Wednesday, July 8, 2015

CS&T/AllsportsAmerica Wednesday Sports News Update, 07/08/2015.

Chicago Sports & Travel, Inc./AllsportsAmerica
"America's Finest Sports Fan Travel Club, May We Plan An Event Or Sports Travel For You?"

We offer: Select opportunities, For your convenience, At "Very Rare but Super Fair" pricing,
Because it's all about you!!!

Sports Quote of the Day:

"Permanence, perseverance and persistence in spite of all obstacles, discouragements, and impossibilities: It is this, that in all things distinguishes the strong soul from the weak." ~ Thomas Carlyle, Philosopher, Satirical Writer, Essayist, Historian and Teacher

Trending: Cubs sweep division leading Cardinals in double header at Wrigley Field yesterday. (See baseball section for details).

Trending: White Sox, Cubs to honor Minoso, Banks during Crosstown Cup series. (See Baseball section for details).


How 'bout them Chicago Blackhawks? Blackhawks announce 2015-16 training camp will return to Notre Dame.

By C. Roumeliotis


For the third consecutive season, the Blackhawks will open their 2015-16 training camp at the University of Notre Dame, the team announced Monday.

All practices will be open to the public, and will run from Friday, Sept. 18 through Sunday, Sept. 20 at Compton Family Ice Arena.

Following their three-day camp, the Blackhawks will return to Chicago for their annual Training Camp Festival at the United Center on Monday, Sept. 21.

Tickets for the festival are $5, and will be on sale July 17 at 10 a.m. through the Blackhawks' website or Ticketmaster.

Blackhawks acquire Liam Coughlin from Oilers for Anders Nilsson.

By C. Roumeliotis
 

The Blackhawks acquired forward Liam Coughlin from the Edmonton Oilers in exchange for goaltender Anders Nilsson, the team announced Monday.

Coughlin, 20, registered 60 points (20 goals, 40 assists) in 54 regular-season games with the Vernon Vipers of the British Columbia Hockey League last season. He also tallied 10 points (three goals, seven assists) in 11 postseason games. Nilsson, 25, compiled a 20-9-8 record with a 1.71 goals against average and .936 save percentage in 38 regular-season games for Kazan Ak-Bars of the Kontinental Hockey League last season. He also had a 13-7 record, 1.54 GAA, and .935 save percentage in 20 playoff games.

The Blackhawks acquired Nilsson from the New York Islanders last season in a deal that sent Nick Leddy to the New York Islanders.

Coughlin was selected by the Oilers in the fifth round (103th overall) of the 2014 NHL Draft.

Blackhawks reward Trevor van Riemsdyk with two-year, one-way deal.

By Josh Cooper

The Chicago Blackhawks locked up a defenseman Tuesday. No, not the guy with amazing abs. They re-signed Trevor van Riemsdyk to a two-year contract worth $1.65 million total. It’s a one-way deal.

Rejoice Chicago fans with TVR jerseys who were horrified he would also be part of a long line of Hawks to vacate Chicago this summer.

Said van Riemsdyk’s agent via ESPN Chicago:  

"We are pleased to be able to extend Trevor van Riemsdyk's contract with the Blackhawks," his agent Alec Schall said. "The organization has been great to Trevor, and he has made the best of the opportunities that they have presented to him." 
 
The blue liner is just 23 years old, and in four playoff games he averaged 7:02 of ice-time. But expect his role to grow next season. He had one assist in 18 regular season games with the Hawks last year, an injury-plagued season where he suffered a fractured left patella after taking a shot from Trevor Daley on Nov. 16. 

As for some of the Hawks’ other free agents. The guy with the abs, Johnny Oduya, is currently in a waiting game with Chicago. But it’s still hard to believe he’s waited this long to not come back to the Hawks. We shall see!

Just Another Chicago Bulls Session... Bulls Name Assistant Coaches.

chicagobulls.com

The Chicago Bulls Logo

The Chicago Bulls announced today that Randy Brown and Charlie Henry have been hired as assistant coaches, while Mike Wilhelm will be retained as an assistant coach on Fred Hoiberg’s coaching staff.  In accordance with club policy, terms of the contracts were not announced. 

Brown, 47, has spent the last six seasons with the Bulls as assistant general manager (2013-15), special assistant to the general manager (2010-13) and director of player development (2009-10).  Prior to his return to Chicago, Brown spent two seasons as an assistant coach for the Sacramento Kings.  Originally drafted by the Kings in the second round (31st overall) of the 1991 NBA Draft, Brown played 12 seasons and was a member of three NBA Championship teams with the Bulls (1996, 1997, 1998), including the 1996 team that won an NBA-record 72 games during the regular season.    

Henry, 29, spent the last three seasons at Iowa State University as an assistant coach (2014-15), director of player development (2013-14) and graduate assistant (2012-13).  A native of Canton, Mich., he spent the 2011-12 campaign with the Indiana Pacers as a video intern and the 2010-11 season as a graduate manager at the University of Utah.  Henry graduated from Madonna University in Livonia, Mich., where he was a four-year member of the basketball team.   

Wilhelm, 49, returns for his 14th season with the Bulls as an assistant coach.  Prior to joining the Bulls, Wilhelm spent the 2001-02 season as a regional advance scout for the Denver Nuggets.  He entered the NBA with the Cleveland Cavaliers during the 1993-94 season as the team’s video coordinator, and in 1999 he became the team’s advance scout.   

