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:
"I understand what training camp is for. It's needed. It's necessary, so it's just one of those things that you have to put yourself through and it makes you better. It gets you in good shape, so it's necessary." ~ Logan Mankins, NFL Athlete
Trending: Chicago Bears training camp schedule: Tickets, location, dates. (See football section for details).
Trending: Blackhawks slated for 21 national TV appearances in 2015-16. (See the hockey section for details).
Bear Down Chicago Bears!!!!
SI Wire
The Chicago Bears will begin training camp on July 30 at Olivet Nazarene University in Bourbonnais, Ill. Camp breaks on Aug. 16, three days after the Bears' first preseason game against the Miami Dolphins.
The Bears are coming off a 5-11 season, which led to the dismissal of head coach Marc Trestman. Chicago began 2014 3-3 before finishing 2-8 in its last 10 games. The offense and defense equally shared the blame, with Jay Cutler's unit failing to average 20 points per game, while the defense finished 31st in points allowed.
As a result of the struggles, Chicago completely overhauled its coaching staff. Replacing Trestman will be former Broncos and Panthers coach John Fox, who reached the Super Bowl in each of his first two stops. Fox brought with him former Broncos offensive coordinator Adam Gase for the same job with the Bears, and poached former San Francisco coach Vic Fangio to run the defense.
Chicago will enter the 2015 season with a new general manager as well, with 37- year-old Ryan Pace taking the reins as the youngest general manager in football. Pace already has made some bold moves, such as trading receiver Brandon Marshall for a fifth-round pick, and signing Eddie Royal and drafting Kevin White in the first round to replace him.
The Bears are hoping a switch to a 3-4 defense, which Fangio had great success with in San Francisco, as well as a host of veteran newcomers such as Antrell Rolle, Tracy Porter, Parnell McPhee and Sam Acho can slow down opposing offenses. Gase, who worked closely with Peyton Manning in Denver, will be the latest coach tasked with reviving Cutler's up-and-down career.
Bears training camp schedule (all times CT):
Thursday, July 30: (no pads) 9:35 -- 11:30 a.m.
Friday, July 31: (no pads) 11:15 a.m. – 1:10 p.m.
Saturday, August 1: (Youth Football Day) 9:35 – 11:30 a.m.
Sunday, August 2: (Vamos Bears Day) 11:15 a.m. – 1:10 p.m.
Monday, August 3: 9:35 – 11:30 a.m.
Tuesday, August 4: No Practice
Wednesday, August 5: (Ladies Day) 11:15 a.m. – 1:10 p.m.
Thursday, August 6: 9:35 – 11:30 am
Friday, August 7: (Blue and Orange Day) 11:15 a.m. – 1:10 p.m.
Saturday, August 8: (Meijer Family Fest) 11:35 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. (Soldier Field)
Sunday, August 9: No Practice
Monday, August 10: (Armed Forces Day) 11:15 a.m. – 1:10 p.m.
Tuesday, August 11: 9:35 – 11:30 a.m.
Wednesday, August 12: No Practice
Thursday, August 13: Preseason game vs. Miami (Soldier Field)
Friday, August 14: No Practice
Saturday, August 15: (Kids Day/Run with Staley) 11:15 a.m. – 1:10 p.m.
Sunday, August 16: (Fan Appreciation Day) 9:35 – 11:30 a.m.
Tickets:
Tickets are not required except for the Family Fest practice, tickets which can be purchased here. For 9:35 a.m. practices, gates open at 8:35 a.m. with warm-ups beginning at 8:50 a.m. and practice concluding at 11:30 a.m. For 11:15 a.m. practices, gates will open at 10:00 a.m. with warm-ups starting at 10:30 a.m. and practice ending at 1;10 P.M.
Location:
The Bears will conduct training camp at Olivet Nazarene University in Bourbonnais, Ill.
Draft 'misses' may prove to be surprise fits in new Bears D.
By John Mullin
Teams – Bears included – fall upon hard times competitively, financially and just about every other area when they miss on high draft choices. Two seeming misses in last year’s draft, however, may have unexpected futures in a system dramatically different from the one for which they were drafted.
In the 2014 NFL Draft, the Bears invested second- and third-round draft choices in defensive linemen expressly intended to stock the pipeline with youth in a critical foundation part of the roster. Both Ego Ferguson (No. 2) and Will Sutton (No. 3) were ticketed, respectively, for nose tackle and three-technique in a one-gap 4-3 scheme.
Going into training camp 2015, the scheme has changed completely. But in a potentially intriguing twist, Ferguson and Sutton may not only NOT be draft misses, but also may each be in line to play the position the other was supposed to be playing.
“Little” Ego
Ferguson, once a 315-pounder, has dropped weight and been played at the defensive end slots in the new 3-4 system of coordinator Vic Fangio.
“I’m doing a little bit of everything,” Ferguson said. “They’ve got me playing all over the place so I’m just trying to learn. But I’m getting used to it.”
Bears coaches told Ferguson before he was drafted last year that the plan was to use him in part as a two-technique, playing head-up on a guard instead of shaded to a gap. Playing on the nose of the center (zero technique) seemed a natural transition.
But the new coaching staff had broader options in mind, beginning with a smaller Ferguson.
“I lost about 15 pounds, to 298-298, just trying to get a little more pass rushing and being able to run around a little more,” Ferguson said. “I think 295-300 will be about right.
“They want you to be strong and explosive, not just big.”
Where there’s a Will… .
Sutton, whose college play at Arizona State declined sharply when he went up from 290 to 320 pounds, is still “undersized” by conventional NFL wisdom. But Sutton found himself at the nose-tackle spot during Bears offseason practices.
“Being at nose is a little different,” Sutton said, laughing, “but it’s something to learn and add to what I know. I’ve played nose here and there, but not in something like this.”
Although Sutton was drafted to be a speed-based three-technique, he had played in a two-gap 4-3 at Arizona State. Meaning: While he doesn’t bring classic mass at nose tackle, he is not unfamiliar with the blocker-control elements of the Bears’ new system.
“I’m not trying to get super-heavy, so I’m around that 290 now and feeling good,” Sutton said. “We’ve just got to get in the weight room and keep our strength up as we’re learning on the techniques.”
Tom Brady's four-game suspension upheld by Roger Goodell.
By Frank Schwab
New England Quarterback Tom Brady. (Photo/AP)
The NFL didn't budge on Tuesday. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, five weeks after hearing Brady's appeal over the deflate-gate issue, kept his suspension at four games. That's the same suspension for Dallas Cowboys defensive end Greg Hardy in his domestic violence case. The NFLPA, via reports, has been planning to take the NFL to federal court if Brady's suspension wasn't completely overturned.
Brady destroying his cell phone before he met with investigator Ted Wells was the crux of Goodell's ruling. Here's the NFL's statement in the ruling:
"In the opinion informing Brady that his appeal had been denied, Commissioner Goodell emphasized important new information disclosed by Brady and his representatives in connection with the hearing.
On or shortly before March 6, the day that Tom Brady met with independent investigator Ted Wells and his colleagues, Brady directed that the cell phone he had used for the prior four months be destroyed. He did so even though he was aware that the investigators had requested access to text messages and other electronic information that had been stored on that phone. During the four months that the cell phone was in use, Brady had exchanged nearly 10,000 text messages, none of which can now be retrieved from that device. The destruction of the cell phone was not disclosed until June 18, almost four months after the investigators had first sought electronic information from Brady.
"Based on the Wells Report and the evidence presented at the hearing, Commissioner Goodell concluded in his decision that Brady was aware of, and took steps to support, the actions of other team employees to deflate game footballs below the levels called for by the NFL's Official Playing Rules. The commissioner found that Brady’s deliberate destruction of potentially relevant evidence went beyond a mere failure to cooperate in the investigation and supported a finding that he had sought to hide evidence of his own participation in the underlying scheme to alter the footballs."
The full report said that Brady testified it's his practice to destroy his cell phones and/or SIM cards, or give them to his assistant to destroy, at about the same time he began using his new cell phone. He did so on or about March 6, which is when he met with Wells.
The NFLPA presented its case during a lengthy appeal on June 23 at the NFL offices. According to reports more than 40 people were at the hearing. There was more than 10 hours of testimony.
While few details of the appeal hearing were leaked, it was expected that the NFLPA's attorneys would attack holes in Wells' report, specifically the lack of evidence tying Brady to any specific wrongdoing, and the union's lawyers would also attack the scientific findings found in Wells' report.
The drama started shortly after the AFC championship game, when a report said the Colts claimed the Patriots were using footballs that were under the 12.5 pounds per square inch (psi) requirement set forth by NFL rules. Many of the Patriots' footballs were found to be under-inflated when the officials inspected them at halftime of that game. In a news conference before the Super Bowl, Brady said he didn't alter the ball in any way.
The NFL tabbed Wells to investigate, and his 243-page report famously and ambiguously said it was "more probable than not" that Brady was "at least generally aware of the inappropriate activities of" two Patriots employees, equipment assistant John Jastremski and officials locker room attendant Jim McNally. The report never said specifically what Brady knew or how it figured he was a part of any conspiracy. Brady was suspended four games by the NFL, the Patriots were fined $1 million and were stripped of two draft picks, including a 2016 first-round pick. Brady appealed the suspension, and although the NFLPA objected, Goodell decided he would oversee the appeal and rule on it. On May 19, Patriots owner Robert Kraft accepted the punishment by the NFL, saying it was best for the league as a whole if everyone moved on from deflate-gate.
