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Trending: Let the National League Division Series begin. Let's go Cubs!!!
NLDS Schedule:
(All times ET)
Game 1: Friday, Oct. 9 at St. Louis, 6:45 p.m. (TBS)
Game 2: Saturday, Oct. 10 at St. Louis, 5:37 p.m. (TBS)
Game 3: Monday, Oct. 12 at Chicago, TBD (TBS)
Game 4: Tuesday, Oct. 13 at Chicago, TBD (TBS)*
Game 5: Thursday, Oct. 15 at St. Louis, TBD (TBS)*
*if necessary
Trending: Chicago Cubs at St. Louis Cardinals tonight, Chicago Blackhawks at New York Islanders tonight, Chicago Bears at Kansas City Chiefs, and the Bulls play a preseason game Saturday at the Minnesota Timberwolves. It doesn't get any better than this!!!
Bear Down Chicago Bears!!!!! Bears-Chiefs Preview.
The fourth game of the season brought opposite feelings for the Chicago Bears and Kansas City Chiefs.
Panic started to settle in for the Chiefs, who have lost three straight after a season-opening win. Relief finally came for the Bears, who avoided setting the longest losing streak in franchise history.
Kansas City will try to keep the sky from falling Sunday against a Chicago team looking for its first road win since last October.
The Bears (1-3) didn't have any victories since November until a 22-20 win over Oakland last Sunday. It was the first win in the John Fox era, and he was happy to see his players enjoy it after getting outscored 74-23 in their previous two games.
''I was really happy to see smiles in there,'' Fox said. ''I'm really happy for our fans because we haven't exactly lit it up here at home in the first two opportunities.''
After snapping a team-record-tying eight-game losing streak, Chicago will now try to end a five-game skid on the road. The Bears lost 26-0 to Seattle in their only game away from home this season in Week 3.
In place of the injured Jay Cutler, backup Jimmy Clausen failed to move the offense against the Seahawks. Cutler returned against the Raiders and finished 28 of 43 for 281 yards and a pair of touchdowns with an interception.
Cutler threw another fourth-quarter pick, his second in two full games and third overall, but he completed 5 of 8 passes for 41 yards during a game-winning drive that ended with Robbie Gould's 49-yard field goal with 2 seconds left.
Cutler returned from a hamstring injury suffered during a 48-23 loss to Arizona on Sept. 20, and top receiver Alshon Jeffery hopes to return this week from the same injury that has kept him out three games.
Hroniss Grasu impressing veterans as Bears approach decision point.
By John Mullin
After 11 NFL seasons and a cluster of Pro Bowls, Jeremiah Ratliff doesn’t impress easily. After spending some of Thursday’s practice against rookie center Hroniss Grasu, the Bears veteran defensive lineman was impressed.
And not only by what Ratliff saw when the two faced each other occasionally in practice, but also afterwards, when the rookie sought advice from not only coaches and fellow offensive linemen, but also a long-time top defensive lineman.
“The thing you can’t measure is the fight in a man’s heart and he has that,” Ratliff said. “He has that willingness to learn, always asking questions, wanting to succeed, and really wants to do well.
“As far as his size, I’m not worried about that. As long as he’s working the way he’s working, he’ll get it done.”
With swing lineman Patrick Omameh sitting out a second day of practice with an ankle injury, Grasu’s chances of beginning his NFL career as the Bears starting center next Sunday in Kansas City have taken two steps toward reality.
Omameh has been in meetings but neither he nor left tackle Jermon Bushrod attended practice Wednesday or Thursday. Charles Leno is the presumptive starter at left tackle if Bushrod remains out with a concussion.
Ratliff and the Bears do not appear concerned if Grasu opens at center against the Chiefs. Coach John Fox started Ryan Kalil for three games as a rookie center while in Carolina and Kalil, 299 pounds out of USC, another Pac-12 program, went on to earn four Pro Bowls and one All-Pro designation.
“I think he’s athletic, he gets to the second level, he’s smart, he’s played in a winning program [Oregon],” said Fox. “We liked a lot of his football character. To name a few. He’s not deficient in any area. As far as what offense they’re playing in college, it doesn’t really matter. They have to come in and how they adapt to what we’re doing.”
One key is the comfort level of quarterback Jay Cutler with Grasu, since the two rarely worked together through the offseason, training camp or preseason. With his time at Oregon, Grasu has worked extensively with snapping in the shotgun but considerably less in the direct-snap world of the NFL. That said, the Bears ran 47 of their 75 plays in the Oakland game from a shotgun set.
“With Hroniss you just know that there are going to be some mistakes out there,” Cutler said, adding quickly, “with ‘Slau’ though, too. There are going to be some things that they just haven’t seen. They’re going to experience it. But I know those guys are going to give me everything they’ve got and that’s all I can ask for.
Grasu would be the youngest center Cutler has ever played with, going back to veterans Tom Nalen and Casey Wiegmann in Denver, then Olin Kreutz, Roberto Garza, and then Will Montgomery in Chicago.
“I’ve always had older centers who make your life a little bit easier,” Cutler said. “So Hroniss would be the youngest guy, but it’s fine. He’s going to go out there and he’s going to play his butt off. If we go with Slau, we already have one game under our belt.”
Bears dealing with injuries up front.
By Larry Mayer
A spate of injuries on their offensive line has created some uncertainty for the Bears as they prepare for Sunday's road game against the Chiefs.
CenterWill Montgomery is out for the season after breaking his fibula in last weekend's win over the Raiders, but he isn't the only lineman with a medical issue.
Left tackle Jermon Bushrod has been sidelined since suffering a concussion in a Week 3 loss to the Seahawks. Right tackle Kyle Long was limited in practice for the second straight day with back and ankle injuries. And Patrick Omameh , who played most of the Raiders game at left guard, sat out practice for the second day in a row with an ankle injury.
The biggest issue to resolve is whether the Bears will stick with Matt Slauson at center—where he moved after Montgomery was injured—or return him to his natural left guard position and start rookie fourth-round pick Hroniss Grasu at center.
"We're still kind of going through what we need to go through as far as practice and what's the best option for us," said offensive coordinator Adam Gase.
"That's the good thing about having coach [John] Fox and [general manager] Ryan Pace to bounce things off and [line] coach [Dave] Magazu. We're still kind of in the process of figuring out what's the best option for us and once we hit Sunday we'll have a really good feel."
Grasu has been inactive the first four weeks of the season. The 6-3, 297-pounder started all 52 games he played the past four years at Oregon, including 13 in 2012 when he teamed with Long. Grasu earned All-Pac-12 honors each of the last three seasons and was one of six finalists for the Rimington Trophy as the nation's top center as a junior and senior.
"Smart kid," Cutler said. "Works his tail off. Going to do everything possible to help the team. Wants to do it. Wants to be up there. It's just a matter of experience for him, getting out there and getting the reps and going through it."
According to Gase, Grasu's greatest strength is his athleticism.
"He does have that rare ability to get to the second level and cut defenders off, and he's a lot stronger than what you'd anticipate," Gase said. "I know he's not like an overly-sized guy, but he does have good strength for that position."
Grasu, 24, would be the youngest center Cutler has played with in nine NFL seasons. He has lined up behind veterans Tom Nalen and Casey Wiegmann with the Broncos and Olin Kreutz, Roberto Garza and Montgomery with the Bears.
"I've always had older centers who make your life a little bit easier," Cutler said. "Hroniss would be the youngest guy, but it's fine. He's going to go out there and he's going to play his butt off. If we go with 'Slau,' we already have one game under our belt."
Slauson earned a game ball last Sunday after sliding over to play center in a game for the first time since 2011 when he was with the Jets.
"It was unbelievable," Gase said. "For him to transition into that and then for us not to miss a beat—I know we had a couple things happen where we could've probably cleaned up—but for him to do that, get the calls, get everyone squared away, it was phenomenal."
A botched exchange between Cutler and Slauson led to a turnover against the Raiders, but the Bears adjusted by employing more shotgun snaps and had no more problems.
"He's a smart guy," Cutler said of Slauson. "He knows the offense like the back of his hand, been well-coached throughout his entire career, had some really good coaches around him and he's a talented player. The hardest part for him was just getting rid of the ball. After that it was easy."
Though both players will require a learning curve, Cutler isn't concerned.
"I'm not that worried about [Grasu] or Slau, whoever we end up going with," Cutler said. "With Hroniss you just know that there are going to be some mistakes out there, with Slau though too. There are going to be some things that they just haven't seen. They're going to experience it. But I know those guys are going to give me everything they've got and that's all I can ask for."
How 'bout them Chicago Blackhawks? Blackhawks-Islanders Preview.
Panic started to settle in for the Chiefs, who have lost three straight after a season-opening win. Relief finally came for the Bears, who avoided setting the longest losing streak in franchise history.
Kansas City will try to keep the sky from falling Sunday against a Chicago team looking for its first road win since last October.
The Bears (1-3) didn't have any victories since November until a 22-20 win over Oakland last Sunday. It was the first win in the John Fox era, and he was happy to see his players enjoy it after getting outscored 74-23 in their previous two games.
''I was really happy to see smiles in there,'' Fox said. ''I'm really happy for our fans because we haven't exactly lit it up here at home in the first two opportunities.''
After snapping a team-record-tying eight-game losing streak, Chicago will now try to end a five-game skid on the road. The Bears lost 26-0 to Seattle in their only game away from home this season in Week 3.
In place of the injured Jay Cutler, backup Jimmy Clausen failed to move the offense against the Seahawks. Cutler returned against the Raiders and finished 28 of 43 for 281 yards and a pair of touchdowns with an interception.
Cutler threw another fourth-quarter pick, his second in two full games and third overall, but he completed 5 of 8 passes for 41 yards during a game-winning drive that ended with Robbie Gould's 49-yard field goal with 2 seconds left.
Cutler returned from a hamstring injury suffered during a 48-23 loss to Arizona on Sept. 20, and top receiver Alshon Jeffery hopes to return this week from the same injury that has kept him out three games.
The question now is the health of the offensive line, which lost center Will Montgomery for the season when he broke his left leg early against the Raiders. The Bears, already without tackle Jermon Bushrod (concussion/shoulder), shifted Matt Slauson from guard to center and moved the newly acquired Patrick Omameh into Slauson's regular spot.
''It happens at a lot of positions in a lot of football games in the National Football League,'' Fox said. ''All your backups have to be ready to play in a moment's notice, particularly in the O-line because it is such a group dynamic.''
The offensive line was one of several problems for the Chiefs in their latest ugly loss. Kansas City (1-3) allowed five sacks during a 36-21 loss at Cincinnati, upping its NFL-leading total to 19. The Bears have just six sacks.
After committing five turnovers and fumbling away a 31-24 home loss to Denver on Sept. 17, the Chiefs surrendered 893 yards combined in a 38-28 defeat in Green Bay and last week against the Bengals - a statistic they ranked seventh-best in the NFL in last year.
