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"The higher your energy level, the more efficient your body. The more efficient your body, the better you feel and the more you will use your talent to produce outstanding results." ~ Tony Robbins, Motivational Speaker
Trending: Equal Opportunity Bulls offense revealing versatility. (See the basketball section for Bulls updates).
Trending: Unfinished business: Epstein built Cubs into World Series contender in Year 4. (See the baseball section for Cubs Updates).
Trending: Mets hope to rediscover their postseason magic at home. (See the baseball section for World Series Updates).
Bear Down Chicago Bears!!!!! Vikings-Bears Preview.
By KEVIN MASSOTH
While the Minnesota Vikings can make the case that their defense is one of the best in the NFL, the Chicago Bears' is in danger of unraveling.
The Vikings can win a third straight game for the first time since 2012 on Sunday, but to do so they'll need to earn their first victory in Chicago.
Minnesota (4-2) just finished off a season sweep of last-place Detroit with a 28-19 win, its first NFC North road victory in nine tries dating back to 2012. If their defense keeps trending upward, the Vikings can end another lengthy drought.
The Vikings have won three of five against the Bears, but they have lost their last seven in Chicago and 13 of their last 14 on the road in this series. The Bears averaged 32.9 points during their seven straight home wins over Minnesota, but a stout defense is the reason for the Vikings' early-season success.
The win over the Lions marked Minnesota's fifth game limiting opponents to no more than 20 points. The Vikings are tied with Denver at 17.0 points per game allowed, behind only division-leading Green Bay (16.8).
They held Detroit to 274 total yards and sacked Matthew Stafford seven times a week after the Lions poured 546 on the Bears.
''This team is very hungry. We work our tails off," cornerback Captain Munnerlyn said. "From Monday to Sunday, we're always working. We're always in the lab trying to get better."
A season-opening 20-3 loss to last-place San Francisco left concerns about Minnesota's offense, but Teddy Bridgewater may be starting to silence those critics. The second-year signal caller only threw for 505 yards and one touchdown in the Vikings' first three games but has totaled 834 and four scores since.
Adrian Peterson only rushed for 23 yards on 18 of his carries against the Lions after battling a sickness fueled by swallowing chewing tobacco on the team flight. His one other rush, though, went for 75 yards, one of a handful of glimpses this season of the former MVP of old.
Minnesota's best offensive weapon of late, however, has been a rookie receiver who didn't play until Week 4. Stefon Diggs has been Bridgewater's favorite target the last three games, totaling 19 catches for 324 yards. Diggs caught his first touchdown against the Lions while hauling in six of his nine targets for 108 yards.
Despite only being used recently, Diggs is tied for eighth in the NFL with six receptions that have gone for 25 yards or more.
"I was preparing myself since day one, and I knew I was going to have to sharpen my blade when I wasn't getting any game time," Diggs told the team's official website. "you've still got to work hard, no matter what, and when my time came, I knew I was going to take advantage of my opportunity."
Diggs will face a Chicago defense that is allowing only 220.0 passing yards per game - sixth in the NFL - but is yielding the third-highest passer rating against (108.6) in the league. The Bears (2-4) have recorded just three interceptions while allowing an NFC high-tying 15 touchdowns passes.
Stafford threw four of those as the Lions beat Chicago 37-34 in overtime on Oct. 18 before the Bears' bye week.
A week of rest would typically help teams regroup, but the Bears instead lost another contributor to a defense that is tied for last in the NFL with 29.8 points allowed per game. Chicago cut defensive lineman Jeremiah Ratliff after his animated discussion with general manager Ryan Pace was publicized, adding to a depleted unit that lost Ego Ferguson to a season-ending injury the week before.
The Bears signed former Pittsburgh and Jacksonville lineman Ziggy Hood to fill the spot, but coach John Fox's concern level keeps rising as his team searches for its first division win.
''Everything's concerning,'' he said. ''We haven't been healthy all season.''
It helps having Alshon Jeffery back. Jeffery had been out since the opener with a pulled hamstring but returned before the bye week to catch eight passes for 147 yards and a touchdown.
Chicago totaled a season-high 444 yards with Jeffery back in the mix, 353 coming on the arm of Jay Cutler. The only other time the Bears' offense exceeded 400 yards was when Jeffery was active in Week 1.
But the Bears still struggled to maximize trips to the red zone, converting just three of eight trips into touchdowns. Chicago (44.4) and Minnesota (42.1) rank in the bottom quarter of the league in red zone touchdown efficiency, though on the other side of the ball the Vikings have been the fourth-stingiest club (44.4) inside the 20.
Peterson hasn't scored a touchdown in three of his last four games against the Bears, but he totaled 573 rushing yards in those contests.
Matt Forte might not even remember what the end zone looks like when facing Minnesota. He's had 244 touches in the Bears' last 11 games against the Vikings and hasn't scored on any of them.
While Bears' receivers get healthy, offensive line in flux.
By ANDREW SELIGMAN
Jay Cutler can finally throw to a healthy set of receivers.
It's just not clear who will be snapping him the ball when the Chicago Bears host the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday.
While the Bears (2-4) did not list one of their top receivers on the injury report for the first time since the second week of the season, they might have to get by without starting center Hroniss Grasu. A neck injury kept him out of Thursday's practice and could force the Bears to juggle their line against the Vikings.
At least Cutler finally has all his top targets.
While the Bears (2-4) did not list one of their top receivers on the injury report for the first time since the second week of the season, they might have to get by without starting center Hroniss Grasu. A neck injury kept him out of Thursday's practice and could force the Bears to juggle their line against the Vikings.
At least Cutler finally has all his top targets.
Alshon Jeffery and Eddie Royal returned from injuries two weeks ago at Detroit. And with the bye giving the team another week to heal and rest, the offense figures to have a different look.
''We did look at ourselves,'' Cutler said. ''We looked at certain situations in the games, what we're running, strong and weak, those types of things. But getting everyone healthy, that was probably the biggest key for us.''
The Vikings sacked Matthew Stafford seven times in last week's win at Detroit. Now, they could be going against an offensive line with some pieces in unfamiliar spots.
If Grasu can't play, the Bears could move left guard Matt Slauson to center and have Patrick Omameh fill in at one of the guard spots. The only other center they have is Barrett Jones, who is on the practice squad.
''I try to be smart,'' offensive coordinator Adam Gase said. ''I'm not going to do anything crazy if we've got a whole bunch of guys shifted around. But for the most part, I'll hear (offensive line coach) Dave Magazu tell me, 'Call your game. Call your game.' I think our guys have done a great job of sticking with what our game plan was. And whoever is playing certain positions, we make the adjustment, we roll.''
Jeffery was rolling along against the Lions after missing four games because of a pulled hamstring. He finished with 147 yards for the third highest total of his career, and he only needed eight catches to get them. That included a 45-yarder and a leaping grab in the end zone with two defenders near him for a touchdown.
It was starring performance by a former Pro Bowl pick who had not played since a season-opening loss to Green Bay.
Royal had 49 yards after missing a game because of an ankle injury. The Bears lost 37-34 in overtime to the previously winless Lions, but they did set season highs for points and yards (444).
That was an encouraging sign for the Bears even if they came up short against a struggling team. Then again, Chicago isn't exactly eyeing a Super Bowl run. The Bears are in the early stages of a rebuild under new general manager Ryan Pace and John Fox, and Gase is still learning exactly what he has on offense.
He's still trying to figure out how Jeffery fits in the system with Cutler, tight end Martellus Bennett and running back Matt Forte.
In that sense, the bye helped him.
''Coach Fox lays out a plan and then kind of gives us a blueprint of how we should play as an offense,'' Gase said. ''Obviously, getting Alshon back does make a difference because it does open up things down the field because he can make unscheduled plays and Jay can make unscheduled plays with him. That does help us shorten drives up, which is always nice to do. But at the same time we're also trying to make sure that we possess the ball sometimes.''
By the Numbers: Week 8
By Eli Kaberon
(Photo/USATSI)
Numbers can help tell a story in a football game. Here's a look at 10 important or interesting statistics that could play a role in Sunday's game between the Bears and the Minnesota Vikings.2: Receptions of 40-plus yards for Chicago in the team's Week 6 loss to the Lions.
4: Games where the Bears have held opponents under 200 net passing yards, most in the NFL.
4.2: Rushing yards per attempt in
6: Consecutive games in the Bears-Vikings series won by the home team.
16: Game-winning drives in the 4th quarter during
39: Rushing first downs for the Bears this season.
67: Consecutive games played by Vikings center Joe Berger, the longest streak of any player in the league at that position.
76:
108: Receiving yards for Vikings rookie Stefon Diggs in Minnesota's Week 7 game.
353: Passing yards for Cutler in Week 6, his highest total of the season.
How 'bout them Chicago Blackhawks? Blackhawks-Wild Preview.
By SCOTT GARBARINI
The Minnesota Wild have waited nearly six months for another chance at the Chicago Blackhawks. They may be catching the defending Stanley Cup champions at the perfect time.
Hutchinson stops 45 shots, Winnipeg beats Blackhawks 3-1.
AP - Sports
Michael Hutchinson stopped 45 shots and Andrew Ladd scored on the power play to lead the Winnipeg Jets to a 3-1 win over the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday night.
The Minnesota Wild have waited nearly six months for another chance at the Chicago Blackhawks. They may be catching the defending Stanley Cup champions at the perfect time.
Mired in a scoring slump and minus their top defenseman, the Blackhawks head to Saint Paul for the teams' first meeting since last May's Western Conference semifinals.
Chicago (6-4-0) was able to win its first three games with Duncan Keith sidelined by a recent knee procedure, but it's scored just three goals over its last three. Corey Crawford was in net for consecutive 1-0 home overtime victories over Tampa Bay and Anaheim, and the Blackhawks produced only Patrick Kane's power-play goal on 46 shots while having a four-game win streak end with Thursday's 3-1 loss in Winnipeg.
The Blackhawks have gone 235:58 since Artem Anisimov recorded their last 5-on-5 goal 4:02 into a 3-2 victory over Florida on Oct. 22.
''At this point in time we can do things a little bit different to make it tougher on their goalie,'' Kane said. ''Try to get to the net, stay at the net, get shots through, get rebounds and try to bang in goals that way. Get some dirty goals because it seems all the pretty plays are not really happening for us.''
Kane, whose five goals fueled the Blackhawks' four-game playoff sweep of Minnesota, has done his part by scoring three of his six goals and adding four assists over a five-game point streak. Jonathan Toews netted the game-winner in the recent overtime wins, his lone two goals this season.
Chicago, losers of three straight on the road, now brings its sputtering offense into XCel Energy Center, where Minnesota (6-2-1) has scored 13 goals in going 4-0-0 thus far. The Wild maintained their perfect home mark with Tuesday's 4-3 come-from-behind victory over Edmonton, surging ahead when Charlie Coyle scored 43 seconds after Ryan Suter recorded his second goal of the night midway through the third period.
Minnesota has played the Blackhawks tough in each of the past two regular seasons, having gone 5-4-1 over that span. The playoffs have been another matter, with Chicago winning eight of 10 matchups in eliminating the Wild in the conference semis in back-to-back years.
"It's always going to be a difficult game against them," Wild goaltender Devan Dubnyk said. "It's exciting - obviously there's a rivalry there - but we just try to win games, and it's always going to be a tough one against Chicago."
Dubnyk sports a 1.66 goals-against average while winning three of his last four appearances but struggled in last year's playoff series between the teams, permitting three or more goals in three of the Wild's four losses.
Crawford owns a 1.21 GAA while starting Chicago's last five contests, but Scott Darling is expected to make his first start since allowing four goals on 24 shots in a loss at Washington on Oct. 15.
Darling, who has never faced Minnesota, had 28 saves in Chicago's 4-1 win over the New York Islanders in his Oct. 10 season debut.