The entire ordeal has spawned plenty of conversations about Brady's legacy. Brady strengthened his case as the greatest quarterback in NFL history when he won his fourth Super Bowl last season, winning Super Bowl MVP honors after a fantastic fourth-quarter comeback against the Seattle Seahawks' top-ranked defense. When Brady was asked, in his only public comments on the matter immediately after Wells' report was released, if the controversy tainted the Patriots' latest Super Bowl win, he replied, "No, absolutely not."
The Patriots start their Super Bowl defense on Thursday, Sept. 10 at home against the Pittsburgh Steelers in the NFL's regular-season opener.
Follow-up Report: Brady authorizes NFLPA to go to federal court.
By Josh Alper
The NFL moved first, but, as expected, it looks like they’ll have company in going to federal court in the wake of Commissioner Roger Goodell’s decision to uphold Patriots quarterback Tom Brady’s suspension.
Jim Trotter of ESPN reports that Brady has authorized the NFLPA to go to federal court in an attempt to overturn the suspension.
There aren’t any other details about the filing, including whether or not the union will seek an injunction that would allow Brady to play while the case is being heard. If Brady does get an injunction and ultimately loses the case, he would have to serve the suspension later in the season or even in the playoffs should the Patriots advance that far this season. If he doesn’t go for the injunction, he’d serve the suspension while trying to recoup the salary he’d lose while out for four games.
With the NFL filing in Manhattan, we’ll also be keeping an eye out for where the NFLPA files their action. Minnesota has been the preferred location because Judge David Doty’s rulings have been favorable in the past and the NFL’s desire to avoid that venue will likely add to the legal proceedings that will unfold in the coming weeks and months.
Cardinals hire NFL's first female assistant coach.
By Kirstie Chiappelli
Jen Welter (Photo/sportingnews.com)
Jen Welter will become the first woman to hold a coaching position in the NFL.
According to the Arizona Republic, the Cardinals have hired Welter for a coaching position throughout training camp and the preseason. During her short but groundbreaking tenure, she will work with the team’s inside linebackers. The move comes after Sarah Thomas recently became the NFL's first full-time female official.
“I wanted to open that door,” Cardinals coach Bruce Arians said of Welter's hiring. “Coaching is nothing more than teaching. The one thing I’ve learned from players: All they want to know is, ‘How are you going to make me better? If you can make me better, I don’t (care) if you’re the Green Hornet. I’ll listen.’
“I really believe she’ll have a great opportunity through this internship to open some doors.”
Welter, 37, boasts nearly 15 years of professional football experience. She played rugby at Boston College, where she earned a master’s degree in sports psychology and a Ph.D. in psychology, and is a veteran of several semi-pro women's football teams, including the Dallas Diamonds and Dallas Dragons. Welter also won gold medals in 2010 and 2013 playing for Team USA in the International Federation of American Football Women’s World Championship.
Welter became the first woman to fill a non-kicking position in a men's professional football league in February 2014 when she played running back and special teams for the Indoor Football League’s Texas Revolution. The following February, she was introduced as the Revolution's new linebackers and special teams coach, becoming the first woman to coach in a men’s professional football league.
The Cardinals are also hiring former Steelers linebacker Levon Kirkland as the inaugural participant in the Bill Bidwill Coaching Fellowship, a new program that allows recently retired NFL players to gain knowledge and experience in coaching. Welter and Kirkland will be introduced by the Cardinals during a news conference Tuesday.
How 'bout them Chicago Blackhawks? Blackhawks slated for 21 national TV appearances in 2015-16.
By C. Roumeliotis
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
The defending Stanley Cup champions are slated to appear on national television (NBC and NBCSN) a league-high 21 times during the 2015-16 regular season, topping last year by one game, the NBC Sports Group announced Monday.
The national TV schedule is subject to change over the course of the season, but as of now, 12 of the 21 contests are exclusively for NBC and NBCSN while the other nine will be carried locally on Comcast SportsNet Chicago.
The Blackhawks will appear in eight Wednesday Night Rivalry contests on NBCSN, including a pair of games against their 2010 Stanley Cup Final opponent Philadelphia Flyers, division rival St. Louis Blues, and one against their longtime rival Detroit Red Wings at Joe Louis Arena.
The Minnesota Wild will host the Blackhawks — who are appearing in their fourth outdoor game — at TCF Bank Stadium on Feb. 21, which will be televised on NBC and is tentatively scheduled for a 2:30 p.m. puck drop.
The Blackhawks will open the season and raise their championship banner on NBCSN against the New York Rangers on Oct. 7.
NBC SPORTS GROUP TO AIR 105 NHL REGULAR-SEASON GAMES IN 2015-16
NBCSN Opens Season with Stanley Cup Champion Chicago Blackhawks Hosting New York Rangers in Wednesday Night Rivalry Matchup on Oct. 7 at 8 p.m. ET
2016 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic Features Montreal Canadiens at Boston Bruins from Gillette Stadium on Jan. 1 at 1 p.m. ET on NBC
NBC Presents Exclusive Coverage of 2016 Coors Light NHL Stadium Series: Blackhawks-Wild from TDF Bank Stadium on Feb. 21; Red Wings-Avalanche from Coors Field on Feb. 27 in Primetime
NBCSN Presents Coverage of 2016 NHL All-Star from Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Jan. 29-31
Sunday Night Hockey Returns to NBCSN with 12 Matchups
NBC Sports Live Extra to Stream All 105 Regular-Season Games Airing on NBC and NBCSN
Schedule highlights include:
- Opening Night doubleheaders on Oct. 7 on NBCSN, beginning with a Wednesday Night Rivalry Original Six matchup between the defending Stanley Cup Champion Chicago Blackhawks and New York Rangers at 8 p.m. ET, as the Blackhawks raise their 2015 Stanley Cup Championship banner to the United Center rafters. Opening Night coverage continues with a Wednesday Nightcap at 10:30 p.m. ET, when the Los Angeles Kings host the rival San Jose Sharks.
- NBC will present the 2016 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic between the Montreal Canadiens and Boston Bruins from Gillette Stadium, home of the Super Bowl champion New England Patriots, on Jan. 1 at 1 p.m. ET.
- NBC will air exclusive coverage of the 2016 Coors Light NHL Stadium Series, featuring the Blackhawks and Minnesota Wild on Sunday, Feb. 21 from TCF Bank Stadium at the University of Minnesota, and the Detroit Red Wings and Colorado Avalanche at Coors Field, home of Major League Baseball’s Colorado Rockies, on Saturday, Feb. 27 in primetime.
- NBCSN will present coverage of the NHL All-Star Game from Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn., home of the Nashville Predators. NHL All-Star will take place Friday, Jan. 29 through Sunday, Jan. 31, and will include the NHL Fantasy Draft, NHL All-Star Skills Competition™ and the NHL All-Star Game.
- NBC airs the Discover NHL Thanksgiving Showdown with a doubleheader on Black Friday, beginning at 1 p.m. ET when the Boston Bruins host the Rangers. Thanksgiving Showdown shifts to the west coast at 5 p.m. ET on NBCSN with a rematch of the Western Conference Final, as the Anaheim Ducks host the Blackhawks.
- NBC and NBCSN will combine to showcase a tripleheader on Hockey Day In America on Sunday, February 21. The action starts on NBC at 12:30 p.m. ET, when the Buffalo Sabres host the Pittsburgh Penguins, followed by the NHL Stadium Series at 3:30 p.m. ET on NBC, with the Wild and Blackhawks. Hockey Day In America shifts to NBCSN with an Original Six matchup to close out the tripleheader, as the Rangers host the Detroit Red Wings.
- The 2015-16 regular season on NBCSN will feature 24 Wednesday Night Rivalry telecasts, plus six Wednesday Nightcaps that will showcase Western Conference teams, including the Kings, Sharks and Avalanche.
- NBCSN will air 12 Sunday Night Hockey matchups on NBCSN, beginning on January 10. Matchups include Penguins-Capitals, Lightning-Bruins, Blues-Wild, and Maple Leafs-Red Wings, in which first-year Toronto head coach Mike Babcock returns to Detroit to face the team he led for the past decade.
- The Blackhawks, Rangers, Penguins, Red Wings, Wild, Avalanche and Blues will each make 12 appearances across NBC and NBCSN, followed by four teams that will appear 11 times. The Eastern Conference Champion Tampa Bay Lightning will make eight appearances across NBC and NBCSN.
- NBC and NBCSN will air rematches of the 2015 Eastern and Western Conference Finals. NBC will present Blackhawks-Ducks as part of the Thanksgiving Showdown doubleheader on Nov. 27 at 5 p.m. ET. NBCSN will present Rangers-Lightning on Wednesday, Nov. 30, and will also provide coverage of their matchup in New York on April 5, in what will be Tampa Bay’s first visit to Madison Square Garden since Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Final.
- Rangers-Penguins, Blackhawks-Wild, Capitals-Flyers, Penguins-Capitals and Kings-Sharks are the most featured regular-season matchups, each appearing three times across NBC and NBCSN.