Cincinnati's Andy Dalton threw for 321 yards last week as Jeremy Hill and Giovani Bernard combined for four rushing touchdowns.
The Chiefs have allowed 30 points or more in three straight games for the first time since the final game of the 2010 season and the first two of 2011. Coach Andy Reid hardly spoke with the media following the loss in Green Bay, but he seemed more optimistic Monday.
''I had a chance to talk to them on the plane ride back, and they take accountability for things, too,'' Reid said. ''It's one of the reasons I like this team. We have a bunch of young guys. We just have to eliminate some stuff. If we do, we can be a pretty good football team.''
Kansas City has an opportunity to improve its record during a stretch of three of four games at home prior to its bye week. After Chicago, the Chiefs head on the road to play 2-2 Minnesota before hosting a Pittsburgh team that will likely still be without Ben Roethlisberger and winless Detroit.
Chicago plays in Detroit and, after its bye, hosts the Vikings. The Bears then face a challenging stretch against San Diego, St. Louis, Denver and Green Bay.
Chicago plays in Detroit and, after its bye, hosts the Vikings. The Bears then face a challenging stretch against San Diego, St. Louis, Denver and Green Bay.
Hroniss Grasu impressing veterans as Bears approach decision point.
By John Mullin
After 11 NFL seasons and a cluster of Pro Bowls, Jeremiah Ratliff doesn’t impress easily. After spending some of Thursday’s practice against rookie center Hroniss Grasu, the Bears veteran defensive lineman was impressed.
And not only by what Ratliff saw when the two faced each other occasionally in practice, but also afterwards, when the rookie sought advice from not only coaches and fellow offensive linemen, but also a long-time top defensive lineman.
“The thing you can’t measure is the fight in a man’s heart and he has that,” Ratliff said. “He has that willingness to learn, always asking questions, wanting to succeed, and really wants to do well.
“As far as his size, I’m not worried about that. As long as he’s working the way he’s working, he’ll get it done.”
With swing lineman Patrick Omameh sitting out a second day of practice with an ankle injury, Grasu’s chances of beginning his NFL career as the Bears starting center next Sunday in Kansas City have taken two steps toward reality.
Omameh has been in meetings but neither he nor left tackle Jermon Bushrod attended practice Wednesday or Thursday. Charles Leno is the presumptive starter at left tackle if Bushrod remains out with a concussion.
Ratliff and the Bears do not appear concerned if Grasu opens at center against the Chiefs. Coach John Fox started Ryan Kalil for three games as a rookie center while in Carolina and Kalil, 299 pounds out of USC, another Pac-12 program, went on to earn four Pro Bowls and one All-Pro designation.
“I think he’s athletic, he gets to the second level, he’s smart, he’s played in a winning program [Oregon],” said Fox. “We liked a lot of his football character. To name a few. He’s not deficient in any area. As far as what offense they’re playing in college, it doesn’t really matter. They have to come in and how they adapt to what we’re doing.”
One key is the comfort level of quarterback Jay Cutler with Grasu, since the two rarely worked together through the offseason, training camp or preseason. With his time at Oregon, Grasu has worked extensively with snapping in the shotgun but considerably less in the direct-snap world of the NFL. That said, the Bears ran 47 of their 75 plays in the Oakland game from a shotgun set.
“With Hroniss you just know that there are going to be some mistakes out there,” Cutler said, adding quickly, “with ‘Slau’ though, too. There are going to be some things that they just haven’t seen. They’re going to experience it. But I know those guys are going to give me everything they’ve got and that’s all I can ask for.
Grasu would be the youngest center Cutler has ever played with, going back to veterans Tom Nalen and Casey Wiegmann in Denver, then Olin Kreutz, Roberto Garza, and then Will Montgomery in Chicago.
“I’ve always had older centers who make your life a little bit easier,” Cutler said. “So Hroniss would be the youngest guy, but it’s fine. He’s going to go out there and he’s going to play his butt off. If we go with Slau, we already have one game under our belt.”
Bears dealing with injuries up front.
By Larry Mayer
A spate of injuries on their offensive line has created some uncertainty for the Bears as they prepare for Sunday's road game against the Chiefs.
Center
"It does get challenging," said quarterback Jay Cutler . "We have some guys banged up. Getting through practice, just getting everyone on the same page, communication's got to be good. From the [offensive coordinator] on down, everyone's done a great job; coaching staff, players locking in during meetings. Mistakes are going to happen out here, but we'll just try to eliminate them."
"We're still kind of going through what we need to go through as far as practice and what's the best option for us," said offensive coordinator Adam Gase.
"That's the good thing about having coach [John] Fox and [general manager] Ryan Pace to bounce things off and [line] coach [Dave] Magazu. We're still kind of in the process of figuring out what's the best option for us and once we hit Sunday we'll have a really good feel."
Grasu has been inactive the first four weeks of the season. The 6-3, 297-pounder started all 52 games he played the past four years at Oregon, including 13 in 2012 when he teamed with Long. Grasu earned All-Pac-12 honors each of the last three seasons and was one of six finalists for the Rimington Trophy as the nation's top center as a junior and senior.
"Smart kid," Cutler said. "Works his tail off. Going to do everything possible to help the team. Wants to do it. Wants to be up there. It's just a matter of experience for him, getting out there and getting the reps and going through it."
According to Gase, Grasu's greatest strength is his athleticism.
"He does have that rare ability to get to the second level and cut defenders off, and he's a lot stronger than what you'd anticipate," Gase said. "I know he's not like an overly-sized guy, but he does have good strength for that position."
Grasu, 24, would be the youngest center Cutler has played with in nine NFL seasons. He has lined up behind veterans Tom Nalen and Casey Wiegmann with the Broncos and Olin Kreutz, Roberto Garza and Montgomery with the Bears.
"I've always had older centers who make your life a little bit easier," Cutler said. "Hroniss would be the youngest guy, but it's fine. He's going to go out there and he's going to play his butt off. If we go with 'Slau,' we already have one game under our belt."
Slauson earned a game ball last Sunday after sliding over to play center in a game for the first time since 2011 when he was with the Jets.
"It was unbelievable," Gase said. "For him to transition into that and then for us not to miss a beat—I know we had a couple things happen where we could've probably cleaned up—but for him to do that, get the calls, get everyone squared away, it was phenomenal."
A botched exchange between Cutler and Slauson led to a turnover against the Raiders, but the Bears adjusted by employing more shotgun snaps and had no more problems.
"He's a smart guy," Cutler said of Slauson. "He knows the offense like the back of his hand, been well-coached throughout his entire career, had some really good coaches around him and he's a talented player. The hardest part for him was just getting rid of the ball. After that it was easy."
Though both players will require a learning curve, Cutler isn't concerned.
"I'm not that worried about [Grasu] or Slau, whoever we end up going with," Cutler said. "With Hroniss you just know that there are going to be some mistakes out there, with Slau though too. There are going to be some things that they just haven't seen. They're going to experience it. But I know those guys are going to give me everything they've got and that's all I can ask for."
How 'bout them Chicago Blackhawks? Blackhawks-Islanders Preview.
By JEFF BARTL
Nassau Coliseum's crumbling façade provided a reminder to the faithful fans on Long Island that it probably was time for the New York Islanders to find new digs as they stepped into the outdated facility.
The banners that celebrate the early 1980s dynasty now hang in the state-of-the-art Barclays Center 23 miles west in Brooklyn. But no matter where the Islanders now call home, their focus remains on adding another Stanley Cup title as they open a new season Friday night in the first of a home-and-home set with the defending champion Chicago Blackhawks.
New York's 47 victories last season were its most since winning the last of four straight Cups in 1983-84. Its 25 home wins tied for the third most in the Eastern Conference, but they lost home-ice advantage in the playoffs due to a late slump and lost Game 7 to Washington in the first round.
''You could really feel the disappointment throughout our group over the summer,'' said captain John Tavares, whose career-high 86 points fell one short of Art Ross winner Jamie Benn. ''It definitely adds to pushing ourselves to get back here. We realize how hard it is just to get where we got last year.''
The difficulty of simply getting to work also increased, as many players live on Long Island and have been commuting via train. The strict and sometimes superstitious routines hockey players value have changed with the Islanders leaving Nassau Coliseum after 43 years.
Still, much remains the same. Tavares, Kyle Okposo, Brock Nelson, Ryan Strome, Josh Bailey, Anders Lee and former Blackhawk Nick Leddy help make up a core group that lost only Michael Grabner and Lubomir Visnovsky.
Goaltender Jaroslav Halak is back after one of the best seasons of his career for coach Jack Capuano, who is starting his sixth season behind the bench.
''Everybody knows the system,'' said Okposo, who finished second on the club with 51 points despite missing 22 games with an eye injury. ''That part is second nature to us. It's nice that we don't have to learn a new system, we don't have to learn anything.
"As far as the amenities go, it's nice to have, but we still have to go play the game.''
Goaltender Jaroslav Halak is back after one of the best seasons of his career for coach Jack Capuano, who is starting his sixth season behind the bench.
''Everybody knows the system,'' said Okposo, who finished second on the club with 51 points despite missing 22 games with an eye injury. ''That part is second nature to us. It's nice that we don't have to learn a new system, we don't have to learn anything.
"As far as the amenities go, it's nice to have, but we still have to go play the game.''
The Islanders' first regular-season contest at Barclays comes against a club they most certainly envy, as the Blackhawks are coming off their third Stanley Cup title in six years.
New York will get a reminder of that success Saturday when they travel to the United Center. Chicago unveiled their newest banner Wednesday before falling 3-2 to the New York Rangers in its opener.
Patrick Kane, who is playing despite being under investigation for an alleged sexual assault incident during the offseason, tapped in the potential tying goal in the final minute, but it was disallowed after the referee declared his intent to blow the whistle after losing sight of the puck.
Kane assisted on rookie Artemi Panarin's goal in the first period, and Teuvo Teravainen also scored for the new-look Blackhawks, who parted ways with key contributors Patrick Sharp and Brandon Saad - among others - to stay under the salary cap.
Trevor Daley, who came over in the trade that sent Sharp to Dallas, had a few defensive lapses in his Chicago debut.
''We got better as the game went on and did good things,'' coach Joel Quenneville said. ''But we gave up a couple goals late in the first that were definitely preventable.''
Leddy and Tavares assisted on Okposo's goal midway through the third as New York won 3-2 on Dec. 13. Jonathan Toews and Marian Hossa each scored twice in Chicago's 4-1 home win March 17.
Leddy and Tavares assisted on Okposo's goal midway through the third as New York won 3-2 on Dec. 13. Jonathan Toews and Marian Hossa each scored twice in Chicago's 4-1 home win March 17.
Blackhawks banner raising night spoiled by Rangers.
By Tracey Myers
Coach Joel Quenneville talked of how the Blackhawks had to respond once that Stanley Cup banner was lifted into the United Center rafters. They had to flip the switch immediately.
They didn’t, and first-period miscues ended up being costly.
