullin
After seven NFL seasons, Eddie Royal has seen hundreds of players, both teammates and opponents. The veteran wide receiver does not impress easily, but several of his new Bears teammates made dramatic early impressions and he singled out a handful as this week’s final minicamp concluded:
Kyle Long: [shaking his head] “I didn’t think he was that big or that athletic of a guy. You see somebody that big and you’re like, ‘Man, how can he move like that?’ I’ve been impressed by him a lot.”
Martellus Benett: “The guy I’ve just gotten to see up close and personal the last two days was Martellus. Just seeing him in the huddle, I’m like, ‘Man, you look like one of the defensive linemen or linemen. And you’re able to move that way?”
Alshon Jeffery: “Just his arms are so long. He’s not as tall. But his arms are so long and he has long limbs, so he’s able to make a lot of exciting plays.”
And one final question: Has he been struck by how quiet Bennett is in the huddle?
“Ha-ha,” Royal said, laughing as he exited the podium. “That was the last one.”
College World Series 2015: Championship Bracket, TV Schedule and More.
By Nate Loop
(Photo/Mike Theiler/Associated Press)
Sixty-four teams began the 2015 NCAA Division I Baseball Tournament and were whittled down to eight for the College World Series in Omaha, Nebraska. After eight days of play, just two teams remain, as Virginia will take on Vanderbilt for the college baseball title in a rematch of last year's College World Series championship series, which Vanderbilt won in three games.
Virginia needed two games to dispatch Florida, as the Gators came chomping through the loser's bracket to win 10-5 on Friday, only to see the Cavaliers turn the tables on Saturday in a tense 5-4 win that has them just two more victories away from exacting revenge at TD Ameritrade Park.
If you want to take a look at the results that have gotten us to this point, you can view the complete bracket at NCAA.com.Here's a look at the championship schedule.
| Game | Time (ET) | TV |
| 1 | Monday, June 22, 8 p.m. | ESPN |
| 2 | Tuesday, June 23, 8 p.m. | ESPN |
| 3 (If Necessary) | Wednesday, June 23, 8 p.m. | ESPN |
Between these two familiar CWS foes, Vanderbilt certainly has the better pedigree this season. The Commodores finished the regular season ranked 13th in the nation in RPI, eight spots better than Virginia. Vandy was a regional host back in the earliest stages of the Division I tournament, while the Cavaliers had to navigate their way through to the Super Regionals as the No. 3 team in UC-Santa Barbara's regional.
Vanderbilt had three players taken in the first round of this year's MLB draft including No. 1 overall pick Dansby Swanson, a shortstop drafted by the Arizona Diamondbacks. Virginia's top pick was lefty hurler Nathan Kirby, who went No. 40 overall to the Milwaukee Brewers.
Swanson hasn't been himself in Omaha. He's just 1-for-13 with five strikeouts at TD Ameritrade, a major drag batting third in Vanderbilt's lineup. He was hitless in Vandy's one-run wins over Cal State Fullerton and TCU. Outfielders Rhett Wiseman and Bryan Reynolds managed to pick up the slack in Vandy's second crack at the Horned Frogs, combining for five hits and four RBI in the 7-1 win.
Of course, Vanderbilt may not even need much offense with the way its pitching staff has been dealing as of late.
| Pitcher | Opponent (Result) | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO |
| Carson Fulmer | Fullerton, W 4-3 | 6.0 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 7 |
| Philip Pfeifer | TCU, W 1-0 | 7.0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 7 |
| Walker Buehler | TCU, W 7-1 | 6.2 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 8 |
VUCommodores.com
The starting pitching has set the table for the excellent relief work of John Kilichowski and closer Kyle Wright. Kilichowski is working with a 2.76 ERA this year and hasn't allowed a run in 4.2 innings of work in Omaha, while Wright has picked up two saves and boasts a microscopic 1.01 ERA.
Vanderbilt coach Tim Corbin challenged his players to consider how they would prepare knowing each game might be a close one.
"If you had the chance to play in Omaha and knew every game was going to be a one-run game, how would you go about your practice?" Corbin said to his team, via the Tennessean's Adam Sparks. "They told me and they responded to me. It was like what I would want them to say. … They knew they were going to be in this."
For Virginia, look for third baseman Kenny Towns, catcher Matt Thaiss and shortstop Daniel Pinero to lead the charge against a dominant Vanderbilt pitching staff. Towns leads the team in RBI this year with 66, followed closely by Thaiss at 64.
| Player | AB | R | H | RBI | BB | SO |
| Daniel Pinero | 14 | 4 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Matt Thaiss | 14 | 3 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 2 |
| Kenny Towns | 14 | 0 | 4 | 6 | 1 | 1 |
VirginiaSports.com
Both teams have tight-roped their way through College World Series play, so it's tough to say who has the upper hand. Vanderbilt's pitching has been almost uniformly excellent since postseason play began, allowing just 11 runs in eight games.
Virginia hasn't been nearly as miserly in handing out runs, with 36 allowed in nine games. This includes two double-digit blips against USC and Florida—the former in a start from Alec Bettinger and the latter (surprisingly) coming against Kirby.
Anything can happen in a best-of-three series, but Vanderbilt just might tamp down the Cavaliers offense well enough to allow its own batters to scrape together the necessary run support. This seems especially likely if Swanson finds the range again with his lumber.
Jake Arrieta on point as Cubs cruise past Twins.
By Tony Andracki
It looks like it's time to start feeling bad for teams that have to face both Jon Lester and Jake Arrieta in the same series.
Arrieta followed up Lester's stellar start Saturday with one of his own Sunday afternoon, tossing a complete game shutout as the Cubs cruised to an 8-0 victory over the Twins in front of 40,273 fans at Target Field.
Arrieta struck out seven and allowed just four hits. This came after Lester surrendered one run in 6.1 innings Saturday.
A lone run in 15.1 innings from the starters is a heck of a way to close out a series against a Twins team that's been playing good baseball lately.