Brown, Henry and Wilhelm join associate head coach Jim Boylen and assistant coach Pete Myers to round out Fred Hoiberg’s coaching staff.  

Aaron Brooks agrees to 1-year deal to stay with Bulls.
 
By Mike Prada
 
He will again back up Derrick Rose.
 
The Chicago Bulls have agreed to re-sign backup point guard Aaron Brooks on a one-year contract, reports ESPN's Marc Stein. Contract terms are not yet clear. Brooks signed for the veteran's minimum last year, so he could agree for 120 percent of that number or sign for larger out of a portion of the Bulls' taxpayer mid-level exception.
 
Brooks was a sparkplug off the bench for the Bulls, averaging just under 12 points a game in 23 minutes per contest. The 30-year-old was the latest small guard to thrive in Tom Thibodeau's system, and the Bulls hope his production will carry over under new coach Fred Hoiberg. He's too limited as a passer and defender to log heavier minutes, but as a backup to Derrick Rose, he fared well.
 
The Bulls now have 14 players under contract, so it's likely they won't make any more moves unless they can trade a player.
 
Bear Down Chicago Bears!!!! Bears play most 'MNF' games in last five seasons.                   

By

The Bears have made the most appearances on "Monday Night Football" since 2010, a study of the prime-time program's recent history shows. 
The Cleveland Browns and Buffalo Bills have been snubbed by ESPN and NFL schedule-makers during the same time frame.

The Green Bay Packers have played in only five games. But since 2006 "Monday Night Football" has had to defer to NBC's "Sunday Night Football," which airs each week's premiere NFL matchup.

Of the Bears' 11 Monday night games, just four were played at Soldier Field. In Week 9, the Bears head to San Diego on Nov. 9 for their only Monday night game of 2015, marking the first time since 2010 that the Bears won't play at least two Monday night games. In 2012, they played in three of them, against Dallas, Detroit and San Francisco, going 2-1.

The last time the Bears didn't make an 'MNF' appearance was 2005. Since the start of the 2008 season they've faced the Green Bay Packers in three Monday-nighters and won each time.

DE Jared Allen: You go out and get John Fox, Vic Fangio and Adam Gase - you're sending a message we're not messing around.

Originally written on 60 Max Power O, Last updated 7/6/15

... to pinterest etiketler chicago bears logo chicago bears logo pictures

Chicago Bears linebacker Jared Allen said that the team in 2014 wasn't mentally prepared to be successful, but the moves the front office have made this offseason shows the organization is serious about winning.

"Our attitudes weren't in position for us to be successful (last season)," Allen said, via USA TODAY Sports.

"It's going to completely change. It's a 180, and that's really the focus — it's about going to work, having fun, going out on Sunday and whooping someone's butt."

"You go out and get John Fox and Vic Fangio and Adam Gase — you're sending a message to every player in that locker room that we're not messing around," Allen said.

"We want to win. We want to win now. We certainly have the talent to win. So, get your heads right and let's go play ball."

White Sox, Cubs to honor Minoso, Banks during Crosstown Cup series.

By John Paschall

Cubs Ernie Banks (L) and White Sox Minnie Minoso (R) 

When the White Sox and Cubs renew the Crosstown Cup Series this summer, both teams will honor franchise legends who passed away during the offseason. 

On Sunday, the Cubs will honor "Mr. Cub" Ernie Banks by having each player wear a No. 14 in a 1958 retro jersey. The White Sox will also wear jerseys from that era for the game.


“Chicago baseball fans suffered two incredible losses this winter when legends Ernie Banks and Minnie Minoso passed away,” said Cubs President of Business Operations Crane Kenney. “We’re honored to partner with the White Sox and recognize two of the greatest baseball players to ever represent this city during our upcoming Crosstown Cup Series.”

When the Crosstown Cup Series heads to U.S. Cellular Field in August, the South Siders will remember "Mr. White Sox" Minnie Minoso by having all the White Sox players wear No. 9 home retro jerseys from 1959 for Friday's series opener. 


“Minnie was a legend who will be remembered for his contributions on the field as well as off the field,” said White Sox Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing Brooks Boyer. “We honor Minnie along with fellow Chicago baseball great Ernie Banks during the Crosstown Cup series by sporting uniforms from the era during which they played. These baseball icons left their mark on Chicago baseball, and our annual series is the perfect time to remember what they mean to all baseball fans in Chicago.”

The Cubs will also wear retro road jerseys for Friday's matchup. 

AL and NL Starters for the 2015 All-Star Game announced.

By Bill Baer

150705_BryceHarperMikeTrout
(Photo/Getty Images)

The starters for the American and National League teams for the 2015 All-Star Game, hosted at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati, were announced tonight on ESPN’s Esurance All-Star Starters Selection Show.

Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper accrued the most votes on the National League side with close to 14 million. Buster Posey finished second with just shy of 10 million votes.

The starters:

National League


Stanton and Holliday are both on the disabled list at the moment. Holliday, however, says he intends to play in the All-Star Game, per MLB.com’s Jenifer Langosch.

Stanton is out four to six weeks after undergoing surgery to repair a fractured hamate bone in his left wrist.

Josh Donaldson was the American League’s leading vote-getter with over 14 million votes. That sets a new single-season record for votes, according to Baseball Tonight.