Artemi Panarin scored his first career NHL goal and Teuvo Teravainen recorded his first of the season, but the Blackhawks fell to the New York Rangers 3-2 in the regular-season opener for both on Wednesday night.
The Blackhawks have had a few so-so games following banner-raising ceremonies, and this one was no different. Integrating new players and new pairings after a summer of change, the Blackhawks struggled out of the gate. The opportunistic Rangers pounced on Blackhawks miscues, taking a 3-1 lead after the first 20 minutes.
“The first period, we had a little delay in our switch, either with or without the puck, going to people rather slowly,” Quenneville said. “We got better as the game went on, did some good things, but we gave them a couple of goals late in the first that were definitely preventable.”
There were some bright spots, starting with Panarin. Despite playing just one preseason game after missing nearly two weeks with an upper-body injury, Panarin looked comfortable. He, Artem Anisimov and Patrick Kane showed the chemistry the three started forming in the preseason finale, with Kane setting up Panarin’s goal late in the first period.
“He’s a special player. He’s electric,” Kane said of Panarin. “He hangs onto the puck, makes good plays and it’s nice to see him get his first goal. I thought we had a pretty good first night.”
Quenneville said they call the Blackhawks’ newest forward, “the Bread Man.”
“He was fun to watch tonight,” Quenneville said of Panarin. “It looked like he had the puck all night and that line was effective and dangerous. So I think it was a good start for him.”
Teravainen, who played most of the preseason at center before moving to top-line left wing with Jonathan Toews and Marian Hossa, cut the Rangers’ lead to 3-2 late in the second period.
“Today I think wasn’t our best game. We have to talk more and keep thinking positive,” Teravainen said of the line. “There were some good things, of course, but I think we can do a better job.”
The Blackhawks thought they’d tied the game late in regulation when Kane stuffed the puck through Henrik Lundqvist’s pads. But it was called no goal on the ice — the official closest to the net told the NHL’s Situation Room that he was in the process of blowing the whistle when the puck was under Lundqvist’s pad. Upon further review, the no-goal call was upheld, citing Rule 78.5:
“Apparent goals shall be disallowed when the referee deems the play has been stopped, even if he had not physically had the opportunity to stop play by blowing his whistle.”
Asked of what he thought of the goal/non-goal call at the end, Quenneville said, “quick.”
Kane wasn’t that phased by it.
“I mean, it’s one of those plays that could go either way, whether the ref blows the whistle or not. It seemed like [the puck] was stuck under his pad,” Kane said. “It did seem like it was pretty quick but at the same time, refs are trying to protect the goalies and different things like that. Not going to complain about it. We had a chance to tie it up; it didn’t go our way.”
The Blackhawks started the night off celebrating another Cup victory. Whether it was the ceremony, the changes or just an off night, the Blackhawks didn’t get the desired game start.
“My patience is rather short as far as watching us give up leads or goals like that, that are all preventable by every single guy on the ice. But we’ll talk about it tomorrow,” Quenneville said of the sluggish start. “Let’s get excited. The [New York] Islanders are excited about starting in their building, so we have another tough test already.”
Daley trying to pick up Blackhawks system 'as quick as possible'.
By Tracey Myers
Trevor Daley figured it was going to take some time to adapt to the Blackhawks’ system. He’s looking for that to happen sooner rather than later.
Daley was one of a few defensemen that coach Joel Quenneville deemed “just OK” in the Blackhawks’ 3-2 season-opening loss to the New York Rangers on Wednesday night.
“I think it’s coming. I’m trying to get it as quick as possible. Obviously the quicker the better,” Daley said following Thursday’s practice. “There’s a lot of stuff in here that’s different than what I’m used to. It’s going to come. Half of the battle is wanting to do it; so as long as you want to do something, you’ll get it done.”
The Blackhawks always put defense first, and lapses by a few players led to three first-period Rangers goals. Quenneville said all three were preventable.
“I think they’re all kind of goals that traditionally we don’t give up – easy goals,” he said. “We want to make sure that they earn them. I thought doing the right things earlier that led to them could have been prevented.”
Daley said while he has to make changes, they aren’t major ones.
“It’s not big things, maybe little things every day in your game that mean so much,” he said. “It’s just grasping some of that stuff and making it a habit.”
Cubs fans
Quenneville once again gave a “Go Cubs” following Thursday’s practice. The Cubs will face the St. Louis Cardinals in the National League Division Series beginning on Friday night. Quenneville said these Cubs remind him of the Blackhawks’ resurgence around 2009-10.
“They’re a young team, a lot of enthusiasm and kind of reminds me of our team there when we started down in the first year before we went to the finals, or conference finals and then maybe they can do it all,” he said.
He's learning
Artemi Panarin has relied mainly on friend and teammate Viktor Tikhonov to translate for him during media interviews. But the Blackhawks forward is making great strides in his English, Quenneville said on Thursday.
“I asked him if he’s married. He goes, ‘No. Single,’ and smiled, so that was progress,” Quenneville said with a laugh. “I think he’s starting to understand things.”
Hossa's fine
Marian Hossa did not practice on Thursday. The forward was just taking a maintenance day and is expected to play this weekend against the Islanders.
Just Another Chicago Bulls Session... Bulls blown out by Nuggets on road in preseason loss.
By Brian Howell
They didn’t, and first-period miscues ended up being costly.
Artemi Panarin scored his first career NHL goal and Teuvo Teravainen recorded his first of the season, but the Blackhawks fell to the New York Rangers 3-2 in the regular-season opener for both on Wednesday night.
The Blackhawks have had a few so-so games following banner-raising ceremonies, and this one was no different. Integrating new players and new pairings after a summer of change, the Blackhawks struggled out of the gate. The opportunistic Rangers pounced on Blackhawks miscues, taking a 3-1 lead after the first 20 minutes.
“The first period, we had a little delay in our switch, either with or without the puck, going to people rather slowly,” Quenneville said. “We got better as the game went on, did some good things, but we gave them a couple of goals late in the first that were definitely preventable.”
There were some bright spots, starting with Panarin. Despite playing just one preseason game after missing nearly two weeks with an upper-body injury, Panarin looked comfortable. He, Artem Anisimov and Patrick Kane showed the chemistry the three started forming in the preseason finale, with Kane setting up Panarin’s goal late in the first period.
“He’s a special player. He’s electric,” Kane said of Panarin. “He hangs onto the puck, makes good plays and it’s nice to see him get his first goal. I thought we had a pretty good first night.”
Quenneville said they call the Blackhawks’ newest forward, “the Bread Man.”
“He was fun to watch tonight,” Quenneville said of Panarin. “It looked like he had the puck all night and that line was effective and dangerous. So I think it was a good start for him.”
Teravainen, who played most of the preseason at center before moving to top-line left wing with Jonathan Toews and Marian Hossa, cut the Rangers’ lead to 3-2 late in the second period.
“Today I think wasn’t our best game. We have to talk more and keep thinking positive,” Teravainen said of the line. “There were some good things, of course, but I think we can do a better job.”
The Blackhawks thought they’d tied the game late in regulation when Kane stuffed the puck through Henrik Lundqvist’s pads. But it was called no goal on the ice — the official closest to the net told the NHL’s Situation Room that he was in the process of blowing the whistle when the puck was under Lundqvist’s pad. Upon further review, the no-goal call was upheld, citing Rule 78.5:
“Apparent goals shall be disallowed when the referee deems the play has been stopped, even if he had not physically had the opportunity to stop play by blowing his whistle.”
Asked of what he thought of the goal/non-goal call at the end, Quenneville said, “quick.”
Kane wasn’t that phased by it.
“I mean, it’s one of those plays that could go either way, whether the ref blows the whistle or not. It seemed like [the puck] was stuck under his pad,” Kane said. “It did seem like it was pretty quick but at the same time, refs are trying to protect the goalies and different things like that. Not going to complain about it. We had a chance to tie it up; it didn’t go our way.”
The Blackhawks started the night off celebrating another Cup victory. Whether it was the ceremony, the changes or just an off night, the Blackhawks didn’t get the desired game start.
“My patience is rather short as far as watching us give up leads or goals like that, that are all preventable by every single guy on the ice. But we’ll talk about it tomorrow,” Quenneville said of the sluggish start. “Let’s get excited. The [New York] Islanders are excited about starting in their building, so we have another tough test already.”
Daley trying to pick up Blackhawks system 'as quick as possible'.
By Tracey Myers
Trevor Daley figured it was going to take some time to adapt to the Blackhawks’ system. He’s looking for that to happen sooner rather than later.
Daley was one of a few defensemen that coach Joel Quenneville deemed “just OK” in the Blackhawks’ 3-2 season-opening loss to the New York Rangers on Wednesday night.
“I think it’s coming. I’m trying to get it as quick as possible. Obviously the quicker the better,” Daley said following Thursday’s practice. “There’s a lot of stuff in here that’s different than what I’m used to. It’s going to come. Half of the battle is wanting to do it; so as long as you want to do something, you’ll get it done.”
The Blackhawks always put defense first, and lapses by a few players led to three first-period Rangers goals. Quenneville said all three were preventable.
“I think they’re all kind of goals that traditionally we don’t give up – easy goals,” he said. “We want to make sure that they earn them. I thought doing the right things earlier that led to them could have been prevented.”
Daley said while he has to make changes, they aren’t major ones.
“It’s not big things, maybe little things every day in your game that mean so much,” he said. “It’s just grasping some of that stuff and making it a habit.”
Cubs fans
Quenneville once again gave a “Go Cubs” following Thursday’s practice. The Cubs will face the St. Louis Cardinals in the National League Division Series beginning on Friday night. Quenneville said these Cubs remind him of the Blackhawks’ resurgence around 2009-10.
“They’re a young team, a lot of enthusiasm and kind of reminds me of our team there when we started down in the first year before we went to the finals, or conference finals and then maybe they can do it all,” he said.
He's learning
Artemi Panarin has relied mainly on friend and teammate Viktor Tikhonov to translate for him during media interviews. But the Blackhawks forward is making great strides in his English, Quenneville said on Thursday.
“I asked him if he’s married. He goes, ‘No. Single,’ and smiled, so that was progress,” Quenneville said with a laugh. “I think he’s starting to understand things.”
Hossa's fine
Marian Hossa did not practice on Thursday. The forward was just taking a maintenance day and is expected to play this weekend against the Islanders.
Just Another Chicago Bulls Session... Bulls blown out by Nuggets on road in preseason loss.
By Brian Howell
If the Bulls play like this during the regular season, they might be a little more concerned.
For now, first-year head coach Fred Hoiberg was able to look at the silver lining after his team was routed by the Denver Nuggets, 112-94, on Thursday night at Coors Events Center on the University of Colorado campus.
“It’s a process and it’s one that we’ll definitely learn from, all of us,” Hoiberg said. “I don’t think it’s the worst thing in the world to hit a little bit of adversity early on in this thing and see what you’re made of and try to bounce back.”