Hutchinson stops 45 shots, Winnipeg beats Blackhawks 3-1.
AP - Sports
Michael Hutchinson stopped 45 shots and Andrew Ladd scored on the power play to lead the Winnipeg Jets to a 3-1 win over the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday night.
Bryan Little set up a pair of goals for the Jets, who stopped the Blackhawks' four-game winning streak.
The Jets (6-3-1) were ahead 2-1 going into the third period on goals by Blake Wheeler and Ladd.
Mark Scheifele added to the lead at 8:04 when he took a pass from rookie Nikolaj Ehlers and beat goalie Corey Crawford on the short side.
Patrick Kane scored the game's first goal, his sixth of the season, at 1:26 into the game on a power play for Chicago (6-4-0).
Crawford had come into the game with a pair of shutouts in his four straight wins. He stopped 28 shots.
The Jets got off on the wrong foot when defenseman Toby Enstrom took a hooking penalty 18 seconds into the game.
The reigning Stanley Cup champions made them pay, as Kane took a cross-ice pass from center Artemi Panarin and fired a low shot past Hutchinson.
Wheeler tied it at 1 with his fifth goal of the season after Little won the faceoff, sent the puck back to him and he delivered a low shot from the top of the circle that went under Crawford's stretched-out left leg at 8:12 of the first.
With hometown product Jonathan Toews in the box for holding, the Jets peppered shots at Crawford until Ladd flipped in a Little rebound to go ahead 2-1 at 5:09 of the second.
Chicago pulled Crawford with just under three minutes remaining, but Hutchinson withstood the challenge of the extra skater.
It was the final game of Winnipeg's season-long, six-game homestand (3-2-1).
Notes: Jet Nikolaj Ehlers extended his point streak to five games, with four goals and four assists . The Jets have given up the first goal in eight of their first 10 games and are (5-2-1) in those matches . Jets forward Mathieu Perreault picked up an assist in his 300th NHL career game. ... The Jets head out for a four-game road trip, starting Saturday in Columbus. Chicago travels to Minnesota on Friday.
Just Another Chicago Bulls Session...
The Jets (6-3-1) were ahead 2-1 going into the third period on goals by Blake Wheeler and Ladd.
Mark Scheifele added to the lead at 8:04 when he took a pass from rookie Nikolaj Ehlers and beat goalie Corey Crawford on the short side.
Patrick Kane scored the game's first goal, his sixth of the season, at 1:26 into the game on a power play for Chicago (6-4-0).
Crawford had come into the game with a pair of shutouts in his four straight wins. He stopped 28 shots.
The Jets got off on the wrong foot when defenseman Toby Enstrom took a hooking penalty 18 seconds into the game.
The reigning Stanley Cup champions made them pay, as Kane took a cross-ice pass from center Artemi Panarin and fired a low shot past Hutchinson.
Wheeler tied it at 1 with his fifth goal of the season after Little won the faceoff, sent the puck back to him and he delivered a low shot from the top of the circle that went under Crawford's stretched-out left leg at 8:12 of the first.
With hometown product Jonathan Toews in the box for holding, the Jets peppered shots at Crawford until Ladd flipped in a Little rebound to go ahead 2-1 at 5:09 of the second.
Chicago pulled Crawford with just under three minutes remaining, but Hutchinson withstood the challenge of the extra skater.
It was the final game of Winnipeg's season-long, six-game homestand (3-2-1).
Notes: Jet Nikolaj Ehlers extended his point streak to five games, with four goals and four assists . The Jets have given up the first goal in eight of their first 10 games and are (5-2-1) in those matches . Jets forward Mathieu Perreault picked up an assist in his 300th NHL career game. ... The Jets head out for a four-game road trip, starting Saturday in Columbus. Chicago travels to Minnesota on Friday.
Just Another Chicago Bulls Session...
By KEVIN MASSOTH
So far, so good for first-year Chicago Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg. The same can be said for Stan Van Gundy in his second season with the Detroit Pistons.
The veteran-laden Bulls have picked up where they left off with a new voice in the huddle heading into Friday night's visit to the young Pistons, who will try to start 3-0 for the first time in seven years.
The Bulls hope to spoil Detroit's fast start by winning their first three games for the first time since 1996-97, when they started 12-0 en route to a 69-win season and their fifth NBA championship with Michael Jordan.
That gap without a quick start might be surprising given Chicago averaged 51 wins in five seasons under Tom Thibodeau, including a lockout-shortened 2011-12 in which the Bulls went 50-16.
But with the defensive-minded Thibodeau out, Hoiberg has the Bulls playing with a faster, more balanced offense.
After a 97-95 win in the NBA opener against Cleveland on Tuesday, Chicago downed New Jersey 115-100 on Wednesday. The game against the Nets was closer to the offense Hoiberg envisions as the Bulls made 53.8 percent of their shots, including 14 of 28 3-pointers - up from 22.3 attempts per game last season.
Both of Chicago's games have featured more than 102 possessions after Bulls games averaged 95.4 - 21st in the league - last season. But it's a small sample size, and the only thing holding back previous Bulls teams was LeBron James in the playoffs - not what they did in the regular season.
''It's only two games, we always have room to improve,'' Derrick Rose said. ''Do I love the way that we played these two games? Of course. We had some ups and downs, but we've still got to get better.''
Though the Bulls have several veterans at the forefront, they also have young talent that may get more of a look under Hoiberg.
Nikola Mirotic (18.5 points per game), Tony Snell (10.5), E'Twaun Moore (10.0) and Doug McDermott (8.0) have all seen an uptick in minutes while Hoiberg has shaved a few away from his oft-injured veterans. Joakim Noah is coming off the bench for what seems like it will be his first extended stint as a reserve since 2008-09.
"It's a marathon," Hoiberg told the team's official website. "You have to prepare your guys the best you can and try to keep them healthy."
Meanwhile, the Pistons are led by a young core that will try to deliver a 3-0 start for the first time since 2008-09, the last season they made the playoffs.
Van Gundy was hired as coach and president of basketball operations in May 2014, but two extended losing streaks during his first season kept Detroit out of the playoffs once again.
The Pistons have impressed early, though, winning 106-94 in Atlanta on Tuesday and 92-87 over Utah on Wednesday to start a three-game stretch at home.
Last season the Pistons found ways to lose late, which tormented them during a 5-23 start. They held off a fourth-quarter Jazz rally, though, to reach two games over .500 for the first time since they were 33-31 in March 2009.
''Stan puts a lot of faith in us,'' said Andre Drummond, who scored 18 points in each of Detroit's first two games while pulling down 29 total rebounds. ''At the end of the day it comes down to us to close the game up.''
The Bulls lost twice at The Palace last season, equaling the total number of losses they had in this series over the previous five seasons.
Bulls stay perfect, knock off Nets with strong offensive showing.
By Vincent Goodwill
All that matters is the result. The Bulls can worry about style points later.
Two games into the Fred Hoiberg era, the Chicago Bulls haven’t played consistent or pretty basketball for extended stretches but they’ve yet to register a loss, as they took care of the Brooklyn Nets, 115-100, at Barclays Center.
The first several minutes produced Bulls basketball at peak efficiency, ball movement, open shots and an over-matched opponent, as they should’ve run the Nets out of their own building.
And although it looked that way, the Nets gathered themselves after some early timeouts and didn’t stammer after a couple big Bulls runs in each half. The Bulls lead by 16 in the first quarter and 19 in the third but found themselves only leading by six with a little over three minutes left, as the ball rolled near halfcourt with the shot clock down to three.
Then Derrick Rose, who missed six straight shots after making his first four, scooped it up and went on a blur to the basket, with a burst of speed that usually isn’t displayed.
The floater went in before the shot clock buzzer had a chance to go off, the second such occurrence the Bulls cheated fate or flat-out bad possessions with singular offensive plays before the shot clock expired.
Jimmy Butler did it first a few minutes earlier, hitting a triple in front of the Bulls bench without so much as taking a dribble with eight on the clock, with Joe Johnson in his face.
Rose finished with 15 and three assists while Butler had a much better shooting night considering he didn’t have to play the role of LeBron James’ shadow, hitting all three of his 3-point attempts and hitting nine of 11 overall for 24 points.
Some generous shot making negated some bad poor spacing and the Nets being devoid of superior talent prevented them from making the Bulls truly sweat, shooting just 42 percent from the field.
The Bulls shot a sterling 53 percent, including 13 triples but Hoiberg will likely find a few holes in the statistics to harp on before their next contest in Detroit.
They couldn’t make things easy for themselves, either because they were playing on a travel back to back or continued a trend that was on display last year of playing down to the competition.
An easy, breezy 16-point first quarter lead was whittled down in the second as the Bulls’ defense yielded 11 scores in 13 Nets possessions, a team that will clearly struggle to score this season.
Being a bit too casual with the ball was a firm illustration, with 11 turnovers essentially negating perfect first halves from Butler and Rose, who didn’t miss from the field and each had three assists.
Hoiberg couldn’t have been pleased with the early defensive play of Pau Gasol, who allowed open look after look to Brook Lopez and didn’t box out on defense either. Lopez scored 26 with seven rebounds and former No. 1 pick Andrea Bargnani scored 17 with seven boards in 22 minutes off the bench.
Nikola Mirotic scored 18 with nine boards and Gasol rebounded from a two-point performance on opening night to score 16 with nine boards.
As was the case in the opener, it wasn’t pretty but the Bulls will take it.
Equal Opportunity Bulls offense revealing versatility. What's Your Take?
By Vincent Goodwill
(Photo/nba.com)
Twenty-four minutes into a game where an early 16-point Bulls’ lead was cut to three against the Brooklyn Nets, the Bulls’ big-name, top-dollar backcourt hadn’t missed a shot.
Yet in total, Derrick Rose and Jimmy Butler only took six shots between them, a low number considering their efficiency. And what’s more telling, it wasn’t an oversight from the coaching or play calling.
Keep in mind, Rose was going against a less than formidable point guard duo of Shane Larkin and Markel Brown, but wasn’t about to overexert himself to exploit the mismatch.
“Pau (Gasol) had it going too,” Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg said. “We were playing through Pau a lot in that first half, he was hitting shots for us. We had mismatch opportunities for us where we tried to get Taj (Gibson) the ball on the block.”
It’s part of this ball-movement heavy Bulls offense, which for lack of a better word can be described as “equal opportunity.” In playoff basketball, if it’s not Butler or Rose creating for themselves, it’s a painful watch.
Here, new habits are being formed, at least in the interim.
“When those guys get it going, it’s not just for themselves,” Hoiberg said. “They find other players. It was good.”
In the Bulls’ 115-100 win Wednesday night, the four top shot-takers were Nets players, as no Bull took more than 11 shots with Rose, Butler and Gasol each taking that amount.
The only player who could’ve qualified as playing a bit thirsty for his shots was backup point guard Aaron Brooks taking nine shots in 16 minutes, but he plays aggressively no matter the occasion.
Besides that, the balance in shot attempts and approach has been notable. Five players scored in double figures in the opener, followed by six players the next night in Brooklyn.
E’Twaun Moore, a player many believed would be squeezed out of playing time, has stepped in at crucial points, quickly earning Hoiberg’s trust, averaging 10 points on 70 percent shooting in 15.5 minutes per game.
Hoiberg hasn’t minded the aggressiveness of his players, rarely cringing on the sidelines when a quick shot is taken. He will, however, remark about the ball sticking if one holds onto it too long.
In other words, do something with the ball or swing it, but don’t stop moving, and the very, very small sample size results is reason for optimism.
The balance has been impressive when one considers the choppiness the offense has shown. Shooting 54 percent and 50 from 3-point land was offset by the 20 turnovers, preventing the Bulls from having a true offensive flow.