American League


Only four starters for the Royals. Seems a little light. No Omar Infante?!

Pitchers and reserves for 2015 MLB All-Star Game announced.

By D.J. Short

All-Star Logo

After the starters for the 2015 MLB All-Star Game were unveiled on Sunday, the pitchers and reserves were announced tonight on the Esurance All-Star Selection Show on ESPN. The 2015 MLB All-Star Game will take place at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati on Tuesday, July 14.

National League 

Reserves

 
Pitchers 


American League

Reserves
 

Pitchers
 
 
Cubs flip the script on Cardinals, sweep doubleheader.

By Tony Andracki


This looked like something concocted by a Cubs fan in a dream scenario: The Cardinals melting down while the Cubs catch break after break.

The Cubs flipped the script on the team with the best record in Major League Baseball, sweeping a doubleheader from the Cardinals with a 5-3 win in front of 35,703 fans at Wrigley Field in the nightcap.

It's usually the Cardinals taking advantage of the Cubs' mistakes (which they did Monday night vs. Jon Lester), not the other way around.

With the Cardinals up 2-1 in the bottom of the seventh, the Cubs finally caught a break (or two) against their division rivals. With runners on first and second, Addison Russell just stuck his bat out and bounced a ball that was just fair down the first-base line, scoring Miguel Montero and sending Jonathan Herrera to third.

Cardinals pitcher Seth Maness lost it on first-base umpire Pat Hoberg and was promptly tossed from the game. The next batter, Dexter Fowler, tapped what should have been an inning-ending double-play ball to Maness' replacement, Kevin Siegrist, but Siegrist threw ball into center field, giving the Cubs the lead.

Anthony Rizzo drove in another run later in the inning with a sacrifice fly. and Starlin Castro added an insurance run of his own on an eighth-inning sacrifice fly.

The Cubs needed all of those insurance runs as the Cardinals began the ninth against their former closer Jason Motte with three singles in the first four batters, but Motte shrugged off the "here-we-go-again" feeling and settled down to retire the next two batters.

These are the kinds of breaks the Cardinals usually get against the Cubs, who have struggled to get over the "mental hump" against the NL Central leaders. Maybe it was the duck on the field in front of the Cardinals dugout Tuesday night? Or maybe Simon the Magician was in the stands somewhere waving his hands and keeping Russell's ball fair?

Either way, the Cubs walked away winners from a long day at the ballpark Tuesday, doubling their season win total against the Cardinals.

White Sox provide little support for Quintana in loss to Blue Jays.

By Dan Hayes

Former GM 'Maverick Kenny Williams has rolle the dice on some big ...

Josh Donaldson has owned the White Sox this season.

The Toronto Blue Jays third baseman’s sixth homer in five games against them sent the White Sox to a 2-1 loss Tuesday night in front of 17,028 at U.S. Cellular Field. Jose Quintana continued an excellent run by White Sox pitchers with eight innings pitched but was outdueled by Toronto’s Felix Doubront. Donaldson, who has 21 homers this season, including two in this series, also made a nice defensive play to thwart a potential White Sox rally in the fifth inning.

There’s not much more Quintana could do to improve his chances for victory. In his last eight outings, the left-hander has a 2.70 ERA, limiting opponents to 16 earned runs in 53 1/3 innings. He has allowed 55 hits and walked 11, striking out 36.

But the White Sox record in those games is a mere 4-4 as they continue to struggle to give Quintana any kind of support at all.

 Aside from the second inning, when they scored the tying run on a two-out RBI single by Carlos Sanchez, the White Sox only got two men aboard in one other inning, the seventh. But that opportunity was squandered when Sanchez failed to get a bunt down and hit into a double play after Gordon Beckham, who scored the team’s only run after doubling in the second, reached on a leadoff error by Jose Reyes.

The White Sox got a man on in the first, second and fifth innings against Doubront but couldn’t do anything else. Doubront allowed an earned run and six hits in 6 2/3 innings before three relievers recorded the final seven outs. Reliever Roberto Osuna stranded the tying run at third toconvert his fourth save.

Just as Chris Sale did on Monday, Quintana kept a lethal Blue Jays lineup under wraps. Though Toronto entered the game with the mostpotent offense in the majors, they tallied just two runs, the latter coming on Donaldson’s fourth-inning blast and putting them ahead for good. Donaldson is 10-for-17 against White Sox pitching this season with six homers.

The Blue Jays jumped ahead 1-0 in the first inning when Reyes singled, stole second, advanced to third on a grounder and scored on Jose Bautista’s RBI groundout.

But Quintana retired nine in a row after Reyes’ leadoff hit until Donaldson’s homer and later retired 10 more consecutively. He struck out five in a row in between the fourth and fifth innings and finished with eight. Quintana allowed two earned runs and four hits.

Golf: I got a club for that; Power rankings: John Deere Classic.

By Ryan Ballengee

deere classic john-deere-classic-qualifying cacheddefault-logo ...

There's one week to go until the British Open, and the PGA Tour makes its final pre-Open stop at the John Deere Classic, played at TPC Deere Run in Silvis, Ill. The tournament typically has a somewhat underwhelming field, but two-time 2015 major winner Jordan Spieth maintained his commitment to the event which he won in 2013, elevating the status of this week's event. 