Playing without veterans Mike Dunleavy, Pau Gasol, Taj Gibson and Derrick Rose, the Bulls were led by Nikola Mirotic’s 18 points, but never recovered from an abysmal second quarter.
The Bulls entered the second with a 21-20 lead, but trailed 57-34 at intermission, as the Nuggets outscored them 26-3 during the first 7:37 of the frame. Ten turnovers and poor shot selection buried the Bulls in that quarter.
“I thought we hung our heads a little bit when it wasn’t going well for us offensively,” said Hoiberg, who was 2-3 in this building as a college player and coach before Thursday.
While the Bulls were missing four key players, they did start Mirotic, Jimmy Butler and Joakim Noah. Butler, who had six points on 2-for-10 shooting, and Noah, who had two points and five rebounds, both sat out the second half.
Noah got through a scary moment in the second quarter, when the Nuggets’ Kenneth Faried rolled onto Noah’s left leg while the two battled for a rebound. Noah continued to play, but iced his knee throughout the second half.
“It’s just a little contusion,” Noah said. “I have a little swelling. It’s the knee I had surgery on, so I’m just trying to be careful.”
Just as painful may have been watching his team, which fell behind by 28 in the second half.
“We’ve got to play a lot harder,” Noah said. “We’re disappointed with the way we played tonight. We were out-hustled in every area. We’re learning a new system, a new philosophy, but it’s no excuse.”
Doug McDermott chipped in with 15 points for the Bulls, while rookie Bobby Portis had a double-double (10 points, 16 rebounds) and Jordan Crawford had 10 points.
“We came back in the second half and we played a little bit better,” Mirotic said. “We need to keep working hard. I’m really looking forward to keep working, to keep improving the team. We have a really good team, a young team, players with experience, so I think we will be fine.”
Until Rose and Butler succeed together, speculation will always loom.
By Vincent Goodwill
Two things are for certain in this pseudo Derrick Rose-Jimmy Butler issue, if there is in fact, an issue between the backcourt members (for which there's no definitive evidence).
One, this talk will continue, no matter how unfounded the rumors are or how much it's rooted in conjecture and innuendo, until Rose comes back on the floor and elevates his play to the point that makes the talk moot.
Rose is at the point where only his play will shut up his critics and anything he says will be fodder for those who swear by the school of thought that he doesn’t get it and will never return to anything resembling his younger self.
Secondly, and this is something both parties should know already, which is the Bulls can’t get to where they want to be in the postseason unless Rose and Butler are at optimum efficiency.
Neither is good enough on his own to overthrow LeBron James. Neither is at the top level of superstardom, where one’s presence alone lifts all tides.
Only James, Kevin Durant, Anthony Davis and on a really good day, Chris Paul, do that singularly. Everyone else at this point needs a player of similar talent (not skill) to aid in making every single teammate better.
No matter how many times both deny there’s any existence of a feud or real issues, it’s gonna be there. Unfortunately, the age of new media dictate there’s a good guy and a bad guy, and right now everything Butler says about asserting himself as a leader will be viewed as a referendum on a perceived lack of leadership from Rose’s end.
Or worse, that Butler’s words are somehow aimed at Rose because of this perceived rift between the two.
Stemming from the events of Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals when the Bulls, for lack of a prettier word, quit in the second half against the Cleveland Cavaliers, the rumors began to fly.
Rose and Butler had a strange energy around them in the second half, but so did everyone else wearing white that night. It was evident, from the officials to the coaching staff to the diehards who witnessed it, that the Bulls en masse didn’t have it that night.
Whether it was the drama from the outside surrounding their coach engulfed the team or the fact playing against James and his merry men were so relentless, the Bulls made a collective decision not to go back to Cleveland for a decisive Game 7, it was clear the Bulls didn’t have the requisite intensity for such a moment.
If it happens again, or at any point during the season, Rose and Butler should be held accountable. Highest-paid backcourt requires those two stand on the front line together, no matter how they feel about each other — and again, there’s zero evidence the two have an issue with each other.
There’s also little evidence the two know how to maximize production with the other on the floor because the sample size isn’t there. Both men spent time on the sidelines last season and only in the playoffs were they able to play in concert — not the optimum time to figure out each other’s tendencies.
It’s like getting to know your spouse after you get married, it’s a recipe for a quick divorce.
And although this Rose-Butler pairing is a basketball marriage, this season will be as much about getting to know one another in a basketball sense than it is figuring out if they can work together.
Butler is a max player who’s emerging. Rose is a former MVP looking to reclaim standing in the league but very much has an uncertain present and future.
Both have to get to know each other under those circumstances and none else.
Butler wants to be a leader because there’s room for it.
Rose has never proclaimed himself to be a vocal leader and none of his teammates have referred to him as such. They’ve said “we follow Derrick”, which is said much in the vein of Rose’s reputation as a MVP player and his play more than him actually being a galvanizing force in the locker room.
So when Butler says he wants to be a vocal leader, it’s likely more a thought concerning the void left by the barking from the sidelines with Tom Thibodeau leaving town. It was Thibodeau’s team more than it was a player-run club in recent years, partly due to his strong personality but also because there’s been plenty of roster turnover during that time no one personality would have the tenure to be a vocal leader if he even had the personality for it.
The players who’ve been here, it doesn’t fit what they do best. Taj Gibson is a grinder. He plays hard, plays consistently but isn’t trying to fill that role.
Joakim Noah leads in some form, more emotionally than vocally.
But look up and down the roster to see who Butler could possibly usurp as a vocal leader.
There doesn’t appear to be anyone preventing him from asserting himself vocally.
With Butler’s new status comes inherent responsibility — the equal responsibility on making his on-court relationship with Rose work.
Chicago Cubs-St. Louis Cardinals Preview
By R.B. FALLSTROM
Pitching for the major league minimum $507,500 salary due to a clause in contract, Lackey went 13-10 for a team that lost its ace early. And when old rivals face each other in a postseason series for the first time Friday, he'll be pitching against an old buddy.
The 36-year-old Lackey will oppose the Chicago Cubs' Jon Lester, a duo that formed a devastating one-two for the Red Sox in the 2013 World Series.
''I'd like to say I was surprised, but I'm not,'' Lackey said Thursday. ''He's good. No accident people running into each other this time of year.''
Lackey had a career-best 2.77 ERA and consistently went deep for the 100-win Cardinals, stepping up as the de facto ace after Adam Wainwright tore his left Achilles in late April.
He has earned this slot, the crusty, bulldog demeanor reminding management of former star pitcher Chris Carpenter.
Lackey was paid $82.5 million the previous five years under a contract he signed with Boston, which included a conditional club option for 2015 at the minimum. That condition was met when he missed 2012 while recovering from reconstructive elbow surgery.
St. Louis acquired him from the Red Sox on July 31, 2014. Lackey can become a free agent again this fall.
''I don't think we'll discuss what we're doing in the offseason or strategy in the offseason at this point,'' Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak said. ''We're excited he's a part of it and we're looking forward to a successful October.''
Lester and Lackey combined for three victories in a six-game 2013 Series triumph over the Cardinals. Lester was 2-0 with a 0.59 ERA and Lackey won the clincher.
''He was probably the best on the planet going through the playoffs that year,'' Lackey said. ''He knows how to compete and he knows how to handle this time of year, for sure.''
''He was probably the best on the planet going through the playoffs that year,'' Lackey said. ''He knows how to compete and he knows how to handle this time of year, for sure.''
Lester will try to follow an excellent wild-card performance by Jake Arrieta, who threw a four-hitter Wednesday night in a 4-0 victory over the Pirates.
Lester figured he'd be matched against 17-game winner Michael Wacha, but the right-hander was 2-3 with a 7.78 ERA the final month and will start Game 3. When Lester learned he would be opposed by Lackey, he thought it funny - and fitting.
Lester figured he'd be matched against 17-game winner Michael Wacha, but the right-hander was 2-3 with a 7.78 ERA the final month and will start Game 3. When Lester learned he would be opposed by Lackey, he thought it funny - and fitting.
''He's going to almost out-will you sometimes, if that makes sense,'' Lester said. ''Our friendship will go beyond this game, will go beyond this career, but come tomorrow, we're not buddies anymore.''
Kyle Hendricks (8-7, 3.95) will oppose Jaime Garcia (10-6, 2.43) in Game 2 Saturday. Arrieta (22-6, 1.77), having a breakout Cy Young-caliber season, faces Wacha (17-7, 3.38) in Game 3 and in Game 4 it will be St. Louis' Lance Lynn (12-11, 3.03) against probably Jason Hammel (10-7, 3.74).
Thousands of fans regularly make the trek north or south and do their utmost to make the visitors feel right at home.
''I didn't even realize this was the first time we had met in the postseason,'' said Cubs manager Joe Maddon, who spoke reverently about the Cardinals tradition during earlier trips to Busch Stadium. ''I thought that was kind of interesting, but then again it's believable if you look at how this thing plays out.''
''It's going to be bumping tomorrow, regardless of who's winning,'' Cardinals second baseman Kolten Wong said. ''And when we go to Wrigley, we know that stadium is going to be bumping for sure.''
''It's going to be bumping tomorrow, regardless of who's winning,'' Cardinals second baseman Kolten Wong said. ''And when we go to Wrigley, we know that stadium is going to be bumping for sure.''
The pre-game workout was newsworthy for the Cardinals, who saw enough from All-Star catcher Yadier Molina that they believe he can be effective behind the plate wearing a hard plastic molded splint to protect a strained left thumb ligament. The thumb will be wrapped for at-bats.
Molina was injured tagging out the Cubs' Anthony Rizzo sliding into the plate on Sept. 20 in Chicago.
Maddon said he'd wait until game day to announce any roster changes but promised no major wrinkles.
''It's not going to be dramatically different, promise you,'' Maddon said.
''It's not going to be dramatically different, promise you,'' Maddon said.
Bring it on: Cubs-Cardinals rivalry will escalate to another level.
By Patrick Mooney
The National League’s marquee Midwest franchises have been playing each other since 1892 — with more than 2,300 games between Chicago and St. Louis — but the rivalry has never seen anything like this before.
The PNC Park fireworks during Wednesday night’s 4-0 wild-card win over the Pittsburgh Pirates will be nothing compared to the Cubs facing the Cardinals in their first playoff matchup ever.
“We’ll deal with the Cardinals tomorrow,” Theo Epstein said, completely soaked inside a raucous visiting clubhouse where cigar smoke hung in the air, champagne sprayed from all directions and loud rap music blasted from the sound system. “It’s going to be incredible.”
The president of baseball operations had grown up on the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees and taken down The Evil Empire before accepting the challenge in October 2011. The mandate was clear: Finally catch the Cardinals and build a World Series winner after more than a century of disappointments.
By Year 4, Epstein’s front office assembled a 97-win team that didn’t fear anyone but still finished third in the brutal Central. It’s not as glamorous or as media-centric as the old American League East, but the divisional era had never before seen baseball’s top three teams play in the same division.