"After you lose the first game here, you go: 'Who's pitching tomorrow for us? Oh, good.' And then 'Who's pitching for us the next game? Oh, good,'" Maddon said of the Cubs trotting out Lester and Arrieta back-to-back. "So you think that way and you're feeling in a pretty good position to come back and win the series - which we did - and both guys set the tone."
The day after Maddon pulled Lester with one out and nobody on in the seventh inning, Arrieta was allowed to finish the game despite throwing 110 pitches through the first eight innings.
"He was on a short leash at the end right there," Maddon said. "I thought his stuff was holding and actually getting better. And I did not want to prevent him from doing that, for a couple reasons - 1) He's one of the most well-conditioned guys on the team and 2) When you do something like that, I think it can lead in a positive way into your next performance.
"Now, if he was in a lot of high-stress moments, it would have been a different story. But he was not. I thought all the indicators, factors and needles were pointing in the right direction to let him finish."
Dexter Fowler provided the big blast for the Cubs on offense with a grand slam to cap off a six-run eighth inning.
Kyle Schwarber - playing in his last game before heading back down to the minors - drove home two runs on a bases-loaded single at the beginning of the eighth.
"We're tough to beat when we play good defense and we pitch," Arrieta said. "Obviously our lineup is going to score runs. That was a fun game."
Starlin Castro - who had three hits on the afternoon - knocked in Anthony Rizzo for the Cubs' first run in the third inning and Rizzo added a solo blast in the fifth.
The Cubs collected 12 hits and five walks as a team, abusing the Minnesota bullpen to the tune of six runs on six hits and a pair of free passes in four innings.
But the day belonged to Arrieta.
"He stole the show today," Rizzo said. "Fun to play behind him when he's got all his stuff going. Kinda grinded through the first [inning] a little bit, but then he just settled in and [then] it's just time to sit back and enjoy the show."
Golf: I got a club for that: Spieth slips out of tie for lead, McIlroy charges.
By Mark Lamport-Stokes, Editing by Larry Fine
Masters champion Jordan Spieth bogeyed the opening hole to slip out of a four-way tie for the U.S. Open lead on Sunday while Rory McIlroy was mounting a thrilling charge in the final round.
Spieth, aiming for a rare double in the year's first two majors, hit a superb second shot from the left rough to 17 feet at the par-four first at Chambers Bay but three-putted to drop back to three under.
Big-hitting American Dustin Johnson, South African Branden Grace and Australian Jason Day -- joint leaders with Spieth overnight -- each parred the first and second holes to remain tied at the top at four under.
World number one McIlroy, meanwhile, was just two strokes off the pace after racking up six birdies in his first 13 holes to get to two under for the tournament after bright sunshine and plenty of scoring opportunities had greeted the early starters.
The Northern Irishman, seeking his fifth major title, drained a curling 70-footer at the par-four 13th to spark thunderous roars from the grandstands as he closed in on the leaders.
The Northern Irishman, seeking his fifth major title, drained a curling 70-footer at the par-four 13th to spark thunderous roars from the grandstands as he closed in on the leaders.
Low scoring was plentiful for the early starters on a par-70 layout made more receptive by overnight watering and set up at its shortest yardage of the week.
The links-style venue became the longest course to stage a U.S. Open when set up at 7,695 yards for the second round, but was cut back to 7,384 yards for the final round.
Among the early finishers, South African Thomas Aiken moved up with a four-under 66 for a four-over total of 284.
"It was a fantastic day," Aiken, a three-times winner on the European Tour, told reporters. "It seemed like they put a lot of water on the golf course last night to try to soften it so there are birdies out there."
Most eyes at Chambers Bay were focused on the upper reaches of the leaderboard where Spieth is bidding to become just the sixth player to slip into a green jacket and hoist the U.S. Open trophy in the same year.
Spieth carded a one-over 71 in tough scoring conditions on Saturday to end the third round joint top at four-under 206, level with Johnson (70), Grace (70) and Day, who delivered one of the grittiest displays ever seen at a major to card a 68.
Day had sent a shudder through the tournament on Friday when he collapsed due to vertigo before he finished the second round, but hung tough as he battled his way into contention for a first major title.
Johnson, a nine-times winner on the PGA Tour, and Grace, who has triumphed six times on the European Tour, are also seeking their first victories in a major.
Horschel unloads on USGA for condition of Chambers Bay.
By TIM BOOTH
Billy Horschel stepped to the microphone with an air of excitement.
Now that his U.S. Open was complete, Horschel let loose with a string of complaints about the condition of Chambers Bay this week, specifically the quality of the putting surfaces.
''We're looking for something that's very consistent. Every green is very consistent. And this week they're not,'' Horschel said. ''The only two greens out here that are really good are 13 and 7. And No. 10 is not too bad. But other than that, it's just a very disappointing week to be here.''
Horschel's emotions were on full display during his final round on Sunday. After missing a short par putt on the sixth hole, Horschel feigned slamming his putter into the green - although he says he was at least a foot above the putting surface. On the ninth hole, Horschel made emphatic zig-zag motions with his hand after his putt hopped back and forth on its way past the hole.
Normally a 3-under par round in the final round of the U.S. Open would be cherished.
''I played awesome golf today. I played out my tail to shoot 3-under par. And I really felt like I should have shot 6, 7 or 8-under, but I wasn't able to due to the fact that some of the putts I hit just hit some really bad spots on the greens and got off line and didn't go in,'' Horschel said.
Horschel added he understands that fans are not interested in hearing complaints from players but that the conditions of this week needed to be brought to attention. He also brought up the fans and the difficulty in spectators being able to get around the course and close to the action. The course has been roped for safety and not for the ability of fans to clearly see what's happening.
''I think a lot of players, and I'm one of them, have lost some respect for the USGA and this championship this year for the greens,'' Horschel said. ''And not only the greens, one of the biggest issues I have is for the fans. Here we are in the Pacific Northwest, where we haven't been since the late '90s for the PGA Championship, and the viewing is awful.''