- NBCSN will provide coverage of the first NHL matchup on U.S. soil between 2015 top NHL draft picks Connor McDavid (No. 1, Edmonton) and Jack Eichel (No. 2, Buffalo), when the Buffalo Sabres host the Edmonton Oilers on March 1.
- 57 of NBC and NBCSN’s 105 telecasts feature at least one Western Conference team, and every U.S. team will appear on NBC or NBCSN in the regular season.
- Bonus games may be added to the schedule once the season is underway.
NHL on NBCSN
NBCSN will televise 93 NHL regular-season games this season, including the Opening Night doubleheader, 24 Wednesday Night Rivalry games, 6 Wednesday Nightcaps, 12 Sunday Night Hockey contests, and NHL All-Star coverage.
NBCSN coverage begins on Wednesday, Oct. 7 at 7 p.m. ET with NHL Live, NBCSN’s live pre- and post-game show, leading into coverage of Rangers-Blackhawks Wednesday Night Rivalry game from United Center in Chicago, Ill., at 8 p.m. ET. Coverage shifts to Los Angeles immediately following Rangers-Blackhawks for the Wednesday Nightcap, featuring the Sharks and Kings.
NHL ON NBC
NHL on NBC coverage begins on Friday, November 27 at 1 p.m. ET, with the Discover NHL Thanksgiving Showdown featuring the New York Rangers at Boston Bruins, marking the first of 12 games that will air on NBC during the regular season.
Beginning on January 24, and continuing through the end of the regular season, NBC will present the NHL Game of the Week, generally occurring on Sunday afternoons.
BRIDGESTONE NHL WINTER CLASSIC AND COORS LIGHT NHL STADIUM SERIES
The annual NHL Winter Classic will take place on January 1, 2016, at Gillette Stadium, home of the NFL’s New England Patriots, in Foxborough, Mass., and will feature the Montreal Canadiens visiting the Boston Bruins. The 2016 NHL Winter Classic will be broadcast on NBC at 1 p.m. ET. Created in 2008, the NHL Winter Classic has produced the five most-watched NHL regular-season games in the past 39 years.
In addition, NBC will present exclusive coverage of the NHL Stadium Series, featuring a pair of games this season. The first Stadium Series game will take place on Sunday, Feb. 21 as part of NBC Sports Group’s Hockey Day In America tripleheader, when the Chicago Blackhawks face the Minnesota Wild at TCF Bank Stadium on the campus of the University of Minnesota. The second Stadium Series game will be played at Coors Field, home of MLB’s Colorado Rockies, in Denver, Colo., on Saturday, Feb. 27, featuring the Detroit Red Wings and Colorado Avalanche.
WEDNESDAY NIGHT RIVALRY
NBCSN’s exclusive Wednesday Night Rivalry coverage will return for a third season and will feature some of the biggest rivalries in the NHL, including Flyers-Bruins, Blues-Blackhawks, Rangers-Islanders and Penguins-Capitals. The network will air exclusive coverage on Wednesday nights for 24 weeks, with games usually starting at 8 p.m. ET. WNR begins Wednesday, October 7 with Opening Night coverage between the Rangers and Blackhawks.
Last year’s Wednesday Night Rivalry coverage averaged 565,000 viewers, including NBCSN’s opening night presentation of Bruins-Flyers, which averaged 956,000 viewers to mark the most-watched cable season opener on record. Seven of last year’s 10 most-watched NHL regular-season games on NBCSN were Wednesday Night Rivalry matchups.
NBCSN 2015-16 NHL Wednesday Night Rivalry schedule (subject to change):
| Date | Away | Home | Time (ET) |
| October 7 | N.Y. Rangers | Chicago | 8 p.m. |
| October 14 | Chicago | Philadelphia | 8 p.m. |
| October 21 | Philadelphia | Boston | 8 p.m. |
| October 28 | Pittsburgh | Washington | 8 p.m. |
| November 4 | St. Louis | Chicago | 8 p.m. |
| November 11 | Montreal | Pittsburgh | 7:30 p.m. |
| November 18 | Washington | Detroit | 8 p.m. |
| December 2 | N.Y. Rangers | N.Y. Islanders | 8 p.m. |
| December 9 | Boston | Montreal | 7:30 p.m. |
| December 16 | Pittsburgh | Boston | 8 p.m. |
| January 6 | Pittsburgh | Chicago | 8 p.m. |
| January 13 | Boston | Philadelphia | 8 p.m. |
| January 20 | St. Louis | Detroit | 8 p.m. |
| January 27 | Philadelphia | Washington | 8 p.m. |
| February 3 | Detroit | Tampa Bay | 8 p.m. |
| February 10 | N.Y. Rangers | Pittsburgh | 8 p.m. |
| February 17 | Chicago | N.Y. Rangers | 8 p.m. |
| February 24 | Pittsburgh | Boston | 7:30 p.m. |
| March 2 | Chicago | Detroit | 8 p.m. |
| March 9 | Chicago | St. Louis | 8 p.m. |
| March 16 | Philadelphia | Chicago | 8 p.m. |
| March 23 | Boston | N.Y. Rangers | 8 p.m. |
| March 30 | Washington | Philadelphia | 8 p.m. |
| April 6 | Philadelphia | Detroit | 8 p.m. |
In addition, NBCSN will present six games on Wednesday nights that will immediately follow Wednesday Night Rivalry matchups. These nightcaps will showcase one or two Western Conference teams. The first of these games will take place on Opening Night, when San Jose visits Los Angeles following Rangers-Blackhawks Wednesday Night Rivalry coverage. Following are the six Wednesday Nightcap games:
| Date | Away | Home | Time (ET) |
| October 7 | San Jose | Los Angeles | 10 p.m. |
| October 28 | Nashville | San Jose | 10:30 p.m. |
| December 9 | Pittsburgh | Colorado | 10 p.m. |
| January 20 | Minnesota | Anaheim | 10:30 p.m. |
| January 27 | Colorado | Los Angeles | 10:30 p.m. |
| February 24 | San Jose | Colorado | 10 p.m. |
Beginning on January 10, NBCSN will present 12 Sunday Night Hockey matchups. These contests include Red Wings-Rangers, Lightning-Bruins, Blues-Wild and Capitals-Penguins. The Rangers and Wild lead the league with three Sunday Night Hockey appearances apiece. Following is NBCSN’s Sunday Night Hockey schedule:
| Date | Away | Home | Time (ET) |
| January 10 | New Jersey | Minnesota | 8 p.m. |
| January 17 | Philadelphia | Detroit | 7:30 p.m. |
| February 14 | Philadelphia | N.Y. Rangers | 7:30 p.m. |
| February 21 | Detroit | N.Y. Rangers | 7 p.m. |
| February 28 | Tampa Bay | Boston | 6 p.m. |
| February 28 | Los Angeles | Anaheim | 9 p.m. |
| March 6 | St. Louis | Minnesota | 8 p.m. |
| March 13 | Toronto | Detroit | 7:30 p.m. |
| March 20 | Washington | Pittsburgh | 6 p.m. |
| March 20 | Minnesota | Chicago | 8:30 p.m. |
| March 27 | N.Y. Rangers | Pittsburgh | 7:30 p.m. |
| April 3 | St. Louis | Colorado | 8 p.m. |
NBCSN will present extensive coverage of the 2016 NHL All-Star from Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn., home of the Nashville Predators. NHL All-Star will take place January 29-31, 2016, and will include the NHL Fantasy Draft on Friday, January 29, NHL All-Star Skills Competition™ on Saturday, January 30, and the NHL All-Star Game on Sunday, January 31.
NBC SPORTS GROUP’S STATE-OF-THE ART STUDIOS
NHL studio programming throughout much of the 2015-16 season will originate from NBC Sports Group’s state-of-the-art International Broadcast Center, located in Stamford, Conn.
NHL Live, NBCSN’s live pre- and post-game show with highlights and analysis of NHL matchups, will air before and after most games. A 60-minute edition of NHL Live will air prior to most games, while a 30-minute post-game show, NHL Overtime, will air immediately following most games.
NBC SPORTS LIVE EXTRA COVERAGE
NBC Sports Live Extra – NBC Sports Group’s live streaming product for desktops, mobile devices, tablets and connected TVs – will stream comprehensive coverage of the NHL regular season via “TV Everywhere,” giving consumers additional value to for their subscription service, and making high quality content available to MVPD customers both in and out of the home and on multiple platforms. The NBC Sports Live Extra app is available on the iTunes App Store, Google Play, Windows Store, Roku Channel Store and Apple TV.