“We’ve had a little magic going all year long,” Epstein said. “It just felt with all of our being like we deserved a nice little run here in October. Congratulations to the Pirates on a great regular season. They have every right to feel like they should be going on, too. But only one of us could.”
Jon Lester — the $155 million lefty the Cubs signed last winter to help them get to October and pitch in big moments — will start Game 1 of this best-of-five series on Friday at Busch Stadium.
But Lester’s No. 1 priority late Wednesday night was making sure Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder got hit with enough Korbel: “It burns, don’t it?”
Ex-Cubs Kerry Wood and Ryan Dempster and former Blackhawk Chris Chelios joined the party. Out on the service-level concourse, winning pitcher Jake Arrieta chatted with movie star John Cusack for a moment as players celebrated with their friends and families.
“We have a lot of confidence in our group,” said backup catcher David Ross, who tried to protect Arrieta and play peacemaker in the seventh inning and almost wound up in the middle of an all-out brawl. “We don’t really think about the other team that much.
“We try to take care of our stuff in-house and worry about our own guys, our own pitching, our own hitting, our own bullpen and try to go out there and put together a game plan to beat the other team.”
Kyle Schwarber — who had once been viewed as a reach with the No. 4 overall pick in last year’s draft — showed the young Cubs wouldn’t be afraid of the moment or worried about history by driving in three runs with his first two playoff at-bats.
The Cubs went 8-11 against the gold-standard franchise this season, turning up the heat on this rivalry with Joe Maddon’s calculated messages through the media, the manager comparing the Cardinals to “The Sopranos” and knowing he should have a dangerous team for years to come.
The Cardinals have those 11 World Series titles and all that playoff experience after earning their 12th postseason appearance since 2000. But at the most intense time of the year, the Cubs look like a team that’s playing with nothing to lose.
“We’ll get ready for St. Louis a little later on,” said Anthony Rizzo, the All-Star first baseman who sounded crazy back in January predicting the Cubs would win this division. “We’re going to enjoy this one.”
Adam Wainwright, Yadier Molina back in play for Cubs-Cardinals.
By Patrick Mooney
Adam Wainwright made only four starts and the St. Louis Cardinals still won 100 games – and baseball’s toughest division – with their organizational pitching depth and next-man-up attitude.
Yadier Molina – the heart-and-soul catcher and seven-time Gold Glove winner – might be the one player St. Louis couldn’t replace.
Now that Wainwright and Molina have been cleared for what should be an epic National League division series, the Cardinals will have even more championship experience to draw upon during their first-ever playoff matchup against the Cubs.
Wainwright was supposed to be done for the year when he tore an Achilles tendon in late April, but St. Louis manager Mike Matheny confirmed his Opening Day starter will be on the playoff roster and available out of the bullpen for Game 1 on Friday at Busch Stadium.
Molina sprained his left thumb on Sept. 20 at Wrigley Field and hasn’t played in a game since making that tag at the plate. It’s been a down year for the seven-time All-Star (.660 OPS), but his presence means so much to the St. Louis pitching staff and clubhouse.
“I think he feels pain,” Matheny said after Thursday’s workout. “He just doesn’t recognize it, or know how to define it.
“Yadi has an ability (to) put some of those things behind (and) not just play the game, but play it well. And be able to put the distraction away – whatever it is that’s bothering him – and bring something good to the field.
“He’s a smart guy, too. He doesn’t want to go out there if he’s not able to contribute. If he’s not able to compete and do what he needs to do, he knows that would hurt our club. And right now, that’s not the situation that we’re in. We’re very fortunate.”
Wainwright made three one-inning relief appearances during the final week of the regular season. That’s how the Cardinals probably envision using their 6-foot-7 right-hander as a playoff weapon.
Wainwright famously froze Carlos Beltran with the bases loaded to eliminate the New York Mets in Game 7 of the 2006 NLCS, setting the stage for another World Series title.
“(It’s) an incredible story when a lot of people said he wouldn’t make it back this year,” Matheny said. “But he’s also a very sharp pitcher right now. He looks good. And we’re going to give him opportunities, too, in big situations.”
Scouting, player development key for White Sox.
By Scott Merkin
Organization set to discuss crucial areas as it moves forward from 2015 campaign.
Nick Hostetler, the director of amateur scouting, is playing a major part at White Sox scouting and player development meetings taking place this week at the organization's Camelback Ranch complex in Glendale, Ariz.
General manager Rick Hahn, executive vice president Ken Williams, pitching coach Don Cooper and hitting coach Todd Steverson all are scheduled to be in attendance during these discussions, putting everyone on the same basic page in these areas. Hahn has frequently talked about building a perennial championship contender, and in order to hit that goal, the White Sox need to replenish from within to supplement outside moves.
They received a boost to that plan during Sunday's season finale at U.S. Cellular Field. Even in the face of a 6-0 loss to the Tigers, where the host squad produced just three hits to close out the South Siders at 76-86 overall, the White Sox finished 10th in the 2016 MLB Draft order by virtue of Seattle's victory over Oakland.
This 10th Draft slot means the White Sox have a protected top pick if they sign a free agent who has been made and rejected a qualifying offer. It's an important pick for the White Sox, who are slowly but -- they hope -- surely building a solid core, despite veering a bit from that reshaping program this past offseason.
The free-agent additions of closer David Robertson and outfielder Melky Cabrera cost the team its second- and third-round picks in 2015. Those moves also represented part of the White Sox plan to jump a little early from reshaping mode and push for the postseason.
Judging a Draft class takes at the very least a few years to get a decent feel. But based on the solid start of top pick Carson Fulmer -- ranked second in the organization by MLB.com -- and the organization's Arizona Rookie league affiliate winning a title with contributions from Draft picks such as Jake Fincher (29th round), Seby Zavala (12th round), Corey Zangari (sixth round), Tyler Sullivan (14th round), Taylore Cherry (32nd round) and Christopher Comito (15th round), the 2015 class got off to a good start.
"Confidence brings success," said Hostetler, who was promoted to his position in early August but had an influence on last year's Draft. "When you start having success at the bottom levels and you get confident, you can do it, sometimes those guys turn into guys, and a lot of it deals with winning.
Hostetler praised the organization's scouts, area guys and cross-checkers for their role.
"It's always fun when guys are in a championship, and to see it immediately from players that you're scouting from the Draft," said Hostetler, giving major credit to White Sox player development personnel as well. "It's exciting for our player development staff."
Golf: I got a club for that..... Americans jump out to another lead in Presidents Cup.
By DOUG FERGUSON
The Presidents Cup wasn't an hour old when Nick Price looked at the scoreboard and had that sinking feeling.
It was filled with American red.
And there wasn't much Price or the International team could do about it Thursday in an opening session that ended just like so many others in this one-sided affair.
Phil Mickelson and Zach Johnson capped off a performance that was as businesslike as their handshakes, and the Americans had a 4-1 lead after foursomes in which they never trailed in any match except the one they lost.
"A tough day for us," Price said. "Having said that, we are only five points into 30. We still have another 25 points left out there. So we've got a long way to go, and that's that I told my team. Just to keep their chins up and do the best they can tomorrow."
The International team was adamant that the number of matches be reduced — it was lowered from 34 to 30 — to keep it a close contest. After one day, maybe having one less match on Thursday helped.
It could have been worse.
The Americans, who have lost the Presidents Cup only one time since it began in 1994 and are going for their sixth straight victory, had a lead after the opening session for the fifth straight time. The margin was their largest since a four-point lead in 2007 at Royal Montreal.
That makes the five matches of four-balls on Friday even more critical.
U.S. captain Jay Haas put Jordan Spieth and Dustin Johnson in the first match, followed by Rickie Fowler and Jimmy Walker.
"He's going for the kill," Price said. "If we get momentum going, it can change things."
All the momentum belonged to the Americans on Thursday.
Bubba Watson and J.B. Holmes ran off four straight birdies early in their match against Adam Scott and Hideki Matsuyama, and that set the tone. They wound up winning a tight match when Scott and Matsuyama missed key putts and ended it on the 16th hole.
"That was my whole goal," Watson said. "Get out there fast, change the color so the other guys see that and it sparks them going forward."
Watson and Holmes didn't deliver the first point. That came from Fowler and Walker, who picked up their first win as a team. They halved three matches at the Ryder Cup last year, and on Thursday they had the shortest match at the Jack Nicklaus Golf Club Korea, 5 and 4, over India's Anirban Lahiri and Thailand's Thongchai Jaidee.
The lone International victory came from Louis Oosthuizen and Branden Grace of South Africa, who took advantage of some sloppy play by Matt Kuchar and Patrick Reed in a 3-and-2 victory. Kuchar hit a tee shot into the water on No. 11, and he hit a wedge so far on No. 14 that it didn't even reach the creek.
Grace went 0-4 in his Presidents Cup debut two years ago, and the South Africans gave the International team at least some hope.
"I know we're behind," Grace said, glancing at a scoreboard behind him. "But one point is better than none."
The Americans got help from top to bottom.
Spieth, coming off a year of two majors, the FedEx Cup and the No. 1 ranking, and Dustin Johnson made for a formidable duo. They set the tone early when Spieth holed a 20-foot birdie putt on No. 2, and Johnson stepped up on the next hole and hammered a tee shot nearly 350 yards.
They halved that hole, but a message was sent.
"Me hitting bomb drives, Jordan holing putts," Johnson said. "That's what you want to get in their heads."
Johnson had a few wild drives, too, but they restored their cushion early on the back nine and coasted to a 4-and-3 victory.
Mickelson had to rely on a captain's pick for the first time since the inaugural Presidents Cup in 1994. Players wanted him on the team for his experience and enthusiasm, and the Hall of Famer showed he was more than capable with a club in his hand. Mickelson holed a bunker shot on the par-3 13th to go 2 up, and he came up big with a key drive on the 18th with water down the right side.
Jason Day, coming off a five-win season that included his first major, did his part to extend the match. Day holed a 40-foot birdie putt on the 17th hole to keep alive hopes of at least earning a half-point. But on the closing par 5, Mickelson's big drive set up nothing more than a 7-iron for Zach Johnson, and he put it 10 feet below the hole.
Day's eagle putt from about 18 feet slid by on the left, and he and fellow Aussie Steven Bowditch conceded the eagle to Mickelson for a 2-up U.S. win.
"It's tough when you go out there and you see all the red and we're down," Price said. "I'm certainly not despondent about the whole thing. I think this team is going to bounce back a lot quicker than maybe any of the other teams we've had. I don't know, we'll have to wait and see."
Nicklaus says Spieth versus Day 'may happen' at Presidents Cup.
By Daniel Hicks
US Team player Jordan Spieth tees off on the 10th hole during a practice session ahead of the 2015 Presidents Cup at the Jack Nicklaus Golf Club in Incheon on October 7, 2015 (AFP Photo/Jung Yeon-Je)
Golf legend Jack Nicklaus said Wednesday that he would like nothing better than to see Jordan Spieth battle Jason Day in Sunday's Presidents Cup singles on the course that bears his name.