GRAND SLAM WAIT: Phil Mickelson's quest for the career Grand Slam will have to wait for Oakmont 12 months from now.
Mickelson concluded a disappointing week at Chambers Bay with a 73 in the final round, making double bogey on the 72nd hole to conclude his week of golf in the Pacific Northwest.
Mickelson was never in contention after the first nine holes as he tried to add the U.S. Open to his titles at the Masters, British Open and PGA Championship. Mickelson has been the runner-up six times at the U.S. Open.
Mickelson played his first nine at Chambers Bay in 3-under par and the final 63 holes in 16 over.
''It was fun to play here. The community helped run a really first-class event, and I wish I had played better,'' Mickelson said.
Mickelson was considered a favorite because of his imagination around the challenging greens of Chambers Bay and he heeded the message of USGA executive director Mike Davis by getting a good look at the course prior to the arrival of tournament week.
But his iron play struggled, hitting only 43 of 72 greens in regulation. Mickelson noted after his round on Saturday that he had yet to make a double bogey despite his inability to score low.
That double bogey finally arrived on his last hole, his farewell to Chambers Bay.
DIVOTS: The USGA played the 18th as a par 5 rather than keeping with the rotation from the first three days and playing it as a par 4. The reason was a change in the winds from southwest to north on Sunday. Players had said the 18th was a great par 5 and questionable par 4. ... Chris Kirk finished last among those that made the cut at 21 over and was 18 over on the weekend. He started his final round with a 10 on the first hole. ... Cheng-Tsung Pan, who just turned pro after completing his college career at nearby Washington, was the last player in the field not to make a three-putt. That run lasted for 66 holes before a three-putt bogey on the 13th hole Sunday. ... Ben Martin shot 86 in the third round. He shot even-par 70 on Sunday.
NASCAR: Erik Jones wins Xfinity race at Chicagoland.
By Jack McCarthy
Erik Jones' last-ditch push had a victory payoff on Sunday.
Neck-and-neck with Ryan Blaney entering the final dozen laps, Jones finally slipped ahead after a restart and rolled to a 1.958-second victory margin in Sunday's Owens Corning AttiCat 300 race at Chicagoland Speedway.
"I got the inside of him and just barreled into (Turn) 3 as hard as I could to clear and slid in front," said Jones, who started 11th in his No. 54 Monster Energy Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing. "Fortunately it worked and he didn’t try to cross us over or anything else."
Jones claimed his second NASCAR XFINITY Series race of the season, recorded his eighth top 10 series finish and completed a weekend sweep that included Friday’s NASCAR Camping World Trucks Series American Ethanol 200 at Iowa Speedway.
Jones, the youngest NASCAR driver to win two races in the same weekend, has run in all three series this season.
Time behind the wheel has proven invaluable for the 19-year-old driver.
"It seemed like last year I'd be into these situations and be so nervous," he said. "This time it's like 'I've got this.' I felt like I've done it so many times throughout the year and throughout the day that it felt more natural. That's definitely a product of seat time and being in the car every week or the truck every week.
"It's been a huge, huge help."
Jones led 94 of the race's 200 laps while Blaney topped the field for 43 laps.
The race -- the 14th in this season’s XFINITY series -- was originally set for 9:30 p.m. (ET) on Saturday, but was washed out as downpours hit Joliet and the entire Chicago area.
Nearly 14 hours later, Sunday’s restart went off a bit after noon (ET) without a hitch under dry conditions and increasingly sunny skies.
Blaney nearly had a storybook finish as he overcame earlier misfortune to lead the race with less than a dozen laps remaining.
Driving the No. 22 Hertz Ford for Team Penske, Blaney wrecked his primary car in Saturday qualifying, started Sunday with a backup car in the back row but quickly maneuvered into the top 10 and moved into the lead with 45 laps to run.
"I thought it was a good day for us, a decent day," Blaney said. "I felt like I threw it away yesterday wrecking our primary. For our team to get a backup car out and work as hard as they did and have a car contending for the win and to be leading in the last little bit and then just not pull it off, that really speaks volumes to them about how well they prepared."
The race featured a track record 23 lead changes, plus seven cautions for 39 laps.
Series points leader Chris Buescher finished fifth and maintained his series lead with 528 points, 29 points ahead of second place Ty Dillon.
He shook off a penalty for speeding on pit road and rallied to the top five.
"It's a good points day, that's how it ended up," Buescher said. "The pit road speeding penalty is on me. ... I got us a little bit behind there and put us in a bad spot but the guys did a good job coming back."
He regained track position when 22 drivers were penalized for pitting too soon with 46 laps remaining.
Chase Elliott, who won last summer’s XFINITY Chicagoland race on the way to the 2014 series championship, spun out with 23 laps to go and finished 14th. He's still looking for his first win of the season.
Ross Kenseth, driving the No. 20 Dollar General Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing, was sixth in his XFINITY Series debut, a nice rebound after a Friday spinout during practice in his first time running the track.
"In the last two days we were a lot better than my first day here," said Kenseth, son of 2003 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Matt Kenseth. “At the end I thought we were really good -- a third, fourth-place car -- (but) was a little disappointed we didn't get into the top five. ... But the guys worked so hard at it and gave me a great car this weekend."
The XFINITY series takes a break this week and resumes with a July 4 race at Daytona International Speedway.
SOCCER: Brazil 0-1 Australia. Late Simon strike sends Brazil Packing.
By Kyle Lynch
Brazil had the better chances throughout the match, but Australia was able to capitalize late to clinch a berth in the quarterfinals. Kyah Simon scored in the 80th minute to lift the Matildas to victory and send Brazil and five-time FIFA World Player of the Year Marta packing.
The win was the first victory for Australia in the knockout rounds of a World Cup, men’s or women’s.
Formiga had the best chance of the first half for Brazil in the 28th minute, curling one towards the top corner, but Lydia Williams just got her fingertips to deflect the shot over the bar.