“We’re good offensively,” Butler said. “We try to thread the needle, hence the turnovers. But we’re taking shots with confidence. I think we’re a really unselfish team to a fault sometimes.”
It was more like big explosions, instances where the talent overwhelms a defense as opposed to a relentless, consistent stream. But Nikola Mirotic, the one scorer many would’ve forecast as the most likely to be inconsistent, has been the quiet tone-setter of the new and improved offense.
He’s a matchup problem at the power forward and is essentially the glue to this offense. His mere presence allows Gasol to take more time before getting double-teamed and makes defenders think twice before running to help on Rose and Butler driving to the basket.
“Niko’s out there hooping,” said a wide-eyed Butler after Wednesday’s game. “He’s guarding, getting guys to foul him, and getting us to the bonus early. He’ll be big for us down the stretch.”
And to boot, taking 11 and 10 shots to score 19 and 18 points, respectively, means a strong recognition of where his opportunities are coming from has occurred very early in this offensive system.
Perhaps he’s either grasped it the best or is best-suited for success in the system and if everyone else is to follow suit, he won’t be the only one playing with such efficiency.
Chicago Sports & Travel, Inc./AllsportsAmerica Take: The Bulls are taking a little different approach this season. They're are actively looking to improve their offense and score more while continuing to play an aggressive defense. How will this be done? Simply by using all of the players on the team. The young draft choices that the previous coach didn't play or felt that they weren't ready will get an opportunity to use their skills. Thus enhancing their development and giving the starters a little more rest keeping everyone as fresh as possible. In the long run this will be a good thing. It will give the younger players more confidence and help build team camaraderie. Brooks, Mirotic, McDermott, Snell and Moore just need an opportunity to play and why not play them, you drafted or signed them as free agents. And I can assure you they weren't just signed to ride the bench or be fill in players. They were signed because the scouts felt that they had skills to help the Bulls win a championship. If and this is a big if, If everyone stays healthy, the Bulls could end up shocking a few people. The Bulls are following the lead of the Blackhawks and Cubs, play your young talent, see if they deserve to be on the team and build for the future. This will keep you competitive for years to come. Don't be surprised if the Bears follow this concept also. It's definitely a winning formula.
Let's go Bulls, Show Detroit what you're made of tonight and make it 3-0 for the start of the season.
There you have it, our opinion for this week. What are your thoughts and what's your take? Please go to the comment section at the bottom of this blog and let us know what you think. We value your opinion and look very much to hearing from you.
The Chicago Sports & Travel, Inc./AllsportsAmerica Editorial Staff.
Unfinished business: Epstein built Cubs into World Series contender in Year 4.
By Patrick Mooney
(Photo/TheHeckler.com)
Epstein listened to a question about whether or not he felt true ownership of this team in a way he couldn’t while the Cubs wrote off three big-league seasons, losing 286 games and playing for a future that may or may not come.
The implication being the president of baseball operations would begin to feel the heat in Year 4.
Most of the assets from the Jim Hendry administration had already been auctioned off. The Cubs wouldn’t go into the 2015 season preparing to be sellers at the July 31 trade deadline.
Epstein had already fired two handpicked managers (Dale Sveum and Rick Renteria) and one he inherited (Mike Quade), lucking into the perfect front-and-center leader for this market (Joe Maddon).
Handing Jon Lester a six-year, $155 million megadeal with a full-no-trade clause signaled the team would be relevant this year. Cubs fans and the Chicago media wouldn’t be as obsessed with what was happening at Double-A Tennessee and Triple-A Iowa or which college hitter would get drafted with the ninth overall pick.
Epstein would actually be responsible for, you know, the on-field product.
“That’s a silly thing,” Epstein said. “Like I don’t have ownership before or whatever? Or I’m the only one to contribute? No, we are a team. As a front office, as a baseball operation, we’re all in this together.
“We take responsibility for the things that go well – and the things that don’t go well. Everyone’s been all-in and having each other’s back from Day 1. And I think the organization’s gotten healthier and healthier and it’s going to continue (that way).
“This isn’t going to be our best team. We know that. So we’ll just continue to grow it the right way and compete. And hopefully the standings make us happy in the end.”
Well, the Cubs finished in third place – with 97 wins and the third-best record in baseball – not a bad way for Epstein to enter the final year of his contract and begin discussions about a long-term extension with chairman Tom Ricketts.
The Cubs beat the Pittsburgh Pirates in the wild-card game and won the first playoff series ever against the St. Louis Cardinals in a rivalry that stretches all the way back to 1892. The Cubs also never had a lead in the National League Championship Series, getting exposed and swept out by the New York Mets.
Four years ago this week, Epstein won his “Baseball is Better” press conference, the Cubs putting his name in lights on the Wrigley Field marquee and buying his brand while the franchise slashed major-league payroll, operated like a small- or mid-market team and tried to build a long-term contender.
The Cubs engineered 10 major trades during those first three years. Within that churn, they gave up 13 players (average age: 31) and eight years of future control for 17 prospects (average age: 22.5) and 95 years of future control.
Anthony Rizzo forced his way into the MVP conversation with a 31-homer, 101-RBI season. Jake Arrieta blossomed into a potential Cy Young Award winner by going 22-6 with a 1.77 ERA. Addison Russell eventually took over at shortstop and put up 13 homers and 29 doubles during his age-21 season.
Kris Bryant – the No. 2 overall pick in the 2013 draft – became an All-Star third baseman and should be a unanimous Rookie of the Year winner. Kyle Schwarber – the No. 4 overall pick in the 2014 draft – is the first player in major-league history to hit five postseason home runs before his 23rd birthday.
“Managing success can be really difficult,” Epstein said during last week’s year-end review inside a Wrigley Field storage room that had been converted into a media workspace for the playoffs. “You have to be really careful that you don’t have an organizational arrogance that takes hold or a sense of entitlement or a sense of complacency.
“But I don’t even think we’re there yet. We’ll deal with that after we win a World Series. We are not there yet. All we did was finally get to October, knock off the Pirates and win a series at home against the Cardinals. But we fell short of our ultimate goal.
“There’s so much that we have to do to just maintain the level that we accomplished this year, let alone improve upon it and then win the ultimate prize.”
The Cubs created an identity and started to play more like Epstein’s old Boston Red Sox teams, leading the majors by seeing 3.97 pitches per plate appearance (and striking out 1,518 times, or 126 more than the next team). The Cubs finished second in the majors in walks (567) and relentlessly attacked, winning 34 one-run games and 13 in extra innings.
The Cubs have an American League-style lineup now, but through four draft classes the Epstein administration has used 80 picks on pitchers and none of those arms are close to contributing on Opening Day 2016 (and even Opening Day 2017 might be a stretch).
With about $5 million in financial flexibility at the July 31 trade deadline – and a stockpile of young hitters to deal from – the Cubs made smaller moves that sort of stabilized the back end of the rotation (Dan Haren) and didn’t really boost the bullpen (Tommy Hunter).
After watching New York’s young power pitchers knock the Cubs off-balance with off-speed stuff and blow away a young lineup, Epstein knows it’s time to spend big in free agency and/or trade away some of those hitters to address the team’s biggest weakness.
“We need more pitching,” Epstein said. “That’s obvious. But it’s important to put in perspective because sometimes the last data point is always sort of the freshest in people’s minds. And sometimes coming out of the playoffs you lose the big picture of the whole season.
“There are 30 major-league clubs. We were third in ERA as a starting staff (3.36), third in ERA (3.36) as a pitching staff.
“If you want to get all nerdy, get all geeky on it, we were first in FIP (3.26) and first in WAR (19.3) among starting pitchers, first in FIP (3.30), first in WAR (24.3) as a pitching staff.
“So I don’t want to take away from the accomplishments of our pitching staff and our pitching infrastructure this year.”
Without question, Epstein’s fingerprints are all over the Cubs now. And now the hard part begins.
“Nothing is promised in this game,” Epstein said. “Nothing is promised in life. There are teams that think they have these surefire five-year windows (and) have often seen them slam shut in front of them through bad luck or bad performance or bad decision-making.
“We don’t take anything for granted. We have to work our tails off to get back to a position where we have another shot at October.”
World Series Update: Mets hope to rediscover their postseason magic at home.
It's all so fleeting, every minute and every inch of it, and if the New York Mets hadn't learned that themselves over two sobering nights in Kansas City, they'd only have to consider what they awoke to early Thursday morning.
The general manager in Toronto, having built that city's first division winner in a generation, was out amid what everyone seems to be calling philosophical differences, which Alex Anthopoulos apparently could not live with. His former bosses said they regretted Anthopoulos had walked away from a five-year contract offer, which is a not-so-sneaky way of revealing the five-year contract offer, which is really kind of lousy.
The erstwhile manager in Los Angeles had jumped at one of baseball's worst gigs, that being Jeffrey Loria's head chew toy. Don Mattingly had worn two uniforms – Yankees and Dodgers. Now he'll wear the one in which seven previous managers have been buried in just the past five years. He went willingly and, it appears, suspiciously quickly. As a side note, Loria's former chew toy was fired, that being Dan Jennings, which the Miami Marlins could have announced on the day he took the manager's job and folks would not have been any less surprised Thursday.
There's change on the top steps in Washington D.C., Seattle and San Diego, and more's coming in L.A., and the Mets, of all people, should know that baseball, like everything, doesn't always play to the script (except in Miami). After all, it's why they, and not the Nationals, won the NL East. Why they, and not the Dodgers or Cubs, are here, two games into a World Series that hasn't gone at all as they planned. Why their leading men – general manager Sandy Alderson and manager Terry Collins – could hardly do anything right in their public's eyes for years, then rode around on the fans' shoulders for a few weeks, and now have to do something to fix this!
There's change on the top steps in Washington D.C., Seattle and San Diego, and more's coming in L.A., and the Mets, of all people, should know that baseball, like everything, doesn't always play to the script (except in Miami). After all, it's why they, and not the Nationals, won the NL East. Why they, and not the Dodgers or Cubs, are here, two games into a World Series that hasn't gone at all as they planned. Why their leading men – general manager Sandy Alderson and manager Terry Collins – could hardly do anything right in their public's eyes for years, then rode around on the fans' shoulders for a few weeks, and now have to do something to fix this!
Yeah, everybody's going about their offseasons while the Mets are, you know, trying to play some freakin' baseball over here.
Problem is, as far as the people in and around the Mets are concerned, they're sneaking up on some must-win games in Queens, and a best-of-seven series sure seems like a lot of baseball until you lose the first two. Their best pitchers haven't pitched like it, they've scored one run in the last 14 innings, now even Daniel Murphy isn't hitting, and after Noah Syndergaard's Game 3 start they'll come back in Game 4 with Steven Matz, a nice young pitcher whose ninth career start could be to save their season.
That's a lot going on. And it goes fast. Ask the Cubs.
It was Jacob deGrom who, in the aftermath of a messy Game 2, repeated the same phrase several times. That was, "You gotta win four." Come to think of it, that's not that different from, "You gotta believe," which served them well once, though the players probably did most of the work.
The last team to come back from oh-two in the World Series was the '96 Yankees. Before that, the '86 Mets. None of that matters. Only Syndergaard does, and a lineup hitting .165 with one extra-base hit through two games, and two or maybe three home games to do something about it.
Collins was reminded Thursday by a writer of the adage that a series doesn't start until a team loses at home, which really only applies to sports in which there's postseason home-field (-court, -rink) advantages. To which Collins affably replied, "I don't play hockey," because Collins worked too damned long and hard for this to let oh-two wreck his World Series.
Collins was reminded Thursday by a writer of the adage that a series doesn't start until a team loses at home, which really only applies to sports in which there's postseason home-field (-court, -rink) advantages. To which Collins affably replied, "I don't play hockey," because Collins worked too damned long and hard for this to let oh-two wreck his World Series.