Brian Harman is the defending champion here, breaking through for his first PGA Tour win last year. He's a good look this week, but here are our top five players:

1. Jordan Spieth -- Best player on the planet that can walk on two feet (sorry, Rory). He's playing this out of a sense of commitment to a tournament that gave him an exemption as an amateur. Site to his first PGA Tour win in 2013. Winning isn't the objective, but getting in contention is, like he did at Memorial before the U.S. Open.

2. Kevin Kisner -- Eventually, this guy is going to catch a break and win -- hopefully, in regulation. Kisner is playing far to well to fade him now.

3. Zach Johnson -- Zach Johnson has been on the medal stand here in five of his last six starts. This is a total horse-for-course pick and he leads the B-flight.

4. Steve Stricker -- Stricker has seen very limited action this year, but this event is a special week for him. Home to a near 59 of his, Stricker won here from 2009-11 and has been in the top 11 in the three years since. Just pick him and ignore the missed cut at Greenbrier.

5. Tony Finau -- We're going to keep nagging you about Tony Finau until you take notice. He was T-13 at Greenbrier for a seventh-consecutive top-25 finish. C'mon, man. Pick him.
 
Spieth: British Open 'dampened' without defending champion McIlroy.

By Ryan Ballengee

Jordan Spieth, left, shakes hands with Rory McIlroy, of Northern Ireland, on the 18th green following their second round of the Masters golf tournament Friday, April 11, 2014, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Jordan Spieth found out on Monday about Rory McIlroy's ankle injury just like the rest of us: on social media.

McIlroy ruptured a ligament on the outside of his left ankle while playing soccer with friends on July 4. He's already withdrawn from this week's Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open and his British Open title defense next week is in doubt.

“I thought it was really unfortunate,” Spieth said, according to Golf Channel, from Zach Johnson's annual charity golf tournament in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. “Accidents happen, and I just wish for a speedy recovery. We all want him back as soon as possible.”

McIlroy won't make a decision about competing next week at St. Andrews until the end of this week, at the earliest. Spieth, who is chasing a third major in three tries this year, acknowledged that a missing McIlroy would take away from the championship at the Home of Golf.

“It kind of dampens it," Spieth said of McIlroy's absence. "You want the defending champion, much less the best player in the world at the event. You want all fields to be full strength no matter who it is. Losing the No. 1 player in the world for a major championship would be tough.”

However, were McIlroy to miss, Spieth would still look at the prospect of capturing the first three legs of a single-season Grand Slam the same way.

“For me, it doesn’t change anything,” Spieth said. “It’s still just as challenging. It’s still a major championship and there is a lot of unbelievable talent."

Optimism returns for Woods after rare bogey-free round.

Reuters; Reporting by Andrew Both, Editing by John O'Brien

Tiger Woods discusses his progress before The Greenbrier

Tiger Woods declared his tie for 32nd at the Greenbrier Classic a "very positive week" and sounded genuinely excited about his prospects ahead of this month's British Open at St Andrews starting on July 16.

Woods has won twice at the Old Course, in 2000 and 2005, but it would be premature to suggest his game is quite ready to be etched on the Claret Jug once more.

Still, after signing his first bogey-free card in 56 rounds on the PGA Tour, he had reason for tempered optimism after finishing six strokes behind winner Danny Lee in West Virginia on Sunday.

A day after six-times major champion Nick Faldo concluded that Woods was still prone to blocking drives under pressure, the American former world number one was singing a different tune.

"It's the best I hit it in a long, long time," the 14-times major champion told reporters after signing for a three-under 67.

"This could have been one of those special rounds. I really could have gone low. I had full control over all clubs. I hit it great. I had shapes both ways, right-to-left, left-to-right.

"If I just made a couple of putts, this week could have been completely different. I've made some nice strides heading into the British Open."

It is only one month since Woods shot his worst round as a professional, an 85 at the Memorial tournament, and he also missed the cut at the U.S. Open.

Although the easy conditions on a rain-softened course at the Greenbrier did not provide the most exacting test, Woods said that being in the midst of swing changes at the Memorial played a role in what appeared to be a performance that augured badly for his future.

"I made a big giant step at Memorial, even though I shot those numbers," he said. "I shot those high numbers but shifting the baseline like I did, consequently I'm here now. Very excited about it.

"I've just got to get used to the feel. It's a completely different motion. It's not a short-term fix. People looking for the one quick fix and the very next day play great golf, it doesn't work that way.

"It takes time to build it. I'm very pleased with what I've been able to do."

NASCAR: Power Rankings: Jimmie Johnson holds serve.

By Nick Bromberg

weather underground astrogenic spotter network storm chasers ...

1. Jimmie Johnson (LW: 1): It was like Talladega all over again. And likely because people's attention was divided at the finish, there aren't the same ridiculous cries that Johnson allowed Earnhardt Jr. to win the race. Did Johnson have one of the two best cars like his crew chief, Chad Knaus, said at the end of the race? Probably. But let's be real here, Johnson was No. 2 in that group and Knaus likely knew it was the right call to stay out. He was simply damned no matter what happened.

2. Kevin Harvick (LW: 2): The craziness of that finish-line crash means a lot of its participants finished in the top 10. Including Harvick, who finished fourth despite a very crumpled up front end of his car. And it also meant that Outback Steakhouse once again gave away free Bloomin' Onions because of Harvick's top 10. With five more top-10 finishes, Harvick ties his number of them from last year. And we're not even halfway through the season.