As the rain came down in Moncton, it was Formiga again who nearly gave Brazil the lead after the break. The midfielder was open at the back post off a corner kick, but her header hit the post and Australia was able to clear the ensuing scramble in the box.
Despite not creating many chances to challenge Luciana in net, Australia finally opened the scoring in the 80th minute. Lisa De Vanna snuck behind the Brazilian defense and moved in, bending a shot on goal. It looked like an easy save for Luciana, but the keeper bobbled the shot and Simon buried the rebound.
“I think we’ve still got to keep going before it’s the biggest moment ever,” Australia coach Alen Stajcic said. “We’re all super proud, so excited. I think exhilarating is the word for such a victory against a big, powerful football nation, but there is still more to come.”
Australia will face the winner of Japan vs. Netherlands in the quarters, who play on Tuesday in Vancouver.
The loss marks Brazil’s earliest ever exit from the Women’s World Cup, which held a Round of 16 for the first time due to the expansion of the tournament to 24 teams. Brazil will now have to focus on the 2016 Rio Olympics on home soil next year.
Canada dream continues with tight Swiss win. Canada 1-0 Switzerland.
FIFA.com
(Photo/Getty Images)
A lone Josee Belanger goal soon after half-time was enough for host nation Canada to continue their 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup™ odyssey at the expense of Switzerland.
There was plenty of endeavour from both teams for the big Vancouver crowd but there was only limited creativity to threaten the goal amid a high-energy contest.
Ramona Bachmann was typically lively throughout the contest and the Sweden-based forward had a near post shot pushed out early on.
Canada’s best chance of the half was inadvertently created as Belanger’s cross struck the far post with the ricochet bouncing off goalkeeper Gaelle Thalmann and away to safety.
Canada grabbed the all-important opener just after the break in what was always likely to be a match of small margins. Belanger was on the end of a Canada move sweeping the ball home from near the penalty spot with a tidy first-time finish, having profited from Christine Sinclair’s assist.
Switzerland’s Ana Maria Crnogorcevic headed over the bar in a rare sight of Erin McLeod’s goal. Canada provided plenty of headaches for Thalmann with delivery from wide areas and Caroline Abbe was forced to clear Belanger’s shot off the line during one such moment.
McLeod had a rare but crucial save to make with 12 minutes remaining bravely smothering to deny Vanessa Bernauer from close range after Bachmann was again the instigator.
Canada are now into next Saturday’s quarter-final in Vancouver and await the winner of England-Norway.
FIFA Women's World Cup Canada. 2015 Score Summary. 6 June - 5 July, 2015.
Sunday 21 June 2015
Round Of 16
Brazil 0
Australia 1
France 3
Korea Republic 0
Canada 1
Switzerland 0
Saturday 20 June 2015
Round Of 16
Germany 4
Sweden 1
China PR 1
Cameroon
NCAAFB: Urban Meyer constantly thinking about Michigan rivalry.
By Kevin McGuire
Urban Meyer
The Ohio State-Michigan rivalry may have been a bit one-sided over the last decade, but the hiring of Jim Harbaugh at Michigan has many excited to see the competition pick up moving forward, even if it takes a year or two to truly get it back up to speed. And if you think the impact Harbaugh is having in rejuvenating the Michigan fan base is overlooked by the coaching staff of the defending national champions, think again.
“I think our staff is certainly aware of Coach Harbaugh’s history,” Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer said in a story by The Columbus Dispatch. “Any time the adversary has quality people in there, you’re aware of everything they’re doing and their work.”
Michigan has put together a brand new staff and it looks to be pretty experienced and dependable, perhaps even more competent than the previous staff under Brady Hoke. The entire staff has helped spark the enthusiasm for the new regime in Ann Arbor, but it still needs to prove it can win games at Michigan. That will have to wait. So to will the suggestion the rivalry is “back.”
“I don’t know if (the rivalry) is ratcheted up,” Meyer said. “We’re constantly thinking about the rivalry, working on the rivalry. We’re making sure we’re covering our bases, because every kid they’re on, we’re on.”
Oh, it’s definitely on.
NCAAFB: Pac-12 making strong effort to care for ex-athletes' medical costs.
By Jon Solomon
For years, occasional stories surface of former college athletes who pay out of pocket to cope with injuries they suffered while in school. The medical costs can be thousands of dollars and create lasting debt.
Undoubtedly, there are athletic departments that pay for some post-college medical expenses. But since there has been no NCAA requirement to do so and hardship stories kept emerging, a perception formed that athletic departments flush with new dollars don't properly treat their former players who sacrificed their health.
That's about to change this fall in the Pac-12 -- maybe.
The Pac-12 is believed to be the first conference to direct schools to pay post-college medical costs for sports-related injuries that an athlete suffered at their school. What eligibility criteria is used by Pac-12 schools will help determine how much help former athletes receive and at what costs without people abusing the benefit. The new practice could also set a blueprint for the NCAA or other conferences to follow or avoid.
Pac-12 schools must provide direct medical expenses for at least four years following the athlete's graduation or separation from the university, or until the athlete turns 26 years old, whichever occurs first. The timeframe for coverage was chosen in part because by the age of 26 a person is covered by the Affordable Care Act.
Each school will establish its own policies and procedures to determine who is eligible for the benefit. The conference office has no role in oversight, leaving Pac-12 schools to figure out the best approach.
“It's going to be hard to calculate,” Washington athletic director Scott Woodward said. “When was the injury created? How will we do it? We want to do the right thing and try to help out, and wherever it lands I'm going to support it. But I'm not sure right now what that is.”
The Pac-12 bylaw states that a school's policies to determine eligibility “may include the required disclosure of pre-existing conditions not related to participation in intercollegiate athletics, mandatory reporting of injuries suffered during athletics participation at the institution, required participation in an exit physical upon graduation or separation from the institution, and other criteria that an institution deems appropriate.” In other words, Pac-12 schools are on their own to figure this out.