Still, he said, "We're glad to be home. We've got our fan base behind us now, and that brings out a lot of energy in our guys. There's a lot of confidence in that clubhouse. I talked to them when we got back off the field [Wednesday] night. It was a similar refrain from the night before, that is, we're down but we're not out. We fought back so many times this year, that this is just another challenge that we have to meet and so far we've met them all."
Maybe the Mets, as a group, are sure they can do this. Maybe not. They're certainly not the best team you've ever seen. They're not the best team you've seen in the last, oh, 24 hours. But here they are, at home, a big ol' hoss on the mound, Billy Joel on the anthem, with nothing having been done to them yet that can't be undone.
"You gotta win four," deGrom said with his lips pulled tight across his teeth and his eyes dark, almost like a threat.
So that's it. Win four. If they don't, the Royals will. And it could go fast.
White Sox claim former top prospect Jacob Turner from Cubs.
By John Paschall
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
The White Sox have pounced on another former top prospect the Cubs have placed on waivers.
Earlier in the year, the Cubs let third baseman Mike Olt go and Sox GM Rick Hahn put a claim in on the slugger.
Now, it's Jacob Turner's turn to switch from the North Side to the South Side.
The Sox were awarded Turner on Tuesday after he was placed on waivers. Turner, 24, did not pitch at all in 2015 after dealing with a strained right flexor tendon and right shoulder inflammation.
After being selected No. 9 in the 2009 MLB Draft by the Detroit Tigers, Turner found himself in the top 30 of most prospect rankings, including reaching as high as No. 15 in all of baseball according to MLB.com and Baseball Prospectus.
Turner pitched in eight games and started six for the Cubs in 2014, posting a 6.49 ERA over 34 2/3 innings. The Cubs acquired the right-hander in a trade with the Miami Marlins in 2014 for Tyler Bremer and Jose Arias.
Golf: I got a club for that..... Tiger Woods’ PGA Tour demotion just the latest sign of the ex-No. 1's plummeting popularity.
By Emily Kay
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Tiger Woods may not be quite ready to call it quits, but the PGA Tour has officially recognized that the former world No. 1 won’t be reliving his glory days any time soon.
With Woods’ career in free fall for the past two years as youngsters like Jason Day and Jordan Spieth soared to the pinnacle of the game, the folks in Ponte Vedra finally dropped the fading superstar from the top spot on their website’s "PGA Tour Players" page.
Now, in the leadoff spot where Woods reigned supreme long after his game and health knocked him out of the starting lineup, there’s an odd "Tour Eligibility Ranking" section, framed by Phil Mickelson, Rory McIlroy, Rickie Fowler, Spieth and Woods.
Now, in the leadoff spot where Woods reigned supreme long after his game and health knocked him out of the starting lineup, there’s an odd "Tour Eligibility Ranking" section, framed by Phil Mickelson, Rory McIlroy, Rickie Fowler, Spieth and Woods.
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Woods said last week he could be off the circuit for 12 months as he recovers from a second back procedure. It was a disclosure that had some observers wondering if Woods, who will turn 40 in December, will ever return to competition.
"I’ll start my rehab soon," he said at the Bridgestone America’s Golf Cup exhibition he was scheduled to play with Matt Kuchar before his September surgery knocked him out of action again. "It’s a long and tedious rehab. Last time, it took me a very long time to come back. Some players on tour they’ve had it done and it’s taken for them to be pain-free over a year."
It would follow that Woods’ announcement — combined with his record of six missed cuts and three withdrawals in 23 events since his last win in Aug. 2013, and his current 351st position in the world rankings — was the news commissioner Tim Finchem was waiting for before he could finally bump his erstwhile star attraction from top billing.
In fact, though, golf enthusiasts dictated the new look, which includes the obvious exclusion of world No. 1 Jason Day from the company of the other notables.
"Those five players are five of the more popular searches we have for our players," a tour spokesperson told SB Nation in an e-mail on Tuesday. "I don't necessarily know if those rotate or change but certainly no knock on Jason Day."
So, mystery surrounding Woods’ demotion and the cast of characters with whom he shares the stage solved. Spieth and McIlroy are no-brainers, the other two not so much.
Mickelson did Finchem proud in the tour-operated Presidents Cup and was able to scrape together three top-10 finishes in 2015, including a T2 at the Masters, to go with three missed cuts in 19 events. Fowler won twice last year and earned five additional top-10s.
But neither player was a major victor in 2015, captured four other tournaments (including four in a six-tourney span), or currently owns the world’s top berth.
That guy would be Day, who is glaringly missing from the grouping and certainly deserves the half-page box that Woods occupied for so long. Apparently, though, the 27-year-old Aussie is just not a fan fave.
Great Scott as Piercy's 62 leads CIMB Classic.
AFP
Scott Piercy shot a 62 to seize a three-stroke lead in the opening round of the CIMB Classic in Malaysia on Thursday with two-time defending champion Ryan Moore among the chasing pack.
Piercy turned in a bogey-free 10-under that included a chip-in for birdie on the 13th hole, one of 10 birdies in a round that was just one off of the tournament record set by Nick Watney in 2012.
"I got a little lucky, got the putter rolling, and I continued to hit it pretty solid," he said. "To hit 62, you got to get some things to go right for you."
"I got a little lucky, got the putter rolling, and I continued to hit it pretty solid," he said. "To hit 62, you got to get some things to go right for you."
Japan's Hideki Matsuyama was three strokes behind Piercy, while five players including 2011 PGA Championship winner Keegan Bradley were tied for third at six-under.
Moore finished in a group at five-under in hot and humid conditions at the par-72 Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club.
He is hoping to become the first golfer to win a PGA Tour event three straight times since Steve Stricker at the John Deere Classic from 2009-11.
"I'm comfortable on this course, I like the conditions, and for some reason it brings good things out of my game," he said.
Scott Brown provided the day's highlight with an ace on the 189-yard, par-three 15th hole, which won him a BMW sports car.
"Walking up looking at the card I thought it would be nice to be make a hole-in-one and win something. So that was my thought walking there, to make a one," Brown said.
Joining Brown at four-under was former Masters winner Adam Scott of Australia, who managed a 68 despite having to ditch his signature sunglasses, which were fogging up from the humidity.
Sergio Garcia came in with a two-under 70, while world number seven Henrik Stenson, the highest ranked player in the field, finished a stroke further back.
The $7 million tournament is jointly sanctioned by the Asian Tour and the PGA Tour and offers the winner $1.26 million.
It is the third event of the PGA Tour's wrap-around 2016 schedule, and the victor also racks up 500 FedEx Cup points.
It is the third event of the PGA Tour's wrap-around 2016 schedule, and the victor also racks up 500 FedEx Cup points.
NASCAR; Bruce: How far will drivers go to advance in Chase?
By Kenny Bruce
Imagine you're behind the wheel of a race car, headed toward the start/finish line for a green, white, checkered restart, and your entire season rests on the outcome of the final two laps.
Finish high enough and you stay in contention for the championship.
Give up too many positions and everything you and your team have worked for all season effectively comes to an end.
And then you realize you have a tire going down.
Or a loose wheel.
Or an engine that’s gone sour.
Do you pull out of line and let everyone, and everything, go rushing past?
Or do you stay in line and hope for the best? Kevin Harvick chose the latter, and when his underpowered Chevrolet triggered a multicar crash Sunday at Talladega Superspeedway, the final race of Contender Round of this year's Chase for the Sprint Cup ended under a cloud of controversy.
Did Harvick intentionally cause the crash in an attempt to maintain his position and thus escape elimination?
NASCAR officials said Tuesday that they could find no evidence to support such claims.
Several drivers, including two that saw their title hopes dashed, believed otherwise.
Harvick's actions make for great debate. They also raise another question -- what is considered acceptable racing under today's Chase format?
Even the drivers are still trying to figure that one out. And doing so on the fly.
"When the competition is at the level that it's at, and you're seeing that opportunity either slip away or in your grasp, the things that you will go to, the level that you'll take it, you don't even know yourself until you're in that position," four-time series champion Jeff Gordon said Tuesday during media day activities at the NASCAR Hall of Fame.
What's at stake hasn't changed, he said, only the format. "And that's changed things slightly in the urgency of things.
Finish high enough and you stay in contention for the championship.
Give up too many positions and everything you and your team have worked for all season effectively comes to an end.
And then you realize you have a tire going down.
Or a loose wheel.
Or an engine that’s gone sour.
Do you pull out of line and let everyone, and everything, go rushing past?
Or do you stay in line and hope for the best? Kevin Harvick chose the latter, and when his underpowered Chevrolet triggered a multicar crash Sunday at Talladega Superspeedway, the final race of Contender Round of this year's Chase for the Sprint Cup ended under a cloud of controversy.
Did Harvick intentionally cause the crash in an attempt to maintain his position and thus escape elimination?
NASCAR officials said Tuesday that they could find no evidence to support such claims.
Several drivers, including two that saw their title hopes dashed, believed otherwise.
Harvick's actions make for great debate. They also raise another question -- what is considered acceptable racing under today's Chase format?
Even the drivers are still trying to figure that one out. And doing so on the fly.
"When the competition is at the level that it's at, and you're seeing that opportunity either slip away or in your grasp, the things that you will go to, the level that you'll take it, you don't even know yourself until you're in that position," four-time series champion Jeff Gordon said Tuesday during media day activities at the NASCAR Hall of Fame.
What's at stake hasn't changed, he said, only the format. "And that's changed things slightly in the urgency of things.
"It's just the opportunity that presents itself that's there in front of you. I don't think that would be any different 20 years ago versus today."
Matt Kenseth, a former champion and one of the four latest Chase casualties, said after Sunday's race that NASCAR officials had "lost total control."
"I got wrecked out two weeks in a row from people doing what they had to do to make the Chase, but call it what you want," the Joe Gibbs Racing driver said.
A week earlier, contact from Joey Logano knocked Kenseth out of the lead in the closing laps at Kansas Speedway. Sunday's finish was the final nail in the coffin.
Perhaps less control is by design. "That's part of the fun of it, but it does need some control," Team Penske driver Brad Keselowski said. "As to whether it's the appropriate amount that we've seen lately, who am I to judge?
"When you get to these elimination races you've got essentially your whole season on the line. It certainly is going to stretch what you're willing to do, but that's not a bad thing, that's a good thing. That's what NASCAR wants. That's why they created this format."
The format, which debuted in 2004, was last revised after 2013 in an attempt to create more "Game 7" type opportunities, with the stakes increasing as each round nears completion.
That much appears to have been accomplished.
But to what extremes drivers and teams will go to advance, and equally important, how such moves are policed, remains open for discussion.
How much is too much? How far is too far?
"I think everybody's going to keep ramping it up, racing more aggressively, racing harder, take more chances," Furniture Row Racing driver Martin Truex Jr. said. "But you don't want to go overboard and just run people over and take people out of the race. That's not fair.
"Everybody has the same opportunity. Everybody has the same right to be on that race track."
Chase Analytics: Numbers give Logano, Harvick equal title chance.
By Eric Cherni
After all the craziness at Talladega, with Joey Logano somehow winning and Kevin Harvick somehow advancing, we have a neck-and-neck race for the title.
Logano and Harvick each has a 26 percent chance of winning the Sprint Cup championship.
The data and image come from Andrew Maness at Pit Rho, a racing analytics firm. He and I designed the mathematical model to predict race and season outcomes.
Even more interesting is a clear separation between the top four and bottom four contenders most likely to make it to Homestead.
Along with Harvick and Logano, we also show Kyle Busch and Brad Keselowski as each having more than a 50 percent chance of making it to the final race. These four drivers are the only ones with at least a 10 percent chance of winning the title.