3. Dale Earnhardt Jr. (LW: 6): That car was a beast. An absolute beast. And you've got to think it's coming back for the Chase race at Talladega, the site where Junior's Chase chances disappeared in 2014. While nothing is guaranteed at plate tracks, it's a massive confidence boost to not only go to a track where you've won earlier in the year but to have a car that can pull away from the pack by a couple car lengths on each restart. And in case you wanted to hear it, here's Junior's in-car audio after Austin Dillon's crash. You can see why he said it was terrifying.

4. Kurt Busch (LW: 4): Passing in the pack is not exactly easy with this restrictor plate package. It's why you see so many drivers fall to the back when they attempt to jump out of line to make a pass. Preventing yourself from getting passed has much more upside than going for a pass does. What is that leading us into? The run that Kurt Busch had during the final two laps of the race. After restarting 12th, Busch was a bull and had a massive run through the middle lane. He got himself all the way up to fifth. If you watch the final two laps again, pay attention to Busch's car.

5. Martin Truex Jr. (LW: 3): What, Truex's run of top-10 finishes was unsustainable? We are stunned. Stunned. After 14 finishes inside the top 10 in the first 15 races, Truex has been involved in two crashes. Yes, this is a slight course correction, and we're not inclined to think it's much more than that. Road course and restrictor plate racing can be random and we're fully expecting Truex to be near the front at Kentucky.

6. Kyle Busch (LW: 7): After hitting the wall early in the race it was easy to think Busch's Chase hopes disappeared too. The car was pretty torn up and Busch can ill-afford to finish outside the top 20 for the rest of the summer. He didn't at Daytona. His team worked like crazy to fix the car and with some helpful cautions he fought back for a 17th-place finish. Daytona could be the point where Busch was thrown a helpful Chase life preserver.

7. Joey Logano (LW: 5): Logano finished 22nd, which is a much higher finish than you'd think he'd get after being involved in the lap three crash. The front end of his car was a mangled mess. Hell, he finished on the lead lap too, which may be even more impressive. He got back on the lead lap because of David Ragan's spin with 12 laps to go and is still in fourth in the standings.

8. Ryan Newman (LW: 12): Newman was quick to show his disdain with restrictor plate racing once again after Monday morning's crash. And he finished inside the top-10 too, so they weren't words after a 35th-place finish. While we can't endorse what Newman said, we can understand his frustration after seeing a teammate's car fly into the air and get torn to smithereens.

9. Kasey Kahne (LW: 9): Kahne was part of the four-car Hendrick brigade that ran up front for the early stages of the race. He just was the only member of the Hendrick brigade that didn't finish in the top 10. He was involved in a crash after he and Matt Kenseth made contact and Kahne ended up finishing 32nd. And were we the only ones who had a hard time remembering the orange and blue paint scheme was Kahne's?

10. Jeff Gordon (LW: NR): After finishing sixth, Gordon is 10th in the points standings, a point behind Matt Kenseth for ninth. Barring a massive slide there is little doubt Gordon will miss the Chase. However, it's hard to think that simply "making the Chase" is the goal for Gordon. We think the team is good enough to claw to the third round of the Chase at the moment but it's going to need some improvement to get to the final four.

11. Denny Hamlin (LW: NR): After a crappy week at Sonoma, Hamlin's race ended in a crash. But he crossed the finish line in third. Hamlin was the first driver to go spinning in the massive crash at the finish. He was battling Johnson for second and appeared to drift towards Johnson in an attempt to side-draft the 48. And as he did that, he was getting a push from Kevin Harvick. The off-center push sent Hamlin's car towards the infield and the wreck was on.

12. Jamie McMurray (LW: 10): McMurray salvaged a top-15 finish out of the race and stayed in sixth-place in the standings. Seriously, he's having the quietest good season in NASCAR. That's what happens when you're the only driver in the top nine without a win, apparently. Maybe McDonald's should start giving away free fries for every McMurray top 10. Someone could do a NASCAR version of SuperSize Me and eat at McDonald's and Outback every week and see how much weight they gain. Any takers?

Lucky Dog: Austin Dillon, for obvious reasons.

The DNF: Man, David Gilliland qualified in the top 10 and the race just disappeared on lap 3.

Dropped Out: Matt Kenseth, Brad Keselowski

Daytona crash shows time is now for NASCAR to make bold change.

By Dustin Long

source: Getty Images
(Photo/Getty Images)

The list grows and each time a sickening feeling returns. Cars in the fence. Even a Truck.

And fans injured.

While drivers assume risk, fans don’t and shouldn’t.

Yet, Austin Dillon’s crash into the catch fence Monday morning marked the third time since Feb. 2012 fans have been injured at Daytona International Speedway. More than 35 spectators have been hurt in those incidents.

At what point is change necessary to protect fans? At what point must changes be made to keep cars and trucks from flying into the fence like an out-of-control circus act? At what point should radical changes be considered, even if displeasing to spectators, to protect everyone?

Daytona’s catch fence did its job Monday – keeping Dillon’s car from tumbling into the stands. The car cocooned Dillon. Despite going from nearly 200 mph to zero almost instantly, Dillon walked away with only a bruised tailbone and bruised forearm – signs of how far NASCAR’s safety initiatives have come.