“It's such a difficult thing to wrap your head around because what's continuation of a problem and what's a new problem?” Arizona athletic trainer Randy Cohen said.
“How do you handle people who continue to do activities and maybe you recommend they don't continue doing that? We really want to take care of these kids. But at what point is it the risk of playing sports and having injuries versus we hurt you?”
Most likely, Pac-12 schools will use exit medical evaluations of players to determine eligibility and buy insurance policies that carry stipulations, such as for in-network and out-of-network coverage. However, Cohen said finding insurance to cover an injury for four years out is difficult because most providers want a condition treated within two years. Cohen said Arizona will likely add four years to its insurance plan at a cost of a couple hundred thousand dollars a year, and require that for athletes to have costs covered they show a preexisting injury, undergo a departing physical when leaving the college, and demonstrate they followed recommendations for their health.
Cohen, who chairs the college committee for the National Athletic Trainers' Association, rattles off potential challenges to managing the Pac-12 rule. What if an ex-player elects for surgery against the wishes of medical experts who say surgery will only make the injury worse? Is the school responsible for that surgery and if the injury worsens? Does the university get portrayed as the bad guy in the media if the former player tells the public the school wouldn't pay its costs?
How should caring for mental health related to concussions be treated? If a school agrees with research that shows hits to the head can cause long-term brain damage, that degenerative process might not occur until after the Pac-12's four-year window. So should there be payments to the athlete if dementia occurs 20 years later?
What if a gymnast tore an ACL in college that leaves her with an arthritic knee, she runs marathons two years later, and tells the school her knee is bothering her and needs to be treated? Then what if a 225-pound football player left college saying his knee felt fine, blew up to 300 pounds after his career ended and has a bad knee while mainly sitting on the couch?
“Do I not take care of the girl when she's exercising and making it worse, but I take care of the guy who's doing absolutely nothing and gaining 75 pounds?” Cohen asked. “Most people logically would say if you're doing something that aggregates the knee, don't pay them. But on the other end, if the guy does nothing to help his knee, how do I balance those two? We don't want to encourage people not to have active lives after they've stopped playing. I don't have an answer to that.”
Will Pac-12 rule help change perceptions?
The Pac-12 is trying to address a longstanding criticism: The NCAA and its members don't pay for athletes' physical needs once they're done playing. In addition to medical costs, the Pac-12 is also guaranteeing four-year scholarships for athletes in good standing, allowing athletes to return to school to complete their degree and liberalizing transfer rules within the conference.
“Hopefully this demonstrates to anyone that's paying attention that reform is possible within a conference, within the NCAA, and that there are schools out there serious about it and will redirect a lot of resources toward it,” Pac-12 commissioner Larry Scott said.
Tax records show the SEC, ACC, Big Ten, Big 12 and Pac-12 totaled $1.57 billion in revenue during 2013-14, up 63 percent from three years earlier. No major conference had a bigger revenue jump than the Pac-12, which increased from $111.8 million in 2010-11 to $374 million in 2013-14.
The NCAA requires that college athletes have a primary health insurance policy while they play, but the universities don't have to pay for it. The insurance can come from the school, a parent, or an athlete's personal policy, and must cover up to the deductible of the NCAA's catastrophic injury insurance program that starts when expenses exceed $90,000.
CBSSports.com asked the NCAA for research data showing a breakdown of who pays for athletes' insurance policies, how frequently colleges pay for post-career medical expenses, and how much money the NCAA's catastrophic program pays out and to how many athletes. An NCAA spokeswoman said the association does not publicly disclose those details.
At UCLA and USC, for instance, those schools' 2014-15 athlete handbooks said the primary insurance policy is billed first for a current athlete and all subsequent approved costs are paid for by the athletic department. Anecdotally, this appears to be a typical practice by NCAA members. UCLA's handbook stated that athletes have one year from the date they leave a team -- whether they quit, transfer, graduate or medically retire -- “to take care of documented injury issues.”
In 2012, California passed a state law requiring colleges to provide medical care or insurance for sports-related injuries for up to two years after an athlete leaves a university. The law covers California universities that generate more than $10 million in media revenue from athletics, meaning UCLA, USC, Stanford and California.
Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.), a former Stanford football player, argued at a Senate hearing in July 2014 that athletes are exploited when they have to pay for their post-career surgeries. A pair of ex-football players, Florida State's Myron Rolle and North Carolina Devon Ramsay, agreed with Booker's statement that many linemen undergo 4-6 knee surgeries.
NCAA president Mark Emmert testified that insurance today for athletes is “much better” than people think but acknowledged some areas need to be improved.
“It's costing some athletes thousands of dollars into their lifetime,” Booker said.
“Yes,” Emmert replied.
Medical costs could be “all over the map”
It's not clear how much extra money Pac-12 schools could be spending to care for former athletes.
“It's all over the map,” Scott said. “Some schools provide the medical care themselves. Others will reimburse bills. Some were doing it anyway up to two years and this extends to four years. Some were doing it less. You could have very little in the number of claims, and other times there could be some very significant events, so it's very, very hard to model.”
Currently at USC, a significant financial year for covering former athletes' medical costs is in the low six figures. That will likely increase since the Pac-12 is now promoting this rule and the length of USC's benefits to eligible athletes will increase from two years under California law to four under the Pac-12 provision.
“The only issue is it will place some additional financial burden on athletic programs that are becoming more burdened with other benefits like enhanced snacks and full cost of attendance,” said Dave Roberts, USC vice president of athletic compliance. “In my view, you like rational order. You don't like things that are confusing and difficult to apply and track. It's well-intentioned. We're hopefully going to have a program that benefits athletes and doesn't become so economically burdensome that it drags down the program.”
The costs under the new Pac-12 rule could be “astronomical” depending on how a school sets its criteria, said Cohen, Arizona's athletic trainer. Medical officials at some Pac-12 schools asked the conference to obtain a group insurance policy with the same coverage criteria due to concerns that taking care of ex-athletes will be used in recruiting.