The bottom four drivers, including Jeff Gordon and Carl Edwards, will have to come from behind (mathematically speaking). They all have sub-50 percent odds of advancing and single-digit title chances.
We know one thing: all these numbers will change as each race goes forward. But for now, this is where we stand.
What’s also a new factor is many of the biggest threats to winning races are out: Jimmie Johnson, Matt Kenseth, and Denny Hamlin, among the names. These guys might easily win one or more of the next three races, causing the final eight Chasers to focus more on advancing via points rather than expecting to get a win.
THE BIG WHAT IF?
Separately, a lot of people are wondering what would have happened if Dale Earnhardt, Jr. had won Talladega with Harvick falling out. In that case, here’s what the odds would have been for the rest of the year:
If that had actually happened, the absence of Harvick from this round would have made Logano the clear favorite and would have given everybody else a slightly better shot at winning the title. In particular, Earnhardt would have been in – and tied for second with Kyle Busch with a 16 percent chance to win the championship.
Other than Logano, Earnhardt would have had the best chance of making it into the final four. As you can see, Harvick’s contact with Trevor Bayne on the final restart last weekend caused a massive ripple effect.
HITTING SEVEN OF EIGHT
Going into Talladega, our numbers last week correctly predicted seven of the eight Chasers who advanced to the third round. The only one who didn’t transfer was Denny Hamlin. Kyle Busch replaced him –he’s the one we said had the best shot outside the top eight in points of advancing a week ago. The numbers continue to prove themselves and will be a handy guide as we approach Homestead.
Matt Kenseth, a former champion and one of the four latest Chase casualties, said after Sunday's race that NASCAR officials had "lost total control."
"I got wrecked out two weeks in a row from people doing what they had to do to make the Chase, but call it what you want," the Joe Gibbs Racing driver said.
A week earlier, contact from Joey Logano knocked Kenseth out of the lead in the closing laps at Kansas Speedway. Sunday's finish was the final nail in the coffin.
Perhaps less control is by design. "That's part of the fun of it, but it does need some control," Team Penske driver Brad Keselowski said. "As to whether it's the appropriate amount that we've seen lately, who am I to judge?
"When you get to these elimination races you've got essentially your whole season on the line. It certainly is going to stretch what you're willing to do, but that's not a bad thing, that's a good thing. That's what NASCAR wants. That's why they created this format."
The format, which debuted in 2004, was last revised after 2013 in an attempt to create more "Game 7" type opportunities, with the stakes increasing as each round nears completion.
That much appears to have been accomplished.
But to what extremes drivers and teams will go to advance, and equally important, how such moves are policed, remains open for discussion.
How much is too much? How far is too far?
"I think everybody's going to keep ramping it up, racing more aggressively, racing harder, take more chances," Furniture Row Racing driver Martin Truex Jr. said. "But you don't want to go overboard and just run people over and take people out of the race. That's not fair.
"Everybody has the same opportunity. Everybody has the same right to be on that race track."
Chase Analytics: Numbers give Logano, Harvick equal title chance.
By Eric Cherni
After all the craziness at Talladega, with Joey Logano somehow winning and Kevin Harvick somehow advancing, we have a neck-and-neck race for the title.
Logano and Harvick each has a 26 percent chance of winning the Sprint Cup championship.
The data and image come from Andrew Maness at Pit Rho, a racing analytics firm. He and I designed the mathematical model to predict race and season outcomes.
Even more interesting is a clear separation between the top four and bottom four contenders most likely to make it to Homestead.
Along with Harvick and Logano, we also show Kyle Busch and Brad Keselowski as each having more than a 50 percent chance of making it to the final race. These four drivers are the only ones with at least a 10 percent chance of winning the title.
The bottom four drivers, including Jeff Gordon and Carl Edwards, will have to come from behind (mathematically speaking). They all have sub-50 percent odds of advancing and single-digit title chances.
We know one thing: all these numbers will change as each race goes forward. But for now, this is where we stand.
What’s also a new factor is many of the biggest threats to winning races are out: Jimmie Johnson, Matt Kenseth, and Denny Hamlin, among the names. These guys might easily win one or more of the next three races, causing the final eight Chasers to focus more on advancing via points rather than expecting to get a win.
THE BIG WHAT IF?
Separately, a lot of people are wondering what would have happened if Dale Earnhardt, Jr. had won Talladega with Harvick falling out. In that case, here’s what the odds would have been for the rest of the year:
If that had actually happened, the absence of Harvick from this round would have made Logano the clear favorite and would have given everybody else a slightly better shot at winning the title. In particular, Earnhardt would have been in – and tied for second with Kyle Busch with a 16 percent chance to win the championship.
Other than Logano, Earnhardt would have had the best chance of making it into the final four. As you can see, Harvick’s contact with Trevor Bayne on the final restart last weekend caused a massive ripple effect.
HITTING SEVEN OF EIGHT
Going into Talladega, our numbers last week correctly predicted seven of the eight Chasers who advanced to the third round. The only one who didn’t transfer was Denny Hamlin. Kyle Busch replaced him –he’s the one we said had the best shot outside the top eight in points of advancing a week ago. The numbers continue to prove themselves and will be a handy guide as we approach Homestead.
SOCCER; Week 11: Premier League storylines – Halloween extravaganza, New Forest derby.
By Joe Prince-Wright
Week 11 is here folks, as a Halloween special is coming your way from the Premier League.
Here’s a look at some intriguing topics heading into this weekend.
Mourinho, Klopp do battle
What a game we have in store on Saturday at Stamford Bridge as Jurgen Klopp takes his Liverpool side to face a beleaguered Chelsea and Jose Mourinho. The Blues lost for the eighth time in 16 games this season midweek, as Mourinho’s men suffered a penalty shootout defeat to Stoke City in the League Cup. They also lost Diego Costa with a rib injury in that loss at Stoke and combined with their awful league form of five defeats in 10 games, all of the turmoil surrounding Mourinho’s future, his FA charges and the under-performing stars, this could be the perfect time for Liverpool to play Chelsea. That said, Klopp’s side have hardly looked like world beaters with three draws and a narrow League Cup win against Bournemouth to their name so far and if they lose to Chelsea these two times will be level on points. The Reds are improving but with Daniel Sturridge likely out and Christian Benteke being nursed back from injury, you wonder where their goals will come from. Expect plenty of shocks on Saturday (Watch live, 8:45 a.m. ET on NBCSN and online via Live Extra) as these giants meet for a tasty Halloween clash. Mourinho insisted he “sleeps well every night” despite Chelsea’s struggles. Will that be the case on Saturday if he endures another nightmare defeat?
“The New Forest derby” arrives in the PL
Now, here’s a rivalry you may have never heard about or thought about: Southampton vs. Bournemouth. Both clubs, at least in the past, have coexisted harmoniously down on the South Coast but over the past few years their rise up through the league’s has seen a rivalry develop and on Sunday (Watch live, 11 a.m. ET on NBCSN and online via Live Extra) the “New Forest derby” will grace the top-flight for the first-time. Southampton have always been the big dogs and have often loaned out players and helped Bournemouth survive in the past. Now, the Cherries would love to get one over their rivals. Expect, Saints fans don’t really see the PL new boys as rivals. All they care about is beating Portsmouth in that historic rivalry, while Bournemouth is an afterthought. With Saints unbeaten in six and Bournemouth suffering successive 5-1 defeats in the PL, the home side are the clear favorites. On Sunday at St Mary’s expect a heated rivalry, but no New Forest ponies, to be present.
Can Arsenal cope with injuries?
Arsene Wenger delivered the news on Thursday that Arsenal would be without Theo Walcott and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain through the next international break, as the duo were both injured in the opening 20 minutes of Arsenal’s shock League Cup defeat at second-tier Sheffield Wednesday. Arsenal have won three on the spin in the PL and sit just one place and two points behind leaders Manchester City. This weekend they travel to Swansea City (Watch live, 11 a.m. ET on USA and online via Live Extra) to face a team they lost home and away to last season. Wenger will have to rely on Olivier Giroud to fire up front, while he wrap Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil in cotton wool. After losing Jack Wilshere and Aaron Ramsey, plus Walcott and the Ox now going down, Arsenal’s strong start to the season could unravel quickly if they fail to deal with these injuries.
Time for Man City to kick on?
After winning five-straight games to start the season Manuel Pellegrini‘s team stumbled for a few games. With a dour Manchester Derby draw sandwiched in-between a 5-1 thumping defeat of Bournemouth in the PL, then beating Crystal Palace by the same scoreline in the League Cup, you get the sense City are figuring things out again with Sergio Aguero and David Silva out injured. Kevin De Bruyne looks the real deal. Wilfired Bony is chipping in. Kelechi Iheanacho looks a real talent. City’s squad is looking very strong as Vincent Kompany, Martin Demichelis, Nicolas Otamendi and Eliaquim Mangala all jostle for two center back spots. With struggling Norwich City heading to the Etihad on Saturday (Watch live, 10 a.m. ET online via Live Extra) we should expect another five goals for the Citizens as they look to extend their lead at the top of the table.
Manager watch: Will Villa have a new guy in charge?
At the other end of the table, Aston Villa sit bottom of the table and managerless. Kevin MacDonald took caretaker charge for the League Cup defeat at Southampton in midweek but by the time they play Tottenham Hotspur on Monday (Watch live, 3 p.m. ET on NBCSN and online via Live Extra), will Remi Garde be in charge? Reports have heavily linked the former Lyon manager with the vacant position after Tim Sherwood’s firing and it is true that with most of Villa’s summer recruits hailing from Ligue 1, Garde will know them well. However, is now the right time to gamble on an manager who has never coached in England? Villa’s American owner Randy Lerner is running out of ideas and options as the club he desperately wants to sell is in perhaps closer to being relegated this season than in any of the previous nine since he took over. During Villa’s latest defeat on Wednesday, fans held up banners reading “Lerner Out” as the turmoil at Villa Park continues.
Soccer-US championship results.
Reuters
Results from the US championship matches on Thursday
Eastern Knockout I
Western Knockout I
Mourinho, Klopp do battle
What a game we have in store on Saturday at Stamford Bridge as Jurgen Klopp takes his Liverpool side to face a beleaguered Chelsea and Jose Mourinho. The Blues lost for the eighth time in 16 games this season midweek, as Mourinho’s men suffered a penalty shootout defeat to Stoke City in the League Cup. They also lost Diego Costa with a rib injury in that loss at Stoke and combined with their awful league form of five defeats in 10 games, all of the turmoil surrounding Mourinho’s future, his FA charges and the under-performing stars, this could be the perfect time for Liverpool to play Chelsea. That said, Klopp’s side have hardly looked like world beaters with three draws and a narrow League Cup win against Bournemouth to their name so far and if they lose to Chelsea these two times will be level on points. The Reds are improving but with Daniel Sturridge likely out and Christian Benteke being nursed back from injury, you wonder where their goals will come from. Expect plenty of shocks on Saturday (Watch live, 8:45 a.m. ET on NBCSN and online via Live Extra) as these giants meet for a tasty Halloween clash. Mourinho insisted he “sleeps well every night” despite Chelsea’s struggles. Will that be the case on Saturday if he endures another nightmare defeat?
“The New Forest derby” arrives in the PL
Now, here’s a rivalry you may have never heard about or thought about: Southampton vs. Bournemouth. Both clubs, at least in the past, have coexisted harmoniously down on the South Coast but over the past few years their rise up through the league’s has seen a rivalry develop and on Sunday (Watch live, 11 a.m. ET on NBCSN and online via Live Extra) the “New Forest derby” will grace the top-flight for the first-time. Southampton have always been the big dogs and have often loaned out players and helped Bournemouth survive in the past. Now, the Cherries would love to get one over their rivals. Expect, Saints fans don’t really see the PL new boys as rivals. All they care about is beating Portsmouth in that historic rivalry, while Bournemouth is an afterthought. With Saints unbeaten in six and Bournemouth suffering successive 5-1 defeats in the PL, the home side are the clear favorites. On Sunday at St Mary’s expect a heated rivalry, but no New Forest ponies, to be present.