A match-up of the two best players in the world who have carried off three of the season's Majors is a mouth-watering and likely prospect, said Nicklaus, who himself won 18 majors and has captained the US side four times in Presidents Cups.
"Put it this way, if they want to play each other there's ways it can be made to happen," the 75-year-old told AFP on the eve of the US versus International team match play event at the Jack Nicklaus Golf Club in Incheon, South Korea.
It was filled with American red.
And there wasn't much Price or the International team could do about it Thursday in an opening session that ended just like so many others in this one-sided affair.
Phil Mickelson and Zach Johnson capped off a performance that was as businesslike as their handshakes, and the Americans had a 4-1 lead after foursomes in which they never trailed in any match except the one they lost.
"A tough day for us," Price said. "Having said that, we are only five points into 30. We still have another 25 points left out there. So we've got a long way to go, and that's that I told my team. Just to keep their chins up and do the best they can tomorrow."
The International team was adamant that the number of matches be reduced — it was lowered from 34 to 30 — to keep it a close contest. After one day, maybe having one less match on Thursday helped.
It could have been worse.
The Americans, who have lost the Presidents Cup only one time since it began in 1994 and are going for their sixth straight victory, had a lead after the opening session for the fifth straight time. The margin was their largest since a four-point lead in 2007 at Royal Montreal.
That makes the five matches of four-balls on Friday even more critical.
U.S. captain Jay Haas put Jordan Spieth and Dustin Johnson in the first match, followed by Rickie Fowler and Jimmy Walker.
"He's going for the kill," Price said. "If we get momentum going, it can change things."
All the momentum belonged to the Americans on Thursday.
Bubba Watson and J.B. Holmes ran off four straight birdies early in their match against Adam Scott and Hideki Matsuyama, and that set the tone. They wound up winning a tight match when Scott and Matsuyama missed key putts and ended it on the 16th hole.
"That was my whole goal," Watson said. "Get out there fast, change the color so the other guys see that and it sparks them going forward."
Watson and Holmes didn't deliver the first point. That came from Fowler and Walker, who picked up their first win as a team. They halved three matches at the Ryder Cup last year, and on Thursday they had the shortest match at the Jack Nicklaus Golf Club Korea, 5 and 4, over India's Anirban Lahiri and Thailand's Thongchai Jaidee.
The lone International victory came from Louis Oosthuizen and Branden Grace of South Africa, who took advantage of some sloppy play by Matt Kuchar and Patrick Reed in a 3-and-2 victory. Kuchar hit a tee shot into the water on No. 11, and he hit a wedge so far on No. 14 that it didn't even reach the creek.
Grace went 0-4 in his Presidents Cup debut two years ago, and the South Africans gave the International team at least some hope.
"I know we're behind," Grace said, glancing at a scoreboard behind him. "But one point is better than none."
The Americans got help from top to bottom.
Spieth, coming off a year of two majors, the FedEx Cup and the No. 1 ranking, and Dustin Johnson made for a formidable duo. They set the tone early when Spieth holed a 20-foot birdie putt on No. 2, and Johnson stepped up on the next hole and hammered a tee shot nearly 350 yards.
They halved that hole, but a message was sent.
"Me hitting bomb drives, Jordan holing putts," Johnson said. "That's what you want to get in their heads."
Johnson had a few wild drives, too, but they restored their cushion early on the back nine and coasted to a 4-and-3 victory.
Mickelson had to rely on a captain's pick for the first time since the inaugural Presidents Cup in 1994. Players wanted him on the team for his experience and enthusiasm, and the Hall of Famer showed he was more than capable with a club in his hand. Mickelson holed a bunker shot on the par-3 13th to go 2 up, and he came up big with a key drive on the 18th with water down the right side.
Jason Day, coming off a five-win season that included his first major, did his part to extend the match. Day holed a 40-foot birdie putt on the 17th hole to keep alive hopes of at least earning a half-point. But on the closing par 5, Mickelson's big drive set up nothing more than a 7-iron for Zach Johnson, and he put it 10 feet below the hole.
Day's eagle putt from about 18 feet slid by on the left, and he and fellow Aussie Steven Bowditch conceded the eagle to Mickelson for a 2-up U.S. win.
"It's tough when you go out there and you see all the red and we're down," Price said. "I'm certainly not despondent about the whole thing. I think this team is going to bounce back a lot quicker than maybe any of the other teams we've had. I don't know, we'll have to wait and see."
Nicklaus says Spieth versus Day 'may happen' at Presidents Cup.
By Daniel Hicks
Golf legend Jack Nicklaus said Wednesday that he would like nothing better than to see Jordan Spieth battle Jason Day in Sunday's Presidents Cup singles on the course that bears his name.
A match-up of the two best players in the world who have carried off three of the season's Majors is a mouth-watering and likely prospect, said Nicklaus, who himself won 18 majors and has captained the US side four times in Presidents Cups.
"Put it this way, if they want to play each other there's ways it can be made to happen," the 75-year-old told AFP on the eve of the US versus International team match play event at the Jack Nicklaus Golf Club in Incheon, South Korea.
"When I first captained the team in 1998 Tiger Woods wanted to play Greg Norman and we made it happen," said Nicklaus.
"The second time Tiger wanted to play Ernie (Els) and myself and Gary (Player, the International captain) sorted that out."
Unlike the Ryder Cup, where playing lists are submitted "blind" and then matched up in order, the Presidents Cup system sees each captain name a player in turn making a Spieth-Day showdown a real possibility.
World number two Day, however, was not so certain he would be facing his season-long foe and top-ranked Spieth again.
"I think it would be a lot of fun playing against Jordan," Day told reporters.
World number two Day, however, was not so certain he would be facing his season-long foe and top-ranked Spieth again.
"I think it would be a lot of fun playing against Jordan," Day told reporters.
"But, then again, I'm not too sure what their strategy is with that -- if they are going to hold Jordan to wait for my name or if captain (Nick) Price is going to hold my name for Jordan.
"He may want me to go out early, try to get a point up. It all depends on how things are going, and from there, make that decision who I'll play against."
Nicklaus said he was proud of being the designer of the course which will host the prestigious team event on Asian soil for the first time when play begins on Thursday.
He has made a number of changes recently to the course with particular work done to ease the severity of undulations on the greens.
Nicklaus predicted it would result in a tough but fair challenge to the players, with the possibility for plenty of birdies.
"I made it too tough to start with," Nicklaus said with a smile. "I think a lot of times, everybody, all designers go through cycles of when they do different things.
"I guess I was in my 'bumpy' cycle when we started this. I'm in my more 'peaceful, love golfer' cycle right now," he grinned.
NASCAR: Matt Kenseth wins pole at Charlotte.
By Nick Bromberg
Matt Kenseth set a career record Thursday night at Charlotte.
Kenseth, the driver who accumulated the most points over the first three races of the Chase, won the pole for Saturday night's fourth race of the Chase. It's his fourth pole of the 2015 season; he's never had more than three in any of his 17 previous Sprint Cup Series seasons.
Kenseth, the driver who accumulated the most points over the first three races of the Chase, won the pole for Saturday night's fourth race of the Chase. It's his fourth pole of the 2015 season; he's never had more than three in any of his 17 previous Sprint Cup Series seasons.
It's also his second pole at Charlotte in 2015. Kenseth won the pole for the Coca-Cola 600 in May and finished fourth. He'll be joined on the front row by teammate Kyle Busch.
All four of Joe Gibbs Racing's cars made it to the final round of qualifying. Denny Hamlin will start fifth and Carl Edwards, who won the 600, will start eighth.
Joey Logano starts third and Greg Biffle, the first driver on the grid who isn't in the Chase, will start fourth.
Nine of the 12 current Chase drivers are in the top 12. It's 10 of the 16 drivers who qualified for the Chase if you count Jimmie Johnson, who qualified seventh.
The rest of the Chasers in the top 12 are Kurt Busch (6th), Ryan Newman (10th), Kevin Harvick (11th) and Dale Earnhardt Jr. (12th).
Charlotte paints track to mark restart zones.
AP - Sports
Charlotte Motor Speedway has painted lines on the race track to mark where the restart zone will begin and end Saturday night.
Charlotte Motor Speedway has painted lines on the race track to mark where the restart zone will begin and end Saturday night.
The zone is typically marked by NASCAR with the lines on the outside wall that aren't seen by fans. Charlotte has painted the marks to make the zone clear in what's been an ongoing issue.
Drivers have complained for the last several months about shenanigans in the restart zone that NASCAR was not policing. NASCAR three races ago assigned an official to monitor the restart zone at track level, and it is now using in-race reviews to decide if a driver broke the rules.
Brad Keselowski was flagged for jumping the restart at Dover two weeks ago. He's so far the only driver to be penalized.
SOCCER: Test for football coach Klinsmann as US, Mexico clash in play-off.
The United States and Mexico clash here Saturday in a winner-takes-all shoot-out for a place at the 2017 Confederations Cup with US coach Jurgen Klinsmann facing arguably the biggest test of his four-year reign.
A sell-out crowd of more than 92,000 is expected to cram into the vast expanse of the Pasadena Rose Bowl for the latest instalment of the fierce rivalry between the North American heavyweights.
A play-off to determine the CONCACAF region's representative at the Confederations Cup in Russia in two year's time was ordered after the United States won the 2013 Gold Cup and Mexico lifted the 2015 edition.
A play-off to determine the CONCACAF region's representative at the Confederations Cup in Russia in two year's time was ordered after the United States won the 2013 Gold Cup and Mexico lifted the 2015 edition.
The United States' failure to win this year's Gold Cup on home soil, where they were stunned by Jamaica in the semi-finals, and a 4-1 friendly thrashing by Brazil last month, left Klinsmann's critics sharpening their lives.
Former captain Landon Donovan, who has had an uneasy relationship with Klinsmann, told ESPN this week the German legend should be fired in the event of an American defeat to Mexico on Saturday.
"We had a very poor summer with bad results in the Gold Cup," said Donovan, who was famously omitted by Klinsmann from the US squad for last year's World Cup.
"The last game against Brazil was probably the worst game I've seen them play under Jurgen ... Anywhere else in the world, if this coach had those results, and they lose this game against Mexico, they'd be fired."
"The last game against Brazil was probably the worst game I've seen them play under Jurgen ... Anywhere else in the world, if this coach had those results, and they lose this game against Mexico, they'd be fired."
Donovan's comments echoed widespread calls for Klinsmann's position to be reviewed after the Gold Cup failure in June.
- Nightmare scenario? -
Yet many however believe his job is unlikely to be at risk, even if the nightmare scenario of a Mexico victory unfolds on Saturday.
The former Germany striker has a contract until 2018 and so far US Soccer Federation chief Sunil Gulati has made it plain he sees Klinsmann as a long-term appointment.