NBC Sports Group 2015-16 NHL regular-season schedule (subject to change):
| Date | Away | Home | Network | Time (ET) |
| Wed., Oct. 7 | N.Y. Rangers | Chicago | NBCSN | 7:30 p.m. |
| Wed., Oct. 7 | San Jose | Los Angeles | NBCSN | 10 p.m. |
| Thur., Oct. 8 | Minnesota | Colorado | NBCSN | 9 p.m. |
| Tues., Oct. 13 | Tampa Bay | Detroit | NBCSN | 7:30 p.m. |
| Wed., Oct. 14 | Chicago | Philadelphia | NBCSN | 8 p.m. |
| Tues., Oct. 20 | Dallas | Philadelphia | NBCSN | 7:30 p.m. |
| Wed., Oct. 21 | Philadelphia | Boston | NBCSN | 8 p.m. |
| Tues., Oct. 27 | Tampa Bay | St. Louis | NBCSN | 8 p.m. |
| Wed., Oct. 28 | Pittsburgh | Washington | NBCSN | 8 p.m. |
| Wed., Oct. 28 | Nashville | San Jose | NBCSN | 10:30 p.m. |
| Tues., Nov. 3 | Los Angeles | St. Louis | NBCSN | 8:30 p.m. |
| Wed., Nov. 4 | St. Louis | Chicago | NBCSN | 8 p.m. |
| Tues., Nov. 10 | Buffalo | Tampa Bay | NBCSN | 7:30 p.m. |
| Wed., Nov. 11 | Montreal | Pittsburgh | NBCSN | 7:30 p.m. |
| Tues., Nov. 17 | Minnesota | Pittsburgh | NBCSN | 7:30 p.m. |
| Wed., Nov. 18 | Washington | Detroit | NBCSN | 8 p.m. |
| Wed., Nov. 25 | Philadelphia | N.Y. Islanders | NBCSN | 7:30 p.m. |
| Wed., Nov. 25 | Chicago | San Jose | NBCSN | 10 p.m. |
| Fri., Nov 27 | N.Y. Rangers | Boston | NBC | 1 p.m. |
| Fri., Nov. 27 | Chicago | Anaheim | NBCSN | 5 p.m. |
| Tues., Dec. 1 | Minnesota | Chicago | NBCSN | 8 p.m. |
| Tues., Dec. 1 | Pittsburgh | San Jose | NBCSN | 10:30 p.m. |
| Wed., Dec. 2 | N.Y. Rangers | N.Y. Islanders | NBCSN | 8 p.m. |
| Tues., Dec. 8 | Detroit | Washington | NBCSN | 7:30 p.m. |
| Wed., Dec. 9 | Boston | Montreal | NBCSN | 7:30 p.m. |
| Wed., Dec. 9 | Pittsburgh | Colorado | NBCSN | 10 p.m. |
| Tues., Dec. 15 | Colorado | Chicago | NBCSN | 8:30 p.m. |
| Wed., Dec. 16 | Pittsburgh | Boston | NBCSN | 8 p.m. |
| Tues., Dec. 22 | Montreal | Minnesota | NBCSN | 8 p.m. |
| Tues., Dec. 22 | San Jose | Los Angeles | NBCSN | 10:30 p.m. |
| Tues., Dec. 29 | Nashville | St. Louis | NBCSN | 8 p.m. |
| Wed., Dec. 30 | N.Y. Rangers | Tampa Bay | NBCSN | 8 p.m. |
| Wed., Dec. 30 | Philadelphia | San Jose | NBCSN | 10:30 p.m. |
| Fri., Jan. 1 | Montreal | Boston | NBC | 1 p.m. |
| Mon., Jan. 4 | Los Angeles | Colorado | NBCSN | 9 p.m. |
| Tues., Jan. 5 | Montreal | Philadelphia | NBCSN | 7:30 p.m. |
| Wed., Jan. 6 | Pittsburgh | Chicago | NBCSN | 8 p.m. |
| Thur., Jan. 7 | Philadelphia | Minnesota | NBCSN | 8 p.m. |
| Sun., Jan. 10 | New Jersey | Minnesota | NBCSN | 8 p.m. |
| Tues., Jan. 12 | Tampa Bay | Colorado | NBCSN | 9 p.m. |
| Wed., Jan. 13 | Boston | Philadelphia | NBCSN | 8 p.m. |
| Thur., Jan. 14 | Chicago | Montreal | NBCSN | 7:30 p.m. |
| Sun., Jan. 17 | Philadelphia | Detroit | NBCSN | 7:30 p.m. |
| Mon., Jan. 18 | Pittsburgh | St. Louis | NBCSN | 8 p.m. |
| Tues., Jan. 19 | Chicago | Nashville | NBCSN | 8 p.m. |
| Wed., Jan. 20 | St. Louis | Detroit | NBCSN | 8 p.m. |
| Wed., Jan. 20 | Minnesota | Anaheim | NBCSN | 10:30 p.m. |
| Sun., Jan. 24 | Pittsburgh | Washington | NBC | 12:30 p.m. |
| Mon., Jan. 25 | Buffalo | N.Y. Rangers | NBCSN | 7:30 p.m. |
| Tues., Jan 26 | Chicago | Carolina | NBCSN | 7:30 p.m. |
| Tues., Jan 26 | Colorado | San Jose | NBCSN | 10 p.m. |
| Wed., Jan. 27 | Philadelphia | Washington | NBCSN | 8 p.m. |
| Wed., Jan. 27 | Colorado | Los Angeles | NBCSN | 10:30 p.m. |
| Tues., Feb. 2 | Florida | Washington | NBCSN | 7:30 p.m. |
| Wed., Feb. 3 | Detroit | Tampa Bay | NBCSN | 8 p.m. |
| Thurs., Feb. 4 | N.Y. Islanders | Washington | NBCSN | 7:30 p.m. |
| Thurs., Feb. 4 | Anaheim | Los Angeles | NBCSN | 10 p.m. |
| Sun., Feb. 7 | Philadelphia | Washington | NBC | 12 p.m. |
| Tues., Feb. 9 | Dallas | Minnesota | NBCSN | 8 p.m. |
| Wed., Feb. 10 | N.Y. Rangers | Pittsburgh | NBCSN | 8 p.m. |
| Sun., Feb. 14 | Boston | Detroit | NBC | 3 p.m. |
| Sun., Feb. 14 | Philadelphia | N.Y. Rangers | NBCSN | 7:30 p.m. |
| Tues., Feb. 16 | Dallas | St. Louis | NBCSN | 8 p.m. |
| Wed., Feb. 17 | Chicago | N.Y. Rangers | NBCSN | 8 p.m. |
| Thurs., Feb. 18 | Detroit | Pittsburgh | NBCSN | 7 p.m. |
| Sun., Feb. 21 | Pittsburgh | Buffalo | NBC | 12:30 p.m. |
| Sun., Feb. 21 | Chicago | Minnesota | NBC | 3:30 p.m. |
| Sun., Feb. 21 | Detroit | N.Y. Rangers | NBCSN | 7 p.m. |
| Mon., Feb. 22 | San Jose | St. Louis | NBCSN | 8 p.m. |
| Tues., Feb. 23 | Columbus | Detroit | NBCSN | 7:30 p.m. |
| Wed., Feb. 24 | Pittsburgh | Boston | NBCSN | 7:30 p.m. |
| Wed., Feb. 24 | San Jose | Colorado | NBCSN | 10 p.m. |
| Thurs., Feb. 25 | Nashville | Chicago | NBCSN | 8 p.m. |
| Sat., Feb. 27 | Detroit | Colorado | NBC | 8 p.m. |
| Sun., Feb. 28 | Washington | Chicago | NBC | 12:30 p.m. |
| Sun., Feb. 28 | Tampa Bay | Boston | NBCSN | 6:30 p.m. |
| Sun., Feb 28 | Los Angeles | Anaheim | NBCSN | 9 p.m. |
| Tues., March 1 | Edmonton | Buffalo | NBCSN | 7:30 p.m. |
| Wed., March 2 | Chicago | Detroit | NBCSN | 8 p.m. |
| Sun., March 6 | St. Louis | Minnesota | NBCSN | 8 p.m. |
| Mon., March 7 | Arizona | Colorado | NBCSN | 9 p.m. |
| Tues., March 8 | Pittsburgh | N.Y. Islanders | NBCSN | 7:30 p.m. |
| Wed., March 9 | Chicago | St. Louis | NBCSN | 8 p.m. |
| Sun., March 13 | Pittsburgh | N.Y. Rangers | NBC | 12:30 p.m. |
| Sun., March 13 | Toronto | Detroit | NBCSN | 7:30 p.m. |
| Mon., March 14 | Los Angeles | Chicago | NBCSN | 8 p.m. |
| Tues., March 15 | Detroit | Philadelphia | NBCSN | 7:30 p.m. |
| Tues., March 15 | Boston | San Jose | NBCSN | 10 p.m. |
| Wed., March 16 | Philadelphia | Chicago | NBCSN | 8 p.m. |
| Sun., March 20 | Washington | Pittsburgh | NBCSN | 6 p.m. |
| Sun., March 20 | Minnesota | Chicago | NBCSN | 8:30 p.m. |
| Mon., March 21 | Philadelphia | N.Y. Islanders | NBCSN | 7:30 p.m. |
| Tues., March 22 | Los Angeles | Minnesota | NBCSN | 8:30 p.m. |
| Wed., March 23 | Boston | N.Y. Rangers | NBCSN | 8 p.m. |
| Sun., March 27 | N.Y. Rangers | Pittsburgh | NBCSN | 7:30 p.m. |
| Mon., March 28 | Buffalo | Detroit | NBCSN | 7:30 p.m. |
| Mon., March 28 | Los Angeles | San Jose | NBCSN | 10 p.m. |
| Tues., March 29 | Colorado | St. Louis | NBCSN | 8:30 p.m. |
| Wed., March 30 | Washington | Philadelphia | NBCSN | 8 p.m. |
| Sun., April 3 | Boston | Chicago | NBC | 12:30 p.m. |
| Sun., April 3 | St. Louis | Colorado | NBCSN | 8 p.m. |
| Tues., April 5 | Tampa Bay | N.Y. Rangers | NBCSN | 7:30 p.m. |
| Wed., April 6 | Philadelphia | Detroit | NBCSN | 8 p.m. |
| Sat., April 9 | Pittsburgh | Philadelphia | NBC | 3 p.m. |
| Sat., April 9 | TBD | TBD | NBCSN | TBD |
*Some NBCSN games will be blacked out in local markets and televised by a regional carrier in those markets.