“We don't want this medical stuff to be, ‘If you come to Arizona, we'll pay for everything four years afterward and if you go to USC and come in with an ACL, there are stipulations that they won't pay,'” Cohen said. “We want this medical care to very much be independent of the sport process.”
Cohen said he now understands why a group Pac-12 policy is not feasible due to differing campus resources and state laws.
One potential quirk to the Pac-12 rule, which is effective for injuries starting in 2015-16 and moving forward: How the rule may differ from California law for transfers. The Pac-12 rule says the original school is not required to provide this benefit if the player transfers elsewhere; the California law makes no distinction.
Say an injured player transfers from a Pac-12 school in California to a new university. Typically, if the new school thinks highly of the transfer, the athlete will get proper medical treatment paid for immediately. But that's not always the case, especially if the transfer is a lesser player with not as much value to the new university. In that case, the new university could tell the transfer to seek medical costs from his or her former university in California based on California law.
“I hate to say it, but it's probably something that has to shake out in the future,” said USC's Roberts. “I could see instances where we might be obligated to take care of a transfer who transfers away, but under the Pac-12 guidelines that wouldn't be the case.”
There's another reason the Pac-12 is directing schools to create its own eligibility criteria: litigation threats.
“One thing that's a valid point is one of the things college athletics is being knocked on -- and losing lawsuits on -- is a lack of fair trade,” Cohen said. “If we all say this is how we're going to do it, is that collusion? So you say, ‘Figure it out on your campus.'”
On the website of the law firm Hagens Berman, there is an advertisement seeking football and basketball players from SEC, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12 and ACC who paid out-of-pocket medical expenses for sports-related injuries either while in college or within the four years after playing. “Attorneys believe the NCAA and Power 5 conferences have conspired to limit health insurance coverage for college-athletes,” states an undated ad from Hagens Berman, which has filed several class-action lawsuits against the NCAA.
A spokeswoman for Hagens Berman said she does not know when the advertisement was posted or the status of the firm's investigation.
One thing is clear: Proper medical evaluations of athletes before they arrive to college and once they leave will carry added meaning in the Pac-12. Woodward, the athletic director at Washington, said the athletic department already repairs injuries to so many athletes when they arrive on campus but will now need to evaluate on the back end.
What athletes say to trainers could carry extra meaning as well.
"The hard part of what we do in college athletics is if the kid tells you the truth (on how he got injured), they might invalidate your coverage," Cohen said. "Does the kid say, 'I played pickup basketball and reinjured it,' or do you have a kid who lies and says, 'No, I didn't do anything, it just started hurting.' So do you encourage them to lie to you?
"We want to do the right thing. It's complicated."
NCAABKB; The Case For: Why NCAA basketball is the best route for future NBA players.
By Chris Mannix
This month, the NBA draft will feature a rare prep-to-pro player: point guard Emmanuel Mudiay, the Texas high school phenom who passed on a scholarship offer from SMU to play in China last season. Mudiay and Brandon Jennings are the most high profile players to decide against a one-year pit stop in college in favor of a lucrative contract overseas.
In 2008, when Jennings signed with Lottomatica Roma in Italy, Sonny Vaccaro, the influential former sneaker-company power broker, predicted a revolution. Dozens of high school stars would spend their NBA-mandated post-high-school year in Europe or Asia, collecting checks instead of taking exams. Now Orangeville (Ont.) Prep star Thon Maker, a 7-foot forward, is reportedly considering following Mudiay's lead. That may look like a trend, but there will be no mass exodus.
Going overseas has its obvious appeals. There's money; Jennings and Mudiay each pocketed $1.2 million for their seasons abroad, plus cash earned through apparel contracts. Playing against grown men helps developmentally, too. Mudiay practiced against Yi Jianlian, 27, a five-year NBA veteran, and played against Stephon Marbury, 38, a two-time NBA All-Star. In China, Mudiay packed on 10 pounds and played "the most physical style I've ever played."
Still, most teens elect to stay Stateside. They dream of winning a national championship—ratings for the 2015 NCAA tournament were the highest in 22 years—and blue-chip prospects gravitate toward Kentucky, Duke and other one-and-done factories, where the experience is undoubtedly more comfortable than a year in a foreign land. In China, Mudiay battled language and cultural barriers. The presence of family members helped, but days off consisted of watching sports documentaries and a night out was usually an extra trip to the gym. A dose of dorm life and cafeteria food never sounded more appealing.
College coaches look at players as an investment and commit time to developing them. Many players are not ready to go pro after one year. They get injured or, more likely, they are not as good as they thought they were. But overseas, such players are replaceable. After Mudiay suffered an ankle injury early in the season, he was quickly swapped for NBA vet Will Bynum.
There are advantages to playing where it's easier for NBA executives to watch, too. Every team employs international scouts, but when a GM can hop a quick flight to a game—and can receive trusted feedback from a coach he has a relationship with—he becomes more comfortable drafting a player. "It's not a perfect system," says an NBA GM. "But to me, you can project a player's career arc more accurately after a year at a major college than one overseas."
Looking ahead, there is an unaccounted variable. The NBA plans to push hard for an age minimum of 20 when the league and players can opt out of the current collective bargaining agreement in 2017. Michele Roberts, the executive director of the NBA Players Association has pushed back ("It's not going to be two-and-done," Roberts said in February), but will pro players be willing to go to the wall for an issue that doesn't directly affect them? Top prospects are willing to play for free for one year; will they be as willing to play for two?
Unless the D-League can find a way to increase its max salary (currently in the mid-$20,000s) to something in the low six figures, college will always be the preferred path for American teenagers with NBA dreams. Fear of academic ineligibility pushed Jennings to Italy; similar concerns pivoted Mudiay away from SMU. Money matters, but seven years after Jennings left, it's clear high school stars aren't willing to go abroad to get it.