Can Arsenal cope with injuries?
Arsene Wenger delivered the news on Thursday that Arsenal would be without Theo Walcott and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain through the next international break, as the duo were both injured in the opening 20 minutes of Arsenal’s shock League Cup defeat at second-tier Sheffield Wednesday. Arsenal have won three on the spin in the PL and sit just one place and two points behind leaders Manchester City. This weekend they travel to Swansea City (Watch live, 11 a.m. ET on USA and online via Live Extra) to face a team they lost home and away to last season. Wenger will have to rely on Olivier Giroud to fire up front, while he wrap Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil in cotton wool. After losing Jack Wilshere and Aaron Ramsey, plus Walcott and the Ox now going down, Arsenal’s strong start to the season could unravel quickly if they fail to deal with these injuries.
Time for Man City to kick on?
After winning five-straight games to start the season Manuel Pellegrini‘s team stumbled for a few games. With a dour Manchester Derby draw sandwiched in-between a 5-1 thumping defeat of Bournemouth in the PL, then beating Crystal Palace by the same scoreline in the League Cup, you get the sense City are figuring things out again with Sergio Aguero and David Silva out injured. Kevin De Bruyne looks the real deal. Wilfired Bony is chipping in. Kelechi Iheanacho looks a real talent. City’s squad is looking very strong as Vincent Kompany, Martin Demichelis, Nicolas Otamendi and Eliaquim Mangala all jostle for two center back spots. With struggling Norwich City heading to the Etihad on Saturday (Watch live, 10 a.m. ET online via Live Extra) we should expect another five goals for the Citizens as they look to extend their lead at the top of the table.
Manager watch: Will Villa have a new guy in charge?
At the other end of the table, Aston Villa sit bottom of the table and managerless. Kevin MacDonald took caretaker charge for the League Cup defeat at Southampton in midweek but by the time they play Tottenham Hotspur on Monday (Watch live, 3 p.m. ET on NBCSN and online via Live Extra), will Remi Garde be in charge? Reports have heavily linked the former Lyon manager with the vacant position after Tim Sherwood’s firing and it is true that with most of Villa’s summer recruits hailing from Ligue 1, Garde will know them well. However, is now the right time to gamble on an manager who has never coached in England? Villa’s American owner Randy Lerner is running out of ideas and options as the club he desperately wants to sell is in perhaps closer to being relegated this season than in any of the previous nine since he took over. During Villa’s latest defeat on Wednesday, fans held up banners reading “Lerner Out” as the turmoil at Villa Park continues.
Soccer-US championship results.
Reuters
Results from the US championship matches on Thursday
Eastern Knockout I
Western Knockout I
Eastern Knockout II
Wednesday, October 28
Next Fixtures (GMT):
Western Knockout II
Friday, October 30
Western Knockout II
Friday, October 30
AP - Sports
Florida coach Jim McElwain has been part of some intense rivalries. Montana-Montana State. Eastern Washington-Idaho. Colorado-Colorado State.
McElwain is about to get a taste of one with probably a little more juice than those others, at least in this part of the country.
McElwain and the 11th-ranked Gators face Southeastern Conference rival Georgia on Saturday in nearby Jacksonville, a chance for Florida to move ever-so-close to locking up a spot in the league's title game in December.
Although the Gators (6-1, 4-1 SEC) can't officially wrap up a trip to Atlanta against the Bulldogs (5-2, 3-2), a victory would give them a two-game lead with two remaining.
"They can read the standings," McElwain said of his players Monday. "That takes care of itself if you do all the things you need to do to be successful. I don't think there's a need to give all these what-ifs and all that kind of stuff, only because if you don't do what you're supposed to do, then you're not going to be talking about it anyway.
"I'm excited to get them together and see where they're at and see if we're willing to throw our chips in the bucket and go all in."
Florida hasn't been this close to winning the Eastern Division since 2012, when a 17-9 loss to Georgia left the Gators out of the championship game.
They traveled to Jacksonville trying to salvage lost seasons the last two years, and they managed to do so with a 38-20 victory last year. It was former coach Will Muschamp's first win in eight tries in the series dating to his playing days at Georgia.
Florida ran for 418 yards - quarterback Treon Harris threw just six passes - and scored its first touchdown on a fake field goal.
"They're definitely looking for some revenge because I think we embarrassed them last year," cornerback Quincy Wilson said.
Revenge may have been a bit easier to come by for Georgia if its running game had remained healthy, but leading rusher Nick Chubb was lost for the season to a knee injury suffered on the first play from scrimmage in a 38-31 loss at Tennessee on Oct. 10.
The Bulldogs, who bounced back with a 9-6 win over Missouri a week later in a game featuring nothing but field goals, would certainly enjoy putting a dent in Florida's chances following their bye week.
"I thought the guys showed a lot of purpose and focus and energy coming off their break," coach Mark Richt told the school's website after Monday's practice. "It was a good start to the week and we'll keep it going ... We'll continue to stress the fundamentals and keep trying to get better at what we do."
One concern for McElwain is how his players will handle the situation. He thought they pressed in a 35-28 loss at LSU on Oct. 17.
"A lot of guys in that environment have pressed over the years," McElwain said.
"This is why you get into it - to play in games like this. If you're not prepared and you're scared, then this probably isn't the place for you because this is the expectation of the University of Florida."
Competing for the East title is the annual goal in Gainesville, but it hasn't been all that realistic since 2009.
This season, though, the Gators have been one of the more surprising teams in the conference and the country. McElwain made an immediate difference on offense and wisely made few changes to an already stout defense. The combination has Florida winning close games and believing it can be in every contest.
"If you were there all offseason, what we went through, week in and week out, the preparation for each team, it's not really surprising to us as a team, as a unit, compared to years before," guard Trip Thurman said. "It feels great. If we do what we're supposed to, we have a pretty good shot."
A win wouldn't be lost on McElwain even though he has watched the series from afar. It won't do anything to dull the pain of losing four in a row to Montana during his time as an assistant at Montana State (1995-99), a stretch he said "still sticks in my craw."
"You never get it back," he said. "No mulligans. That's the thing that I know personally just kind of eats at me. ... We've put ourselves in a position to where what we do is relevant. That's kind of a neat thing. But it doesn't mean anything if we don't take care of what we need to do to get ready for Saturday."
Michigan-Minnesota Preview.
AP - Sports
The lasting images of jaw-dropped and sobbing Michigan fans at the Big House after the No. 15 Wolverines' stunning loss to Michigan State two weeks ago ultimately pale in comparison to those of a heartbroken Jerry Kill.
Michigan's attempt to bounce back from one of its most crushing losses will take a back seat to the sense of sadness surrounding Minnesota after Kill announced he was stepping away from coaching over health concerns three days before Saturday's game.
Kill told his staff and players of his decision early Wednesday, then sat behind the podium used for postgame press conferences and spoke for nearly a half hour about the difficult decision to leave football behind over his epilepsy.
"I ain't done anything else. That's the scary part," Kill said, pausing several times to keep from breaking down.
Kill, who said he had two seizures this week and went to practice Tuesday anyway, was hoping he could stay at the helm, but the toll on his body, his mind and his family became too much. He said he hadn't gotten more than three hours' sleep in the last three weeks.
"I went through a bad situation two years ago, and I'm headed right back there," said the 54-year-old, who took a leave of absence in 2013 to address his condition.
Kill said in July that he had been seizure-free for the previous 18 months and was able to make it through the entire 2014 season without one.
He missed a portion of five games in his first three seasons at Minnesota due to seizures, including one that occurred on the field against New Mexico State in the 2011 home opener and another during halftime against Michigan State the following year. He also had game-day seizures in 2001 and 2005 as the coach at Southern Illinois.
"Hell, that ain't no way to live," said Kill, who went 156-102 as a head coach and 29-29 in four-plus seasons at Minnesota.
Defensive coordinator Tracy Claeys, one of Kill's many trusted assistants for the last 21 years, will be the interim head coach for the rest of the season.
Claeys has his work cut out for him with Minnesota having lost two of its last three and running into the most difficult part of its schedule with matchups at No. 1 Ohio State next week and at No. 10 Iowa on Nov. 14.
Jim Harbaugh refused to let his team's crushing loss resonate through the bye week. Instead, he focused on getting the Wolverines (5-2, 2-1 Big Ten) back to work quickly as they look to continue their road dominance of Minnesota (4-3, 1-2).
Michigan posted three straight shutouts before it led the Spartans by two with 10 seconds left on Oct. 17. It needed only to get a punt away to secure the win, but a bobbled snap that Jalen Watts-Jackson scooped up and ran back 38 yards for a touchdown on the final play dealt the Wolverines a 27-23 loss.
After suffering through a week of countless replays, Harbaugh is more than eager to get his team back on the field.
"Not into the 'if-this, if-that' type of scenario," Harbaugh said. "If worms had machine guns, then birds (would) be scared of them. We're looking to find our season over the next number of games that we play."
No matter how unorthodox that analogy may be, it seemed to work. The loss counted as only one defeat - the Wolverines' first in conference play.
There are more pressing matters, such as getting the running game back into form following a 62-yard performance against the Spartans. Michigan averaged 226.4 per contest during a five-game winning streak.
Harbaugh said he expects Drake Johnson to be ready after the junior sat out the Michigan State game with an undisclosed injury, and De'Veon Smith will look to bounce back after averaging 2.4 yards on 19 carries against the Spartans.
The Wolverines also allowed a season-worst 386 total yards after giving up a combined 373 during their shutout streak.
"We are really eager to get back out there," safety Dymonte Thomas said. "We're not going to let one game define us, just like we didn't allow those three shutouts to define us."
Michigan has made plenty of strides under Harbaugh after last year's 5-7 campaign, though the Gophers had little trouble with the Wolverines on Sept. 27, 2014, gaining 206 yards on the ground and holding Michigan to 171 total in a 30-14 road win.
"They play a lot harder than they did last year," Gophers offensive line and assistant head coach Matt Limegrover said. "That's a testament to the coaching staff, those defensive coaches, because they had good players last year. I don't think they always played hard, but now they play hard."
The Gophers have dropped all 15 meetings in Minneapolis since last winning in 1977.
Fuller leads No. 9 Irish vs. No. 21 Temple in hometown game.
By TOM COYNE
Notre Dame receiver Will Fuller can't imagine returning to his hometown under much better circumstances than what's coming up on Saturday.
The ninth-ranked Fighting Irish will be in Philadelphia to play undefeated and No. 21 Temple in what is being described as one of the biggest games in Owls' history.
''It's like a dream come true,'' Fuller said. ''It's going to be real cool.''
Fuller, whose right arm has a tattoo of the Liberty Bell, the city skyline and the ''Love'' statue, estimates his mother is bringing more than a hundred people to the game to see him play. It's not surprising his mother wants to show off her son, who has developed into one of the nation's top receivers.
The 6-foot, 185-pound junior ranks sixth in the nation averaging 21.94 yards a catch. He caught a 75-yard touchdown pass on Notre Dame's first offensive play against USC in the last game, racing behind cornerback Adoree Jackson, and also has touchdown catches of 66, 59 and 46 yards.
The highlight of the season, though, was a 39-yard touchdown catch from DeShone Kizer with 12 seconds left against Virginia to give the Irish a 34-27 victory after Malik Zaire sustained a broken ankle.
''I'm still looking at that play and being surprised. It was a great feeling,'' Fuller said. ''Just being in that atmosphere and shutting the crowd up in one second. It's crazy.''