Just Another Chicago Bulls Session... Jimmy Butler: Bulls can win championship with last season's roster.
By David Just
Jimmy Butler (Photo/Getty Images)
The Bulls gave the Cavaliers a better run for their money than any team during last season’s Eastern Conference Playoffs. Ultimately, though, the Bulls fell short and lost to the LeBron James-led Cavaliers in six games.
Jimmy Butler, fresh off signing his new max contract, told FOX Sports that the Bulls are capable of winning a championship next season — even if the roster is identical to the one that fell short. The only changes to next year’s team, other than being a year older, will be new coach Fred Hoiberg and rookie Bobby Portis.
Butler had the best season of his career in 2014-15, averaging 20 points and 5.8 rebounds. He was rewarded with a five-year, max contract worth $95 million.
By Mike Oz
The National Baseball Hall of Fame announced a major change Tuesday to the process by which players are voted into Cooperstown. The Hall of Fame is making the Baseball Writers Association of America, the longtime arbiters of voting, to take away ballots from members who haven't actively covered baseball in 10 years.
While it might seem perfectly rational to take Hall of Fame votes away from writers who no longer cover the game, that's never been the BBWAA way. Once a writer earns a Hall of Fame vote — it first takes 10 years of being a BBWAA member — he or she would keep the Hall of Fame vote for life.
And thus, you'd have voters who were quite detached from the game deciding who is worthy of baseball's most esteemed honor. There are about 650 eligible Hall of Fame voters with 549 ballots cast in the last election. A recent example of Hall of Fame voting gone awry: A voter chose Hideo Nomo two years ago but not Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine or Frank Thomas. He was a former newspaper reporter who had moved on to being the director of development and alumni affairs at a prep school. He said he was taking a moral stand against anybody who played in the PED era, but was sure Nomo had never cheated. Hey, once a Hall of Fame voter, always a Hall of Fame voter. Until now.
Here's the official announcement from the Hall of Fame on the matter:
The new policy raises some questions: How well will they be able track inactivity, for instance. Does writing three or four pieces a year count? What about longtime scribes who retired but still pay close attention? Perhaps they'll get some leeway with the "annual reinstatement" mentioned above.
Overall, though, this seems like a big step in the right direction for the Hall of Fame. If the Hall demands only the best players, then the electorate should be also be vetted closely. We're in the middle of the most complicated era of Hall of Fame voting, with so many differing opinions on PEDs and the era of baseball they consumed. Things will only get more complex when the Alex Rodriguezes of the world are eligible for Cooperstown.
Reigning in the pool of voters should change the conversation some. The voters who make the cut will be more contemporary and active within the game, not holding onto the way things used to be decades ago. Honoring history is great, being stuck in it, not so much. This probably still won't mean Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens get a big enough boost to reach the all-important 75 percent threshold, but their votes should increase somewhat.
And while a few ex-reporters in their new careers will be upset to lose their I'm-a-Hall-of-Fame-voter bragging rights, that's not nearly as important as refining what many fans looked at as a broken process.
CUBS: Cubs pitching continues to struggle in loss to Rockies.
By Patrick Mooney
The Cubs can’t keep giving away games like this.
The boos started in the first inning on Tuesday night at Wrigley Field. Dallas Beeler had just given up three doubles and a walk to the first four Colorado Rockies he faced, the Cubs falling behind by three runs.
Wait…aren’t the Rockies supposed to be feeling the hangover from trading face-of-the-franchise shortstop Troy Tulowitzki to the Toronto Blue Jays? And didn’t the Cubs create all this feel-good momentum with Monday night’s dramatic walk-off win?
Whatever, this 7-2 loss again exposed how much the Cubs need to acquire a starter before Friday’s non-waiver trade deadline. It doesn’t even have to be Cole Hamels or David Price – a big contract or the hired gun that doesn’t seem to make financial sense for Theo Epstein’s baseball operations department right now.
“I always believe you can never get enough pitching,” manager Joe Maddon said.
Beeler came up from Triple-A Iowa to make his second spot in a week and got four outs, giving up four runs before leaving it in the hands of a bullpen that appears to be in another skid. The last-place Rockies buried a Cubs team (52-47) coming off a weekend sweep by the last-place Philadelphia Phillies.
The Cubs have now given 13 starts to Beeler, Tsuyoshi Wada, Clayton Richard and Donn Roach – and gotten two quality starts from that group.
Maybe the answer becomes going back to the San Diego Padres (Ian Kennedy) or making a deal with the Miami Marlins (Dan Haren) or hoping the Cincinnati Reds would trade within the division (Mike Leake). A rental pitcher works if these are going to be the two most important months of the season.
“You can’t get too high when things are going well,” Epstein said. “You can’t get too low when they’re not. We were in a competitive race for the postseason a week ago, two weeks ago, and we still are today. We’re just in a little bit worse position than we were.
“It’s our job to pull ourselves out of it.”
Abreu, Soto homer as White Sox rout Red Sox for sixth straight win.
By Dan Hayes
Know how you can tell things have gone well for the White Sox this week?
Mookie Betts made a spectacular running catch to rob Jose Abreu of extra bases on Tuesday night but dropped the ball after falling over the bullpen fence and hitting the ground — which, upon review, resulted in two-run homer.
Thems the breaks, and suddenly the White Sox have stumbled into a bunch. Abreu and Geovany Soto homered, and the White Sox scored five more first-inning runs en route to a 9-4 victory over the Boston Red Sox in front of 38,063 at Fenway Park.
Granted a huge early cushion, Jeff Samardzija did the rest as the White Sox won their sixth straight game to improve to 48-50. The White Sox have outscored their opponents 45-17 on the trip with two games left.
There has been a strange feeling all week in the White Sox clubhouse unlike anything they’ve previously experienced in 2015 aside from a few games. Confidence that the team can score runs is oozing in every nook and cranny, and the White Sox have reveled in it. That’s what happens when a team on pace for one of its lowest-scoring averages in franchise history puts up 12.7 percent of its season-long run production in half a dozen games.
For the second straight game, the White Sox started to score early and didn’t stop. Red-hot Melky Cabrera — who has six straight multi-hit games, the most by a White Sox hitter since Jermaine Dye in June 2009 — doubled in a run off Wade Miley to make it 1-0, and Avisail Garcia chopped an RBI single into left field and Soto ripped a two-run double to make it 4-0. Emilio Bonifacio, who later left the game with a rib injury, doubled in another run to give Samardzija an expansive five-run cushion. The outburst didn’t impress Red Sox fans, who began to chant for Pedro Martinez, whose number was retired by the team before the game.
Coupled with Monday’s four-run first, the White Sox scored at least four runs in the first inning in consecutive games for the first time since Aug. 2-3, 1996 at Texas, according to Stats, LLC.
Even though they put six men on over the next four innings, the White Sox wouldn’t score again until Abreu’s deep drive in the sixth was overturned after replay officials determined Betts didn’t make a football move before the ball fell from his glove in the home bullpen. Betts would eventually exit the game and was later examined for concussion-like symptoms.
Abreu’s 16th homer extended the lead to 7-2, and Soto’s shot, which traveled well past the Green Monster, gave the White Sox a six-run lead. Soto finished 2-for-2 with three RBIs and three walks.
Abreu doubled in Adam Eaton, who reached base three times and scored twice, in the eighth inning. Cabrera, who tripled, doubled twice and singled, flew out to left in the eighth as he sought to complete a cycle. Eaton also fell a homer shy of the cycle in Monday’s win.
Samardzija made easy work of the Red Sox as he made his 10th straight start of at least seven innings. The right-hander, whose availability for a trade seems smaller by the day, gave up a two-run homer to Pablo Sandoval in the second inning as Boston cut the lead to 5-2. But with the help of his defense, including a nice catch by Cabrera and several nice stabs by Abreu, Samardzija retired 20 of 21 batters into the eighth.
Samardzija gave up four runs and seven hits in eight-plus innings.
Golf; I got a club for that; Power rankings: Quicken Loans National.
By Ryan Ballengee
The PGA Tour rolls into the national capital area this week for the Quicken Loan National. Tiger Woods' event has a new date and, this year, a new course in Robert Trent Jones Golf Club, former host of four of the first six Presidents Cup matches.
Defending champion Justin Rose and Rickie Fowler are two of just a handful of top 50 players in the field this week, so our weekly power rankings are pretty top heavy.