What can’t be ignored is another car tumbling into the fence. Even with Daytona moving fans back and keeping them away from the fence, this trend of vehicles crashing into the fence is troubling – and unacceptable.

“I hope all the fans and @austindillon3 are ok,’’ AJ Allmendinger tweeted after the race. “I don’t know how many cars we need to keep sending into the grandstands before we fix this.’’

Former champion Kurt Busch also is frustrated with this form of roulette racing.

“I’m glad that we have night-time sessions for practice and qualifying (because) we get all day to think about how we’re going to end up all wrecking at the end,’’ he said.

“It’s like a Kentucky Derby. It’s like a Preakness. It’s like a Belmont Stakes except there are 30 horse running down to the finish and the track is only wide for three at a time. Do the math.’’

The math is scary. Consider:

Five fans were injured in Monday’s crash with one treated and released from a local hospital.

In Feb. 2013, more than 30 fans were injured when Kyle Larson’s car sailed into the catch fence during what is now an Xfinity Series race. Fourteen were transported to a hospital.

In Feb. 2012, Joey Coulter crashed into the fence in a Camping World Truck Series race. Two fans were injured. One was treated at a local hospital.

In each of those races, the crash happened either on the race’s last lap or just after the finish – as happened Monday morning. All three crashes came on a green-white-checkered finish.

There’s no doubt that a two-lap restart for the win causes fans to rise in the stands or edge closer to the TV at home, but these accidents are proof that NASCAR should eliminate green-white-checkered finishes at restrictor-plate races.

If a crash happens just before the scheduled end, the race ends under caution. Yes, it’s not the most appealing way to finish a race but it’s better than medics rushing to fans bruised and bloodied by flying shrapnel.

While there’s been a slight uptick in attendance at some of plate races, the possibility of a finish under caution shouldn’t hurt the crowds, which have not returned to their peak from years ago.

Prohibiting a green-white-checkered finish for plate races won’t eliminate the possibility cars or trucks crash into the fence and potentially injure fans. Until NASCAR finds a way to keep those vehicles grounded, the responsible action is to limit the number of times these vehicles can soar out of control and endanger mothers, fathers, brothers sisters, aunts, uncles and others.

When it gets to a final restart, the odds are great an accident is likely. This year’s Daytona 500 went to a two-lap shootout after a two-car crash. What happened next? Instead of the race ending under caution, fans saw eight cars crash. No one was injured that time.

It wasn’t surprising that there was a crash at the end of Monday’s race.

“When we came off Turn 4, I assumed that we were all going to wreck because there was a pretty good draft especially from the guys that were four or five rows back,’’ Jamie McMurray said.

What happened in race winner Dale Earnhardt’s rearview mirror was so frightening that he was near tears until he was told Dillon was OK.

“I haven’t even seen the wreck, and I don’t even know if I want to see it,’’ Earnhardt said.

No one should have to see what happened Monday again.

SOCCER: CONCACAF lays out reform plan post-scandal: "People are right to be skeptical."

By Nicholas Mendola

MIAMI BEACH, FL - MAY 27: FBI agents carry boxes from the headquarters of CONCACAF after it was raided on May 27, 2015 in Miami Beach, Florida. The raid is part of an international investigation of FIFA where nine FIFA officials and five corporate executives were charged with racketeering, wire fraud and money laundering conspiracies. (Photo by Joe Skipper/Getty Images)
(Photo/Google Images)

Mere hour after the completion of the Women’s World Cup, CONCACAF is laying out its plans to repair its reputation.

And in further proof the news has a sense of humor, it’s going to take a man named Gandhi to help CONCACAF right its ship in the wake of the ongoing FIFA scandal.

Sam Gandhi is the head of the legal firm advising CONCACAF in its attempts to fix its administration, one which saw many arrests in the pre-dawn raids earlier this summer and faces charges that run the gamut from bribery to racketeering.

CONCACAF released its “Reform Framework” early Monday morning, but the New York Times’ intrepid reporter Sam Borden was on the case a bit earlier in the day and spilled many relevant details.

From the New York Times:
While meaningful change will take time, the organization released what it called a framework for reform, laying out a number of proposed changes to the way it is governed. Some of the more notable ideas are the inclusion of fully independent members on the powerful executive committee, term limits for top officials and the publishing of top officers’ salaries and other compensation.

“People are right to be skeptical,” said Sam Gandhi, the head of corporate practice at the law firm Sidley Austin, which is advising Concacaf on matters including governance. 
“We know we’re not asking people for a second chance; we’re asking them for a third chance,” Mr. Gandhi said. “So we get it. We’re not thumping our chests. We want people to watch what we do and judge us then.”
Gandhi’s tone hits all the right conciliatory notes, something that FIFA has been unable to do it in its response under Sepp Blatter.

It’s also worth noting that Borden claims the CONCACAF bylaws would pertain to its organization, not the individual nations, and would not necessarily affect power brokers like United States Soccer Federation president Sunil Gulati. He’s been a proponent of world soccer reform for much of his 10 years in charge at the USSF, and boosted Prince Ali bin Al-Hussein in a campaign against Blatter last year.

NCAAFB: Trevone Boykin installed as 2015 Heisman favorite by sportsbook.

By Nick Bromberg

Trevone Boykin installed as 2015 Heisman favorite by sportsbook
Trevone Boykin

Your 2015 Bovada Heisman favorite is TCU quarterback Trevone Boykin.