Fuller has surprised himself in how he's developed into an elite receiver. Playing for Roman Catholic High School, he considered himself quick and a good route runner, but said he wasn't a speed receiver. He got a scholarship offer from Temple and made a few visits, but never seriously considered going there. He committed to Penn State, but changed his mind after the NCAA sanctioned the school over its handling of the Jerry Sandusky scandal.
He said he improved after arriving at Notre Dame.
''There was a huge change in my speed,'' he said.
He still struggled to get on the field, though, finishing his freshman season with six catches for 160 yards. Coach Brian Kelly said Fuller had to learn how to practice and had to get stronger, but he was aware of Fuller's potential.
''I think any time you play a true freshman, you have high hopes that in a couple years, he's going to be a potentially game-breaking player for you, or you wouldn't play him as a true freshman,'' he said.
Fuller said Kelly told him before his sophomore season he was expecting big things.
''Coach Kelly came up to me and said: 'You're my guy. You're going to be the star receiver for us,''' he said.
Fuller said that inspired him to work harder. He had a breakout season, leading the team with 76 catches for 1,094 yards and 15 touchdowns. He still had too many drops, although he's doing a better this season.
Fuller is a soft-spoken player. Right tackle Mike McGlinchey, who also is from Philadelphia and frequently travels home with Fuller, said simply: ''He just goes out and let's his play do the talking.''
Kelly had a short talk with Fuller, McGlinchey and freshman running back Josh Adams, also from the Philadelphia area, about staying calm playing at home. Fuller said Kelly doesn't have to worry.
''I know this game is not about me,'' Fuller said. ''It's about the team. It's whatever I have to do to get this win.''
NCAABKB: Texas A&M looks for first NCAA trip since 2011.
By KRISTIE RIEKEN
The Texas A&M Aggies improved in each of the last three seasons and believe they will take another big step forward this year and return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2011.
In fact, coach Billy Kennedy all but guaranteed it in March when the Aggies were eliminated in the second round of the NIT tournament.
''I'll go on the record and say now we'll be a tournament team next year ... I'm talking about NCAA,'' Kennedy said.
He has plenty of reason to be confident in his team with a trio of senior starters led by guard Danuel House, who is in his second season with the team after a transfer from the University of Houston.
House earned first-team All-SEC honors last season after finishing fourth in scoring in league play with 16.2 points a game. House is one of just three returning players in the SEC who earned first team honors last season.
House had a foot injury late last season and missed time in the offseason with a knee injury, but Kennedy said he's ''really healthy now.''
He's joined by fellow senior guard Alex Caruso, who led the SEC with 182 assists last season to become the first player in the league to lead in that category in consecutive seasons since 2009. The third senior is forward Jalen Jones. He earned second-team All-SEC honors a year ago after averaging 13.7 points a game and leading the Aggies with 6.6 rebounds a game.
The Aggies ramped up preparation for the season on Wednesday night when they had their annual Maroon and White scrimmage. House was encouraged by what he saw.
''We just tried to focus mainly on defense, staying positive and sharing the ball with each other,'' he said. ''Not trying to be selfish or not trying to be outside ourselves because we have talent at every spot.''
Though those three are the leaders of the team, Kennedy, who is entering his fifth year at Texas A&M, is excited about the players behind them, too.
''We have more depth than we've had in the past and we have guys who can score,'' Kennedy said.
The Aggies open the season on Nov. 13 against University of Southern California-Upstate.
Some things to know about the 2015-16 Aggies:
NEW FACES
The Aggies welcome a recruiting class that is arguably the best in school history. The group is highlighted by Tyler Davis, ranked by ESPN as the top player in Texas and the seventh-ranked center in the nation. He was named Mr. Basketball by the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches after averaging 18.7 points, 12.2 and 3.4 blocks a game in leading Plano West to the 6A state title last season. He's joined at A&M by high school teammate DJ Hogg, rated by some as the second-best player in the state. The forward averaged 17.6 points and 5.3 rebounds in Plano West's championship season last year.
THE GRADUATE
A new addition on the team will also be one of the oldest ones. Anthony Collins is a 23-year-old who played 101 games with 98 starts at South Florida before joining the Aggies this year as a graduate student. Collins averaged 8.1 points and 5.6 assists in his career at South Florida. He gained an extra year of eligibility after missing most of the 2013-14 season with an injury. His 569 career assists at South Florida are second in school history.
ACT TWO
Texas A&M's seniors are joined by Tavario Miller, Alex Robinson and Tonny Trocha-Morelos who all played at least 25 games a year ago. Robinson is a guard who appeared in 32 games last season and averaged 5.2 points a game. The Aggies are looking for more from Trocha-Morelos after the 6-foot-10 center from Colombia averaged just 1.5 points and two rebounds last year.
''He continues to get better and I think he is going to help our team a bunch,'' Kennedy said.''
WHAT A TRIP
The Aggies got some early bonding time this summer when they went on a 10-day tour of Italy and Greece. The tour included four exhibition games and plenty of sightseeing. House, who made the trip but didn't play because of an injury, said the experience was a great chance for the group to work on their chemistry in a low-key atmosphere before the hard work of the season began.
4 Hall of Fame men's coaches dealing with NCAA troubles.
By AARON BEARD
Rick Pitino, Jim Boeheim, Larry Brown and Roy Williams are dealing with stunning escort allegations, embarrassing academic fraud and multi-game suspensions.
And that's just when the season starts.
Horse racing-Beholder withdrawn from Breeders' Cup Classic.
Reuters; By Mark Lamport-Stokes, Editing by Frank Pingue
Beholder, the 3-1 second choice on the morning line behind favorite American Pharoah for Saturday's Breeders' Cup Classic, has been withdrawn from the showpiece race due to health concerns.
The 5-year-old mare, winner of the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies in 2012 and Distaff in 2013, was discovered to have bled after her morning gallop on Thursday in Lexington, Kentucky.
"There's obviously some irritated lung tissue there," Beholder's trainer Richard Mandella said in a statement. "She will be fine, but if I put her under the pressure of a race situation, it could cause some real damage.
"After she galloped this morning we scoped her and found her to have bled. This was obviously due to the fever she had when she arrived. Knowing this, we feel it is too great a risk to start her in the Classic."
The twice Eclipse Award champion, with Hall of Fame jockey Gary Stevens on board, had been scheduled to start the $5 million Classic from the 10 hole as a 3-1 early choice.
The mare has won all of her five starts this season, including the Pacific Classic at Del Mar against male rivals over the Classic distance.
In Beholder's absence, the heavily fancied American Pharoah looks an even likelier bet to end his stellar Triple Crown career with a win in his hugely anticipated farewell at the Keeneland Race Course in Lexington.
The Bob Baffert-trained 3-year-old, aiming for a ninth win in 11 lifetime starts, has been installed as the early 6-5 favourite and will break from the fourth post on Saturday in a nine-runner field.
American Pharoah entered the pantheon of U.S. thoroughbred racing's all-time greats by winning the Belmont Stakes wire-to-wire in June to become the first horse to capture the coveted 'Triple Crown' in nearly four decades.
In winning a seventh straight race, American Pharoah became the 12th horse and first since Affirmed in 1978 to sweep the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes.
On
The ninth-ranked Fighting Irish will be in Philadelphia to play undefeated and No. 21 Temple in what is being described as one of the biggest games in Owls' history.
''It's like a dream come true,'' Fuller said. ''It's going to be real cool.''
Fuller, whose right arm has a tattoo of the Liberty Bell, the city skyline and the ''Love'' statue, estimates his mother is bringing more than a hundred people to the game to see him play. It's not surprising his mother wants to show off her son, who has developed into one of the nation's top receivers.
The 6-foot, 185-pound junior ranks sixth in the nation averaging 21.94 yards a catch. He caught a 75-yard touchdown pass on Notre Dame's first offensive play against USC in the last game, racing behind cornerback Adoree Jackson, and also has touchdown catches of 66, 59 and 46 yards.
The highlight of the season, though, was a 39-yard touchdown catch from DeShone Kizer with 12 seconds left against Virginia to give the Irish a 34-27 victory after Malik Zaire sustained a broken ankle.
''I'm still looking at that play and being surprised. It was a great feeling,'' Fuller said. ''Just being in that atmosphere and shutting the crowd up in one second. It's crazy.''
Fuller has surprised himself in how he's developed into an elite receiver. Playing for Roman Catholic High School, he considered himself quick and a good route runner, but said he wasn't a speed receiver. He got a scholarship offer from Temple and made a few visits, but never seriously considered going there. He committed to Penn State, but changed his mind after the NCAA sanctioned the school over its handling of the Jerry Sandusky scandal.
He said he improved after arriving at Notre Dame.
''There was a huge change in my speed,'' he said.
He still struggled to get on the field, though, finishing his freshman season with six catches for 160 yards. Coach Brian Kelly said Fuller had to learn how to practice and had to get stronger, but he was aware of Fuller's potential.
''I think any time you play a true freshman, you have high hopes that in a couple years, he's going to be a potentially game-breaking player for you, or you wouldn't play him as a true freshman,'' he said.
Fuller said Kelly told him before his sophomore season he was expecting big things.
''Coach Kelly came up to me and said: 'You're my guy. You're going to be the star receiver for us,''' he said.
Fuller said that inspired him to work harder. He had a breakout season, leading the team with 76 catches for 1,094 yards and 15 touchdowns. He still had too many drops, although he's doing a better this season.
Fuller is a soft-spoken player. Right tackle Mike McGlinchey, who also is from Philadelphia and frequently travels home with Fuller, said simply: ''He just goes out and let's his play do the talking.''
Kelly had a short talk with Fuller, McGlinchey and freshman running back Josh Adams, also from the Philadelphia area, about staying calm playing at home. Fuller said Kelly doesn't have to worry.
''I know this game is not about me,'' Fuller said. ''It's about the team. It's whatever I have to do to get this win.''
NCAABKB: Texas A&M looks for first NCAA trip since 2011.
By KRISTIE RIEKEN
The Texas A&M Aggies improved in each of the last three seasons and believe they will take another big step forward this year and return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2011.
In fact, coach Billy Kennedy all but guaranteed it in March when the Aggies were eliminated in the second round of the NIT tournament.
''I'll go on the record and say now we'll be a tournament team next year ... I'm talking about NCAA,'' Kennedy said.
He has plenty of reason to be confident in his team with a trio of senior starters led by guard Danuel House, who is in his second season with the team after a transfer from the University of Houston.
House earned first-team All-SEC honors last season after finishing fourth in scoring in league play with 16.2 points a game. House is one of just three returning players in the SEC who earned first team honors last season.
House had a foot injury late last season and missed time in the offseason with a knee injury, but Kennedy said he's ''really healthy now.''
He's joined by fellow senior guard Alex Caruso, who led the SEC with 182 assists last season to become the first player in the league to lead in that category in consecutive seasons since 2009. The third senior is forward Jalen Jones. He earned second-team All-SEC honors a year ago after averaging 13.7 points a game and leading the Aggies with 6.6 rebounds a game.
The Aggies ramped up preparation for the season on Wednesday night when they had their annual Maroon and White scrimmage. House was encouraged by what he saw.
''We just tried to focus mainly on defense, staying positive and sharing the ball with each other,'' he said. ''Not trying to be selfish or not trying to be outside ourselves because we have talent at every spot.''
Though those three are the leaders of the team, Kennedy, who is entering his fifth year at Texas A&M, is excited about the players behind them, too.
''We have more depth than we've had in the past and we have guys who can score,'' Kennedy said.
The Aggies open the season on Nov. 13 against University of Southern California-Upstate.
Some things to know about the 2015-16 Aggies:
NEW FACES
The Aggies welcome a recruiting class that is arguably the best in school history. The group is highlighted by Tyler Davis, ranked by ESPN as the top player in Texas and the seventh-ranked center in the nation. He was named Mr. Basketball by the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches after averaging 18.7 points, 12.2 and 3.4 blocks a game in leading Plano West to the 6A state title last season. He's joined at A&M by high school teammate DJ Hogg, rated by some as the second-best player in the state. The forward averaged 17.6 points and 5.3 rebounds in Plano West's championship season last year.