1. Rickie Fowler -- Fowler's the class of the field and a two-time worldwide winner this year. He's not the most consistent guy in the field, but he has the highest ceiling on an unknown course that commands an aggressive approach game.
2. Justin Rose -- It wouldn't be hard to make a case for Rose as the No. 1 guy in our ranking this week. He makes plenty of birdies per round, and he has to feel good coming off a T-6 effort at the Open heading into a title defense -- albeit at a new track.
3. Tony Finau -- This is just the kind of course where Finau could bust loose. He can use his massive length as an edge and parlay his aggressive style into a slew of birdies.
4. Will Wilcox -- Wilcox bailed on the Canadian Open last week to rest a nagging wrist problem, and it was a well-deserved vacation after securing his 2015-16 PGA Tour card at the Barbasol Championship. Playing free and loose should suit Wilcox well.
5. Pat Perez -- Perez has become a reliable player this year, snagging a T-18 finish at the Canadian Open. He hasn't been a threat to win but twice this year, but he's been a practical lock for four rounds and a good check.
Frustrated Tiger never imagined so long to recover.
AFP; By Jim Slater
A frustrated Tiger Woods never imagined it would take so long to regain top form after back surgery and swing changes, but he will stick with his comeback plan.
"Is it frustrating to not win golf tournaments? Yeah. But I know how close it feels. I just need a couple shots here and there to turn the tide," Woods said Tuesday.
Woods serves as host for this week's US PGA National at the par-71 Robert Trent Jones Golf Club, a 7,385-yard layout last used by top stars for the 2005 Presidents Cup.
Woods, a 14-time major champion whose last major title came at the 2008 US Open, has fallen to 266th in the world rankings as he struggles to rebuild his game. He has not won a title since he world number one at Firestone in 2013, a two-year drought with a "perfect storm" of back surgery and swing change struggles setting him back.
"I didn't think it would take this long, but I thought I would have my short game, which I didn't at the beginning of the year," Woods said. "Things are starting to come together. I'm sticking with the process and trying to make progress every day.
"Is it fun going through this? No, it's hard. I'm not scoring. Rounds that should be 70s are turning into 74s if not worse."
Woods, 39, has missed the cut in three of his eight starts this year, including the US and British Opens, with his best result a share of 17th at the Masters.
He shot 82 at Phoenix and 85 at the Memorial, his worst pro rounds, and shared 32nd at the Greenbrier only to finish a woeful 147th of 156 over the first 36 holes in the British Open at St. Andrews, where he twice won the Claret Jug.
Woods took a week off in the Bahamas without touching a club, snorkeling and fishing with his children while Jordan Spieth narrowly saw his bid for a third major title of the year spoiled by Zach Johnson.
- Spieth impresses Tiger -
"For him to play St. Andrews for the first time, see it under different winds and play it that well, it was very impressive," Woods said of Spieth. "Unbelievable chance to win the golf tournament. He was only a couple putts off."
Spieth is playing like Woods once did and as Woods hopes he might again in two weeks in the PGA Championship at Whistling Straits.
"Do I want to be in that position again? Absolutely," Woods said. "I've had chances to make those runs. I just haven't done it. It's a matter of making a big putt here or there."
Woods, who says he has no pain in his swing and has not consulted a sports psychologist about his poor play, marvels at the top young players he sees at PGA events now.
"You see all these new, fresh faces and you look down the range and don't recognize anybody," Woods said. "I go to the (50-and-over) Champions Tour and I know every guy. It's the nature of the game. Our careers are so long now. The guys I practiced against are all gone."
Woods, whose 79 career titles are only three off Sam Snead's all-time PGA record, will play alongside fellow Americans Bill Haas and Nick Watney in the first two rounds. Defending champion Justin Rose is in the group behind him starting Thursday afternoon alongside Sweden's David Lingmerth and American Jimmy Walker.
NASCAR; Power Rankings: It's the Kyle Busch Show
By Nick Bromberg
1. Kyle Busch (LW: 2): Busch's run is remarkable. It'd be remarkable if he didn't miss the first 11 races of the year and it's even more noteworthy because he did. And in a system that appropriately rewards winning – we're not advocating for the F1 style, but, at the minimum, more bonus points for drivers who go to victory lane – he's in the Chase. Except he's not. But we're trying to put the whole Chase thing aside and just enjoy what's going on right now. You should too, even though we're going to ultimately view this streak in the context of the final 10 races of the season. Let's live for the present.
2. Kevin Harvick (LW: 1): Sunday's race was summed up in the eight-to-go restart between Harvick and Busch. Because Harvick didn't have Martin Truex Jr. glued to his bumper – Truex mistimed the start – Harvick lost the top spot to Busch, who got a huge push from Joey Logano. And once Busch got out in front of Harvick, the No. 4 had no shot. Tough break for what was likely the fastest car of Sunday's race.
3. Joey Logano (LW: 4): If you get a chance to watch the final restart of Sunday's race again, pay close attention to the gap Logano and Busch get on the rest of the field. Logano was able to clear everyone else and get behind Busch while everyone from Harvick on back was two-by-two. The holes the cars cut in the air was apparent as the top two sprinted away from the field like they had gotten the invincibility star from Mario Kart. Hey, maybe invincibility stars are what NASCAR needs to add at Indianapolis to create more passing?
4. Jimmie Johnson (LW: 3): Johnson was a non-factor throughout Sunday's race. Pretty surprising, don't you think? The team was clearly concerned about something after his qualifying run in the second round. He posted the slowest time of the 12 qualifiers and the team pored over the car post-qualifying. Whatever tweaks they made didn't work out too well as Johnson finished 15th. Or he could have had a fast car and we just didn't realize it because of the lack of track position.
5. Kurt Busch (LW: 5): Busch finished eighth after starting 14th. That sounds boring, but Busch had a pretty eventful day. He had to pit a bit earlier than he wanted to on the first round of stops because of a flat tire. Strategy got him back to the front of the field and he ended up eighth. After the race, Busch said he didn't have a winning car, but eighth was worse than where he figured he'd finish. Yeah, the No. 41 team is fast.
6. Martin Truex Jr. (LW: 7): The top-10 train is back on the tracks. After four weeks off the rails for repairs, Truex got his 16th top-10 finish in 20 races after finishing fourth on Sunday. He said he mistimed his push of Harvick on the third-to-last restart because he forgot to ask his spotter for help on timing out the caution. Yes "accelerating when the driver ahead of you goes" sounds easy to do, but an assist from the eyes in the sky can be invaluable.
7. Dale Earnhardt Jr. (LW: 6): Your last memory of Earnhardt Jr.'s Brickyard likely is of him sliding around in turn one after clipping the grass of Kasey Kahne's bumper. Junior took a higher line into the corner than Kahne did and when he got down to the bottom to blunt Kahne's run, his teammate was there and calamity ensued. But did you know that Junior ended up making up six spots after that incident and finished 22nd, ahead of Kahne and others?
8. Brad Keselowski (LW: 8): Keselowski had a fast car on Friday but didn't get that same speed on Saturday. He qualified 31st, which meant getting to the front was an exceptionally tall task. And he did get the lead of the race late, though he had to pit for fuel so it was a bit of a false lead. He did end up finishing 10th, which is still a 21-spot increase. The only driver who made up more spots was Ryan Newman. He finished a spot behind Keselowski after starting last because his qualifying time was disallowed.
9. Denny Hamlin (LW: 10): After a bashed up hood during Friday, Hamlin was likely OK with a fifth-place finish. He called passing on Sunday "excruciatingly difficult," which seems about as apt a summation as any. He also – accurately – said that anyone outside of the first two rows on the late restarts had no shot at the lead. "I felt like we had a shot at it, but you just have to restart in the first couple rows to contend for a win and really whoever comes off turn two with the lead has pretty much got it," Hamlin said. "You’re really racing towards turn two and that’s about it.”
10. Matt Kenseth (LW: 11): While Keselowski and Newman made significant gains from their starting positions, Kenseth did too. He started 23rd and finished seventh on a day where he called the aero tweaks NASCAR made "terrible." We'll see what these same rules do at Michigan. Our guess is it'll look a bit like a restrictor plate race at times, especially on restarts.
11. Carl Edwards (LW: 12): After starting first, Edwards fell to 13th. He seemed to have one of the better cars of the day while he was up front, but much like many others in the field, he wasn't as strong in traffic. While Edwards has been stronger as of late, his likely Chase berth is overshadowing a disappointing season for him. Unless he does what Tony Stewart did in 2011 and goes on a tear to win the title.
12. Jeff Gordon (LW: 9): Gordon's final Brickyard 400 was reduced to limping around the track with a car made out of sheetmetal, tape and a lot of sweat to beat Alex Bowman and not be in last place. What a sour 22nd chapter to Gordon's Indianapolis career. Good thing he was sponsored by 3M during Sunday's race. having a taped-up 3M car is still a pretty good advertisment for the company.
Lucky Dog: Clint Bowyer. Bowyer finished sixth and sent out this tweet after the race that we can't embed for obvious reasons. But it did make us laugh.
The DNF: He finished the race, but Tony Stewart ended up 28th, the last car on the lead lap. He started fourth. Yes, his qualifying performance on Saturday was nice and made a lot of people optimistic, but Stewart has put in good qualifying performances before. It's putting in a fast race that's a struggle. The team seemed to have a decent car. It was just that its strategy ended up not being decent.