The sportsbook released its preseason Heisman odds on Tuesday and the senior has the best odds of anyone at 6-1. Ohio State running back Ezekiel Elliott is second at 7-1.

Boykin was 301-492 passing for 3,901 yards, 33 touchdowns and 10 interceptions in 2014 as the Horned Frogs were Big 12 co-champions and won the Peach Bowl against Ole Miss.

Elliott helped carry Ohio State to the College Football Playoff title. He ran for 1,878 yards and 18 touchdowns. He surpassed the 200-yard mark in Ohio State's final three games.

At 6-1, a $1 bet on Boykin would net you $6.

Elliott has a teammate at third, and it's a teammate who didn't play at all in 2014. Braxton Miller, who missed the season because of a shoulder injury, has odds of 10-1. All three Ohio State quarterbacks vying for the 2015 starting job are given odds by Bovada. Cardale Jones is at 20-1 and tied for 11th. J.T. Barrett, who spent most of the 2014 season as the starter before suffering an ankle injury against Michigan, has odds of 25-1.

Auburn quarterback Jeremy Johnson, who was Nick Marshall's backup last year, is tied with Miller at 10-1. Georgia running back Nick Chubb is also listed at 10-1.

Here are the players with odds of 40-1 or better. Elliott was the favorite when the previous set of odds was released in January.

Trevone Boykin, QB, TCU 6-1

Ezekiel Elliott, RB, Ohio State, 7-1

Braxton Miller, QB, Ohio State, 10-1

Jeremy Johnson, QB, Auburn, 10-1

Nick Chubb, RB, Georgia, 10-1

Cody Kessler, QB, USC, 12-1

Dak Prescott, QB, Mississippi State, 12-1

Leonard Fournette, RB, LSU, 14-1

Derrick Henry, RB, Alabama, 16-1

Deshaun Watson, QB, Clemson, 16-1

Cardale Jones, QB, Ohio State, 20-1

Paul Perkins, RB, UCLA, 20-1

Samaje Perine, RB, Oklahoma, 20-1

Connor Cook, QB, Michigan State, 25-1

Everett Golson, QB, Florida State, 25-1

J.T. Barrett, QB, Ohio State, 25-1

Royce Freeman, RB, Oregon, 33-1

Seth Russell, QB, Baylor, 33-1

Brad Kaaya, QB, Miami, 40-1

Corey Clement, QB, Wisconsin, 40-1

D.J. Foster, RB, Arizona State, 40-1

Dalvin Cook, RB, Florida State, 40-1

James Connor, RB, Pitt, 40-1

Justin Thomas, QB, Georgia Tech, 40-1

Who looks like a good bet to you? The SEC running back tandem of Fournette and Henry look like solid bets to us. We wouldn't bet on an Ohio State quarterback at all.

Last year's favorite in August was Florida State QB Jameis Winston, who won the trophy in 2013. Oregon QB Marcus Mariota, the eventual 2014 Heisman winner, was the No. 2 favorite while Miller was No. 3 before he got hurt.

NCAABKB: Eight noteworthy stats from the NCAA's annual attendance report.

By Jeff Eisenberg

Syracuse fans supporting their team. (AP Photo/Phil Sears)

Syracuse is college basketball's attendance kings for the second straight year.

The Orange edged Kentucky and Louisville for the crown, drawing an average of 23,854 fans a game despite an uncharacteristically mediocre season and a self-imposed postseason ban. The Wildcats were second at 23,572 fans per game and the Cardinals were third at 21,386.

The NCAA released its entire attendance report from the 2014-15 college basketball season Monday. Here's a look at some of the stats that stand out:
 
• Highest attendance per game: 1. Syracuse (23,854), 2. Kentucky (23,572), 3. Louisville (21,386)

Comment: Syracuse's two-year run as average attendance leaders is notable because Kentucky had long been the kings in that category. Before the 2013-14 season, the Wildcats finished No. 1 in 17 of the previous 18 years.

• Lowest attendance per game: 1. Grambling (305), 2. St. Peter's (442), 3. Chicago State (477)

Comment: How did Grambling manage to draw smaller crowds than most high school teams last season? It had a lot to do with the product the Tigers put out on the floor. They went 2-27 with their lone two wins of the season coming against lower-division Lyon College and Selma University.

• Highest per-game attendance among non-power five conference schools: 1. Creighton (17,048), 2. BYU (16,125), 3. New Mexico (14,571)

Comment: It's impressive that Creighton and Nebraska drew so well considering neither was remotely close to contending for an NCAA tournament bid last season. It's also telling that Memphis fell out of the top three. The Tigers' attendance declined from 16,121 in 2013-14 (No. 9) to 13,915 in 2014-15 (No. 22).

• Lowest per-game attendance among power five conference schools: 1. Washington State (3,190), 2. USC (3,552), 3. TCU (4,123)

Comment: It has to be alarming for Washington State to be last for a second straight year despite making a coaching change in between. USC also can't be thrilled to be in the bottom five for a second straight year when coach Andy Enfield was hired in part to restore interest in basketball at the school. He'll need to make strides on the court and in the stands in the coming years.

• Highest per-game attendance among non-Division I schools: 1. Northern State (3,402), 2. Augustana (2,697) 3. Fort Hayes State (2,656)

Comment: The only change from last year is Augustana replacing Dixie State in the top three.