THE GRADUATE
A new addition on the team will also be one of the oldest ones. Anthony Collins is a 23-year-old who played 101 games with 98 starts at South Florida before joining the Aggies this year as a graduate student. Collins averaged 8.1 points and 5.6 assists in his career at South Florida. He gained an extra year of eligibility after missing most of the 2013-14 season with an injury. His 569 career assists at South Florida are second in school history.
ACT TWO
Texas A&M's seniors are joined by Tavario Miller, Alex Robinson and Tonny Trocha-Morelos who all played at least 25 games a year ago. Robinson is a guard who appeared in 32 games last season and averaged 5.2 points a game. The Aggies are looking for more from Trocha-Morelos after the 6-foot-10 center from Colombia averaged just 1.5 points and two rebounds last year.
''He continues to get better and I think he is going to help our team a bunch,'' Kennedy said.''
WHAT A TRIP
The Aggies got some early bonding time this summer when they went on a 10-day tour of Italy and Greece. The tour included four exhibition games and plenty of sightseeing. House, who made the trip but didn't play because of an injury, said the experience was a great chance for the group to work on their chemistry in a low-key atmosphere before the hard work of the season began.
4 Hall of Fame men's coaches dealing with NCAA troubles.
By AARON BEARD
Rick Pitino, Jim Boeheim, Larry Brown and Roy Williams are dealing with stunning escort allegations, embarrassing academic fraud and multi-game suspensions.
And that's just when the season starts.
It's unclear just how big of an impact the NCAA troubles will have on the quartet's programs.
For Louisville's Pitino, the focus is allegations that an ex-staffer hired an escort and other dancers to strip and have sex with players and recruits from 2010-14.
Syracuse's Boeheim and SMU's Brown are both facing suspensions.
And Williams' North Carolina program is part of the school's academic fraud scandal involving athletes across numerous sports, a case currently crawling through the NCAA infractions process.
Three of the coaches in the Atlantic Coast Conference, which held its preseason media day Wednesday. Pitino skipped the day of interviews on advice of counsel.
''Those guys are Hall of Fame coaches for a reason,'' ACC Commissioner John Swofford said in an interview with The Associated Press. ''They have withstood the test of time in running quality programs. Issues are going to happen sometimes, and I think that what defines a program or an organization or an individual is how you deal with those issues when they come.
''I'm confident that these coaches and their programs and their universities will deal very effectively with it.''
Here's a look at the issues looming over the group of Hall of Famers with a combined six national championships:
PITINO
Things have been tense for the Cardinals' coach ever since Katina Powell's allegations became public this month in the escort's book. Pitino has denied knowledge of alleged activities, which have led to four investigations while raising questions about Pitino's future with the program he led to the 2013 NCAA championship.
Pitino, entering his 15th season at Louisville, has promised he won't resign.
Swofford said during his annual commissioner's forum that the league would've preferred for Pitino to attend media day, but understood there were ''extenuating circumstances.''
Two players, graduate transfer Trey Lewis and senior Damion Lee, did attend.
Things have been tense for the Cardinals' coach ever since Katina Powell's allegations became public this month in the escort's book. Pitino has denied knowledge of alleged activities, which have led to four investigations while raising questions about Pitino's future with the program he led to the 2013 NCAA championship.
Pitino, entering his 15th season at Louisville, has promised he won't resign.
Swofford said during his annual commissioner's forum that the league would've preferred for Pitino to attend media day, but understood there were ''extenuating circumstances.''
Two players, graduate transfer Trey Lewis and senior Damion Lee, did attend.
Lewis said athletic director Tom Jurich has assured the team that Pitino will remain coach. Added Lee, ''Things happen and we really can't control everything.''
BOEHEIM
The end of a multi-year NCAA probe didn't spare the Syracuse coach.
While the school faces financial penalties, scholarship reductions and probation for academic, drug and gifts violations, Boeheim must serve a nine-game suspension during ACC play. The NCAA also called for 108 vacated victories from his 966-win total, which stands second on the all-time men's list to Duke Hall of Famer Mike Krzyzewski.
The school last year self-imposed a postseason ban that kept the Orange out of the ACC Tournament. Boeheim, in his 40th season at Syracuse, has appealed the NCAA penalty.
Team spokesman Pete Moore said the plan is for longtime assistant Mike Hopkins, Boeheim's designated successor, to coach any games during a suspension that would bar Boeheim from practices or even talking to the players.
''Here I have three freshmen I'm coaching and working with every day, and they're used to what I'm doing and having me there with them,'' Boeheim said Wednesday. ''The punishment's on me, and that's taking away a game. That hurts them a little bit because I'm not there for that game.
''But I think it hurts them a lot more when I can't be there the next day to say 'well, just relax; you should do this or you can do that.' ... That's very harsh, and particularly harsh on those players.''
WILLIAMS
In May, the NCAA hit UNC with lack of institutional control among five charges in a scandal centered around 18 years of no-show courses featuring artificially high grades and significant athlete enrollments.
Neither the 13th-year Tar Heels coach nor his program are specifically cited for a violation and Williams has denied wrongdoing.
The case likely won't reach resolution before spring, though effects could linger regardless of whether sanctions are coming because it has already hurt UNC's recruiting.
''I'm very sad, mad, disappointed, you can use all that, that we had the problem at all,'' Williams said Wednesday.
''From the chancellor to everybody who works at the university, we would like for it to be over quicker. But the fact of life is that we're getting through some adversity and I'll be extremely pleased when it is finally over with.''
BROWN
Brown also has a nine-game suspension, though his starts opening night.
The NCAA issued a report in September blaming the fourth-year Mustangs coach for multiple infractions tied to academic fraud, including lying to NCAA investigators, while issuing a postseason ban for SMU.
The well-traveled coach also had a Final Four appearance at UCLA in 1980 vacated after two players were determined to be ineligible, while Kansas ended up on probation for violations during Brown's tenure the year after he won the 1988 national championship and left for the NBA.
BOEHEIM
The end of a multi-year NCAA probe didn't spare the Syracuse coach.
While the school faces financial penalties, scholarship reductions and probation for academic, drug and gifts violations, Boeheim must serve a nine-game suspension during ACC play. The NCAA also called for 108 vacated victories from his 966-win total, which stands second on the all-time men's list to Duke Hall of Famer Mike Krzyzewski.
The school last year self-imposed a postseason ban that kept the Orange out of the ACC Tournament. Boeheim, in his 40th season at Syracuse, has appealed the NCAA penalty.
Team spokesman Pete Moore said the plan is for longtime assistant Mike Hopkins, Boeheim's designated successor, to coach any games during a suspension that would bar Boeheim from practices or even talking to the players.
''Here I have three freshmen I'm coaching and working with every day, and they're used to what I'm doing and having me there with them,'' Boeheim said Wednesday. ''The punishment's on me, and that's taking away a game. That hurts them a little bit because I'm not there for that game.
''But I think it hurts them a lot more when I can't be there the next day to say 'well, just relax; you should do this or you can do that.' ... That's very harsh, and particularly harsh on those players.''
WILLIAMS
In May, the NCAA hit UNC with lack of institutional control among five charges in a scandal centered around 18 years of no-show courses featuring artificially high grades and significant athlete enrollments.
Neither the 13th-year Tar Heels coach nor his program are specifically cited for a violation and Williams has denied wrongdoing.
The case likely won't reach resolution before spring, though effects could linger regardless of whether sanctions are coming because it has already hurt UNC's recruiting.
''I'm very sad, mad, disappointed, you can use all that, that we had the problem at all,'' Williams said Wednesday.
''From the chancellor to everybody who works at the university, we would like for it to be over quicker. But the fact of life is that we're getting through some adversity and I'll be extremely pleased when it is finally over with.''
BROWN
Brown also has a nine-game suspension, though his starts opening night.
The NCAA issued a report in September blaming the fourth-year Mustangs coach for multiple infractions tied to academic fraud, including lying to NCAA investigators, while issuing a postseason ban for SMU.
The well-traveled coach also had a Final Four appearance at UCLA in 1980 vacated after two players were determined to be ineligible, while Kansas ended up on probation for violations during Brown's tenure the year after he won the 1988 national championship and left for the NBA.
Horse racing-Beholder withdrawn from Breeders' Cup Classic.
Reuters; By Mark Lamport-Stokes, Editing by Frank Pingue
Beholder, the 3-1 second choice on the morning line behind favorite American Pharoah for Saturday's Breeders' Cup Classic, has been withdrawn from the showpiece race due to health concerns.
The 5-year-old mare, winner of the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies in 2012 and Distaff in 2013, was discovered to have bled after her morning gallop on Thursday in Lexington, Kentucky.
"There's obviously some irritated lung tissue there," Beholder's trainer Richard Mandella said in a statement. "She will be fine, but if I put her under the pressure of a race situation, it could cause some real damage.
"After she galloped this morning we scoped her and found her to have bled. This was obviously due to the fever she had when she arrived. Knowing this, we feel it is too great a risk to start her in the Classic."
The twice Eclipse Award champion, with Hall of Fame jockey Gary Stevens on board, had been scheduled to start the $5 million Classic from the 10 hole as a 3-1 early choice.
The mare has won all of her five starts this season, including the Pacific Classic at Del Mar against male rivals over the Classic distance.
In Beholder's absence, the heavily fancied American Pharoah looks an even likelier bet to end his stellar Triple Crown career with a win in his hugely anticipated farewell at the Keeneland Race Course in Lexington.
The Bob Baffert-trained 3-year-old, aiming for a ninth win in 11 lifetime starts, has been installed as the early 6-5 favourite and will break from the fourth post on Saturday in a nine-runner field.
American Pharoah entered the pantheon of U.S. thoroughbred racing's all-time greats by winning the Belmont Stakes wire-to-wire in June to become the first horse to capture the coveted 'Triple Crown' in nearly four decades.
In winning a seventh straight race, American Pharoah became the 12th horse and first since Affirmed in 1978 to sweep the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes.
On
Memoriesofhistory.com
1919 - The professional baseball association ruled that spitballs and shineballs were illegal.
1974 - In Kinshasa, Zaire, Muhammad Ali regained his heavyweight-boxing title by knocking out George Foreman in the eighth round.
1988 - The New York Jets beat the Pittsburgh Steelers for the first time.
1992 - Magic Johnson played his last game in the NBA before retiring for the second and last time.
1997 - Violet Palmer became the first woman to officiate an NBA game. The game was between the Dallas Mavericks and the Vancouver Grizzlies.
2001 - In New York City, U.S. President George W. Bush threw out the first pitch at Game 3 of the World Series between the New York Yankees and the Arizona Diamondbacks.
2001 - Michael Jordan returned to the NBA with the Washington Wizards after a 3 1/2 year retirement. The Wizards lost 93-91 to the New York Knicks.
1974 - In Kinshasa, Zaire, Muhammad Ali regained his heavyweight-boxing title by knocking out George Foreman in the eighth round.
1988 - The New York Jets beat the Pittsburgh Steelers for the first time.
1992 - Magic Johnson played his last game in the NBA before retiring for the second and last time.
1997 - Violet Palmer became the first woman to officiate an NBA game. The game was between the Dallas Mavericks and the Vancouver Grizzlies.
2001 - In New York City, U.S. President George W. Bush threw out the first pitch at Game 3 of the World Series between the New York Yankees and the Arizona Diamondbacks.
2001 - Michael Jordan returned to the NBA with the Washington Wizards after a 3 1/2 year retirement. The Wizards lost 93-91 to the New York Knicks.
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