"We don't make judgements based on one game," Gulati said in July after the Gold Cup exit.Klinsmann meanwhile has shown no sign of being rattled, bullishly declaring in a recent interview that he fully expects an American victory.
"I'm very confident about it," Klinsmann told ESPN. "With all the respect to the Mexican team -- there's no doubt that they have a lot of quality -- I'm confident that if our group sticks together and works with a tremendous amount of energy and chemistry, we're going to beat them."
For Klinsmann's players, Saturday represents an opportunity to avenge their shattering 2011 defeat to Mexico at the same venue in the final of the Gold Cup, when they squandered a 2-0 lead before crashing 4-2.
US skipper Michael Bradley, a veteran of that defeat, admitted the loss still weighed heavily on the players who experienced it.
"Any time you lose a final, you don't forget that quickly," Bradley told ussoccer.com.
Bradley meanwhile urged his team to savor the prospect of another titanic battle with Mexico in what is expected to be a highly charged atmosphere.
"Games against Mexico don't come around every day," Bradley said.
"Games against Mexico that have so much on the line don’t either ... the atmosphere is going to be amazing."
FIFA announces bans for Blatter, Platini, Valcke, Chung.
By Nicholas Mendola
(Photo/AP Photo/Christophe Ena)
The headline reads “Independent Ethics Committee bans several football officials”, as FIFA stays defiant on naming names even to the death.
Sepp Blatter, Michel Platini, Jerome Valcke and Chung Mong-joon have all been banned by the Hans Joachim Eckert-run Ethics Committee, with the first trio getting 90 days away from all soccer activities and former VP Mong-joon seeing a six-year ban.
Blatter, Platini and Valcke could see an additional 45 days away on this charge, which would bring them right up to the next FIFA Presidential Election in February.
FIFA was sure to indicate in its press release that, of course, this is the Ethics Committee’s decision and not based on the investigations by Swiss and U.S. authorities (Commence eye-rolling). They also want to make sure you know which heinous villains are personally attacking Blatter and Platini:
"The grounds for these decisions are the investigations that are being carried out by the investigatory chamber of the Ethics Committee. The chairman of the chamber is Dr. Cornel Borbély. The investigation into Joseph S. Blatter is being carried out by Robert Torres, the investigation into Michel Platini by Vanessa Allard."While Blatter and Valcke’s fates have seemed– key word: seemed, this is FIFA — sealed for a great deal of time, this suspension further dents Platini’s chances at the presidency. UEFA’s boss has been given every benefit of the doubt by European pundits, but looks unable to escape rumors pertaining to his actions regarding the awarding of the 2022 World Cup to Qatar.
Additionally, we should point out that while Blatter does in fact seemed doomed by international investigations, anything is possible with FIFA. While we await his legal status, it’s always possible the “innocent” administration wags its finger at all of us by making moves outside of the Ethics Committee’s decision.
NCAAFB: Texas coach Charlie Strong making promises, can he deliver?
By JIM VERTUNO
Texas head coach Charlie Strong walks the field before the Texas take on TCU in an NCAA college football game Saturday, Oct. 3, 2015, in Fort Worth, Texas. (AP Photo/Ron Jenkins)
Shortly after 11 a.m. on Nov. 17, 2014, Texas coach Charlie Strong made a promise: five-loss seasons would ''never happen again'' in the Longhorns program.
Less than a year later and with his team struggling at 1-4, Strong returned to the same podium at his weekly news conference and made yet another pledge: ''This is the week that we get this thing going.''
Texas fans are wondering if any of this is going to come true.
Strong's pledge about five losses seemed reasonable at the time. Texas had won three in a row to become bowl eligible in his first season and seemed to be rising.
Texas is just 1-6 since then. Fans are grumbling, Texas players are taking locker room grievances public and chirping at each other on Twitter and it's an open question around college football on whether Strong could be fired after this season - or sooner.
The Longhorns haven't even played No. 10 Oklahoma yet. That comes come Saturday, when the Sooners (4-0, 1-0 Big 12) are heavily favored to hand Strong that fifth loss just halfway through the season.
''It does look gloomy,'' Strong said Monday. ''It's funny. I guess people think I'm dying. ... I say to people all the time, 'I'm OK.'''
It's hard to find anyone in Austin who is laughing.
Strong is 7-11 in his first 18 games. Four of his last six losses have been by 20 or more points. The latest was last week's 50-7 pasting at the hands of No. 2 TCU when the Horned Frogs not only looked better coached, but more talented than the team that has long been one of the big boys in the Big 12.
TCU coach Gary Patterson even served up a zinger before the game. Asked about a TCU defense depleted by injuries and other problems, Patterson dismissed the concern.
''We've beaten better with less,'' Patterson said in a comment tweeted out by the Longhorn Network, Texas' in-house sports channel. The score was 30-0 by the end of the first quarter.
Strong is two years into a five-year guaranteed contract worth more than $5 million per year. He said he is not worried about whether he'll get to a third.
''Every day is a battle, so I don't (worry). I have no idea,'' Strong said. ''Every day I come in knowing that it's my job to come in and make sure that this program is doing, is represented the right way and doing the right things and going to win football games and developing young men.''
Strong still seems to have the support of his bosses. New school President Greg Fenves, who last month pushed out unpopular athletic director Steve Patterson, and interim athletic director Mike Perrin have publicly backed their head coach.
''As President Fenves indicated last month, he fully supports Coach Strong. This has not changed at all,'' a statement from Fenves' office said Monday.
Texas has played one of the toughest schedules in the country. All four losses have come against ranked opponents who have a combined record of 19-1. Two have been blowouts and two come following agonizing special teams gaffes.
Strong changed offensive coordinators and starting quarterbacks after a season-opening loss at Notre Dame. He appeared to find a spark with new starter Jerrod Heard, but the freshman's last two games have been average at best. Close losses to California and Oklahoma State were frustrating, but TCU's dominance showed a perilous talent gap that could take a few years to close.
Up in Oklahoma, Sooners coach Bob Stoops is trying to get his team to ignore the drama at Texas. The Sooners were heavily favored in 2013 only to get thumped 36-20.
''It's safe to say that will be brought up this week,'' Stoops said. ''When I look at film, I still see a lot of really good-looking athletes and a lot of those players are in good spots.''
Strong would be in a better spot if he can win.
''What happens through adversity (is) we're going to get stronger or we're going to fall apart,'' Strong said. ''We're not going to fall apart.''
No. 2 TCU, No. 3 Baylor so far on track to Big 12 title game.
Less than a year later and with his team struggling at 1-4, Strong returned to the same podium at his weekly news conference and made yet another pledge: ''This is the week that we get this thing going.''
Texas fans are wondering if any of this is going to come true.
Strong's pledge about five losses seemed reasonable at the time. Texas had won three in a row to become bowl eligible in his first season and seemed to be rising.
Texas is just 1-6 since then. Fans are grumbling, Texas players are taking locker room grievances public and chirping at each other on Twitter and it's an open question around college football on whether Strong could be fired after this season - or sooner.
The Longhorns haven't even played No. 10 Oklahoma yet. That comes come Saturday, when the Sooners (4-0, 1-0 Big 12) are heavily favored to hand Strong that fifth loss just halfway through the season.
''It does look gloomy,'' Strong said Monday. ''It's funny. I guess people think I'm dying. ... I say to people all the time, 'I'm OK.'''
It's hard to find anyone in Austin who is laughing.
Strong is 7-11 in his first 18 games. Four of his last six losses have been by 20 or more points. The latest was last week's 50-7 pasting at the hands of No. 2 TCU when the Horned Frogs not only looked better coached, but more talented than the team that has long been one of the big boys in the Big 12.
TCU coach Gary Patterson even served up a zinger before the game. Asked about a TCU defense depleted by injuries and other problems, Patterson dismissed the concern.
''We've beaten better with less,'' Patterson said in a comment tweeted out by the Longhorn Network, Texas' in-house sports channel. The score was 30-0 by the end of the first quarter.
Strong is two years into a five-year guaranteed contract worth more than $5 million per year. He said he is not worried about whether he'll get to a third.
''Every day is a battle, so I don't (worry). I have no idea,'' Strong said. ''Every day I come in knowing that it's my job to come in and make sure that this program is doing, is represented the right way and doing the right things and going to win football games and developing young men.''
Strong still seems to have the support of his bosses. New school President Greg Fenves, who last month pushed out unpopular athletic director Steve Patterson, and interim athletic director Mike Perrin have publicly backed their head coach.
''As President Fenves indicated last month, he fully supports Coach Strong. This has not changed at all,'' a statement from Fenves' office said Monday.
Texas has played one of the toughest schedules in the country. All four losses have come against ranked opponents who have a combined record of 19-1. Two have been blowouts and two come following agonizing special teams gaffes.
Strong changed offensive coordinators and starting quarterbacks after a season-opening loss at Notre Dame. He appeared to find a spark with new starter Jerrod Heard, but the freshman's last two games have been average at best. Close losses to California and Oklahoma State were frustrating, but TCU's dominance showed a perilous talent gap that could take a few years to close.
Up in Oklahoma, Sooners coach Bob Stoops is trying to get his team to ignore the drama at Texas. The Sooners were heavily favored in 2013 only to get thumped 36-20.
''It's safe to say that will be brought up this week,'' Stoops said. ''When I look at film, I still see a lot of really good-looking athletes and a lot of those players are in good spots.''
Strong would be in a better spot if he can win.
''What happens through adversity (is) we're going to get stronger or we're going to fall apart,'' Strong said. ''We're not going to fall apart.''
No. 2 TCU, No. 3 Baylor so far on track to Big 12 title game.
By Jeff Eisenberg
Bryant assistant coach Chris Burns (photo by Bryant Athletics)
The next time Division I men's basketball's first openly gay coach visits talent-rich St. Andrew's School, he can expect to be treated the same as he has always been.
St. Andrew's coach Mike Hart intends to swap stories and crack jokes with Chris Burns just like he did before the Bryant University assistant revealed his sexuality in a first-person essay published Thursday morning.
"Today's announcement doesn't change what I think of Chris at all," Hart said. "He's a top-level recruiter, he's funny as hell and he's a great guy. I hope one day a couple of our kids go to Bryant because it's such a great school and he's a tremendous ambassador for it."
Whether the rest of the basketball community in the Northeast is as enlightened as Hart could go a long way toward determining the fate of Burns' coaching career.
It's the responsibility of any Division I assistant coach to identify potential impact recruits, to forge relationships with those prospects and their advisers and to entice them to sign a letter of intent. That task only becomes tougher if a program's pool of possible recruits shrinks because some aren't comfortable selecting a program with an openly gay coach on staff.
When Burns first revealed he was gay to some close confidantes on campus last year, Bryant coach Tim O'Shea urged him to consider whether coming out in the media could be detrimental to his goal of someday landing a head coaching job. O'Shea feared athletic directors might view an openly gay as too great a risk as a result of potential challenges wooing recruits and soliciting donations from boosters.