• Largest average attendance increase from last year: 1. NC State (+2,795), 2. Auburn (+2002), 3. Virginia (+1,978)

Comment: Virginia's second consecutive appearance in the top three in this category is a result of its rise in the ACC pecking order under Tony Bennett. Auburn's appearance is undoubtedly a product of the Bruce Pearl effect as the Tigers enjoyed an attendance surge in his first year on the job. 

• Best average attendance per conference: 1. Big Ten (12,781), 2. ACC (11,368), 3. SEC (10,819)

Comment: The Big Ten topped this category for a fourth straight year despite the addition of basketball-bereft Rutgers, but the ACC closed the gap considerably. The Big 12 was fourth in this category, followed by the Big East and Pac-12.

• Highest attendance in all games (home, road and neutral): 1. Kentucky (845,594), 2. Wisconsin (711,115), 3. Duke (664,146)

Comment: Duke's appearance speaks to how big a draw the Blue Devils are when they're away from home. Cameron Indoor Stadium seats less than 10,000 fans, so they're not getting the same bump from home games that some of the other top programs are.

Serena Williams powers past Azarenka to get to Wimbledon semis.

By Robby Kalland

logo stage for logo inspiration click here

Serena Williams looked almost vulnerable in her quarterfinal match against No. 23 Victoria Azarenka. Almost, but not really. Williams dropped the first set but then stormed back to win the final two sets with relative ease, including a run of seven consecutive games to end the second set and start the third on her way to a 3-6, 6-2, 6-3 victory.

Azarenka was able to control the first set with her serve, getting her first serve in 72% of the time and winning 83% of those points. She earned her only break of Williams' serve in that set and appeared in control of the match, particularly during long rallies. That all changed once the second set began.

Williams won the final four games of the second set and the first three of the third, which essentially put the match away. Williams' first serve just became too much for Azarenka and in the third set she won 17-of-19 points when she got her first serve in -- including nine aces. Azarenka was constantly trying to get herself pumped up after points and games, but she just didn't have enough during the points to match Serena.

Williams was as efficient as she was powerful, hitting 41 winners to just nine unforced errors. The slow start seemed to wake Williams up and pushed her to play some of the best tennis we've seen out of her this entire tournament.

The semifinal matchup between Williams and No. 4 Maria Sharapova is now set for Thursday. It will be Williams' 28th career Grand Slam semifinal and she has a 24-3 record in the previous 27. Williams is 17-2 in her career against Sharapova, including 16 straight wins.

Serena Williams dropped the first set but still battled back to win in the Wimbledon quarters. (USATSI)
Serena Williams dropped the first set but still battled back to win in the Wimbledon quarters. (Photo/USATSI)
 
A German rider took the Tour de France lead with an epic solo attack on a bike he borrowed from a teammate in the middle of the race.
 
By Daniel McMahon

 
Germany's Tony Martin took the lead in the Tour de France on Tuesday by attacking late on stage four on an ill-fitting bike that he borrowed on the fly from one of his teammates.

On the last of several cobblestoned sections, Martin got a flat tire. Normally he'd just grab his spare bike from his team's car, but the car was stuck in traffic behind the select group of about 35 riders he was racing with.

Martin's teammate Matteo Trentin was with him at the time of the puncture and told him to just take his bike.

Trentin's bike is a few centimeters larger than Martin's and the brakes are reversed — the rear brake is on the left side of the handlebar and the front on the right.

But it didn't matter as Martin pulled out one of the biggest wins of his career after attacking with 3.3 kilometers to go to the finish line, just holding off Paris-Roubaix winner John Degenkolb by 3 seconds.

With the win he donned his first yellow jersey, one of cycling's most coveted prizes.
He said it was "super difficult" to pull it off as he was trying to deal with the borrowed bike and his rivals for stage victory.

"I think I put out more watts than I ever did," said an exhausted and emotional Martin.
 
Martin, a three-time world time-trial champion, now leads the Tour by 12 seconds over previous leader Chris Froome, the Kenyan-born UK rider who won the 2013 Tour.
 
"Pure happiness! All the pressure and all the sadness from the last days has come off now," said the Etixx-Quick-Step rider, AFP reported. "It's a really emotional day and stage for me, I'm super happy for that. Everything went well and I'm super happy for this team."

The Tour started on July 4 in Utrecht, the Netherlands, and finishes in Paris on July 26.

A German rider took the Tour de France lead with an epic solo attack on a bike he borrowed from a teammate in the middle of the race

On This Date in Sports History: Today is Wednesday, July 8, 2015.

Memoriesofhistory.com

1889 - John L. Sullivan defeated Jake Kilrain, in the last championship bare-knuckle fight. The fight lasted 75 rounds.

1953 - Notre Dame announced that the next five years of its football games would be shown in theatres over closed circuit TV.

1970 - The Jim Ray Hart (San Francisco Giants) became the first National League player in 59 seasons to collect six runs batted (RBI) during a single inning.

2003 - Dominik Hasek announced that he planned to come out of retirement and rejoin the Detroit Red Wings.

*******************************************************************

Please let us hear your opinion on the above articles and pass them on to any other diehard fans that you think might be interested. But most of all, remember, Chicago Sports & Travel, Inc./AllsportsAmerica wants you!!!!!
Posted by at

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)