With college sports at crossroads, unspoken problem facing NCAA is race.
By Charles Grantham
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After another thrilling NCAA men’s basketball tournament and the smashing success of the inaugural College Football Playoff, college sports have never been a hotter commodity. The massive commercial success of non-profit educational institutions managing and operating for-profit sports business enterprises has enabled many coaches and administrators to earn millions in salaries and several billions more have been made for the conferences, schools and NCAA in television revenue.
Such success has brought intense scrutiny. Several lawsuits have been filed challenging the NCAA’s control and questioning the definition of amateur status, most prominently former UCLA star Ed O’Bannon’s suit against the NCAA. And a group of Northwestern football players, led by former quarterback Kain Colter, won the right to unionize (the matter is on appeal to the National Labor Relations Board).
With billions at stake, the temptation to cheat has never been higher, and as a result of this immense pressure, academic scandals have stained the reputations of the University of North Carolina and Syracuse. Throughout these most challenging, contentious times facing the NCAA, the “elephant in the room” is race. This is not new. Sociologist Harry Edwards, historian Taylor Branch and journalist Joe Nocera all have offered excellent commentary on the issue of race and the NCAA. Just look at the breakdown of black males on campuses in the power conferences: in general, the percentage of black males in the student body of most universities is low. But the percentage of black males participating in the revenue-generating sports of football and basketball on these same campuses is extremely high.
The NCAA, academic scandals and race
Are the UNC and Syracuse academic scandals an aberration or an indication of a systemic issue surrounding race? Where is the outcry from the NCAA? From the Congressional Black Caucus? In light of these scandals, how discriminatory are the age requirements in the NFL and the NBA? To provide some answers to these questions, NCAA executives and all journalists who cover college basketball and football should familiarize themselves with a 2013 study conducted by the University of Pennsylvania's School of Education's Center for the Study of Race and Equity in Education, entitled "Black male student-athletes and racial inequities in Division I College Sports.” That study analyzes the six major conferences over a four-year period and speaks to the exploitation of student-athletes in football and basketball, and specifically the plight of the black male athlete. The report concludes, "Perhaps nowhere in higher education is the disenfranchisement of black male students more insidious than in college athletics."
This report holds the greatest evidence of the separate and unequal collegiate educational experience available to the typical black male athlete attending an institution that competes in a major conference. For the majority of students, the college experience is academic, with a degree awarded after a specified course of study; it serves as fundamental preparation for a career. However, for far too many black males granted athletic scholarships at these schools, this degree (if it is even earned) more often is an empty one.
According to the Penn study, there have been 32 academic scandals from 1952 to 2010, concerning the “athletes’ course.” That doesn’t include the UNC scandal, which spanned 20 years and involved not only black athletes, but also the African-American Studies department. Those on athletic scholarships are unable to experience the benefits of the education the word “scholarship” implies.
When an all-black Texas Western team beat an all-white Kentucky squad coached by Adolph Rupp to win the 1966 men’s basketball title, it opened the floodgates to talented minority athletes, particularly in football and basketball. This game also set in motion an intense competition for the services of black athletes.
While the demand for top players and the revenue generated by the power conferences has continued to grow, benefits for athletes have continued to decline: for many the athletic scholarship has become synonymous with ”devalued education,” which is particularly egregious when considered against the backdrop of Brown v. Board of Education. The athletic scholarship has become a “separate but equal” version of a college education. But unlike the “separate but equal” edict that was struck down by the Supreme Court in 1954, this one generates billions of dollars annually.
Sadly, in the last 50 years the academic machinery in many of these institutions, contrary to the spirit and intent of Brown v. Board of Education and the 1964 Civil Rights Act, has collectively devolved into a second-tier education for NCAA athletes in the revenue-generating sports of football and basketball. Today, in the power conferences, approximately 75% of the scholarship athletes in football and basketball are black. It’s important to note that efforts to maintain the eligibility of these athletes are not to be dismissed as, or confused with, efforts to compensate for poor or diminished intellect; while students may be underprepared for the typical rigors of academic life, a healthy distinction lies between “unprepared” and “unintelligent”. The NCAA and its institutions of higher learning are failing these athletes because they have no incentive not to do so.
Twenty-five years ago, I wrote an article for The New York Times entitled, “It's Time to Give College Players a Cut,” in which I argued that college athletes were being exploited, and, like the pros, deserved a percentage of the millions of revenue they were generating for their universities. I made the case that colleges shouldn't just "give the ball to LeRoy" anymore without a comprehensive benefit package and access to real education. As public schools have increasingly failed to prepare inner-city students nationwide for the rigors of academic life and as college tuition costs soar, more and more students from lower income families count on athletic scholarships. For all of the billions these young men are generating, they are entitled to the actual education they were promised.
The consequences of these practices have been harmful to the black community. Where the Brown v. Board of Education case was supposed to open the door for blacks, the NCAA has found a way to not only increase the value of the athlete’s performances for these universities, but also devalue the one commodity they offered athletes in return. The repercussions for this are far-reaching and lie at the heart of why there are so few blacks in collegiate or professional sports management, upper level franchise or league positions. In a 2010 study, Dr. Richard Lapchick of The Institute of Diversity and Ethics in Sports reported that black men represented only 6.6% of Division I coaches and 7.4% of Division I athletic directors.
The Amateur (NCAA) vs. Professional Eligibility Conflict
In 1983, I testified before Congress, along with former NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle and several prominent college football coaches to oppose a bill called "The Collegiate Student-Athlete Protection Act of 1983," which was designed to encourage college student-athletes to complete their undergraduate education before becoming professional. The hearing was prompted by the signing of Heisman trophy winner Herschel Walker to a multi-million dollar contract by the USFL’s New Jersey Generals prior to completion of Walker’s college eligibility at Georgia. The bill was introduced to preclude the professionals from raiding the colleges of their most talented football players before they graduated. At the time, there was enormous fear of the potential upheaval that student-athletes abandoning college for the riches of professional football before completing their college football eligibility would cause within the business of college sports: a poaching of talent would make collegiate teams far less marketable.