Dropped Out: None
NASCAR blew it on Indy rules package.
By Jenna Fryer
Run, NASCAR, don't walk, back to the drawing board to figure out how to liven up racing. The rules package used for the Brickyard 400 was a failure no matter how the race is dissected.
The high-drag aerodynamic package was supposed to improve passing at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. It was clear from the first practice session for one of the most important races of the season that NASCAR did not meet its desired result.
Yet nothing was changed before Sunday's race, which featured just 16 lead changes. In fairness, that was one more lead change than last year's race at the Brickyard, but it was still the second fewest since 2011. NASCAR's statistics also showed that green-flag passes were down by 587 from last year.
When the race finally ended, the drivers were less than complimentary of the event. Kevin Harvick called the rules package ''a huge science project,'' and Matt Kenseth called it ''terrible.''
''Whether you were behind a guy or behind a group of cars, you were horrible,'' he said. ''It was just absolutely so hard to handle in traffic. You don't want to feel like you're going off into the corner and you're going to crash every time.''
Behind the scenes, teams fumed all weekend that Gene Stefanyshyn, NASCAR's vice president of racing development and the architect for the Indianapolis aero package, was on a family vacation and not even at Indy. The reality, though, is that his presence wouldn't have changed the outcome.
NASCAR has struggled valiantly to create a rules package that produces dramatic racing. If there was a way to bottle what IndyCar does on ovals, NASCAR would buy it in truckloads. But the route NASCAR followed has failed, and the series is stubbornly staying the course despite the results.
Series officials listened to what the drivers wanted and used a low-downforce package at Kentucky. Maybe it was a better race, maybe it wasn't. But most of the drivers raved about the final product and almost every measurable statistic showed the competition was better.
Two days later, NASCAR Chairman Brian France threw cold water all over Kentucky by downplaying any noted improvement. Like his employees entrusted to fix the racing, he looked forward to Indianapolis and the package designed by NASCAR.
France made it clear: He wants pack racing, he wants cars making slingshot passes and he wants excitement.
He didn't get it Sunday.
NASCAR vice chairman Mike Helton on Monday said series officials will take some time to digest the race and the rules package, which is also scheduled to be used Aug. 16 at Michigan.
''We can absorb all the of the science and the data we collect, including talking to the industry, the drivers, the crew members and the competition departments of the teams and the car owners,'' Helton said on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. ''That's part of the reason we created this specific package for Indianapolis - to see the characteristics of it, knowing that there are a lot of personalities in the garage area that have different opinions . but it's on NASCAR to come up with the one that we put in front of the fans on each individual racetrack each weekend. So, we'll take time.''
Helton is correct that drivers often want different things from the race car. Although many raved about the low-downforce package at Kentucky, that setup requires talent. Take away too much downforce and the car could be very difficult to drive for those near the back of the field.
And, in France's defense, the Kentucky race was hardly the best in NASCAR history. It was better, but it wasn't one for the ages.
And, in France's defense, the Kentucky race was hardly the best in NASCAR history. It was better, but it wasn't one for the ages.
The Kentucky package will be used again at Darlington Raceway for the Southern 500, one of NASCAR's crown jewel events. If that race is indeed improved, and drivers again walk away pleased with the product, NASCAR will have to take a hard look at giving the drivers what they want on a regular basis.
Right now, the sentiment is that NASCAR picked a bad rules package for 2015 and has double-downed on figuring out a version that will work. It didn't work at Indianapolis, and NASCAR needs a new plan.
SOCCER: Fire land Brazilian forward Gilberto from Toronto FC.
By Danny Michallik
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
The Fire have acquired Brazilian forward Gilberto off waivers from Toronto FC, the club announced Monday afternoon.
The news comes hours after the Montreal Impact procured Didier Drogba's MLS discovery rights from the Fire in exchange for a "substantial amount of targeted and regular allocation money" Sunday afternoon.
Those reports were verified, as the Men in Red acquired general and targeted allocation money in exchange for the Ivorian via a sign-and-trade deal with the Impact. Gilberto will occupy the Fire's third designated player spot, as the club opted to buy down Kennedy Igboananike's salary.
"With regards to the trade, we felt this move was in the best interest of our club. We received a significant amount of allocation money from Montreal, giving us the spending flexibility to find another player in this window or down the line. We respect Mr. Drogba's professionalism throughout this process and wish him luck, but we are excited to welcome Gilberto to the club and move forward toward the MLS Cup Playoffs and the U.S. Open Cup Semifinals."
After signing on with Toronto as a Designated Player on Dec. 13, 2013, Gilberto tallied seven goals and five assists in his rookie MLS season, starting 21 and appearing in 28 regular season matches overall in 2014.
The 26-year-old was then sent on loan to Brazilian Série A side CR Vasco de Gama on Feb. 20, where he failed to score in 890 minutes across 12 games. In 13 appearances during the team's run to the 2015 Rio de Janeiro state championship -- the Campeonato Carioca -- his nine goals spearheaded Vasco to glory in May.
Mob museum in Vegas to open FIFA exhibit in September.
By Nicholas Mendola
Sepp Blatter and his pals at FIFA should have their names in the same halls as Lucky Luciano and Bugsy Siegel.
At least those are the thoughts of the folks who run The Mob Museum in Las Vegas, as the Nevada establishment will have a FIFA exhibit on permanent display beginning Sept. 1.
The museum, which opened in 2012 and was designed by the folks behind the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, made the announcement on Tuesday. An Associated Press report said FIFA did not respond to its request for comment.
And from TheMobMuseum.org:
Through photographs, media clippings and cover stories and expository narrative, the Museum’s new FIFA exhibit gives a breakdown of the kickbacks, secrecy and match-fixing associated with the scandal.
“This exhibit is ripped right from today’s headlines about the globe’s most popular sport,” explains Jonathan Ullman, executive director, The Mob Museum. “To our growing number of visitors from places like the United Kingdom, Mexico, Brazil and Italy, the FIFA scandal provides an especially resonant example of the different shapes organized crime can take.”
While allegations of corruption have been made about FIFA for more than a decade, its activities were finally confirmed by U.S. FIFA representative Chuck Blazer in 2013.Something tell us the exhibit won’t bring in the same sort of interest as the actual wall from the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre, but it does fit the bill of organized crime. Odd that no one at FIFA responded, but we can think of a certain video that could be on loop in the exhibit:
FBL-FIFA-CORRUPTION
NCAAFB: Ohio State the Big Ten media’s unanimous pick to win conference.
By JJ Stankevitz
(Getty Images)
In the least surprising thing you’ll see this Monday morning, the Big Ten media unanimously picked the defending national champions to win another conference title.
All 40 voters in Cleveland.com’s media poll — the Big Ten does not conduct its own preseason media poll — picked Ohio State Buckeyes to repeat as conference champions. With arguably college football’s best coach in Urban Meyer and stars like QBs J.T. Barrett and Cardale Jones, RB Ezekiel Elliott, QB/WR/TBD Braxton Miller and DE Joey Bosa returning, plus a ton of young talent moving up the ranks, there are plenty of reasons to think the Buckeyes will cruise through the Big Ten and back into the College Football Playoff.
Wisconsin was picked to win the West division, garnering 32 first-place votes and 272 points. Nebraska and Minnesota received five and three first-place votes, respectively.
The full voting breakdown:
EAST
1. Ohio State 280 (40)
2. Michigan State 240
3. Penn State 186.5
4. Michigan 163.5
5. Maryland 95.5
6. Rutgers 78
7. Indiana 76.5
WEST
1. Wisconsin 272 (32)
2. Nebraska 231.5 (5)
3. Minnesota 197 (3)
4. Iowa 158.5
5. Northwestern 125
6. Illinois 77
7. Purdue 59
Big Ten Championship
Ohio State over Wisconsin (32)
Ohio State over Nebraska (5)
Ohio State over Minnesota (3)
Big Ten Champion
Ohio State (40)
Three years after the NCAA hammer, Penn State still alive and well.
By Kevin McGuire
(Getty Images)
Three summers ago Penn State’s football program was thought to be wiped as much from existence as a program can get this side of the SMU death penalty. The NCAA dropped a three-ton anvil on the program following the release of the Freeh Report related to the university’s handling of former assistant coach Jerry Sandusky and his sickening crimes against children both on and off campus; a $60 million fine, a four-year postseason ban, 112 victories vacated, a loss of scholarships ultimately limiting the program to 65 available scholarships instead of the NCAA limit of 85, five years of probation and the possibility of further NCAA investigations following criminal proceedings related to Penn State officials. A lot has changed since that July morning in 2012. Through it all, Penn State has managed to not only survive but also find a path moving forward with great promise.
NCAA president Mark Emmert suggested Penn State had a culture problem on its hands, where the football way of life trumped all other facets of the university. Some applauded Emmert and the NCAA for going all in on Penn State. Others believed the NCAA should have gone further. Others felt it was too harsh a punishment or the NCAA had no jurisdiction on the Penn State shortcomings. Everyone had a side on this subject, and many have stuck to those opinions over the years. Whatever your opinion was at the time, things looked bleak for the future of Penn State football.