Ultimately, Burns decided to go public anyway this week with O'Shea's full support. Burns grew tired of living in fear of being outed and hoped that the support and acceptance he has initially received at Bryant would inspire other closeted athletes and coaches to be open with their teams too.
"Chris is not a guy who's out there looking to be a celebrity or to draw a lot of attention to himself," O'Shea said. "He felt that by coming out publicly it could potentially help someone who was struggling with this issue, and I agreed with him.
"Logically, there are probably some people out there who have a bias in this area, so it's possible we could lose some recruits because of this. At the end of the day, I don't really care. If someone wants to disqualify us because we have an openly gay coach, so be it. I believe if you do the right thing and you treat people well, it will work out."
How Burns fares in the coming months will surely be something closeted gay coaches watch closely. Burns is currently the only openly gay man among the roughly 1,500 head coaches and assistants working in Division I men's basketball, but his story could persuade others to emerge from hiding if he can do so without torpedoing his career.
What will surely complicate Burns' efforts is the cutthroat nature of recruiting in men's basketball. Unscrupulous rival coaches are likely to try to drive away recruits from Bryant by branding the Bulldogs as the gay team.
If it sounds ridiculous that coaches would stoop to that level, consider the vile tactics used in the past. Steve Lavin told reporters in Jan. 2012 that he had to reassure prospects he'd soon return to the St. John's bench because opposing coaches were telling recruits that prostate cancer could force him to retire. Texas A&M coach Billy Kennedy has dealt with similar negative recruiting since announcing four years ago that he suffered from early-onset Parkinson's disease.
"It angers me when people tell recruits I may not coach much longer because it's coming from people who don't really know me," Kennedy told Yahoo Sports in 2013. He also added, "There are some insecure assistants in high-profile programs that do whatever they have to do to get a player."
It's difficult to assess how frequently gay men's basketball coaches would have to combat negative recruiting because there's no precedent to study. Recruiting pitches emphasizing a program's family atmosphere and implicit heterosexuality are often used as a subtle weapon against unmarried female coaches in women's basketball, but openly gay coaches in other sports report experiencing fewer issues.
Neither Ball State women's golf coach Katherine Mowat nor UC Santa Barbara women's tennis coach Simon Thibodeau recall losing a single recruit because of their sexuality since coming out in 2011 and 2013, respectively. They both gladly answer any questions prospects or their families have, but they prefer to let the topic of their sexuality come up organically rather than making a point of addressing it with every recruit.
"There's been no negative backlash that I'm aware of in recruiting," Mowat said. "I'm certainly not naïve to the possibility that it could happen at some point, but we haven't come across it."
Thibodeau even goes a step further.
"The only parents who have brought it up did it to congratulate me or to tell me they're supportive," he said. "I do not feel I've lost any recruits because of it. If anything, I think it has helped me."
Will recruiting be as problem-free for Burns or future gay basketball coaches that follow in his footsteps? High school and AAU coaches admit the testosterone-heavy culture of a men's team sport makes that unlikely.
Keith Howard, founder of California-based Inland Empire Basketball Program, is skeptical that the parents of many of the prospects he has coached would be comfortable sending their kids to play for a gay coach. Howard is hopeful that changes as prejudice slowly fades away, but for now he believes an openly gay coach faces an uphill battle unless his communication skills are so phenomenal that he can connect with families and build trust.
"If you were to survey 100 families, there are not going to be 100 families that are OK with a gay coach," Howard said. "If a family isn't OK with that, there are going to be challenges. If the parents aren't comfortable with a coach, there's a strong possibility that coach won't get that recruit."
What that highlights is the importance of having a supportive boss and administration, something Burns definitely has at Bryant.
O'Shea has entrenched himself at Bryant by guiding its transition from Division II to Division I, engineering a 17-win turnaround in 2013 and following that up with two more winning seasons the past two years. The 53-year-old can live with losing an occasional recruit or two because he is under no pressure at Bryant, nor does he have any intention of trying to jump to a more high-profile school.
"If someone doesn't want us to recruit them because of Chris, truthfully I couldn't care less," O'Shea said. "This is something he felt gave him a chance to help people who have struggled with the same issue. He doesn't want to be leading a double life, which I totally understand."
Wild Card game exposes the biggest flaw in MLB's playoff system. What's Your Take?
By Emmett Knowlton
Cubs ace Jake Arrieta has been dominant against the Pirates this season. (Photo/David Banks/Getty)
Wednesday, on the National League side, the Chicago Cubs will made their first post-season appearance since 2008 when they took on the Pittsburgh Pirates in Pittsburgh.
Wild Card play-in games started in 2012 when a second Wild Card team was added to the playoff picture, and Wednesday night's NL game shows more clearly than ever why baseball's playoff system is inherently flawed and already in need of serious upheaval.
By all accounts, the Cubs and Pirates had terrific regular seasons. In his first season as manager, Joe Maddon led an upstart Cubs team to a 97-65 record — the third best in baseball, but also just the third best in the NL Central division. The Pirates did the North Siders one game better, finishing with a 98-64 record — the second best in baseball, but again, just the second best in the division.
Were either of these teams to play in any other division in the National (or American) League, they'd have won their division by a mile. The Cubs and Pirates are plagued by bad regional luck and the fact that the best record in baseball belonged to the NL Central divisional foes St. Louis Cardinals, a team that won 100 games.
The divisional break down is, of course, completely out of either team's control, but that these three teams managed to finish with such stellar records while also playing one another so frequently only proves how good these teams were all season long. And yet, as a result, the Cubs and Pirates must face off in a one-game, winner-take-all affair. And a one-game series is decidedly antithetical to the rest of baseball's playoff format. Rather than rewarding depth and longevity of starting rotation and bullpen, a one-game series chiefly favors the team with the best individual pitcher — in this case, the Cubs' Jake Arrieta.
Arrieta has flat-out dominated the Pirates all season long. His line vs. Pittsburgh in 2015: 3-1, 0.75 ERA, 0.639 WHIP, 33 strikeouts in 35 innings. (His numbers all season long have been similarly dominant: 22-6, 1.77 ERA.)
If Pirates fans are upset about their batters having to face Arrieta tomorrow night, Cubs fans will be equally worried about Gerrit Cole, the Pirates ace. Cole has a career record of 7-1 against the Cubs and a very solid 2.88 ERA.
As it is now, the playoff system means that either the second or third best team in baseball (record-wise) will only play in one playoff game, while the Dodgers and Mets will be rewarded an entire series despite worse records and weaker divisions. Pirates fans know this all too well: tomorrow night marks the third consecutive year in which the Pirates will play in the play-in Wild Card game. Their record in those games is 1-1.
Under a different scenario, the Pirates versus the Cubs could be an NLCS match-up, in which fans could watch at least four games, and games in both ballparks. Fans could see Jon Lester on the mound in Wrigley, and AJ Burnett in PNC Park. Instead, one of the best three teams in baseball will bow out before the NLDS.
The two-team Wild Card scenario must also frustrate another team and its fan base: the St. Louis Cardinals, who will face the winner of Tuesday nights' game. Say what you will about the Cardinals and its fans, but winning 100 games ought to earn you an easier divisional series match-up than either of these two teams. And, the series between whichever team wins on Tuesday night and the Cardinals is a match-up with NLCS-caliber talent, deserving of a 7-game series and not the 5-game divisional series situation it will ultimately get. Again and again, the playoff system is flawed and needs to be changed.
So, the question then is how to fix this system. In April, NBC sportscaster Bob Costas offered one viable option that seems to be the best available. His plan:
1. Shorten the regular season from 162 games to 154 games, which would allow for more playoff baseball.
2. Convert the Wild Card round from a one-game playoff into a best-of-three series with all three games played at the ballpark of the team with the better record. (I'd contest this second point and instead have both teams play in their home park, though a 1-1-1 scenario is admittedly not great logistically.)
3. Convert the division series from best-of-five to best-of-seven.
4. Give the no. 1 seed an extra home game against the Wild Card team in the division series.
Costas' plan would save owners money and, on a logical level, make a lot more sense. More than anything else, this system means more playoff games and fewer seemingly meaningless regular season games.
In the end, both Tuesday's and Wednesday's night's games were highly entertaining in a way that's completely unique to playoff baseball. But these two games, and especially the Cubs and the Pirates, will only whet our appetites for these teams, when both the fans and the teams themselves deserve more than just one playoff game.
Chicago Sports & Travel, Inc./AllsportsAmerica Take: The NBA's board of governors voted Tuesday to take away top-four seeds for division winners and instead seed the eight postseason teams in each conference based upon their records for the playoffs. In this year's baseball playoffs, the National League Central had three teams that were in the top four with the best records: St. Louis Cardinals (100), Pittsburgh Pirates (98) and the Chicago Cubs (97). The Pirates and Cubs would have won their divisions decisively if they weren't in the same division. It's horrible that they had to play each other and one had to be eliminated and yet there are still teams with inferior records continuing to play. It's time to review the playoff system (Again, the NBA just did that). Above are some recommendations by Bob Costas to improve the playoff system, however, why not just drop the divisions, set up the teams by their conferences and take the top eight in each conference with the best records. The seeding could be: 1,8; 2,7; 3,6 and 4,5. That would be fair and the teams with the best records would be competing consequently providing a much more competitive tournament. It's just our suggestion but we want the best that the game has to offer. Also, get rid of the one game playoff. Let the teams with the best records battle it out for the championship. That's the American way. Competition breeds excellence so let the best team win!!!
As usual, we've voiced our opinion and would love to hear your thoughts and what's your take? Please go to the comment section at the bottom of this blog and share your opinion with us. We love to hear from you. There are several great ideas out there so share them with us!!!
The Chicago Sports & Travel, Inc./AllsportsAmerica Editorial Staff.
Memoriesofhistory.com
1919 - The Cincinnati Reds won the World Series. The win would be later tainted when 8 Chicago White Sox were charged with throwing the game. The incident became known as the "Black Sox" scandal.
1974 - The Washington Capitals played their first NHL game.
2000 - Brett Hull (Dallas Stars) scored his 611th NHL goal. The goal allowed him to pass his father, Bobby Hull, on the all time scoring list bringing him to number 9.
2001 - Prosecutors in Miami, FL, announced that they would seek a prison sentence if O.J. Simpson was convicted in his road rage trial. Jury selection began for the trial just after the announcement.
2002 - The L.A. Kings retired Wayne Gretzky's #99.
1974 - The Washington Capitals played their first NHL game.
2000 - Brett Hull (Dallas Stars) scored his 611th NHL goal. The goal allowed him to pass his father, Bobby Hull, on the all time scoring list bringing him to number 9.
2001 - Prosecutors in Miami, FL, announced that they would seek a prison sentence if O.J. Simpson was convicted in his road rage trial. Jury selection began for the trial just after the announcement.
2002 - The L.A. Kings retired Wayne Gretzky's #99.
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