The hearing sought to answer under what conditions could Walker, or any other student athlete, lose his amateur status and become professional. Senator Arlen Specter probed then-NCAA president John Toner, Joe Paterno and Bo Schembechler on how a young athlete could make such a decision without counsel of an attorney/agent, particularly since attorney/agent counsel was prohibited under NCAA rules. They not only failed to answer the question directly, but the interplay between them also suggested that they had had many prior discussions regarding amateur and professional eligibility.
Senator Specter further pressed them on the existence of the perceived “gentlemen's agreement” between the NFL and the NCAA not to sign contracts with undergraduates until after the expiration of the athlete’s college eligibility. Such an agreement, if it existed, would be a violation of antitrust law. Amidst laughter in this public hearing, they expressed their disappointment in the USFL’s signing, but would not admit to having a group agreement. USFL commissioner Chet Simmons explained that the league only approved the signing for fear of an antitrust lawsuit filed by Walker’s lawyer and that the USFL was there in support of the bill since it would allow for a league rule to prevent such legal action. Rozelle testified that for the past 50 years, NFL rules honored the amateur athletes’ four years of college eligibility and would continue to do so in spite of a potential legal challenge. On the other side, NFL Players Association executive director Ed Garvey criticized the NFL for its disregard of the Haywood v. NBA decision in a similar case.
In 1971, basketball star Spencer Haywood challenged the NBA’s four-year draft eligibility rule. The case eventually made it to the Supreme Court, where Haywood won. The Court ruled that Spencer would suffer "irreparable injury" if forced to remain ineligible in that a substantial part of his playing career would be diminished, and that he had a "right to earn a living." I strongly opposed the bill and testified on behalf of the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA). The Haywood standard changed the business by granting the athlete the right to choose. The fear of a mass exodus from college amateur to the professional NBA was unfounded. This hearing set the stage for the next 30 years for the actions taken by the NCAA and the professional leagues (with the complicity of the NFLPA and NBPA) to direct, to their mutual benefit, the suppression of college athletes’ rights to enter the workplace based on their unique ability to perform.
The NCAA, its coaches, the NFL and the USFL were there seeking antitrust protection because a new league had broken with tradition and an unspoken honor code, but mainly it highlighted the difference in the intent of the senators and their desire for the student-athlete to get an education while the NFL, NCAA and USFL focused entirely on the question of eligibility. Thankfully the bill failed, but the power of the NCAA and its political lobby was clear, as was the collaboration, which looks more like collusion, between the NCAA and the professional leagues.
The NCAA and a revenue-sharing business model
Despite the constant calls to blow up the NCAA, the situation is fixable. A solution would capitalize on what the revenue-sharing and salary cap system has accomplished for the NFL, NBA and NHL. They have all guaranteed a negotiated, fixed percentage of revenue to the players. In return they have been assured of cost certainty, increased franchise values and competitive balance. These factors are equally as important to the NCAA, its conferences and universities.
Much has been written about the current state of big-time college sports, its economics, leadership, de facto "minor leagues" and the professionalization of the revenue-earning sports of football and basketball. The issue is larger than football and basketball revenue, given the state of race relations in the country and the limited opportunities afforded young black males.
In 1983, the NBA used some out-of-the-box thinking to create revenue sharing and the salary cap. Desperate for an economic solution, the owners made the players partners. The arrangement became the new standard in professional sports. The NCAA must change its business model and approach. Here are five things the NCAA can do to fix the current crisis it is facing (note: these things would help college sports in general):
1. Establish a separate NCAA Division of Conferences with a required minimum gross revenue in football and/or basketball, beginning with the NCAA's Power Conferences.
2. Embrace a revenue-sharing business model and recognize a Trade Association representing the college athletes’ interests as partners. Define the sources of revenue and establish a fixed percentage to be shared with the athletes. The percentage will create the basis of a competitive market for high school athletes as each financial package will be a function of the conference’s or university’s revenue. This percentage will also fund the comprehensive benefit package, which would include the athletes’ individual trust funds.
3. Legislatively, amend the definition of aid to scholarship athletes to include a comprehensive benefit package composed of the following “quality of life” benefits: full medical coverage year-round, life and disability insurance (including concussions), emergency travel fund, full “cost of attendance” adjustment, allowance for family to attend an allotted number of home games, lifetime tuition for an undergraduate degree, and an individual trust fund.
4. Create a group licensing plan for use of the athletes’ likenesses. Individually, each qualified athlete would accrue a minimum of $5,000 per season from the plan and that would be placed in the athlete’s individual fund as directed by the Court order in the O’Bannon case, to be accessed beginning at age 30. The trade association, via class counsel, would monitor the agreement and administer the fund with the NCAA, the conference and the University.
5. Enhance individual player rights and the development of a dispute resolution procedure.
College sports are at a crossroads. It’s not just about money and amateurism, it’s also about race. History has shown that it will take the courts and government intervention to change institutional behavior.
On This Date in Sports History: Today is Monday, June 22, 2015.
Memoriesofhistory.com
1939 - The first U.S. water-ski tournament was held at Jones Beach, on Long Island, New York.
1939 - Joe Louis defeated Max Schmeling in 124 seconds.
1979 - Former WHA teams the Edmonton Oilers, Hartford Whalers, Quebec Nordiques and Winnipeg Jets joined the NHL. The NHL had expanded to 21 teams.
1979 - Troy Archer (New York Giants) died in a traffic accident.
1990 - Billy Joel became the first rock artist to perform at Yankee Stadium.
1991 - Eric Lindros was selected first overall by the Quebec Nordiques at the 1991 NHL Entry Draft.
2002 - Darryl Kile (St. Louis Cardinals) was found dead in his hotel room.
2003 - Michelle Wie won her first USGA title at the age of 13. She was the youngest person to win any adult USGA event.
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