The NCAA assigned former Senator George Mitchell to monitor and keep tabs on Penn State by way of an annual progress report. Through Mitchell’s reports, the NCAA saw fit to cut back on some of the sanctions dropped on the program. First the NCAA handed back a handful of scholarships. It later lifted all scholarship restrictions as well as the final two years of the postseason ban. Finally, the program was relieved of all NCAA sanction terms earlier this year with all vacated wins going back on the books, although Penn State remained committed to fulfilling its intent to pay off the $60 million fine, with that money being put to good use to promote the awareness of child and sexual abuse in Pennsylvania.
New head coach Bill O’Brien, the former offensive coordinator of the New England Patriots, served admirably in his role as head coach and should someday be recognized for the job he did in his two years in State College. O’Brien took over a program some deemed toxic and was soon hampered even more with the sanctions. O’Brien could have whined about the situation left and right, but instead he kept the program moving forward with whatever players chose to stay with him. Yes, some players took advantage fo a free transfer opportunity from the sanctions (most notably running back Silas Redd to USC), and some recruits opted to go elsewhere. O’Brien worked with what he had, and decided to fight for the players who remained committed. Names were placed on the jerseys to recognize those who stayed. Some schools say those who stay will be champions. Penn State’s 2012 squad may not have won a championship, but it was honored on the inside of Beaver Stadium alongside past memorable teams like the Big Ten champions of 2005 and 2008, the undefeated 1994 team and the national championship squads of the 1980s. Penn State’s 2012 team had a championship mentality and personality.
O’Brien left after two years at Penn State to become the head coach of the NFL’s Houston Texans. O’Brien always seemed like a coach looking for an NFL opportunity, and few begrudge him for leaving the program when he did. This is because he made sure the program would be as ready to take the next steps forward as possible under grave circumstances. Penn State hired Vanderbilt’s James Franklin, who is now in the midst of doing just that with a full allotment of scholarships and no sanctions to work around. Depth is rebuilding, and the pride in the program remains. It may even be stronger than ever before, as the football program has ironically played a role in bringing the community together in a new way. This season Penn State will strip the names off the jerseys in another show of moving forward while embracing the tradition of the program.
Penn State’s football program may very well have been the product of a football culture gone overboard to some degree, but it also plays a role in the rebuilding the faith of a fractured community. There is still work to be done in State College, Pennsylvania and the pains suffered by the victims of Sandusky may never heal, but the football program can serve as an outlet to promote awareness of child and sexual abuse in the community. Lessons can be learned from the Penn State saga, and ultimately that is more valuable than any win experienced on the field.
NCAABKB: John Calipari says 2016 "could be best class ever".
By Terrence Payne
(Photo/AP)
Last month, Kentucky head coach John Calipari saw Karl-Anthony Towns get selected first overall in the NBA Draft and two more members of his Class of 2014 — Trey Lyles and Devin Booker — also go on to be lottery picks.
His incoming recruiting class includes Skal Labissiere, the top player in the Rivals150, Isaiah Briscoe, the top-rated point guard and guard Jamal Murray, who led Canada to a silver medal in the Pan Am Games and dropped 22 points in a win over Team USA.
But according to Calipari, who joined Andy Katz and Seth Greenberg on the ESPNU College Basketball podcast Tuesday, the best class may be coming in next fall.
“This year’s recruiting class, we’re in the middle of right now, could be one of our best ever,” Calipari said 20 minutes into podcast. “The kids that I’m seeing, that we’re involved with, that I feel really good about. This could be our best class ever. And that’s a pretty scary statement coming from who we’ve been able to recruit over the last 25 years.”
Kentucky has already missed on wing Jayson Tatum, who committed to Duke after the Peach Jam. But the Wildcats are still in play for Josh Jackson, Harry Giles and Dennis Smith, three of the top four players in the Class, according to Rivals. Giles cut his list to five last week while Smith, the nation’s top point guard, narrowed his choices down to six. Kentucky also remain options for Kobi Simmons and Miles Bridges — who both trimmed their lists in mid-July — as well as Malik Monk.
Kentucky’s current 2016 class consists of 6-foot-8 forward Tai Wynyard, who led New Zealand to gold in the FIBA U18 3×3 World Championship in June.
Another possible 2016 target is Calipari’s son, Brad, a 6-foot point guard who is entering his senior year at the MacDuffie School in Massachusetts, located 12 miles south of where his father began his head coaching career at UMass.
“Well, first of all, my wife (Ellen) has already told me if he decides to come, ‘you’re not leaving,’ so that would mean I’d be here five more years,” Calipari said at the halfway through the podcast. “And then if I’m here for five more years, why not stay until [I’m] 70? Maybe I sign a new contract and I’ll be 70 when I leave. Seems like everybody else coaches until 70. I was thinking 60. I think I’ll coach until 72 … maybe 73. No, I don’t know.
“If he comes, and he wants to walk on, to be able to spend four years with my son and the ups and downs of this … The only thing is he likes to talk back. You can’t do that when you’re playing for me.”
Chicago, Buffalo, Pittsburgh among finalists to host 2018 World Juniors.
By Chris Peters
The Blackhawks and four other NHL teams are vying for the World Junior Championship. (USATSI)
USA Hockey is in charge of selecting the host city for the tournament, which has become a major money-maker for the International Ice Hockey Federation and its member organizations in North America. Five NHL cities have been selected as finalists to host the event, which typically runs from Dec. 26 to Jan. 5 each year.
Among the five left standing, Buffalo, Chicago, Pittsburgh, St. Louis and Tampa.
Each market will have to prove that they can run a revenue-generating event and will be required to have no less than two arenas suitable for hosting the 10-team tournament.
The tournament was last held in the United States in 2011. Buffalo served as host city and saw the First Niagara Center packed to the gills for games featuring the U.S. and Canada. It was wildly successful financially and could make Buffalo favored to host again.
Proximity to the Canadian border is Buffalo's biggest advantage over the other markets as Canadians buy a lot of tickets for this thing. Buffalo has also been hosting a number of USA Hockey events in its brand new HARBORCENTER facility next to their NHL arena. They have that existing relationship with USA Hockey, which could be hard to overcome.
That said, Pittsburgh has been expressing interest in holding the tournament for some years now, as has Tampa.
Both cities have recently hosted the Frozen Four and Tampa did such a good job in 2012, it is hosting again in 2016. Success with that event helps each's case.
Also, with the way the Lightning have ignited a lot of hockey fervor in the market, having just reached the Stanley Cup Final in June, don't count out Tampa just because of the warm weather. There's also the snowbird advantage.
Pittsburgh has been stoking the fires of one of the fastest-growing markets for youth hockey in the entire U.S. Penguins fever has certainly created its share of buzz since the arrival of Sidney Crosby. The Pens hosted USA Hockey's All-American Prospects Game recently, so there's an existing event relationship there as well.
Chicago Blackhawks owner Rocky Wirtz recently expressed his desire to bring the World Juniors and eventually the rebooted World Cup of Hockey to a city where hockey is booming. Chicago is also slated to host the Frozen Four in 2017. With hockey's growth in the city, you'd have to expect Chicago to have a great shot at nabbing the tournament.
The real surprise of the group is St. Louis. However, having hosted the Frozen Four and with the soaring popularity of the Blues, now is as good a time as any to try and attract the tournament.
USA Hockey certainly has its work cut out for it as it is dealing with five markets where the local NHL teams have really turned up the heat on hockey interest. That said, the World Juniors can be a tough sell in some places. It doesn't have the name recognition of an event like the Frozen Four and it's only been on U.S. TV for about six years.
However, with the Americans winning gold in 2010 and 2013, often with future NHL stars leading the team, interest has been shooting higher and higher in the U.S. The fact that so many of the players are tied to NHL teams as high draft picks also provides a built-in level of interest from NHL fans as well.
According to its release, USA Hockey plans to narrow the field of five down further within the next 60 days. That will be followed up with on-site visits and the organization expects to select the host by the end of 2015.
Previous host cities in the U.S. have included Buffalo (2011), Grand Forks, N.D./Thief River Falls, Minn. (2005), Boston (1996), Anchorage, Alaska (1989) and Minneapolis/St. Paul (1982).
On This Date in Sports History: Today is Wednesday, July 29, 2015.
Memoriesofhistory.com
1754 - The first international boxing match was held. The 25-minute match was won when Jack Slack of Britain knocked out Jean Petit from France.
1874 - Major Walter Copton Winfield of England received a U.S. patent for the lawn-tennis court.
1940 - John Sigmund of St. Louis, MO completed a 292-mile swim down the Mississippi River. The swim from St. Louis to Caruthersville, MO took him 89 hours and 48 minutes.
1983 - Steve Garvey (Los Angeles Dodgers) set the National League consecutive game record at 1,207.
2003 - Bill Mueller (Boston Red Sox) became the first player in major league baseball history to hit grand slams from both sides of the plate in a game. He had a total of three home runs in the game and collected 9 RBIs. It was only the 12th time that a player hit two grand slams in a single game.
2003 - Marcus Giles (Atlanta Braves) tied a major league record when he went 5-5 to give him hits in nine straight at-bats. The record was shared by 10 players at the time.
*****************************************************************
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!!!!!
No comments:
Post a Comment